An Evening with Emily Giffin

Last night I had the incredible opportunity to meet New York Times best-selling novelist and Wake Forest alumna Emily Giffin. Author of books like Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the One You're With and most recently The Heart of the Matter, Giffin was simultaneously hilarious and inspiring. As an aspiring writer, I loved how candid she was about the publishing process, while still remaining positive about the industry.

I'm so excited for her first movie-adaptation to come out. Something Borrowed starring Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin and John Krasinski comes out in May, and Giffin couldn't have spoken higher of the film.

Readers--have you read Giffin's books? Are you looking forward to Something Borrowed?

Water for Elephants

 

(Peter Lindbergh for US Vogue)

My anticipation for Water for Elephants, starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson is killing me. I'm a huge fan of the historical novel by Sara Gruen, and I cannot wait to see how it translates onto the big screen. This month's Vogue completely whet my appetite for the film with gorgeous photos of Reese posing with an elephant.

The film comes out April 22-- readers, will you be making a trip to the theater?

An Eye for Design: Abandoned Theaters

 How tragically beautiful are these abandoned theaters? Such a sad memory of what used to be.

(Via Buzzfeed)

Tender Tennessee Christmas

Happy Holidays Readers!

Movie Review: Morning Glory

Sometime between stuffing ourselves silly with turkey and donning formal ware for a deb ball, my family managed to squeeze in a trip to the movies where the Hallemann women saw Morning Glory, Rachel McAdams latest romantic comedy. Though less than an intellectually stimulating classic, the film was cute. I must say, I liked it even more than I thought I would.
 
Morning Glory follows McAdams' character Becky Fuller as she works to revive a struggling network morning show. Amidst heavy hitters Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford who play the show's quibbling co-hosts, McAdams held her own and carried the movie. Fuller is anal retentive, persistent, ambitious and a touch naive without being annoying. Hard to believe, I know. The dialogue is sharp and witty, but I do wish the love story had been a bit more developed.

But overall, I definitely recommend it.

Next on my list: Natalie Portman's psychological thriller Black Swan.

Readers, what movie's have you seen recently?

Inspired by: Burlesque

In honor of Cher and Christina Aguilera's feature film premiering November 24, I picked out a handful of sparkly, Burlesque-inspired pieces. With the holiday season rapidly approaching, sequins are an easy way to spice up your wardrobe, but steer away from a head-to-toe outfit. Leave the show-girl look to the professionals.

Clockwise from top right:
Bring on the Bling--OPI--$8.50

Glitterati Party Clutch--J. Crew $59.50

Jenna Metallic Pump--Tory Burch $325

Scandall--Steve Madden-$109.95

Felicity Chandeliers--Anthropologie--$28

Jeweled Headband--Forever 21 $6.80

Curve Sequin Shift Dress--Topshop $250

November Releases

I feel like good movies come in waves, and this November, it's a tsunami. There are tons of films I want to see premiering this month--so many they can barely fit in one blog post! Thank goodness for "Stimulus Tuesdays" at my local theater. They offer $4.25 student tickets and $1 popcorn and soda!

Here are my favorite movies premiering this month:

I'm a sucker for anything starring Rachel McAdams, so Morning Glory has been on my radar since I saw the trailer a few weeks ago. This romantic comedy about a morning talk show features Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton and seems like the perfect combination of mindless laughs and witty dialogue. It's at the top of my go-see list and premieres in theaters today, November 10.

Love and Other Drugs: Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal star in this sassy film rendition of Edward Zwick's non-fiction title, Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman. I can't tell too much from the trailer, except that Hathaway and Gyllenhaal are absolutely adorable. The movie hits theaters November 24.

I am definitely part of the Harry Potter generation, and I can't wait for part one of the final installment of the series. Deathly Hallows is going to be so epic, I'm already preparing for the midnight showing on November 19. There's really nothing else I can say... except how cute is Emma Watson's new pixie cute?

Burlesque: This movie has everything: Cher, Christina, Kristen Bell, Stanley Tucci and rhinestones galore. I cannot wait until November 24. Look out for a post on Burlesque-inspired fashion in the next few weeks.

As a veteran Nutcracker participant, I'm curious to see how this movie version pans out. I've never been a huge fan of 3D movies because they can give me a headache, but I might have to make an exception for this one. Starring Nathan Lane and Elle Fanning, The Nutcracker in 3D premieres November 24.

Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel, so I'm interested to see how Disney revamps the traditional hair-raising fairytale. Not to mention, I have a soft spot for animated movies. Tangled, starring the voices of  Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, hits theaters on November 24.

Readers, did I miss any of your top picks? What movies are y'all looking forward to this November?

Coming Soon to Sundance Channel: Raving Starring Zooey Deschanel

Inspired by a feature in ELLE's October Personal Style issue, Raving stars Zooey Deschanel (Failure to Launch, All The Real Girls, Elf) and Bill Irwin (Lady in the Water, The Manchurian Candidate). Stiles' film explores the emotional connection between a bright, rebellious young woman and a lonely, disassociated older man after a chance encounter on a New York street corner. "I wanted to focus on characters not involved in the fashion world, to illustrate how the seemingly simple act of getting dressed shapes one's identity” said Stiles. "I had been imagining this story for awhile, but never in a million years thought I'd be directing. I am incredibly honored to have been given my first opportunity by ELLE."

Raving will premiere on the Sundance Channel on Tuesday, May 8 at 8:30 PM.