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This is the place for friends to talk about books, movies, music, food, and everything fun!

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Oscar Fever!

Dear Readers,

The Academy Awards take place this Sunday, and I couldn't be more excited! It's one of my favorite nights of the year.




Dizzie: Boss, can I talk to you?




Lilly Faye: Sure, Diz. I was just filling in my Oscar ballot. Would you like to place a bet in the office pool?

Dizzie: I thought there were only two of us working on the blog.

Lilly Faye: That's right. You and me. That gives you a fifty-fifty chance of winning the entire pot.




Dizzie: No, thanks. I can't afford it. About the Academy Awards, Boss....



Lilly Faye: They're on Sunday night. Don't forget to watch. I'm warning you right now, if Pharrell Williams doesn't win the Best Original Song Oscar for "Happy," I'm going to be one very un-happy Poodle.




Dizzie: I was thinking maybe I could go to the Academy Awards ceremony, and report from the scene, in person.




Lilly Faye: That's crazy talk, Diz. After your Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show debacle, I can't risk the blog's reputation by sending you out on your own again. 

Besides, how would you get there? If you can't afford a measly five dollars to join the office betting pool, you certainly can't afford a ticket to California.

Now, the oddsmakers have Cate Blanchett way ahead in the Best Actress category, but I really like Sandra Bullock. 

What do you think, Diz?

Dizzie: Sandra Bullock played a well-adjusted scientist who followed the rules. Cate Blanchett's character was off her rocker. Crazy always wins.

Lilly Faye: You're probably right.




Dizzie: See you Sunday, Boss.





Lilly Faye: Now where did he run off to? I was about to ask him to bring me fresh water and biscuits.

Oh well, this gives me a chance to watch Pharrell's "Happy" video again. Here's the link, if you want to watch it with me.



Love, 
Lilly Faye

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Lilly Faye's Movie Review: Enough Said, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini



Dear Readers,
Dizzie and I just watched the film Enough Said, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini. 

It isn't a traditional romantic comedy. Rather, it's a realistic look at two middle-aged people trying to make an intimate connection with one another, and all of the mistakes, foibles, humor, sadness, judgements, and imperfections involved.

Enough Said was one of the last films James Gandolfini worked on before he passed away. I've always liked him, so I was surprised how easily I was able to put his death out of my mind while watching this film. The acting was so natural, and the story seemed so real, that I was totally immersed in the movie, and not thinking about anything else.

How did you feel about it, Diz?


Diz: Yep. He seemed very alive in the movie.

Lilly Faye: Yes, but what did you think about the story, Diz?



Dizzie: I don't know why humans make everything so difficult for themselves. If I'm hungry, I just snack on whatever is nearby.

When we dogs want to make friends, we just sniff each other and then wrestle or roll in the mud together.



Lilly Faye: Wood isn't a food group, Diz.




Dizzie: Well it should be. It's delicious. You don't know what you're missing.

Lilly Faye: Getting back to the movie, actresses Catherine Keener and Toni Collette, and actor Ben Falcone were also very effective in supporting roles.

You may remember Ben in the small but pivotal role of the Air Marshall in Bridesmaids. In real life he is married to actress Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, TV's Mike & Molly.) Diz and I enjoyed Melissa's work in The Heat.

Diz: Yep. That was a good one.

Lilly Faye: Enough Said is not a laugh-out-loud funny movie, but it's definitely worth watching. 



Movie Rating: Two Paws Up. Recommended for teens and adults, but I wouldn't consider it a date movie unless you're over 40.

Love, 
Lilly Faye

Sunday, February 16, 2014

A Working Dog's Job is Never Done!



Dear Readers,

Earlier this month I posted about Sparky Patchett, who works at Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee.

Today on the Parnassus "Shop Dog Diaries" blog, Sparky's co-worker, Opie Brennan, talks about managing the bookstore. Looks like a big job! 

You can check out Opie's post and photos here:


Don't you just love Opie's big brown eyes? I could get lost in them! Another reason to put a visit to Parnassus Books on my bucket list!

Love,
Lilly Faye

Friday, February 14, 2014

Happy Valentine's Day!


