Category Archives: Entertainment

New Air Hockey Table!!

Standard
New Air Hockey Table!!

Greetings! Quite a few of my clients love shopping at second hand stores like the Goodwill and Abbey Ann’s. So, within the past year and a half, I have ended up in these treasure troves countless times during our outings. I have to admit, I used to not be very keen on second hand shopping because I am quite the germophobe. But, I would say that I have kicked the fear of thrift shopping in the bud, considering ninety percent of my apartment was furnished from second hand shops.

We’ll call it ninety-two percent, because I just purchased an air hockey table at the Goodwill a week or so ago! 😀 Check it out:

airair1

When I saw this beaut at the Goodwill for a staggeringly cheap thirty bucks, I just had to purchase it. Honestly, there’s not much to do at my place other than drink when I have friends over and I don’t like that that has become such a frequent thing. I am hoping to get my gaming systems set up as well as purchase board games for good, clean fun when I have company. But, for now, my favorite table top game stationed in my back room will do.

The only issue I’m having, is that there is no lighting in that room, as you can tell from the grainy photos above! So, if anyone has any suggestions to fixing that issue, do let me know, because I don’t think tiki torches are going to fly in there, lolol. 😅

Other than that minor problem, I am seriously SO excited about this Goodwill purchase. And, I am very appreciative to my client’s mom and dad for helping me transfer the table to my apartment because my dumbass honestly thought that it was going to fit in my tiny hatchback, smh. They are like my second family, though, and were happy to help so now they have the honor of having the air hockey table be named after them. It’s truly a win/win for everyone! Any challengers?

What are your favorite board, video, or table top games? Which ones do you think I should invest in? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Let’s Be Friends!

Standard
Let’s Be Friends!

Hello!! Now, I know a lot of my fellow blogging friends have multiple social media pages but that is just not for Lil Red. I have a slide up LG phone and I like to keep things pretty old school. This means no Twitter, Instagram, or SnapChat because when I’m on the go, I don’t have internet access unless I can connect to it with my iPod touch (Which is primarily used for my music and picture taking purposes).

HOWEVER, I do have a Facebook that I am pretty active on and I encourage all of you to friend me on there at: Sarah Mushenheim. You guys will get sneak previews of photo shoots and pics before it becomes an OOTD post on here and memes… lots and lots of memes! Shoot me a friend request and make sure you send me a message so I know that you are one of my blog readers and enjoy the ridiculousness that is my FB profile!

What is your favorite form of social media? How do you stay relevant on the social media sphere? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dear Evan Hansen Review

Standard
Dear Evan Hansen Review

Howdy! This past weekend, I enjoyed an outing with an old theater friend, Sabrina, to see Dear Evan Hansen at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. Despite both of us not loving the musical, it was still a fun day filled with good food, drinks, and wonderful company. I was so happy when Sabrina invited me to see the show because our schedules never work well with each other so it was really nice to make up for lost time. As we are both theater nerds, we were able to have a great discussion about the show afterwards so here is what we thought as well as a brief synopsis (Without giving too much away!)

So, what you need to know about Dear Evan Hansen is the following: A troubled teen who is an outsider at school has homework from his therapist where he has to write letters to himself explaining why it’s going to be a great day. As Evan is printing his “homework” out in the library, an even more troubled teen named Conner snatches the letter and confiscates it after seeing his sister’s name in it. She just so happens to be the object of Evan’s affection but doesn’t know he exists.

A few days later, Conner commits suicide and the letter that Evan wrote is found in his pocket. A web of lies then begins because Conner’s parents obviously want to know who Evan is and he begins to spin a tale of how him and Conner were best friends. This quickly raises his popularity at school with the offset of The Conner Project and, suddenly, Evan exists because of his fake friendship with the kid who just died.

Okay, so the story line isn’t bad, but the writing and staging left a lot to be desired as well as lackluster performances from the cast as a whole. It was interesting to see the phenomenon of everyone instantly becoming “best friends” with someone who just passed. However, the main culprit of this was a girl named Alana and she was SO. FUCKING. ANNOYING. Omg, the scenes with her were just unbearable and I couldn’t stand it.

