My Top Movies of 2009 (in no particular order)

Yes, like many bloggers before me, I am blogging about my favorite movies of 2009. I usually try not to do this not because of the "movie blogger cliche" but because I can only watch so many movies in the theater during the year because unfortunately I don't get paid to watch movies and by the time January comes along and all the critics are sharing their top ten lists and I am looking through these lists thinking to myself "that's not on video yet but I really want to see that" and...I'll just stop my rambling now. Long story short with some help from Blockbuster and a month delay, here is my list of favorite films for 2009. Hope you enjoy!

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox - "Here, put this bandit hat on." I love stop motion animation and the book Fantastic Mr. Fox and this movie is a wonderful representation of both. It is adorable, humorous, fun, and a cussing good time. Anyone other than Wes Anderson would have cussed it up.

2. Is Anybody There? - "I remember looking up at the stars and thinking what a great big universe this is. Now it's very very small." A movie about death set in a retirement home doesn't seem like something that would be appealing. But the story of the friendship that develops between an old magician and death-obsessed 10 year old is touching and uplifting.

3. (500) Days of Summer - "This is a story of boy meets girl. But you should know up front, this is not a love story." This quirky non-love story made me both laugh and cry (damn Regina Spektor song). Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zoey Deschanel are perfect as anti-Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan. And props for best use of a split screen since Carrie.

4. Inglourous Basterds - "You know somethin', Utivich? I think this might just be my masterpiece." How could one not love a spaghetti western revenge flick set in World War II? The tense opening scene is cinematic genius. Tarantino's dialog gets a little wording during the bar scene in the middle but I can forgive him for that.

5. The Proposal - "Do you prefer Margaret or "Satan's Mistress?' " This was just a fun movie to watch. Unlike a lot of recent romantic comedies, the cast is actually funny.

6. Sunshine Cleaning - "Um, we come into people's lives when they have experienced something profound - and sad. And they've lost somebody, you know? And um, the circumstances, they're always different. But that's the same. And we help. In some small way we, um, we help." There's nothing like finding a job that you are truly good at and can take pride in. And if that dream job happens to be cleaning up crime scenes, then so be it.

7. An Education - "I feel old. But not very wise." The young girl/older man plot has been done before and I thought this movie would fit into what has become the same basic plot. But this movie is different. The title actually refers to an education (the one with school books), the girl isn't naive or misunderstood (she's just young), and the man is charming without the creepy under tone that makes you wonder why nobody has mace him yet.

Eggs Benedict on a Budget

The McDonald's Egg McMuffin is essentially a variation of eggs benedict. It was created by Herb Peterson, a McDonald's franchisee, in 1972 as a "poor man's version" by replacing the hollandaise with a slice of American cheese. So if you are having a craving for eggs benedict, munching on the McMuffin in it's "natural" state is perfectly acceptable. However if you want a more traditional version of eggs benedict, just follow these easy steps.

1. Order the Egg McMuffin.
2. Ask for a small container of breakfast sauce (the sauce that they put on the bagel sandwiches - it's hollandaise) and a knife and fork
3. Find a booth and start assembling
4. Take the top off the sandwich
5. Pour/scoop the breakfast sauce onto the sandwich
6. Dash a little black pepper on top if desire
7. Eat and enjoy!

I love Eggs Benedict, I hate every other kind. - Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) from Runaway Bride

Got my insides out, and it feels all right.

I just got back from seeing Anni Rossi and Kaisercartel at the Vaudeville Mews! I was really excited that two of my favorite acts from 80/35's past were going to be playing together. Anni Rossi was great of course and the audience really liked her. She actually remember me from 80/35 which was cool.

It was a lot of fun to see Kaisercartel again. The duo formed of Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel are best described as emo's with sunny dispositions. Their album march forth is one of my favorites. They have an indy/folk pop sound that is just makes you feel kind of good when you listen to it. Two of their songs - Inside Out and Favorite Song - are going to be on the new HBO show Bored To Death.

As well as the old favorites, they also played some songs from their new album Rock Island which will be out in October. It's available for pre-order on their website www.kaisercartel.com where you can also check out lots of band info.

Get Your Foodie On

It's the beginning of the second annual Des Moines Restaurant Week! It runs from August 21st to August 30th and is a good way to check out some of DSM's posh restaurants. For $25 you can either split a lunch with a friend or treat yourself to a three course dinner. You can check out a list of participating restaurants and get other info at DSM Magazine. To kick things off I made a list of some of my favorite eateries.

1. Simo's Cafistro in Valley Junction

Simo's serves wonderful Cajun food. The menu includes appetizers such as escargot w/crawfish and scallops served over mashed potatoes and main courses such as black beans and rice, etouffee, swordfish, and stuffed porkchop. My personal favorite is the sashimi tuna which is a common nightly special. There is live music on the weekends for you to enjoy with your sangaria.

