Beautiful Creatures – Book vs. Movie

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Over the last month I’ve read through the complete series The Caster Chronicles (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos & Beautiful Redemption). I wasn’t quite sure if would enjoy the four book series or not, I have a love/hate relationship with books…I either really love it hate it. There’s no in-between with me, all in or nothing. 

Cover of "Beautiful Creatures"

Cover of Beautiful Creatures

My impression of the first book, Beautiful Creatures reminded me somewhat of the Twilight series. The supernatural characters.

I couldn’t stop reading.

The story unfolded in such a way that gave you just enough to keep wanting more, to keep turning the page. I felt as if their fate had become mine and I was working just as hard as they were to save my life. Each character in the book was described in such a unique technique that allowed you to understand them led you to feel invested in each and everyone one them, whether it was a small roll or not. That sort of writing doesn’t come around too often, specifically in a sci-fi or supernatural series geared towards young adults and teenagers. You usually find yourself attracted to one or two characters but not more. It feels as though that type of descriptive writing purpose is for you to want them to end up together and stop at nothing to achieve that goal as if that could be the only plot.

Each book in the series changed adding more details new characters which end resulted in the story coming full circle. That’s one of the hardest details for an author to successfully complete, loose ends that leaves the reader wondering about unsolved issues in the story-line. Throughout the entire series, the author lead you through an adventure with twists and turns you never saw coming. When I finally finished the fourth and final book I felt satisfied, there was closure on so many levels.

Now the movie on the other hand…

There are four books in the series and so far only one movie titled “Beautiful Creatures” has been released, and no talk of a second one anytime soon.

I didn’t go to the theater to watch it, I decided to wait until I could watch it from the comfort of my living room and I’m happy I did. Had I gone to the theater I have feeling I would have been very disappointed!

I don’t want to ruin it for those of you who want to see it and haven’t but have read the books.

It’s apparent that they combined book 1 and book 2 into this movie as there were some things not revealed in the first book that somehow was worked into this story. Some characters were not even present, main characters that were crucial to the story that made you interested in their relationships with each other, I don’t see how replacing those key roles and in some ways combining 2 roles into one helped at all besides compromising the story’s greatness.

I’m making it out to sound as though this was the best series I have ever read, trust me it’s not. I just wanted to express my disappointment with the movie industry for taking a book(series) and changing it so much that it no longer has anything to do with the book. They mine as well have changed the name of the movie and pretended it was just another movie.

It’s not surprising, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone walk away from a movie that originated from a book and said the movie was better than the book! I can think of few that were close, possibly lacking a few details that didn’t matter but nothing as bad as this. At the end of the 2 hours and 4 minutes I sat in shock thinking I must have imaged the story altogether and maybe I should go back and re-read the book.

I’m starting to feel bad for giving the movie such a bad review, so  lets look at it like I’m giving the book a fabulous one!

On a high note – The one thing I can give credit too is the actors. I felt as though the movie actors/actresses were the ones I pictured in the book.

 

 

Rock On With Your Bad Self

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1031Today while waiting in line at the store I overheard a couple of women talking about birthdays and one of them indicated that if she could stay 30 forever than would be OK. It’s old enough to know better and still young enough to have the energy without worrying too much about wrinkles.

Their conversation reminded me of my 30th birthday and how different I felt once the day had come and gone. I’m only 33, so being 3 years into my thirties doesn’t necessarily make me an expert because I have no idea what 35 or 40 feels like, but I do know that things changed for the better.

As a women (I’m sure this relates to men on some level too) living through our twenties can be tough. Of course we feel young and vibrant and anything we can dream up seems to be possible. I wouldn’t say we lose that positiveness but as the world shows itself more to us as we age the reality sets in and we find out that some things are harder to achieve than we once thought.

I’ve always been somewhat of an introvert, checking the situation out before putting myself out there. I think too much and worry even more, but I didn’t over think everything the way I do now. It’s a good thing because I’ve lived enough to know when to take chances and when it’s OK to pass. You twenties are meant exactly for that, those years provide a learning experience for us in order to live and learn and then make better decisions because of that in the future.

