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June Favorite Things

And just like that, we say adios to June.
Honestly, it's a bit frightening.

I'm a little late to the game, but am still going to play it nonetheless.
A few of my favorite things from this spicy little month:



1.
Major quality time with the parental units.
I think there's a U-shaped pattern in regards to 
the relationship between the older you get, and the amount of fun you have with your parents.
Now that I'm officially out of my teens (by 71 days, holla at me y'all),
we are well on our way back up on the fun-meter.
We're at the adult equivalent of the peek-a-boo stage - life is good.

{My mom squeezes fresh grapefruit juice for me every morning,
from grapefruits that my dad picks from the tree in our backyard.}

2.
Discovering new blogs.
Sometimes, I see a blog for the first time and it's like bam!
Where have you been all my life,
and can we be best friends immediately please?
Others... it's like falling in love over a length of time,
as I read through the archives and get a really good sense of who the blogger really is.
Some new favorites:


3.
New goodies for my closet.
I finally scored a couple of plain maxi skirts for the summer (in black and coral!),
and these lovely jelly flats from J. Crew-



Yes, I'm standing on a treadmill.
No, I still don't know what function it serves.

4.
This is my "friendship wall" with Cassandra -
it was the very last thing we took down when we were moving out.
We threw the whole thing in the dumpster very dramatically,
final-scene-in-a-reality-show style.
More than anything, I'm thankful for this girl as well as my other friends from school -
I'm missing them like crazy, but am so happy that our year was a great success.
More than excited for all that's yet to come!


and...

5.
Finally booking our tickets to China!
We're off to spend some time with family, and hopefully
squeeze in some good food also, in a few weeks!

Be kind to us, July!

-

Linking up with Dancing with Ashley:

12

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Tips & Tricks

I wrote a "Tips & Tricks" guide for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on my older, more embarrassing blog two years ago. Today, because I want so badly to be there, I'm sharing that post with you. Enjoy!

Other posts about Harry Potter :: a guide to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Warner Brothers's Leavesden Studios outside of London // a few Potter landmarks if you visit Oxford, where many scenes from the movies were filmed and which acted as an inspiration for much of Hogwarts // a pilgrimage to The Elephant House, where rumor has it JK Rowling first began writing Harry Potter // a glimpse at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, where Jo finished the books // Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, where Harry searched for Horcruxes.

Plus! Wanting desperately to visit the Diagon Alley expansion in Orlando, as well as the soon-to-be-opened LA edition! 

Without further ado, my favorite place on Earth:

---

Tips & Tricks for Exploring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter:

  • Arrive at least 30 minutes before the park opens and head straight to HP World. Granted, I was there during the holiday season which is admittedly the most hectic time. But still. Have your tickets ready and be ready to surge right into the park upon opening.
  • Wear comfortable shoes and layers! Florida is a land of ever-changing climate! Also, the lines are all pretty crazy and with all the walking and standing, you will need feet-forgiving shoes.
harry potter world, wizarding world of harry potter, orlando, florida, islands of adventure, universal studios

  • DO NOT miss out on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey or else your trip counts for nothing. This is the main attraction. It is awesome. It is amazing. Enough said. I would recommend heading here first as the line tends to get longer as the day goes on.
  • For items like keychains, T-shirts, hats, patches, etc-- Filch's Emporium is the place to go. Brave all the shoving and pushing.
  • For more specialty items like wands, candy, diaries, owls, etc.-- try Honeyduke's, Zonko's, Ollivander's, and Dervish & Banges where the crowd is controlled.
  • If you aren't interested in the Ollivander's Wand Experience (which, in my opinion... you should be interested in), skip the long line and buy your wands and specialty items at the street vendors.

  • Try Butterbeer. No matter what. Please.
  • Here's a little something my teacher recommends- LOOK UP! Wherever you go, keep your eyes glued to the sky or ceiling. Apparently, you miss a lot of things if you aren't looking up. Shop windows, in the castle, etc.
  • The Owlery is located in Hogsmeade. I did not know this. It is located across from The Three Broomsticks in a shaded area with a lot of picnic tables. Go under the shaded area and look up. There will be owls. And owl poop. Enjoy.
  • Go to the restroom next to the Three Broomsticks/Hog's Head and you will get to hear Moaning Myrtle. It's quite pleasant.
{ while waiting in the 60-120 minute line, you get to check out the greenhouses! }

