Narcissism Continued

BEDA #28

-Homemade pillows. They are just superior over store bought ones any day. My cousin made me a beautiful pillow for my 14th birthday and I still sleep with it every night.

-Geektastic. It is a collection of short stories by many wonderfully nerdy authors about, well, nerdy things. My favorite stories are The Quiz Bowl Anti Christ, The Truth of Dino Girl, One of Us, and Once You're a Jedi, You're a Jedi All the Way. It is such a good, fun read,  I strongly recommend it to any self-professed (or not!) geeks. 


-Nerdy t-shirts. Such as Pizza John, Keep Calm, and any HP Shirt.

And now I'm exhausted. My schedule is killing me. Ta-ta, I'm going to go pass out in my bed and do it all over again.

Narcissism

BEDA #27

Taking a little break from homework and I want to talk about some of my favorite things. They are lovely and I quite enjoy them, so I want to share them with you! And we can love the same things! It will be exciting! Whee!
I'm quite perky tonight :)

- Snapple's Raspberry Tea and Mini Oreos. Epic snack.
-The Big Bang Theory. I started watching it this summer and I am in love with it. The cast has such great chemistry and the result is enjoyable for everyone involved.
- April Smith and the Great Picture Show and Regina Spektor. I've listened to both artists before but I've just started getting into it. April Smith is so quirky and different from the artists I usually listen to and it's great. She has such a unique style that is paired with her amazing song writing that creates a great listening experience. Regina Spektor is just brilliant. Enough said.

I will continue this tomorrow, I must go sleep. Night!

Board Games

BEDA# 26

I am so cold. Two blankets on, I cranked up the air, and mug of hot chocolate, and I've got goosebumps. It's August dang it.

I've been thinking recently about how life has changed since I was a kid. When I was little it was mostly coloring, board games, and Super Smash Bros. on the Game Cube. We watched Cartoon Network, went to the park, and read every book in site. Now that I've gotten a bit older I spend most of my time online, watching season of television, and doing various work. I miss my childhood, especially board games. I'm thinking of starting Board Game Night with my friends. They are just so fun! I don't understand why we don't play them as much anymore.

Though tonight instead of spending time on the Internet (Okay, spent some time on YouTube) my friends Annaliese and Caitlyn came over and we played some games. First we played this dominoes game called Mexican Train. It's where all the dominos have a line across the middle with a different amount dots on each side, ranging from 0-12. One of the doubles sets is in the middle on a center console with slots for each player. Everyone gets seven other dominoes. If one of your dominoes has the same number of dots on one end as the one in the middle, you can put it down in your slot in the center. Then at your next turn you try to match up the ends of dominoes until you are out. It's really fun, but we had one game that lasted almost 45 mins. We all started going insane haha.

After that we played Apples to Apples. If you've never played it there are red cards with different people, places, and things on it like Rust, Berlin-1945, and Adam Sandler; every player gets seven of these. There are also green cards with adjectives on them. You pick one person to be the judge, who puts down a green card. Every other player picks one of the red cards they think best (or least) describes the green card and they place it in the middle. The judges then pick the card they like the best and the winner takes the green card. Whoever gets 4 green cards first wins. It is reaaally fun and your stomach will end up hurting from laughing so hard. It was a bit harder to play with three people so we had to change it up but it was incredibly fun.

Now it's time for me to either a) Watch more Big Bang Theory b) Go on Tumblr for a long time c) Sleep or d) Do the homework I've been neglecting all day. I think we all know what's not going to win out. See ya tomorrow :)

More Sleepy Blogs

BEDA #25

I wonder there will be any posts where I'm not exhausted. I can't really keep my eyes open haha. Once BEDA is over (which is in like, 5 days? Weird) these posts should get more content. So again, I apologize. Update from yesterday, I'm going to D.C. the first week of December. I am extremely excited, it is going to be great. It is mostly going to different government buildings and a fair amount of tours, touristy.

Okay, eyes aren't staying open. I'll see ya tomorrow.

Wanderlust

BEDA #24

wan·der·lust

 [won-der-luhst]  

noun

a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about.

