The End

I put it off as long as I could, but I saw it, the last Harry Potter movie. It's now all over and I am terribly sad. Being close to the same age as Harry and the gang, I practically grew up with them and their adventures. Even though I am so torn at this being 'the end', I have to give a round of applause to the movie... it did the ending justice and I could not be happier with the way it turned out.

I cried, I laughed, I was even surprised (because I forced myself to NOT read the book again since it came out), and a little turned on I must admit. Harry is all grown up, kicking butt and taking names, and it's REALLY attractive. Same goes for Ron and most of the other characters, *sniff* they're all grown ups now and saving the world.

I would also like to commemorate Alan Rickman as Severus Snape. Thank you for being one of the best villains/heroes ever, you did J. K. Rowling's character MORE than justice, you made him who he is.

It's weird to know that I will never wait in line for another Harry Potter movie, but in retrospect I am glad it did not get unbearably dragged on. It was a good end to a wonderful story, I think for most people now we will not be reading our children Cinderella or Little Red Riding Hood... we will be reading them Harry Potter.

The Little Sister

My sister, she's 14, and in honor of her getting her braces off and getting contacts I took some pictures of her. I love this one, she looks so grown-up. I wish one of those crazy occurrences where some talent agent would come across her picture and want her to model would happen. I think she would be PERFECT for the job! (Maybe subconsciously that's why I'm putting her picture up here :D).

The Interview

As my interview for my 'potential' new school approaches, I was brainstorming what to wear. I discussed this with a friend of mine, and as we were talking, I heard myself say "Any girl can put on a blazer, dress pants, and heels". And that's right, ANY girl can do that, so what makes ME or YOU different?

Since we are getting older, our interviews are not for McDonald's, Garage Clothing, and The Source anymore. These interviews tend to be a more direct path to the rest of our lives. You need something that makes YOU DIFFERENT, or in plainer terms, MAKES YOU YOU!

Any girl can put on the pant suite that Coco Chanel made her own almost a hundred years ago, but something has to make you stand out from the hundreds or maybe thousands of other girls wearing that same suite. Of course I must brainstorm on my own outfit for this event, but I put this out there to all the other girls... even if the job/internship/school has no focus on attire necessarily, what you wear speaks almost just as loud as what you have to say.

Maximize your potential, in more ways than one.

The Photographer

Some of the work I've done with my camera, it's not the greatest quality but I try to maximize the potential with my camera.

The High-Waist

Why did we ever get rid of them? We ended up creating Spanx anyways which serves the same purpose.
If you're a twig, it creates curves. If you have a bit of a tummy, it sucks everything right in. But let me put a * beside "bit"; if you have more than a bit of tummy it probably will not help you much. (Also keep in mind your height).

Go try a pair on whether it be shorts, skirts, pants, etc. Make sure to have a second opinion with you, and if they do what they're supposed to, TAKE THEM HOME AND LOVE THEM FOREVER.I hope you enjoy your pair of high-waisted bottoms.

The Path of Least Resistance

Many think that the 'Path of Least Resistance' is when you swallow your opinion or feelings when dealing with people.

The 'Path of Least Resistance' is actually not putting yourself in situations in the first place that will create those hurt feelings. If you have an issue with someone, but yet continue to sit there across from them with a smile on your face, this means you do not have the guts to do what is right for yourself.

PUT YOURSELF FIRST! You should never put yourself in a room with someone who makes you feel anything but happiness. STAND UP FOR YOURSELF! You have a voice, use it!

Before entering a situation, take those two minutes to ask yourself how do you think it will pan out. If you have ANY negative feelings towards it, it is probably best that you do not take part in it. Surround yourself with people who actually care about you and take the time to show it.

It takes a lot of hard work and maturity to stay on the 'Path', but it does pay off in the end. We're past high school now, we have the choice to not see someone and to make ourselves feel great.

The 80s

The 60s brought bee-hive hair and The Beatles. The 70s brought flower power and Star Wars. The 80s, in my mind, brought the best stuff. Not bringing down any other decade but the 80s to me seemed to be good all around.

Fashion was a whole other thing. It was a melting pot of baggy and tight, pattens and solids, highs and lows, and funky and fresh. I'm going to use Kelly LeBrock who plays Lisa in Weird Science (1985) as an example.

1) Lace tights.
2) Suspenders.
3) Sequins.
4) Pencil skirt.
5) A shirt cut to be made into a straight-across bra.
6) Afro-like hair.

Some of the few things that I absolutely adore on her during the movie. Even Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith with their floppy hair and pin-stripe suites makes me appreciate this decade more. It was so free-lance, anything goes and I think that's what gave it the edge that no other decade can compare to.

It's nice that there are stores now where you can purchase such types of clothing and that some people are taking an '80s' approach to their outfits, but it can never be the same. I saw a girl the other night who had baby blue baggy pants with the elastic at the ankles and a small purse with a long skinny strap, but then on top she was wearing a 'non-80s' cardigan and had a Lauren Conrad-style braid on the front of her head.

I envy those who lived during this period of time, but I guess I'll have to deal with watching St. Elmo's Fire, Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off and imagine what it would have been like...