The Bitten Usagi's Lair

Brighid (PBP week 4)

2012-01-27T23:57:00.001-07:00

I had really wanted to be much more prepared this week with an incredibly researched topic, but alas, I have an 8 month old. This week I chose a topic close to my heart, the Goddess Brighid.

Brighid is also called by several other names (spellings); Bride, Brigit, Brigid, Brigitania and she is also known to Catholics, though, as Saint Brighid instead of a Goddess. She is one of the most well known Goddesses and I'm sure many have heard about her as a holiday where many recognize her is fast approaching, Imbolc (or Imbolg, Candlemas, etc).

She is known as a Goddess of Hearth and Home as well as a Goddess of poetry and fire. She is also associated with; childbirth, fertility, arts and crafts, education, healing, and psychic abilities.

Brighid is of the Celtic tradition and she was the daughter of the Dagda and was betrothed and married to Bress, son of Elathan, of the Formors. They had a son, Ruadan, who was killed which moved Brighid and Bress to create "keening", which is a vocal lament of mourning.

A symbol of the Goddess Brighid is Brighid's Cross which protects against fire and evil. She is seen by many as the triple Goddess and often depicted as holding flames in her palms or surrounded by a fiery halo, though she is also associated with sacred wells and springs which may stem from her association with healing.

Brighid is a Goddess I feel a great connection to for many reasons. I'll try to write more in a few days about Imbolc and activities and symbols of Brighid and Imbolc. ^_^

Artwork source: Pickled Pixie on deviantArt

Altars (PBP week 2)

2012-01-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

So I had big plans for this post this week and they all fell apart quite quickly. Especially since I'm now writing it from my phone as I try to get my son to sleep which he's been refusing to do for two hours now.

So. Altars. *straightens what little hair is left on my head* I wanted to get an altar set up this week and get lots of pretty pictures for everyone to check out but not yeah... didn't get there either. Will try to in the next few days and update the post. So first I'm going to talk about my altar necessities, though I do not have everything I consider a necessity because I'm very particular about magickal objects. I must feel a connection to something before I can use it (I'll talk more about this when I talk about crystals and tarot cards.) because I feel things will call to me. Not to say I don't look (like any other relationship, it's a two way street) but I haven't found several things I can connect with.

Candles- First of all they are necessary to represent fire but also if you do any sort of candle magic. I have an entire box with every color from the rainbow. Eventually I'd like to make me own. Then as I make the candle I can infuse it with the magickal intentions for the the spell I'm planning on using it for.

Wand- I know at least a couple of you may have giggled on this one (especially if you're obsessed with things like Harry Potter like I am) but a wand is important for very focused magic. You can have a regular use wand and create wands for specific spells which are buried afterwards. Wands must never be taken from a living tree. You can take from a tree when it is dormant (don't forget to thank it for the gift it just gave you) or from a dead tree but personally I prefer branches that have fallen from the tree naturally.

Athame- This is a black handled magickal knife. It is not used for any cutting beyond magickal needs such as opening a door in a circle, etc. It is double edged traditionally. I have yet to find one that calls to me.

Bolline- This is a practical or working knife with a white handle, traditionally made of bone. This is used for physical cutting or carving.

Representations of the God(s) and Goddess(es)- I have a Josephine Wall artwork that I love and use for this. Several actually but I feel lots of things work for this. Figurines, statues, etc.

Representations of the elements - This one can vary and be what you feel is appropriate. I have a candle for each normally as well as other things such as a potted plant (which is rooted in Earth, drinks Water and takes in and expells air and uses sunlight (fire). Bam. 4 elements right there. Plus the beauty of life incorporated into your altar.

I also have a handmade set of cups for Earth, Air, Water and Fire as well which each were made with my altar in mind a couple years ago and each has the invoking printable for that specific element on it. I also made boxes to store them in which have visuals representations and symbols for the two they are supposed to hold. Notice I said "supposed". I'm not very gifted in the way of ceramics and forgot to account for shrinkage but I like them just the same. I also glazed each in a way I felt was representational of their element. Handmade items are a must.

I also have a large candle I've had since I started practicing which has a Pentagram carved in it that represents soul for me, as well.