I can’t say that now being in my thirties that I don’t wish I still held onto some of that liveliness I once had. However, reaching our thirty opens up more doors and we’re no longer afraid of the confidence we of being who we truly are. It’s no longer about pleasing everyone else, and suddenly finding our voice and using it.

I tried to explain to some of my younger friends who were dreading their 30th birthdays that they would be surprised at just how different it is. It really does feel like all those years leading up to 30 you were simply living as a caterpillar, yes a younger and firmer caterpillar but still not fully coming into your own. Stepping out of you cocoon as a butterfly ready to spread your wings knowing the beauty you have within is more than what you were working with before.

I don’t know what forty will be like but I have a feeling it’s something to look forward to. Instead of dreading each passing year afraid to age, afraid to no longer have the carefree attitude we once had all those years we should embrace each new season. After all I tend to imagine life unfolding for us only getting better and better.

Thinking about it, turning 25 was by far the worst birthday for me. I was young and naive then and thought “well this is it, I no longer have any birthday to look forward to, I’ve passed all the milestones I once looked forward to”. There was sixteen, then eighteen and the big one twenty-one, after that what’s left? Turning twenty-five was the last hurrah at the time, I was a quarter of a century old, and that wasn’t something I was ready to brag about! I have to laugh about it now, well past twenty-five and not dreading my next birthday or the 30 more after that.

Do you dread getting older or do you embrace it and look forward to what life has to offer you in the coming years?

You Have To Find Your Calling

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Or do you?

564.If-you-are-always-being-judge-by-someone-it-does-not-define-who-you-are.-It-defines-who-they-are.I’ve been going back and forth with this notion for as long as I can remember. Growing up I remember everyone having an idea of what I should do with my life or what kind of profession I would I have, so I always assumed that whatever it was that I would choose would make who I was supposed to be. By figuring out what path I would take would ultimately solidify who I was and everything would perfect.

Sadly, that didn’t happen. It took me a very long time to figure out  what I wanted to do with my life. Truth is, I may still not be sure. A couple of bad decisions and navigating down the wrong path on more than one occasion led me astray. Who knows if I had stayed on course maybe I would be content.

I don’t think it’s that easy though. How many people out there knew what they wanted to do with their lives at a young age only to change their minds years down the road and basically wasted money going to college to never use that degree?

I envy those who know what they were meant to do, but in some ways I don’t. Every year we go through a transition and we gain knowledge from the experiences we’ve lived through and that ultimately  has the potential to question the very core of who we thought we were.

As situations change our opinions therefore should change, otherwise there is no growth taking place and we end up in the very same place we were the year before.

Follow your passion and take the path that seems the most desirable at the time because that may just be the path you were meant to take.

We have to be happy with ourselves before we can ever think to please others and in the grand scheme of things the only person we were meant to please is ourselves anyway. What others think of us should have nothing to do with our own choices that lead to happiness. It’s easier said than done. If you become a CEO or a lawyer, sure it’s great to go back home and tell people you’ve arrived, but does the title define who you are or who you were meant to be?

It shouldn’t.

Doing the very best you could do today is what counts. Help others, even if it’s just with a smile. You’ll never know just how far that smile can go if you don’t.

Stop being defined by the labels and the money, define yourself.

Allow Yourself That Moment

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This morning I found myself in one of those moods where I didn’t feel like doing anything, I’m talking about not doing ONE damn thing. I’m sure we’ve all been there, you know there’s always something that can be done around the house and there’s a to-do list haunting you everywhere you turn. Then it dawned on me that it’s OK to that a moment and just be, wallow in whatever it is that you’re feeling, escape to the dark corners of your mind and don’t feel bad about it.

