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If anyone remembers my earlier post, I would like to make an addition to the list. An honorable mention, if you will.

This absolutely beautiful scene from The Amazing Spider-Man, also featured in Rain and Romance.

All the umbrellas, it's just beautiful. So artsy and visually appealing. Let's all just appreciate this for a moment. Speaking of which, I love umbrellas. They're beautiful and symbolic, tall, stately and graceful, just like in HIMYM or this movie and probably a few others.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend you see The Amazing Spider-Man now. It's an excellent movie, appealing to both ladies and gents.

Have a legendary day, The Blogger

#movies

1. The Parent Trap A fun and entertaining lovely little movie.

2. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory That Imagination song at the end is just memorable.

3. The Lizzie McGuire Movie An adventurous trip to Italy.

4. Wizard of Oz The ultimate classic. I’ve never seen it! Gasp! But I'm sure it's good.

5. Home Alone A cherished holiday classic.

6. The Princess Diaries

Am I missing any? I think I am. Comment below!

That is all, The Blogger

#movies

Scandinavia

1. Iceland

2. Norway

Probably because I was inspired by Frozen. In fact, the movie did increase tourism after its release. Norway is grateful to Disney for that fact.You can stay at your own ice castle hotel!

Europe

3. England

Inspired by the 2012 Olympics. With its rolling green hills and classy stuff. As for its art, it doles out many of the world's finest actors from the finest theater schools. Its gorgeous scenery has been featured in many films, such as Pride and Prejudice, Never Let Me Go and Far From the Madding Crowd. With its constant rain, fresh air, and greenery, England is like the cutesy version of the Pacific Northwest.

4. Switzerland

I want to go to Switzerland after reading about it in Frankenstein.

Mediterranean

5. Italy

Perhaps the most iconic travel country in the world. I definitely want to eat spaghetti and gelato and see ancient buildings. Italy's beautiful vista was featured in Letters to Juliet, Eat Pray Love and Lizzie McGuire.

6. Greece

Got to see the Parthenon and remnants of one of my favorite ancient civilizations and experience the warm Mediterranean culture found in Mamma Mia and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

7. Egypt

Gotta see those pyramids before you die.

Other

8. New Zealand

Honorable mentions to other countries I'd like to visit eventually but not dying to go to right now: France to see the iconic Eiffel Tower and Mona Lisa at the Louvre, Thailand for its reputation for being exotic and relaxing, and Turkey.

A pretty picture of the Louvre I found on Tumblr

And of course, there's still so much to explore in Canada and the US. Even though I've lived here my whole life, I'm still biased and believe that North America is the most beautiful place in the world. Oh, Canada...

It's a universal dream among college students to go to Europe and be surrounded by high art, museums and ancient treasures abound in elegant cities steeped in tradition and history. The grass is greener on the other side. Nothing could possibly go wrong when you're surrounded by pasta, gelato, cobblestone roads and the Eiffel Tower!  But just imagine how our European counterparts feel about North America. They probably think cities like New York are fresh and exciting with their gleaming skyscrapers. North America is wide open in space and the most abundant in beautiful, untamed nature. All the mainstream Hollywood entertainment is made here. Let's not forget Hawaii and Alaska (see my post on the Pacific Northwest).

My goal is to travel to beautiful places and capture them through stories in movies. That is my philosophy, which is why I emphasize travel so much in my blog. I'm not a huge fan of CGI when there are so many beautiful places out there that deserve a place in cinema. Wouldn't it be cool to combine the amazing scenery of Lonely Planet with say, an epic storyline of a typical movie?

What countries are on your list?

That is all,

The Blogger

#travel

The world is full of beautiful places, but these three places in particular stand out from the rest.

The only place that I've experienced to a deeper degree is the Pacific Northwest, having lived here for four years and counting. The other places I know only through movies and photos, but through those photos and videos, I determined these places to be more impressive and inspiring than others.

1. The Pacific Northwest

As an inhabitant here, I'm particularly biased. The natural scenery of the Pacific Northwest is truly superior to the rest of the world. When people call Griffith Park (dog poop hill) in Los Angeles “nature,” I just want to laugh in their face. They've obviously never experienced the Pacific Northwest. The pictures I have don't do it justice so I got a little help from the internet.

Once you leave, no other place will ever compare. Nothing can compete with the rich abundance of deep green contrasted against the clear, clean, sparkling blue water. It's gorgeous, even on a rainy day. The lushness found in the Indonesian tropical rainforests combined with the cold, crisp character of the North creates a beauty truly superior to all the forests of the world. One is blown away simply by the immutable strength of the mountains, the abundant evergreen trees in majestic stature and the ground below teeming with life, mosses and ferns. It’s an escapade of mysterious wonder and enchantment. An oasis of untouched nature, a model for what the environment should be like.

