Harry Potter Exhibit NYC

We spent Father's Day in NYC attending the Harry Potter Exhibit! Actually, the outing was a gift from my Father {aka, Pappy} to the Fif for her Birthday. I always appreciate these outing/gifts from Pappy because while the event itself is always great, the time spent together with my dad, his wife + my brothers is truly excellent.

{Me + my Dad...} As a pretty {ahem, ridiculous} die hard Harry Potter fan, it seemed almost essential that I go to see the exhibit {which I believe will be in NYC until September, if you're interested in attending}. It was kind of surreal to be able to see all of the actual costumes + movie props that I know only too well from watching the Harry Potter movies again + again. However, being the good Harry Potter addict I am, enough is never enough! In spite of all of what WAS there from the movies, I was bummed to have not seen more on my favorite characters like Narcissa Malfoy {they did have her wand, my fav. wand by far}, Sirius Black + Bellatrix Lestrange {they had their Azkaban costumes, wands + clothes from Order of the Pheonix}...and ofcourse Severus Snape, *le sigh* {we did see his wand, costume + Potions Book from The Half-Blood Prince}. {Ahem, "Fifi-mione" as the Fif likes to be called...}
But really, the exhibit was truly amazing.... Not only were there tons of costumes + props spanning YEARS of filming, there were also entire pieces of sets on display, including one of my favs: Delores Umbridge's PINK office from The Order of the Pheonix. Yet I'd have to say that one of the biggest highlights of the exhibit were all of the creatures on display such as Fawkes the Pheonix, a Centaur, the head of the Hungarian Horntail, Mandrakes that the kiddos could actually pull from their pots and my ALL TIME favorite, Buckbeak the hippogriff {half bird/horse creature}. Spectacular!

While my brother + the little Folk had "fun" eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans {in actual disgusting flavours like earwax, vomit, earthworm, rotten egg, sausage + dirt among more normal jelly bean flavours} and chocolate frogs, I was more than happy to enjoy a nice late lunch before heading home. It was such a great birthday gift for the Fif + a most excellent way to spend Father's Day!Oh, and if you are so inclined {+ are as much a Harry Potter fan as I am}, here is a fun online test to find out which House at Hogwarts you would be sorted into. My Mister is a Hufflepuff...and me...well, I wasn't surprised with which house I was sorted into, but maybe I'll let you guess anyway? Post me your guess + let me know where you were sorted, just for fun!

Hoping your weekend + Father's Day celebrations were just fabulous!

xo.

Black Swan

A few weekends ago, my mister and I went on a date night with another couple to see the movie, Black Swan. It is a psychological thriller about a ballerina in the NYC Ballet Company {played by Natalie Portman} who slowly looses her mind as she strives for perfection in her performance of both Odette {the Swan Queen} and Odile {Odette's naughty twin, the Black Swan} in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.

There had been some hype around the movie, most of which concerned how much weight Natalie Portman had lost to portray a prima ballerina. As the move began, I sat, ready to be shocked...but I wasn't. Having been to the ballet twice this last year, I could only commend Portman on both her appearance {as far as what professional dancers really do look like} and her dancing performance {which with over a year of intense training under her belt, she did most of herself!} While I am not usually a fan of scary movies, this was more of a true psychological thriller & tragedy, which left the audience simultaneously captivated + haunted.

I don't think there is a woman alive who leaves the ballet, {or this movie}, without secretly coveting the strong, thin, streamline dancer's body. It is really a level of fitness that few people could actually {or do} ever achieve. The following week, my lady friend {whom I had seen this flick with} brought over the January VOGUE + we poured over the interview with Natalie Portman. The pictures were amazing and interview was quite good; telling us about how Portman was a dancer before moving more seriously into acting, that she is a vegetarian/ vegan {love her!} + that she has some great producing projects in the works along with being an expecting first time mama.

