Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

(www.all-the-news.com)

      Hi guys! I thought since Christmas is coming up this week I could brighten it up with a little bit of Christmas cheer. So I thought I would give a little story and show the video for the song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, by Judy Garland.
      First of all, we all know Judy Garland as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, there most Americans of that time watched her as Dorothy singing away with her ruby shoes. One knows that she is famous for her talented singing. However she is also famous for the song she sang, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. With this strong and beautiful voice she made this Christmas songs to be in the top tens in the music industry. This song became famous by a movie she had starred in called, Meet Me in St. Louis. It was here that she launched this song and is well known throughout America. A fun fact about this song is that the filmmakers had this song re-written because they felt it was too sad, so the second version is what everyone listens to now!
The video of this song for you to listen to is here, the video also has a little clip from the movie in it as well!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

"Free As a Bird" Beatles Song Review

     
 (beforeitsnews.com)

      The Beatles. All of my childhood I would sit in the backseat of my dad's car and listen to the Beatles. So I practically knew every song written by the Beatles by at least the age of ten. My dad has it and some with some of my other family members. This past weekend I watched a clip of a documentary called Beatles Anthropology. It was the last clip of the entire documentary and it was a music video of a song called "Free As a Bird". And honestly I loved it so much that I decided to listen to this song on repeat for a good hour.
      If you are going to listen to it, I recommend watching the video first so you can get an idea. I basically loved how it was an original recording of John Lennon singing this song before he had died. What was so nice about it is that the finished version had all John, Paul and George singing in it just like they were back in the band. The video was a rehash of the Beatles past albums. They did this by incorporating certain things such as the "Blue Meanies" from Yellow submarine and other little parts like that. The song is not a remix of the songs they wrote but it's more of just a sweet song that creates the mood for how genius the Beatles were as a band. I was very moved by it and made me want to and look up some of their albums and listen to them.
     You may not like some of the Beatles songs but I can gaurantee you will find this song very lighthearted and pretty. You don't even have to like it but I recommend looking it up and just giving it a chance.
Here's the link:
Free As a Bird Video

5 Reasons Why to Love Roman Holiday!

(www.parkcircus.com)

1. You have the queen, Audrey Hepburn!
2. There is the great actor, Gregory Peck, who has starred in many classic films
3. It's a classic
4. Takes place in the beautiful city, Rome (who doesn't love Rome?!)
5. The story is simple but so caring and makes your heart melt inside for both Audrey and Gregory
If you haven't seen it yet, go check it out!

The Story Behind Shirley Temple

(www.celebritynetworth.com)

     We have all at least seen this small red haired little girl smile, sing or dance in movies at some point in our lives. It's amazing to think that with her bouncing and dancing, she bounced many Americans during the Great Depression to be happy about something. This little girl even bounced back the Fox Film company. Without Shirley Temple, this company would have gone bankrupt. With a smile like this little girl had, she gave so much hope and happiness during the rough times. Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt called her, "Little Miss Miracle".
     So why did she become so famous and have such a great success? There is of course the view that she was needed during the Great Depression. However would she have been as popular in any other decade? Whatever the answer is, she still entertains her audience today. Shirley Temple was born in California and won an Oscar for the honor of being a child star. Unfortunately her career was not as successful when she eventually grew up mostly because no one wanted to watch her grow up. She still was in a few more films when she became older and recently passed this February. Even though she was at her highest point while she was still a kid she was one of the main pulls for America to come out of the Great Depression.

Looney Tunes

 (www.fansshare.com) 

        "Eh, what's up doc?" Is one of the most well known lines for cartoons that have been around since 1930. These comical characters uplifted many Americans especailly during the times of the Great Depression. Looney Tunes started out as funny little cartoons in black and white. But over time the cartoons had color and more music and more viewers. 
        For me, personally, I grew up watching Looney Tunes on my dad's lap on his desk computer since the show was not available on our TV network. My favorite characters were always Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Longhorn Foghorn. I do not care as much for the new Looney Tunes episodes or even Baby Looney Tunes. Honestly I don't think Looney Tunes can beat what it once was. I think many others feel this way because Looney Tunes was a way to lift many people's spirits back then and since the clever creators have passed, the jokes and scenarios do not live up to what they once were. I don't think Looney Tunes should be forgotten, but like many other things, leave it as it was so the memories and meanings won't change. 
Now go and have a laugh at Bugs Bunny!:) 

Who is Rosie the Riveter?