I've being craving something recently; not food but something bigger. I've lived in the same town for the majority of my town and it's fine. Living here has never been the problem (okay, it is sometimes). The house I live in has always been a sanctuary that I feel comfortable in, but I get bored. We often travel to Chicago which is one of my favorite places to be. Though now, it's not always enough. 

I want to travel. To places I've never been before. I want to go on adventures without any planning, just getting in the car and going. There is a huge world out there and I've barely seen any of it. The farthest west I've gone is Kansas and to the east, Florida. A small half of this huge nation. I need to go farther. I need an adventure before this mundane routine consumes me. 

I've wanted to talk about this for a while, since one of my biggest dreams is to travel. There is so much to see and do, and I want to do everything I can while I am still able. Places I'm visiting soon are:

Michigan- 3 weeks away

Washington D.C.- 3 1/2-4 1/2 months away

Seattle (?)- Christmas or next summer

South Dakota(?)- Christmas 

Till tomorrow 

School makes me sleepy.

BEDA #23

Hey there blog. Hope your day was swell. Mine wasn't half bad other then waking up early from a terrifying Joker related dream. There was also sitting in a humid school for 5 hours. That was weird. And really warm.

But truthfully, it wasn't too bad. I'm actually excited for some of the classes I'm taking, I just know it's going to be more work then it has been the past few years. I have an interesting Psychology class, which is taught by my favorite teacher. If all goes well, I may major in Psychology? We'll see. I also have two honors classes that are going to kick me in the butt.

I did forget how much school wears me out though. I actually fell asleep in Driver's Ed today, and it was only a half day of school. Shesh. After getting back in the rhythm of school I will try to make posts more about interesting subjects rather then my day, that's what twitters for. What should I talk about? Let me know in the commentos. Night everyone :)

Nerdy nerd nerd

BEDA #22

Post is going to have to be short today. School starts tomorrow and I have to go sleep soon. Sorry but I post watching the last episode over writing this blog post. If you've seen the show, you understand.

I love being a nerd. I've tried to fit in with the "popular" kids before, and have failed. But I don't really care about that, because I have found very lovely friends who like me for who I am. That's really all you can ask for. I was feeling especially nerd today because of the purchases I made while out shopping. Here's a picture of what I got:

My webcam likes to have my pictures be backwards, but okay.

Night night! I'll let you know how school goes tomorrow :)

Days left of Driver's Ed: 6
Days till school starts: Less then 1 (need new counter)

Cleaning

BEDA#21 

I've never been one for spring cleaning. School is nearing the end, the point where you're counting down the days till summer starts. The last thing I want to do is clean my room during my already limited spare time. But at the beginning of something new, I feel the need to pull out the broom, lean out my closet, change everything up. Today it's no exception. I start school in a day so today I woke up, showered, and cleaned almost all day. I just got a new desk and needed to accommodate it in my smaller room so I was moving furniture, emptying crates, reorganizing books, etc. I wanted to get it done today so I can spend my last day of "freedom" relaxing, which includes lounging, watching Sherlock or catching up on Alphas, and eating too much junk food. 

Do you guys do spring cleaning or new experience cleaning (as I like to call it)? Maybe I'm just weird. Probably. Also, I've gotten up to 20+ posts! Which is exciting for me. But now I need to go to bed. Till later :) 

Current Playlist

BEDA #20

Not really in the bloggin mood right now, long day of furniture shopping. Instead of righting a half-assed post, I thought I'd just go with a simple list. Always fun :) Here's some of the songs I've been listening to recently for your listening pleasure:

Talking Bird- Death Cab for Cutie
Modern Nature (cover)- Alex Day feat. Kristina Horner
On The Radio- Regina Spektor
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want- The Smiths
Little Brides- Death Cab for Cutie
Hero- Regina Spektor
Terrible Things- April Smith and the Great Picture Show
Cosmic Love- Florence + The Machine
Slytherin Night!- WinterSpringPro
The Doctor is Dying- Chameleon Circuit
Sensitivity- Alex Goot
Human- Darren Criss

I'll try to be better tomorrow, I promise. Till then :)

(Forgot about these for awhile. )
Days left of Driver's Ed: 8
Days till school starts: 2

“Anderson, don’t talk, you lower the IQ of the whole street.”