One of the few reasons I love Twilight is because it captures the essence of the Pacific Northwest and does it justice. I fell in love with this place. It just grows on you. There's always more to explore. One can never get tired of it.

To me, there’s no place truly as stunning and incredible as the Pacific Northwest. You've got to see it for yourself to believe it. The endless mountains, trees and ocean is astounding. Only those who can withstand the constant rain and cold weather year-round will be rewarded with the full experience of Pacific Northwestern beauty.

2. Iceland

I first learned about Iceland through a video we watched in class. It seemed surreal, like something you only see in movies. Mark my words, one day, Iceland will become a popular shooting spot for future films.

Is this heaven or real life?

I think the Earth was born here.

3. New Zealand

With its mountainous landscapes, it's no wonder New Zealand was chosen as the location for movies such as The Lord of the Rings.

And there you have it. If you can only visit a few places in the world or you're an alien on a short trip to Earth, these are the three must-have visits before you die.

I simply had to make this HIMYM reference where Quinn says “telling yourself that your life is somehow epic or classic or legendary” and when the Karate Kid says “in-wait for it-credible!” I realize that I'm missing classic, but close enough. I would also consider the Pacific Northwest to be classic.

Have a legendary day, The Blogger

#travel

Every month, I will feature an actress that I admire to celebrate female accomplishment in cinema, ranging from up-and-coming new faces to A-list household names and everyone in between. This month, I present Georgie Henley, the British actress who was absolutely adorable as Lucy Pevensie in the Narnia Chronicles.

Georgie seems to have this calmness in her acting, which makes her very suited for fantasy movies. With the exception of Perfect Sisters, Georgie has chosen a lot of fun and interesting projects, including Narnia and The Sisterhood of Night. Her upcoming movie, Access All Areas is about “a magical island music festival”, according to IMDB. Sounds exciting and promising and can't wait to see it! Fun fact, Access All Areas is also starring Keira Knightley's mini-me, Ella Purnell, from Never Let Me Go.

Georgie is quite the accomplished person. Not only was she in a successful British movie franchise, she's also an excellent student and now attends Cambridge University! She's continuing to pursue her love for acting and film, doing theater and directing her first film, TIDE. All this is inspiring.

It's a shame that they won't be doing The Last Battle, giving the Narnia Chronicles the proper finish it deserves.

Her Yorkshire accent is just perfect and I want someone to teach me how to get her mermaid-like hair (and her makeup).

That is all, The Blogger

#movies

While Blair Waldorf's and Aria Montgomery's wardrobes are to die for, HIMYM's fashion is overlooked. But when you look closely, HIMYM’s fashion is more subtle, something you might wear in real life, while Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars are more over-the-top. You admire it on TV and while these outfits stand out, sometimes they are too over-the-top to actually wear in public.

Here's proof that every once in a while, fashion on HIMYM is just as good as its humor and introspective brilliance.

Simple at first glance, this outfit is chic and trendy with that perfect NYC feel.

Robin rocks a denim skirt.

This perhaps is my favorite outfit on the show. I love the elegant details, the beads on the jacket and the hair curls to complement the look. This outfit looks historical, as if it would make future generations look back on it and feel nostalgic.

Robin shows her sleek and sophisticated NYC style with this simple yet classy shirt.

Robin can rock basically any outfit. She could wear a hot pink T-shirt with little monkeys on it designed for a 10-year-old over a long sleeve shirt and still make the clothes look good. No wonder Cobie Smulders used to model.

I love Robin's style, even more so than Lily's. Robin's clothes actually look more expensive than Lily's, which is ironic because Lily is supposed to be the more fashionable one who spends more on clothes. Robin has quite the expensive taste for a self-proclaimed tomboy.

I also noticed how they tailored each character's style to represent their personality. Robin has a sophisticated New York City style suited for a professional. Lily has a girlier style with brighter colors. Victoria also wears bright colors and has a cute-sy style (brown shoes with little snowflakes on them, anyone?) to add to her ultra-sweet personality (and the fact that she's a baker helps). And of course, Barney has his legen-wait for it-dary suits.

I like the other characters' styles too. I especially love Quinn's blue leather jacket.

But what Lily lacks in her casual style, she makes up for with her cute dresses, the “perfect combination of slutty and classy!”

Have a legendary day,

The Blogger

#himym #fashion

I saw that they had this on Netflix but skipped over it because I thought it looked stupid. Then I watched the trailer and it seemed intriguing and the fact that both Georgie Henley from Narnia and Kevin from HIMYM were in it left me with no choice but to watch the movie.

