2014 Favorites

My Three Favorite Books of 2014

3. Better Nate Than Ever and 5, 6, 7, Nate, Tim Federle

Thirteen-year-old Nate Foster and I don't have a lot in common, save one very important thing: a love (LOVE) of Broadway musicals. The fact that these two books are classified as "junior fiction" does not mean that they aren't incredibly well-told, or that they aren't laugh-out-loud funny. Tim Federle (my favorite person to follow on Twitter) has spun such a clever, original, and hilarious story about Nate and his scheme to travel to New York City to audition for a new Broadway show. When Emily and I went to New York this summer, everywhere we looked there were real-life reminders of the books and it made the trip so much more fun! I just cannot stress how funny these books are. I kept wanting to highlight or underline huge chunks because I could not get over the creativity and hilarity. Read these books and maybe you too can laugh quietly aloud to yourself on a plane surrounded by strangers!

“Imagine: pretzels sold on the street! It’s as if anything is possible. Do they also sell hopes on the street? Do they sell hugs and dreams and height-boosting vitamins? Or hot dogs? I bet you they do.”

2. Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line, Rob Thomas

If you like Veronica Mars the TV series, there's absolutely no reason you wouldn't love Veronica Mars the book. Rob Thomas, the creator and showrunner of VM, actually started out as an author, so this really is a return to form for him. The entire novel reads like an extra-long bonus episode of the show! The mystery is engrossing and compelling, the characters are as witty and charming as you remember them to be, and there are more than a few  twists and surprises that you won't see coming. Perhaps the best part of the experience for me was listening to the audiobook, as it was narrated by Veronica Mars herself, Kristen Bell. Bonus points to Bell for doing spot-on imitations of her cast-mates when she read their dialogue. Hilarious.

“She suddenly realized that this was Bri Lafond’s first lesson that people sucked. Veronica remembered that letdown, the way the world suddenly seemed stripped of bright colors, your beliefs toppled like dominoes.”

1. The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, Eva Rice

My friend (and the most voracious reader I know!) Katie counts this book among her favorites, so I've always intended to read it. Now I'm so glad I finally got around to it! It really is such a special book. Full of joy, sorrow, and champagne, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets tells the story of Penelope, an 18-year-old girl living in a post-World War II England, in a grand house that is crumbling around her and her small family due to lack of money. Enter the effervescent Charlotte, her hilarious Aunt Clare, and Clare's witty son Harry. (Full disclosure: I adore Harry. I found myself missing him when he wasn't on the page, and constantly grinning at his quips.) This remarkable trio of characters bring about a great deal of change to Penelope's life, in the best possible way. Check it out and get a chance to attend glamorous parties, spend a snowy New Year's at Milton Magna Hall, and maybe even fall for the strange and mysterious Harry Delancy.

"He looked at us almost pityingly, with a hint of a smirk on his face, his chaotic hair almost hiding his extraordinary eyes. Newfound knowledge of his skills as a magician seemed entirely appropriate; never before had I met someone who looked capable of turning men into frogs and frogs into princes."

Honorable Mention:

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories, B.J. Novak
Super creative, very fun, and totally un-put-downable.
“If you love something, let it go. If you don't love something, definitely let it go. Basically, just drop everything, who cares.”  

I read several Agatha Christie mysteries this year (five in all), as I'm a big fan of hers and frequently say that she can do no wrong. But when I read Endless Night, I began doubting that opinion, because I just thought Christie was completely missing the mark. You should have seen my face when I got to the end of the book and realized that SHE TOTALLY GOT ME. For the entire duration of the book I was looking the wrong direction, and I never saw the twist coming. It was completely genius. You win again, Christie...

I also read some really good non-fiction as well, including Creativity Inc. (about Pixar) and Superfreakonomics/Think Like a Freak. I'd recommend checking any of those out if any of that sounds interesting to you! And if you're looking for a good memoir, Cary Elwes's As You Wish and Amy Poehler's Yes Please were both were quick and entertaining reads.

My Three Favorite Movies of 2014

3. The One I Love 
I watched this one on a whim the other day (it's streaming on Netflix) and I really, really enjoyed it. I had read only a little bit about this movie—mostly about how no one could talk about the plot because saying anything would spoil it. So of course I was intrigued! The movie itself was fascinating; it was small and strange and incredibly compelling. It's just kind of weird and Twilight Zone-y, and if you like things that are weird and Twilight Zone-y, I think there's a good chance you'll like this.



