July 31st

July 31st is one of my favorite dates out of the whole year.

Today I am celebrating 46 years, 31 years and 3 years.

Today Joanne Kathleen Rowling, the woman wrote down the stories that changed my life, turns 46.

Harry James Potter, the boy who lived, turns 31.

But most importantly my dear sister and her wonderful Marine hubs celebrate 3 years of marriage. And what do they have to show for it? Oh, only the most adorable baby boy ever.

HA! I had a little fun with my scarf the other day. Sorry, G.

{Jen + Chris = G. Redington Beach, FL 2011.}

{Pregnancy Photo Shoot with Lauren in February 2011.}

Happy July 31st, everyone!

Love you Jen & Chris.

Now & Then

I spent the past two weeks visiting family in Florida. It was a well needed breath of fresh air by the beach and the perfect time to reunite with relatives whom I haven’t seen in far too long.

One of my favorite things about being at my Grandma’s house is all the souvenirs of my life and the lives of family for up to four generations… Don’t be surprised when I post little bits and pieces along the lines of family photos and fun finds for a while.

I also appreciate all these relics because my Grandma has maintained a collection of things from my childhood that I myself have not. It was such a kick to find little newspaper clippings, poems and the like from my sister and my earlier years tucked into photo albums.

When I came across this little newspaper spotlight on myself as a fourth grader, I couldn’t stop laughing. It was like I was being reintroduced to a version of me I’d forgotten…a bit naïve, perhaps placing importance on the wrong things, but altogether quite the typical nine year old. I thought it would be fun to update my answers to this simple Q&A now, at 22.

{Then.}

{Now.}

Name:Katie
Kate

School: East Goshen Elementary School
…None. But hopefully Graduate School for Library Information Science specializing in Children and Youth next year!

Grade:Four
Again, none. I feel so old.

Birthplace: Riverview, Florida
Wouldn’t it be weird if I gave a different answer now?

Home: West Chester [Pennsylvania]
Highlands Ranch, Colorado

Favorite Movie: “Contact”
I can never pick just one! (Apparently an ability I completely lost after fourth grade.) “Love Actually”, “500 Days of Summer”, “Anne of Green Gables”, “Gone with the Wind” to name a few….

Favorite TV Show: Sabrina the Teenage Witch
How I Met Your Mother, Gilmore Girls, Arrested Development, and more…

Last Book Read: Sign of the Beaver
Sign of the what? Wait, is that the book for which I spent an entire day building a log cabin out of hand collected sticks (from the yard) and salt dough only to have my dog eat it when I left the room to get my parents and show them? Yes, yes it is. {I forgive you, Duchess.}

(I’ll have you know my sister just called that cabin “a masterpiece of stick and salt dough” and my mom adds that she did actually send a note to school reading “the dog ate her homework.”)

Anyway, last read book right now is Jellicoe Road.

Favorite Music: Now and Then CD
Mumford & Sons, Florence & the Machine, Vampire Weekend, Laura Marling, Adele, Taylor Swift, Glee soundtracks, happy music to sing and dance along to, etc.

Favorite Food: Pizza/Tacos
Sushi. Lobster. Things with cheese. Chocolate.

Hobbies/Interests: Taking care of dogs
Reading. Writing. Travel. Picnics. Blogging. Tea parties. Hanging out with my family.

The best advice I ever received was: Don’t give up.
Get over it---only phrased more gently during those moments in my life where I just couldn’t get past the things that seemed hard and shadowy and insurmountable.

I’d give anything to meet:Amy Grant
No comment, guys. I used to really love Amy Grant.
Now: JK Rowling

If I were President of the United States, I would: Make no smoking a law
Resign.

If there is one thing I can’t stand in people, it is:Cheating on tests.
That still irks me. To take it to the more broad scale level, I dislike small-mindedness, prejudice, and injustice.

If I could change one thing about myself it would be: My short hair.
My tendency to feel jealousy; my difficulty in letting things go; my temper.

Best idea I ever had: Was inviting a girl, Katie G., to sit at my table in school.
There’s a lot of pressure for “the best”—but a good idea was going to Palma de Mallorca all by myself.

Worst idea I ever had:Was running away.
I really have no clue. Was it that time in elementary school that my friend and I took our make believe came too far and smeared mud all over our skin to be more authentically Native American and then got in lots of trouble? Probably not. I used to think it was going to Rhodes College, but then I saw how everything had its reasons and my being at that college was one of them. I think maybe my worst idea was when I thought a straight center part looked good on me. Oh, high school.
(I can’t think of a worthy serious answer.)

{Kate in 2nd grade...aka Dorothy Hamill}

I hope I never have to:Cut my hair.
This answer had me laughing myself into a stitch, especially after the answer three above. The back story is this: In second grade my mom cut all of my hair off into the Dorothy Hamill. Guys, the Dorothy Hamill haircut is only sort of ok on Dorothy Hamill herself and NEVER ok on a seven year old. I considered hunting down a photo to share but a.) I was too lazy and b.) it’s hideous. Anyway, I thought it was pretty funny since I’ve kept my hair fairly long ever since I can remember (particularly the past two years) and I never realized that this is where that subconscious need for long hair came from.

If I had money, I would: Buy stuff for my dog and me.
Ha! I told you guys I loved my dog. Now I would spend money on: travel, books, family, shows on stage, and maybe some fun vintage pieces. I would also pay for Grad school without going into debt.

The career I fantasize having is:To help animals or be a singer.
Ok, that’s bogus. Even at the time I knew that wasn’t what I really wanted to do but the truth is I never had an imaginary career picked out and kids around me were always saying “I want to be a vet!” “I want to be a ballerina!” “I want to be an actress!” so I just mimicked what I heard.

Now, I want to be a children and youth librarian, a wife, and a mother.

People would be surprised to know: That I was born in Florida.
Ha…I guess?
I think people would be surprised to know that I had back surgery at the age of 20. I mean, I guess people who don’t really know me would be surprised by that—‘cause everyone else pretty much knows. Ok, bad answer.

Best time in my life: Was when I went to Disney World.
That was a pretty good time! But the best time in my life up-to-date was when I lived in Salzburg, Austria.

That's the end of the fun little interview...but looking back I felt insulted that the interviewer never asked about favorite books! Last book read and favorite are not the same at all. So I'm including that now.

Favorite book(s):Fourth grade Katie loved A Wrinkle in Time, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Betsy~Tacy. Current Kate loves Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (the whole series is my favorite but that's my favorite of the lot), The Hunger Games series, Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Love in the Time of Cholera, and much more.

Horcruxes

My dearest minxy friend Justine recently did a really intriguing post: If I made some Horcruxes. I couldn't resist joining in on the (slightly morbid?) fun.


1.) This quaint sketch of the house I grew up in that my sister did for an art class back in Middle School and gave to me after we moved to Colorado and I was home sick.


2.) My very favorite Harry Potter book. Yes, I would make a Horcrux out of the book series that invented Horcruxes.


3.) My sweet bunny friend who I received when I was six months old and still sleep with every night.


4.) This is a postcard of my favorite place on Earth, but I would make the actual Horcrux a statue on top of one of my favorite hills in the city. The view at sunset is mind-blowing. I won't tell you more details so that you won't be able to destroy all of my Horcruxes.


5.) These are the journals I decorated magazine-snippings collage style and wrote in from Freshman year of high school through Freshman year of college. My soul is pretty much already in them anyway. I guess I'd have to pick one, but I won't say which.


6.) The "Chipmunk" bracelet my sister gave me when I was her Maid of Honor. I'm not going to explain, but it means more to me than a lot of things (literal inanimate objects, not people) in this world.

And finally...


7.) ...No, don't worry, I would not stick part of my soul into my precious nephew. {Though I bet he'd look adorable with a lightening bolt scar.} In fact, part of my soul is in me so I'm the 7th Horcrux!

What would your Horcruxes be? Tell me in the comments or ff you do a post, please leave a link so I can see. :)

Harry Potter Week, The End: Jess {+1}

Meet Jess, a lawyer in training, loving wife and wonderful friend. I am so happy to present you with her wise and reflective words on Harry today.

(Me (left) and my best friend Jessica at the B&N midnight release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)

When JK Rowling released Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on July 21, 2007, I felt anxious, ecstatic, and a bit sad that the literary journey I had been on for the past ten years was about to come to a close. I was in 7th grade when the first book came out. By the time the final book was released, I was a junior in college and engaged to be married. My teen years (and slightly beyond) were dotted with book release parties at Barnes & Noble and midnight showings of the movies, along with lengthy theory-sharing discussions with friends and family members, and rereading those books over and over.

I used to wonder how the world of Harry Potter became so popular. How is it that millions of people around the world can love the same story as much as I do? Why is it that this world, and these characters, appeal to so many people of different ages, backgrounds, and nationalities?

But then I dive back into Harry’s world, and I completely understand. It is not just a book about magic. It is magical. There is no other word to describe it.


So what I do not understand are people who refuse to read the books. I have a best friend who, although she loves to read and has read many other series, absolutely refuses to read the books, and actually professes that she hates Harry Potter. In fact, for her birthday one year, our good friend (now her husband) gave her a Harry Potter book and a lighter. Shocking, I know. And my own 14-year-old sister, although she loves the movies, absolutely will not read the books. I (and other family members, including my mom and my dad) have tried for years to persuade her to read them. But she won’t. And she doesn’t even have a good reason.

So why does it bother me so much that these people in my life don’t care for something that I love so much? To each their own, right?


No. Not this time. Not this time, because I know that if they gave it a chance, they would love it as much as I do. How could they not? Just like me, they would laugh at Fred and George’s pranks, smile when Ron and Hermione finally kiss, cry when Sirius died, wonder whose side Snape is really on, and cheer when Harry defeats his enemy once and for all. Harry Potter doesn’t just have something for everyone. It has everything anyone could want. And no matter how many times you read the books, or how well you know the story, you keep coming back for more. The characters are your friends. You don’t want to forget them, so you must go back for a visit now and again.