Dear Readers,

I hope you are having a wonderful Valentine's Day! Let's peek inside the mailbag, and see what the mail carrier brought today.

Here's something from Dizzie.  While it's not really appropriate for him to send a Valentine to his boss, it's nice of him to think of me on the holiday. Let's see what he wrote:


Dear Boss,
Can I borrow some money from the blog's petty cash?  I'd like to buy Mummy a Valentine.
Diz 

There is no such thing as "petty cash" here at the blog, Dizzie. Every penny counts. And right now my blog pennies are all going toward paying off the expenses you incurred on your trip to New York City. If you need money, ask THE MASTER.


Here's another note. Let's see who it's from:
Dear Lilly Faye,
Another month has passed, and once again you have failed to include me, your best friend, in the blog. I guess this means you don't want to be friends anymore.
Busty Cat
Of course I still consider you my best friend, Busty. I promise to feature you in the blog very soon.

It feels like there is one more piece of mail in the very bottom of the mailbag. This one looks like an actual Valentine! 


Dear Lilly Faye,
Happy Valentine's Day!
From Mr. Frank 

Ooooh, Mr. Frank is the bulldog who was flirting with me in the comments section of the blog on New Year's Eve. How exciting!

Dear Readers, I hope you had some nice surprises today, too.
Hugs and kisses, from me to you!





Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Report--Day 2 (Dizzie Makes a Splash!)

Dear Readers,

My blog intern Dizzie seems to be missing in action at the moment, so I'll give you a quick rundown on last night's competition. 

The Sporting Group was won by Riley, a female Irish Water Spaniel, the Working Group was won by Matisse, a male Portuguese Water Dog, and the Terrier Group was won by Sky, a female Wire Fox Terrier. 

The three of them, along with the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding Group winners chosen Monday night, competed for the 2014 Westminster Kennel Club's Best in Show title. Sky, the female Wire Fox Terrier, was the big winner.


Oh, hold on...it looks like Dizzie is checking in for a live chat session. 

Lilly Faye: Dizzie, where have you been since yesterday afternoon? I was getting worried about you.




Dizzie: Well, a funny thing happened, Boss. I was over at the Piers for the Portuguese Water Dog breed judging, boy was that place noisy, and when Matisse won, a spontaneous celebration broke out.

Someone, possibly me, yelled, "Everybody into the river!"

Lilly Faye: Dizzie, the Hudson River is filthy! You'll need vaccinations!

Dizzie: Funny, that's what the New York Port Authority officer said. But he must have been impressed with my athletic form when I made that flying dive into the Hudson, because he gave me a citation for it!

Lilly Faye: That doesn't mean what you think it does, Diz.

Dizzie: I just told him to send all the paperwork to the blog address.




Lilly Faye: Why do you look so blurry? Please tell me nothing bad happened to THE MASTER'S very expensive high resolution SLR camera, Diz. 





Dizzie: No worries, Boss. I made certain it was secure around my neck before I jumped into the river.

Gee, I wonder if THE MASTER will want to frame my citation and hang it on the wall!

Boss? I know there's a severe winter storm warning and all, but can you pick me up at the airport? Thanks!

Later, on the ride home from the airport...




Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Dizzie's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Report--Day 1

Dear Readers,
Let's get a report on the first day of the 2014 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show from my blog intern, Dizzie.





Lilly Faye: Welcome, Diz. I see you no longer resemble a French Poodle.






Dizzie: That's right, Boss. My groomer was able to rectify the situation, and I'm feeling and looking more like myself now.

Lilly Faye: That's good. Tell us what happened on night one of the big show in New York City.

Dizzie: Four group winners were chosen Monday night...Nathan, a Bloodhound representing the Hound Group, Classie, a Miniature Pincher representing the Toy Group, Coco Posh, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi representing the Herding Group, and a gorgeous white female Standard Poodle named Ally representing the Non-Sporting Group.

They will all compete with the winners of the Sporting, Working, and Terrier Groups for Best in Show tonight in Madison Square Garden.

Of course, I'm most interested in the Portuguese Water Dog Breed Competition that takes place this afternoon at Piers 92/94. Thirteen PWDs are entered. It will be exciting to see so many of my kind all together in one place, right there on the Hudson River. I'll report back tomorrow.




