Spooky Season Cinema: Clue

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized7 Comments

September marks the beginning of spooky season, my favorite!! If you read here regularly, you know that Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I have been trading classic movies all summer. Well, we have temporarily changed it up – instead of classic movies, we will be watching movies that are more themed for September and October, and with more of a nostalgic rather than classic feel. We had a great time chatting and making our list – our husbands were even in on it! We are starting out more mild, then working our way up to the creepier, scarier flicks. And for our very first movie, we went with Clue!

I am going to be 100% honest with you all – this is one of my favorite movies of all time and I can recite practically the whole movie. I have loved it since I first watched it at home, on VHS.

If anyone is unfamiliar, this movie is based off the Parker Brothers board game of the same name. All the principal characters are summoned to a party thrown by the mysterious Mr. Body. Who is he? Why is he gathering them all together? They all arrive, some together, most one by one, and are let in by Wadsworth, the butler who is played by Tim Curry. Once everyone has arrived, the “game” begins, and people start dying. But who is the murderer? And why?

I was just introduced to the genre of screwball comedies this summer – or rather, I had watched them before not realizing that is what I was watching. As I sat through Clue this time around, I began to wonder if it is a screwball comedy. My research indicates, that yes, maybe, it is, or definitely contains many characteristics and elements found in a screwball comedy. The fast, witty repartee, the bits of slapstick, social satire, although other elements seem to be missing, mainly the romantic aspect. And this ensemble cast was absolutely brilliant at their portrayal of each of their deeply flawed characters. It is hard to pinpoint the standout performance, when all of them were so quick and funny. I had the feeling that had such a good time making this movie!

One thing I always loved about this movie is the three different possible endings. When it was released into theaters, moviegoers had no idea which ending they were going to end up with, and the film companies released the different versions in different areas even, so if you wanted to see all three you had to do some detective work of your own, although hopefully detective work minus a body count. Luckily, I saw it first on video and all three endings are presented together. I love that I could see them all but it would have been a fun novelty to see it in the original way and know that other people were watching a movie with an entirely different ending.

Although I said that I don’t think there was a standout performance, I guess I do have favorite characters. Wadsworth, of course, because Tim Curry, and Madeline Kahn as Mrs. White. When I was younger I thought she was oh so glamorous and beautiful. And maybe I still think that as an adult too, now that I think about it.

I still love this movie to bits. And I can still quote along with it, although I do so mostly internally so I don’t make other people (Billy) crazy when watching it together.

Next up is The Addams Family, if you feel like watching and posting along. Or just watching along even!

What about you all? Have you seen this? Like it or hate it? Do you have a favorite character?

To read Lisa’s post, check it out here!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn the wednesday hodgepodge21 Comments

The Wednesday Hodgepodge is hosted by Joyce From This Side of the Pond.

Happy Wednesday, Happy Hodgepodge!

1. Tell us a little bit about the best birthday you’ve ever had. 

I am sure I had some fantastic birthdays as a child, thanks mom and dad. But I have two standout birthdays. My 25th birthday was crazy awesome. I was on my honeymoon at Disney World for my 25th, and we spent the day at Epcot, my favorite park, and had dinner at the Rose and Crown Pub. The staff there sang to me and wished me a happy 21st birthday, so now I like to sometimes shave four years off of my age, and call it my Disney age.

The other stand out birthday was in 2017. I won four tickets to the opera, La Boheme, free valet parking, and passes to the VIP Lounge. It was an amazing experience! We took my brother and sister-in-law with us, of course. We went out to eat at the Roma Cafe beforehand, then headed over to the Detroit Opera House. We were shocked when we learned that our tickets were for the best box seat in the house! They even paid homage before the opera began to a woman sitting in the box with us. We felt very fancy. Then the lounge was spectacular as well. Chrissy and I were very underdressed and we literally sat and just soaked in the sights, while sipping our champagne.

