happy Harry Potter movie day!

I love Harry Potter. I mean I really love the Harry Potter series. The books are fantastically written, and the world J.K. Rowling created is so completely described that it is hard not to get lost in them. Every time a new book or movie comes out I re-read/re-watch everything Harry Potter. I even pulled out my French version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5 of 7) on a recent road trip.

[dork moment: There was a point in time that I wanted to collect Harry Potter books in different languages, so I could have all of the different cover art. It didn't work out, but if you ever find yourself needing to buy me a gift...]

Needless to say, I am super excited about the new Harry Potter movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince coming out on tonight at midnight! This trailer in particular has had me on the edge of my seat:



What is intriguing about this trailer is that you get the feeling that this movie will both emulate & expand on the book. I'll be honest in that I'm a little nervous about deviating from the original text. My guess is that any additions will serve the purpose of building the suspense, which is cool, and/or showing off special effects, which could be cool, or could be a pointless disaster. The book is 672 pages long, so I have a feeling more will be cut than added. I just hope the additions can make up for what has been left out.

While I did attend a midnight release for this book on July 16th, 2005 -- complete with a Hogwarts Castle shaped cake I might add -- I don't think I can make it for the movie tonight. (Boo) I'm a little disappointed, BUT I am going to try and see it on Friday, and there's a movie marathon planned for the mean time! The good thing about Harry Potter movies is I don't have to worry about anyone spoiling the ending for me. ;)

playing in the dirt: part I

Everything happens for a reason. I firmly believe that. I just moved into my first solo apartment and I LOVE it. One of the benefits is I get to get back into my 'gardening'. I don't have a large patio, but I do have room for some of my plants...and my compost bin. :)

My plants have been neglected for some time, and are in need of some TLC. My Confederate Jasmine is completely brown, my moon flowers lost half their leaves, & my zucchini and squash may not make it, they are so dry. I like to think I have a bit of a green thumb though, & hopefully in about two weeks I'll have some pictures of happy plants to show off!

my happy factor

It is always good to remind yourself of the things that make you happy. Its also nice to check every once in a while to see if you're doing these things. This is my list in no particular order.

Stained Glass
I am an artist. I'm actually Artist in Residence at Backstreets Pub & Deli in Clemson, SC. I'm lucky enough to have a place where I can be as creative as possible, without worrying about whether my windows fit any specific style or theme. What I love about stained glass as an art is the hands on skill that is involved, and having something to show for your work at the end of the day. New Windows

Friends
My friends are the most important people in my life. For me to consider you a friend you have earned my respect, admiration, and trust. My friends are open minded, intellectual, caring, and passionate people, who exhibit these qualities in all aspects of their lives. Basically, they rock.

Traveling
This is something that I do not do enough of. I love to travel, meet new people, & experience different ways of life. I love to see history, and to see the similarities and differences of how people live. I love the architecture, I love the food, I love the music, & the atmospheres that you encounter when you travel. Travel for me = awesome. I even enjoy work trips.

Racing
I like making the decisions that make race cars go faster. I love being at the track all day in the summer working on the car in the heat, and the feeling you get just before the race starts. I love being on the radio, and giving the driver the information he needs to make quick decisions on the track, and giving the guys on pit road the information and tools they need to make quick repairs or adjustments. The people are great, and the rush is like no other.

Dancing
I love to dance, or as some people like to say, 'wiggle.' The comparison has been made more than once to the toy flower with the sunglasses from the 80's that dances when it hears music. I love sweating uncontrollably in a warm ballet studio, while your body is perfectly under control. I love fast paced jazz classes, there the choreography is cutting edge and challenging. While I'm not taking classes anywhere right now, I do love to go out and dance. My favorite venue of the minute being anywhere PictureMeFree is playing. :)

Learning
This is going to sound crazy coming from someone who pretty much hates school right now. (more on that later, maybe) But I love to learn. I love learning about new things, technology, people, places, you name it. I really do think that with knowledge comes understanding, and with understanding comes peace and progress. [note: Thats my inner hippie coming out]

Things that make me smile

I was born in 1982. As a result, I was exposed to a wealth of classically 80's kids shows. One of my these shows was The Care Bears.

I watched the tv show, I had the books, and I still have a Tender Heart teddy bear that I keep in my room. (The only reason it is not on my bed, is b.c I just moved, and it is still in a box.) My AIM screen name is even a reference to Care Bear Convertible Cloud Cars. Its safe to say I was, and still am a fan. Its not something I talk about a lot, but I'm not ashamed to admit it. So needless to say, I was thrilled to hear the Care Bears Theme Song tonight when I was working on a stained glass bear for Backstreets Pub & Deli tonight. Here's a quick clip: