Icey Viewing

We had a recent ice storm and luckily my power didn't go out (Praise God!) and I had a little time to catch up on some TV viewing (well, streaming)

 

I first watched, Unfrosted, which was a fictional based story (with a little bit of history thrown in) about the development of the toaster pastries in the 1960s - basically the birth of the Pop Tart.  It was a little bit silly but also funny at times and had a great cast.

I watched a series recommended by someone in our Sip & Stitch class - Death by Lightening, which was the telling of President James Garfield beginning with his unexpected election and ending with his assassination.  It was only 4 parts.

I switched back to a movie, which was wonderful, Eleanor the Great, about a 90 year old something lady who lost her roommate of 11 years and her best friend since she was a teenager, who she was like a sister to her.  Her roommate was a Holocaust survivor and was sad that she was the only surviving family member that could tell her story, so Eleanor accidentally is lead into a Holocaust survival group and tells her friends story as if it was hers and makes a friend with a young journalist college student, that has recently lost her Jewish mother.  Great movie starring the incredible, June Squibb.

I then settled on The Beast In Me, a psychological thriller told in 8 parts and has a great cast, including Claire Danes, Matthew Rhys and Brittany Snow.  It was about a writer that has a couple move in next door and the husband has been accused of murdering his first wife, though her body had never been found and they ultimately decided she took her own life...or did she...that's what we have to find out.  VERY good and kept me on the edge of my seat.

  

Cathy

Do y'all remember the comic strip, Cathy?  I used to love it.  I think because the cartoonist, Cathy Guisewite wasn't much older than me in real life and as a single girl, I could relate to the character.  I used to have a few Cathy books.

Eventually, the cartoonist said that she grew up and thought that Cathy should too and eventually the cartoonist and Cathy both got married and that was the end of the comic strip, which ended October 3, 2010 after a 34 year run.

I miss it though.  I wish they would still run it in the papers like they do Peanuts (which stopped in 2000 after Charles Schulz passed away).  But for whatever reason, they don't carry the "reruns" of Cathy in the paper like they do Peanuts.

I'm glad for the internet so I can revisit her once and a while though. 

I remember they had a Valentine special that ran on TV (along with a couple of more). You can watch it on You Tube.  I remember in the first TV special, her mom had 2 peas and did mom magic and made a full meal out of it - so funny!  The other special was called Cathy's Last Resort.

Triva: Do you remember Cathy's boyfriend's name?

Trivia 2: Do you remember Cathy's dog's name? 

 

 

Product Placement in TV Shows

I remember when Guiding Light was close to going off the air and they would have in your face product placement.  I think they were having lots of financial issues and was doing anything to stay on the air (wish it worked).  Sometimes it wasn’t too in your face…for instance, they would get home from the store and un-bag their groceries…the Gain, Cascade, Dawn and Head & Shoulders would be carefully removed one by one and face the camera so you could clearly see what it was.  Other times, they would make a fuss over a product. . . On a car trip with 2 in the front seat and 2 in the back…”Are those PRINGLES? I love “PRINGLES”…Ross, hand me those PRINGLES, PRINGLES are my favorite chips!” Ross replies “Get your own PRINGLES, I love them so much, I want the whole can”. Of course while holding up the can of Pringles with the logo showing so we can see them.

As the World Turns did it too but not as much as Guiding Light.  They would say at the Thanksgiving table “Is that a BUTTERBALL TURKEY”,  while zooming in on a perfectly cooked turkey on the table…”BUTTERBALL TURKEYS are the best!!”

Ha Ha!!

Having product placements sitting around in Soap Operas is nothing new…it’s been like that since the beginning of TV Soaps.  Most of the time, the Dawn is just sitting on the counter, plainly in view or the Huggies are sitting out in view in the nursery…

But when they TALK about them it is kind of funny and makes me actually giggle out loud.

Case in point….the new soap opera “Beyond the Gates”, which I really enjoying by the way.

They have FEBREEZE as one of their products.  One of the characters, Nichole, is always spraying it and then smelling the room….with a resounding “Aaaahh”

Well, on Monday’s episode is was like they had a case of the PRINGLES.