2. Veronica Mars
The entire experience of seeing this movie was just SO MUCH FUN. First of all, I backed the movie on Kickstarter, so I got tons of insider information while they were making the movie and then leading up to the release. Second, I made the release of the movie an EVENT. I wore Veronica Mars t-shirts every day to work that week, and when the big day finally arrived, I drove to Dallas with my roommate (to the closest theater showing the movie) to see the midnight showing. We got a hotel so we could stay the night, and I took the following day off from work so we could sleep in. All of that awesomeness, plus the fact that the movie itself was amazing! It was like having a reunion with old friends, and Emily and I laughed, gasped, and squealed our way through the whole thing. A great mystery, all of our favorite characters, an IRA GLASS CAMEO, and Logan in a Navy uniform. I mean, what more could a VM fan want?

1. Guardians of the Galaxy
Did you ever have more fun in a movie theater? From the rockin' throwback soundtrack to the action and the non-stop humor, this movie was just golden. I saw it three times in the theater, again on the cruise ship, and I just got the DVD for Christmas. It's fantastic, and if you haven't seen it yet, I just don't even know what you're doing with your life. Also, let's please not forget that before he was Star Lord and even before he was Andy Dwyer, Chris Pratt was Che on "The OC."

Honorable Mention: Interstellar, Into the Woods, Chef, Captain America 2

My Three Favorite Events of 2014

3. Oh Hey, I'm Like a Speaker Now I Guess?
Theoretically, public speaking doesn't bother me. However, once I'm in front of a crowd, somehow I forget to breathe and my hands start shaking and WHAT IS HAPPENING. So when I was asked to speak at a Christian camping conference in February, I was obviously a bit hesitant to accept. The topic, social media, is something that I'm passionate about, but again: the shaking and not breathing thing. But I finally just decided that I wanted to say YES to more new things, and before I knew it I was giving a talk to a packed room of people in the camping industry actually there to hear ME talk about what I do! In addition, I was asked to give a talk on social media this summer to a group of our 8th and 9th grade campers. I spoke every other week about how awesome I think social media is, but about how we shouldn't give it too much power, and how our validation should come from Christ and not how many likes you get on Instagram. It was almost more unnerving to talk to 13-year-olds than it had been to talk to adults, but again, I'm glad (and kind of proud of myself!) that I decided to say yes.

2. Can't Stop Won't Stop Cruising
When my dad called me to ask if I'd like to go on a cruise in November, I said, "Are you crazy? A man in a really nice camper wants to put our song on the radio! Give me a pen, I'm signing, you're signing, we're all signing." Not really, but you get the sentiment! I had SUCH a blast aboard the Emerald Princess with my mom, dad, and brother, I can't even tell you. It was so relaxing, all of our ports were so packed full of fun things and warm sun, we ate amazing food (goat cheese souffle, I still dream about you!!), watched movies ON DECK, played games, went to cheesy trivia nights... It was just so, so great. I didn't want to leave the ship!

1. Broadway Times Four
Sometimes I still can't believe that when I went to New York this summer, I got to see "Newsies." And "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder." And "Matilda." AND "Les Miserables." Four shows in three days. It was so amazing, so magical, so unbelievable. You can check out the full story here. They were all fantastic, and I frequently look back on that trip with such wonder, asking myself "How did we get here, Skitch?"

Honorable Mention: Morby/Ciminello Family vacation in Galveston/Houston. Stand up paddle boarding, Top Golf, games, shuffleboard, Schlitterbahn, and LOTS of Norah time. (We just won't talk about that whole "everybody got sick and threw up all over the place" part.)

2013 Favorites

My Three Favorite Books of 2013

3. Someday, Someday Maybe, Lauren Graham

A sweet, simple charmer, Someday tells the story of Franny Banks, an aspiring twenty-something actress in mid-1990's New York. She was such a fun protagonist to spend time with, and I enjoyed all of the details of her less-than-perfect life. However, I think my overall experience of reading this book was elevated by the fact that I listened to it read by its author, Lauren Graham. Her performance here added such a sweetness and an extra layer of humor to Franny's story that I don't think I would have experienced without her.

"I must work harder to achieve my goal of not seeking approval from those whose approval I’m not even sure is important to me."