2.  In what way(s) have you changed in the last five years? 

The last five years have been all about growth for me! I had a baby seven years ago, and over the years we have reshaped our lives and we love it so much. That is pretty vague I apologize, but we are so much more … just really so much more, honestly.

3. What’s your favorite thing about the street on which you live? 

The neighbors!

4. The Hodgepodge lands on National Beer Day…are you a beer drinker? What’s a recipe you make that lists beer as one of the ingredients? If not beer, how about yeast?

I am not much of a beer drinker. I am not sure I make anything with beer! I do like to make bread though.

5. As I grow older I would like to be a woman (or man, if there are any men in the HP today) who…

…continues to be curious and explores and reads and is surrounded by family.

6. Random thought..

My son and I had a wonderful day back to school yesterday.

Book Review: A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized11 Comments

Goodreads Summary:

Saffron Everleigh is in a race against time to free her wrongly accused professor before he goes behind bars forever. Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anna Lee Huber, Kate Khavari’s debut historical mystery is a fast-paced, fearless adventure.

London, 1923. Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party for the University College of London. While she expects to engage in conversations about the university’s large expedition to the Amazon, she doesn’t expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin.

Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect, having had an explosive argument with Dr. Henry a few days prior. As evidence mounts against Dr. Maxwell and the expedition’s departure draws nearer, Saffron realizes if she wants her mentor’s name cleared, she’ll have to do it herself.

Joined by enigmatic Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list?

My Thoughts:

Saffron Everleigh is the first female research assistant at University College in London, following in her professor father’s footsteps. She is very focused on her work and greatly admires Dr. Maxwell, a professor and mentor. When is accused of murder, she resolves to clear his name and free him – no matter what she needs to do, including her own research on the deadly plant that is believed to have been the deadly poison and murder weapon.

I love reading books set in academia and universities, I love plants and steamy greenhouses, I love parties, and well, murder mysteries. So this book was pretty perfect for me!

I really enjoyed Saffron as a character! She was smart, quirky, brave, determined, and stubborn. She knew that in her position she needed to work hard just to be taken seriously, and did her best to put up with the sexism and sexual harassment she encountered. She had earned a “bad reputation” thanks to one influential staff member, but persevered on, holding her head up high.

Then, Alexander Ashton enters her world. He is a veteran with PTSD, and works at the university as well, but in the field of bacteria (not as fun as botany in my opinion). He is also very handsome, and very charming – and genuinely a good man. Things start to heat up between these two, and I have to admit I started reading this book more for the romance than the mystery, which became secondary to me. I just really liked these two characters and their interactions.

That ending though! How could Khavari leave us like that?! I guess probably to keep us reading the series, which I am definitely going to do! I am looking forward to the next in the series, A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality – even though I do have to wait a very long time!

My Sunday-Monday Post!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized24 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hey all! Last week was a bit of a rough week for me (I won’t get into it again here but you can read about it in this post if you want) Reading was definitely a refuge for me!

School begins for us on Tuesday!! I am super excited to dig into our new material and watch Wyatt grow and learn even more.

Read Last Week:

Without a doubt, the best book I have read all year. I LOVED this book so much. I hope to have a review up in a week or two, but for now know that this was beautiful fantastic.

Reading This Week:

After I finished Other Birds and was waiting for This Poison Heart to arrive at the library for me, I picked up My Best Friend’s Exorcism. I was drawn in by the cheesy 80s style cover, and the little blurb saying that this book is like if Tina Fey had written The Exorcist. I love Tina Fey! We just finished watching Stranger Things and I apparently need more dark nostalgia in my life. However, this delves into territory that I usually stay away from: possession and exorcisms. Movies and books about it usually scare the heck out of me! So if this stays sort of comedic and lighthearted I’ll be ok, but if it goes too deep, I’ll have to abandon it. I also finally got This Poison Heart so I am looking forward to that one as well!

Posted Last Week:

Goodbye August, Hello September

Classic Movie Impressions: The Philadelphia Story

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

Watching and Listening:

Billy and I have been watching either Murdoch Mysteries or Only Murders in the Building – we are getting so close to finishing Only Murders and I am not ready!