While setting up for her 20+ something daughter’s birthday party.

Nicole: (Handing can to mom) “Can you do me a favor and spray the FEBREEEEZZEE? It always makes the house smell so fresh and welcoming for a parties”

Anita/Mom: “You stole that trick from me?” (Wagging finger in a teasing way)

Nicole: “I learned from the best”

Anita/Mom: (Takes a deep long look at the can of Febreeze) “FEBREEZE REFRESH & ENERGIZE, I don’t know that scent” (Sprays Febreeze and then walks into the spray while appearing to sniff)…

“Oooh, that is nice!” (Proceeds to walk around the room spraying the Febreeze)

Nicole: “Right?, I hope Kat enjoys herself…….(gets can from mom)

Mom: (Handing Febreeze back to Nicole)

Nicole: (Taking can from mom)…”She will appreciate this too…Kat insist on it, she says you got to have the Febreeze to (shakes shoulders in a dancing way and in a sing song voice) to set the vibe”

Another show that does this EVERY WEEK is “The Rookie” - every single week there is some throw down to AMAZON PRIME” - sometimes they are just getting a package delivered and say “Yes, my Amazon Prime delivery arrived”.  Sometimes there are just Amazon boxes in the background clearly in view.

This week, John said he threw away Bailey’s mouthpiece and cleats to keep her competing against him in a football game, so after John leaves the room, Bailey picks up her cell phone

Bailey (looking and touching phone): “Amazon Prime…Gloves, belts, cleats…add to cart. Oh, those boots are kind of cute…two for one face sheet masks? Same day delivery? Yes, please! And Purchased!  Flag football is saved”

The TV Show “Ghosts” is also a big fan of Amazon Prime…they have boxes all about and often are getting deliveries

By the way…no one calls it “Amazon Prime”…we all just say “Amazon”

Matlock promotes Apple products but don’t usually shout out the product name.

Will Trent is a fan of Uber and Converse, but you kind of have to mention Uber to promote it.

What other shows have you seen that are very blatant with their product placement?  

New Soap Opera - Beyond the Gates

Who else is super excited about the new CBS Soap Opera - "Beyond the Gates"

I for one am so excited!!

First of all, it has a couple of "As the World Turns" vets on it...Tamara Tunie, who played Jessica Griffin Harris and Cady McClain, who played Rosanna Cabot and Jon Lindstrom, who played Craig Montgomery.  

Guiding Light alumni, Karla Moseley, who played Christina Moore, is also in the new cast. 

The soap also has Clifton Davis!  Clifton Davis, y'all!!  Many know him from sitcoms like "Amen" and "That's My Mama" but did you know he wrote the Jackson 5's hit "Never Can Say Goodbye" He's starred in many Broadway shows and he's even a Baptist Minister.  How awesome is that?

I sure miss "As the World Turns" and especially "Guiding Light' and let's face it, CBS soaps are the best! I'm just so happy to see a new daytime soap opera hit the airwaves! I hope it will revive the soap opera comeback!  

I'm so excited and looking forward to Monday, February 24th at 2pm EST (the former ATWT spot) to watch "Beyond the Gates"

Will you be tuning in?

Livia Soprano's Afghan

I am way, way, way behind the times.  I have never watched "The Sopranos" but recently HBO had a marathon where they showed a full season each day for 7 days (they split the 6th season into 2 days) and while I know I could watch on MAX, I just haven't done it, and I wasn't sure it was my kind of show.

But I must say that I am 100% hooked on it and I currently just started watching Season 5.

Anyway, early on in the series, Tony Soprano's mother, Livia, was often shown at her house or at the retirement community along with her beautiful crochet afghan.

Let me just say...when you are a crocheter or a knitter, you always, always notice hats, scarves, cardigans, afghans and such that you can clearly see where made by someone!

The very first time it was on the screen, I noticed Livia's afghan.  I love the pattern, which appears to be the Sunburst Square, but I totally love the colors too.  I would love to make one to match and know that it would be pretty easy to do but...I'm as I've mentioned, I already have several WIPs, plus I have several PIM (projects in mind), so I don't need to add to the list.  But I totally love it and if I didn't have these other projects already in my queue, I would totally make this!