As I thought of the movie + looked at the beautiful photos, one line of the interview stood out for me above others. The author writes of Portman, "With posture as straight as is she had never hunched to text...blah, blah, blah". And then it hit me, it is not only a ballerina's extreme thinness + strength that is so enchanting, but also how she carries herself. Having grown up dancing ballet myself, I know that the art of ballet lies in being able to make something that is SO incredibly difficult seem as if it were the easiest thing in the world. By the time I stopped dancing at 17, I felt that my body had changed in such a way that I did not have much a future in dance past the point I was at {...boobs and all}. Ironically, 13 years + 3 children later, I feel I am in alteast as good of shape {if not better} than I was when I stopped dancing, however, all of my flexibility and conditioning is gone. And this quote from the interview in Vogue got me thinking... Having loved dancing ballet from the time I was a very small girl, I thought about how I could incorporate some of that graceful discipline into the life I live today. I decided that I must do something with my new found inspiration! While I might never loose another pound {god help me, Natalie's character in Black Swan SO needed a Sammich!}, I think I would like to regain some of that ballet flexibility + conditioning. I have ordered a Ballet workout DVD to do at home and will see how I make out with that...and then who knows, perhaps even join up with an adult class at a studio at some point? Inspiration makes itself known in the most random of places...and I believe age and maturity offers us the wisdom which motivates us to once again enjoy things and activites that we may have written off. I feel so very excited about this new challege. I wonder, what source of random inspiration has motivated you to take on a new challenge recently?

xo.

"The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters."

Ah, this is a favorite quote of mine from Harry Potter; The Order of the Pheonix. It is spoken by Sirius Black {my favorite character name of all time...surprise, surprise}, who is Harry Potter's Godfather, played by actor Gary Oldman.

Sirius goes on to say that, "We've all got both dark and light inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."

*************

I believe in this quote whole-heartedly. Whenever I'm faced with a tough situation, I try to remind myself that every crisis is an opportunity to change for the better. Infact, it is not just in crisis, but each day that is an opportunity to act from the light inside of us. To be optimistic, compassionate, gentle, empathetic, humble + forgiving. People are not good or {lol} Death Eaters + the world is a very gray place with few absolutes. It is this gray that makes life an adventure; you never really know what will happen next! But every so often, people can suprise you + show you who they really are by acting from the light within themselves. At a time when I began to feel very stuck; that perhaps a part of my world was {+ would remain} very black + white, someone I had not expected to showed me compassion, humility + empathy. While I cannot know what {if anything at all} will come from it, I am grateful to know that indeed the world is not made up of good people + Death Eaters; that change is always possible + life is full of surprises.

xo.

"Let the stars in the sky remind us of man's compassion...let us love till we die & God bless us everyone..."

If I could recommend any movie this holiday season, it would be this production of A Christmas Carol; a musical starring Kelsey Grammer as Scrooge along side a fabulous cast. The music is just amazing...especially this one ditty that seems to stick in my head throughout the entire season. {sorry, I couldn't get it directly from youtube...but please, take the time to cut and paste the link below + check out this hauntingly beautiful song.} I hope everyone has enough time to get this on their Netfilx queue...or head on down to the video store...it is worth it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR2-GJmXOGw

"In your heart there's a light as bright as a starry heaven...let it shine through the night and God bless us everyone.....Star by star in the sky and kindness by human kindness, let me love till I die and God bless us everyone..."

xo.

Harry Potter Weekend, Vegan Style

There are just no words to describe just how much I want to dive through my computer and devour this plate of Harry Potter Vegan goodness! I can't take responsibility though! This fantabulous meal is from the very magical Very Vegan Holiday {...at wordpress dot com}

Don't be shy...go, loooook....you know you want it.

Butterbeer
Herbology Salad with Liquid Luck Vinaigrette
Shepherd’s Pie
Sauteed Gillyweed
Golden Galleon Beets
Pumpkin Pasties

This is all most definately on my to make list.

xo.

Harry Potter Night

So how excited is everyone that TONIGHT, the first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be in theatres?? Actually, for many a brave + die hard fan, the movie was playing at midnight of 11/18-11/19...however, for the rest of us...well, we'll just have to wait for a better time {aka., when we can get babysitters!}

Having read or listened to all of the Harry Potter books on CD, I am beside myself to go and see the story unfold on the big screen. However, in the meantime, I have been lucky enough to happen accross a series of Harry Potter documentaries on the Biography Channel this week that satiated my Harry Potter fiending. I saved atleast 3, including one based on the "Sound/ Music", another on "Creatures" and finally, one documentary on "The making of Harry Potter". {If you happen to have ON DEMAND, I would look to see if you can find these!!}

**************

What stood out for me was that while there were what seemed like bajillions of kids who tried our for the roles of Harry Potter {and Hermione + Ron for that matter} there was quite alot hanging on the choice that would be made. And Speaking of Hermione {and having watched these actors grow up on screen over the last several years...I do ADORE her bold + beautiful new do!}

Getting back to my point though, while watching the Biography documentaries about choosing the actors who would play these characters {Harry, Hermione, Ron, etc.}, or ANY character in this series of movies...well, they all had to be, DIFFERENT. Harry Potter was not like many movies {or Books} where the most beautiful or handsome characters would be chosen. NO, the success of Harry Potter comes from the fact that it speaks to the heart of all of us who have ever felt on the fringe; like we did not quite fit in.

