Movie remakes?

I just saw the trailer for the new Footloose movie. I'm not sure how I feel about a remake of such a classic 80s movie (or any classic movie, really).

This made me think about how the movie industry has changed entertainment. It used to be that people only saw live entertainment. I mean, how many times has Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing been performed live? Countless times. Now we can watch the exact same performance of a movie over and over again and get up in arms about the idea of a remake.

Uh-oh. Did I just compare Footloose to Shakespeare? Is that even a valid comparison?

As Kevin Bacon would say, "Jump back!"

Made in Wisconsin

My casual friendship with wine has blossomed into a serious love affair. I enjoy tasting different varieties and dropping by wineries. One thing I find particularly fascinating is how different people's taste buds vary. According to the Wisconsin Winery Association, there are 36 wineries in our state, so I thought it would be fun to feature Wisconsin-made wines at a wine tasting party. I don't live in Napa Valley, but that surprisingly, that doesn't limit my choices.

Now, I'm no Martha Stewart when it comes to entertaining, but I thought I'd share a few snapshots from the evening.  Here are my invitations. I used my Cricut machine to cut out the shape of the state and then designed the overlay to be printed on vellum. (Cricut, I love thee so!)

In general, when tasting wine, one starts with the sweeter wines and moves towards the dry. Here's the starting point!

Confession: My house is never as clean as when I have a party. I should host a celebratory occasion every month!

Small place cards told attendees the name and location of the winery and also suggested which cheeses may compliment the wine.

I placed half-used taper candles in empty wine bottles for decoration. (After a few minutes, the dripping wax adds a beautiful, imperfect feel to the decor.) 

Can't wait for the next wine tasting occasion! Do you enjoy wine? What can you recommend?

Big Ten Country: Legacy Uniform

The first night game in the history of Michigan Stadium will be played tomorrow versus Notre Dame. To commemorate the occasion, the players will wear special legacy uniforms. What do you think?

photo from mden.com

Big Ten Country: Tattoo Love

One great thing about going to college football games is the tailgating. You never know what you're going to see, case in point below:

Take a closer look at the tattoo on this man's calf. Ahh, the craziness of college football fans!

Big Ten Country: the Ultimate Compromise

My cousin Kristy is an avid Michigan fan. She painted this on the wall of her home office.

Kristy's husband, Chris, is a rabid Ohio State fan. Can you tell from the closet doors, complete with custom knobs?

The ultimate irony of this? They share their home office. :)

Big Ten Country: Schembechler Hall

Last summer, my family and I stopped in Ann Arbor and I got a chance to see the "museum" of Michigan football history in Schembechler Hall. I loved seeing all of the Big Ten trophies, the national championship trophy from the 1997 season and the Little Brown Jug, the rivalry prize between Michigan and Minnesota.

I also appreciated the confidence displayed by this note in the trophy case. Gotta love it!

Big Ten Country

I love college football. To celebrate the 2011 season's kickoff, I'm featuring little snippets of fan pandemonium. Come back each day this week to see more!