2. And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie

There is a reason that Agatha Christie is the queen of the mystery genre. Even though I've seen both a play as well as a movie adaptation of this story prior to reading And Then There Were None, I was still enthralled the entire time. Sometimes you just can't beat a classic whodunnit, and this one will keep you guessing. Each murder revolves around a line of a terrifying nursery rhyme, such as, "Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves and then there were six." Clever, creepy, and a quick read. Put this one on your list!

"From now on, it is our task to suspect each and every one amongst us."

1. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling 

It's no wonder that everyone who reads this book comes away wanting to be Mindy Kaling's best friend. She is absolutely hilarious, an extremely intelligent writer, and nearly everything she says causes you to exclaim "ME TOO!" All I wanted to do was read excerpts of this book aloud to everyone I know and say "I thought I was the only one who did that!" Really I just need to own a copy so I can highlight my favorite parts (so basically the whole book) and sleep with it under my pillow, because it is just that wonderful.

"You should know I disagree with a lot of traditional advice. For instance, they say the best revenge is living well. I say it’s acid in the face—who will love them now?"

Two other books I read this year deserve special mention, if for nothing else than their density and the sheer amount of information I learned. The first was Dave Cullen's Columbine, which was an intensely in-depth look at the 1999 tragedy, focusing mostly on the shooters and the subsequent investigation. The second was Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler, one of the lengthiest, most detailed biographies I have ever attempted. I feel like I know a ton about him now, but overall it was probably a little too exhaustive.

My Three Favorite Movies of 2013

3. Catching Fire
I really surprised myself by giving this film one of my top spots. But it was so well-made, and stands as the most faithful book to movie adaptation that I've ever seen. Jennifer Lawrence is just fantastic to watch, and her work, along with a smart script, exciting new characters, and solid direction demanded a repeat viewing from me.

2. Frozen
What a fantastic movie. I don't remember being this taken with an animated film since 2009's "Up." The music is fantastic, the voice cast is brilliant, and it really is laugh-out-loud funny (not to sound like a cheap critic trying to get their name on the movie poster). But perhaps my favorite thing about "Frozen" is that it's a story that centers on two sisters and their relationship and abilities, not on trying to land a dude. Yes, there is a love story aspect, but it's incidental, and not the main storyline.

Also I saw it four times in theaters.



1. The Way, Way Back 
I absolutely LOVED this movie. My very favorite movie of the year, and quite possibly one of my all-time favorites ever. So sweet, funny, and well-written, with so many wonderful performances. I don't think I'll ever get tired of it. Between "The Descendents" and now "The Way, Way Back," I can't wait to see what screenwriters Nat Faxon and Jim Rash pen next. You must watch this. If nothing else, see it for Sam Rockwell. He is The Best.

My Three Favorite Events of 2013

3. Ramin Karimloo has played many big roles in musical theater, including the Phantom in the 25th anniversary production of The Phantom of the Opera (which you can watch on Netflix!). I first learned about Ramin when he played Enjolras in the 25th anniversary performance of Les Miserables. He was the best part of that particular production—and that's saying something. He is also the nicest guy you've ever met.

I got the opportunity to see him in concert TWICE last spring, and besides being endlessly entertaining on stage, he is also incredibly kind, funny, and gracious. He signed my copy of the Les Mis DVD, posed for pictures, and even showed us how he put on his guyliner for the role of Enjolras (hilarious). Not to mention, of course, surprised my roommate at her school and sang Music of the Night for all her students! He has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard, and his concert is the BEST I've ever attended. No contest. The entire experience of meeting him and hearing him sing live—I just can't even fully express how wonderful that was.

2. Maddie's Adoption
John and Lori had been waiting for OVER A YEAR to adopt their daughter, and finally this September she officially became Madison Elise Redfearn! I love Maddie dearly, and am so beyond blessed to have her in my life. The Redfearns not only live down the street from us, but Maddie is my roommate's niece! So I get to see her quite a bit, and was privileged to go to the courthouse that day to witness Maddie getting her forever family. I am so thankful for this sweet, giggly girl who loves to dance and watch "Winnie the Pooh" and calls me "BAL." She's pretty awesome.