And that is about it from our little corner of the world! How are things for you?

Goodbye August, Hello September

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn autumn22 Comments

Before we move on to September, I want to talk about this guy, my Marlow Meepers. I had to say goodbye to him this week, the last day of August, and I’m not going to lie, it was hard and it was awful and I miss his face and his cuddles and soft soft fur. But he was not doing well, and at 18, there really wasn’t going to be much we could do for him. So we made the very hard decision to let him go, as we knew he was suffering. He was diminished in size, his fur was no longer shiny, he had lost his shine, his vibrance, and spent all night every night just crying. He came to shelter I volunteered at when he was a few years old, after having been abandoned in an apartment when his owners just left him there when they moved. My brother-in-law actually adopted him, but was stationed overseas for a long stint and wasn’t sure when he was coming back – so Marlow came to us. By the time my brother-in-law returned, Marlow was mine. He had attached to me and it was obvious I was his person and he was my cat. He was a shy, hidey cat for a long time, but eventually became our most bold and bossy. My favorite Marlow story: Years ago before Wyatt, Billy was on a camping trip for the weekend. It was late and I was reading on the couch, drinking a glass of wine, Marlow laying next to me. All of a sudden we heard a scuffing noise outside, and we both sort of sat up straighter – and Marlow started growling like he was some sort of fierce guard dog. I got up and made sure the door was locked and flipped on the outside lights, and ran back to my cat. Nothing happened thank goodness, but I thought it was so funny and cute that apparently Marlow was going to fight to protect me. After Wyatt was born, he was always by Wyatt’s side, and so very patient with him. We miss him so much.

So we start September with heavy hearts this year, and we will let that grief settle, as summer will soon settle into fall. The leaves here are already changing, the evenings are cooler, and autumn is on the way. I love this season so much, the slow down we always experience and embrace. Quiet nights around a crackling fire, school starting up again, comfort food, warm tea in sturdy mugs, reading books under soft cozy quilts, and of course spooky season!

We will be laying low and sticking close to home this September, finding our new rhythm. Hiking in the woods with crunchy leaves, spotting mushrooms, collecting acorns and and black walnuts and chestnuts, putting the garden to bed. The month of the full harvest moon, the autumn equinox. The monarchs that are born now are the super monarchs that will be making the long journey south to Texas and Mexico. Life changes this time of year, shifts, adjusts, and we change and shift and adjust as well. Sometimes we say hello, and sometimes we have to say goodbye.

Classic Movie Impressions: The Philadelphia Story

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn classic movie impressions13 Comments

All summer Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I have been trading old movie suggestions back and forth – this time around I suggested Breakfast at Tiffany’s for Lisa, and she suggested The Philadelphia Story for me. Two different Hepburns for us, and not even related which was always weird to me. Also, my third Cary Grant movie in a row!

You can find Lisa’s review here!

This one was a bit of a slow starter for me, but once it all got rolling I was chuckling and laughing at the smart remarks and sitting forward in my seat, just totally 100% engaged.

Katharine Hepburn stars as Tracy Lords, former wife of C. K. Dexter Haven (Grant). Lord is engaged to remarry, this time to a man named George Kitteredge, who didn’t come from money as Lord did, but was instead a self-made businessman. Throughout this movie there is a whole theme of class distinctions, underlying the romantic comedy, which I found very interesting.

Enter the “common man, the working man” James Stewart as McCauley (Mike) Connor, a writer, and photographer Liz Imbrie. They are asked to do the impossible – get a tabloid style inside scoop on the marriage and wedding. The haughty Lord family is notoriously difficult to pin down for interviews and stories, and anyone who grabs this story will be pulling off something big. However, of course there is a scheme to get Connor and Imbrie inside the walls of the Lord mansion – they must pose as friends of Tracy’s brother, Junius, who is in South America. They hide their true purpose which is to report to Spy Magazine. Connor is not super enthused about this job, as he considers himself a serious writer and doesn’t want to be involved in such a junky piece. However, Imbrie reminds him he probably wants to eat and pay his bills, so he takes the job. Also apparently, Imbrie and Connor are something of a couple as well.

