~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ July 3, 2015 ~ "HAIR DAZE" ~

As I approach the date of my annual hair cut, I thought now would be a good time for me to try a new curling technique that my sister-in-law told me about this week. (And yes, you read that correctly, and it is unfortunately very true. For the past 3-4 years, it has just happened to work out that I have only gotten my hair cut once a year, around the first or second week of July ~ hence the dry, flyaway, frizzy, split-end hair that you see in the photos). 

I get my hair cut at First Choice Hair Cutters, and it is quite astounding really, that I have been fortunate enough to have had the same hairdresser for each of those haircuts.

I have come across a few names for the no-heat, curling technique that Sue (@suecarswell) told me about. I've seen it called "T-Shirt Curls" (but it's not the ages old practice of rolling your hair up in cut stips of cloth and then tying the ends together). I've also seen it called "Flopping" and "Plopping."

Since I'm pretty reluctant about posting my ugly mug on-line again in the first place, I will NOT be doing a video of this technique. Besides, there are already plenty of tutorials on t-shirt curls out there to be found on YouTube. All you have to do is search "t-shirt curls" and I believe the very first video on the list is the technique that I am talking about.

I will however, post clear, step-by-step instructions on what I did to follow this technique.

This will be a true challenge and test of the veracity of this technique. I am certain that I have the finest, thinnest hair of any man, woman, or child on the planet. I would even be willing to bet that the Sphynx has thicker, fuller hair than I do!

I was told by a haridresser years ago that not only is my hair very, very fine, but that it is much, much thinner than most peoples hair is. She said that if I were to place a dime on my head and count the number of hairs within the dime's circumferance and compare that with the number of hairs within a dime's circumferance of someone else, I would discover that I had far fewer hairs than most everyone else. So, if this method of "non-heat curling" works at adding curls and volume to MY hair, it will most certainly work for anyones hair!

WHAT TO DO AND HOW IT WORKS: (Step-by-step instructions ~ read down the left side first, then the right side, last pic in in the middle).

1. The first photo shows my hair 3 days post-washing. (The last time I had washed my hair was on Tuesday, June 30th, just before my daughter and I headed up to the lake for a couple of days).

2. I washed my hair, (just once though. I did not "lather, rinse AND repeat" as recommended, I just lathered and rinsed. I find that my hair gets just as clean with only one washing and being the penny pincher that I am, figure I can save a few of those pennies by only washing my hair as needed). I've heard that it is better for your hair if you switch your shampoo every 2 or 3 months. So, when I found little, travel sized bottles of "Dove Advanced Hair Series ~ Oxygen Moisture ~ For fine, flat hair" shampoo and conditioner, (which could have been stocking stuffers from this past Christmas or perhaps were left behind from when my parents visited several weeks ago), I decided to try them. I am frequently trying new shampoos to see if I can find one that will actually do as advertised and add curl and/or volume to my pathetically limp hair. I was told that because my hair was so fine and thin that I shouldn't use conditioner on it. However, since the ends of my hair are so dry and split, I did add a little conditioner to my hair, working into my hair from about my ears down to the ends.   

3. After slightly drying my hair with a towel, I added my favourite curling product, "Marc Anthony Strickly Curls ~ Curl Defining Lotion". It has a wonderful, lemony smell and I used it even though I seem that I have an adverse reaction (my palms gets all red and blotchy and itch like crazy ) when I come into contact with anything that has lemon added. Fortunately, the product itself is really only applied to my hair and not my scalp. Well, I assume it is the lemon that causes my reaction because the same thing happens if I come into contact with Sunlight dish soap or Sunlight laundry detergent. 

(This is nothing at all against Sunlight, it's just that Sunlight is the only brand of product that I have used or even know about that contains lemon or lemon scent, aside from the Strictly Curls hair product that I use). For me, it is worth the irritation because I love the hair product and if I wash my hands as soon as I have applied the product, it tends to diminish the itchiness. 