1. Norah Ann Ciminello
I almost can't put into words how special and amazing it is to be aunt to this squishy little bundle of cute. Norah came into the world on my brother's birthday, July 13th! (We are a family who loves to share birthdays—my dad and I have the same one too.) She instantly became everyone's favorite, and hardly a day goes by when I don't get a picture or video of her from my sister, who is thoughtful enough to keep everyone updated, since Norah is all the way in Arizona! I'm grateful for the time I've already gotten to spend with her, and can't wait to hug and squeeze her more in 2014!Love this kid. 

My #1 Girl

Since U Been Gone

Mom and Dad left for Italy approximately A MILLION YEARS AGO.

...Okay fine, it's been two weeks BUT STILL.

They have clearly missed out on a number of awesome happenings in the life of their middle child.

Like:

1. I got a new iPhone case! The silvery sparkle one has been good to me, but it was time for a less glittery one that left fewer jewels everywhere. The solution?

Texas Forever. (Sidenote: I miss you, Coach Taylor!)

2. Good? Tacos from "Fresh." Better? Tacos from "Fresh" with Lori and Emily. Best? Tacos from "Fresh" with Lori and Emily followed by "The Proposal" with Lori and Emily and Lacey and Chili's chips and salsa and ranch and also peanut butter m&m's and cherry coke zeroes. WE? Know how to party.

3. The first two times my air conditioner went out? Hilarious. The third time? NOT SO MUCH. Thankfully two of the nights of heat I got to spend in Lori's guest room, and the final fix resulted in my old-timey thermostat being replaced with this:

The 21st century feels good, y'all.

Good and cool.

4. What's better than celebrating Cinco de Mayo once? Celebrating Cinco de Mayo DOS times! That's right: not only did I get to attend a rockin' party at Andrea's on May 5, complete with fajitas AND piñatas, I also got to attend the CUTEST little bilingual Cinco de Mayo music performance you have EVER seen on Cinco de Uno thanks to Emily, aka the best music teacher ever, and her adorable first graders. Top THAT performance off with some Tex Mex at Posados? Done and DONE.

5. Remember that time at work when we surprised a camper AT HER HOUSE? Yeah. There's a video of that awesomesauce:



6. Maybe I saw "The Avengers" one times, and MAYBE I saw "The Avengers" two times. All I know is: it was awesome and I couldn't stop laughing or having to fight the urge to high five the screen.

7. Oh, a Rangers game? Yeah, that happened. In honor of sweet Jacey's birthday, we loaded up and headed to Dallas to watch our boys put the hurt on Tampa. And when Jacey asked me what happened because she accidentally missed a play, I replied very knowledgeably, OF COURSE: "Umm, he hit it and then that guy threw it to that guy. And now he's out."

Baseball! I know things!

8. Point of Grace had a... less than stellar album release day, poor gals. I mean, they are FINALLY back with some new music, and they get bumped from the #1 album spot in the Christian/Gospel Music section on iTunes by a CAMP?

Because oh y'all:

YEAH.

And I know I can't speak TERRIBLY objectively here, but I must note that the "Summer Lights" album is actually really great, and I think you should probably check it out. No really: go.

9. I saw one of my TOP 5 FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL THE TIMES on the big screen. It's true: I got to go see "A League of Their Own" at the downtown theater with Emily and Jacey. And it. Was. Awesome.

10. Oh look! I finished my Galveston trip video! Boom shaka laka:



11. John and Lori hosted a "Cutie Cute Dance Party," (my name for the event that John made known he did NOT approve of) that was completely sparkly and delightful and wonderful. I mean, sure there was way less dancing than some of the ladies were hoping for, aka none for those of us not in a couple or related to one of the dudes. (IF WE'RE BEING HONEST HERE, AND I ALWAYS AM MOSTLY.)

But there were also s'mores, sparklers, great music, amazing pulled pork (high five, Lori!), laughter, a rainbow, TWINKLE LIGHTS, and time with fun friends.

So yeah, it was fabulous.

Well, that's all for now. Still on the horizon: a return trip to Dallas for a friend's documentary screening and a certain EPIC Pre-Summer Bash that I basically cannot wait for.

Good night all, and ciao to the world travelers! Miss you and can't wait for you to come back.

The time I went camping and left the pink sparkle watch at home.

Aside from one ill-fated campout in '95 or '96, when my cousin Hilary was scared off for good thanks to a certain notorious thunderstorm, I have been the only girl to regularly attend the Morby campouts with my dad, brother, cousins, and uncles.