Maybe someday curiosity (or nagging, or boredom) will get the best of my friend and my sister, and they will finally meet Mr. Potter. I cannot wait to introduce him to my children one day. But although they will likely love the story, I know their experience won’t be the same as mine. No months and months of anticipation before the next book comes out. No discussing theories about what will happen, or who will die. No finishing the book in one day and then picking it right back up to begin again because you just can’t believe the story won’t continue for another two years. The story will be laid out for them, one book after the other. They may read the entire series in one sitting and simply think, “Well that was a lovely story.” Some of the magic will have gone out of it for them.


But to me, Harry Potter will always be special. He is one of my oldest friends. We grew up together.

*Clap*....*clap*....*clap*...I'm slow clapping on this one. Jess seemed to hit the nail on the head for how I'm sure a lot of us real Potter fans feel. My heart aches for those who refuse to allow themselves the irreplaceable pleasure of knowing Harry Potter. I am glad we are the Potter generation, the only that will ever have experienced the books one at a time. I wouldn't trade my years of waiting and loving and re-reading for anything, certainly not to have all 7 at once. Thanks for the post, Jess! Everyone share your thoughts and love in the comments!

*All art work belongs to Mary GrandPre

Harry Potter Week: Cristina {0}

My best friend Tina doesn't have a blog...but she should. The following post on her personal Harry Potter experience and how it helped her with her own acceptance of loved ones lost moved me to tears. I am so proud to bring her words to you today.

{London 2008}

'Allo blogosphere! I have to admit, when Kate suggested that I write a piece for her Harry Potter series, my mind was a bit boggled. What should I write? A piece detailing my admiration of Daniel Radcliffe's work with the Trevor Project? An article lauding Hermione Granger and the gratitude I feel that in a world full of Kardashians, Hiltons, and pop starlets famous for....well, not much, we have a heroine like Miss Granger, who is smart, resourceful, and passionate (I know she was a little overzealous when it came to S.P.E.W. but you can't blame the girl for supporting her cause wholeheartedly). Or perhaps I should just write about the party I threw in honor of the seventh book, complete with a "Good Luck, Harry" cake and a Hogwarts themed menu (Muggle muffins, anyone?).

And then I had an idea. And like Colin, Crabbe, and Goyle, it wouldn't ever quite go away. So here goes...

{Outside the film-Hogwarts exterior in Scotland, 2008}

As the release of the final film approaches, I've seen a lot of blogs, Facebook posts, and tweets essentially saying the same thing..."last Harry Potter film opens in [X number of days]. Is my childhood really over?" These remarks have always struck me as surprising as I identify the beginning of my time with Harry so much with the end of my childhood. I was later to the Harry Potter craze than most. I resisted reading them for awhile ("too popular, I don't want to follow the crowd" I said, "why would I want to read about wizards?" I argued) until the summer my dad was dying. I needed a diversion, something to keep me busy, and these books seemed like an ideal escape. Goblet of Fire came out that summer, and though Ron was my favorite character and Hermione and Neville the ones that seemed the most like me in general personality (it's a weird hybrid, I know), Harry and I had something in common: we had lost a parent and when my beloved high school mentor died several years later, I once again felt like Harry and I had a bit too much in common.

It's interesting how our personal perspectives at various points of our lives influence how we interpret films, shows, and texts. When I first started reading through the books, I remember thinking that although these plots were about magic and fantasy, they were really about mortality and adulthood. I surmised that when you're an adult, your parents can't protect you, some of the hardest battles must be fought alone, and you undoubtedly, and unfortunately, lose many people you love. A pretty dire interpretation, I'll admit, and looking back, I think that perhaps I was just "looking in the wrong places."

As I continued reading the books, I realized that while they are about mortality and adulthood, they are also about something else. No, our parents can't protect us from everything and while we do have to fight our own battles, we're never truly alone. People we love are with us "until the very end" whether their presence is physical or immaterial. Though I don't have a Resurrection Stone, I wholeheartedly believe that even when I'm on my own, I can still feel my lost ones' hugs or the voices of my friends that are far away, giving me counsel or encouragement. Like Harry, it took me awhile to figure that out or accept it and I thank J.K. Rowling for portraying Harry's struggle to understand that so honestly and beautifully.

So thank you, Ms. Rowling, for introducing me to the delightful Weasleys, for allowing me to escape into a world of Potions and Transfigurations, and for examining themes like death and friendship in such an honest yet hopeful way. I know Hogwarts, Harry, his family, and his friends will always be with me, whatever happens.

Make sure you click on that Trevor Project video link--I was moved & awed by Daniel in it. And, as always, please remember to leave some comment love for my wonderful guest poster, Cristina!

Harry Potter Week: Sara-Jane {1}

Sara-Jane is one of my favorite girls in the blogosphere and a dedicated fellow Potterphile. She is classy, intelligent, wise and composed. She was recently voted a Ravenclaw on twitter, but I can see a little Gryffindor in her as well. I know you will enjoy her guest post just as much as I did.

