Monthly Archives: December 2016
26 Fun Facts about the Golden Globe Awards
IT’S FINALLY AWARDS SEASON!! Which means it’s time for a lot of this…
But also a lot of this…
I gotta be honest, though, I’m a total sucker for these awards shows…even if the commercials seem to take FO-FREAKING-EVER. The Golden Globes, the Oscars, the Emmy’s, the Tony’s…I love them all. With the Golden Globes airing on NBC next weekend, I’m getting extra pumped to see a few of my favorite celebs walk the red carpet!
If you haven’t taken a look at the nominations this year, you can see the full list on the Golden Globes website. I have my fingers crossed for Game of Thrones and Loving!
Thought to be one of the most entertaining and casual of the awards shows, the Golden Globes started in 1943 and were originally just 5 awards given out by a group of foreign journalists. Now the show is broadcast on national TV and we get to witness our favorite celebrities drunkenly stumble up to the stage to blabber on and on about how amazing they are. It’s fantastic!
To help get you in the mood for watching this year’s Golden Globes, here are 26 super fun and interesting facts about this amazing awards show…so pour yourself a glass of wine…dig out those classy PJ’s…and join me in watching the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards!
- The first Golden Globes ceremony was held during a luncheon at 20th Century Fox in 1943, founded by a group of foreign journalists. It had only five categories: Best Motion Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Instead of statuettes, the winners were given scrolls.
- The actual award we know today didn’t come about until 1946 when former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president, Marina Cisternas, suggested creating statuettes that resembled an actual golden globe.
- The Golden Globe statuettes are estimated to cost about $800 each and are plated in 24-karat gold.
- Winners of the award receive their statuette in a red velvet-lined, leather-bound chest with the HFPA logo stamped in gold.
- Meryl Streep holds the record for most Golden Globe nominations, with 29. She also holds the record for most Golden Globe wins, at 8 awards.
- The youngest person ever to win a Golden Globe was Ricky Schroder. At 9 years old, he won the award for Best New Star of the Year for his role in the 1980 movie, The Champ.
- In 2008 the Golden Globes ceremony was cancelled due to the Writer’s Guild strike. Celebrities refused to show up to the ceremony, so winners were announced January 13th during a press conference.
- In 1973, Marlon Brando refused to accept his Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role in The Godfather because he was protesting “imperialism and racism”.
- The tradition of having celebrities hand out awards didn’t start until 1958, when The Rat Pack rushed the stage with whiskeys and cigars to give them out. Before that, members of the HFPA handed out the awards.
- The Golden Globes used to only be televised in Los Angeles. It wasn’t until parts of it aired on The Andy Williams Show in 1965 that it was broadcast for the whole world to see.
- The elegant 3-course meal begins for attendees at 3:30 p.m. Celebrities can eat before the show, but once it starts, everyone is limited to champagne only…which clearly makes for an interesting night!
- The first actor to win the Golden Globe award for Best Actor was Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine in 1944.
- Jamie Foxx has the record for most nominations in one year, with three nominations.
- In 1962, Judy Garland became the first woman to take home the Cecil B. DeMille Award, which is given for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” Past winners have included Jack Nicholson, Barbra Streisand, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Woody Allen, George Clooney, and Denzel Washington. Meryl Streep will take home the award in 2017.
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is the only film to win all five major Golden Globe awards (picture, director, actor, actress, screenplay).
- In the history of the Golden Globes, only 6 celebrities have hosted the awards show. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Andy Williams, John Larroquette, Janine Turner, and Ricky Gervais make up this exclusive club. Late night host Jimmy Fallon will join those ranks soon, as he’s set to host the awards show in 2017.
- Unless you’re a nominee, your chance of getting into the awards show is slim. The event is held at the Hilton’s International Ballroom, which only holds 111 tables. With 10 to 12 people per table, that means only about 1,300 people will actually score in invitation. In comparison, the Dolby Theater, which hosts the Academy Awards, seats about 3,400 people.
- The Golden Globe statue clocks in at about 5.5 pounds.
- Doctor Zhivago, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, A Star is Born were all clean sweeps, meaning they all won in the categories there were nominated in.
- About 9,000 glasses of champagne are usually drunk at the awards show.
- The most Golden Globes won in one night is a five-way tie: Doctor Zhivago, Love Story, The Godfather, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and A Star is Born all won five Golden Globes in one night.
- The award for most nominations goes to Nashville, which was nominated for 9 awards in 1976. However it only took home one award, the Golden Globe for Best Song (“I’m Easy” by Keith Carradine).
- Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? And The Godfather, Part III each received 7 nominations each but never won a single Golden Globe award.