BEDA #19

I love Sherlock. So much. It's brilliantly written, amazing cinematography, spot-on music, and a phenomenal cast. I was actually smiling as the first episode ended. Benedict Cumberbatch is the perfect Holmes, more then Downey Jr. has been able to portray. I was a little worried about Watson's cane, that would be a crutch for him, so I'm glad they gave it the boot after the first episode. I liked A Study in Pink more then The Blind Banker, but both are still fantastic. I'll hopefully finish Season 1 tomorrow.

Speaking on television, I bought the second season of The Big Bang Theory and just finished the first episode. Still brilliant. I've begun to notice I've spent a lot of time watching television shows this summer; I don't have many regrets. See ya tomorrow :)

Last Friday of Summer

BEDA #18

Though most schools have already started classes mine does not begin until next week, so this is sad my last homework-free weekend for the next 8 or so months. I decided to try and make the most of it so I took a trip down to Millinium Park with my mom, brother, and cousin Beth. My mom had never been to the Bean before! We had to fix this problem. It was fairly crowded due to the Air and Water Show this weekend, so we also got to hear the occasional jet zoom overhead. I don't go to the tourist areas of the city that often so it was different experience then I'm use to, but not a bad one. Here is a picture of the four of us under the Bean!

Me, my mom, my brother Tom, and Beth in the front.

After some lunch at the park's grill, we walked down to the new Marilyn Monroe statue! It was incredible to see, and so very beautiful. It was huge. We guessed one of her earrings is as big as two of my fists. If you are in the area, I definitely recommend going to see it while it is still in town. I missed seeing the giant eye that was there a few years ago and am still bitter about it haha. Here are a few pictures of the statue.

We spent the next few hours wandering down Michigan Ave., stopping in the Hersey store for some sweets to bring home and then getting some Ghirardelli ice cream. Finally it was time to say good-bye to my cousin and we headed home. We got home about 6:30 from our adventure and my dad wanted to go to this fish fry at one of our favorite restaurants so we headed back out and stuffed ourselves again! The amount of food I've eaten today would put most teenage boys to shame. 

Now I'm back home, uploading pictures and listening to Regina Spektor. Every time I go downtown my yearning to live there grows more and more. It's such a interesting and diverse city. There is more then enough to do, plenty of places to go, and it's extremely beautiful. But lets not worry about the future now, I'm still in high school. Once I post this I am going to go watch Sherlock, which I am very excited about. I'll give you an update on what I think about it tomorrow. Till then :)

Summer Reading

BEDA #17

Another blissful summer day of sleeping in way too late. Something about summer makes me want to sleep later, it's quite lovely. Summer is always a big event in Chicago; there is more then enough to do every day. But here in the suburbs, it's easy to get bored during the long weeks without school.

I spent most of my summer traveling to softball tournaments, getting into different television shows, doing all things Potter, and spend way to much time on Tumblr. Way too much. Unlike most schools, my high school doesn't have an required summer reading. And unfortunately I have gotten pretty far behind on reading anything but I'm trying to change that by starting Six Great Sherlock Holmes Stories, which is pretty good so far. After I write this I'm going to go read more of it. But while we are talking about books, here is a list of the books I read this summer:

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Desson (stop judging me)
Front and Center by Catherine Murdock
Reread the Harry Potter Series in prep for the last movie
Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief by Rick Riordan

Yeah not many. The number of television episodes is way higher. Well that's about it for me today. Maybe I'll do that post I missed earlier this month (probably not). Ta ta!

Beauty

BEDA #16

Earlier today I was standing in a way-to-bright dressing room with about 15 different pieces of clothing of various sizes and types, looking in a smudged mirror, trying to find something that seemed worth the price listed on the tag. Shopping is a lot harder when you get older. The styles are more diverse, you actually know what the numbers mean, and the pressure to look nice intensifies. It's like there is a little box that you must fit into if you wanted to be considered beautiful.

I actually cut out a lot of what I was going to write, because video says it better then I could:

In which Emily makes excuses, drives, and watches too much television.