Ok, phew the gang is now all in the house, at the center of the action. Connor, Imbrie, Kitteredge, Lord and her family, and Haven as well, who informs the Lord family that if they don’t play along with the story, a scandalous story about the infidelities of Lord’s father will be published instead. And from here the story takes off, with Lord being accused/compared to no less than a goddess, a queen, a statue, made of bronze – all implying that she believes she is above everyone, and unfeeling. All she wants is to be loved, really loved for herself.

I can picture Hepburn as a queen or a goddess, to be fair. Her presence is so regal, and she has a bearing that makes one sit up and pay attention. She is absolutely gorgeous, but there is something about her as well, a vibe that makes you not want to cross her.

Stewart was hands down my favorite in this movie – sorry, C.G. His performance rocked. He made me laugh with his little comments, and then surprised me with how his character truly transformed, falling under the spell of the self-assured, outspoken, beautiful Lord.

We see the facade of Lord begin to fall as well, and see the woman underneath on the night before the wedding. She intentionally sets out to get soused, and an equally soused Stewart sees her home. They dance and sing and canoodle in the garden in the wee morning hours, and well…things get a little crazy! I will leave it at that.

I completely loved this movie – although, To Catch a Thief still holds the crown for my favorite classic so far this summer!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized23 Comments

1. Something you’ve labored over recently? 

I have been working all summer on a literary arts curriculum for Wyatt. I do have a wonderful curriculum for Language Arts from The Good and the Beautiful bought and sitting on the shelf, waiting for next week when we start school, but I want to delve further into books and reading with him. So, I am making my own program. I absolutely can’t wait to start it with him! My husband works for a printing company and he printed what I have finished (Sept – Dec). I love how it is turning out!

2. How will you rest on Labor Day? 

A cookout and a fire with my family.

3. Margaret Mead is quoted as saying, “I learned the value of hard work by working hard.” Would you agree? Where and how did you learn the value of hard work? 

I would probably agree with that statement, although I definitely also learned it from watching my mother and father work hard. We work hard, my parents, my husband is definitely a very hard worker, I’m a hard worker. We don’t give up or give in. The hardest worker I know though is my son. He has had to do so much starting at such a young age; this kid is tough. Every movement is hard for him, from holding a pencil to sitting up to trying to stand and walk. He never quits though, and usually goes about it all laughing and smiling.

4. It’s National Eat Outside Day (August 31st). Will you? Do you enjoy dining ‘al fresco’ or prefer indoor seating? 

We are outside people, we love nature and the outdoors and so we generally opt for the outside. I guess we will have to have a picnic today!

5. Somehow it’s the end of August. What was the best day of the month for you and tell us what made it so? 

I feel like we have had so many great moments this month, big and small. I think the best day was the day that Billy, Wyatt, and I went to the County Fair. It was nostalgic for me, and I loved visiting with all the animals, especially the rabbits. Wyatt was in awe of the giant farm animals, and couldn’t believe they were so close to us! Or rather, that we were so close to them! And he apparently had the best waffle of his life there too.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

That I need to start thinking about Christmas gifts!! I am one of those people that start super early with their shopping. I like to be done by December so that in December I can focus on baking and enjoying the wonder of the season.

Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized3 Comments

Today the coffee that is percolating is Aldi’s Midnight Blend. I love it, my husband is not too fond. Except, when he was working from home yesterday he did drink all the coffee before I even got back from Wyatt’s early morning physical therapy! So, perhaps he is mistaken about how much he dislikes it…

This past weekend we were blessed with so many unexpected gifts from friends. Billy’s friend and co-worker gifted him with tickets for our whole family to the Michigan Renaissance Festival, and my friend Kelly called and asked if we wanted her daughter’s old outdoor playhouse for Wyatt – then decided to throw in some backyard furniture as well!