4. After applying the Strictly Curls, I fingered it through my hair and then used a pick and then a brush to distribute it evenly throughout my hair. (I did this also as an added "test" of this method since I would be starting with my normal, "straight-as-a-board" hair). 

5. Next, I laid out one of my husband's t-shirts on our bed. I placed the hem of the t-shirt against the edge of the bed and face-up, stretched out the t-shirt so that it was laying flat, the sleeves out to either side.

5. Then I flipped my head upside down and finger toussling all of my hair forward, I leaned over and placed my hair over the middle of the t-shirt.

6. I lowered my head so that my hair would pile up naturally in the middle of the shirt and then I grabbed the hem of the t-shirt and placed it along my eyebrows and around to the back of my neck. Wrapping one end over the other, I held the ends in place while I grabbed the neckline of the shirt and pulled it up over my head until I reached my hand holding the hem ends in place. I then carefully stretched out the sleeves, making sure to keep the shirt tight at the back and brought each sleeve up around my ears and to the front of my forehead. I tied the sleeves in a knot and tucked in all loose sections of the shirt. I was also able to grab the hem of the shirt closest to my head and pull it up over the knotted sleeves (hopefully lessening some of the dorky look I was quickly achieving ~ however, if this works, I will gladly look like a dork over night to have natural, wavy curls in my hair)!!   

All that is left now is to wait. If you do this just before bed, you can easily sleep on your t-shirted hair and it should be perfect by the time you get up. Since I am trying this during the day, I plan on waiting for approximately 8 hours, or an average nights sleep, before checking on my hair.

THE BIG REVEAL:

It turns out that I waited for 9 hours and 20 minutes before removing the t-shirt from my head. I have to say, I am quite impressed with the results! The final, middle picture shows what my hair looked like fresh out of the t-shirt. I did not do any prepping or styling at all. I simply removed the shirt, flipped my hair back, moved some of the hair out of my eyes and took the photo.

Like I said, if this worked for my hair, as thin and fine as it is, with minimal curling product, and no styling, think what it could do for someone with normal hair!! With a little bit of time and styling, I think I could actually really like how my hair turned out. (Don't forget, it has been almost a year since my last haircut, so a lot of the frizziness and split ends would not be there).

FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ June 19, 2015 ~ SUMMER FUN AT CAMP PAGWEAK ~

FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ June 19, 2015 ~ SUMMER FUN AT CAMP PAGWEAK ~ I really have to thank incredibly amazing and talented loomers extraordinaire, @AMANDAANDMONICARLOOMY for providing the inspiration for this weeks post. They recently posted a picture on Instagram that reminded me so much of a skit that used to be performed at Camp Pagweak (pronounced "Peg-We-Ack") almost every year.

In the skit, called "Helping Hands", one person wears an over-sized raincoat or something similar and another person sits behind them, hiding underneath the coat. The person in the back, blind, acts as the arms for the person in front. Whether the skit is eating food, (something messy like cereal or spaghetti), or putting on make-up, (especially amusing when the performers are both boys, who haven't had much experience at all with make-up), it is always hilariously funny and great fun for both the audience and the actors.

My husband, son and I were recently talking about summer camp for my son. He has never been to an overnight camp and is, understandably, a little bit apprehensive. I tried to reassure him, telling him of the many years and great experiences that I had at Camp Pagweak (but I didn't tell him EVERYTHING ~ even though it is a church run Christian camp, I do have some secrets to keep)!!

All told, I went to Camp Pagweak a total of 16 times, if not more. From when I was just 7 years old until I was 16-17 years old. I know that mathematically that doesn't add up properly to equal 16 years worth of camp. However, I loved going so much, that there were several years that I went three times a year. I  attended Summer Camp for a week each summer starting when I was 7, and when I was older, the Youth Group at our church would spend a long weekend, one in the in the Spring and one in the Fall, at Camp Pagweak.

Some of my very best memories and very best friends were from camp. I am truly so very thankful and grateful to my parents for not only encouraging and allowing us to go, but also for paying for all those camps for so many years!

As I said, I was 7 years old the first time I attended summer camp. I believe that was the only all-girls camp that I ever attended. I was fortunate enough my first year there to have our next-door neighbour as the counsellor of the cabin I was in, limiting some of my homesickness. (Although, to be honest, I had such a great time that I'm pretty sure I didn't think about home once that whole week).

The following year our family vacation happened to coincide with the girls camp for that year and after bending a few rules and pulling some strings, I was permitted to attend the co-ed camp for kids aged 10-12, a few years older than my 8 years of age. (I never did attended another all-girls camp after that first year).

As I mentioned, some of my favourite memories are from the years I spent at camp. A few in particular stand out. I won't go into great detail, it being a Christian camp, after all, but my first real kiss and boyfriend happened at camp. I remember the kiss clearly, his name was Dana and we were sitting on a lower bunk in my cabin, playing a game on Merlin. Does anyone else remember that cool, hand-held, red, electronic game?? I wonder what ever happened to those? 

Another great memory is from 1984, the year that we argued and won the right to have a dance at camp. Being a church run camp, dances had never been allowed up until that year. It did not hurt our cause any that the movie "Footloose" happened to be released in February of that year (probably what prompted our idea for a dance in the first place) and in fact, was the persuading factor in our argument!

During my younger years at camp, long before kisses and boyfriends and dances, I thought one of the very best things about camp was Tuck. Tuck was a canteen that opened every afternoon during our free time and using tuck money that our parents had left for us, we would line up and climb the three or four steps up to the Tuck window and place our orders. I usually always got a bag of Salt and Vinegar chips, 5 red licorice, a chocolate bar, Mars, of course, and a can of pop, sometimes Rootbeer, sometimes Coke. I hate to age myself by admitting that my daily allotment of Tuck money was only $2.00!! Can you imagine?? All that for only $2.00????

For many years I had a crush on a boy named Mark who attended the same camps that I did from the first time that I went to mixed camp when I really wasn't old enough to be there. (Mark is also the reason that Salt and Vinegar is my favourite kind of chips! I tell people the same thing that I heard Mark say, "I like that kind because not many other people do, and that lessens that likelihood of my having to share")! 

The boys cabins were on the left side of the driveway as you drove into the camp, (not ironically, I don't imagine, closest to the adults and leaders cabins)! The girls cabins were up at the top of a slight hill to the right as you pulled into the driveway. We were all on pins and needles in anticipatory excitement as we watched our friends from the years before get out of their cars. We would have to wait patiently (or not so patiently, I know there was a lot of running around and screaming) as each new camper pulled up, got registered, gathered their luggage and sleeping bags. Im sure we all held our breath, all the while saying a silent prayer that our girlfriends had been assigned to our cabin this year. 

I will never forget the year that the boys challenged the girls to a pillow fight. It wasn't really a camp sanctioned activity, but the leaders and counsellors kindly pretended to not know what we were planning. Just after dark, the boys crept from their cabins and we all converged on the hill leading to the girls cabins. The counsellors did a great job at pretending not to know what we were up to. I distinctly remember seeing a several of them from both the boys and girls cabins, pummelling each other with their own pillows!

The pillow fight never did get to the point that we are familiar seeing on television (I'm not sure any really do) and we didn't have feathers flying all over the place, sticking to hair and clothing, making us all look like we had been tarred and feathered. (Would have been nice though)! I'm pretty sure the fight ended in a draw, which is how it should be. Nobody got seriously hurt, everyone was laughing and burning off excited energy, and it was great fun for everyone.

Somehow, I ended up getting tackled during the pillow fight and my ankle was sprained. I was in a lot of pain but it hurt far more that I was going to miss out on the dance the next night (yes, dances had become a yearly event, thanks to the Mixed Camp of 1984).

It was probably just wishful thinking on my part, but I'm pretty sure that Mark just may have had a little crush on me too. He showed up at my cabin door with his good buddy Jack, and insisted on carrying me down to the dance. He even brought his own pillow to prop up my sore ankle! He and Jack "borrowed" a wheeled chair from the office and we danced by him pushing the chair around the dance floor. For my first slow dance ever with a boy, Mark held me up, my feet resting on the tips of his sneakers so that I didn't have to put any weight on my sore ankle (although he probably didn't have to hold me up at all as I'm pretty sure that Cloud 9 was supporting me the whole night)!

Every year, each cabin was assigned a task, whether it be cabin checks with the counsellors, groundskeeping, cooking, dishes or what have you, we all had responsibilities. The songs we sang during campfires still remain in my head, as does the morning grace ~ "Oh the Lord is good to me, and so I thank the Lord for giving me the things I need, the sun and the rain and the Apple trees, the Lord is good to me, Johnny Appleseed, let's eat!" (And yes, we always had to sing it a second time to say "Amen" at the end). 

A favourite mealtime occurrence was catching people with their elbows on the table. You would get two chances, during which, if caught, everyone would sing "Connie, Connie strong and able get your elbows off the table" and on your third strike, this line was added to the end of the chant "round the cabin you must go, you must go, you must go, round the cabin you must go, 1, 2, 3, . . ." The sooner you got back meant the less minutes that you had to spend eating your meal under the table!!

Carol was THE best cook any camp ever had, anywhere, EVER!! She also happened to be the cook from my high school cafeteria. We got to know and love each other pretty well over the years, both at camp and school. Everyone always looked forward to the evening meal, because it was the only one not prepared by campers. The most memorable evening meal was a surprise "Utensil" meal.

As we walked into the lodge, the leaders were there, holding a huge bowl above our heads. We had to reach a hand in and grab whatever utensil we came upon. I think I came out with a spatula, but my brother, (who attended almost every camp with me) pulled out an eggbeater. Not an electric one, but the kind that had a handle you wound to spin two beaters. There were other such cooking utensils that the kids grabbed as well.  Two-tined forks, mixing spoons, wooden spoons, measuring cups, tongs, pie servers, etc. and we had that, and ONLY that to eat with. Good 'ol Cook Carol, whom I am convinced was in on it from the get-go, made spaghetti that night for supper!! You can imagine the mess that we made!

I just noticed the several times that I easily slipped from past to present tense in the above paragraphs. Really, truly, those were the days!! So, thank you so much Amanda and Monica, for sharing your post and promoting my very memorable jaunt down memory lane!!

Not to mislead anyone (Mom, Dad), camp really was more than just boys, pillow fights and dances, REALLY!! We had great fun sharing stories and learning of God's love. I learned how to play the piano, sort of, more or less. (More less than more actually). But I cherish the time I spent sitting on the bench beside Mark as he taught me how to pluck out this tune, which unfortunately I don't know the name of, just the keys that I play, (and by "play" I mean tap each key with a single finger ~ I was after all kicked out of piano lessons when my instructor told my mom that she was wasting her money on sending me there). Here are the keys that play:

F, A, C, D, D#, D, C, A

F, A, C, D, D#, D, C

C, E, G, A, A#, A, G, E

F, A, C, D, D#, D, C, A

There were also wonderful crafts, quiet time, swimming and campfires and fellowship with friends. And also a yearly midnight trek along the beach cliffs, guided only by our flashlights. (Ok, so that last one wasn't exactly a camp sanctioned event either, but it was a lot of fun! Albeit very scary at times)! And I wouldn't trade a single, solitary moment of any of it for anything in the whole wide world.

(Somewhere, I still have my old, purple sleeping bag that has been signed on the inside many years over, by friends and fellow campers. If I can find it ~ I'm hoping I have it here in Ottawa with me and not at my parent's house in Nova Scotia ~ I will post some pics of it, raggedy as it must be)!

#Flashback, #FlashbackFriday, #MemoryLane, #Memories, #RememberWhen, #Orcanut, #RainbowLoom, #CampPagweak, #Camp, #SummerCamp, #Fun, #Campfire, #Skit, #HelpingHands, #ChristianChurchCamp, #SpringFallCamp, #YouthGroup, #FirstKiss, #Cabins, #MerlinTheElectronicWizard, #Dance, #Footloose, #TuckCanteen, #PillowFight, #SprainedAnkle, #UtensilMeal, #Cloud9, #JohnnyAppleseed, #CafeteriaCampCook, #Sleepingbag

~ FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ JUNE 5, 2015 ~ ONE OF THOSE DAYS ~

FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ June 5, 2015 ~ ONE OF THOSE DAYS ~ I'm not flashing back very far for this weeks post. Only going back over the past couple of months or so. Have you ever had "one of those days"? You know the kind, the one where nothing goes right? If you have enough energy to get out of bed at all, you sleep through your alarm and stub your toe getting out of bed (really, it can happen)! You discover that you've not only run out of shampoo, the hand soap is but a sliver that would barely get your face clean. You knick yourself (several times) while shaving, forgot to put the wash in the dryer, didn't do any ironing, and have to pick the cleanest of your dirty clothes to wear. You're running so late that you don't have time for breakfast, the gas tank is on E for "enough driving this week, on strike now" and you miss the only bus. When you finally get to work/school, you have reports due that are far from being finished, you realize that you've forgotten your lunch, and oops, in your haste to leave the house, you forgot your purse/wallet too. You end up having to stay late and miss the last bus home. 

You get home so late and exhausted that you forgo supper for an early bedtime. You climb into bed, forgetting to set the PVR to record the season finale AND season premieres of your two favourite shows, that happen to be airing on the same night. Slowly, you drift off to la la land, all the while pondering that little niggling thought in the back of your mind that you've forgotten something.  

You awake the next morning, a whole lot groggy and only slightly refreshed. You have not had a good sleep. As you struggle out from under the covers, that little niggling thought finally becomes crystal clear. 

In your haste to get to bed and put this "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" behind you, you've forgotten to finish the laundry, buy new shampoo and hand soap, get new blades for your razor, do any ironing, fill the car with gas etc., etc.

Sighing, and close to tears, you realize that you're in for another day just like the one you've had the day before and all you want to do is crawl back into bed and make the past rewind and start over. Wishing that life could really imitate art and there really could be a "GroundhogDay," you burst into tears because you're reminded that you forgot to set the PVR, nixing the idea of watching the premiere of your favourite show, which then reminds you that you've missed the finale of the other show as well. 

If not for the fact that you know better, you almost wonder if it could possible get any worse.

And again, that is all IF you've been able to get out of bed in the first place, which in light of the alternative, actually doesn't sound so bad at all!

Well, that's kinda how my past few months have felt. It's just been "one of one days" for months on end! 

I can't seem to get anything accomplished. My severe chronic pain is ruling my life, with a little help, I'm sure, from my seemingly best friend, Mr. Murphy! (As in Murphy's Law).

I cannot remember the last time that I was able to work on anything remotely close to Rainbow Loom. And you know how bad it must be if I'm unable to do at least that!! I have nothing on tap as far as new designs go, and I am very backed up in editing and recording tutorials. I haven't had the energy to do either, and I LOVE working on Rainbow Loom stuff, so it kills me that I haven't been able to do even a little bit, for months and months!

AND ~ Rainbow Loom is only my passion, my hobby. So what does that say for my responsibilities?? Nothing is getting done!

I just want to sleep and cry all day, feeling sorry for myself.

I guess it's a good thing that "this too shall pass" and that I truly believe that if a God brings you to it, He will see you through it."

There is always tomorrow, right?