2. Miyabi 9 in East Village

Miyabi 9 has the best sushi ever! My favorites are the Captain Crunch and the Miami Heat rolls. I also enjoy the sashimi plate and maki icecream. It has a bigger kitchen that dinning area so I recommend getting there a bit early to make sure to get a seat right away so that you don't have to wait.

3. La Mie on 42nd Street

Whether you just want to grab a pastry on your way to work or enjoy a meal, Le Mie always makes you feel a little bit special. Some of my favorite things at this French bakery are the chocolate pitachio rolls, carmel pecan rolls, and avocado tarrine.

4. Teacups and Tiaras in Valley Junction

This girly tearoom is a great place to visit when you're in the mood for a light lunch. Take your mom here when she visits...she'll love it. The Mediterranean quiche and almond soup are my favs and the owner is a delight.

5. Mezzodi's on Fleur Drive

Located near the Fleur Cinemas this is a great place to go if your in the mood for dinner and a movie. The homemade pasta dishes are fabulous. My picks are the pear and toasted walnut salad and the chicken piccata. The service here is also wonderful.

6. The Gateway Market on MLK

I love the soups and lobster roll sandwich. It's also one of my favorite brunch places. Hands down the best eggs benedict in Des Moines.

7. El Patio on 37th

This slightly hidden gem is my favorite Mexican restaurant. The high quality ingredients make this stand above chains such as Chi Chi's. I enjoy the chicken enchiladas, tacos, and chimichanga and the fried icecream is a perfect way to end any meal.

A Rockin' July 4th at 80/35

I had a great Independence Day at the second annual 80/35 Music Festival! (The only bad news I have to report is that is seems that there is an epidemic of males that are dressing like the Jonas Brothers. Guys, the skinny jeans and poofy hair doesn't even look that good on them. Stop...Please!) The weather was overcast all day but with no rain so it keep things cool...which was great because I spent the whole day.

The Des Moines Social Club made a nice pit stop between shows. They had local musicians playing in their Sideshow Lounge and cupcake shots in the main room. It was a great place to find a spot to sit to rest your feet or eat your spam sushi (the food vendors were excellent). It also had bathrooms with flushing toilets and sinks for washing up:)


The music of course was awesome! I started out the day with folk-rockish Anni Rossi. The only instrument that she use other than her voice was the viola. The highlight was her hauntingly beautiful cover of the Ace Of Base song "Living in Danger." I won't have realized it was of cover of the 90's song if she hadn't told us. I also enjoyed "Machine" and "Wheelpusher."

We listen to a little bit of Baby Teeth who were okay before we moved onto local band Beati Paoli who were quite enjoyable. I'm not quite sure how to describe their music but it had elements of punk, rock, and new wave. I have a feeling that we'll be seeing a lot of them. I already plan on stopping by next time they play show.

Beati Paoli was followed by Miss Derringer which ended up being my favorite act of the day. I guess you would call them punk/country. They had honky-tonk lyrics with a vintage rock sound and reminded me a lot of Blondie. They were a lot of fun to watch and the lead singer Liz McGrath was very nice and autographed my CD for me. It looked like they had a really good time at 80/35 as well. I keep seeing them walking around the festival eating food, drinking beer, and listening to the other bands.



Miss Derringer is currently touring with Girl In A Coma who playing shortly after them. They had a really great punk rock girl band sound to them which reminded me of the Breeders and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They're signed with Joan Jett's label Blackheart Records which totally suits them.

Later we listen to local darlings Cleo's Apartment (who remind me a lot of British band Morcheeba), Margot and the Nuclear So & Sos, and Maximilian Eubank before joining the large crowd of Envy Corp fans. The local band has toured with the Killers and had one of their songs featured in the movie "Run Fat Boy Run." They hit a little bit of red tape with their first full album but they have a new one coming out under their own record label, Tempo Club. I usually describe them as a less depressed Radiohead. They had a huge audience and said that they hoped to play the main stage next year. I ended up twisting my ankle while watching them so I can now claim that I was injured at a rock concert:) You can read an article about the band here.

The night ended with a fireworks show to celebrate the holiday. I had a lot of fun can't wait 'till next year's fest. You can get some more info at the offical website www.80-35.com

Vacation Pictures of Omaha Part Deux

While in Omaha I also visited the Old Market. It's kind of like an expanded version of Des Moines East Village. I really enjoyed the Soul Desires Bookstore, the french bakery, and the art gallery that featured Eva Aeppli's scultures (made from sewed silk and then bronzed). It was a lovely place to spend the whole day.

Happy Birthday!

Yes, I am another year older as of last Wednesday.  My sister made me the pillow pictured to the left.  It's pretty cute and matches my couch too!  The button in the middle of it has a chandelier on it.  I also got a really nice neckless from my parents.

I got some freebees for my birthday as well.  If you sign up for the STAR 102.5's e-mail newsletter, you get a free lunch at Splash and a box of chocolates from Chocolate Storybook.  And if you get Sephora's Beauty Insider e-mails, you get a free lip gloss trio.