I don’t know what caused me to get up from the computer this morning and head upstairs to lay down in bed, I just felt it was something I had to do. No, I wasn’t tired and I wasn’t feeling depressed, I was simply unmotivated. As I laid there the voice in my head started to get louder and louder reminding me of all the things I had waiting for me to complete, and then it just clicked. I tuned it out and started to think of all the things I had already accomplished and all things I have to be happy about it. After all, taking a step back to gain perspective helps you to realize that you’re OK and the list can wait. The guilt subsides and eventually I got up and felt more like myself than I did before.

Who ever made it not OK to just sit and be? We have this constant nagging in our minds that makes us feel guilty for not accomplishing something every waking moment. Isn’t rest something we need? I believe it is and if we don’t take time out for ourselves we’re no good for anyone around us.

I call it a funk, that’s basically what it is. We just need an hour or even a day to let everything go. When we do this we recharge and can therefore be best version of ourselves. For most women, I think it’s safe to say we all go through moments like this. You can’t escape the what needs to be done but we can’t certainly take a break from it.

Since practicing yoga and working towards my certification I’ve really had the opportunity to take note of all the bad habits I’ve picked up along the way. For one, I am a worrier, I worry about any and everything, even when I know that there are some things I can’t fix. It finally clicked when my mind slowed down with the help of my breathing that I am one person who can only do so much and it’s OK to take a break and recharge. I’ve learned to let go of the things I have no control of, and I’m actually OK with it.

Take some time for yourself and allow the silence to comfort you and the voices to quiet. If it helps to meditate or practice yoga or simply go for a walk then do it. I guarantee it will be the best thing you can do for yourself and it doesn’t cost a thing!

The Weight Debate of Abercrombie & Fitch

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English: The image of Abercrombie & Fitch today.

English: The image of Abercrombie & Fitch today. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

The size of the weight debate with Abercrombie & Fitch hasn’t dwindled down over the past few weeks like I thought it would once the story broke. A fellow blogger was featured on The Today Show this morning talking about her open letter to the CEO of A & F Mike Jefferies. After seeing what she had to say I felt it was important to chime in and share my point of view as well.

 

To back track a little this all started with the CEO Mike Jefferies making a comment that he believed the clothes they sell at the popular chain weren’t meant for plus sized people. Since his bold statement there have been nothing short of boycotts to picket lines and everything in between.

 

I can understand where this might touch a sensitive cord with a lot of people who may not fit the CEO’s idea of who their customers should be. Let’s not forget that there are plenty of other stores out there who advertise specifically for smaller women. Take for instance the store “2, 4 & 6″, it’s pretty clear by the title of their store that you shouldn’t go in there expecting to find anything above a size 6.

 

On the flip side of this coin there are also plenty of stores who sell only to plus sized women. I have yet to hear of someone getting upset because they found a shirt in there that they can’t get because it’s not sold in a smaller size.

 

So is this a double standard?

 

Let me clear, I don’t think that it’s appropriate to make people feel like outcasts especially over something that can be avoided. And perhaps his comments could have been presented in a more compassionate way so that it didn’t come quite as harsh as it did. I guess how ever the delivery came out it probably would have still offended.

 

I’ve been on the opposite side of this debate and have been made to feel inferior or criticized for my weight. My weight has fluctuated over the years for several reasons. I’ve had three children and the weight from second and third pregnancy didn’t come off as easily as the first. In fact it was a couple of good years before actually getting back down to pre-baby weight, but aside from that as I’ve gotten older I’ve noticed that my metabolism slowed down and I was now having to shop for size 8s and sometimes even 10s. Now to some it may not seem like that big of deal but each one of us has to deal with the weight that we feel comfortable in and that has nothing to do with what society’s idea of our ideal weight should be. I’ve been called out over the years being told I was too skinny and that I need to put some “meat on my bones”. Those comments never set well with me and I could never this of a good response to that other than just feel out-of-place and pretty crummy, as if it was somehow my fault for being slim.

 

If you’re happy wherever you are in your weight and size then that’s all that counts.