I don't know why my sister or other cousins have never had any interest in joining us, or why the one night Kathy spent out there this most recent campotu was, as she put it, "my first and last campout."

What's not to love? Campfires, fishing, hiking, guns, fireworks, food
straight off the grill or camp stove, reading by the lake... These are a few of my favorite things!

Of course, there's no running water, a few bugs and snakes, and sleeping on the ground... But no, even then: what's not to love?

One thing that I noticed several times was the interesting dichotomy and warring halves of my girly and tomboy camping sides. For instance:

Yes, I did manage to wash my hair over the weekend. BUT I washed it in the lake. With some Old Spice body wash, because that's what was
there.

Okay, so I brought back some honeysuckle from the woods to put on one of the picnic tables. BUT in my other hand? I was carrying a snake skin.

Yes, I brought my comforter out to the campsite in a Nordstrom shopping bag. BUT I carried it into a tent that I OWN and set up myself, with some help from Dad, before we also set up my brother's tent. So.

Fine, I brought back more wildflowers from the field out by the power easement. I'll give you that one. BUT I hacked off the ends with a machete so they would fit in a cup of water.

BOOM.

Sound like too much fun to be had? IT WAS. Want to feel like you were there? Click play!
Previously: 2010 Morbypalooza Campout Video

I'll raise you

Raising Val's DOUBLE JUGGLING with some VERY MEDIOCRE single juggling.

TA DAA.

You're welcome.

Double Juggle

I am so sorry to break it to you, but all of your previous parties have been missing one very important element.

What's that? Unicorns flying over rainbows and high-fiving as the song from "Space Jam" plays?

Yes. That, AND:

Two-person juggling!

(I'll wait for your BLOWN MIND to reassemble itself.)

Well. I think it must be your lucky day, because my own two-person-juggling-lesson-while-partying was caught on (a very short) video.

(Unicorns not included.)



You're welcome. And yes, I'm awful slash still learning--but that was fun.

Everyday I'm jugglin', y'all.

Rimshot? Maybe? No?

Well, this is awkward...

If It's The Beaches

Hey, remember that one time I peaced out and headed to the beach, and totally abandoned this blog?

Well, here is a video of that time:

Song: "Artists Are Boring" by the Kingdom Flying Club

But hey! I was at the very beach that indirectly gave this blog it's name, so... it all comes full circle? Or something? Hmm. Anyway, I'm sure this TOTES AMAZING video made up for said abandonment.

Hope you enjoyed!

Once Upon A Time In New York

I'm nothing if not timely. (Ha.)

My parents took Clay and I to New York back in April. It was amazing. It was... video-worthy.

Oh, would you look at that! There's a video of the trip right here! Gosh, how did THAT get there?

Well, as long as it's just sitting here, why not take a break from your day to enjoy a few virtual minutes in the city with us? No flights required, all you have to do is press play:



Thanks for watching! It means a lot to me.

A Good Day

Last weekend at my dad's retirement luncheon I met several people who had heard a lot about our family, and in particular my siblings and I. (Of course.) (We're pretty famous.)


And I believe a few of them even read this blog! (Hi, Dad's co-workers!)

A sentiment that seemed to be echoed throughout the luncheon, particularly after they'd seen some of the creativity that my extended family posesses, was admiration for our family and the fun that we have, and some even joked that they wanted to join it!


It's so true: everyone wants to be a Morby! (Let's be honest here.) (Kidding, kidding!)

Seriously, though- we are blessed with a family that enjoys spending time with each other, teasing each other, and quoting "Murder By Death" together.

Last Sunday we got the chance to spend an entire uninterrupted day as a family, just the five of us, celebrating a joint Mother's/Father's Day where Ginger, Clay, and I planned a full day of food, fun, and (semi-) friendly competition.

I made a video of the day so you could all "join" the Morby family for a few minutes. Hope you enjoy!

Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend

Each week when I make the agenda for our office "web team," I put a different meme at the bottom of the page, just to keep the group educated. After all, it is the web team, so I feel like everyone should be up to date on things they should.... well, let's be honest: things they should already know. We've already been over rickrolling, double rainbow, the lying down game, and women laughing alone with salad.