I was surprisingly pleased. Although the movie was simple, it was entertaining.

Kevin from HIMYM kept some of his humor in the movie. Funny how the actor is being typecast as the therapist/counselor, being the therapist in HIMYM and guidance counselor in The Sisterhood of Night. Kara Hayword as Emily was also amusing. I can picture her having a good acting career in the future, as she has a very strong character.

There was some good scenery. I especially loved the ending with the dance scene.

This movie has everything a good movie should have. Magic, mystery, and adventure. There's something powerful about the silence and secrets bringing people even closer together. The rumors and over-reactions that others had about this supposedly dangerous cult all dissipated when they discovered that it was nothing more than an empowering way for girls to safely share their secrets and participate in a female bond, that is, sisterhood. There also was this same sort of misjudgement when photos of Mary and the guidance counselor suggested a teacher-student affair when it really was nothing more than the guidance counselor going out of his way to avoid Mary, who had no intentions of sex but was really just testing him, to find the one adult who would listen and whom she could trust.

And there was something subtly feminist and empowering about it all. The females weren't the sidekicks or the love interests in this story, they were the central characters. It celebrated female bonds and friendships. It did all this without coming off as super-preachy.

This movie restored my faith that THERE are still good movies being made in Hollywood. Or wherever this movie was made.

It's good to see that Georgie Henley has made smart movie choices throughout her career, with good movies like Narnia and The Sisterhood of Night. With one exception. I don't understand why she, or any actor that is, would do Perfect Sisters, an extremely sick and disturbing movie about teens killing their mom. I think she was trying too hard to get rid of her innocent persona by playing dark, twisted roles.

The marketing for The Sisterhood of Night was terrible, just like it was for Tangled. They made it seem like it was a horror/thriller movie, when it should have been reaching a totally different target audience. If you like chick flicks and fantasy/children's stories, then this movie is for you. This movie does have a bit of a children’s/fantasy movie vibe, in the sense that it's about young people sneaking out of their houses at night, leaving their everyday suburban life to be part of something else greater than themselves. Which is also similar to Narnia, where the children basically enter a totally different world that is not the WWII house that they were staying in.

I recommend this movie for preteen girls who enjoy fantasy and drama.

Have a legendary day.

That is all. The Blogger

#movies

Belle – Emma Watson

My judgement was correct when Emma Watson got cast in the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. Both are known to be smart, strong, independent women.

Rachel McAdams – Ariel

Both a share similar facial structure, with large forehead and wide eyes.

Annasophia Robb – Rapunzel

It's so obvious.

Emma Stone – Elsa

Both are the essence of poise and sophistication. Tall, glamorous and a little sassy.

young Lindsay Lohan – Anna

Carey Mulligan – Tinkerbell

That pixie and that pixie cut

Alicia Silverstone – Alice in Wonderland

Lily Cole – Merida

The resemblance is uncanny. It's no wonder why, since Merida was actually modeled after Lily Cole.

That is all.

The Blogger

#disney

Note: Spoiler Alert!!

Breakfast at Tiffany's is a movie that grows on you. The first time I watched it, I honestly thought it was kinda boring. I was expecting Audrey Hepburn to go to some fancy brunch or something like that, but breakfast was hardly featured in the movie, if at all. The only time they ate breakfast was at the beginning. For the rest of the movie, all they did was pretty much just stand around and talk.

But the second time I watched it, it started to grow on me. I now have a few favorite scenes. I also started to see the appeal of classic movies. I love old movies. They're so classy. No drugs, no sex, profanity, and little violence and yet, they still tell the story compellingly. The way a story should be told.

Breakfast at Tiffany's appeal builds on the charm of Audrey Hepburn's character and the nostalgia for earlier times, especially with the iconic little black dress. There are lovely scenes showing the elegance of the city without trying too hard. It feels as if you’re actually there with Holly Golightly, roaming about New York. It really shows the streets as they are, letting you enjoy all the details and spectacles on your own, which I've noticed is quite common in classic movies.

“Moon River” is just a beautiful song.

My Favorite Scenes

The opening scene

When Audrey sings “Moon River” outside her window. Something very subtly beautiful and cinematic about that.

The perfect ending to a well-done movie.

Breakfast at Tiffany's may not be my favorite movie of all time but it's a good movie and there are things that I like about it.

That is all. The Blogger

#movies

Obsessions that I've had over the years

• Mamma Mia!
• Super 8
• Les Miserables
• Frozen
• How I Met Your Mother

What are your obsessions?

Have a legendary day, The Blogger

#movies