I love that fact that so many people around the globe are at present, rushing to see a movie about a boy, who in real life, would most likely be shunned + excluded by many a movie goer. But here is what I am also thinking about. This movie {and the books} have grossed more in $ than almost any other...so it has me wondering...are there more of us that also feel that the world of Harry Potter is a refuge than we had originally thought? Has the minority of those of us who have felt peripheral in our lives now become the majority? You know, I think that is most certainly the case.

{Hear playing faintly in backgroung: "We are the world, we are the children....we are the one's who make a brighter day,so lets start givin'"}

SO many of us, especially here in America, where we have experienced such difficult times {like those of 9/11}, often tend to withdraw...perhaps out of fear or just plain sadness. While Hogwarts was a home for many a lost child, like Harry, and my favorite person, Severus Snape...we need to be sure that we all are not so cruel and distant from one another that we create a world of heartless, power hungry Voldemorts. We need to embrace each other like we have embraced Harry Potter and his crew of geeky, freaky, misfit friends. I hope that everyone who is excited to go has an opportunity to get to the theatre this weekend to see Harry Potter. And my absolute best to every person on this weekend before Thanksgiving; friend, foe, wizard + weirdo

{...."there's a choice we're makin', we're savin' our own lives. It's true, let's make a better day just you and me!"}
xo.

eclipse

This afternoon after the beach, we have a date with the little air conditioned movie theatre in our tiny little town. Yes, today we are finally going to see Eclipse of the famed Twilight series. I'm hoping for a good amount of Carlisle face time, myself. And yes, while I know that sitting in a movie theatre watching vampire fighting and a whole buch of teen angst is a most unusual of way to celebrate the 4th of July, somethings just cannot be helped!

We have a sitter this afternoon, need I say more?

***************

Wishing you and yours a very safe and happy July 4th!

a wonderland

Although I'm sure it is clear, I'm a bit of an Alice in Wonderland fan...and of Lewis Carroll in general. So often when I see something I like in regards to art work or home decoration, I have found that there is usually a certain wonderland-esque offness to it that catches my eye. Or atleast that was true in this case when I saw a photograph of a wall decorated with many empty picture frames, all painted the same color. I had been looking for something to do in the Fif's room and this bit of inspiration reminded me so much of Alice falling down the rabbit hole into wonderland. This was what I came up with for my frames...and while I was at it, I thought a bit of wonderland would do nicely on the other bare walls...something to tie the room together...

This should help to make sense of the mushroom I was drawing on the wall in my {a moment} a couple of weeks ago. A bit after that, I spent a really hot afternoon in the air conditioning painting that mushroom. The kids colored while I worked and sang merry little tunes. And so while I had zip i dee doo dah stuck in my head for the rest of the day, atleast it kept most of the quarrels at bay. And incase you were still unsure about whether this was wonderland {...I cheated}, I ordered some adhesive wording. I thought these were fun choices for phrases. And now we have a room! I think, perhaps the use of non traditional, more neutral colors will help the decor be a bit more timeless than the alternative.

***************
So after an afternoon of painting, I squeezed the tiniest of my babes and said, "thank you for being so patient with me today while I painted!" We spent the rest of the evening snuggling and every now and then we would take a walk down the hall to the Fif's room to admire my handy work...humming, zip i dee doo dah, zip i dee ay...

Alice in Wonderland

I apologize for having been remiss in not taking a moment to say just how much I adore the new Alice in Wonderland movie that came out on DVD last week. Ofcourse, I'm certain you would have guessed that. Yes, you would have! This movie goes right to the top with some of my other favourites including Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Nanny McPhee, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Penelope, and the like. You can see the pattern emerging here, can't you? Besides the obvious visuals, what I am also enjoying is the fabulous score; and this song in particular.

The Fif and I have been jamming out to this tune lately. {Sheepishly, the movie kind of plays on repeat some days.} At the risk of being completely corny, the song kind of speaks to me; kind of makes you feel empowered in an Avril kind of way. And I think many of us can relate to feeling like the world is kind of strange + confusing at times; whether it be global or personal level.

