Gentlemen Prefer.....Brunettes

This post is in honor of the late Jane Russell who passed away today.

One of my all time favorite movies is Gentlemen Prefer Blondes starring my all time favorite actress Marilyn Monroe (it's not my favorite movie of hers, but it is quite funny!) This movie also introduced me to the actress Jane Russell (the brunette to Marilyn's blonde).

It's a musical comedy made in 1953 where Marilyn plays Lorelei Lee, a blonde singer/performer dead set on marrying a rich man and dead set on making sure her best friend Dorothy Shaw (Russell) also finds love of the wealthy kind. The only problem is Dorothy is perpetually attracted to poor, good looking men. Chaos ensues. (If nothing else, watch it for Marilyn's famous performance of Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend.)

While it is hard for anyone to take their eyes off Marilyn while she's on screen, Jane Russell does a pretty good job of distracting you and helping you realize that not everyone prefers blondes!

Rest in Peace Ms. Russell!

On Down the Road....

I spent the afternoon taking the backroads (or taking what my father would call a "crop tour") near the lake searching for an elusive (and now I'm convinced nonexistent) A-frame house that we were told was unlocked, uninhabited and something we should see. These roads we traveled today were my boyfriend's stomping grounds in high school and they ended up taking us right to the front door of his father's house on another smaller (but just as grand) lake.

Together the three of us cooked a delicious dinner of grilled steak, baked mac and cheese and salad. With bellies full, we settled in for what my boyfriend promised would follow dinner....a stroll down memory lane (otherwise known as checking out old photo albums to see what an adorable little tyke he was)!

We spent about two hours exploring his life from birth to about 7 (so about 3 photo albums full). I got to see where he lived, what his parents looked like back then, who the people were who were in his early life, and what kinds of things he and his family did together. Not only did I get to look through all of this with him, I got to hear his father tell us about the people in the pictures and about the places they lived.

I can't tell you how happy it made me to be let into this part of his life and how special it was for me to experience this little adventure into the past with him and his father.

We may not have found the A-frame house, but now I love them both a little bit more.

Lil' Leslie

This is the first of my happiness profiles.

For my first profile, it just had to be my girlfriend Leslie. Leslie and I work together, and there has never been a day I've worked with her that I haven't had fun (especially the day we meowed like cats....that's another thing I love about her, she shares my odd sense of humor!). Her perpetual happiness rubs off on everyone around her. She constantly has a smile plastered on her face and that smile always cheers me up. So a big thanks to my dear Leslie for answering a few questions about what makes HER happy!

Name 5 things, people, places, etc. that put a smile on your face.

My nephews

Sunshine

Going for long runs

Funny youtube videos

Getting to talk to friends I haven't seen in a long time

It gives me joy to make other people have fun.

To be happy people should not worry too much.

The hardest I ever laugh is when listening to my brother tell stories.

A happy moment in my life is getting to spend holidays with my family.

I always giggle when I hear the words baby monkey.

Whose positive spirit do you admire? Why?

Grandma Collinge because she is so funny and lets things roll off her back. She enjoys herself all of the time!

Thanks for the happiness Leslie!

To Jack White, With Love

Photo of Jack White in Cold Mountain (not by me)

I'm going to have the voice of Jack White ringing in my ears for days, months and years to come....A voice I could swim in.

Why this sudden infatuation with Jack White you ask? Well, I just finished watching the documentary It's Going to Get Loud. And I'm dumbfounded that I didn't realize his unique ability to pull you into....anything and everything!

My favorite scene in the documentary.

I own a few White Stripes albums and a Raconteurs album, and have always enjoyed them, but after watching that documentary, I have a new level of respect for (and maybe a little crush on) Jack White.

His pasty, white, guitar strumming, piano pounding hands have been into a little bit of everything, even producing the album Van Lear Rose for Loretta Lynn and acting in the movie Cold Mountain.

Here is the trailer to It Might Get Loud:

Watch it and then listen to everything Jack White has been a part of. I promise, no matter who you are, there will be something of his that brings a smile to your face.

Grammie

Grammie to some, Mary to many, and to a few, mom.

A conversation with my mom tonight got me thinking a lot about my Grammie and how happy she has made me, and many others during her life. I've never met anyone quite like her, and I'm sure I never will. For those of you unfortunate souls who don't know her, this is her....in a nutshell:

-cooker of the best pancakes you'll ever eat

-dancer of jigs

-reciter of many an Irish limerick

-admirer of the Kennedy's

-back scratcher deluxe

-Irish to the core

-faithful Catholic

-loving mother, wife, friend, sister and grandmother

-holder of Colorado in her heart

-follower of Native American history

-creator of Leppy the Leprechaun

-protector of the cactus

-garage sale warrior

I could continue, but nothing I write can really convey the wonderful woman I've been lucky enough to call Grammie or how happy she has made me for the past 29 years. And nothing, not even Alzheimer's, will ever change that.

I love you, Grammie!

A Little Sun in My Eyes

I have to say, I always love when I go to edit a photograph and find that the picture contains lens flare. I love shooting into the sun because it always creates such interesting effects. Photos with lens flare just seem to have a sort of dreamy quality. It's like the photo is winking at you! Here are some of my favorite examples.

All photos on this blog are by me, unless otherwise noted.

To Market, To Market

I absolutely love the produce department of a grocery store. The colors are so vibrant and fresh. It really makes me appreciate the fact that we have access to wonderful, healthy food. Even the foods I'm not crazy about (like radishes) look tasty....

maybe I should give the radishes another chance....

Mmmm, now I'm hungry!

Dog Days of February

Yesterday was the perfect day for a nice, long hike with three of my favorite people (Ike, Denali and Katie) and three of my favorite canines (Belle, Scout and Maggie). And of course, like the ding dong I am, I forgot to bring my camera, so the photos I'm including are from a hike Ike and I took back in December.

The 7 of us set off on some fantastic hiking trails at Fairmont Park that run through the trees and along the river. The dogs had an exciting time, running along the trails and 'bathing' in the river (which left little Maggie, a yorkie, soaked from head to toe and almost dragged down the river!) The humans had a delightful time, chatting and laughing (and trying to work off the Vista burgers we had for lunch!)

Overall it was a beautiful day, experiencing nature, catching up with friends and taking time out of our busy lives to enjoy a simple walk through the woods.

Ah, the first post....

Despite what you may be thinking, I'm not one of those happy-go-lucky people, which, if you are reading this, you probably already know, because most likely, you know me. We are probably friends...or at least acquaintances. Lately, I have found myself dwelling, pouting and walking around with a furrowed brow.

I feel like I'm constantly surrounded by negativity. Not in the people I know and love, but just in society. The media focuses on the negative, and blows things out of proportion and reality TV shows (which thank god I don't watch because I don't have cable) give us the bottom feeders in our society.

Well, this blog is meant to be an escape from all of that, for me and hopefully for you. From this point on, Happy People will only be about, well....Happy People. I will share with you things that make me happy: photos, people, music, movies, recipes, places, etc. In turn, I'm going to seek out friends and strangers to tell me what makes them happy.

The point of this? Well, simply, to put a smile on your face. I want to bring a little peace and sunlight into your life.

I am a firm believer in the law of the universe...whatever you put out into the world, you will get back. I want us all to have a little beauty in our lives.

Stay tuned....