(en.wikipedia.org )

      As many of us have seen this image in history textbooks or even at feminist protests many don't understand the importance or the reason of this image. So yes this will be a bit of a history lesson here but I will get to the modern focal point of it soon.
      As you know, during World War II many men left to fight in war which left the women to take the "man's job" such as factory work with machinery, welding, riveting and engine repair. This sudden growth on women's work created a movement and soon posters were created to represent women's work and to empower more women that they could do it just as well as the men. Now we will never know if Rosie the Riveter was an actual person but she was a figure to empower women.
      Ok now that the history lesson is over, this picture was brought back during the 80s during feminist protests. Personally, I find this picture really important for young women today especially since there is so much oppression on women around the world. I think young women should become aware of how limited women are in the world even though feminists are growing there still is not quite enough to have this generation to become fully aware and to make  huge changes one equality between men and women. Rosie the Riveter may have not have been a real person but she should still be an idol for women across America.

Styles From The Are Past Coming Back!

Hello! So today I thought I could show some styles from the 20th century that are coming back into style since Vintage is the look now.

1. Circle Skirts
Of course this look is inspired from the 1950s as long full out skirts:

(fabrickated.com)

However today this style has come back into style but shorter of course:

(www.heywanderer.com)

2. Hippie Ponchos
Back in the 60s, Ponchos were all the rave with vibrant colors and knits:

(www.classypatterns.com)

Now Ponchos are coming back into style just with lighter colored knits:
 

(www.tumblr.com)

3. Jackie O' Sunglasses 
Jackie O made a fashion statement with pairing her large round sunglasses to her outfits back then:

(www.gopixpic.com)

And now these funny round sunglasses are coming back once again!

(imgarcade.com)

4. Knee Highs
Knee Highs have been around for as long as we can remember especially during the 1960s:

(www.pinterest.com)

Today Knee Highs are making a return at a higher length with skirts and dresses:

(www.pinterest.com)

5. Saddle Shoes
These shoes remind you of the 50s and going to grab a milkshake while dancing to the jukebox:

(aelitavintage.com)

Now the style of the shoe is till there but they are lighter and flatter and have more colors:

(www.asos.com)

Anyway, I just thought it was funny on how much vintage influence has impacted today's styles and looks. Hope you enjoyed this comparison!

To Kill A Mockingbird Book Review

Hello! So today I thought I should do a book review on one of my favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, one of the greatest books taking place during the early 1930s. Overall I think this book has such a great hidden message. I have to be a bit biased and say that this is a great book because I grew up watching this movie with my dad and even though some of the topics were a little over my head my dad would explain to me why this book was so important for when it was written in time. But nonetheless I would watch Scout and laugh at how rambunctious and crazy she was on the television screen.
      For those of you who have not read this book I do not want to give away the ending for this book because I advise that you should read it for yourself. But I do want to explain what Harper Lee is trying to convey in this book and then you can find it for yourself. In the book, there is a brother and a sister. The older brother is Jem and the younger sister is Scout. Scout is only 6 so she does not understand everything clearly so Jem is the one who usually takes the events throughout the story the hardest. Their mother died when they were young and so they are raised by their father Atticus. Atticus is a lawyer who has more open minded ideas than many people do in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama.For example, may people there still have very racist opinions and enjoy starting gossip. Scout is a character who gets herself into trouble without meaning to but it's only because of her curiosity.
      Atticus at one point in the story says "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy... but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's  sin to kill a mockingbird". These words will stick with Scout for the rest of her life. What Harper Lee is trying to show the reader is how society overall can treat people like mockingbirds. These people do nothing wrong they simply just exist and we punish them for stereotypical beliefs that we have been told. Harper Lee was kind of genius in a way with choosing this statement to encompass such a difficult topic.
      There are two important examples that the author gives us that relates back to this quote. I will try to not give away of what happens to these characters but I will introduce them and maybe you can see how society could beat them down internally and externally. One example is the example of the man who lives in a haunted house, Boo Radley. Boo Radley never comes out and there are many stories of him committing a murder or just being a dangerous man. In the end however, he is not scary at all and Scout owes her life to him. And the second example is Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is and African American man who as been accused of raping a Caucasian girl. This is the example that criticizes society the most. Atticus believes that Tom Robinson did not commit this crime, he believes Tom was set up by the racist father of the girl. The father of this girl symbolizes society's thoughts during this time period. Even though Atticus proved his case very well that Tom Robinson was innocent at court he still was proven guilty because the jury could not move past their racist ideas.
As you can see this was a very hard subject to bring about during this day in age however even though this book has very hard subjects, there is a pleasant comic relief from Scout and you can laugh at her silly mistakes during her childhood.
     This book has impacted my view on things greatly. I grew up watching this movie but it was not until 8th grade when we were assigned to read this book that I realized how important this book is to literature. This may not be everyone's cup of tea but I think it's important that they should know what the meaning behind it is. If you think I spoiled it for you, don't worry! I didn't there is so much more that happens that will shock you:).