BEDA #15

Blog, I have made a discovery. I only write well at night. It seems to be the only time I can form coherent  sentences, string thoughts together, and create something that isn't complete junk. But I do apologize, because I am about 20 mins late of posting this. I'll find a way to make up to you. Maybe.

The reason for my short post on Monday was that I literally had 5 mins to post something before I had to leave, so I left a cute picture of R2D2. Don't ya just love Star Wars? I do. I'll talk about that some other time. I had to leave for Driver's Ed, then go to a birthday party for a close friend of mine. Funny story, I actually got there about 4 hours late (due to my class) and they were watching The Dark Knight when I arrived. But my friends have such short attention spans (did I mention we are all juniors in high school? it's a little sad.) we just talked the whole time and eventually fast forwarded to our favorite parts so we could go do something else.

We then ate some cake, played this game called Kick the Can (which is quite fun, I'll explain it later), and then went night swimming. Around 11 my friend and almost twin, Luke, brought me home. The drive is pretty long so I didn't get back till it was almost midnight. Late night drives are the best type. Everything comes out and there is a sense of peace that is hard to come across.

Also, I got my learner's permit today! It was kind of exciting, driving on the roadway for the first time. My parents are pretty chill about me driving, which is really nice. Hopefully I'll get my license on time next May.

Tonight was spent with my brother and good friend Nate, finishing an anime series called Black Cat, watching more Alphas, and the pilot of Burn Notice. As expected, we all watch wayyy too much television. Tonight was more melancholy though, because Nate moves back to school on Friday and it's not likely we'll get to see him again before he leaves. We just became friends this summer, but we have become pretty close. It's hard to visit him because he goes to school in Iowa, but I could maybe use a college visit day to go out and see him (Emily plans to beat the system :))

Well, I'm tired. Even the slackers need their sleep. I also start school in a week, so I'm getting all the sleep I can. Ta-ta!

Very Quick Post I may add to later

BEDA #14

Sorry, blog. Don't have time to write this today, so here's a cute drawing of R2D2



I really like Star Wars.

Bye!!!

Surprises

BEDA #13

Everyone deals with being surprised differently. They scream, they burst into tears, they get really embarrassed, etc. And you can't really change how you react, you just do. There's no split second to decide how to respond. Personally, I either start crying or I put my hands up to cover my face. This year my parents held a surprise party for me and I burst into tears when I saw everyone. It was embarrassing, but I really appreciated what they did and I think it showed. Just in a non conventional way :).

I've been thinking about this because for the past few weeks my mom, cousin, and I have been planning a Retirement/25th Anniversary party for my lovely Aunt. She has done so much for me and really helped me become the person I am today. We really wanted to make this special, and she was really surprised. (Her reaction was looking around with her mouth wide open, then saying "What the hell?")

That's all for today! I'll see ya tomorrow

Cruising in a Mini-Van

BEDA #12

I really want to write a list but that's not what this blog is for! I created this to get better at writing, not write lists. That's why I made this.

But we are getting off topic! This is a friend's appreciation post. During the school year, I get to see my friends everyday. We hang out often and always have a great time. But during the summer, it's harder to get together. Almost all of us can drive but it's hard to find a time we can get together. I don't keep in touch as well and I miss them. Today my amazing and talented friend Abby was in a play called The Abridged Works of William Shakespeare,  so we started planning and all of us came today to support her. My friend came, picked me up, and we drove out in his parent's mini-van to the play, while listening to score of Philosopher's Stone. We met up with some other friends once we got there and got front row seats for the show. It was absolutely hilarious, with high energy, crazy antics, and lots of running around. It was obviously that the actors were having a ton of fun, which made the show even better. The cast was made of five very talented high schoolers who truly love what their doing and they did a phenomenal job.

After the play we all drove back into town and got ice cream at 31 Flavors, which was so so so much fun. Basically we caught up, laughed a lot, and almost got kicked out. It reminded me how sad I would be if these people weren't in my life. We are all different, coming from different backgrounds, schools, homes, but we all share the love of laughter, friendship, and living life to it's fullest. I can't imagine my life without them, and I am thankfully for them every day.