Another character who really didn’t do it for me was Evan’s mom. It was very tough to invoke sympathy for the mother of a struggling teen when she was so unlikable and all of her slow ballad songs felt lame and drawn out. Honestly, I didn’t feel any type of way about any of the characters because it just felt like they were there saying their lines and singing their songs and then the applause happened and it was on to the next scene. The play felt very disjointed and the flow was off.

A lot of this disconnect felt due to a poor choice in staging. It went from social media news feeds plastered all over moving walls and banners to a tiny room on a rotating circle in a matter of minutes. This felt very high school theater for a Broadway level show and didn’t create any visual interest on stage.

The quality of the script and songs just weren’t that good, either. A powerful message of looking out for the mental health of our teens was overshadowed by plot points that weren’t fully realized and writing that was subpar, at best. I understand that this show got a lot of hype but, frankly, I don’t understand why because I left the theater feeling very unsatisfied with the finale and the plot holes that never got filled.

I never say no to a night at the theater but, I think I could have passed on this one. I would rate Dear Evan Hansen with a five out of ten stars and I can’t say that I would recommend going to see it. If you’re into sappy teen musicals, though, I say go for it!

What were your thoughts on Dear Evan Hansen? What is your favorite musical? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: TrustArts

Groovy Movies: Godzilla King Of The Monsters Edition

Standard
Groovy Movies: Godzilla King Of The Monsters Edition

Hello! This past week, I took one of my clients to see Godzilla King Of The Monsters. Now, I admit that I have never seen a single Godzilla movie before. I have never been a big creature flick type of gal. However, until the halfway point of King Of The Monsters, I have to say that I was really feeling it. But, my god, was this movie long AF. Let’s discuss:

So, long story short, the government is fighting for the termination of the monsters that have caused mass destruction across the globe – Godzilla’s big ass included. But, the Monarch agency who is insistent upon the coexistence between man and monster does not want this to happen. So, after Emma and Madison, the wife and daughter of Mark Russell are “kidnapped”, Monarch enlists the help of Mark who can track ORCA frequencies and could potentially find the location of his estranged family and other monsters around the world.

But, *SPOILER ALERT* the kidnapping is just a ruse and Emma wants all of the titans awakened to cleanse the planet because, after the disaster happens, the location thrives because of the radiation the monsters leave behind. So, this turns into an all out war between the monsters worldwide, when Godzilla and his arch enemy, Monster Zero, fight for the alpha position.

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to this video!

Now, I totally understand that my opinion on the movie isn’t as valid because it is the first Godzilla movie I have seen out of the many that have come before it. And, I have to say, until close to halfway through the movie, I was having a great time. The movie was so visually appealing, the titans were cool, and the cast was doing a good job. But, then, it just started to drag ass in the worst way.

Clocking in at two hours and twelve minutes, Godzilla King Of The Monsters definitely lost its momentum after such a strong first hour. That’s not to say that the rest of the movie wasn’t good, it just felt boring in comparison to such a heavy hitting action packed opening. By an hour and a half in, I was mentally begging for it to be over because, if you’ve seen one or two monster fighting scenes, you’ve seen them all. And, I had already seen what felt like twenty.

Do I recommend this movie? For actual fans of the Godzilla franchise, absolutely. I think you will have a lot of fun. But, if you’re going just to go, I think you will feel very similarly to myself about halfway through and I would say go see something that you know you would enjoy more. I rate Godzilla King Of The Monsters with a: 5.8 out of 10.

Also, peep that sky after the movie! Not only was it beautiful but it was really cool after seeing all of the craziness happen in the sky during the movie!

sky

Have you seen the new Godzilla yet? What were your thoughts on it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: IMDB

Lil Red Loves: Ma Edition

Standard
Lil Red Loves: Ma Edition

Helloo! This past week, I took one of my clients to see Ma. She is my scary movie girl and we always go to the latest showings together at the theaters. It’s a blast! Ever since seeing the trailer for Ma for the past few months, we have been looking forward to going. And, it definitely didn’t disappoint. We both left the theater speechless aside from agreeing that we both loved it.