"An Ode to Hermione Jean"


"I've tried a few simple spells myself and they've all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, it's the best school of witchcraft there is I've heard-- I've learned all the course books by heart, of course. I just hope it will be enough-- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

I've been reading Harry Potter for as long as I can remember. In the third grade a truly wonderful parent (and human being, for that matter) came to our room every week and read a few chapters out loud to the class, complete with voices. I believe we worked our way through all three books in class that year. I also started reading them on my own (and that took me months) along with my Aunt, who was also hooked. It was magical time, that first year with the books. I was enthralled. Almost immediately I found two boys--my own Harry and Ron--in my class who were also Harry Potter fiends and we created a very exclusive fan club. We had a lot of fun traipsing around the playground shouting spells and wishing we were learning about charms and transfiguration instead of multiplication tables and division. After that year, I was pretty much known for the fact that I pretended to be Hermione Granger.

I knew instantly that Hermione was my kind of girl. In fact, embarrassingly enough, I remember vividly imagining myself as Hermione as I read. I even remember wanting to audition to play Hermione in the movies--I mean, British accents aren't that hard, right? After all, we were kindred spirits. We both devoured books (she preferred textbooks, I preferred novels), spent inordinate amounts of time at the library, had seemingly puffy hair, and shared affinities for gingers (although I originally wanted her to be with Harry).

Hermione is, and will always be, my favorite character in the books. Some people have Lizzie Bennett, Jane Eyre, or Jo March (whom, for the record, I adore)... I have Hermione. She's the first fictional character I ever truly identified with and aspired to be like. She's intelligent, honest, and courageous. She's more than just books and cleverness. Sure, she's the brightest witch of her age, but, foremost, Hermione is a great friend. For all the years I've been reading Harry Potter, Hermione has been my friend. I believe Emma Watson (Who I think has been a fantastic Hermione) said it best:

“What does she mean to me? What doesn’t she mean to me? I think of her like a sister, she feels so real to me. When people ask what I will miss the most, of course I’ll miss the people but I will actually just miss being her and getting to come into work every day and being this girl who lives in this magical world.”

I am incredibly sad that the movies are coming to an end, but I know for a fact that the series will always live on in my mind and heart because I'll be rereading them for the rest of my life, revisiting this old friend and her magical world. One thing's for sure--I'll always want to be like Hermione Jean Granger.

Hermione is totally my homegirl, always will be. Leave some love for Sara-Jane in the comments!

Harry Potter Week: Marci {2}

When I first met Marci back in 2009 we bonded over our love for travel and our unique and special European experiences. It wasn't long before we bonded over, well, pretty much everything else: Harry Potter, "How I Met Your Mother", The Office, etc. When I started reading Marci's post I felt like maybe I'd written it myself and somehow she snuck it out of my brain--but of course it makes sense that Marci and I have one more thing in common. Enjoy this delightful post!

Christmas 1998. I remember being slightly disappointed opening the box to find a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone sitting in there. Of course I told Uncle Jeff thank you, but I knew there was no way I would be reading that book. A few of the kids at school had mentioned it, but I just didn't understand what all the fuss was about. I was far more interested in my Baby-Sitters' Club series and Nancy Drew to even think about wizards of at some school in England. It sounded so boring to me.

Months passed, and the book sat on my shelf collecting dust. One weekend Aunt Brenda came in to town to visit and could not stop raving about that boy wizard, Harry Potter. She was a teaching 6th grade and said she was literally having to confiscate the books from kids who were trying to read them under her desk in her class. If they were THAT GOOD, I figured I could stumble through the first one and grab a few more Accelerated Reader points. The next morning I was begging my mom and Aunt Brenda to take me to the library for the next 2 books.

Once I became immersed in Harry's world there was no holding back. When I love stuff, I mean I REALLY love it. And boy, was I one weird little kid. When my younger sisters wanted me to play school with them, I would only agree to play if we could play "Hogwarts" (ha!) I wanted the Harry Potter bedsheets, the school supplies, anything and everything because I just couldn't get enough.

With my family being Muggles, they couldn't quite understand it all. My mom actually tried to tell me once that maybe I shouldn't be reading them, because one of her parenting magazines said that the books talked about "witches." Naturally, I had to explain to her that a witch is simply the proper term for a female wizard and that Hermione Granger was one of "the good guys", and also wasn't she proud that her 10-year-old was reading a 734 page book? There was no more conversation after that.

Then of course the movies started coming out, and I remember thinking how different Dan, Rupert, and Emma looked from the Harry, Ron, and Hermione in my head. Still, I loved them and had to drag my mom with me to the theater until I was old enough to go alone to see Prisoner of Azkaban, Oh man....I hated that movie. I hated it so much, I didn't even see Goblet of Fire in theaters because I was still holding a grudge from PoA. (side note: these are also "The Dark Years" when I was a cheerleader and it wasn't cool to read books and like Harry Potter. Yeah, that didn't work with me for very long)

My absolute favorite thing about Harry Potter is that it follows you everywhere and unites everyone, literally. I spent much of the summer after I graduated high school traveling in Europe and I spent 2 weeks at camp in Italy. I remember being absolutely terrified, because I was of two Americans there. The other countries represented were: Germany, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Denmark, etc. Everyone spoke English, but how on earth was I going to start up a conversation with a girl I'd never met from Croatia? "So...do you like Harry Potter?" Turns, out everyone was huge fans. And that, people, is just how big Mr.Potter is. Fourteen countries, and there was one thing everyone could agree on. Absolutely amazing.

Absolutely amazing indeed! Love on Marci in the comments section, won't you?