On a somewhat less mushy note, I finished Season 3 finale of Castle. Let's just say I cried a lot and am anxiously waiting for Season 4. Very anxiously. VERY. Tell me about your friends in the comments! And if you've seen the finale, we can freak out together! Talk to ya later darling ;)

Days left of Driver's Ed: 12
Days left till school starts: 11

Television

BEDA #11

I love television. More and more I've started following shows instead of just turning on the TV and watching whatever was on. Community was the first show I followed closely. I started watching Joel McHale on The Soup, and I was ecstatic to hear he was going to get his own show. I love the cast and the writing of the show, it's all phenomenal. I can't wait for Season 3 to start.

The next shows I really got into were Firefly and Castle. I watched Firefly all the way through in about two weeks, because I fell in love with it so quickly. I usually don't like westerns but this is definitely an exception. These characters have such charm, like the funny and quirky Wash, tough money-loving Jayne, and River. Oh River; she is so wonderful.

The biggest result of watching Firefly is my every-growing love for Nathan Fillion. He is one of my favorite actors of all time. He is such a lovable guy who really cares about his work and puts his all in it. I had heard of Castle from Kayley Hyde/owlssayhooot in her vlog about television. I bought the first season of Castle on a whim  not really knowing what it was about or having seen any of it. I started watching one day when I was home sick and I was in love. I quickly finished the first season, bought the second, and finished it,craving more. I have two episodes left in Season 3 and don't want it to end. Beckett and Castle's chemistry is just so wonderful to watch develop and I can't wait to see where the show takes it.

My trashy show of the moment is Pretty Little Liars. I watched it from the pilot, hearing the books were quite good, and decided to give it a try. I can not stop watching, I need to know who A is. AH it drives me nuts sometimes haha.

Recently I have started watching Alphas and it is great. Gary is so cute and is probably my favorite character right now. I'll hopefully be able to catch up once I finish with Castle. Other shows I need to finish/catch up on are Doctor Who, Dollhouse, Firefly (Need to watch Serenity), and Alphas. Show I hope to start are Lie to Me, Pushing Daises, Once Upon a Time, The New Girl, Arrested Development, and Sherlock. (Social life? What's that?)

I'm really cutting close haha. Only 6 minutes left of the day to post this. Time to skedaddle. Till tommorrow.

Mama Badger is attacking my head.

BEDA #10

My head hurts so much. I have angry badger disease. This is were the baby badgers are climbing up your throat and stomach, trying to get out, and the mama is scratching at the inside of your forehead. So I'm a bit cranky. Lazy list time:

- Saw Rise of the Planet Of the Apes. It was good, I recommend it. The monkeys were so lifelike, it so beautiful.
-I delivered over 300 cookies today to nurses. It was nice.
-Red Robin is good, but the TV's in the floor is unnecessary. Also, the fish is good, but extremely greasy.
-Why can't I walk into a Halloween store and get a storm trooper costume that isn't slutty? It sucks.
-Pizza Hut sells shit pizza.
-Monsters Inc. is still amazing.

Blac. Need a bed and strong asprin. Till next time.

Days left of Driver's Ed: 13
Days till school starts: 14

Pottermore Survey

BEDA #9
Catching up on posts I missed, so here's a Pottermore survey I recieved from an awesome blogger named HayleyGHoover. Enjoy!

What's your Pottermore username? CastleAccio10

What House do you think it sounds like? Hufflepuff because it sounds like someone is trying to find the castle and Hufflepuff's are particularly good finders.

What House do you want to be in? Ravenclaw. I'm fairly smart and care a lot about my grades. I'm also very very nerdy so Ravenclaw is the house for me. 

Does your username relate to you at all? Yeah, because I've wanted to find the castle for a long time, Accio is one of my favorite spells, and I also love the show Castle

What kind of wand would you wish to get? I'm not sure what core yet, but it would probably be willow and about 11 ins.

Are you pure, half-blooded or Muggle born? Half-blood, because my dad loves Harry Potter but my mom doesn't.

