No, surprisingly, this is not a blog post about the tediousness of bottle feeding (make bottle, wash bottle, make bottle, wash bottle).  No, no - I'll save that whine for another time.  This is actually about wine.

Bottle Shock is a 2008 movie based on the true story of a famous, wine blind taste test that took place in Paris in 1976.  I caught the last ten or fifteen minutes of this movie last week and decided I needed to see it from the beginning.  Very rarely do I see the end of a movie first and then still want to see the rest, but this one intrigued me.

I'll be honest, what first caught my eye was Chris Pine.  He played Captain Kirk in the 2009 Star Trek film and he's a key reason that I've seen that film four or five times now (aside from the fact that the hubby is a die hard Trekkie).  But anyway - I spotted him in the film's ending and knew I wanted to see the rest of the film.  The other immediate draw (aside from the story)?  Alan Rickman.  Mmm.  (Best known these days as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films.)  But check out the rest of the cast: Bill Pullman, Dennis Farina, Eliza Dushku.  Not bad, right?

Bill Pullman plays the owner of a vineyard in Napa Valley (CA) who is struggling to keep his vineyard in the black.  Chris Pine plays his son - your stereotypical 70s long haired blond guy - who's a bit lazy, more interested in sleeping around and having fun than working.  But he finds his dedication and purpose in this vineyard and, in turn, helps his father.  Alan Rickman is the British wine shop owner who holds the contest in Paris.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, even though I already knew the ending, and would definitely recommend it.

Anyone else unable to stop watching the new Harry Potter trailer?

I know it's probably slightly blasphemous to some to talk about this on the night that Eclipse opens, but for me Harry Potter will always (always) be a superior set of books and films.  I told Nate recently that he's lucky his first name isn't Harry and his middle name isn't Potter.  That said, though, one of my favorite girl's names is Lily, the name of Harry's mother... but the hubby doesn't like it, so if we have a girl one day, I don't think she'll be a Lily, alas.

But I digress a bit... How fantastic is that trailer?  I cannot wait for these two films, especially the final one.  But I know that as excited as I'm going to be for Deathly Hallows, Part II, I'm also going to be remarkably sad because the whole Harry Potter thing will be officially over.  Even if J.K. Rowling one day decides to write prequels or sequels, it'll never be the same.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch the trailer another three or four times.

I recently watched Broken English, a 2007 film starring Parker Posey as a single woman in her thirties, living in NYC, and generally displeased with all aspects of her life.  If you like slower-paced, independent films, you'll like this.  If you only like action films or romantic comedies, this one isn't for you.

One of the best parts of the film was Parker Posey's wardrobe (don't all independent films have great styling?).  One item in particular that stood out for me was this raining cloud necklace she wore in several scenes:

The thing about independent films (well, or really any films or television shows) is that they show people of average or modest lives wearing great pieces, and then you find out those pieces are exorbitantly priced.

But this necklace is just SO me.  I believe a rainy day is just as beautiful as a sunny one (which is why the hubby calls me Eeyore sometimes) so I headed over to Etsy and typed "raining cloud necklace" into the search.

And... eureka!  What a treasure of choices!  These are my three favorites:

Wickedly Good

This one might be my favorite favorite.  It's so beautiful and unique and I love the idea that Cloud 9 can be a rain cloud.  It's very yin and yang - with the good there is always bad and that provides the balance in life.

Delicious Hobo

This one is really cool.  It's got a tribal quality to it and I love the speckled raindrop.

Asil Designs

This one is so remarkably beautiful in its subtlety.  You may not see it as a raining cloud... or you might.  Either way, it's simply beautiful.

I want all three.  I have this plan to work on my style now that I'm not pregnant anymore and don't have to worry about how things will fit - and I think these necklaces would give quite a touch of spark to any outfit.

Two or three weeks ago, I had a really good idea for my maternity leave.  After two weeks of NCIS, Bones, America's Next Top Model, Food Network, and HGTV I realized I needed some new things to watch, so I joined Netflix.  After all, I'm always talking about how I never get to see the movies I want to see and here I find myself with many hours a day where I can watch whatever I want while Nate is eating or sleeping.

So I signed up for the monthly unlimited plan where I can have one DVD at a time and unlimited instant play films, which I play right through my Tivo.  So far I've mostly been watching movies of personal interest, but I will also be using this for item 94 on my 101 in 1001 list: 94. Watch all of the films on AFI’s “10 Top 10“ list.

In the past few weeks, I have watched:  Up; The September Issue; Paris, Je T'aime; New York, I Love You; The Business of Being Born, This Film Is Not Yet Rated; Doubt, Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, It's Complicated, Valentine's Day and Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story.

I should have written more about them as I watched them because there's no way I'm going to review them all now, but it is easy enough to say that I enjoyed them all.  Here are a few points:

Up - Remind me to never watch the first 15-20 minutes ever again.  Sobbed my eyes out.

The Business of Being Born - Should be required viewing in high school sex ed classes and for all pregnant women.

This Film Is Not Yet Rated - I never really thought about the film rating system before.  This documentary does a good job of showing just how arbitrary and ridiculous it is.  I will never rely on a rating to determine whether or not Nate can see a film.

Doubt - Clearly a film that comes from a play, i.e. there's a lot of talking, not a lot of action... and I loved it. 

It's Complicated - Possibly one of the most perfect romantic comedies I've seen in years.  I loved every single second of it.  (And man, oh, man would I looooove to have Meryl Streep's character's house... oh, and a date with Steve Martin.  I adore him.)

Valentine's Day  - This film surprised me.  I thought it would be kind of dumb, but it wasn't.  I also didn't expect to cry at the end.

Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story - If you're an Eddie fan, this is a MUST MUST MUST see.  Must.  It tells the story of his life, starting in infancy, and his rise to fame.  It was fantastic (and, again, I cried - what else is new... but really, it's very touching).

The only films I might not recommend are Paris, Je T'aime and New York, I Love You, which are companion movies.  They're okay, but they're not as great as I'd thought they'd be.

Next up in my queue: The Terminator, Precious, Revolutionary Road, The Big Lebowski, Moon, and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, amongst others.  This might be the best monthly payment I've made.