Bachelorette Withdrawal.

"Sometimes the most beautiful thing is precisely the one that comes unexpectedly and unearned,

hence something given truly as a present."

~Anna Freud

Chris Siegfried and Desiree Hartsock
Proposal in Antigua

I may or may not have hinted at my guilty pleasure prior to this post, but now I'm completely coming out with it. I love (hate) watching The Bachelorette and The Bachelor. My life is a little (a lot) unbearable right now, so I have to have some release and living vicariously through Des with the good and the bad, does the trick.

We just finished the season with Desiree and although she really was a bore at the beginning, I've grown to like her. This was certainly one of the more interesting Bach season finales in recent history. The last few episodes were tear-jerkers for me. Her breakup with Brooks just about killed me, since I've been blindsided by a breakup like that before. But in the end, she was able to calm down and open her eyes and see the man who had been there all along, Chris, and realize that he was the one.

Chris was a front runner for me from the beginning. He was friendly with everyone, appropriately engaged (disengaged) from the drama that ensued in the house, and he was steady. And generous. And calm. And artsy and sensitive. But fun and adventurous. And pretty darn tall-dark-and-handsome good looking to boot. I mean, he sounds perfect for me Des, right?

So on this Monday night, when you (I) may be going through a little withdrawal (although let's be honest, I watched it on a Monday only thrice. I always caught up several days later on Hulu.), here are a couple shots to remind you how wonderful that proposal was. And what a great couple. Dare I say, I actually think they'll make it? :)

Oh and take a look at this dress? She's a beautiful girl and this is just a stunning picture. Maybe I should keep this shot for a "Fashion Friday" post, but I'm not. Beautiful, right?

(The pictures were all found on a google search.)

By the way, if you're still interested, I'm still updating. Click here to find a list of past-dated posts.
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Granite Flats. BYUtv Original Series.

"The vision must be followed by the venture.
It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs."
~Vance Havner

Photo found on byutv.org

Several weeks ago, I started watching this family-oriented TV show on BYUtv. The series is BYUtv's first attempt at a scripted drama. They cater to the whole family, trying to produce a show that every member of the family could sit down and enjoy as they watch together. I think they've done a pretty good job. It's not my favorite, maybe because I'm used to the dramatic story-lines that appeal only to a more mature audience, but still it's not bad, especially for the younger crowd. And tonight is the season finale, but you can watch all the previous episodes right on byutv.org. I'll be curious to hear your review.

With a desire to encourage them to continue venturing out into the scripted drama series world, I "liked" the Granite Flats page on FB and left this comment. And guess who "liked" my comment? Oh, just the lead actor, Nathan Gunn. :)

Thanks for an entertaining show. I watched the first two episodes on byutv.org and will continue to watch.

The plot lines were slightly on the slow side for me; I wish that it would be slightly meatier and move a little faster. Or maybe it was the development of the characters that seemed slightly loose and not yet fully convincing of their "reality." I'm not sure. It could just be that I'm used to in your face TV drama. :) But I suppose your target audience age range is wider than most popular mainstream shows, so you must be able to appeal to all both in interest and comprehension.

But overall, I quite enjoyed it. I felt the acting was good. Acting is only ever as good as the writing. The details in scenery and props were very convincing and added to the authenticity of Granite Flats. The hair, clothing, cars, etc. were really great! Immediately, I knew the time period simply because of the details.

I hope that it will be enough of a success, that you and byutv will continue to delve into more scripted series such as this one, providing a genre that is simply hard to come by these days. Thank you for your efforts. You should be proud of your work. I look forward to more! (Wow, that turned out to be a very long comment.) :)

Oh, and if you watch, pay close attention in the pilot episode for my future father-in-law, Robert Pine. (Yes, that's Chris's dad who used to be on CHiPs. And for crazy trivia purposes, for you Mormons out there who may have ever seen the short video "On The Way Home," a kind of goofy (because it's old-school) Mormon movie produced in the 1990s about how families are eternal units: Robert Pine plays the Dad. And let's be honest, while the video has an overall good message about families (a few ways they present doctrine are odd to me), everything produced in the 90s seems a little goofy to me. Just take a look at their clothes. ;) Fun times.