January 2023 Check In

Can you believe how fast January went by?  Well it seemed fast to me.  We had a sad loss in our family.  My beloved Uncle Frank passed away.  It wasn't entirely unexpected but still...you are just never ready and it was sooner than I expected.  I'm glad though that he didn't linger on and on and he seemed ready and my cousins, his daughters, got to spend a good quality day with him the day before he passed.  I know that he and my brother are probably in Heaven playing golf on the the most beautiful course and no fees! My dad is sitting in the golf cart with the pups and watching them play.  It just seems so strange that all of my dad's original family are all gone now.  His parents and his 3 siblings are all gone from this earth.  It is just such an odd feeling.

There were also a lot of celebrity deaths, it seems, in January 2023

Adam Rich
Jeff Beck
Lisa Marie Presley
David Crosby
Lance Kerwin
Lisa Loring
Gina Lollobridgida
Annie Wersching
Cindy Williams

Enough of sadness...let's move on to how things are going.

Bible/Prayer Time: Going well.  I am current on my daily Bible reading and I have been taking extra time in prayer - there is SO much to pray for, SO many people to pray for.  I could pray 24 hours a day and still need more time.  

Crafty Time: Going well.  I completed 2 prayer shawls and started a third. Project Life pages are up-to-date and I even started a separate project called 52 Weeks of Me.

Healthy Time: I had a follow up doctor's appointment and things were great! My blood pressure, cholesterol, A1C and basically ALL blood work was improved and in the normal ranges.  The only thing not in the normal range...my weight...but it was down from the last visit and my doctor seemed optimistic.

Project Time: No progress yet but January was a busy month for me and that is totally ok. 

This month I completed 4 books, went to see the final show of the B-52s (K.C. and the Sunshine Band opened - what fun!) and went to the Harry Potter Experience - very cool. I discovered a few new TV shows, "Accused", "Alert: Missing Persons", "Will Trent", & "That 90s Show".  Also, one of my old time fave shows "Drop Dead Diva" has been running daily on Hallmark Movies and Mystery channel. I also had a weekend get-a-way to visit my mom!

My life has been very busy but other than going out of state for Uncle Frank's funeral, life has been pretty good so far in 2023.  My family seems healthy, my kitty cats seem healthy, we have homes and jobs...what a blessing that things are going pretty well so far.

Rebecca's Coat Pattern - Follow Up

As I mentioned in THIS POST - I loved the crocheted coat that "Rebecca" wore in this episode.

I was on a hunt for a pattern and I found a lot of granny square jackets and coats but still not exactly that pattern.

Well...I found one that is pretty, pretty close.  It is THIS ONE  - Brixham Granny Cardi

Now I would not call this a "Cardi" but this is not what I would consider a cardigan.

As you can see - this looks A LOT like the
coat on "This is Us"


It even has the hoodie.

The only difference I see is that the sides are open

But I believe that can easily be fixed by just joining the sides or...if needed, adding some extra squares and then joining.

I am pretty excited that I found this pattern.

Rebecca's Crochet Coat - This is Us

When you are a person that crochets and knits, you always and I mean ALWAYS notice the lovely crochet and knit items in movies and TV shows.

This week, while watching "This Is Us" - I noticed the character of Rebecca's beautiful crochet coat (complete with a hood).  I love it!!  Since then, I've been trying to find a pattern for it.  I found some with traditional granny squares but this one is different, I think it is a Starburst Granny Square.  I can find a pattern for that but it is just the square - I want a pattern for the whole thing (complete with hood).  If I find it, I am totally going to make this.

I actually think it is similar to THIS PATTERN but only uses the Starburst Granny Square and not the others - hmmm

UPDATE:  I found this information - maybe it will help.
https://www.reddit.com/r/thisisus/comments/f75hmo/for_those_who_would_like_to_crochet_rebeccas/

W.I.P. Wednesday

This isn't a WIP any longer - I finished the project....it is a....Tea Cozy.