Altar cloth- these change for me depending on the ritual, time of year or because I need a change.

Those are my bare essentials. I also suggest photos of loved ones and other such things. An altar is your sacred space and yours alone if you're a solitary practitioner so make it yours. Adorn it with things that mean something to you and your path.

As I wrote this post a realized that there are magickal working altars as well as altars that are meant to represent things, family, friends, etc. How I didn't see it before is beyond me. In fact I honestly have mini altars all around the house. I have them set up on shelves. They may not be used for working spells and such but they have things that have a purpose to my family and I. For example the DVD shelf in the kitchen has photos of my husband and I and a photo of my mom and I and a photos of each of the furkids. It has other objects on it that give it a calm and loving feel to me, including a little waterfall and some Asian themed decorations. To me it is an homage to my family. The pictures are set in very specific places all it not only looks visually pleasing but has a balance that can calm me when I view it. Perhaps you may not consider it an altar because it isn't used for performing magick, but I consider it so.

So an altar can be for performing magick or not and both can be great reflections of you. Don't get caught up into how so many books say an altar should be laid out because if it feels awkward to you you'll be unsteady in spells and/or rituals but if it feels comfortable to you it will make your magickal workings much more successful!

Pagan Blog Project: About Me & My Path

2012-01-06T08:50:00.005-07:00

First of all: Hello dear readers! I've missed you, even if you haven't missed me and I'm hoping to blog more this year, warrior willing, so please hang on. This will be one of my reasons for blogging more and these posts will be up every Friday so if you're interested, stay tuned, if not, well I'll be posting other stuff. :P

So for my first week I feel like a bit of a cheater by doing an about me of sorts but I figure it's a start. Hey it starts with 'A', lol. Thinking next week I'll write about altars though. ^w^ So for those that don't know I'm pagan and when one of my besties told me about the Pagan Blog Project I figured it was a great idea because I'm looking to blog more and I'm also looking to be more of a practicing witch. Bam. 2 birds, 1 stone.

You can check out the website for more info about how this is going and even join in. If you join in let me know! Now for a jumbled mess of a post but this is as straight as I can get it in my head. @.@

So about me and my path:

I was raised Catholic. I went to church every Sunday with very few exceptions up to my senior year in high school (and even then there were several Sundays that I changed from church clothes to work clothes until they started having me work at 6 am). Now when I say my family is Catholic, I'm not messing around. My family has ran CCD (religious ed program) for years and years. There are several nuns in my family, a deacon and a Monsignor (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) and my family is VERY involved and has been their entire lives. This little part will clue you into why I have not come out of the broom closet to my family. I honestly believe it would crush them but there is just too much I disagree with when it comes to the Catholic church. In fact I was hesitant to post these on this blog but since no family that I know of reads it, we'll keep it here for now.

So my Junior year after studying for several months (not the normally recommended year and a day) I did a self initiation into Wicca. It was amazing and things felt right. Well other than continuing to hide it from my family but it was that or potentially give everyone heart attacks.

I practiced for several years. Then school, asshole boyfriend and other things got in the way. Not to say that I didn't hold on to my beliefs, I just didn't do any spells or anything and aside from a cat named Beltane and having a deck of tarot cards, my beliefs were pretty quiet.

Fast forward to now. I'm married and we have our first child and I feel like I need to come back, I've felt like a part of me has been missing all this time. What I identify as has changed. I've got some Wicca, with some non Wiccan parts with a very light sprinkling of Celtic Reconstructivism. Very light sprinkling. Haha. I want to be able to share my beliefs with my son (Note: he is not going to be pushed to any religion. He will go to church on Sundays with his Grandma if we're around and he'll celebrate both Yule and Christmas and such things like that. I personally felt forced to go to church and I want him to be able to see there are different beliefs and choose for himself.)