- In 1989, there was a three-way tie for Best Actress, with Jodie Foster (The Accused), Shirley MacLaine (Madame Sousatzka) and Sigourney Weaver (Gorillas in the Mist) each taking home an award in that category.
- The red carpet that’s used to welcome celebrities into the venue is contains more than 30,000 square feet of red carpet and measures almost 500 feet long!
- Three lovely ladies hold the record for most acting Globes in the same year. Sigourney Weaver won Best Actress (Gorillas in the Mist) and Best Supporting Actress (Working Girl) in 1989, Joan Plowright won Best Supporting Actress (Enchanted April and Stalin) in 1993, and Kate Winslet won Best Actress (Revolutionary Road) and Best Supporting Actress (The Reader) in 2009.
Sometimes you just need a little fun in your life! Check back every week for a new “Just Bee-cause” post, where I discuss everything from celebrity news to favorite videos and websites!
Filed under fun facts
10 Last-Minute New Year’s Eve Ideas
AHH!!! Christmas has already come and gone and we’re only a couple days away from kicking 2016 out the door and welcoming in a new year.
I don’t know about you, but I always seem to get so wrapped up in Christmas that I’m almost constantly shocked at how fast New Year’s Eve follows…and it’s not like it’s a surprise…I mean, it’s the same thing every year…but it just never fails to spring up on me!
Thankfully, there are tons of easy, fast, and budget-friendly ways to welcome in 2017 with your friends and family…and they’ll think you’ve been planning for months! With this collection of 10 Last-Minute New Year’s Eve Ideas, you’ll learn how to create tasty treats and classy decorations that will make your hub THE PLACE for welcoming in a new year!
So don’t put those Christmas decorations away quite yet…here are 10 easy and fast last-minute NYE decorations that will up your party game in no time!
10 Last-Minute New Year’s Eve Ideas
Before you pack up all your Christmas ornaments, sort out those silver and gold bobbles…they’ll come in handy for your New Year’s decor! Hang them from the ceiling or gather them in a bowl or apothecary jar for a festive decoration that will liven up your home.
Turn a corner of your home into a fun photo booth! Use leftover ribbons or cheap streamers to create a fun backdrop and cut NYE letters out of posterboard. Decorate with balloons and you’ve got a fun photo area your guests will love!
Jell-O shots have gotten an upgrade! With these classy Champagne Jell-O Cups, you and your adult friends can enjoy a delicious and tasty start to 2017.
No NYE party is complete without poppers! But don’t go out and buy them…you can use leftover toilet paper rolls and any remaining Christmas gift wrap to create your own! Fill with confetti, candy, or wishes for a great new year.
Forget those cheap paper party hats…you can craft your own sparkly glitter hats using paper mache cones and fine glitter and tinsel. Attach your hat to a headband so you don’t have to worry about those uncomfortable elastic strings.
Whether you make your own or you decorate some store-bought cookies, these glittery fortune cookies are sure to delight. If you make your own, don’t forget to fill them with good fortunes for your guests!
Not everyone has a date on NYE…and for some, that’s A-O-KAY! But everyone deserves a little midnight kiss when 2017 makes its official appearance!
These free clock printables are great for attaching to goodie bags, hats, cupcake toppers, and more! Print out your own clocks from nobiggie.net.
If you’re having friends over throughout the day on NYE, it can be a loooong time until midnight. To help pass the time, print out some cards and get to know your guests and their hopes and wishes for the new year. You can print out your own set here.
Here’s another cute way to use any leftover gift wrapping supplies. Wrap bamboo sticks with gold pipe cleaners and top with a cute pom pom for a celebratory drink stirrer.
Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.
Filed under new years
You Are Never Too Old to Dream a New Dream
Come back every Tuesday for “The Bees Knees”, where I post the best quotes from my favorite movies, TV shows, songs, and books.
Filed under quotes
9 Tasty Molasses Recipes
Well, another Christmas come and gone! The cookies are done, the baking is done, and finally kitchens across the world can breathe a sigh of relief!
Though you may be done with baking all your holiday treats, chances are you still have a ton of ingredients left over taking up space in your cabinets…at least I do! I have stuff I only use around this time of year…and now my leftover corn syrup, molasses, and bags and bags of chocolate are taking up space where I SHOULD have actual adult food. Boo to adult food.
While most of this stuff will actually keep for quite a while, I still don’t like having it around when I could be using that space for something else…so, time to purge!
I’m starting with molasses. I use molasses only for gingerbread cookies, but I don’t need that much per batch, so I’m left with a good amount at the end of my baking. Since I’m so burnt out on cookies, I’m looking to use it on something else…maybe even some savory dishes??
So I did some Googling and found nine excellent ideas for using up that leftover molasses. From side dishes to treats for Fido, these recipes are a great solution to helping you clean out your baking cabinet for the new year!
