The Importance of Women Friends

Sometimes in our society, women are portrayed as back-stabbing, jealous, gossipy busy queens, with out real friends. I can honestly say I am grateful for this friendship the belles have together. It is true, that we only had one common denominator when we started this wonderful adventure, Shannon. But as our wise leader noted, we came together for a purpose. That purpose binds us 5 different, opinionated, loving women and shows all women it can be done. As Leslie posted earlier it is about compromises. We are there for each other, to build each other up and to learn how to be a better friend. I want my daughters to see how wonderful and meaningful it is to have true women friends! To see the comradeship, the laughter, the silliness, the work it takes to get along. There are times when only another women knows what you are going through. That connection that is there from being a wife, a mom, a sister, a daughter, a friend , a women. I give a loud HALLELUJAH for all the true friendship that have survived through time and distance. It is hard. I know I have lost some along the way, but I have wonderful memories and I have a hope that there will be a reconnection one day. I also have those who have been with me for years and will always be there. I have been blessed in my life with all different women friends. I meet new ones everyday. I learn from every single one. I say to all women out there," WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER" and that would be surviving true friendship. I will have these belles with me forever!

RE......think.

So I thought that I would blog a little bit about the "theme" of Sundance this year... REBEL. It is something, that I am sure many of you find, not a bit surprising, that I am an expert in!! Well, I have to say, I am glad to see Sundance heading back into the original direction it was in when I first started attending the festival, almost 10 years ago. Back in the day, and even before.... Sundance was a festival committed to bringing new artist, directors, writer, actors together, exposing the broader public to a grittier, somehow more "real", raw, gorilia style of film making. It was an artistic endevour for all "small fish in a VERY big pond" filmmakers to have their film even considered for the festival, even greater to get in! I have seen some genius films in the past, made for very little money ($25,000 or so) and being SO happy for the director when he / she stands up in the crowd to accept the accolades of the cheering film aficionados and shyly answer intriguing questions at the Q&A..... But then, something changed, around 2004 or '05.... films started appearing on the roster that were already "picked-up" by MAJOR labels.... no more of the "poor filmmaker, 'I put it all on my credit card'", kind of stories. Instead, they were all "tapped" by the institute (Sundance Institute). They all "knew the right people".....

So, why go to an "independent" film festival, if it's "corporate"?? I think that must be the question many people began to ask not only themselves, but Sundance, as well..... When you have to be bothered by hoping traffic is not cut off because Brittany Spears is coming down the sidewalk with an entourage, you know it's gotten WAY TOO TRENDY. Trendy is NOT independent!

This year, though, was a breath of fresh air. Maybe it was because of the recession, and only people who really WANTED to watch movies came. Or maybe it was the selection of very indie feeling, gritty films about rebellion, rock & roll and freedom movements that kept the weaker away..... THANK GOODNESS! This year, the theme was "rebel" but it was also "re _____" in general.... you know, rethink, renew, redux, reveal...etc... you get the picture. Basically, rethink what you know, what you do, who you see and make it all better, more original, more.... REal.

Shannon

Gazing at the Stars...and I don't mean the ones in the sky!

Well after spending the last week, okay maybe two, in a state of SWD...or Sundance Withdrawal Depression...I am now ready to write (type) my little fingers off about the Belles wonderful trip. What an experience...one that I have wanted to have for SO long...thank you Shannon for asking me every year and for allowing it to happen this time!
When the Belles talked about seeing films...I mean, thats why you go to Sundance...never in my wildest dreams did I envision seeing as many as we did. I figured we would probably see one a day...ummmm....that would be a negative! We saw movies from sun up to sun down...factor in also the times we waited in line to get tickets to those movies we didn't already have tickets to and you can say our days and nights revolved around seeing amazing films. Not to mention the question and answer sessions after each movie. I had heard about these but I was blown away when the actual actors would come out and talk to the audience.
I am a pop culture junkie...and I love celebrity news. I am a faithful and loyal subscriber to US Weekly and watch the "news" every evening on the E channel. But nothing truly prepared me for actually seeing with my own two eyes actual movie stars walking beside me, in stores, in restaurants and in the various theaters where we viewed the films. Of course Shannon informed me I had to act cool and not take pictures or gawk at them...and I did...but the wonderful memories I have of seeing them, being next to them on a shuttle bus or get this...having them sit behind me in the theater...and YES...this happened... are all memories I will cherish!
Orlando Bloom was probably one of the biggest stars we saw....others were Mark Ruffalo, Juliette Lewis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Josh Radnor, Parker Posey, Jason Ritter...just to name a few. We also saw the actors and directors from many of the foreign films and documentaries we saw and a few times you could even see a celebrity while you were waiting to get in the theater. James Franco anyone?? And for all you reality television show viewers out there....I saw Constantine from American Idol fame and in the fur boutique I was standing next to Gretchen from the Real Housewives of Orange County. Jon Gosselin was also there that week but much to my dismay I didn't get to run into him~rats!!!
Yes, I did indeed have stars in my eyes...I will never forget being that close to some of Hollywood's finest. For this Southern Belle it was a dream come true!

Sundance shopping: Main Street in Park City offers a bounty of stylish boutiques - Salt Lake Tribune

Sundance shopping: Main Street in Park City offers a bounty of stylish boutiques - Salt Lake Tribune

So if you read my post below about the great deals I researched online before I went you will see that I should be a professional shopper. Check out the article link above and look how their picks match mine!!!

Keep the Belles Hopping

Traveling with friends can either strengthen the friendship or break it. As belles we find it important to remember to take precautions to make traveling together enjoyable and fun! When traveling with friends make sure to keep these things in mind: flexibility, patience and selflessness and compromise.