So enjoy the tune, watch the movie if you've not yet had a chance to and Mr. Burton, my hat is off to you! Have wonderful weekend everyone!

"why can't you wear black shoes like the other mothers?"

One of my most favourite movies of all time is Chocolat. As if the wonderful story, perfect character depictions, catchy musical score and vibrant color schemes were not enough, the movie touches me on a more personal level. Like Anuk in the movie, I was raised by a single mother; a very attractive, educated, successful, and slightly eccentric mother. Oh sure, the families from our town and from the private school I attended were nice enough, but I never felt like we completely belonged.

******************************
My own situation as a mama is similar and different at the same time. While I am so grateful to have a wonderful mister in my life, it seems that some of my mother's eccentric nature {along with hopefully a bit of her attractiveness and smarts} have rubbed off on me as well. Back nearly five years ago, as a new mama moving in to a small town {very much like the one I grew up in}, I did almost everything I could to fit in with the townsfolk. Part of me thought that if everyone liked me, that would some how make life easier for my kiddos? In reality, my living as a dilluted version of myself only brought me in contact with other watery individuals; my theory was confounded.

As I sat watching Chocolat the other evening, I wondered to myself if there would be a day when my little one's would wish that John and I were more like everyone else? The scientist in me wonderd what a study would reveal about what our life would be like if we did not have "body art", or if I did not wear red shoes, lipstick or curl my hair for no reason at all? Will my children wish for me to be chatting among the groups of more similar looking women at the school pick up? Will they, like Anuk, question why I can't just wear "black shoes" like the other mothers?

******************************

With all of my being, I feel my mother is just the most wonderful of all people, however my later queries partially stem from a time in my childhood when I wished my mother would have "worn black shoes". I would not have understood back then, but from experience I know that being yourself is the best way to find the people who are meant to be in your life. In an ideal world, I would like to be friends with everyone; and would love for everyone I meet to like me too. Instead, I'm sure there are some people who won't talk to me, others that probably talk behind my back, but still others who are wonderful and whom I consider to be freinds.

******************************

Yes, this post has a very happy conclusion. Like in the movie, amidst the most unusual of characters, we have made a home, a life, and a rather eclectic group of friends. The best way to find true friendship is by being true to who you really are. Anuk and I came to realize this; Vienne and my mother always knew it.

Is there any wonder that this movie always makes me cry a bit?

julie & julia

Last week I was finally able to watch the movie Julie & Julia. Meryl Streep is a wonderful actress and having watched Enchanted about a million times with Fifi, I've grown pretty fond of the lead actress Amy Adams as well. The trailers had looked comical and I knew I'd have fun with a movie having to do with blogging and cooking...

But I kind of didn't. I didn't enjoy the movie as much as I thought I would. I'm not a movie critic, I just have a tendency to get a little too emotionally involved with the characters in the movies. For instance, I was heartbroken for Julie when she found out that Julia Child had not been pleased with the Julie/ Julia challenge. This happens so often; feelings are hurt when one person makes an insensitive comment about something that another individual has poured a great deal of themselves into.

Tisk, Tisk.

The movie also forced me to look at my own participation in the "land of blog". At times in my blogging life I wondered why I was frantically trying to write something for people I had never met. I think many people have that impression of blogging, that perhaps it is a "show off", or that people become so entrenched in receiving comments from individuals they have never met that their own lives begin to become secondary.

You know, I really do like getting comments from like minded souls across the world. When I was first blogging, yes, I was more driven, however today it seems to come more naturally. I like to think of blogging as an act of bravery; bravery in putting yourself and your creations out there for the world to see. So why do we do it? Why do we add extra pressure to our lives to try to sew clothing, write a book, or bake bread...and then take pictures and write about it?

So here is what I did like about the movie...and a bit of my opinion on blogging in general. I understood Julie's desire to do something bigger than herself and then see it through. I write for myself to enhance my life, not complicate it. I understand that some days when I write, I want to "show off " and other days I want to vent or be vulnerable; both of which require some bravery. When we are a part of the blogging "co -op", some days we read and write to be inspired and other days it is our role to inspire others. So for all of that, although it was not my favourite, I can say that the movie Julie & Julia is a worthwhile watch. Julie did what she set out to do; she believed that what she was doing was important and followed through...and that is pretty great if I say so myself.

~a.