Wyatt and my niece formerly known as Mermaid Girl, now Little Fairy Princess, had a blast at the Ren Faire. And so did I! Billy and I used to go for years before Wyatt was born, and then haven’t been back until this past weekend. I was happy to be back in HollyGrove, amongst the fairies and mermaids and princesses. I am a total fantasy nerd – I love fairies and elves and goblins and I always have. I love that whole otherworld mystical magic stuff and I have all sorts of souvenirs from ye olde Ren Faires past, like little ceramic jars with dragons and unicorns, celtic necklaces, and so forth. And I really wish that cloaks were still like a normal part of fashion – it would be so fun to swoop about in one all fall and winter. Anyway, we knew the kids would love it and they did. I very oddly for me did not take many photos! This is it! I was pretty caught up in the moment. There is a short video in my Insta post that shows Little Fairy Princess playing with my favorite booth in the whole place – the Marshmallow Catapult people! We ended up buying a small one for Wyatt. He liked it, and so did I. It was a great day out!

Wyatt’s playhouse though…he is beyond excited about it. We rented a U-Haul to pick up all the things from Kelly’s house early in the morning, then Billy spent the rest of the day reinforcing it and putting it back together, despite the very hot day. He’s such a wonderful dad. Look how happy this kid is!

I absolutely love the picture of him hanging out the window chatting it up with my mom. I feel like he is spilling the neighborhood tea. (Please excuse my sad little garden here. I need to do some much needed clean up!)

I also love this table and chair set we were gifted as well. It is from an old ice cream parlor and I think I am just going to leave them just like this since they look perfect with the zinnias.

I also did a thing. So, you know the other week I had Wyatt’s hair all cut. Well, this past Friday I went to the salon and had about 7 inches cut off of my own hair. My stylist can also manage to get my hair to a level of straightness that I can never replicate although I try!

I have been under some stress lately, and this space has also been a blessing. Thank you all for listening to my rambling!

How was your weekend? How are things going in your world?

My Sunday-Monday Post

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized29 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Hey all! Happy weekend! Yesterday was such a fun day! We went to the Michigan Renaissance Festival and it was just like I remembered it. We had a great time. I plan on sharing more about it later this week. Today we laying low, other than picking up a little wooden playhouse from my friend’s house. Her daughter no longer plays with it and Wyatt still loves things like that so it will be in our yard later today.

Currently Reading:

Truthfully, I am still making my way through this one. Not due to lack of interest, because I love it, but because I am so slow and weird about reading on my Kindle. I know so many people prefer ebooks but I am a traditionalist I guess.

Reading Next:

I’ve been eyeballing this book for a while now, and it seems like a fun one to end the summer with. I know summer is not officially over until the equinox but for me fall begins when September does. Lol.

Reading With Wyatt:

I picked this up for us to read as our read aloud because it is has so many elements our family loves – foxes, badgers, the woods. However, it is pretty intense though guys. If you have sensitive readers I would read it yourself first.

Posted Last Week:

Yoga, Cats, and Fancy Pants Plants

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

Tuesday Morning Coffee Catch Up

What Wyatt’s Reading: Summer Edition

Watching and Listening:

Billy and I have been watching mostly Murdoch Mysteries this week, so nothing really new on that front. As for podcasts I have been listening to True Crime again – Redhanded, Morbid, and I started a long-form podcast called True Crime Bullsh**. I had to stop listening to that last one though pretty quickly. It was just too much for me honestly. It is about Israel Keyes, who is absolutely terrifying, and contains mostly interviews with Keyes. I couldn’t listen. However the host did have spots of interviews with other true crime hosts and fans, regarding the morality and the reasons why they think people listen to and read about true crime which I found interesting, so I wish I could have kept listening to those parts without the Israel Keyes parts.

Musically, we have been listening to a lot different playlists on Spotify, although mainly this one from our family party on the fourth of July.