And just for the heck of it:

Chris

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Lovely Downton Abbey.

"I couldn't have electricity in the house, I wouldn't sleep a wink. All those vapors floating about."
~Dowager Countess Violet Crawley of Grantham, Downton Abbey

Please tell me you're watching.

Downton Abbey. On PBS Masterpiece Classics. I don't know why I didn't know about Season 1 last year, but I'm just as happy to watch it all in one fell swoop on Netflix. Season 2 has just started and I'm all caught up. I admit I'm hooked and can hardly wait for next Sunday to roll around to watch Season 2: Episode 3. I'm thoroughly enjoying the drama, the surprises, the love stories, and all the characters so much. Oh Mr. Bates, I'm in love.

And who couldn't be fascinated with the elegance of the Edwardian era. All their dresses, their interiors, and their "proper" ways. Maybe it's a bit much for our age, but I think we ought to be less casual and take a cue from our early 19th century examples. What do you think? Highclere Castle in the UK stands in as Downton Abbey. Apparently you can go on a tour starting again in Spring 2012.

If you're not yet watching, you can catch up on Season 1 on Netflix, and Season 2: Episodes 1 and 2 can be viewed on PBS.org. I also think all of it can be accessed on iTunes, or of course you could order the DVDs. But Sunday nights, you'll find me glued to PBS.

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Television is a drug.

"Television hangs on the questionable theory that whatever happens anywhere should be sensed everywhere. If everyone is going to be able to see everything, in the long run all sights may lose whatever rarity value they once possessed, and it may well turn out that people, being able to see and hear practically everything, will be specially interested in almost nothing."
~E.B. White

I think it's fair to say that I rarely turn on the TV. I'm talking maybe once a month? Truly. Now, you all know how I love Glee, but even then, I have only ever watched it on Hulu. I just don't really like a) being strapped to a specific time slot, b) spending an hour watching a show that's really only 45 minutes, and c) watching all those ridiculous commercials. And I just don't believe in paying for TiVo at the moment.

I'm not even entirely opposed to TV. Just a lot of it.

A friend of mine shared this video on Facebook. I thought it was funny. Then, when I watched it with another friend, I thought it was especially funny because he couldn't stop laughing. :) Enjoy.

Television is a drug.
from Beth Fulton on Vimeo

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Glee Returns!

"Glee is all about sparking ambition, getting kids off the sofa and doing creative things. But it also has a healthy dose of sarcasm and skepticism to offset its peppy interpretations of Journey hits. The production numbers show the sweat and constructive criticism that goes into good performances."
~Ken Tucker (ew.com)

Since mid-December, I've been eagerly waiting to get my Gleek on. Now, it's finally here. Since I don't really have time for TV and don't ever want to strapped to a particular time slot (I know, you're going to tell me to get a DVR... I don't want one. Thanks, though.) , Hulu is my friend. They post the episode the next day (with fewer commercials), so you can watch it whenever you want.

Here's a sneak preview.

Now, tell me you're not excited.
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Thankful for Glee. It makes me happy.

"Glee, one of the season's best and most anticipated new series, delivers on both counts - and more. It's a quirky, sweet, humorous, nonpartisan funfest."
~Tim Goodman, San Francisco Chronicle

So you might think it's a little much for me to be "thankful for" the television show Glee, but I love it and it brightens my week. And for that, I'm thankful.

If you haven't tuned in to watch at least an episode or two of Fox television's new show Glee, then you're missing out. Seriously. But don't worry, you can always catch the most recent five episodes on Hulu or on Fox's website. Also, the DVDs of the first half of the season will be released December 29th, I'm told.



So the premise? This high-school Spanish teacher (played by Matthew Morrison) attempts to revive the Glee Club to its former glory. He's optimistic that the eclectic group of performers will make it to Regionals. Of course there are lot of side stories weaved throughout and a lot of singing and dancing in between. Like this...



And this...



Glee club geeks are totally my style. Just watch this teaser from the premiere.



Do you not just want to get up and dance? No? Really? Well, I do. Maybe that's why I sang, acted, and danced my way through high school. What can I say? I'm a total Gleek. :)

Cast photo found here.