My sister had been re-watching Call the Midwife and decided she needed a cute tea cozy (which show up often on this British Series)

I had a little rough start with it because I never made pleats before and at first I was making them inside out but I got the hang of it and I'm very pleased with it.

Greenleaf

Do you watch the TV show "Greenleaf"?  If not, you should check it out. 
I have watched it from Day 1.

I really like this show, a lot! It gets better and better.  It can currently be found Wednesday nights on OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network).  Oprah was actually on a few episodes the first couple of seasons but she hasn't been on any (so far) on the current season - which is Season 3.

If you want to catch up and have Netflix, you can watch the first 2 seasons there.

The show is about a Memphis, TN family (although it is filmed in Georgia-whoo hoo!).  The father, James, is the pastor/bishop at a very large (mega) church called Calvery.  His wife, Mae, is the first lady of the church.  His oldest daughter, Grace, is also a pastor at Calvery but serves mostly in a backup capacity - she does other work for the church.  His son, Jacob, longed to be a pastor but when Grace came back into town (on the first episode), Jacob quickly learned where his place was so he currently pastors another church, Triumph.  Their younger daughter, Charity, is a gospel singer (and she is really good).  There is another daughter, Faith, but I won't discuss her because it will give away a spoiler.

Why I like it:
The show displays that a Christian family is not perfect.  The may have a rebellious teenager, they may go through divorces and have custody battles, they may have issues with mental illness, etc.  They are just like normal people - their lives are anything but perfect.

However, they are truly faithful people.  They are not phony or corrupt when it comes to church business - I love that!  So often, the TV/film industry show church leaders as corrupt - stealing from the church, not acting in a Christian manner - but this family isn't like that.

They LOVE God, they know the Bible, they pray, they have their share of problems, yes, but they remain faithful and always turn to the Lord and put Him first!  It is so refreshing to see TV characters that are so faithful and good when it comes to religion.  

So...if you haven't watched this show and love a good evening "soap-opera" - I strongly recommend "Greenleaf"!

 

Orange is the New Black - Crochet Goodness

I recently started watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix.  I didn't realize that was (a) based on a book which was (b) the true memoir of Piper Kerman, who spent a year a federal prison.

I know, I know...I am late to the game.  I didn't think I would like this kind of show but it isn't exactly what I fully expected (some of it is but they also give a lot of background on the characters before they came to prison so it doesn't all take place in the prison)

Anyway....as a crafter, I immediately notice that despite being in a prison - the ladies have access to tons of crochet goodness!  There is even a little crochet group of ladies in the prison (of course they are all older as if younger folks wouldn't enjoy crochet)

Here are some examples:

First up - a throw in Larry's apartment.  Larry is Piper's fiancé.  Here is seen consoling Piper's best friend.  While this is not crochet and it is not in the prison...it is a nice knit cable throw that is just an example of how much knit and crochet items are spread throughout the show.

Next...Piper had a bunk mate that ended up getting to maximum security because she attacked a prison guard (she was provoked but that is another story).  Her bunk mate had this lovely open-work afghan that Piper was holding onto in case she returned.  Another character, Boo, decided to steal from Piper and she would carry it around to taunt Piper and make her aware that she had it.  Here she is wearing it like a shawl on movie night.

Another character sets up a mini shrine to her baby (who she is separate from of course) and has a nice orange crochet doily

Another character, Norma, who appears to be mute but we find out that she chooses to be mute due to a terrible stutter, has a nice yellow ripple blanket that is normally found at the foot of her bed.

In a 1960s backstory scene, involving a character who is a nun, we see a young man drop off the nun after they have attended a protest - his van has a nice granny afghan hanging off the back of the seat.

During one episode, there are protestors outside the prison and even they have on some nice knitted and crocheted hats and scarves.  The nun come out to talk to them (along with a guard of course) and she also is wearing a nice crochet hat and scarf - looks like the hat is made with homespun yarn)

In another off prison scene...we see one of the inmates relative in the process of being arrested, as he is trying to get away, we see a nice granny square afghan on a chair.

