Honey, It Was Bleak For Me

Click on the link. Watch the hilarity and insanity unfold.

"It was a camalouflagian moment."

"If you guys can go up and just see - not to dictate shots."

"That bag is pow."

"It's a real diamond necklace and it's kind of pow."

"Why are you not wearing diamonds from head to toe?"

Want to Own a NYC apt?

Click on the title "Want to Own in NYC" it will direct you to the official listing of this apartment. It is worth checking out. It is a great home!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham-Carter, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright etc.

July 15, 2011 / July 17, 2011

"After all this time?"
"Always"

As the lights dimmed and the opening music along with the Warner Brothers logo appeared on the screen my eyes were wide with excitement. The moment had finally arrived after eight long months of waiting for the highly anticipated conclusion of the Harry Potter saga and I felt like a child at their first movie...the pure joy that enraptured my entire body.

Within the first ten minutes we see Voldemort aquiring the Elder wand, Harry sitting by Dobby's grave and Professor Severus Snape looking out over the grounds of Hogwarts as a clan of students marched orderly into the castle. It was an erie sight to see how different Hogwarts had become under the new Voldemort Regime. Reminiscent of Nazi Germany. And within that first ten minutes, I knew that this movie would be an incredible epic finale.

I was right. There were no dragged out scenes, it flowed smoothly and had a few moments where I found myself laughing. In a war film, which this movie essentially is, it's nice to have a few light moments to break the sadness. And there was sadness, lots of it. Characters we have grown to love were lost in the final battle, and tears were shed, on more than one occasion. Characters have emerged as heroes, and most importantly one character found his redemption with the audience, and with the son of the woman he loved.

By far the most beautifully shot and emotionally draining scene was (SPOILER) the death of Severus Snape, and the scene recollecting his memories. As I mentioned in my previous blog Snape has and will always be my favorite character, not only out of the Harry Potter characters, but of all time. To see how he loved and cared for Harry's mom, Lily, and how he lost her to Harry's dad, and then to death...to watch his emotional breakdown as he found her body lying on the ground, to this moment just makes me cry. It is heartbreaking and Alan Rickman gave one of his best performances (although the makeup to make him look 16 years younger was terrible) and it is my favorite scene of the movie.

The entire film was perfect, and everything that I wished and hoped it would be. I wouldn't change a thing about it and am so happy with how the saga ended. A nice closure as we watch Harry & Ginny and Ron & Hermione watch as their children go off to Hogwarts. A truly beautiful moment as Harry tells his son (Albus Severus Potter) that whether he gets into Gryffindor or Slytherin, it wouldn't matter...that he was named after two headmasters, one from Gryffindor and one from Slytherin, and both were great men. An equally beautiful moment as Hermione zips up her daughter's sweater and gives her a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

I give this 10 out of 10 stars

My New Love

Goat Skin shoes from John Varvatos. They are my new love.

Harry Potter

In the ultimate battle between good and evil, pure at heart and downright soulless, the saga of Harry Potter has grasped both ends and everything in between. JK Rowling has mastered the art of writing, in this beautifully dangerous depiction of a young boy fighting against powers bigger and greater than him, against an enemy who is in every sense of the word ‘invincible’, a wizard whom everyone fears.

There are few books that can grab the readers by the hearts and never let go, leaving them wanting more, even after seven books! From the moment the half giant Hagrid came barreling onto Privet Drive with a tiny baby in his hands in “Sorcerer’s Stone” I was immersed. The magic of Professor McGonagall turning from cat into woman and the mystery of how the tiny infant known as Harry had gotten that lightning scar on his forehead cast a spell over me and there was no turning back.

As each book became available and the story of The Boy Who Lived continued, the characters and the magical places of Hogwarts, Hogsmead, and Diagon Alley became something more to me. A wish that there were really places like these, places that offered so much more adventure than real life. Somewhere to escape the mundane and normalcy of actual life. Everyone wishes for that at one point or another. JK Rowling has created something so wonderful with these books, this one long wonderful story, and I will always be affected by these characters.

Harry is shown to us in the first book from the moment he arrives on the doorstep of his muggle Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley as a sad, neglected boy, who is forced to live in a small space under the staircase and is relegated to playing second fiddle to Dudley. He is lonely with nobody to talk to except for a snake at the local zoo, until his eleventh birthday when he finds out that he is a wizard. From that point his life is completely changed, for the better. And although he has to deal with his aforementioned enemy – Voldemort (or he who must not be named) – a bully by the name of Draco Malfoy and his companions, and a professor who seems to be out to get him – Professor Severus Snape, his life is a happier one than that of Privet Drive.

I can relate to Harry in that sense of loneliness and wishing for something better, something magical to happen! I yearn for the adventure that Harry partakes in throughout the seven years that the book takes place. An escape from reality. Who can’t at some point in their lives relate to that?

Yes, he loses people close to him and has to deal with hardships and bullies but the good outweighs the bad. He is constantly surrounded by people who love him, care for him and who are there to protect him in every way possible. With the constant companionship of his two best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, he is never truly alone. Everyone can relate to having if not two but at least one person who is your (excuse the “LOST” connection here) constant. In my life I can say I have many, and your friend and mine Mark is one of them! He is the Ron to my Harry.