10 Reasons Why to Love Audrey Hepburn

So personally I am an Audrey Hepburn lover. Seriously, I have more pictures of her on my phone than most girls have of their celebrity crushes.  So why not have 10 reasons why to love Audrey Hepburn? If you haven't seen her movies I advise you to immediately:).

10 Reasons why to love Audrey Hepburn

1. Made the Little Black Dress a thing

2. Her EYEBROW GAME IS ON POINT

(http://www.biography.com)

3. Was a worldly figure as a Humanitarian as an ambassador for UNICEF

4. The amount of passion and hard work in her acting roles are incredible

5. Is a World War II survivor

6. She says "Darling" perfectly

7. Even in interviews she would never like to talk about herself and discuss other current topics

8. Her smile was worth a million dollars

9. She sent her salary earnings to her UNICEF project

10. I think the most important is how she has influenced so many young women as a good role model and to teach them to have fun in life, be giving and to rock that little black dress!

I hope I converted you, but seriously go watch Breakfast at Tiffany's if you haven't:)

Hippies

      Hello! So as we may all know hippies are one of the strongest groups of people in the 20th century especially in the 1960s. So I thought I would share a post on what they did and what I personally think of them.
      During the 1960s there was a lot of change happening especially in the U.S. John F.Kennedy had been assassinated, the Vietnam War was still going on, the Civil Rights Act had been passed and the music industry was changing greatly. These are just some of the many things that had happened during the 60s. Personally I'm a lover of the 60s. What I really love about it is how much the world was changing and how people grew more of an open mind to all of this change, even though there were many that didn't. I appreciate how people stood up for change and began philosophies that was focused around peace and love. I also love how the arts during this time really speak what people were thinking during the 60s. Of course one major group who showed this sort of passion were Hippies.
      Hippies were a group of people that would leave everything behind and try to find a world with love and peace. They created a philosophy that was very against war, Vietnam War, and to not be so judgmental towards people and to not stereotype others. Usually these hippies were found at concerts or at riots against the Vietnam war or just commonly strolling along with no destination. Hippies also had a certain uniform and would wear brightly colored clothing items, long skirts, tie dye anything, sandals or even just barefoot. These hippies revolted against society and society's beliefs they had also taken eastern views and philosophies into their everyday belief. However they believed drugs such as marijuana and LSD was good component to their philosophies and beliefs.
        Many believe that hippies were just people who had a screw loose. Partly because of the drug use hippies did but for others they did not believe in what the hippie group was trying to accomplish. For me I agree with the hippies in their goal and motivation. Even though I do fully agree about the drug use within this group I believe that they impacted society many during that time and those for the future. They were a completely different group than society expected at that time and I do believe that they were the ones whom called attention to the enormous change during this decade. I may be a little bias her but I really do believe that hippies sparked a change and influenced many great writers, artists or even just regular people to pay attention to the importance of the 1960s. It doesn't matter to me if you like hippies or not but I hope you at least acknowledge what they did. Some of these people were only 18 and wanted to make a difference:).
Anyway I hope you enjoyed this post!