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to this video.

Boasting an all star cast of Octavia Spencer, Juliette Lewis, Allison Janney, and Missi Pyle along with the main young actors who all did a bang up job, Ma was filled with shockers from start to finish. Ma tells the story of a lonely middle aged woman with a traumatic past who finds her niche with a group of teens after buying them booze at a convenience store. But, what originally seems innocent enough takes a dark turn into obsession really quickly.

Is Ma just on the hunt for friends or on the trail for revenge? Full of jaw dropping horror gags and a shocking, heartbreaking grand reveal, Ma is definitely worth the watch. It wasn’t so much blood and guts horror as it was stomach churning unfortunate-ness and suspense. So, if you’re up for a night at the movies seeing a flick that was outrageously cringe worthy but a whole lot of fun with the dark humor peppered in, then get your tickets for Ma ASAP!

What is the last movie you saw in theaters? What were your thoughts on Ma? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Ma Movie

WILSON!!!!!

Standard
WILSON!!!!!

Hellooo everyone! Literal years ago, my sister and I visited Chicago together for a weekend trip. We ended up at a TJMaxx there with one of her friends and I ended up with a replica Wilson volleyball from the movie, Cast Away. Wilson has been a staple in my space ever since and has his own special spot on my bookshelf:

lr

^^^ Can you find him?!

While moving into my apartment, one of the movers from the company I hired noticed Mr. Wilson sitting in one of my boxes and asked me if I used to play volleyball. When I laughed and said no and asked him if he’s ever seen Cast Away he looked at me like I was a crazy person so I had to drop some knowledge on him. Can you believe that there are people who have never seen let alone heard of that masterpiece?! Smh.

I am still on a big movie kick at chez moi because no cable and no streaming services so imagine how happy I was to spot Cast Away at Target for FOUR DOLLARS. You’re not going to not buy it!

cast1

^^^ Lol, I just can’t.

I’m pretty stoked about my latest purchase and I know that Wilson is ecstatic to be reunited with his rightful owner. An afternoon viewing of Cast Away with a glass of wine in hand is just what the doctor ordered on my next day off! 😀

What is a movie that you love that no one knows about? What is your favorite cult film? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Haulidays: Brother In Law Edition

Standard
Happy Haulidays: Brother In Law Edition

Howdy! Today’s Haulidays post is compliments of my sister’s long term boyfriend, Ramon! Ramon is one of my best friends in the world and, even though he and Kristen are expecting a little baby together soon, he still lets me third wheel all the time. What a guy! Not only is Ramon one of my favorite people on the planet, but he is also an excellent gift giver and always knows just what to get for Lil Red. Take a look:

ramonn2ramonnramonn1

The Haul:

  • Step Brothers fleece blanket
  • Step Brothers Boats N’ Hoes glass
  • Rainbow glitter shot glass

As I’m sure all of you know by now, Step Brothers is one of my favorite movies of all time. So, it always behooves people (And myself!) to get me themed presents from Will Ferrell’s finest. Ramon hit the nail on the head big time with the huge fleece blanket with front and back images of Brennan Huff and Dale Doback’s smiling faces and I love wrapping myself in it every night. And, nothing is better than enjoying a cold one in a new glass that promotes their hit single, Boats N’ Hoes! Turn up! 😀

What is your favorite movie? Is there a theme for gifts that always work well for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My Scary Movie Must Watch List

Standard
My Scary Movie Must Watch List

Hello! With October officially among us, it is scary movie central now more than ever. But, who am I kidding, it ALWAYS is for Lil Red! If I get to pick the movie, trust and believe that it’s a scary one every time – they’re my fave! There’s something about cuddling up on a chilly October night that takes watching horror films to the next level, though, and below are my must watch films for the month:

  1. The Nun: I actually already saw this movie in theaters and I enjoyed it so much that I’d like to go again. I love The Conjuring movies and I thought that The Nun was excellent. It was dark, the acting was good, there were some amazing scares, AND it tied into some of the story lines from the first and second Conjuring movies. Two thumbs up.

