The Katniss Everdeen Cowl

This is my Katniss Everdeen cowl! I was inspired by the character from the stellar book The Hunger Games and this is what I came up with. This cowl is knit in an "arrow and rib" stitch, as a nod to Katniss' talent with a bow and arrow, in a rich red, gold, and green yarn which reminds me of the forest Katniss hunts in and how she becomes "The Girl On Fire" at the Games. This super soft and cozy cowl would certainly keep her warm while she hunts or sleeps in the Everdeens' small house. I could imagine Prim making it for her from the remnants of an old blanket or sweater. The edges are ribbed with a small cable along side. Three big burgundy buttons are placed to mimic an arrowhead. this is just what any Hunger Games fan could use!

You'll find it in my Etsy store! You can also visit my Facebook page, where you see what's new as soon as it is added to my store!

I've got my midnight tickets! Do you? What scenes are you most looking forward to seeing?

Happy 108th Birthday!

If Edward Cullen from Stephenie Meyer's Twilightwere a real person (hmmm, real Vampire), he would be 108 years old today. So . . .


Happy Birthday, Edward!!!

It was actually 1 year ago today (around 3:00am) that I finished the 3rd book in the series, Eclipse, and it was a few days later when I realized I had finished the book on his fictional birthday. Sort of a nerdy thing to be happy about, but I'll take it. :)

Off to watch some Twilight and have some cake! :)

Here's the movie trailer in case you missed it:

One Year of Twilight

It has been a year tonight since I began reading Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1). I bought the first book in the series a couple of weeks before, after joining Facebook and seeing tons of Twilight flair. So, I decided to see what the fuss was about and looked up the books. The story intrigued me. Thinking back, I had seen students reading the books the last couple of years, but had never been interested.

After I bought Twilight, I didn't read it for a couple of weeks. I'm not sure why, other than that sometimes I like to keep exciting/interesting books around to prolong the gratification. I decided, for some reason, that I was going to start reading it the night of Saturday, 14 June.

Of course, I woke up that morning with a bad headache that lingered all day. But, I was determined to begin it, so I did . . . and ended up reading until 3am, when I reluctantly made myself put the book down. I know exactly where I stopped.

I decided only to read the books at night, in order to drag out my joy. I was quite good about it Sunday. It was Father's Day and we went to see Prince Caspian at the movie theater. And I saw my first Twilight poster. Yay!!

That night I kept reading and again read until at least 3am. It was so hard to stop (sort of like how hard it is for Edward to resist Bella's blood).

Monday I was doing a ton of cleaning in my bedroom. My entire bed was covered, as was most of the floor. I worked, but my mind kept wandering to the book . . . which was sitting right there. And who was to say I couldn't sneak a chapter or two . . . except me.

So, I cleared a tiny spot on the floor next to my bed, squeezed down, and sped through a couple of chapters. Then put it down and got back to work.

I finished it that night. My first post about it is here.

And this is what I wrote after I read Twilight for the first time.

One song that makes an appearance is "Clair de Lune" by DeBussy. I had just been in a little "Atonement" phase and that song is on the soundtrack. After I read that part in the book I started playing it over and over and over and it became my Twilight song. It fits so perfectly. Now every time I hear it I feel all thos emotions again.

Tuesday I went to the story and bought the next two books, New Moon and Eclipse. I wasn't going to do any reading except at night, so I had to wait until I got home Tuesday evening to start New Moon. I ended up staying up really late that night and then threw my "only before bed" rule out the window. I read it as much as I could and finished it Wednesday night.

I began Eclipse and did the same and finished it at 4am the morning of 20 June, which just so happens to be Edward Cullen's birthday (haha). I was enthralled.

And one of my best friends began reading the books after she saw I was, so we were enthralled together.

This past year has been a Twilight year. The fourth book, Breaking Dawn, came out on 2 August 2008 and we had a Breaking Dawn Weekend.

Then in November the Twilight movie came out. Amazing. Another Twilight Weekend. And now New Moon has been filmed. It seems like years, but it has only been one.

I love it. So I'm going to read it again (again again) tonight. :)

What else would I be?

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader   You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Non-Reader
Fad Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Dates for HP7!!!!!!!!!

With all the Twilight hysteria this year, I've sort of neglected Harry Potter! (Well, they did move the date of the 6th movie, so what did they expect?)

People: Harry Potter Sets His Final Date---

Mark your calendar: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II will be released July 15, 2011, Warner Bros. has announced.

Part I of the film will open Nov. 19, 2010, the studio said last August. Both films are based on the 608-page seventh book in author J.K. Rowling's series.

No wonder they plan to release Twilight Saga movie 3, Eclipse , in summer 2010, so that it won't compete with the 2nd half of HP7. Nothing's going to stop the last HP film.

Coming Soon in the Twilight World!

I haven't posted in ages, so I thought I would ease myself back into it by posting some things I am looking forward to this spring! Basically, they have everything to do with my 2008 Obsession, Twilight (books and movie, mind you!).

