New years resolution number 2...

Since starting university I decided it was time to take a bit more control of my eating habits and lose some weight. It was slow going at first, and my targets where fairly conservative, but in my first year I managed to loose 2 stone, followed by another stone since the October just gone, taking me to an overall loss of 3 stone and 3 dress sizes, and I have to say I'm loving my new shape (and the clothes and newfound confidence that go with it!).

Having now made up for Christmas (let's face it, who doesn't over indulge just a little bit) I decided it was time to shift my focus from loosing weight to trying to get healthier - cue my second new years resolution:
To try and exercise more.
Now, I know that's fairly vague, with the main emphasis on the word 'try', but from a self confessed exercise-phobic that's a big commitment!

Last weekend I went for my first run with the aid of a podcast designed to get even the unhealthiest of people running. Twenty minutes in and I'd outrun my planned route, had started to curse the cheesy music and smug instructor and was thoroughly bored. Not exactly the start I had hoped for.
I mean who in their right mind creates a podcast for running which has one track with 5 beats in a bar? Unless you have five legs, what are you supposed to do? Hop every now and then to try and keep in time?

So, this morning a decided to try again, although this time without the podcast or the annoying lady. Instead I chose my route, checked the clock and ran until it hurt, then walked for a bit, then carried on running etc. Perhaps a little haphazard, but I managed it without feeling the need to hit anyone half way round. So now I have a time to beat, admittedly on a very short route, but still it's amazing how much more appealing your next run becomes when you're in competition with yourself!

When will my next run be? Who knows! Maybe tomorrow, maybe next Friday, but one thing is for certain, it will happen - and hopefully it will be considerably more successful than my first attempt!

Good Mornin', Good Mornin'

Taking my cue from the lovely English weather we've been having lately, I decided to start my film quest with Singing in the Rain the 1950s classic, because lets face it, who hasn't been walking down the street in the rain with their umbrella and given a little skip in acknowledgement to that most famous of music, scenes?

Thinking about it this was probably the first time I had seen the movie version of singing in the rain all the way through rather than watching somewhat mismatched chunks of it on tv, and I had to say I really liked it! I knew the stage version already having helped out backstage for Weymouth Operatic Society's production a few years ago - cue anecdotes about the onstage film breaking down ("err, it must be the interval. who wants popcorn?"), desperately trying not to electrocute the leading man because he lost his hat and topping up the 'rain' with milk so that the audience could see it, again nearly killing the leading man in the process.

The choreography of the film is stunning, even by modern standards, with Cosmo (Donald O'Conner)'s song Make 'Em Laugh being quite possibly one of the hardest and most ridiculous scenes of its type I have ever seen. why Donald o'conner didn't become as big a household name as gene Kelly for that role alone I really don't know.
The middle broadway melody section did leave me a little baffled though, making me prefer the stage version without the slightly obscure ballet section in the middle whilst it works for Oklahoma and carousel, this time I wasn't all that convinced.

Overall, a great film and the only place you are ever likely to witness such amazing dance and choreography - something that must be quite intimidating for anyone taking on the lead roles in either amateur or professional versions of the stage show. Give me the stage version with the cast, choreography and production of the film and I'm happy. Not much to ask is it? This film is definitely one that I will be watching again on a rainy day (pardon the shameful pun) when I want to sit back and marvel at the sheer brilliance of gene Kelly's production.

So what's next on my list? The Wizard of OZ, High Society and Breakfast at Tiffany's are all in my possession, so let's see how the mood takes me..

A new years resolution... (mark 2)

It appears I have myself my first blog fail.
Note to self: always make a copy of your blog posts, so that if they magically disappear you can simply copy and paste them back and all's well that ends well!

Here we are:
Since September I've been doing an elective course at uni called 'Music, Stage and Screen', which got me thinking about how many of the classic films, especially movie musicals I haven't seen, or have only ever half heartedly watched during the holidays. It also reunited my love of musicals and the stage, which has sadly been on the back burner since I moved to uni.

So, to my first new years resolution:
To watch more classic movies, in particular movie musicals.

If you've got any suggestions feel free to leave a comment below and I'll let you know how I get on

Now the question is, where do I start? There are a couple on my list already, but which one to choose? Perhaps, judging by the weather out there today 'Singing in the Rain' would be appropriate...

Hello!

Hi and welcome to my blog!

A couple of people recently have said to me that I ought to try writing something, anything, preferably a little more than a shopping list, as I might enjoy it. So here I am!

This may not be the novel that my dad was hinting at, but what I aim to do is collect together some of my sometimes random thoughts and things I get up to, along with a smattering of my various projects and reviews of the books I'm reading and products I'm using. You never know, I may just throw in a few of my tried and tested recipes for good measure...

So here we are, I hope you'll find at least some of my ramblings interesting, and if there's more (or less!) you'd like to hear about something, then let me know!

Yours,
aLittleBlonde xx