Harry Potter Week: Elyse {3}

Today I am so pleased to bring you a post from the darling Elyse! This sweet Hogwarts-loving Ravenclaw-Gryffindor hybrid is here to share how Harry Potter has changed her life and I think you'll find a lot to relate to...


Hi, I'm Elyse from over at Elysie Piecie's Peace of Mind. When the lovely Kate contacted me about writing a post about my love of Harry Potter, I was ecstatic. But what would I write? Should I try to be witty? Write an ode to one Ronald Bilius Weasley? Decisions, decisions. So finally I decided, why not just be honest.

My grandma gave me Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone when it first came out. I had always been an avid reader and she was always sending books down to read. No matter the book, while reading, the words always played like a movie in my head. Flowing and creating magical worlds just for me. Even though I loved to read, I was a little skeptical about this book. Why would I want to read a book about some boy named Harry Potter? I mean hello, I was an elementary aged girl who was in love with Nancy Drew, Anne Frank and as much as I hate to admit it, I was the queen of the "Boys Drool, Girls Rule" tshirts. After staring at the book for a while, I decided to give it a try. Remember those magical worlds I would create in my head, well to this day, no book has given me as much joy as when I imagined what Hogwarts would look like in my head. I was so wrapped up into the books. I remember getting upset at my mom for interrupting my reading and making me go to my basketball game when I was on the last couple of chapters! Seriously, could you imagine the agony?

After reading book one, I had to wait what seemed like an eternity for book 2 and so on. They always came out around my birthday, so thankfully I always knew what I was getting and would call Barnes and Noble to reserve my copy. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were my constant companions from late elementary school, through middle school, and high school. I wanted to be brave like Harry, funny like Ron, and most of all, smart like Hermione. Not to brag, but like Hermione I was always considered one of the brains in class. I was given snide looks when I answered a question right or buried myself down in a book rather than play with the other kids. Some days when this got to be too much, I'd just pick up any of the Potter books and start reading. For the entire school year of eight grade, I read books 1 through 4 over and over. The bindings are shot, pages are falling out, but I still love them regardless because they are my books.

The World JK Rowling created has gotten me through the tough, awkward preteen years, and offered an escape from reality when things at home weren't so great. For those that know me, my Mama has some medical issues. I won't go into that here, but Hogwarts offered me an escape from the pain that was occurring at home, and still does. As Dumbledore wisely told us "You will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it" and it truly has. Hogwarts has become a home away from home for me.

I felt like I was writing this post half the time, that's how well I relate to Elyse's thoughts. What do you think? Leave some love in the comments!

Harry Potter Week: Lauren {4}

Friends, meet bestie Lauren. She is insanely fashionable, very clever, witty to the max, and a huge Harry Potter fan. Lauren and I have always bonded over our book boyfriends and I particularly appreciate that she supports Harry & Hermione like I do (yes, even post-epilogue). I am so happy to have her posting here today. :)

i have been a fan of harry potter from the very beginning.

i remember sitting in class, in elementary school, during a torrential rain storm. recess was cancelled all day. we weren't even able to leave the room to go to the cafeteria for lunch! i remember my teacher setting aside that day's class work, and instead, pulling out a new book that she had picked up at the bookstore the day before. she read "harry potter and the sorcerer's stone" to us all day, and that's when i fell in love with the story and the characters.

reading has always been SO important to me, and a huge part of my life, so when i met my husband in high school, him loving books was a huge draw for me. we sometimes would have "read-a-thons" where we would just sit and read for hours while snacking on snacks. and of course, we bonded over our shared love for harry potter. we still believe fred weasley is the best character in the entire series.

now that the back story is out of the way...let's discuss october 31, 2009.

ted was being ted and he didn't plan ahead on what he would wear to the annual halloween costume party we always attend each year. i kept throwing ideas at him, and he didn't like any of them. i refused to let him go to the party as "ted brimley" so he HAD to come up with something. what does he do? he goes to my mom's house and borrows from my little brother, a costume he wore when he was 8 years old. ladies and gentleman, he wore an eight year old's halloween costume. should i repeat again? a 22 year old man wore a child's costume.

and it didn't even suck:

in fact, everyone loved it and he was the best dressed at the party. who knew?!

doesn't ted look like book harry potter? obviously he doesn't look like movie harry.

the end :)

Note to self: Make sure future husband is willing to be the Harry Potter to my Hermione. Ok, guys, let's leave some excellent comment lovin'!

Harry Potter Week! {T-5 Days}

Please join me on the blog for Harry Potter Week! I have a series of really excellent fans, friends and bloggers (sometimes all 3!) lined up to guest post and share some words and insights into the world of Harry Potter and what it has meant to them. Check back in every day for a great post and share your own thoughts in the comments!

I sat anxiously drumming my fingers against the computer desk. I stared at the computer screen, willing it to process faster. The photo was taking an eternity to load. Sure, in 2011 that might sound like a drastic exaggeration for something that might take a minute at most to load...but this was 2000 and I'd been waiting for ten minutes only to see the tops of heads. Our big boxy family computer whirred away trying to handle the large and flashy WarnerBros website. I begged it to just load already—the suspense was killing me.