First of all, I am super excited for Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition). It is supposed to come out at midnight on the 20/21st of March. My sister and I are going to get it and watch it and, honestly, freak out. I cannot wait to have it in my hands. There are lots of awesome versions offered by different stores.

The common special features are:

• Presented in widescreen format only
• Audio commentary by Catherine Hardwicke, Kristen Stewart, and Robert Pattinson
• Muse music video: "Super Massive Black Hole"
• Paramore music video: "Decode"
• Linkin Park music video: "Leave Out All the Rest"
• Five extended scenes with director introductions
• Five deleted scenes with director introductions
• Seven-part documentary: "The Adventure Begins: The Journey from Page to Screen"
• Comic-Con "fandom" piece
• Comic-Con NY sizzle reel
• Three trailers

I can't wait to hear the commentary, featuring stars Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, and director Catherine Hardwicke. I read an interview with Catherine and she said she thought of doing a commentary with some of the technical people but decided to go with a gigglefest fun-time instead. Thank you, Catherine!

Secondly, (coming out before the dvd, but in the same week) Twilight: Director's Notebook: The Story of How We Made the Movie Based on the Novel by Stephenie Meyer by movie director Catherine Hardwicke. It looks awesome! I cannot wait to sit down and page through it. From all the actors and director have said, they seem to have had an amazing and hilarious time filming. From the description, "Designed to replicate the director’s own personal notebook that she kept on set, readers will discover the inside secrets on wardrobe, storyboard sketches, behind-the- scenes photographs, personal notes about Catherine’s favorite scenes, and much more." Fabulous!!

Here are some of my other favorite Twilight products:

The books, obviously!
Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2)
Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3)
Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)

I LOVE the soundtrack: Twilight Soundtrack I hadn't heard most of the groups on it before, but once I started listening I loved them. Rob Pattinson, who plays Edward, has one track on this version, titled "Never Think." It was written by him and a friend, Sam Bradley, a couple of years ago. It is beautiful. He has a second track, written by friends Bobby Long and Marcus Foster, on the iTunes only version. These two songs play during really special parts of the movie and add such a rich layer. Beautiful! They are all talented musicians/songwriters. The soundtrack also features Muse, Collective Soul, Linkin Park, The Black Ghosts, Paramore, and more.

I loved the score in the movie, as well, so here it is: Twilight: The Score Carter Burwell did a lovely job!

And, last but not least tonight, Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion. A really cool book full of photos and info on the movie, the actors, and everything else!

My posts on the Twilight Saga are here.
Author Stephenie Meyer's website is here.
And here are links to a couple of my favorite Twilight world websites:
Twilight Lexicon (Bella's bio here---beware spoilers!)
bellaandedward.com

Lucky Me

Which Twilight Character Are You?

Created by BuddyTV

I'd love to be Bella!

TWILIGHT Tonight!!!

I'm quite excited today (and up very early---hours now! lol) because TWILIGHT comes out tonight at 12:01am!!! I have been looking forward to this movie since summer and have only been getting more wound up about it as the date drew closer. It is going to be fantastic!

This morning Rob Pattinson (Edward Cullen) and Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) were on the Today Show. Here is their adorable interview:



Rob's been named one of People's 100 Sexiest Men (I agree!!)



And here are a couple of Parade interviews with Rob and Kristen, plus some video interviews with the cast and an ultimate Twilight quiz.



If you are going to see the movie, what are you most excited for?

Ahhh! I can't wait!!! :)

I want to visit Forks!

This is a fun article about Forks, Washington, a small town on the Olympic Peninsula, that author Stephenie Meyer used for the location of her Twilight Saga. She found it by Googling the "rainiest place" in the United States.

AP: Visitors flock to timber town for Twilight's magic---

FORKS, Wash. - Pounding rain and heavy mist are constant in this timber town where logging's decline left a graveyard of rusting timber mills and unemployment. Businesses shut down. Parts of the local high school were condemned. Families started to drift away.

Until an unlikely cast of vampires breathed new life into the town.

"I fell in love with it," says 18-year-old Samantha Cogar, who dragged her grandparents on a 2,500 mile roadtrip to Forks from Louisville, Ky., earlier this summer. "I can't wait to go back."

Cogar is one of thousands of visitors who have flocked to Forks in response to "Twilight," the hottest series to hit shelves since "Harry Potter." Set in Forks, on the gritty edge of the Olympic Mountain Range, the books have captured the hearts of readers around the world.

In a town framed by towering Douglas fir, hemlock and spruce and the occasional western red cedar, where rough, blue collar edges are tangible, the unexpected attention seems to be a second chance for the economy. Inspired by a world of make-believe, "Twilight" fans are bringing the town back to life.
[. . .]
As the pages kept coming, the series' cultlike following increased. Before long, fans started showing up in Forks, looking to see if magic would spark when imagination collided with reality. What they found was a two-stoplight town where more than a foot of rain falls each month. A place where success is measured in sweat and four-wheel drive.

But Forks was quick to embrace the frenzied fans.

Forks' "Twilight"-inspired turn has been nothing short of magical, Marcia Bingham, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, says.

