Christmas came VERY early this morning.

How thrilled I was to wake up to this! 

I looked like an utter beast but was so excited I allowed Tom to take a couple of pics, still wearing what I slept in and no makeup (thankyou instagram for your blur feature)

Anyway this is my new baby and it is amazing! I can't wait to edit a video on it, haha. Even use photoshop. Even watch a movie. Or play the Sims! Yes, I will do that during my break tomorrow.

Thankyou very much tax return! This has been a long time coming.

As for my trusty laptop...

 We've had some great times over the past 3 years and you have been so good to me. But.. I just don't think I can trust you anymore. It's always something! Look, we can still be friends. After all, we do have about fifty essays together... not to mention the all times we stayed up all night making sweet, sweet videos. I'm gonna take the photos though.. sorry. You will always mean a lot to me! <3

In unrelated news, I saw Captain America last night. I LOVED IT. I think I'm beginning to develop a thing for superhero-comic book movies. Or perhaps it's just that Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth have made some very, very hot Marvel superheroes in films this year.. bring on The Avengers! 

The Magical Era.

At this very moment all over Australia and the world, thousands of people are watching for the first time, the very last installment of the Harry Potter series - the final movie.

Though I'm super excited to see it, I am burdened by a strange sadness. I am a rabid Harry fan, and for me, this marks the end of an era. The true ending of my childhood will be when the credits begin to roll after I view Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

I became hooked on Harry when I was 11 years old. The same age as Harry was when he got his acceptance letter to Hogwarts. I remember being glued to the pages, absolutely engrossed, the first time I read them (and the millions of times after.) Goblet of Fire had just come out when I got into the series, and I remember sitting in front of the heater in our NZ house and feeling my stomach just drop when "Cedric lay spread-eagled on the ground. He was dead".


The first movie came out the following year, and my 12 year old self could not get enough of it. I saw it at the cinema seven times. My friend Ellen and I could recite the ENTIRE THREE HOUR SCRIPT. I had a raging celebrity crush on the then baby-faced, slick-haired Tom Felton. (Yeah, I even kept his picture in a frame in my room, what of it? It's still healthier than being a Belieber).
Not long afterward I remember the adrenaline rush when the doors opened on one of the department stores in Palmerston North and running in to grab my copy of Order of the Phoenix.

This general excitement (minus the Draco crush, I soon got over that.. kinda) has continued for TEN YEARS. Waiting outside bookstores, waiting in cinema lines, devouring words from pages, crying, laughing out loud (seriously, any author who can do that is a good author in my opinion) and swooning at the screen... it has been - no other way to describe it - magical. My friends and I have grown up with Harry - our ages always seemed to coincide as the books were released - and the actors are all around our age too. It'll be like saying goodbye to friends I've known for a decade.

But in the words of the brilliant J.K. Rowling at the last Premiere:

Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.

Jo, you are a genius, and thankyou for extending my childhood to the ripe old age of 22. 

Harry will always have a special place in my heart.

It's man devouring man, my dear!

So last night was Maddy's Tim Burton themed 21st (that's Josh and I with the birthday girl above, isn't she a great Corpse Bride?) Here are a few more pics from a fantastic night in Rochester!

My costume was found mainly in savers - black top and petticoats, easy. Made the corset out of some lace, ribbon and an old singlet. Josh is wearing savers goods too (a woman's waistcoat, he's such a skinny bitch.) His "Kravat" is actually one of my old knee-hi's tied at the back of his neck. His hair is coloured with face paint haha. So there you go, Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett. 

Rani as the Mad Hatter - brilliant.

Full length. Josh's camera having issues at this point.  Also, I carried that rolling pin round all night. Made for some interesting dance moves...

Mark as Tim Burton himself. My "husband" for the night (if this confuses you, wiki TB. Look under spouse.)

Great night had by all. Now to tend to the assignment I must finish before another birthday I have on Tuesday night. Life's difficult... x

Bellatrix 2.0

So on Saturday night I'm going to a Tim Burton themed 21st. This is who I am dressing up as:

Sweeney Todd is one of my favourite movies EVER, and I love Helena, so Mrs Lovett is my obvious choice. Josh is going as Sweeney Todd - we went and bought our costumes today. We literally spent hours in Greensborough Savers finding the right attire - hopefully we pull it off (I think I'm set, apart from the hair - not sure what to do there.)

As it happens this will be the second time I've dressed as a Helena Bonham Carter character - I was Bellatrix in 09 for a Harry Potter themed night we had.

So I know these characters are actually quite similar looking - but Mrs Lovett is more feminine, Bellatrix is just absolutely insane.

Meanwhile, I am getting an early night cos I am WORKING tomorrow - only for a day, doing stocktake at my housemate's work. But money is money, and I need it epically! x

Twenty-Two

THE BIRTHDAY:

 Birthday lunch at Laurent Patisserie in Westfield Doncaster

Macaroons! These were brilliant. Chewy and delicious

Upon returning home I found Potter in my lounge room, complete with my Queen ensemble. The boy is truly a genius with balloons... he made the scepter from just looking at pics of them in Google images.

Clothes and book from the pares and headband from Kayla.. and tangy sticks from NZ, YES.

Socks from Meggie

Watch from Tom and Rory (from webcam, can't see it too well, but it's awesome)

This beast is "Lady BaBa" a handmade gift from Meg. She will travel to many locations in the future and will show up in the most unexpected of locations... stay tuned

My birthday ended with this beast on the big screen. See Limitless. The general consensus agreed it was good. (Not Shona.. but she was one out of 5 so whatevs.)  

So that is my day. It has been extremely enjoyable and I feel my roomie Kayla must be thanked for making my day very special, with her midnight gift, balloons, lunch date and movie date not to mention the beast of a cake she has created (will be pounded tomorrow night before we head to the infamous Stolberg). Love you bro!

AND thankyou to my lovely fam for the presents that arrived at the perfect time! I love them all! Love you guys and wish you could have been here!

xo xo