Maybe it was an advantage, the bit by bit revelation. It gave me a chance to process one feature at a time. Wasn’t her hair a little light in color? Shouldn’t his hair be sticking up a bit more? Red hair…ok, check. The glasses were a nice touch. His sweater actually looks like Molly might’ve knitted it. I could see a know-it-all behind that smile if I squinted just right.

There they were, after much waiting and speculation amidst the fandom and, ok, I admit, a few hopeful “audition” photos and letters sent in by 11-year-old-me (in case they decided not to cast all British…I could totally have been Katie Bell!)

There they were.

{I would never have guessed that one day I’d be meeting that young boy in the middle.}

I have been a dedicated, obsessed, at times overly-involved Harry Potter fan for over half my life. It wasn’t terribly long after I entered the Wizarding World that the movies were announced. I hoped for them…and then I quickly grew suspect of them. I was entirely devoted to this world and what if the movies just messed it all up? The truth is, there are many times I’ve felt the movies have messed it up; gotten something important to me incredibly wrong (see: leaving out the Marauders plot; casting Bonnie Wright; etc.) The books will always be very much more important to me, but I can’t deny that the movies are a part of the whole Harry Potter culture and I have enjoyed the hype and extension of my beloved fictional world just as much as the next fan. My Harry and Hermione and Ron will never really be Daniel and Emma and Rupert, and yet they have done an admirable job and I can applaud their portrayal. Not every actor or set or page-to-screen maneuver has been to my liking, but some have been genius. For example, Evanna Lynch as Luna.

I’ve heard a lot of fuss and sadness about our childhoods coming to an end, about something being over. The movie ads themselves warn “It all ends.” I can’t say I entirely agree. For me, Harry Potter is never over. For that matter, it is also the key to preserving, not ending my youth. I will always have Harry to remind me of who I was at different points in my life. I got each book at midnight, beginning in July of 2000 when I was 11. I stayed up all night reading (as I did for each) and had delusions the next day—my tiny body couldn’t handle the sleep deprivation. When I pick up “Goblet of Fire” I remember being 11; I remember moving to Colorado and seeking comfort in my 4 Harry Potter books, reading them again and again until I could recite them.

I grieved to a certain extent when the 7th book came out—much more “the end” to me than the movies—but even then, I knew it wasn’t really over. Maybe I could no longer speculate and hold out hope that Harry and Hermione really would end up together (as it should be), but these characters weren’t abandoning me and I wasn’t abandoning them. I can pick up my book at any time and be right back at home with my beloved story and friends. Their world hasn’t disappeared just because JK Rowling has finished putting pen to paper to tell their story.

I’m not going to mourn, I’m going to celebrate. Harry Potter has changed so many of our lives and I don’t think he’ll ever be done. I will continue to grow and re-read my beloved tale and someday share Harry with my children or loved ones. We will meet new friends and want to talk about our Potter experiences or favorite characters. We will follow the actors as they grow and always remember those ten years they spent on our screens bringing our favorite books to life. Harry Potter lives on.

And for now, as we head into the final chapter of the movie series, I stand with Ron and say:

“We’re with you whatever happens.”

{Me, July 21, 2007.}

Sorted

{5 days}

In college, bestie Tina and I used to like to sort our friends into their Hogwarts Houses. Ali would surely be a Ravenclaw, while Stephanie is a Slytherin. Something that has always driven both of us crazy, though, is the propensity for people to claim they are Gryffindors when, in fact, they are totally totally not. Guys, I know Harry, Hermione and Ron are cool. Heck, I would love to hang out with Neville. But we can't all be Gryffindors by sheer force of desire.

I remember the days of early fansite sorting quizzes. "Which animal is your favorite?" "A: Lion; B. Raven; C. Badger; D. Snake" Hm, thats a tough one to crack. Sure, we can all manipulate answers to become Gryffindors, but I wish people would just face what they really are and show some House pride!

I have always known what house I'm in. I am a proud Badger, ya'll.

So let's level, shall we? What Hogwarts House are you really in?

P.S.: I beg you to keep in mind that Slytherin does NOT = evil. My friend who I say is a Slytherin is really well connected, ambitious and often intimidating to those who don't know her. But, of course, she's not evil...

EDIT: I've recently been told by several friends that they actually see me as a Ravenclaw. I am intrigued! I never fancied myself smart enough for Ravenclaw. What do you think I'd be?

How I lost my virginity to Daniel Radcliffe {NYC: Part 3}

…My Broadway virginity, that is.

Ok, I admit, I just wanted to title my post this for the fun of it. This is actually about a variety of live show experiences: 1.) Colbert 2.) “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” 3.) “Anything Goes” and 4.) Shakespeare in the Park/“All’s Well That Ends Well”.

{Click for: NYC Part 1 or NYC Part 2}

1.) The Colbert Report

I. love. Colbert. I have since I was 15 or so and spent a week at the beach watching The Daily Show/Colbert Report with my cousins and sister. I love both of their shows but something about Colbert’s hilarious hyperbolic tendencies and sarcastic narcissism that I just can’t get enough of. Knowing my love of Colbert, Tina secured us tickets for the Wednesday night taping (June 29th).

