What happens in Vegas...

I am off to Vegas for our annual January trip :-) Hope the weather stays nice and cold so we can go to Mt. Charleston on Thursday! I'll be back next week with some pictures and more money [I hope].

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Favorite Childhood Book Gone Hollywood

As a kid, one of my favorite things was the time right before I went to bed and my dad would let me pick a bed time story for him to read. My go-to books were from my Roald Dahl collection. There was Matilda, The Twits, and James & The Giant Peach but I absolutely loved Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. My imagination would run wild at the possibilities of having a candy that would never disappear - the everlasting gobstopper or have a gum that could be a three course meal... If any book could spark a child's imagination it was this book. I mean what kid doesn't love candy? 


I watched the original movie with Gene Wilder and the dreams of this candy factory seemed to come to life right out of the book. In 2005, with the assistance of more advanced technology Tim Burton took on the challenge of recreating this classic (I just watched the Tim Burton version the other night for the 4th or 5th time, hence this post). Every time I watch it I appreciate his work more and more. He painted this movie with such careful detail. The color of every candied apple and blade of edible grass just grabs your eye. You can't look away for a second because you WILL miss something. Tim Burton is known for the dark, borderline creepy twists he puts on movies and he sure didn't leave it out of this movie. Despite all of the bright, yummy colors he still incorporated darkness into the mix. Charlie Bucket's home was a dark, twisted structure sitting atop a cold and lonely hill outside of the bright and bustling city. Diving into the background of Willy Wonka, showing his dark childhood under an overbearing father. 


I don't think this movie could have been any better. It was perfectly rich and delicious in every way. If you haven't seen this movie or read the book may I suggest you lose yourself in the magic :-)

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Island Delights

If you've ever visited Hawaii then you know that one of the most popular snacks for children and adults alike, is none other than... SHAVE ICE! It's made using a machine that "shaves" blocks of ice to a powdered snow-like consistency. You then pick the flavor of syrup or syrups you'd like and at some places there is even a selection of toppings you can choose from as well. 

One of our favorite places to visit for shave ice is Ice Garden in Aiea. It is a small little store run by two little old ladies. They don't even have a cash register... just a money tin to hold your payment, scratch paper & pen, and a calculator. What we love best about this place is that they have wonderful home-made toppings like sweet taro, azuki beans, vanilla ice cream, condensed milk, mochi balls, and li-hing mui. Jay and I love the #9 :-) Rootbeer syrup, vanilla ice cream, and mochiballs! Delish!

Here are some pictures from our visit today:

This is a shorter line than usual:

This is the tiny shop. The little counter space seats about 6:

All the most popular combinations:

The #9 - Rootbeer syrup, vanilla ice cream, & mochiballs:

Resolutions

So here are a few of my resolutions:

++ Be healthier - eat better & get back to my active life

++ Work nicely with Jay to plan our big day :-)

++ Stop procrastinating... at everything!

++ Make time for myself to do the things I love doing

++ Save money... I think this will be the hardest to achieve

++ Cuss less... K, maybe this might be the hardest to achieve :-p

Well these are the things I'd like to work on the most so I'll start here.  I like setting goals, just gotta stay focused! Good luck to you sticking to your resolutions!