So that's where I am. I feel a great connection to the Gaelic Gods and Goddesses though it's hard to find what I would consider reputable information. I strive to learn as much as I can about ancient Gaelic culture and try to incorporate it as well. I've been in the midst of a re-dedication of sorts to my path (though I'm not sure re-dedication is really the right word for it) because I feel it is necessary and have been for several months so my posts this year will be a "new to this, but not" if that makes any sense to anyone at all. ^w^

Also, if you're a new follower from the Pagan Blog Project say hello! Introduce yourself, I'd love to hear about you as well. :)

Pottermore Quiz!

2011-08-17T11:50:00.000-06:00

So I stole this from Kristina Horner (italktosnakes) who stole it from Hayley.

What's your Pottermore username? ScarletSpirit
What House do you think it sounds like? I don't know as though it really sounds like a specific house.
What House do you want to be in?This is the only thing that causes me anxiety about Potter more, hahaha. I've identified as Ravenclaw for YEARS and I think I might have an identity crisis if I get sorted into another house. ^w~ Only half kidding with that. Pretty much I'd be ok with anything but my order of preference is 1-Ravenclaw, 2-Slytherin, 3-Hufflepuff (yes as much as I make fun of Hufflepuff I don't place them last) and 4-Gryffindor.
Does your username relate to you at all? I think it does. I love the color red and I'm "bitten" ya know.
What kind of wand would you wish to get? Ya know, I don't know. I kind of thought something with Unicorn hair or Dragon heartstring. Pretty much I can't wait for this part of Pottermore.
Are you pure, half-blooded or Muggle born? Probably half-blooded. My mom is such a muggle, haha, but I think if my Dad were alive we could have gotten really into Harry Potter together so I bet he was a wizard.
Which day did you get into Pottermore? Day 2. The 1st day was the one day in a week Darius woke up after 3 am, lol.
What shape is your Patronus? A rabbit.
What does your boggart look like? I'm with Ron (and Kristina as this is her answer as well) on this one - a big-ass hairy spider.
Would you rather be an Animagus or a Matamorphmagus? Animagus.
If you were an Animagus, what animal would you be? Hmmm I think I'd either be a rabbit or a cat. I think being a cat would be much more fun though.

So there are my answers. If you take the quiz leave a comment linking to your answers! Would love to see what other people's answers are!!

The Owl's Arrival

2011-08-01T06:15:00.000-06:00

This morning the owl came to let me know that I the magical quill had written my name in the book of magical folk

Waiting for the email to finish registration was murder wasn't it? Also it feels really weird to not be BittenUsagi somewhere, haha. But ScarletSpirit seems quite appropriate as well. ^w^

Have you gotten your owl yet?

Direction

2011-07-06T15:06:00.001-06:00

So I haven't been blogging here often but I'm still trying to adjust to have this little warrior and trying to keep him happy and manage some me time. So I've gotten a new blogger app for my phone and decided I'd give it a try. Ok, so Darius isn't the only excuse for my absence. I got burnt out on blogging. With baby on the way I started listening to bloggers about how to get yourself out there and hopefully make some money because, well I like the idea of being a work at home or stay at home mom. Plus most jobs would pretty much only cover the cost of childcare. And hell... the first time I was away from my son was this last Sunday for a whole 4 hours. (And that was rough on the nursing front- D is not a fan of bottles and I forgot my pump in Greeley & we were back home for 4 days- ouchies) Anyway so I tried to get myself out there and blogged regularly. Only to lose followers so I got discouraged but ya know what? Screw it. I'll do what I want. Don't like my opinion? Piss off. Don't like my writing? Piss off. Don't like the subjects of my posts? Piss off. With that being said this will be my geek space. I will cuss. I will rant. I will rave. I will fangirl the fuck out. Want family stuff? Go to my family blog: www.codyandcatmills.blogspot.com Want my photography? Go to my website: www.bittenphotography.com Here's to a new start and going back to not caring about follower counts and bs that doesn't mean anything in the real world and geeking out over stuff that matters to me. ^w^