The show was such a good time! I loved seeing my idol up close and in person. I loved seeing how good natured he is with his staff and that he genuinely seemed to be having fun. They start off by warming the audience up with a comedian…they have to make sure we know how to laugh loud and hard or the real show would be really awkward. They also wanted to make sure we knew how to cheer Stephen in right, but I didn’t find that very difficult. Who has to fake enthusiasm or laughter for Colbert? Anyway, the whole thing was just a good time. No pictures as they were, of course, not allowed so you will just have to imagine and be jealous.

2. “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”

!!!!!!!!!!!

I just wanted to go ahead and start off with some exclamation points so that maybe I’ll be able to restrain myself from using them in every sentence as I tell you all how much fun my first Broadway experience was.(!)

I am a theater kid. It was my life in high school. Mind you, my HS theater program sucked, but it was still my life and I loved every set-building, line-memorizing, big-hair-doing moment of it. Now Tina takes the cake for show knowledge between the two of us, but I do still love the world of live acting. I’ve seen many tour productions (“Wicked,” “The Last Five Years,” “Hairspray,” etc.) but of course as I’d never been to NYC, I’d never seen a Broadway show.

Daniel was my first.

Ok, so it’s a heap of fun that I got to see Daniel Radcliffe in the flesh, but I want to be clear that this show was outstanding on its own merit. The whole ensemble was fantastic. This is one big comedic, energetic, uproarious hit. The fun 60s fashion, the ridiculous song and dance numbers, the perfect comedic timing—well, it all added up to me sitting on the edge of my seat with an immoveable grin on my face. I loved the theater and our seats were great too.

John Larroquette and Daniel Radcliffe were definitely not to be missed. Yes, they bring star power and renown to the show, but they are also incredible stage actors with great comedic intuition and true singing/acting talent. I wish all of you had been in the room for “Grand Old Ivy.”

I loved sharing my first Broadway experience with my bestie. Not only does she appreciate it more than almost anyone else I know, but it was great to have her on my side for such invaluable tips as: The minute the number before intermission ends, you run—I mean RUN—to the bathroom. I managed to be fourth in line in a bathroom that was set up with amusement park style line dividers…by the time I left, the line was out the door, up the stairs and around the bend. Tina also tipped me off to run out at curtain call if I wanted a chance at making this happen:

{Do-you-really-not-know-who-this-is? and I}

{Courtney, John Larroquette and I}

{Me, Courtney, Christopher Hanke and Jacque}

Yeah, I still can’t believe it happened either. I made it to the front row and ended up next to two hilarious girls, Courtney and Jacque. It’s always great to make friends when your being roasted alive in a mob of Harry-hungry fangirls waving their playbills dangerously close to your eyeballs. The three of us hit it off joking and chatting and condemning the girl who brought her Harry Potter book to be signed. (Guys, Daniel was like 7 when they were written. He had nothing to do with the creating the story. Furthermore, when getting a signature post-show, he should be appreciated for his outstanding performance on the stage, not on the screen.) Anyway, it’s fun coming home with a couple new friends to reminisce with.

All in all a first Broadway experience that far surpassed my expectations and left me dizzy with joy.

Sidenote: Daniel is really very short, but so incredibly sweet and polite. I wish you could’ve heard his “of course!” when we asked him for a photo.

3.) “Anything Goes”

Broadway take 2! My second show, “Anything Goes”, was also an outstanding success. I have actually seen “Anything Goes” once before but that was at a local dinner theater…a far cry from the Broadway lights.

2 words: Sutton Foster. If you don’t know of Sutton Foster you’re probably not a theater person and I’m a little bit sad for you. She was…I’m a writer and I can’t find the adjective. Her stage presence is mind blowing between her power house voice and her embodiment of the character. Once again, though, I must give credit to the entire cast. How they managed those extended tap and dance numbers while belting it out is beyond me. I was in awe.

2 more words: Joel Grey. Do you know Joel Grey? (He’s Jennifer Grey of “Nobody puts baby in a corner” fame’s father) He played the male lead of the show and was a stitch. Literally, I may have gotten a stitch from laughing.

And a few more words: Jessica Walters…I mention her mainly because she was the mother on “Arrested Development” and I liked seeing her in person. Adam Godley. You may not know him; I recognized him from various things here and there on tv, but he had me laughing my (hot) pants off in my chair. He plays a Brit who is an avid collector of Americanisms but always manages to misunderstand and misuse them. See: “Get my tea and step in it!” or “I’ve got hot pants for a round of golf.”

Yes, this was a wonderful show—just my type of musical with gorgeous period costumes, lots of energy and general fun.

The only downside was that Sutton Foster didn’t come to stage door. Most of the leads didn’t. I get that they’re tired, but I was still a smidge disappointed. I did get this photo with the male romantic lead:

4.) Shakespeare in the Park
The original plan, way back when, was to get up at the crack of dawn Saturday morning to try to get tickets for “All’s Well That Ends Well.” Come Friday night, Tina was on her way to sick and I was too exhausted to think of a 5a.m. wake up call so we decided to forget Shakespeare.

Sunday while we wandered the Met, Tina got an email that she’d won us 2 tickets from the online lottery! No early wake-up and tickets? Score! All we had to do was pick them up between 5 and 7 and come back for the free show at 8.

