13 years.

That's how long I have been captured and enveloped by the world of Harry Potter. That's how long I've been reading the books over and over again, watching the movies whenever I needed to escape from the stress of real life, discussing, thinking about, and sharing a world whose traits and philosophies have completely changed my life. And now it's all ending.

I feel like this post is 100% necessary. I MUST write down in words how I'm feeling at this time. Because it's a sad, immobilizing feeling and a sad, distressing time. I know that the final film will wrench my heart out and I'm pretty positive it will be my favorite film of all of them, because it was my favorite part of the books. But I don't want it to come. Nope. Not yet. There is no other feeling in the world like the anticipation for the next Harry Potter trailer, book, or movie.

But at the same time, I want the world to see it so badly. I feel like the whole purpose of Harry Potter will become clear to the general public and non-fans by means of this last film. There is a meaning so deep and statement-making that has yet to be revealed to those who don't know how it ends, and perhaps now Harry Potter will get the TRUE respect it deserves. Not to say it's been disrespected, but I feel like the world still doesn't truly get it. Not like we do.

I think that after the film is over, I'll be in a state of shock, but it's not like I'm losing anything. These books and films will still be a part of my near-everyday life for the rest of my life. Yes, I will miss the midnight premieres. They are so special and so moving because you know that it's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing and something we will all be telling our kids and grandkids about. Being in a huge room full of people that share this same love that you do; a pure love and understanding for something like the love of the Harry Potter fandom is so rare to find. Even when I go to concerts, for example, everyone there usually ranges from pretty excited to mildly interested, with the exception of about 10% hardcore fans. Not the case with Harry Potter. EVERYONE has the same love, passion, and understanding of why they are there. We're all on the same wavelength and you can make friends with people you wouldn't have ever thought. Because, personally, I feel like if you "get" Harry Potter the same way I do, we probably have a LOT more in common than just that. I will miss the midnight premieres more than anything.

Mostly I'm just so, so grateful to have lived through this. I've grown up with the actors, so thus I've grown up with the characters on-screen. And it's been a fantastic way to grow up. Each film has felt appropriate for the time that it appeared in my life. This last one the most so.

PAINTING

in my underwear, drinking bitch beer, and listening to my favorite music

YAY

an update! and Tim Gunn

I've been doing some shopping. Time for a haul!



Brown shorts and black nail polish from Forever 21. It was about time I got some black nail polish. I love how it's no longer attributed just to scene kids or goths. I remember my mom flipping out about me wearing it when I was thirteen.. :) The only thing about it though is that I'm reeeeally bad at painting my nails, and since it's so dark, it makes that fact pretty obvious... With lighter colors I can get away with it.



This cute white eyelet shirt from J. Crew. It was originally $80 but I got it for... wait for it... $13. SCORE. I always pass up J. Crew because I assume it's way out of my price range, but the sale stuff's really not!



And last, this beautiful sweater from Anthropologie. On sale for $30. Couldn't pass it up - I could just picture how wonderfully easy it will be to throw on for classes in the fall. And Ryan bought me the cutest little teddy bear in the whole freaking world! Her name is Shelly.

Also, a certain awesome man was here in Salt Lake on Saturday.





Tim Gunn! He gave a brief fashion talk at the Gateway. It was pretty sweet :) Definitely made me want to catch up on some Project Runway...



As for everything else, I just plan on working A LOT and getting things checked off my lists :] Plus my parents are coming up to help me paint my apartment this weekend. Can't wait to do a before/after post! Went and picked out colors today. It's gonna be cuuuuuuuuuuuute! I may even re-think moving out in summer 2012, we'll see ;)

cannons

top and scarf: Forever 21; jacket: Anthropologie

Can you believe this is still the general wardrobe here in Salt Lake? Where is the sunshine?!

I'm listening to the band Little Screams, recommended to me by my boyfriend. They aint bad.

I need coffee! Headed off to Coffee Garden to do homework and delve further into the spring issue of Bitch magazine. I took a chance on it and it's unbelievably good!

isn't it strange how we change

top and jeans: Forever 21; cardigan: Urban Outfitters

Yep, it's strange. I was looking at Anthropologie today and remembered how when I was in high school, I'd heard about Anthropologie so I checked it out, but I was left unimpressed. Now it's my favorite, I would simply kill for anything in that store!

I'm getting sick of my straight hair... it looks unnatural. I think I'll go curl it before class...

I had a wonderful weekend of beautiful bands. Pictures soon!

Why every girl should love the Gilmore Girls.

Gilmore Girls is one of my favorite, favorite, FAVORITE shows. (I have about three favorites, and I love them all for different reasons.) But this one just blows my mind how great it is, and it also blows my mind how common it is that people (especially girls) aren't that into it!

I've been buying the seasons as I get through them. I've seen every episode so far through season 3. I am savoring the newness of the stories! They're THAT good! (And since I'm only that far, I will be keeping this spoiler-free.)

I've also been thinking a lot lately about feminism again, and guess what I realized? Feminism and Gilmore Girls go hand-in-hand. Here's why.

Lorelai and Rory Gilmore are top-notch feminist characters. They represent women in a way that encourages strength, independence, intelligence, and individuality.

It seems that in a very overall, general way, the whole point of the show is to show that women can stand alone just fine. Sure, one of the main subjects of the show is both Lorelai and Rory's love lives, but never, not once, are the girls controlled by the men in their lives. As it should be! They fall in love, but they never take that as a synonym for having someone protect them or that they are now complete human beings. 100% feminist!

Their personalities are also on the feminist wavelength. Their wit is beyond measure - making so many historical, political, and pop-culture references in each episode that a reference guide is included in the DVDs to maximize understanding of each joke. They're hilarious - a trait that's rarely attributed to women. In this article from Paste Magazine, only two females make it on the Top 10 Best Comedians list. Comedy is also generally targeted to men. When I googled "best comedians," the first link that came up was to guyism.com. ALL ten were men on this list. I'm also reminded of a Bill Maher video I watched recently where he bashes feminism and makes a comment on the sexes in television, saying that on sitcoms, the wife is usually the enlightened, intelligent character, and the husband is the "dumb fuck who's lucky to have her."

Here is the link; I don't want to post the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4iHCfuRWIQ

It's a valid observation, but really, the husband also usually happens to be the funny character and the main character. He's the character that gets all the laughs, and when it's a sitcom, it's the character that makes you want to watch the show. The wife is just there as the voice of reason, a simple plot device. With the Gilmore Girls, they are both intelligent and funny; they are complete human beings.

Even greater still, this isn't a feminist-type show that glorifies women and breaks down men. The male characters are all interesting individuals. Especially Luke - the man that Lorelai and Rory get their coffee from more than once a day and who has hidden feelings for Lorelai. He has basic, strong male traits but only really as a background for his more likable and unique traits on the forefront that challenge and break down male stereotypes - he's a health freak, he hates technology, he's a nurturing type of father figure toward Rory, etc. He has a "soft side," if you will, but he's still a guy in a flannel shirt and a backwards baseball cap.



I'll end here because I could go on forever. I hope everyone (male and female) can enjoy this gem of television and see why it is so important for the modern woman.

45 DAYS

I need to stop the YouTubeing, I THINK I MIGHT DIE FROM EXCITEMENT.