#Flashback #FlashbackFriday #MemoryLane #Memories #RememberWhen #Orcanut #OneOfThoseDays #NothingGoesRight #SleepIn #StubYourToe #NoShampoo #CutYourselfShaving #NoCleanLaundry #RunningLate #OutOfGas #MissTheBus #NoMoney #GoToBedEarly #SeasonPremiere #SeasonFinale #RoughNight #GroundhogDay #ChronicPain #MurphysLaw #RainbowLoom #FeelingSorryForYourself #ThisTooShallPass #IfGodBringsYouToItHeWillSeeYouThroughIt #CouldItGetAnyWorse #TerribleHorribleNoGoodVeryBadDay

FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ May 29, 2015 ~ FOR THE LOVE OF READING ~ MOVIE ADAPTATION EDITION ~

FLASHBACK FRIDAY ~ May 29, 2015 ~ FOR THE LOVE OF READING ~ MOVIE ADAPTATION EDITION ~ this is a follow-up to my Wednesday (but really Saturday's) QOT...W ~ FOR THE LOVE OF READING ~ BOOK EDITION ~ My "Book Edition" post talks about some of my favourite, all-time books and book series'. This post will continue along those lines and discuss books that have been made into movies. I LOVE to read!! But I am also thrilled, for the most part, when my favourite books are made into movies. I have never been one to really try to imagine a face or a likeness for characters or scenes that I read about. I will take in the general description, but that's about it. For me, it's more of a general knowledge and understanding than an exact picture that I see in my mind. So, I find it nice to have a face or descriptive location to go with the books that I read. (Although it is still important to use our imaginations to picture some of the characters and places when we read)! I am often torn though on which I would like to do first, read the book or watch the movie. If I see the movie first, then I would have a face to go with the names and possibly even relate better with the characters and the setting. If I read the book first, I can use my imagination and form my own opinions as to the characters (we all know that sometimes just a look can sway our impression of somebody). There are many pro's and con's for each, but I think in the end, I would prefer to read the book first. Have you noticed how many books lately have been written seemingly with the "intention" of being made into a movie?? I've spoken to a few librarians and booksellers and they all have commented that they believe a lot of the authors nowadays are writing with the hope, anticipation and even expectation that their work will be chosen to become a major movie release. There are even some authors who have been commissioned and approached with the sole purpose of writing a novel knowing it will be destined for the big screen. Many of these authors have already had several of their written works adapted for screen. Not counting William Shakespeare, whom we know probably has had the most books/plays made into movies/tv shows/short films/etc. The most obvious and famous (at least in my limited experience) would have to be any and almost all of the books by Nicholas Sparks and of course, the many, many books by Stephen King that have been made into movies. I was really surprised to find that there are a whole lot more movies based on books than I knew or even imagined. A few recently released movies that have been adapted from a book come to mind. "Gone Girl", "Fifty Shades of Grey", and "Maze Runner" are just off the top of my head. But the list also includes: A Most Wanted Man ~ John Le Carr A Walk To Remember ~ Nicholas Sparks American Psycho ~ Bret Easton Ellis Apocalypse Now ~ Michael Herr Atonement~ Ian McEwan Babe (the Sheep-Pig) ~ Dick King-Smith Beautiful Creatures ~ Kami Garcia Blade Runner ~ Phillip K. Dick Bridget Jone's Diary ~ Helen Fielding Brokeback Mountain ~ Annie Proulx Carrie ~ Stephen King Children of Men ~ P.D. James City of Bones, The Mortal Instruments ~ Cassandra Clare Divergent ~ Veronica Roth Doctor Zhivago ~ Boris Pasternak Dracula ~ Bram Stoker Drive ~ John Sallis