Lilly Faye: Thanks for your report, Diz. 

He sure sounded excited. I'm glad I took a chance and decided to send him on assignment to cover the show. 

Wait a minute. Did he say he was heading to the piers? On the Hudson River? To mingle with thirteen other Portuguese Water Dogs?

To be continued....



Sunday, February 9, 2014

Fashion Week is Here!


Dear Readers,

This is the middle of New York Fashion Week, when designers are showing off their Fall and Winter 2014 collections. I've sent my blog intern Dizzie out in the field to find out what we'll be seeing on the store racks next winter.

Lilly Faye: Welcome, Diz.

Dizzie: Bonjour!

Lilly Faye: Oh, dear DAWG! What happened to you, Diz? You look like a French Poodle!


Dizzie: Oui. There was a small miscommunication with my groomer. I told her I would be reporting on Fashion Week, and asked her to spiff me up a bit. I guess she thought "Fashion" equalled "French."

Lilly Faye: Well, you do look high fashion.

Dizzie: Merci.

Lilly Faye: So let's get to it. What new trends are you seeing on the New York runways this week?

Dizzie: Lace. Plenty of fur, and leopard prints. A lot of red dresses, and plaids of all kinds.





















Lilly Faye: Check, check, and check. From all appearances, the designers have been turning to fashion forward bloggers like myself for inspiration!

Dizzie: Looks like it.

Lilly Faye: Thanks for your report, Diz. Before you go, a word of advice. Do something about that haircut before we start blogging the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. I can't send you to cover the Portuguese Water Dog Breed competition on Tuesday looking like a French Poodle.

Dizzie: Will do, Boss.

That's it for now, folks. Don't forget, the 138th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is taking place Monday and Tuesday, the 10th and 11th. Check your local listings.

Love, 
Lilly Faye

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Working in a Bookstore: Sparky Tells All!



I love books. I love the smell of them. I love the look of them. I love the way their paper feels. I love the sound when you turn a page. Most of all, I love when Mommy reads to me in bed at night. 

If I wasn't already a blogger, model, and life coach, I would like to work in a bookstore like Sparky, author Ann Patchett's dog. Sparky works at Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee. Ann co-owns the bookstore. Sparky works there during the day while Ann writes and does other author-ly things.

I hope to visit Sparky and Parnassus someday. Until then, you and I can learn about the store and what it's like to work there from Sparky's own diary:


Love,
Lilly Faye

Monday, February 3, 2014

Lilly Faye and Dizzie Review the Super Bowl


Dear Readers,
I don't really have a favorite football team, so I usually root for the underdog, which in this case was the Seattle Seahawks. 

The Denver Broncos should have prepared for the big game by reading Amy Tan's, The Bonesetter's Daughter. In Tan's novel, Precious Auntie says to LuLing... 
"A person should consider how things begin. A particular beginning results in a particular end."
The Broncos started off on the wrong paw right away, and their game went downhill from there. 

The Seahawks arrived on the field knowing what they wanted to accomplish, and they worked as a team to get the job done. 

Don't you agree, Diz?





Yep. I got confused though. When we watch football at my house, all the players are wearing short pants and kicking a round, black and white ball. 

Lilly Faye: That's soccer, Diz.

Dizzie: THE MASTER says it's proper football. 

Also, I was disappointed that there wasn't any snow. The people on the TV kept saying there was gonna be snow. It's a lot more fun to run around and fall down in big piles of snow.

Lilly Faye: The players might disagree with you there, Diz. 



What did you think of the halftime show? Bruno Mars is one of my favorite performers. I have almost all of his songs on my iPod. And he looked as good as he sounded.



Diz: I switched over to the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet. That Ginger, the Old English Sheepdog mix, is quite a looker, and athletic, too! 

Also, I felt I needed to watch at least some of the Puppy Bowl in  support of my cousin Bo, who helped the First Lady open the show.

Lilly Faye: Yes, yes, alright, Diz. I know you'll join me in saying:

Congratulations, Seattle Seahawks!
Denver Broncos, Better Luck Next Time!
Bruno Mars, Two Paws Up!
Ginger, Dizzie would like your number!

Love, 
Lilly Faye