2. Ils: Ils, aka “Them” in French is hands down my favorite horror film aside from the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. A fantastic, fast paced flick that comes to a shocking halt when you realize who’s hunting the hunted. I made my mom watch this movie with me years ago and there’s still certain noises that remind her of the film and freak her out to this day. SO. GOOD. Ten thumbs up!

3. The Strangers: Ils actually leads me into my third must watch pick, which is The Strangers. This is the Americanized version of Ils and, although it didn’t get the best reviews upon release, I deeply enjoyed it. I had to include The Strangers on my list, because it recently got added to Netflix and just seeing the movie cover creeps me out. So much so, that I literally had nightmares about it last night and woke up screaming. True story. It’s your classic home invasion story, but I think that it’s done really well and is definitely worth the watch.

4. 31: I LOVE Rob Zombie movies and, although 31 didn’t receive the best reviews, it’s probably my favorite RZ flick. A campy survival of the fittest film where the unfortunate players of the twisted torture porn game of 31 get killed off one by one by crazy clowns. It has an all around humor to the movie and you can tell that Rob Zombie had a ball making it. It’s also pretty scary, to boot!

5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: To me, the pinnacle of horror films is the 1974 classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Nothing beats it and other than my modern favorite of Ils, it remains untouched by any other movie as my go to flick. It’s raw, it’s intense, and it combines so many elements of really fucked up shit into an actual story line instead of a hodge podge of torture porn. I have seen this movie countless times and it STILL gets me whenever I watch it. It’s the best of the best.

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to these movies or trailers.

Listed above are just my top five picks and will without a doubt be watched by me this month. But, I also plan on peppering in some of the following:

  1. Saw 1-7
  2. Eden Lake
  3. The Conjuring 1 & 2
  4. Sinister 1 & 2
  5. The Devil’s Rejects
  6. And, of course, seeing the new Halloween in theaters and watching the original.

What is on your Scary Movie Must Watch List for the Halloween season? What are your thoughts on the movies listed above? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Target Movie Haul

Standard
Target Movie Haul

Howdy! One of my favorite things now is collecting movies. I am one of those people that always prefer to have the tangible object. I don’t do Ebooks or movie downloads, give me the hard copy of the book or DVD any day! And, because of that, both my movie and book collection are subject to change all the time. Target has a wonderful selection of cheap movies, and I just couldn’t resist snagging these five flicks for under forty bucks seen below:

moviee

The Haul:

  • Bad Teacher
  • Kill Bill 1 & 2
  • The Disaster Artist
  • Saw 7 Movie Collection
  • Annabelle

I have to say, I’m pretty excited about the movies that I added to my collection. And, I kind of splurged a little! Because, *gasp*, I bought The Disaster Artist even though it was ten dollars! I am a fanatic of all things The Room, so this purchase was absolutely necessary. I also got the Saw and Kill Bill collections for seven fifty instead of my normal five dollars, but they were too good not to pass up. The Saw movies are some of my favorites and I am a huge Kill Bill fan, so they were a definite must.

On the cheaper end of things, both Annabelle and Bad Teacher were five dollars, which made for an easy decision on whether to purchase them or not. Annabelle will be perfect with the spooky month of October fast approaching. And, Bad Teacher will be a nice change of pace from all of the scary movies. This was definitely a treat yoself haul, but talk about value – twelve movies for thirty five bucks!

What is something that you like to collect? What are your favorite scary movies for Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

How To Throw The Ultimate Wedding For Your Guests

Standard
How To Throw The Ultimate Wedding For Your Guests

Weddings are a two-way street, and not just between the bride and groom. They are a balance of your own personal enjoyment and that of your guests. For that reason, many couples aim to make their special day one of the largest parties possible.