Which day did you get into Pottermore? Day 4

What shape is your Patronus? A Raven

What does your boggart look like? Losing those I love.

Would you rather be an Animagus or a Matamorphmagus? Probably a Matamorphmagus because I would get the most use out of it.

If you were an Animagus, what animal would you be? I'm really not sure! I've been pretty divided on this issue- something useful or something really cool? I can't decide.

What's your user name for Pottermore? Let me know!

Garbage Picking

BEDA #8

Has anyone else ever gone garbage picking? For those who don't know what this it is, basically you drive around, look through other's trash the day before the trucks are suppose to come, and take what you want from it. The owners obviously don't want it anymore, so it's free for anyone to take. In my neighborhood there is some guy who drives around in a truck and gets all the old furniture from people's trash and puts in his truck. He's always around, it's kinda funny.

Anyway I was out running errands with my mom and we stopped at the bagel store. We were pulling in and on the side of the building was this basket with a padding in it. My mom turns to me and says "Go get it. It's Longaburger (fancy basket company my mom loves)." So after I got my bagels and grabbed and we drove off. We now have that basket in our car haha.

Tonight I'm going to Driver's Ed then seeing Rise of the Planet of the Apes with my brother and one of our friends. I'm reaally looking forward to this movie., let me know if anyone else has seen it. Until next time!

I'm starting some counters down here. Hopefully I'll remember to update them!

Days left of Driver's Ed: 14
Days till school starts: 15

Ice Cream and Classes

BEDA #7

Oh blog. Why do I always forget about this till 11 at night? I have so many ideas about what to write, but I rush to get this done in time. Le sigh. Back to business.

I went to my first class of driving school. We have a fairly small class and one awesome teacher; I think it won't be too bad. This movie we watched today showed how terrible teenage drivers are because they are immature, thrill-seeking, inexperienced, etc. I agree with most of the list but it's not the greatest thing to show young teens on their first day of class.

Once driver's ed was over for the day I went to this Mary Kay event with "Professor Body Type", where one of the consultants helps women figure out what their body types and how to dress them to look their best. The types were really strange though. They were pear, rectangle, inverted triangle, apple, and hour-glass. Imagine being told you look like an apple or a pear. That would be horrible. It was an enjoyable event, even though my friend and I were at least 7-10 years older then everyone else haha. Afterwards we got Coldstone Ice Cream, which is amazing. I got Cake Batter with Blueberry Pomagrante; it tasted like blueberry muffin mix. Heaven in a waffle cone.

Heading up to bed soon. I"ll try and write something interesting soon.

Driving

BEDA #6

Like most 16 year olds, I have driving on the brain. I've been so busy the past year that taking driver's ed wasn't an option.  I wasn't in a big rush to get behind the wheel.  I've known for a while that there was no chance of me getting a car unless I bought it my self, and with  parents working full time, I wouldn't have a car available to me even if I had my license right when I turned 16. 

But now that I have the possibility of getting a job and one less driver in the house (my brother is leaving for college), I figured it's time I took charge and started learning. (Also, my parents said I would never drive their cars without taking the course.) I was suppose to have my first class tonight but couldn't attend due to another thing that makes me think about driving.

Today my mom, brother, and I drove down with my cousin Maggie and aunt to help Maggie move into her apartment. Her university is about 1 1/2- 2 hours away, so we had to leave early so we can be back in time for my class. We left to meet them at 7 am and ended up getting to the apartment at around 10 am. For a university apartment, this one was nice. It had a full kitchen, two bedrooms, a basement with a washer, dryer, and ping-pong table, and it was mostly furnished. We helped her move in most of her stuff and put some furniture in place, which was fun because we don't get to spend a lot of time together.

After working we went to lunch at this amazing Italian restaurant before getting on the highway back home. Around 3:00 things started to back up and by 3:15 we had stopped moving entirely. We ended up being stuck in the same three mile radius for almost 3 hours. So I ended up missing my 4:30 class, but luckily the staff understood and my dad was able to get some of the information for me that I missed. It wasn't all bad, being stuck in a Suburban while it's storming around the car, because all of us were slap-happy and a pretty goofy. Though around 6:00 pm, we started to get angry with each other. 

