
Madonna turning 50 is
practically a holiday around here at Sugar HQ. I know
one mega-fan here in the office who couldn't be more excited about the Queen of Pop's birthday. While many appreciate Madge's tremendous impact on popular music, I am equally appreciative of some of her movie roles.

Christopher Nolan is a director who initially made a huge splash with a little budget and not much celebrity star power. He's the director of
The Dark Knight and the man responsible for resuscitating the Batman franchise. Not so long ago, he was an independent filmmaker, but after this weekend he'll probably be seen as one of the most influential creative forces in Hollywood.

I've been
really inspired by traveling this week — both because of my own itch to go on an adventure and because I have a handful of friends who are either planning their
honeymoon or enjoying it right now. As part of my travel urge, I got to thinking about movies that captured a culture and a country so well that they've made me add a new entry to my list of places I have vowed to visit. Come away with me on a mini-jaunt around the globe via this
movie night!

Tax season is upon us and I know how stressful it can be to dig up receipts, fill out the forms and file the ol' taxes. Although my friend
Savvy wouldn't be too happy to hear this, I have a bad habit of procrastinating and will find any reason to avoid doing my taxes. This year I have a new strategy: hold a money movie night with the following films and then do my taxes — no more excuses!

Though he wasn't nominated for any awards, I believe some of the year's best performances have come from Christian Bale (
3:10 to Yuma,
Rescue Dawn), and I'm a little sad that he's missing from the red carpet. The man has been honing his craft since he was a wee child and has been working steadily for years since. To properly pay my respects to the talented Mr.

For a French themed
Movie Night, transform your living room into a comforting French style bistro. Hang classic French posters on the walls and place fun pillows on the couches. A garden gnome makes a great conversation starter that ties into
the movie.

Now that the
movie nominations are rolling out, I've been playing catch up at the movies. I've got another date this Saturday night to go see
Juno. It's going to be pretty low-key, but I still need to look like my Fab self!

Deciding what drinks to serve at my French-themed
Movie Night was surprisingly trés facile! Besides sparkling and still water, I'll pour one signature cocktail and offer guests a tasting of French wines.
A French martini, made with pineapple juice and chambord, will be served with the
baked brie appetizer.

What's more quintessentially French than a soufflé? After we've finished
dinner at my French-themed movie night, I'll invite guests into the kitchen for chocolate soufflé — once the movie is over, of course. A soufflé is a glamorous dessert, the perfect finish to a leisurely dinner.

I am super excited about cooking a delicious French-inspired meal for my French themed
movie night. To get things started, I'll make a baked brie. Picholine olives and croutons will complement the melty cheese.