Ensuring that everyone has a good time is easier said than done, though, especially with the number of guests in attendance. What your best friend since college and your parents find entertaining are vastly different, right? So, how can you keep your roughly 50 to 250 guests happy over the course of several hours?

Believe it or not, there are a few simple ways to make your big day an event to remember in the minds of your guests. Check out these top wedding and reception tips that are sure to make your event a smash hit:

Comfort Is Key:

Nothing ruins a fun time like being uncomfortable. Summer weddings are notorious for sweat inducing heat and annoying bugs, while winter celebrations are often more about fighting off the cold. It’s impossible to enjoy a cocktail or dessert bar in either situation, let alone trying to deal with those uncomfortable conditions for hours on end.

Consider the conditions your guests will be subject to, then plan accordingly. If heat is the issue, you might want to serve ice cold glasses of lemonade. If the cold will be a concern, then hot chocolate might be in order. Picking the right bridesmaids dresses for either occasion is another essential factor. You can check here for summer and winter designs. Other considerations could be a basket of flip flops near the dance floor for tired feet, mints in the restrooms, or a sewing kit handy for emergencies.

Comfort doesn’t just apply to weather conditions but the venue itself. Is it large enough for all of your guests? Are there several bathroom facilities? Is it climate controlled? These are all excellent questions to consider as you ponder different venue options like an art museum, banquet center, or Pylewell Park (or something similar in your local area). The wrong venue for your wedding will certainly have an effect on both yourself and your guests so choose wisely.

weddingg1

Destination Wedding:

If you really want to make guests happy, how about a destination wedding? Who doesn’t love a mini vacation paired with a celebration?! Of course, a destination wedding will mean putting your faith in people you aren’t meeting face to face for preparations. Wherever you choose to have your wedding, research your options carefully and opt for video chat as often as you can while communicating. You might find that popular destinations often have planners and professionals specific to the location like this Normanton Church wedding photographer. The people you pick to hire that are the most familiar with that particular place will often ensure the success of your wedding and comfort of guests too.

Avoid Stagnation:

Sitting around waiting for the next part of the main event can quickly kill the mood, not to mention highlight those uncomfortable factors mentioned above. Work with your planner to make sure that things happen in a timely fashion, to keep the day moving along. That includes the ceremony, meals, dancing, and when the bar opens. Speaking of wedding planners, enlisting the help of one could be a game changer. To begin finding the right person to make your day even more special, simply enter a search for “Puerto Vallarta Wedding Planner” (or your local area) and have your ideas ready to brainstorm together.

The Dance Floor:

Speaking of dancing, the idea is to get everyone on the dance floor ASAP. Take your time during your ceremony, but move things along quickly from there. Make sure everyone is fed and has a few drinks in them, then have your first dance and open up the floor. A grooving dance floor is the perfect opportunity for your photography and videography team to capture everyone having a blast together. Then, you can send the photos and videos to your guests afterwards as a keepsake. To begin researching the videography aspect of your wedding, simply enter a search for “Wedding Videographer in Miami” (or your local area). You could watch your wedding video together every anniversary!

The Food:

Quality food is great, but the key to happy guests outside of alcohol is having enough food for everyone. Outside of the main courses, you’ll want to have some sort of catering that allows guests to grab something to eat as they’re walking around.

Since neither food nor alcohol are cheap, many couples have turned to crowdfunding to help foot the bill. While most sites market themselves with a slogan like, “We will help your ideal honeymoon happen,” they’re also a great place to help pay for some of your wedding expenses.

Having guests chip in on the costs of both weddings and honeymoons in lieu of a gift is an excellent way to make them events to remember. While the idea might sound strange from a traditional standpoint, it happens to be trending in the wedding world.

weddingg2

Everyone wants their big day to be something guests will remember for years to come. By following the advice above, you can do just that. These few key factors are all it takes to wow your guests and throw the wedding of your dreams.