Throughout the entire book series my favorite character wasn’t Harry, Hermione or even Ron. It was the professor that Harry despised, the Professor who always yearned for the position of the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. A tall figure with long dark hair, a pointy nose and beady eyes, who for all intents and purposes was one of the key figures on Voldemort’s side. Professor Severus Snape. Up until the very end of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” the readers are led to believe he is evil, and is out to destroy Harry. We are told and shown that he killed Dumbledore and had always been on the bad side of things. He was always my favorite character, even before we learned of his true intentions, how he had always been protecting Harry in every way he possibly could. That he had always loved Harry’s mother Lily and would do anything for her even after her death. There was something deeper to Snape that I connected with. His deep inner emotions and I knew in my core that he was just misunderstood.

Harry Potter has become a franchise, books, movies, action figures, posters, wands and yes even an amusement park! And to think it all started with one single mother living on welfare, only able to write the first book on napkins she had to use at a local coffee shop. It makes me believe that anything is possible. Dreams are attainable. Whether it be to write the next great American novel or be Head Boy, you can achieve your highest wish if you can overcome the many obstacles in your life.

I think that is what this series has meant the most to me. The realization that no matter how young or old you are, if you are a wizard, witch, muggle or half blood, you can outsmart fire breathing dragons, tame a hippogriff, slay a basilisk, catch a snitch or fight Lord Voldemort and win or simply write an epic adventure of one simple boy on his journey to adulthood!

So as I sit here waiting to see the final movie of the series…the epic war between good and evil…I feel sadness at it’s departure but also excitement for the truly amazing journey that we have
all been on.

Magically yours –
Lindsay

4th of July in the Citay!

My 4th of July tradition of visiting C-dubbs in NYC was just this past weekend. It was fun! We saw Transformers (great action, but too long), Larry Crowne (cute, but not the best), Super 8 (amazing!!!!!!!!) and Bad Teacher (funnier than I thought it would be but Cameron Diaz was not good).

We watched some X-Files and hung out with Allison, Ashley & Cari.

The most fun time was seeing Mark, Amanda and their friend Tammi! Yay. They met us at the "Love Loss and What I Wore" stage door where we met Susan Sullivan (Martha Rodgers, Castle) and Emily Bergl (Beth Young, Desperate Housewives). We then mosied on over to "The Normal Heart" stage door where we met Jim Parsons (Sheldon, Big Bang Theory), Lee Pace (Ned, Pushing Daisies), Luke Macfarlane (Scotty, Brothers & Sisters), Justin Kirk (Andy, Weeds) and saw Dana Delaney, Ellen Barkin, Harvey Keitel and Kate Burton.

I also saw Daniel Radcliffe at the stage door of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." He was nice and spoke with Carrie about how he couldn't take pictures with us and would be out after the show. He is also adorable!

Fun trip!

In Memory of Caylee Anthony

Three years ago the news reported the disappearance of 2-year old Caylee Marie Anthony and ever since then it has been one thing after another, where it seemed that Caylee's mother Casey was involved.

Six months after her disappearance her body was found in the woods wrapped in a plastic garbage bag in a swamp.

The trial has ended, and Casey Anthony was found not guilty. An alternate juror said that he would have come up with the same decision, based on the fact that the prosecution didn't do a very good job of convincing them, and it all came down to they didn't know the cause of death, and they couldn't provide a decent motive.

I can see how the motive could be an issue, what mother ever has a motive to kill her own child? But on the various accounts that I have heard throughout the years, of notes Casey wrote saying how parenting was difficult and a burden, and she'd rather be out partying. Yes, that doesn't seem like a good enough motive (but what really is when it comes to innocent children?) but if you are emotionally damaged then motive isn't really important to that person. And what about the reports that there were searches done on Casey's computer for chloroform and neck breaking, that only Casey could have searched for...that seems a pretty good indication of her involvement! And if THAT didn't convince you, what kind of mother doesn't report her 2-year old daughter's disappearance for 31 days? And then makes up a fake babysitter and a fake job to cover up her lies?

It seemed a sure thing that Casey would be found guilty, as the world had no doubts about her guilt...but who knows what was going through that jury's mind. I guess I can kind of see how there is reasonable doubt, as they never said how Caylee actually died. All I can say is Casey knows and she was involved. And that poor little girl is gone from this world because she was unfortunate enough to be born to an immature woman who should never have been a parent. I feel terrible that justice has not been served in this case. But Casey will have to live with what happened and I hope she has nightmares every night and always remembers her precious daughter who deserved so much better than her!

RIP Caylee Marie Anthony!
August 8, 2005 - June 16, 2008

Amanda in the City

Amanda came to the city for the weekend of the 4th of July. She stayed with me for a night and I took her around to HK (where we ate milky way ice cream). We walked up to Columbus Circle and she saw Central Park (specifically Strawberry Fields and the Dakota building). We then took a cab to Harlem and ate the best mac and cheese available anywhere (at the Hudson River Cafe). She was a big sport when we ended the night at gay bar Industry (I met a guy born in 1988). Did you know people born in 1988 are allowed to drink? I was informed people even born in 1991 are now of legal age. I am old (but he thought I was 26 :)

The next day we met more friends (specifically crazy pants herself LMD!!) She looked refreshed for a night of celeb stalking outside broadway theaters. She saw Susan Sullivan (of My Best Friend's Wedding/Castle fame). We saw some lady from Desperate Housewives. We saw Ellen Barkin and Harvey Keitel. Kate Burton and Dana Delaney. Lee Pace and Jim Parsons. Joe Mantello and John Benjamin Hickey.

And Luke McFarlance (who is dreamier than anyone could predict). Lindsay got a picture. But he's mine! All of them were so sweet (including Lindsay- can you believe that?). It was a great weekend filled with great friends.