Eat, Pray, Love ~ Elizabeth Gilbert Ella Enchanted ~ Gail Carson Levine Fallen ~ Lauren Kate Far From The Maddening Crowd ~ Thomas Hardy Fifty Shades of Grey ~ E.L. James Fight Club ~ Chuck Palahniuk Girl Interrupted ~ Susanna Kaysen Gone Girl ~ Gillian Flynn Great Expectations ~ Charles Dickens Harry Potter ~ J.K. Rowling Holes ~ Louis Sachar If I Stay ~ Gail Forman In The Heart of the Sea ~ Nathaniel Philbrick Jurassic Park ~ Michael Creighton Life of Pi ~ Yann Martel Little Women ~ Louisa May Alcott Lord of the Flies ~ William Golding Lord Of The Rings ~ J.R.R. Tolkien Memories of a Geisha ~ Arthur Golden My Sisters Keeper ~ Jodi Picoult No Country For Old Men ~ Cormac McCarthy One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest ~ Ken Kesey Pride and Prejudice ~ Jane Austen Schindler's List (Schindler's Ark) ~ Thomas Keneally Serena ~ Ron Rash Shutter Island ~ Dennis Lehane Silence of the Lambs ~ Thomas Harris Stand By Me ~ Stephen King The Book Thief ~ Markus Zusak The Chronicles of Narnia ~ C.S. Lewis The Da Vinci Code ~ Dan Brown The Fault In Our Stars ~ John Green The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo ~ Stieg Larsson The Giver ~ Lois Lowry The God Father ~ Mario Puzo The Graveyard Book ~ Neil Gaiman The Great Gatsby ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald The Help ~ Kathryn Stockett The Hobbit ~ J.R.R. Tolkien The Host ~ Stephanie Meyer The Last Song ~ Nicholas Sparks The Lightening Thief, Percy Jackson and the Olympians ~ Rick Riordan The Lovely Bones ~ Alice Sebold The Maltese Falcon ~ Dashiell Hammett The Maze Runner ~ James Dashner The Notebook ~ Nicholas Sparks The Perks of Being a Wallflower ~ Stephen Chbosky The Princess Bride ~ William Goldman The Shawshank Redemption ~ Stephen King The Shining ~ Stephen King The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants ~ Ann Brashares The Time Travellers Wife ~ Audrey Niffenegger The Unbearable Likeness of Being ~ Milan Kundera To Kill A Mockingbird ~ Harper Lee Twilight ~ Stephanie Meyer Vampire Academy ~ Richelle Read Warm Bodies ~ Isaac Marion Water For Elephants ~ Sara Gruen Wuthering Heights ~ Emile Bronte I know that's a lot, but when you consider that it hasn't really been all that long since the creation and development of moving pictures, me listing the top 75 or so, is peanuts compared to the grand scheme of things! I was virtually dumbfounded that my ABSOLUTE, ALL-TIME, HANDS DOWN, WITHOUT A DOUBT, FAVOURITE BOOK-TO-MOVIE adaptation hadn't appeared on ANY lists that I have searched!! And it is "The Green Mile" by Stephen King. It was first published as six mini novelettes, (which is what I read) but I believe it has since been published as a full novel as well. There has NEVER been, and I doubt will ever be, a more accurate, true-to-the-book, adaptation ever published, printed, or released. I read the mini novelettes first, and a few years later, the movie was released, (as a two VHS cassette set, which should tell you how old I am ~ LOL). They could not have picked a better cast to fill the roles of the characters in the book. And each and every actor was so bang-on, amazingly and incredibly accurate to the character they were meant to depict, it truly was unreal. I have NEVER seen a movie based on a book where the actors so closely matched the characters that I pictured in my mind as I read the book. If you haven't read the books, you should, and then watch the movie, you will be as astounded as I was!! I will end this post by listing "my" most anticipated book-to-movie adaptations that have recently been or are expected to be released in the next couple of years. Some of these I can hardly wait for (and will hashtag), and wish I could snap my fingers and have them now! (Although this list is mostly movies that I would like to see, I've also included movies based on either the book and author, or the cast