9 Tasty Molasses Recipes
Brown Molasses Bread
itsalwaysautumn.com
Molasses Spice Energy Bites
veggieprimer.com
Homemade BBQ Sauce
chef-in-training.com
Ginger Molasses Carrots
thecompletesavorist.com
Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Barbecue Beans
momontimeout.com
Gingersnap Pecans
taketwotapas.com
Bourbon Molasses Glazed Ham
sweetcsdesigns.com
Pumpkin and Molasses Homemade Dog Treats
betsylife.com
Molasses Scones with Candied Ginger
thekitchenpaper.com
Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.
Filed under recipe collections
24 Fun Facts About A Christmas Story
Let’s face facts…by now you’ve probably seen A Christmas Story at least 100 times. It’s on a continual loop around the holiday season and almost every Christmas-loving family owns a copy of this cult classic…but I bet there are at least a few things you may NOT know about this movie we’ve all seen a bijillion times.
Filmed mainly in Cleveland and Toronto, A Christmas Story opened on November 18, 1983 and starred Peter Billingsley as Ralphie, Melinda Dillon as Mrs. Parker, and Darren McGavin as Mr. Parker. Based on the book, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd, A Christmas Story tells the tale of a little boy who will stop at nothing to get his Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-Shot Range Air Rifle with a Compass in the Stock and this Thing Which Tells Time!
Filled with memorable scenes, quotes, and characters, A Christmas Story has become a holiday favorite and can be seen airing on TV for 24 hours the day before Christmas. You may know the lines…you may know the scenes…hell, you may have even visited the museum (if you haven’t, you must! A truly amazing experience for any fan!), but there are lots of other fun facts that you may not have known about this holiday classic!
To help get you in the Christmas spirit (and to help you impress your friends and family with movie trivia as you watch this flick for the 100th time), here are 24 Fun Facts about A Christmas Story!
Curious where the cast ended up? Check out A Christmas Story: Where Are They Now? for an update!
24 Fun Facts about A Christmas Story
Jack Nicholson was originally interested in the role of The Old Man, but the film’s budget was too small to afford him.
Peter Billingsley, the actor who played Ralphie, was the first child to audition for the part. Director Bob Clark didn’t want to cast the first kid he saw, so he auditioned thousands more before deciding to cast Billingsley anyway.
One of the actors who auditioned for Ralphie was a young Sean Astin, who would go on to star in The Goonies.
A Christmas Story is based on Jean Shepherd’s 1966 book, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. The book started as a series of short stories published in Playboy magazine.
Author Jean Shepherd was also the narrator of the film and made a brief cameo in the movie as the man who told Ralphie and Randy where the back of the line was while visiting Santa. The woman in the photo is also his wife.
In the scene when Ralphie is shooting bandits outside his window chewing tobacco, he actually is chewing tobacco. Billingsley said he started getting dizzy and his lips started burning.
Jon Favreau had Billingsley sign a Red Ryder BB Gun for him when they worked together on the set of Swingers.
In 2004, a man named Brian Jones bought the house in Cleveland where A Christmas Story was filmed for $150,000 on eBay. He then spent $240,000 restoring the house into a near exact copy of the movie set. It’s now a museum you can visit and explore!
In the scene when Flick freezes his tongue to the flagpole, the actor originally just put his tongue through a small hole in the pole; however, actor Scott Schwartz was such a prankster on set that the director decided to get back at him by adding a suction tube inside the pole to really make his tongue stick. Schwartz freaked out and his reaction made it to the final cut of the film!
Actor Scott Schwartz has also appeared in several adult films under the name Scotty Schwartz.
Three iconic leg lamps were made for filming, and all three were broken during production.
Billingsley owns the iconic pink bunny suit and BB gun, and the glasses that get broken after he “shoots his eye out” were also his own.
The boy in the goggles who is waiting next to Ralphie in line to see Santa is not an actor. He was a real kid in the department store and the director decided to use him in the scene.
The snow in the movie was made using mashed potato flakes.
Ralphie says he wants the Red Ryder BB Gun 28 times throughout the course of the movie.
The Wonder Years was semi-inspired by A Christmas Story. In fact, Peter Billingsley appears as one of Kevin Arnold’s roommates in one of the last few episodes of The Wonder Years.
Special versions of the BB gun had to be made for the film. The Red Ryder BB Gun did exist at the time and was first made in 1938; however it lacked the compass and sundial that the movie version mentioned.
Though it takes place in Indiana, the movie split its filming between locations in Cleveland and Toronto.
None of the actors get royalty payments when A Christmas Story airs on TV, making it basically free to show continually for 24 hours.
The villain, Scott Farkus, is meant to be a wolf, of sorts. Farkus means “wolf” in Hungarian and his ‘theme song’ is Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf.
The leg lamp was inspired by an old soda pop ad for Nehi soda.
Ralphie’s rant when he’s beating up Farkus was actually scripted word for word.
Similarly, the rants made by the Old Man were also scripted.
The popular Chinese dinner scene was also unscripted. Melinda Dillon had no idea they were going to chop off the head of the duck, inspiring this candid reaction!
Sometimes you just need a little fun in your life! Check back every week for a new “Just Bee-cause” post, where I discuss everything from celebrity news to favorite videos and websites!
Filed under fun facts
How to Make an Origami Paper Star
Whether you need a last-minute Christmas decoration, a garland for New Year’s Eve, or you’re just looking for a cute way to decorate your bedroom or nursery, these adorable paper stars are a wonderful way to add style to your home.
You could gather them in a bowl, string them on a garland, hang them from a mobile, or just turn them into cute ornaments! The possibilities are endless and you’ll love how super easy these little stars are to make.
Though I made white stars here, you could easily use colored paper to create a whole rainbow of designs. And the width of your paper will also vary the size of your star…so if you want bigger stars, make your paper strips wider. For smaller stars, make your strips thinner (you may also have to make them a bit shorter, too so they’re not too thick when you try to form the points).
One of these stars took about a minute to make, if that. So as you learn the motion, you can power through a whole galaxy in no time!
How to Make Origami Paper Stars
Materials:
- Piece of 8 1/2 x 11 paper
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Tape
Instructions:
- Cut out two strips of paper, each measuring about 1 in. wide. Tape them together for a strip measuring 1 in. wide and 22 in. long.
- On one end of the strip, make a ribbon, with the short end behind the long end.
- Insert the small tab through the hole and pull gently to form a knot.
Oops, my paper ripped! No worries, you won’t see it! - Fold down the short end behind the piece.
- Then start folding the long strip up and around the piece, following the angles.
- Keep folding until you get to the end.
- Once you’re at the end, you’ll stick the end piece underneath these two folds.
- So you’ll have something like this.
- Then just push the side of the hexagon with your finger nail.
- Repeat on all sides for a star.
Celebrate creativity every Wednesday with a “Creativi-bee” post, where I share easy craft tutorials, project ideas, and craft collections.
Filed under easy craft projects
The True Meaning of Christmas
Come back every Tuesday for “The Bees Knees”, where I post the best quotes from my favorite movies, TV shows, songs, and books.
Filed under quotes
13 Delicious Recipes for Christmas Morning
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved Christmas morning. The smell of pepper bacon and cinnamon rolls, hearing my dad’s Christmas music and gathering with my family in our PJ’s…those memories are some of my favorites ever and I can’t wait to have similar memories with my children.
Through the years, we’ve varied Christmas morning breakfast a little bit, but there are a few things that are REQUIRED. First of all, pepper bacon. Not that crappy processed bacon. I’m talking real thick-cut bacon from the butcher sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper. It will change everything.
Second, cinnamon rolls. None of us even really like cinnamon rolls, but the smell of them is always what woke us up on Christmas morning.
Third…cookies. My dad was a cookie connoisseur. Gingerbreads, peppermint swirls, fudge, petit fours, homemade toffee…it was an indulgent platter of sweet bites.
Once those three things were covered, anything else was fair game. Roasted potatoes, bagels and shmear, casseroles. As long as it was high in carbs and starch, it was a contender for Christmas morning!
Now that my dad has passed on, my sister and I are trying to continue the tradition with our families. Of course, we’ll have the staples, but here are a few new recipes I’m adding to the list of possibilities to try out this year.
If your family celebrates Christmas morning together, please take the time to enjoy those powerful and meaningful moments. Stretch it out as long as you can. Laugh and tell stories and let yourself indulge in the magic of the season. Honor traditions…start traditions…and may you and yours enjoy a holiday filled with magic, wonder, and good cheer!
13 Delicious Recipes for Christmas Morning
Christmas Morning Coffee
thismamaloves.com
Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole
doughmesstic.com
Easy Overnight French Toast Bake
damndelicious.net
Million Dollar Bacon
thesweetestoccasion.com
Cranberry Orange Muffins
thebakerupstairs.com
Christmas Fruit Salad
serenabakessimplyfromscratch.com
Slow Cooker Baked Apples
themagicalslowcooker.com
Sausage Balls
familyfoodonthetable.com
Reindeer Doughnuts
themelrosefamily.com
Candy Cane Cream Cheese Danish
walkingonsunshinerecipes.com
Cinnamon Roll Waffles
pillsbury.com
Sausage and Egg Boats
dinnerordessert.com
Cranberry Mimosas
whoneedsacape.com
Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.
Filed under breakfast recipes
The Hob-bee Hive 