Finally we pulled into the Arby's parking lot where we had parked almost 12 hours earlier and said our goodbyes. It was a fun day but I am exhausted. Time for me to go sleep. Till next time.

PS: I think I'm going to start a countdown thing, we'll see what happens.

Deathly Hallows Part 2 Reaction

BEDA #5

AN: I wrote the majority of this review the weekend after I saw the film. I finished it up today, adding more thoughts and changing some. I also have seen the movie again since, so I'm not writing completely off the first viewing

(This review does contain spoilers)
On July 14th fans raced for the cinemas, anxiously clutching their pre-ordered tickets, to get in line for the movie that defined a generation. Proudly displaying their house colors, they watched as their beloved school change from a sophisticated castle to a war zone. They cried as Harry walked into the forest, accepting his fate, and cheered when Mrs. Weasley cried her famous line "Not my daughter you bitch." It was truly then end of an era that none of us will soon forget. I have made amazing friends because of Harry Potter and was so glad I saw the film with them. Part 1 was absolutely fantastic and Part 2 capped it off. Here are a couple things I loved (and some I didn't) about the final film.

- Shell Cottage. The opening shot of Dobby's grave stone was heart-wrenching. A good reminder of Part 1, picking up almost exactly where it left off.
-The Gringotts scene was fairly well done. I did not like how those under the Imperious curse "smelled it" before they obeyed; it looked ridiculous. But Helen Botnham Carter did a spectacular job. Her portrayal of Hermione in that situation was spot on. Also, the dragon was very believable.
-The scene with Aberforth was far too short and not very satisfying. There was so much emotion when reading that scene and they didn't bring that same feeling into the movie.
-MATT FREAKIN LEWIS. One of the best performances in this film. Neville is such a fun character and they don't explore his past in the movies as they do in the books, which is understandable, but he adds so much to the story that can't be felt in the film. Here, they finally do him justice and show that he is not some bumbling little kid anymore. He is strong and he is his parents son.
-Also, Professor McGonnigal is badass. Just sayin.
-Evanna Lynch was wonderful. She has been betrayed as a comedy-relief chatacter in the previous pictures and seeing her get up in Harry's face and making him listen to her was satisfying. It shows that even though Luna is a little mad, once you get up close, she has a very unique insight on life.
-Hermione and Ron's kiss was cute. I'm sad they didn't have Harry see it like in the book, because his line is hilarious, but I enjoyed the change the writers made.
-Snape's death was so well done. The angle they had Harry at, where you can't see the attack directly, but you can hear everything and see his body hitting the glass, made a bigger impact then a straight view could have. And the line about Lily's eyes... Heart wrenching.
-The Prince's Tale left a lot out but was able to make it's point. Seeing Snape go to the Potter home, crying and clutching Lily Potter's dead body was almost too much for me to handle. That is my favorite part of the book and overall they did a decent job.
-Harry meeting his death and seeing his loved ones again. Perfect. Absolutely no complaints.
-Dumbledore telling Harry that even though it's in his head it's still real, was magical.
-Neville's speech was... cheesy. I'm glad he got a big moment, standing up to Voldemort, but the film makers should have used the speech Jo originally wrote.
- The hug. I don't know how I feel about this yet haha.
- Harry jumping out of Hagrid's arms really bothered me. Something about it just didn't sit well with me.
-The weird touching "battle" with Harry and Tom was unnecessary. The wand fight was great, but the flying thing just... ugh.
-NEVILLE AND LUNA GOT TOGETHER. EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURTS.
-Why didn't Harry fix his wand with the Elder Wand? I understand destroying it but fixing his wand would have tied together the lose ends with the wand discussions in the past films.

That's about it. I could go on for a while but I doubt anyone is still reading.

Movies I Need to See

BEDA #4

-Rise of the Planet of the Apes
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (for the third time)
-X-Men: First Class
-Winnie the Pooh
-Another Earth
-Super 8
-The Help
-Cars 2
-The Art of Getting By
-Captain America

A list for you. Blog ya later! (Wow I'm cool.)