The main attraction is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which is part-tour and part-ride. While waiting in line, you get to tour parts of the castle like the greenhouses, the dungeons, Dumbledore's office, see the portraits, etc. Then, you are sort of catapulted into the ride section. Best five minutes of my LIFE, y'all. That ride is mindblowing and worth every single second of the wait time.
{ the talking and moving portraits and paintings }

I went into this park expecting a lot because I am a most avid and diehard Potter fanatic. And I can say honestly that I was completely mindblown and awestruck by HP World. Of course, there are nitpicky little things that I was a bit ticked off by, but for the most part, this place was absolutely amazing. My favorite aspect about the park was all the minute details that really add up to so, so much. These portraits actually looked like real paintings-- the texture, the frames, the colors, the gradients and not like characters in a moving screen. They do actually travel into each other's frames, but different ones each time so it's not some synchronized technology thing. So cool!
If there are only two things that you have time to do at HP World (God forbid that happens), go on the Forbidden Journey tour/ride and try Butterbeer. I don't know how I've lived without this frothy goodness in my life, oh my goodness. It's beyond amazing. There are two kinds- frozen and regular. Both will make you speechless. My sister describes the stuff like "cream soda, but more butterscotch-y, but a lot better." Amen to that.

  • Look into all the store windows! You will get to see cool things like Bludgers struggling to get out of a case, a jumping Chocolate Frog, books by Gilderoy Lockhart, and much much more!
  • The workers will be herding you along in the castle, but they give you the option to let people behind you bypass you so you can pause and take pictures. Do that. Seriously, take a long time touring the castle because there are so many details you won't notice if you're rushing through it. You go through the dungeons, Potions classroom, Dumbledore's office, etc. etc. etc. You can see the portraits of the Four Founders (notice what they are holding ;)), listen to the paintings, etc. Take in all the little things!
{ fish & chips for lunch at The Three Broomsticks }
{ really amazing view of Hogsmeade from the Toon Land/main entrance }

  • Don't be afraid to be your true, HP-loving self. I was screaming 'Expecto Patronum!' when the dementors were all up in my business and I was conversing very normally with Harry and Hermione during the ride. And I bowed very deeply to Buckbeak. Please tell me I'm not the only person who would do that.
  • Enter through the Toon Lagoon entrance. You will get the whole effect of the music, the best view, the Hogwarts Express, etc.
  • Don't forget about the other sections of Islands of Adventure! If you have time in the evening or if you are forced to get a return ticket, there's always Seuss Landing, Jurassic Park, the Lost Continent, Toon Lagoon, Marvel Superheros, and a few others.
{ very sweet Frog Choir performance put on by Hogwarts students }
{ charming performances by Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students }
{ inside of Ollivander's }
{ real-life snapping, growling Monster Book of Monsters in Dervish & Banges }
{ by the Owlery-- these plush toys look SO real... their heads turn and everything! }
{ inside of Honeyduke's/Zonko's-- very quaint, very realistic }
{ Hagrid's hut }

Hagrid's hut is in this complex which includes the hut, the enormous pumpkins, and Buckbeak the Hippogriff. It is surrounded by the Flight of the Hippogriff, which is the family-friendly ride. You can hear Fang barking as you wait in line!
Someone in line behind me commented, "that's a big chicken!" What a dingbat. Such blasphemy.
{ a Marauder's Map on display at Filch's Emporium }
I think the moment I exited the gates was perhaps the saddest moment of my life. I was enamored with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is saying a lot because seriously, my expectations were way up high. 

*For reference, I visited for New Year's 2011. Thus, if you have since visited the Orlando park, I'd love it if you could comment w/ your own thoughts, tips, and tricks!
--

Yes, I have a wand.
And the Marauder's Map.
And mugs, and a Gryffindor journal, and a feather quill, and a scarf.
And I'll be back for more.

Again, more Harry Potter goodness :: a guide to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Warner Brothers's Leavesden Studios outside of London // a few Potter landmarks if you visit Oxford, where many scenes from the movies were filmed and which acted as an inspiration for much of Hogwarts // a pilgrimage to The Elephant House, where rumor has it JK Rowling first began writing Harry Potter // a glimpse at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, where Jo finished the books // Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, where Harry searched for Horcruxes.
21

It's Monday And Here's A Pick-Me-Up

I'd like to propose a toast {with orange juice...}
to everyone, for even being alive and kicking
on this Monday morning... in the middle of June.