Pottermore

2011-06-23T10:35:00.001-06:00

I was, like many other Harry Potter fans, super excited about the announcement from JK Rowling about Pottermore. I enjoyed the speculation & had my hopes up for a game & was gonna be pissed if it was a scavenger hunt type of thing like some supposed "accidentally realeased memo" claimed. I knew it wouldn't be more books because very early on the publisher said that wasn't it. Damn. No Marauder's books. Lol.
I was up for the announcement (mostly because Darius usually wakes up at 4 or 5 am-thank you kiddo) & after reading the full press release at the Leaky Cauldron I was super excited & as Leaky continued coverage on Twitter I was still even more excited.
Also I don't get how people are so confused. My guess is that they didn't read the press release as I thought it explained it quite well. Essentially it's going to be a way to re-experience the series. Re-read the books but be a part of them as well. We'll get sorted into a house (so this is how it feels to be 11 & staring at that old hat...) & you'll get more information about your house that wasn't in the books and stuff. How fun! Also- we'll get to learn more about characters such as Professor McGonagall, such as a past heartbreak (ok so this isn't new novel but pretty sure thatseas close as you can come without it being physical novels. JS.).
So yeah, we don't have specifics but this info is MORE than enough to have me fangirling.
^w^ Edit: oh & the site will include audio & ebook versions of the series too but meh I has the books & audio books already lol.

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 15

2011-04-15T08:11:00.006-06:00

Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)

Luna, Hermione and someone random. Lol.

Honestly I have no idea after Luna, hahaha.

~~Day 1: Your fave book.~~
~~Day 2: Your fave movie.~~
~~Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.~~
~~Day 4: Least fave female character and why.~~
~~Day 5: Fave male character and why.~~
~~Day 6: What house would you want to be in.~~
~~Day 7: Fave female character and why.~~
~~Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.~~
~~Day 9: Least fave male character.~~
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 14

2011-04-14T20:11:00.000-06:00

Day 14: Team Voldemort or Team Harry?

Voldemort is one of the most epic villains of our time but I gotta say Team Harry!!!

Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 13

2011-04-14T20:07:00.000-06:00

Day 13: Least fav movie

I think maybe Goblet of Fire but that was probably because of certain things I felt were important that weren't even mentioned and you can ask Cody when I watched the movie the first time with him I went on the entire time about how this was wrong that was wrong, etc.

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 12

2011-04-14T20:03:00.000-06:00

Day 12: Fav ship.

Ya know I really don't have a favorite. I also don't really have a hated one either. I have friends that hate the Ginny x Harry and think it should have been Hermione x Harry instead and while I can see their point in why it should have been that instead, I can't say I feel the same, if that makes sense. Like my friend Margarita makes some really good points but I actually like Ginny x Harry and Hermione x Ron. *hunkers down to avoid the rotten fruit ruining my shirt too badly* So yeah... pretty much I don't have a "favorite" but I can't say I hate any of the ships either.

~~Day 12: Fave ship.~~
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 11

2011-04-14T19:43:00.000-06:00

Day 11: What character are you most like?

Hmmm. I'm not real sure. I'd say Luna because as I said on Day 7 I identify with her but I'm not sure I'm most like her, she's been through more than I have I think, ya know. She's seen a lot, I mean she can see thestrals. I do feel like most people don't get her though and I've had that a lot in my life. Not complaining, just saying. It's the way it is when you're a nerd your entire life.

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 10

2011-04-14T19:39:00.000-06:00

So I'm totally behind on these, but it's not like anyone is reading them anyway so it doesn't matter.

Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows?

Hallows. Invisibility cloak FTMFW.

~~Day 1: Your fave book.~~
~~Day 2: Your fave movie.~~
~~Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.~~
~~Day 4: Least fave female character and why.~~
~~Day 5: Fave male character and why.~~
~~Day 6: What house would you want to be in.~~
~~Day 7: Fave female character and why.~~
~~Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.~~
~~Day 9: Least fave male character.~~
~~Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.~~
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 9

2011-04-09T20:47:00.000-06:00

Day 9: Least fav male character

Hmmmmm....

*taps on my laptop*

*stares at different places in the room*

*goes and grabs some food*

*stares at the screen*

I have no freaking clue.

Srsly.

Maybe it's 'cause my brain is fried or maybe it's because I don't really have one, but seriously I can not think of anyone right now.