//Sidenote: I forgot that not everyone even knows what a "meme" is. My favorite explanation is that it's "an internet inside joke." Or you could think of it as any funny/weird video/joke/picture/anything that has gone viral across the internet. \\

Since tomorrow is Friday, and as long as I'm teaching a lesson on memes, I'll let you in on a meme that is currently taking the internet by terribly-autotuned storm: Rebecca Black's Friday.

This is a REAL SONG that was written/created/produced by a REAL RECORD COMPANY. It's not a parody video or something that this girl just did with her friends.

Is it EXTREMELY RIDICULOUSLY terrible? No. Does it include the lyrics Gotta have my bowl / Gotta have cere-al and Tomorrow is Saturday / And Sunday comes after...wards ? YES. Yes it does.

Now the internet is rife with covers, remixes, parodies and everything else you could possibly imagine. This song is EVERYWHERE- even my brother purchased it on iTunes so he could prank call me at the office with this song playing loudly from his end- without a word from him.

My brother is just one of many people who bought this song- and helped it to the top 100 iTunes songs. The video currently has over 14 million views and counting (fast).

The kicker? This has all happened in six days.

It’s Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend
Friday, Friday

Class dismissed.

If you think being a Ninja's hard work, try being a mom.

The other night we were at our friends' house right after they had put their kids to bed. We were talking about how the kids could always hear their parents coming down the hallway and quiet down when they knew they should be sleeping.

Several people mentioned ways they knew their parents were approaching their bedrooms, such as certain squeaky floor boards.

Finally I chimed in, "We actually had this sensor that would tell us our mom was coming, and a red light bulb on the wall would light up and an alarm would go off, so we'd do a flip off our mini trampoline onto the top bunk and pretend to be sleeping.

...

On second thought, I think I might have seen that in a movie somewhere.

Maybe."

Phoenix Smile

My trip to Arizona was an absolute blast! I ate too much good amazing food, did more than my fair share of laughing, and spent some sweet time with David, Ginger, and many other Phoenixians. (Phoenicians? Phoenixites? Hmm.)

Anyway, instead of being boring and continuing to just...type about it, here: have a video.

But Do They Bring A Kid Kit?

It's good to see that Kristy's still getting mileage out of that great idea she had.

Maybe This Christmas

I know this is a little out of date now, but I just wanted to share a few quick moments of my Christmas this year. If I didn't already physically come to you and tape your eyelids open and make you watch this video when it was posted on Facebook, here. Watch:



Merry Belated Christmas, Happy (Late) New Year, and hope you had a wonderful Monday! (At least that one's on time)

Wedding Recap

Ginger got married.

There are... no words.

So instead, I put together this video about my weekend trip to Phoenix for Ginger and David's (GORGEOUS) wedding!

Enjoy....

The Wedding Trip from Val Mae on Vimeo.

2010 Awesomest Kid Awards

Winner:



All nominees and winners selected by me.

See you next year!

Tear-Streaked

You may have already seen this sweet little video, but if not-- treat yourself. It is lovely.

And maybe don't watch if you don't have a tissue nearby.

"I could write on and on about her.... She lights up my life when she says to me at night, 'Wouldn't you like a little ice cream?' or 'Would you please drink more water?' I mean, those aren't very romantic things to say, but they stir my heart. In my mind, in my heart, there has never been, there is not now, and there never will be another Annie."
-Danny

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Your Little Heart Is About To Grow Multiple Sizes

Get ready to watch the CUTEST thing you have seen all day.



This is Ryan Reynolds, who is the new Green Lantern superhero, speaking to a crowd (and one tiny fan in particular) at this year's Comic Con. And I have no idea why, but this video is just so darling, it absolutely makes me tear up.

Sigh... This is just like... the best thing ever.

The One Who is Going to Break the Spell

I am a big fan of bloopers. I am also a big fan of my sister Ginger. Put those two things together and I'm ready to never stop laughing. Have you seen this yet? If not... get ready to be entertained.

(I so wish I could watch you watch it.)



PS: My favorite moment (besides all of it) comes at 1:12. And then another at 1:55. Okay I'll stop now.

Morbypalooza: Campout 2010

One of my favorite weekends of the year has come and gone. Luckily, the following footage of our annual cousins campout remains.

Watch it; you'll like it.

Morbypalooza Campout from Val Mae on Vimeo.

Stay classy, Morbys!