Made of Win Monday: People Who Can Laugh At Themselves

Photo by Mark Evans

In general, I'm pretty easy to get along with. I'm not high maintenance, I don't anger easily, and I'm a live-and-let-live kind of person. But one thing I can't handle is someone who can't laugh or make fun of himself (or herself.) If you take yourself too seriously, we probably wouldn't make great friends. Because the more serious you take yourself, the more it's going to stir up my sarcastic side.

So when I see an actor who I've always liked being self-deprecating, it gives me the happys. If you've hung around here long enough, you know I'm a Dawson's Creek fan from way back. And though I've always been Team Pacey, I always had a soft spot for Dawson too. 

And now James Van Der Beek is playing himself on the new TV show Don't Trust the B In Apartment 23  (how freaking long is that title?). But anyway, here is James reenacting a Dawson moment. Pretty funny. And James, this self-deprecating side only makes me like you more.

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

And just for old time's sake, here's the infamous ugly cry from Dawson...

So do you have any people in your life who take themselves too seriously? Can you laugh at yourself? Am I the only one who had this as a "must have" quality in a husband and/or friend?

Made of Win Monday: Frozen Planet

Okay, so this probably comes as a huge shock to you all, but I'm a total dork. (I know, you're stunned, right? *snort*) And one of the things I can't resist is a fabulous documentary. Even if I don't *think* I'm interested in a topic, a great documentary can hook me every time. And right now Discovery is showing an amazing one on the Arctic and Antarctic called Frozen Planet. If you watched the Planet Earth series a few years ago, this is similar.

I watched the first installment last night and it was fascinating. Anytime I see something like this, I'm left in awe of how intricately put together our world is, how everything is connected. (*hums "The Circle of Life") There was even a caterpillar that literally freezes to death then comes back to life every Spring. Craziness.

But beyond the information, the stuff they've captured on camera is downright stunning. Look at this shot they got of a sea lion stalking some penguins. The view of the sea lion silhouette in the wave in the background is crazy. (You have to play the video to see the shot I'm referring to.)

I'm sure last night's episode will be replayed some time this week, so I highly suggest you check it out even if you think it's not something you'd be into. Who can resist learning about criminal penguins?

New episodes will air every Sunday night. Deets are here.

Did anyone else watch last night? Any other documentary nerds out there? :)

Made of Win Monday: Movies That TRULY Make You LOL

We throw around the slang "LOL" a lot these days. If we were using it true to form, half the world would be obnoxiously laughing at any given moment. But, of course, usually when we use it, we're exaggerating. It just means we found something funny, maybe it made us smile. Most of us aren't truly laughing out loud eighty times a day. They may lock us up if that were the case.

So it's always a treat when something really brings forth a good old-fashioned honest laugh. If you laugh so hard, you cry--even better. And one of the best places to get those kinds of real laughs is by going to the movies. Unfortunately, movies can be hit or miss, so finding one that really brings on the funny is always made of win.

This weekend hubs and I saw This Means War and, though I had to suspend disbelief dramatically for some parts, I really ended up enjoying the movie. AND I LOLed more than once. I actually had to use a napkin to blot my eyes because I started to tear up. And it reminded me how long it had been since I'd really laughed in a movie.

So when you find those movies, appreciate them. They're sometimes hard to come by.  Here are some other movies I can remember that made me laugh hard in the theatre.

 

Nine Months - The first time I saw this, the trip to the hospital and the birth scene sent me into one of those laughing fits where I started to gasp for breath.

 

40 Year Old Virgin - I still want to yell out "Kelly Clarkson!" at random times because of this movie.

 

Wayne's World - A classic. I mean, if you didn't laugh the first time you saw the Bohemian Rhapsody scene, you might be dead inside. : )

 

Bridesmaids - The scene in the bridal shop...come on. That's just pure comic genius there.

The Hangover - Too many scenes to pick just one.

Sixteen Candles - Admittedly, I didn't see this one in the theatre, but it never fails to make me laugh.

So I'm interested to hear, what movies have made you really, truly laugh? Which old ones do you go to when you need a pick-me-up?

Made of Win Monday: The Concert Rush

Photo by Incase (click pic for link)So hubs and I have an addiction. For most couples, a romantic evening would entail a nice quiet dinner and maybe a movie out. Now, I can appreciate that kind of night like anyone else. But my ideal romantic evening is heading out to a crowded, dark place and screaming at strangers with thousands of our newest friends. In other words, a concert. : )

(If you want to see who I've seen live, I've made a Pinterest board. I realized as I was putting it together that I think I may be nearing 100 concerts. No, I don't have a problem, not at all. *cough*) 

I was introduced to concerts at a pretty young age. My parents have always been music lovers and started taking me along when I was about ten. I also dragged them to a few New Kids on the Block concerts before that. : ) But as soon as I started going, I was hooked.

There's something about that rush of shared excitement. How often do you get to be somewhere with thousands of people who are all happy and having fun at the same time? In a world where we exist amongst so much day to day grumpiness, it's a huge rush to be in the middle of all that positive energy, singing your favorite songs with others who love them as much as you do.

That rush is made of pure win, y'all.

So are you a concert person? What's the best concert you've ever been to? The worse? Who is on your bucket list of bands/singers you want to see? 

Made of Win Monday: Shows That Bring You Back

Image by Brian Gurralo (click pic for link)

Welcome to the very first Made of Win Monday. This day is going to be reserved for simple things that are awesome because sometimes it's easy to forget to appreciate the little things.

Now, I'm a sentimental person by nature. I hold on to way too much, and I love things that drag me back to good memories. Music would be the obvious one, but another thing that does this for me is watching old TV shows. If I'm feeling out of sorts or down, nothing can cheer me up quicker than pulling out old episodes of a show that flips that sentimental switch inside me.

And those are also the shows that I tend to buy box sets of on DVD. So what are my shows?

To bring me back to high school...

My So-Called Life

Dude, I was DEVASTATED when this show was cancelled after one season. I actually wrote a letter to the network. I think that may have been my first act of "activism" in my life, lol. Beyond the fact that Jared Leto was the hottest thing I'd ever seen on TV, the show spoke to me in a way nothing else did at the time. (I was 15 when the show aired.) I've since heard that it would've been renewed but Claire Danes didn't want to do another season. (Claire, you wound me.) But anytime I want to be brought back to my innocent, angsty teenage years, I break out My So-Called Life.

College

Dawson's Creek

This show started during my first year of college. I remember me and my college roommates gathering around the TV on Dawson's Creek night eating french bread pizza (about as gourmet as our cooking got back then.) This show had everything I could want--angst, love triangles, romance, and teenagers who used big words like I did. I own all the seasons on DVD and every few years I break them out and go all the way from season 1 through 6. It makes me all warm and fuzzy just thinking about Joey and Pacey. Hmm, maybe I'm due for some reruns again.

The Show I Grew Up With

Friends

Ah, Friends. This show was on from the time I was 14 until I was 24. That's a huge portion of my formative years and part of me feels like this show is part of my DNA. Quotes still come to my head on a regular basis. (Does "I didn't get a cat" mean anything to you? Here's my fave scene of all time.) I also had the Rachel haircut (bad decision) and one of those huge coffee mugs even though I didn't drink coffee. Maybe I should seek therapy. I do resemble Chandler a bit too much I fear. But I have the box set of this one too. It's like balm for my soul.

All right, so those are my shows that can bring me back in time. What are yours? Do you have any shows you just HAD to own so you can access them anytime you want?