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 8

2011-04-09T20:40:00.000-06:00

Day 8: Fav Lesson
(Day late! Sorry!!)
Oh this one is hard. I think I'd be terrible at herbology. Seriously my plants have learned to conserve water, I shit you not. Maybe History of Magic as I'm a total nerd for interesting history (hello, Ravenclaw here!). And if you're wondering what interesting history is, it's most history that isn't US history.
I'd also love Astronomy. OMG can you image labs in that class? The astronomy tower... *swoon*
*cough cough*
Sorry I love astronomy and to have an entire tower of the school dedicated for it would be amazing. It would likely be my favorite part of the whole school. Can't find me at night? I probably snuck up there to stargaze.
Shhhh.

~~Day 1: Your fave book.~~
~~Day 2: Your fave movie.~~
~~Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.~~
~~Day 4: Least fave female character and why.~~
~~Day 5: Fave male character and why.~~
~~Day 6: What house would you want to be in.~~
~~Day 7: Fave female character and why.~~
~~Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.~~
Day 9: Least fave male character.
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 7

2011-04-07T14:29:00.001-06:00

Day 7: Fav female character and why?

Luna Lovegood. Just as with the males there are lots of great female characters but Luna really stands out for me. She's misunderstood by the majority of Hogwarts and I can so identify with that. I've always been the oddball growing up. My cousins and I didn't really get along (I preferred the company of the adults anyway), I was always the weird one in school (Trekkie, liked X-Files, anime, informational stuff, science- science fairs were my thing for MANY years) and I can identify with her more than any other character in the series I think. Yeah she seems like this ditzy blonde who is completely in the wrong house but really she's quite brilliant. She just has some quirks and don't we all? She's experienced so much and I love the moment when she & Harry are talking about the Thestrels (prolly spelled that wrong) and she explains why they can see them and no one else can. She's amazing! Plain & simple.

~~Day 1: Your fave book.~~
~~Day 2: Your fave movie.~~
~~Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.~~
~~Day 4: Least fave female character and why.~~
~~Day 5: Fave male character and why.~~
~~Day 6: What house would you want to be in.~~
~~Day 7: Fave female character and why.~~
Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.
Day 9: Least fave male character.
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 6

2011-04-06T14:20:00.004-06:00

Day 6: What house would you want to be in?

Ravenclaw

Always and forever. ^w^

~~Day 1: Your fave book.~~
~~Day 2: Your fave movie.~~
~~Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.~~
~~Day 4: Least fave female character and why.~~
~~Day 5: Fave male character and why.~~
~~Day 6: What house would you want to be in.~~
Day 7: Fave female character and why.
Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.
Day 9: Least fave male character.
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 5

2011-04-05T13:46:00.004-06:00

Day 5: Fav male character & why

Omg this one is so hard. There are so many awesome guys in the series that it's hard to choose!! Mr. Weasley is awesome and so funny. His obsession with muggle artifacts is hilarious! The Weasley twins are hilarious and loveable and definitely have the coolest shop ever which I know I would frequent quite often. Snape and all he did for Harry. 'Nuff said. Then there's Dobby, the free elf, who is satisfied to die surrounded by his friends. Sirius was also so amazing and looked out for Harry even though he was having to hide. When he insists on accompanying him to Platform 9 & 3/4 as padfoot- I love it. Lupin was so amazing and also looked out for Harry even though he was dealt a tough hand with his "condition". Hagrid, who was forever spilling the beans and getting Harry, Hermione & Ron into trouble unintentionally- damn spiders, huh Ron? Dumbledore, oh Dumbledore you cryptic old wizard who left some of the coolest things to people in your will.

Ugh. Still can't choose. Thought after I listed them it would make it easier but no, it made it harder! (twss) So let's go Sirius. Simply because he was so loveable for me and even though he was looking to Harry more as a friend and even confused him with his ol' best friend James, he truly loved Harry and would do anything for him.

~~Day 1: Your fave book.~~
~~Day 2: Your fave movie.~~
~~Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.~~
~~Day 4: Least fave female character and why.~~
~~Day 5: Fave male character and why.~~
Day 6: What house would you want to be in.
Day 7: Fave female character and why.
Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.
Day 9: Least fave male character.
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 4

2011-04-04T08:52:00.001-06:00

Day 4: Least fav female character and why.