And that my friends, is the news from around here. I hope all is well in your world!

Yoga, Cats, and Fancy Pants Plants

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn hygge, mom life17 Comments

It can be hard as a parent, whether you are a stay at home parent or a working one, to find time for your own pursuits and friendships. So yesterday when I had two opportunities (thanks Grandmas!) to take a little time away I took them.

My original plan was to go to a free yoga class in a nearby park. My mom lives fairly close, so I could drop Wyatt off, go to yoga, and even grab a coffee and read afterwards for a bit. However, I totally chickened out on the class part of that plan. It is has been so long since I have practiced yoga that I chose to skip the class and instead dropped Wyatt off, and went back home for yoga time in my den.

However, I soon remembered why practicing yoga at home is sometimes difficult too…

…Miso and Marlow like to join me. However, I prevailed and pushed on and Miso eventually lost interest and wandered off somewhere to dream in a pile of fluffy cuteness. Marlow stuck around though, and really liked it whenever I had a pose on the mat, like child’s pose. Stinker. Before the pandemic I was considering attending a goat yoga class – after this experience I think I will skip the goat yoga and just go to a goat happy hour instead.

A lot of people had recommended Yoga with Adriene to me and so I gave her channel a whirl. The video I chose was Morning Fresh Yoga and it was actually perfect for what I needed yesterday; it was just challenging enough, yet also familiar enough that I could relax as well. Lots of warrior, forward folds, downward dog, etc.

Afterward I enjoyed a nice cup of coffee at home, in the quiet, petting those cats who were so interested in yoga and doing a little reading before heading back to pick up the kiddo. He had been having his own fun playing with grandma and his cousin Mermaid Girl and was actually tired out! We both took a little rest when we got home (I listened to a podcast while he caught some z’ss) and then had a normal afternoon after he woke up.

It was going to be a special night though, because one of his other grandmas (Wyatt has 3) was coming over to hang out with him while I went to my friend Kelly’s house for a few hours. Billy had to work a little later so we had grandma to the rescue!

It was just Kelly and I last night, we were two buddies down as Jill’s bonus daughter starts college today and they had all sorts of things to finish up, and Chrissy has out of town family visiting. Kelly and I settled in on her deck, poured the wine, and started catching up. It’s been more than a month since I have seen her in person (we actually both had COVID at the same time but we hadn’t seen each other so it wasn’t like one of us got the other sick, just a weird coincidence) Her oldest daughter starts high school this year, which is unbelievable to me. I remember when she was little and would show me all of her dolls when I went over to visit. We talked about the upcoming school year, laughed about some crazy stuff that has happened to us lately, and then went on the plant tour of Kelly’s house. High School Daughter was all Mom, don’t take her on a plant tour! and warned me not to start a plant journey ~ Kelly had to break the news that I have already started one. In fact, the tour had a purpose. We were gathering cuttings so I could take them home to propagate! If you are a plant person, you know how exciting this is!

Kelly has a beautiful home and I couldn’t resist taking some photos of it while we were getting the cuttings. We actually decided I am going to come over and take photos for a blog post one day – she is proud of her house and she should be!

So, the plant cuttings I took home included a Silver Sword, A Baltic Blue Pothos, a Global Green, a Cebu Blue, a Golden Pothos, and a Horse Head Philodendron. The Silver Sword is one I am super excited about, it is beautiful and hard to find. They are all now currently hanging out in my baby plant/ propagation area. I also included a photo of my baby Brasil I picked up for $4.00.

The cutest thing though. When Kelly’s youngest saw that Kelly had given me cuttings, she gathered some marigold seeds from her garden and gave them to me in a little baggie, which was adorable. Kids are always watching and listening and learning. I love it.

Today I feel more refreshed and very grateful for having had that time yesterday! I think I am going to drop Wyatt off at my mom’s once a week so I can go to yoga, whether it is at home or in class, and let her teach Wyatt geography. I think it will be good for all us!