80's Movie Review

Hello!
As you see this is my first blog post and I wanted to get you a feel for what I like to typically post. I will be posting about the 20th century! (As you see in the URL) I personally think the 20th century was a fascinating time period and I am always interested in the music, arts, movies and political issues during this century. I will be posting about ANYTHING in the past. From movie reviews to important riots and revolts to the music industry in the 70's.
I have many favorite classic movies from the 20th century however I have a special place in my heart for 80's movies. Therefore I will review on my favorite 80's movies and what I think of them.

1. The Breakfast Club (One of the most famous 80's movies)
     Personally The Breakfast Club is one of my first favorite 80's movies I have ever seen. I saw this movie when I was only 13 and even though I did not understand what the story meant all together I always remembered it and this movie has helped me throughout my years in high school.
   Basically, there are a group of kids who committed to some action in order to receive detention. This is no usual detention though, this detention is on a Saturday and lasts for a couple of hours. There are five students, Claire: The Princess, Brian: The Brain, Andy: The Athlete, Benders: The Criminal and Allison: The Basket-case. From these titles you can understand that they are from different high school stereotypical groups. Yet the genius part of this movie is even though they are all from different groups, they find common ground and become friends. Maybe not best friends but they realize how stereotypical high school can get. They know they won't be able to all hangout like they did that Saturday but they realize that life is beyond high school and every one of them are equal to each other whether they are popular or not.
  I would give this movie a 9 out of 10. I enjoyed this movie so much and is one my favorite 80's movie but that doesn't mean that's my only favorite:)
2. Pretty In Pink
   This for sure is my second favorite because it's your sweet teen romance story that every girl wants. I think I love this movie so much because I love the characters. They are all different and unique. There's Duckie, your classic kid who doesn't do well in school but was just born in the wrong decade (should have been born in the 50's-60's) but believes that Andie will be his future wife. Andie (same girl who plays Claire in the Breakfast Club) is a girl who has her own sense of style and works at a record shop. Everyone at school thinks she's lame basically just because she's different, she looks out for her father and works very hard to earn money for her father and herself. Then there is Blane, he is stuck in the popular crowd but he's looking for more.
  To summarize this movie is Blane goes beyond his clique and meets Andie and a romance starts. Andie knows he comes from a well off family and is a popular boy and becomes insecure of how she stands in the relationship. She has her struggle with Duckie wanting it to just be her and him, and the famous theme of rich boy meets normal girl.
I would give this movie an 8 out of 10
3. Say Anything
  This movie also has the same theme as Pretty In Pink but instead it's rich girl meets poor boy. A boy Lloyd takes notice of an intelligent girl in his school, Diane. He does almost everything to get her attention and they have a romance that every girl wants. However Diane was raised by a father who always pushed her to be the best. She obeyed her father all these years but now re-considers things when she meets Lloyd and has a realization about her father that changes her view on him forever.
I would give this movie a 7 out of 10
4. Back to the Future
   This is another great, hilarious movie. A teenage boy, Marty, meets a crazy scientist who has made a time machine. Now I know you're thinking this is cheesy but he goes back in time to when his parents were teenagers. He meets his "father" and "mother" but they are completely different. He learns that his "dad" was the stereotypical nerd and his mother was the pretty young girl in high school. However his "mom" starts to like Marty more than his "dad", obviously this is a hilarious dilemma and this movie makes you laugh out loud for sure.
I would give this movie a 7 out of 10.
5. Sixteen Candles
  This movie is great too! This is more of a risqué movie, has inappropriate references but it's still a very funny comedy from the 80's. Samantha is a character who lives in a family where no one gives her any attention, and no one remembers. Mostly because her older sister is getting married and everyone in her family has their mind on something else. She has a huge crush on a popular boy in school but she knows she is just a normal 15 year old who would not interest a boy like him. I'm sure where you can see with this plot, another teenage romance. 
I give this movie a 6 out of 10.

Well that's all but those are just only 5 of really great, classic movies in the 80's for teens. Hope you enjoyed this post and I hope I made you want to watch them yourself!:)
-Liv