Umbridge. This was the first time I have read a book and actually wanted to punch a character from it. No not just punch, I wanted to beat her to a bloody pulp.

~~Day 1: Your fave book.~~
~~Day 2: Your fave movie.~~
~~Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.~~
~~Day 4: Least fave female character and why.~~
Day 5: Fave male character and why.
Day 6: What house would you want to be in.
Day 7: Fave female character and why.
Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.
Day 9: Least fave male character.
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 3

2011-04-03T08:47:00.004-06:00

"Is there any of the film adaptations that have made you angry because they've ignored importat parts of the book?"

Goblet of Fire made me SOOOOOOO angry when I saw it. One of my biggest pet peeves was leaving out SPEW and since then I have refrained from re-reading the books before watching the movie so it will help me keep them separate, though I might break that rule before DH pt 2... we'll see.

~~Day 1: Your fave book.~~
~~Day 2: Your fave movie.~~
~~Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.~~
Day 4: Least fave female character and why.
Day 5: Fave male character and why.
Day 6: What house would you want to be in.
Day 7: Fave female character and why.
Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.
Day 9: Least fave male character.
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 2

2011-04-02T20:47:00.000-06:00

My fav movie... hmmmm. I think that actually my fav movie is based on my least fav book oddly enough but I felt like they did so well with it. Even sitting in a theater at past midnight with a full bladder (and a small child resting ON said bladder) I could not tear my eyes from the screen. Deathly Hallows pt 1 was amazing. They did so well with it. The story of the brothers and the when they're torturing the muggle studies prof. Yeah it gives me chills sitting here writing about it. I love most of the movies but wow this one was just... wow. Ask Margie, I couldn't even speak afterwards. I couldn't say anything but wow for so long after it. In fact I believe all my first tweet afterwards was something like "Deathly Hallows.... wow is all I can say." I'd look to be sure but I'm too lazy but I know it was a while before I could formulate a full coherent sentence, lol.

~~Day 1: Your fave book.~~
~~Day 2: Your fave movie.~~
Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.
Day 4: Least fave female character and why.
Day 5: Fave male character and why.
Day 6: What house would you want to be in.
Day 7: Fave female character and why.
Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.
Day 9: Least fave male character.
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Day 1

2011-04-02T20:40:00.000-06:00

My fav Harry Potter book. Arg such a hard choice for me. As in I keep choosing, typing and then deleting, hahaha. I keep leaning towards Order of the Phoenix though and I think that's because even though I hate that Sirius dies in that one, you get to see so much of his relationship with Harry. My heart breaks when in PoA Wormtail escapes and completely screws Sirius and Harry and the fact that they could have finally been the family they both needed, though yes, I know, Sirius was looking more for having James back than realizing that it wasn't James with him anymore but that's another can of worms. In OotP they get close to having that family dynamic though and I think that's what I love so much about it.

And now before I delete that and change it again I'm gonna post this.

~~Day 1: Your fave book.~~
Day 2: Your fave movie.
Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.
Day 4: Least fave female character and why.
Day 5: Fave male character and why.
Day 6: What house would you want to be in.
Day 7: Fave female character and why.
Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.
Day 9: Least fave male character.
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

30-Day Harry Potter Challenge: Challenge Accepted

2011-04-02T20:13:00.000-06:00

So I don't normally do these but I am so down for this one. I'd do it on Tumblr but Tumblr is always screwy when I schedule posts so I don't even bother and as busy as I am, I need to be able to schedule these a few days in advance. Cheating? Yes. Do IGAF? No. So here are the topics for each day & I'm just going to go ahead and post the 1st and second and go with the days of the month to help me keep better track, lol.