{Lol, except I'm still sleeping right now probably...
scheduled post right here, ha suckers.}

I was browsing Pinterest, trying to find a pretty locale
to mentally whisk you guys away to.
But then I stumbled across this, and thought it was even better for a Monday morning:

source unknown

A few gems from last week/end to serve as pick-me-ups also,
because just remember... you have not reached (sunk to) my level yet:

+ I watched (watched, not did) a few blogilates | POP Pilates videos,
and my body was already aching in pain ... and tears were welling.

+ After thinking that Instagram video just didn't come with sound,
and that the concept was kind of stupid, because... hello, I can't hear you,
I realized that to hear anything, you have to have your sound on...
as in, not just your music volume,
but your actual ringer (the switch on the side of your phone)...
so now I actually really like the concept because I can hear you describing your breakfast
(sadly, I'm not being sarcastic right now.)

+ The only possible way I got through 20 minutes on the treadmill this weekend,
was because I begged my dad to turn on the Food Channel...
and so my legs were dying, but it was fine because
my eyes were feasting on the cheesy sandwiches on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives
and my taste buds were ghost-feasting on them as well,
and I was in my happy state.

+ Sometimes the only effective alarm clock in the morning,
is me being too hungry,
and then I wake up for food.

---

Worst case scenario,
your name is not North West.
Not everyone can say that now.
{And if your name is North West, you come into the world as a gazillionaire,
so frankly, that should help your case just a smidge.}

Still feeling the Monday blues?
Go ahead.
Pretend you're here:

source

and take me with you!

{This post was riveting. I am aware.}
19

So, There's This Thing Called Tradition

My bestie hard at work.

I love being home, because I get to hang all day long with my biffle wiffle Brina-tiffle. I'm such a fan of this chick, because she really gets my need to do absolutely nothing, with breaks for food now and then. As seen in the photo above, she is perfectly happy creating her next great artistic masterpiece, while I derp around and take pictures of it. And Facebook-stalk, and find trashy movies to watch on Netflix, and pretend to do something worthwhile.

But on the off chance that we are up to braving the Houston humidity, we have this little tradition: go to the least popular shopping center in town. It goes something like this: we stroll leisurely through Barnes & Noble, walk to La Madeleine and grab Chicken Friands, stop by Michael's, World Market, and Aaron Brothers for art supplies, jelly samples, and Moleskeines (respectively), and then visit the Starbucks for some sweet treats, WiFi, and contemplative journaling/sketching.



Done.



Done.
{Arnott's Tim Tam's from World Market - jackpot!}


Tim Tam Slammin'!


Aaaaand, knocked it out of the ballpark.


---

Now, as for the elephant in the room... how 'bout that Game 7?! I'm not usually a NBA fan (NCAA's where it's at!), but this series was full of exciting moments. I'm just feeling a bit sorry for my kiddo DG, but he far out-performed what anyone ever expected out of him in the last couple of weeks, so I'm still full of pride for that boy. (... bye bye to the $10 I have to fork over to my dad... do you know how many Tim Tam's I could've gotten with that?)

Also, don't be so shocked that I watch sports now and then. I actually quite enjoy being an enthusiastic spectator for most sports - I just don't usually put this fact out there, because I win a lot more points when I watch and discuss sports with the boys... it comes in handy when I need to beg a girly favor out of 'em!

(Wait for it.)

(... and, ahhhh! Now you realize my brilliance!)
11

But Aren't These The Very Things That Matter?

These days, it's become so easy to complain.
The sticky Houston climate is a nuisance
{okay, really though, I thought I signed up for a city, not a sauna?};
I wouldn't mind a generous donor funding the bottomless pit I call my stomach;
nor would I mind a town car at the ready to take me to froyo whenever I wanted
{wait, did I just ask for the same thing?};
... the list goes on and on.

Sometimes, I need to stop, give myself a bit of a sharp elbow in the face,
and remind myself: but, how lucky am I to have complaints such as these?