 

Being put on the spot no matter what the situation is never a good feeling. I’ve had moments where women who are  heavier than I am made comments on me being too skinny, and that I must not eat in order to maintain my weight. What do you say to that? Although I have struggled with my weight I know it hasn’t been to the degree of what others endure.

 

It’s time to start being respectful on each other no matter where they are on the scale, and it’s up the store to sell what they want to sell. Whether it’s for plus sized customers or the other.

 

In Jess Baker’s words “The only thing you’ve done through your comments (about thin being beautiful and only offering XL and XXL in your stores for men) is reinforce the unoriginal concept that fat women are social failures, valueless, and undesirable. 

 

I don’t feel that her interpretation of his comments are accurate  if she feels that way it is because she is allowing herself to feel that. This goes hand in hand with the age-old saying that “People will only treat you the way you allow them to treat you”. In other words, if you’re hurt by any type of comments that someone else makes it’s because you are allowing it to be so.

 

If someone is truly comfortable in their skin and the way they are they wouldn’t pay much mind to comments like this. You would simply shop somewhere else.

 

For the record, I don’t shop at A & F myself and that’s because their jeans seem to sit a little too low on the waste for my taste!!

 

I think in this particular debate it can go either way, whether you’re plus sized or what seems to be underweight both sides can be made to feel less than adequate. It’s time to stand together and back each other up no matter what side you think you’re standing on. Women empowering women.

 

 

 

 

 

Going About It All Wrong

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A bump in the road or better yet a road block, one that does not allow you to move forward or go around and you’re left with what feels like the only option which is to turn around. You turn to look behind you and realize the last place you want to be is headed backwards, so what does one do?

As an optimistic myself and I really believe whole-heartily that “where there’s a will, there’s a way“, but there comes a time in our lives which I admit may happen more than we’d like where it gets hard to see that silver lining in the cloud. Especially when you can’t seem find it, that doesn’t mean that it won’t eventually show itself and therefore guide us in the right direction. What do you do in the meantime besides spin your wheels?

I find myself on the edge of the cliff fully prepared to fly but afraid to make the jump, after all it’s entirely possible that I may not be ready and could very well find myself in a nose dive headed toward failure. So maybe I’m going about it all wrong. Maybe somewhere along the way I missed the turn I should have taken…now what?

I have to believe that the right thing is out there somewhere and it’s my responsibility to find it and work towards it, but when I have no idea what it is I should be looking for, finding it seems impossible.

I love all those stories where people who are faced with hard time suddenly find their calling and everything lays itself out in front of them perfectly. I have to wonder, when will that happen for me?

Am I just off the correct path, am I faced in the wrong direction?

For one I can’t see myself working in a meaningless job until my retirement comes around, I truly believe I was meant for more, something fulfilling. That’s why I’ve been working so hard on my yoga certification believing this would lead me to my calling and give me the rewarding experience I’ve been yearning for.

Maybe its fear that keeps in my place, with every new venture there is always some sort of fear that tags along reminding us in the back of our minds that we might not be capable of successfully seeing it out to the end. I’ve had nightmares of getting up there and teaching and having students walk out because they hated the class program, or even going as far as to have no one show up at all.

My writing is another one of those things that I love doing but my fear of offending those who don’t agree or never having  any followers creeps up behind me as a shadow waiting to engulf me in the darkness that I want so badly to avoid.

So that’s got to be it… I’ve been going about everything the wrong way. Instead of allowing my fears to take me over I let them run me into the ground and that alone prevents me from being the very best I can be no matter what it is that I put my mind to.

Life is not easy and no one ever told me it would be. I held onto that more than I should have, when I really should have been holding onto my confidence in myself as a strong women willing to put myself out there and share all that I have to offer with the world. I may not be liked by everyone but it starts with myself and the greatest is something I already have, I carry around with me wherever I go, I should just let it shine and over take the dark parts of myself that keep me down!

Find your own light and let it shine through you and you’ll never go wrong!