after work on friday, i picked up my nephew (whom i'm obsessed with) from daycare and went out to dinner with him and my dad at our local kelsey's.
(my phone was dead (typical), so i was unable to snap any photos...)
after dinner, i came home and finally finished the final season of breaking bad (super late, i know) and i kid you not, this was my stance throughout the final four episodes:
*me too, aaron.
me too.
me too.
such a great series!
i didn't realize how invested i was in it until it was all over because now there's a void in my heart where jesse pinkman used to be, lol.
i need a new show to obsess over and am open to suggestions.
i didn't realize how invested i was in it until it was all over because now there's a void in my heart where jesse pinkman used to be, lol.
i need a new show to obsess over and am open to suggestions.
i hear "orange is the new black" is pretty good...
on saturday afternoon, i went out to a rebecca minkoff event at holt renfrew in toronto with my bff, avery.
rebecca herself was to show up and reveal her new collection of handbags.
as well, any rebecca minkoff purse that was purchased that day would be monogrammed for free (see image below)...
*photo belongs to holt renfrew toronto
being that i'm a lame homebody, i was super excited to have been invited.
i brought my camera to take photos galore but rebecca didn't even show up, so no shots were taken.
i spent saturday evening at the movies with avery and my other good friends raquel and alicia.
we went to go see "12 Years A Slave", a movie that generated a lot of buzz in the city when it was screened at the 2013 toronto international film festival.
the film was awarded the people's choice award at TIFF (past winners have been oscar contenders like the king's speech, slumdog millionaire, and silver lining's playbook.)
so, needless to say, i went into the movie with very high expectations.
for those who aren't familiar, the movie tells the heartbreaking story of solomon nothrup, a free-born african american who was sold into slavery and is based on his 1853 autobiography by the same name.
director steve mcqueen created a film that i can only describe as a riveting yet uncomfortable experience.
chiwetel ejiofor does a phenomenal job portraying solomon northrup and if i were him, i'd get my mantle ready for the oscar that is definitely coming his way.
from the second the film starts, you feel both empathetic yet empowered by the strength and resilience he demonstrates.
the part of the movie that really resonated with me was a scene where solomon is coming to grips with his circumstances and "breaks the fourth wall" - cinematic talk for when an actor stares directly into the camera's lens thus breaking the barrier between audience and film.
mcqueen holds the camera in an extreme close up of ejiofor's face for over a minute as he stands in complete silence.
they say the eyes are the windows to one's soul and in that moment, every ounce of pain and sorrow could be seen through his eyes.
for those who aren't familiar, the movie tells the heartbreaking story of solomon nothrup, a free-born african american who was sold into slavery and is based on his 1853 autobiography by the same name.
director steve mcqueen created a film that i can only describe as a riveting yet uncomfortable experience.
chiwetel ejiofor does a phenomenal job portraying solomon northrup and if i were him, i'd get my mantle ready for the oscar that is definitely coming his way.
from the second the film starts, you feel both empathetic yet empowered by the strength and resilience he demonstrates.
the part of the movie that really resonated with me was a scene where solomon is coming to grips with his circumstances and "breaks the fourth wall" - cinematic talk for when an actor stares directly into the camera's lens thus breaking the barrier between audience and film.
mcqueen holds the camera in an extreme close up of ejiofor's face for over a minute as he stands in complete silence.
they say the eyes are the windows to one's soul and in that moment, every ounce of pain and sorrow could be seen through his eyes.
equally amazing and quite frankly terrifying, was michael fassbender's portrayal of slave owner, edwin epps.
whenever this man came on the screen, my body automatically tensed up.
and, i can't lie, i wanted to slap his wife, portrayed by sarah paulson, for her antics.
to quote drake, "worst".
and then there was lupita nyong'o and her gut wrenching portrayal of patsy, a young slave girl solomon encounters during his captivity.
and then there was lupita nyong'o and her gut wrenching portrayal of patsy, a young slave girl solomon encounters during his captivity.
i could talk about this movie all day but i'll just leave you with this - if you have a chance to see this movie, do so!
this brings me to sunday morning which was pretty lowkey.
i went to church where brother ike delivered a thought provoking sermon on the importance of setting your mind right.
after service, my family went out to lunch with a fellow church member, carrie and her mother, diane.
we went to east side marios - my family's favorite - and had delicious italian food while we discussed the upcoming mission trip to haiti my parents and carrie are embarking on at the end of the month.
i got a chance to go last year and would looooooooooove to go back but alas, my exam schedule just won't allow me to do so.
i hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
here's to a great week!
:)
vanessa
ps. i'm not a proponent of war by any means but i do believe it is important to honor and thank the ones that fought and continue to fight for our freedom.
happy remembrance/veteran's day