of characters. "*" will denote books I've read, "~" will denote movies I want to see, and "~*~" means both and that I can't wait for it to be released!). A Hologram For The King ~ Dave Eggers ~ Unknown A Thousand Splendid Suns ~ Khaled Hosseini ~ Unknown A Walk in the Woods ~ Bill Bryson ~ Unknown (~) American Sniper ~ Chris Kyle ~ Unknown (~) Ashes In The Snow (Between Shades of Grey) ~ Ruta Sepetys ~ Unknown Blood Red Road ~ Moira Young ~ Unknown (~*~) Chaos Walking ~ Patrick Ness ~ Unknown (~) Dark Places ~ Gillian Flynn ~ Unknown (~) Don't Point That Thing At Me ~ The Mordecai Trilogy ~ Kyril Bonfiglioli ~ January 23 Every Secret Thing ~ Laura Lippman ~ May 15 Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them ~J.K. Rowling ~ 2016 Frankenstein ~ Mary Shelley ~ October 2 Hush, Hush ~ Becca Fitzpatrick ~ Unknown Inferno ~ Dan Brown ~ December 18 Insurgent ~ Veronica Roth ~ March 20 (~*~) Into the Forest ~ Jean Hegland ~ Unknown Into The Heart of The Sea ~ Nathaniel Philbrick ~ December 11 Into Thin Air ~ Jon Krakaur ~ September 18 Legend ~ Marie Lu ~ 2016 Love, Rosie (Where Rainbows End) ~ Cecelia Ahern ~ Feb 6 (~) Madame Bovary ~ Gustave Flaubert ~ June 12 Matched ~ Ally Condie ~ Unknown (~*~) Maximum Ride ~ James Patterson ~ Unknown Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children ~ Ransom Riggs ~ July 31 (~*~) Mocking Jay ~ Suzanne Collins ~ November 20 (~*~) Pan ~ J.M. Barrie ~ July 24 (~) Paper Towns ~ John Green ~ June 19 Paranormalcy ~ Kiersten White ~ Unknown Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ~ Seth Grahame-Smith ~ Unknown Room ~ Emma Donahue ~ Unknown (~) Shiver ~ Maggie Stiefvater ~ Unknown (~*~) Still Alice ~ Lisa Genova ~ Jan 16 The 5th Wave ~ Rick Yancy ~ 2016 The Chronicles of Narnia, The Silver Chair ~ C.S. Lewis ~ 2016 The D.U.F.F. (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) ~ Kody Keplinger ~ Feb 20 (~) The Forest of Hands And Teeth ~ Carrie Ryan ~ Unknown The Great Gilly Hopkins ~ Katherine Patterson ~ Unknown The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel ~ (Cassandra Clare ~ Unknown The Jungle Book ~ Rudyard Kipling ~ Unknown The Last (Spooks) Apprentice (Seventh Son) ~ Joseph Delaney ~ February 6 The Longest Ride ~ Nicholas Sparks ~ April 10 (~) The Martian ~ Andy Weir ~ November 25 The Price of Salt ~ Patricia ~ Unknown The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge ~ Michael Punke ~ Dec. 25 The Scorch Trials ~ James Dashner ~ September 18 (~*~) The Scorpio Races ~ Maggie Stiefvater ~ Unknown The Secret in their Eyes ~ Eduardo Sacheri ~ October 23 The Testing ~ Joelle Charbonneau ~ Unknown (~) The World Made Straight ~ Ron Rash ~ January 9 True Story; Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa ~ Michael Fenkel ~ Apr 17 Uglies ~ Scott Westerfeld ~ Unknown (~*~) Unwind ~ Neal Shusterman ~ 2016 (~*~) Where Rainbows End (Love, Rosie) ~ Cecelia Ahern ~ February 6 I am sure that there are probably many that I am missing or have overlooked, but here is a list from Movie Insider that although all movie release dates are TBA, they do list the movie titles and month of release date. (Some of the books on my list and this list are the same, but follow this link for a more detailed list: http://www.movieinsider.com/movies/-/2016/. See you at the theatre (or the library)!! #Flashback #FlashbackFriday #MemoryLane #Memories #RememberWhen #WeekendWanderings #Orcanut #BooksToMovies #RaiseAReader #BookAndMovieLoversUnite #Movies #NewMovieRelease #TheBigScreen #Actors #CharactersInABook #Screens #BookOrMovieFirst #MoviesBasedOnBooks #FaceToGoWithAName #TheGreenMileStephenKing #BloodRedRoadMoiraYoung #InsurgentVeronicaRoth #TheScorchTrialsJamesDashner #ShiverMaggieStiefvater #TheScorpioRacesMaggieStiefvater #UgliesScottWesterfeld #UnwindNealShusterman #MatchedAllyCondie #PeregrineHomePeculiarChildrenRansomRiggs TooManyMoviesToHashtag