The 30-day Harry Potter challenge

Day 1: Your fave book.
Day 2: Your fave movie.
Day 3: Is there any of the films adaptations that have made you angry because they’ve ignored important parts of the book.
Day 4: Least fave female character and why.
Day 5: Fave male character and why.
Day 6: What house would you want to be in.
Day 7: Fave female character and why.
Day 8: What do you think would be your fave lesson.
Day 9: Least fave male character.
Day 10: Horcruxes or Hallows.
Day 11: What character would you say you are most like.
Day 12: Fave ship.
Day 13: Least fave movie.
Day 14: Team Voldermort or Team harry.
Day 15: Who would be your best friends at hogwarts. (three only)
Day 16: Fave professor
Day 17: Are you excited about The Deathly Hallows movie or scared it won’t do the book justice.
Day 18: Least fave book.
Day 19: Do you prefer the books or films.
Day 20: If you had to meet one member of the cast, who would it be.
Day 21: Out of all the characters that died, if you could bring one back, who would it be.
Day 22: Harry Potter or Twilight
Day 23: Any part of the books/movies that makes you cry.
Day 24: Any particular scene you wished would have been put in the movie but it wasn’t.
Day 25: Nineteen years later. Are you happy how it turned out, or do you wish something was different, ie Neville married Luna.
Day 26: If you could be able to work one spell without a wand what would it be.
Day 27: Would you rather own The Invisibility Cloak, The Resurrection Stone or The Elder Wand.
Day 28: Do you listen to Wizard Wrock, what do you think about it.
Day 29: Did you enjoy A Very Potter Musical.
Day 30: What affect has Harry Potter made on your life and how much does it mean to you

Japan

2011-03-14T09:51:00.000-06:00

So I'm sure if you follow me on Twitter you're sick and tired of hearing about it but this is super important to me. I feel like now, just a few short days after the earthquake and following tsunami in Japan that people are just going back to their daily lives and forgetting about the continuing devastation occurring in Japan which breaks my heart. Also, I know very few people read my blog but maybe some of you read but don't follow me on Twitter so it's worth a mention here as well.

For those that don't know, I love Japan. It started with a simple love of my favorite anime and has blossomed into an appreciation for their culture as well. I'd love to visit Japan and several times have looked into teaching programs there as well as study abroad but life tends to get in the way (and the fact that I'm a total pussy and can't take not seeing my family for more than a month & my husband is not keen on sushi. Yes I've told him there is McDonald's but he's not convinced, well unless our "president" gets re-elected, then he said we could move there haha. :D I win, kinda.) Pretty much the gist of the story is that I love Japan and it holds a special place in my heart.

So this is my call to you. If you haven't, please donate. I know money is tight, trust me, I know, we have a baby boy on the way and a LOT to do to prepare for him as well as other things that daily life throws at you as well. Not complaining, just saying, times are rough for many right now.

There are some very easy ways to help though:

(Everything in red is a link- wanted to make it obvious ^.~)

You can donate to the Red Cross, which I have done. You can either go to their website to donate or you can simply text from your phone the word REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 to relief efforts. (I believe text is US only) It doesn't get much easier than that. Seriously. I did it at midnight in my pjs from the comfort of my bed, so that hopefully someone in Japan that lost their entire home can at least have somewhere safe to sleep themselves.

Another way is donating to Doctors Without Borders.

Lady Gaga has also designed a bracelet you can buy for $5 and all proceeds go to help those in Japan and you also have the option to add more of a donation at checkout.

Save the Children is also helping with relief efforts and accepting donations on their website as well as allowing us another super easy way to donate- Text. Simply text JAPAN to 20222 to donate $10. (Text is US only)

Also, if you're interested in keeping up with the news of Japan I have heard from several people in and from Japan that some of the best news reporting comes from NHK. I have noticed local news tends to focus on Americans in Japan (sorry but country of origin doesn't matter especially in a disaster like this) and our media is famous for reporting before they have the whole story.

You can also see some of what all the money to places like Red Cross is going to at places like this Flickr because it's nice to see the good being done as well as keep informed of all the disasters that keep occurring as nuclear plants attempt to combat meltdowns and the death toll rises.

I will also add to this list as I find reputable places to donate as well. I am considering doing something like photography prints for donations as well so if you head over to my photography site and see something you like, hit me up and we'll see what we can do. ^.^ I know I'm not famous or anything (yet ^.~) but hey, get a print for a donation now and brag to your friends later when I'm famous, haha.

Wordless Wednesday: 'Cause I'm Chillin with a Klingon

2011-02-09T19:39:00.000-07:00