Flexibility is key when traveling. We are five different belles with five different personalities and interests. Without flexibility our belle hopping escapades would quickly come to an end. I think it is important to meet, email, talk on the phone before the trip and state each person's expectations before leaving. It is best to put this in writing so that it can be referred to during the planning of activities before arrival. Often you may want to try something new, like skiing on our Sundance trip and everyone agrees to this activity, but there might also be an activity that you just aren't interested in that you might want to sit out such as a movie that you just aren't interested in seeing. Remember that when you are on a trip with friends there will be activities that you should all do together so you should be flexible but at the same time you should express what you want out of the trip and have that heard and included in the plans. For the Sundance trip we planned many together activities like the Snowed Inn dinner, shopping, movie watching and skiing. This was the result of listening and planning based on everyones' wants! By being flexible we were all able to enjoy activities that we wanted.

Patience is a virtue! How true that statement is -- especially with the belles! Remember that not everyone is like you and that usually is a good thing because it takes all kinds to make the world go round right??? So, when you are traveling with that friend that has the need to take a picture of EVERYTHING be patient! When you are all ready to go and one friend needs to apply that last layer of hairspray for the perfect touch -- be patient!! When you are a light sleeper and go to bed early and your friends need to pass by you for a glass of water, shower, etc -- be patient!!! Try to keep in mind that most likely if you are being patient with your friends they are most likely being patient with your need to look up everything and be two hours early just in case :)

Selflessness and compromise make traveling with the belles a success! I can honestly say that we wouldn't work as a group if any one of us had to have our way all the time. It is all about compromise and giving of self. Sometimes you want to do it your way -- we are all like that! There are those that naturally seem to insert their thoughts and tend to lead the group in one direction but remember to be honest about your feelings. Remember to give and take with your friends. Treat everyone as you would want to be treated. The golden rule is imperative!

So, traveling with friends is about building relationships, sharing in fun times and trying something new! It is important to check your egos at the door of the plane. Remember that you are with your friends because you love them and want to spend time with them. Most of all, remember that the trip is about strengthening the relationships with others and not tearing them apart. Be like the belles and try traveling with friends keeping these ideas in mind.

Well, I suppose I should give you a break down on movies etc.... and will do so soon, but I am still trying to process everything I saw and figure out the best way to present all of my critiques. SO, for now, I figured it would be helpful out there to talk about visiting places that only ONE person in the group has been. In Vegas, last year, I was the only "experienced" traveler to Sin City and it was fun but exhausting for me, since I had that "tour guide" mentality..... Well, this trip was probably amplified 50%. Why?? Well, we had, not only the belles, but also 3 hubbies along for the fun. Sundance is "my thing" since I spent 12 years working in "the business" and have been going to the Sundance Film Festival off and on for the past 10 years. So, my expectations for the experience are pretty high, and I feel obligated to provide the highest standard of experience for the belles traveling with me.

BUSES:

Well, the buses NEVER ran on time, and since it is just about the ONLY means of transportation for the festival, it sometimes became stressful getting the whole gang on and off of buses on time and in the right place for all of our many, and I mean MANY movies. At times, I just felt like walking, and the first night we did!

DINNING:

Dinning was a little less stressful, but trying to celeb site and find an affordable lunch / dinner can be a challenge. I just took them to the old tried and trues Pizza & Noodles on Main and Bankok Thai on Main.... both a sure bet for Celebrities and in the $15-25 range.

MOVIE WAIT LISTING/VIEWING:

Well, this was the part of the experience that is hard to convey the IMPORTANCE of pre-registering and pre-buying as many tickets as possible BEFORE you get to the festival. We only had 3 people get a pre-buying time slot, so we were VERY limited in the tickets we had going into the festival...... who cares, right? Well, everyone, except me (since I had a pass) had to get in line at 6am for a 8:30 movie..... in the freezing cold! Luckily I had a rental car, so I could drop them off and get them sausage biscuits and hot chocolate, but it was quite a morning! My suggestion to anyone interested in attending this festival is to buy as much upfront as possible... if you can swing it, buy a pass, any pass... just get something that ensures you will have SOMETHING in hand and won't have to wait list everything you want to see.

Final solution: it may be easier to visit places that no one has gone...... I know the next belle trip will be that way.

Home

Well, I got home Wednesday around 1am and am finally able to blog. I missed finishing the trip with the belles, but I had a Sweet Sixteen party to throw for my first born. I am not a big movie buff, but I loved everything we did! Doug and I were the last ones to arrive in Salt Lake. We had a nice 4 hour layover in Dallas and arrived in Salt Lake in a blizzard! Well, compared to what we get in Georgia it was!! After we got our mac daddy black all wheel drive Suburban, we headed out to meet the rest of the gang. Thanks Shannon for getting our dinner! First stop was getting the guys their ski gear for the weekend of fun! The belles left them to their own, and we set out to get to the condo before the pass ticket place closed. We had a great one bedroom condo with 2 beds and one murphy bed and one couch. Thank you Angela! I hope your neck feels better.

The guys went night skiing and we went and got tickets for some of the movies. Saturday was so much fun! I have never skied and all the belles signed up for the Never Beginner Ski class! I love to learn new things and test my athletic abilities. I went thinking I would not like to ski, but ended up almost loving it!! I will definitely do it again!! We had so much fun and I was the only one to fall 3 times! So much for my athletic abilities! Sunday Doug and I went snow tubing, but at the wrong place! It was not one I recommend, but one we got laughs out of. While I was there, I noticed the air was so crisp! You could not help but love to walk and observe all the different scenes. What a wonderful trip and the next one we take I will be there until the end!