I really enjoyed the Shakespeare in the Park experience although at times it was our very own comedy of errors. For starters, we followed the map to make our way to the Delacorte theater (where Shakespeare in the Park is performed)—or we thought we were following the map. We ended up entering the park by a secret looking staircase so that it felt like we were sneaking into Central Park from some back hedge. We came in by Belvedere Castle and were bewildered as to how we would wind down to the theater, which we could see but not easily get to. Well, we did eventually make it and we got our tickets. Seeing as we had a while and I needed dinner, we headed back out…only this time we followed the general pedestrian traffic and discovered just how very simple it actually was to get in and out of the park once the route became known. Foolish.

I think it’s safe to say neither of us particularly loved the show itself, although for my part I did love the production quality and the acting. I just didn’t love the storyline or the so-called moral of the story. (If you trick your husband into marrying and bedding you, he’ll probably love you in the end. Fake your death for good measure.) Still, it was cool to see Headmaster Charleston of Gilmore Girls spouting prose on stage.

For all its hits and misses, I had such a good time as an audience member in NYC. I am so grateful to Tina for hooking us up with all of our tickets and opportunities! Thank you!

And now, just for good measure, here is an interesting comparison between the color scheme and age of Cristina’s recent Entertainment Weekly and our “How to Succeed” playbill. I was fascinated by how well they went:

Last but not least, here are my gorgeous autographed show programs! Can you guess which signature is Daniel's?

Anything Goes {NYC: Part 2}

{NYC Part 1}

Friday started out with brunch at Café Lalo. Actually, it started out with breakfast plans elsewhere only upon arrival at the location, we discovered it was borded up with "Danger: poison" signs on the doors. Yikes. Luckily my bestie is a genius and soon came up with a new plan, only she insisted it be a surprise. I was so excited when Tina led me to the new location because I immediately recognized its cute exterior. It was the café where Meg Ryan (Kathleen Kelly/Shopgirl) waits to meet her secret penpal Tom Hanks (Joe Fox/ NY152) in “You’ve Got Mail”!

The truth is, I would’ve loved this café movie or no movie because it was so cute—but I loved it even more due to its connection.

In the early afternoon I met up with my friend Justine to catch up…we hadn’t seen each other in 7 years! I had such a fun time chatting with her about the old days. If you had overheard our conversation you would’ve thought we were speaking code as we reminisced about FAP, HMS Pumpkin Pie (WIN) vs The Good Ship (boo), our joint love for SS Fire & Ice, one-shots, SCUSA, shipping, minxes, etc. We bemoaned the youngins who don’t know what all of that means and what hard core HP fans we were/are. We ate at Amsterdam Diner and then sat out at Riverside Park.

{"Like sand through the hourglass, these are the minxes of our lives..."}

Friday night Tina and I met up with my other good college friend, Janie, at Hurley’s Saloon before our showing of “Anything Goes.” I loved my lobster bisque and stuffed clams, but I loved conversation with the girls even more.

After the show, we stopped by the good old TQ (inside joke) at night.

On Saturday poor Tina was sick so Janie picked me up from Tina’s apartment and we headed out to the Union Square market. What a delightful market it was! Fresh everything, organic peppermint tea to cool me right down to my core in the heat and lots of sensory stimulation of the visual and olfactory kind. I grabbed an apple before we left and then we relaxed in the park in the middle for a bit before heading on.

Next we went to the Highline. I must admit I’d never heard of this until my trip, but it was quite a nice sight. The Highline is an old above ground train line that has now been redone into a beautiful walkway/park. It stretches for a ways and offers great views of the city. It was packed when we were there and we only went for a bit, but I know Tina and Janie will look forward to going back (since they live there and all…)

Next up was a stop at Gray’s Papayas—another “You’ve Got Mail” shooting spot—for some hot dogs and delicious papaya juice and then on to Levain for warm giant cookies.

The rest of Saturday was spent relaxing with “Pushing Daisies” and mac ‘n’ cheese so Tina could rest and recover more.

Sunday was a low-key and yet packed day. We started out at the Met where we pondered which artifacts in the Egyptian wing may have belonged to Tina’s relative.

Tina is Egyptian and I happen to have been obsessed with Egyptian culture as a young one so I couldn’t get enough of it.

We decided this was probably a portrait of our earlier incarnations as Egyptians.

After the Met we were off to brunch at “Good Enough to Eat.” If you’ve been to NYC, you may have been there or heard of it. It was definitely a popular spot with quite the line out the door, even on a rainy day. I can definitely see why; it was insanely delicious! I got the “Gramercy Park” omelet on Tina’s recommendation. First you need to understand that I don’t really like omelet-style eggs. I decided to go for it anyway because I can sometimes handle omelets if done well. (I can never handle scrambled though—hate ‘em.) This omelet was egg, granny smith apple and Vermont white cheddar. Oh. My. Gosh. Guys, this omelet was out of this world. I devoured it in record Kate-time.

We finished up the day with Shakespeare in the park—but that’s for tomorrow’s post! Meet you back here then, yeah? Daniel Radcliffe; musicals; Shakespeare; what’s not to like?