In one scene, a group of inmates are sitting around in a circle talking and one has a large granny afghan around her shoulders (it looks like a shawl in this photo but it was an afghan/throw)

You can see that some of the inmates enjoy crochet - one even has some yarn in her bunk area (see the blue skein there behind her on the cabinet?)

In one scene, Lorna, who reminds me of a pink lady from Grease and who is allowed to drive the prison bus when a guard needs to run an errand, puts on her purple crochet scarf before heading outside.

Even when an inmate gets a visit from their child's father, who brings the baby to see her, her baby is wearing a cute little pink crochet hat.

I saved the best for last.  The character of Red, has both a nice crochet blanket and a crochet pillow.  
She has a lot of power among the inmates so perhaps these were gifts to her in exchange for some favors or some contraband. It is quite colorful and has these nice ombre kind of stripes.  Everytime I see it, I think...hmm, I could make that.  I did notice in season 5, (which I am currently watching) that there is a tiny hole in the yellow/orange section now - wonder if that is deliberate for the show or if something really happened to it by accident on the set.  Perhaps it had a whole all along but I didn't notice it until Season 5.

I wonder where the set directors get the crochet items for the show?  Did they just go to thrift stores? Did they have someone make them especially for the show?  I think they could have a whole behind the scenes episode about the crochet items found.  I am sure a lot of people may not notice these but if you are a crocheter or a knitter, you tend to notice things like this when you are watching TV shows and movies.  

Jughead Hat

I've been crafting a lot lately - a couple of weeks ago, I was watching "Riverdale" and decided I needed a hat just like Jughead's.

Yes...that is Cole Sprouse - one of the twins that were in "Big Daddy", with Adam Sandler, played 5-year old Ben on "Friends" and played Cody on the Disney channel's "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody".

I love this show - but I digress....

Anyway, I wanted a hat like that for some dumb reason and so I was off to find a pattern.  The only one I found that I really liked and reminded me of the one in the photo above was from the book "Domiknitrix".  Now most of the patterns in this book are not for me so luckily I was able to find this book at my local library and check it out.

 

Let me tell you - this is a great book.  I will save my review until another time.  As I said, most of the patterns are not for me, but about half of this books has wonderful knitting instructions, tips and tutorials - it is great for someone learning to knit.  It is worth looking into.

So...I found the pattern - bought some grey Colorwheel yarn from Michaels and got to it.

 

And...by the following episode of Riverdale, I was wearing my very own Jughead hat.....

 (I took this photo before I added the embellishments)

I am pretty happy with it.  I do wish it were a little bit longer to cover my ears but then again, it doesn't really cover Jughead's ears either so perhaps it is just right.

It was a fun knit.

 

Grey's Anatomy PLUS Crochet

This past Monday, the Lifetime network started showing Grey's Anatomy beginning with episode 1.

I have watched Grey's Anatomy since day 1 - It is now in its 12th season and I have never missed a single episode so you would think I wouldn't get hooked on it again - right?  WRONG!

I have recorded it all week, although it is available on Netflix, there is something about coming home and sitting down and watching it from the DVR - watching the first couple of seasons (yes, I'm on Season 2 already - first season was a short season), reminds me of why I love this show!

I miss those original interns - there are only 2 left of the original interns (Meredith and Alex) and only 2 doctor's left from the original staff (Miranda and Richard).  I love the cast now (well...except for Amelia but she is an entirely different story since I have disliked her character since she appeared on Private Practice).

Anyway....while watching a Season 2, Episode 3...I noticed this really pretty baby blanket.  Derek was in the NICU talking to his estranged wife Addison (wish she'd come back to Seattle Grace...uh.. I mean Grey-Sloan Memorial).  He sat down in a rocker and I spied this pretty chevron baby blanket.

It is crocheted - pretty, huh?  (Both the doctor and the blanket!)  When you are a knitter/crocheter, you tend to notice nice handiwork in scenes.

Also....remember when Grey's had an opening theme song with their credits?  If I recall correctly, they stopped that pretty early on (by end of season 2 maybe?)  It will be interesting to see when they stopped doing that.  I wonder why they dropped it?  I liked it.