Seeing Yo Yo Ma and the CSO

BEDA #3

Again, I'm late. I do apologize. I got home later then I thought last night and wasn't able to write about my evening, as I had planned. I'll do that now.

Backstory: In May my band was scheduled to go see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with Yo Yo Ma performing with them, during a free practice. On the same day my advanced art class was going to go to the Art Museum downtown and a couple other galleries. But on the night before these events, I was hospitalized with a severe case of bacterial pneumonia and was unable to attend either. 

My lovely ,lovely aunt came to the rescue, promising me that she would find Yo Yo Ma tickets and would take me to see him. Last night my mother, brother, our friend Nate, my cousin, my aunt, and I all went to Ravinia to see him perform. It was beautiful. He is an amazing performer; I wish I could watch it again. His dedication and connection to music so inspiring. He did two pieces with the orchestra and then one solo piece. Many times I would myself forgetting what was around because I was so focused on the music. 

The atmosphere of the venue was very different from anything else I've been too. It was outdoors with a covered stadium section and then there was a sprawling lawn where people sit out there chairs, had a picnic, and listened to the music under the stars.It was loud with friendly chatter most of the time but once the performance started, there was silence. Many people read while the music played, while others, like me, walked up to the railing and watched the performance. My friend Nate said how incredible it was to look around and see all these people in very close proximity to each other be in utter and complete silence. It was definitely a new experience that I'll hopefully have again soon. 

That was my Friday night, I hope yours was well. Tell me in the comments about your experience seeing live music, was it like mine? Sorry again for being late, I'll post today's entry soon. I promise :)

Pottermore

BEDA #2


To tell the truth, I wasn't that excited for Pottermore. I was ecstatic that Jo Rowling was going to release more about the Potter universe and the fans would get a role in the new project, but her YouTube announcement left me feeling ... empty. Very little was revealed about the site and I still wasn't sure what kind of site it was going to be.* But I still registered a few months ago, waiting for the email that never came. I did not stay up all night Saturday to be one of the first few in; I was fairly busy and waiting on my computer until the wee hours of the morning would not have been good. So Tuesday night I found out what time period the the clue was going to be revealed and yesterday I got up at 7:15, grabbed my laptop, and planted myself on my couch for the next two hours until the clue appeared (after the 700th time I refreshed the page).

I knew the last three days' clues were going to be easy, but this clue was fairly basic HP trivia: "How many students take part in the Triwizard Tournament during Harry’s fourth year? Multiply this number by 28." 

I mean, really? 

The excitement didn't really hit me until I was taken to the SONY page, where you had to find the magic quill, click on it, and could begai the registration process. At that point I started shaking and typing became really hard. I was going to get in. But the best and most memorable part was the List of Magical Folk, where my name was listed, right above Mr. Potter himself. It brought back the child-like glee I experienced when I read the books for the first time so many years ago. It was truly a magical moment. 

This is the username I chose. I don't really remember the others, 

but I know this one was the perfect one for me.**

So that is my experience with Pottermore. I'm definitely more excited now then I was a few days ago, but I'll keep you updated. Let me know in the comments what you think of Pottermore! Thanks for reading, see ya later.  

*Social networking, encyclopedia, etc. 

**Because 1) It expresses my growing need to go to Hogwarts 2) It uses one of my favorite spells in the name & 3)I love the show Castle. 

I'm a little late but still gonna BEDA

First blog, first time BEDA (ing). I hope you're ready, because I'm not.

Currently I'm sitting in my kitchen, trying to find the best way to begin. I've never had a blog before, but have wanted to find a way to get my thoughts out into the world. Once the ball gets rolling, it will go. The hard part is getting started.

As far as limits and expectations, I don't have any right now. I have complete control of what is put into this blog.   If I feel the need, I can describe my breakfast (Oreo Pie and Milk), advertise some of my favorite blogs/vlogs (here, here, here.), or make lists upon lists upon lists (which will, no doubt, happen). But for now, I just want to say Hello. I hope you will join me on this little adventure. See ya tomorrow.

PS. I am two days behind due to my failure of connecting August with BEDA, but I will make up for them by either going two days into September or just writing two extra posts.