I'm looking at my calendar and it's already the 8th day of 2014. I was planning on taking a few days off at the beginning of the year and wow, did they go by quickly! Come to think of it, 2013 feels like it went by pretty quickly also. Is it just me, or is this one of those things people tend to repeat a lot as they get old? Shut up. ...
Disney
Saving Mr. Banks – a love story
The year was 1964 and my family had just moved from Florida to California. (Obviously, we've been here ever since, but that's not important right now.) I was nine years old. One of the very first things we did was visit Disneyland. It had captured our imaginations from early on and we were so excited to visit the iconic park. Of course, ...
Thor: The Dark World – A movie review (and love letter)
A few nights ago, my son, Jonathan and I had the pleasure of previewing the film, Thor: The Dark World in LA.If you don't already, please read about my great über-nerdy love of the character of Thor here. I was so thrilled to receive the invitation from Disney Pictures to see the film. Especially because I got to share the moment with ...
For the Love of Olaf
Remember that time I spent the day at the Disney Animation Studio in Burbank? Obviously, being an artist myself, and a techno-geek, and a lover of all-things-Disney made it a fantastically fantastic day for me. (Emphasis on the "fan" part.) We had the priviledge of being immersed in the world of Disney's FROZEN, the latest animated ...
My Big, Fat, FROZEN, Cuban Family
The invitation read as follows: "Come experience some cool things heating up at the long lead Press Day for Disney's FROZEN."In other words, how would I like to spend a day at the Walt Disney Animation Studios and meet the producer, directors, animation team, art directors, and tech geniuses behind the upcoming Disney ...
Summer Movie Must-See: Monsters University
We are kind of serious movie nerds around here. If you've been reading this blog for a while you already know this. We're also serious Disney fans and faithfully worship at the altar of the gods at Pixar. (Oh, you know what I mean. Don't get weird.) You would think that with no young children in the house the days of ...
Picket Fences, Roses and Contentment
When we moved into our home twelve years ago, it was the Eyesore of the Neighborhood. Many of our new neighbors told us so. They didn't even blush when they said it. "Oh, you're the new family that moved into the Eyesore of the Neighborhood." (Okay, so maybe that wasn't a direct quote, but you get the idea.) The house had ...
Kikita, the Luckiest Girl in the World, Sees Ruben Blades in Concert
I very well may be the luckiest girl in the world. I'm sure there are other girls that think that, but I bet I can make a pretty good case for being the luckiest. (This is Kikita, by the way, Marta's eldest daughter. <-- That alone makes me pretty lucky, but that's not important right now ;-D) A little over a week ago, my timbales ...
Lucy and The Wardrobe (and the Mamey Smoothie)
I was in Burbank with my girls recently. Our intention was to get a quick bite (and some provisions to bring home) from Portos. Portos is a divine Cuban Bakery that's not too close to where we live, but very drivable in a pinch. And we had business in Burbank so we weren't even cheating. Of course we were deluding ourselves. A trip to ...
Kikita Loves Monkeys
Familia! It's Kikita here. In case you didn't know, I love monkeys.I also love movies.So when the chance to see a movie about monkeys comes up, I'm SOOO there. "The Lion King" is my favorite Disney movie and Rafiki is a huge reason for that."Aladdin" is one of my favorite Disney movies because of Abu.Can you guess ...