And in those times when I'm facing my own conscience,
I like to reflect on some little things that I am so grateful for,
including:

frozen grapes & tabloid-reading while taking a luxurious bath ||
hanging with my whole fambam gang ||


getting my laundry done on a turtle raft, no big ||
getting my laundry done ... at all. ||


having the most insanely peaceful study spot ||
with my turtle raft study buddy, no less ||


study break - laying down and just watching the breeze blow the curtains
up, up and away, and feeling the cool draft settle in ... ||
not dying over Finals. ||


having the sis bring extra sustenance {unpictured: pita chips and tomatos!} ||
polishing off the cake w/ the roommate in literally 5 minutes.
and the cookies in 2.
sorry 'bout it. 
{as if.} ||


leisurely lunches w/ fresh crabs ||
sleeping in ||


movie night {Identity Thief!} with my big sister ||
shopping dates w/ her, as well (maxi skirts, check!) ||


homemade Chinese food ||
food. anytime. anywhere. at all. ||


Sunsets. ||
Wednesdays. ||
Summers. ||
14

Happy Father's Day!

With 59 minutes left of Father's Day,
I'd like to take the chance to give this dude some acknowledgement:


Kudos to you, pops, for surviving this long in a house with too much estrogen.

Thank you for providing for us always;
thank you for always spoiling us with things we don't deserve;
thank you for being our biggest supporter and most reliable chauffer;
thank you for making the yummiest bowl of soy sauce noodles out there;
thank you for being that dad - the one that all of my friends wanted to have;
thank you for always playing pranks on me, and for always making me laugh;
thanks for all of the hundreds of foot massages;
and most of all, thank you for being the most wonderful Daddy out there.

Furthermore!

Thank you for naming me after the best team in the world
(Carolina Tarheels mens' basketball, whaddup!),
and for teaching me every rule of the game and player on the team.

Although I know that you wish I always stayed this mini-Roy Williams,


I know and love that you accept that even though this prissy princess
is more like current-me, she still loves nothing more in the world
than watching some good old-fashioned basketball with you by my side.



Especially if they're games like the NBA Finals,
where our boy Danny Green pulled several clutch moves,
and made our Carolina hearts proud.



Love you, Daddy;
here's to a lifetime of basketball games left for us to watch! 

<3

15

Whoopsies // And That's A Wrap!

Well, this week turned out to be quite the unintentional break!
And by "unintentional," I'm saying that it was as far from a "break" as you can get -

unless you consider hauling my life in several boxes to storage,
minimizing the rest of my life into two suitcases,
taking some KILLER finals + writing several pages in essays,
lugging what felt like two bags of bricks to and through the airport(s),
and having to say goodbye to my room and some of my very favorite people -

to be a real break.

(And if you do think such silly thoughts,
then hit me up because this girl just officially declared in Psychology!
I will psycho-analyze you until you can't think straight!)

Goodbye, sweet room. You've been so good to me.

my main crew // photo credit: Carl.

efficient? yes. // legal? ...maybe.
---

But at the same time, I have to say... 
there were some pretty up-there moments this week as well.

Our chef, our amazing Frank-Frank-Frank, gave up his weekend
to come and cook for us throughout (studying for) Finals;
he makes breakfast for all of our dorm complex which is around 200 people -
and he knows every single one of our orders by heart (and the eggs are bomb).


he admonishes us when we skip breakfast too,
and generally made school feel even more like home.

By some kind of serendipity, I managed to see every single one of my
favorite people at school, the morning of the day that I left, or the evening prior.
That didn't happen any other day through the year!

at dinner the night before we left,
we ran into SO MANY of our freshman dorm friends!

A study break for the Class of 2015,
because s'mores and free In-N-Out make finals seem that much more bearable.
(Thank you for a great year, suitemates. Y'all rock my socks off.)
(Honorable mention to Karen, Kate, Brooke, and Laura -
none of them were here for the whole year, but we loved them all!)

sorry it's wonky - couldn't change it to right side up for the life of me!

Airport survival skills: even after not having a meal all day,
and only having time for one treat -
go for the Fenton's ice cream and a girly magazine.

Flying into a big city at night is pretty special-
it's like the Peter Pan Disneyland ride where you can see all of 
itty-bitty London-town and it's all twinkly lights and silence
 because everyone's so flabbergasted.

I mean, this was slightly less realistic than that, 
but flying almost eye-to-eye with the Houston skyline,
was so magical... that I forgot to take pictures.

Finally, I saved the best for last.
Them PRETTY LITTLE LIARS are back!
(And not a moment too soon.)
Off to catch up on my girls, some blogs, 
and also sneak in some snuggles with the fam
(all together for the first time since Christmas hooray!).

Happy Summer 2013!
6