"We've probably had more than 100 people a day," says Bingham, who has eagerly watched as van after van of giddy readers — mostly female — pull up in front of the town's visitors center.

I would love to take a trip to Forks!

Happy Birthday, Bella!

If book characters were real people, we would celebrate their birthdays. So, today I'm celebrating Bella Swan's birthday!

Bella is the main character in one of my favorite series, the Twilight Saga. If you haven't read the four books, I highly recommend them. The titles are:

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2)
Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3)
Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)

The Twilight film comes out 21 November 2008 and stars Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen and Kristen Stewart as Bella. I can't wait for it.

My posts on the Twilight Saga are here.
Author Stephenie Meyer's website is here.
And here are links to a couple of my favorite Twilight world websites:
Twilight Lexicon (Bella's bio here---beware spoilers!)
bellaandedward.com


Happy Birthday, Bella!

Twilight Links

Here are some Twilight links I have enjoyed today and thought I would pass on.

Here are two from Blast Magazine---Warning! If you haven't read the series or Breaking Dawn you might not want to read them:

• Top 10 Twilight series moments

• Top 10 Jacob/Rosalie moments in Breaking Dawn

I don't think I could pick out my Top 10 Twilight series moments yet. I'll have to think about them.

And here is a great article from WSJ.com about how True Love Waits in the Twilight Saga.

And for my friend, Lady Lori, MTV's Twilight Tuesday: Jackson Rathbone Explains Jasper's Angst And Edward's Attraction

Here are the Twilight Saga books:
Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2)
Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3)
Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)

And here is what I wrote after I read Twilight for the first time.

Take some Twilight quizzes through here.


Official movie website here.
Author Stephenie Meyer's website is here.

Here is the trailer for the film!

Official Twilight the Movie trailer in HD

Breaking Dawn Tonight!

I'm very excited today. The fourth and final book in my new favorite series, the Twilight Saga, by Stephenie Meyer, comes out tonight at Midnight. Breaking Dawn is going to be amazing! I'm having a little Breaking Dawn party with friends and my sister before we head to Barnes & Noble for the Breaking Dawn party there. We'll get our books sometime after midnight and head out to the lake to read until we finish the novel or fall asleep where we sit! It is going to be marvelous!


If you haven't read any of these books yet, it isn't too late. They are amazing! Here are the first three books in the series:

Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
New Moon (The Twilight Saga, Book 2)
Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3)

These books are about a girl named Bella who moves up to rainy Forks, Washington, to live with her father. There she meets a mysterious boy named Edward. He turns out to be a Vampire, but he and his family only feed on animals. They fall in love, but the scent of her blood is very tempting to him, which complicates their romance. These books are so fantastic I could just rave and rave about them!

Enjoy!

P.S. Tonight is the New Moon AND, a special Eclipse (article here).

Happy Birthday, Harry!

Today is also Harry Potter's birthday! If he were a living being, he would be 27 years old!

Happy Birthday, Harry!

Celebrate by reading a Harry Potter novel, watching an HP movie, and having a Harry Potter Party!

For more information on Harry Potter, visit:
J.K. Rowling's Official Website
Mugglenet.com (You can find out what a Muggle is, if you don't already know)
Or any of the other HP sites on my sidebar.

Twilight Tuesday!

I just had to share this Twilight Tuesday link, from MTV's Movie News Blog.

'Twilight' Tuesday: 10 Things Comic-Con Taught Us About 'Twilight'

I cannot wait for the book. Only 3 more days!

Twilight Quizzes!

I'm in a bit of a Twilight mode right now, so here are my results from some Twilight quizzes!




What's your Cullen car?





What member of the Cullen family are you?





Vampire, werewolf or human?

Twilight Movie Widget!

Postcard to Tolkien Found

I love Tolkien and would love to come across something like this.

Reuters: Builder discovers "priceless" Tolkien postcard---

LONDON (Reuters) - A demolition man stripping a fireplace from the former home of "The Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien stumbled across a postcard to the writer dated 1968, and hopes to sell it for a small fortune.

Stephen Malton, who runs Prodem Demolition in Bournemouth on the south English coast, was working in the house in the nearby town of Poole before it was bulldozed to make way for a new construction project.

"Before we demolish a house we do an internal strip out," Malton said Tuesday.

"One of the main features was a fireplace, and upon removing that we came across three postcards. The third one was a postcard dated 1968 and addressed to J.R.R. Tolkien."

Twilight

Last night, about 3am, I finished Stephenie Meyer's novel Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1). It was fantastic. I'm quite obsessed now and I must get my hands on the 2 other books in the series that have been published, New Moon and Eclipse (Breaking Dawn comes out 2 August 2008).

I had heard about the books from students, but hadn't paid much attention until the past week or so. Then, I bought a copy of Twilight and managed to save it until Saturday night. I had a headache all Saturday, which should have sent me to bed early. I couldn't resist beginning the book, though, and ended up reading until 3am (it was quite that good).

It was very hard not to give in and just read the novel in one night. I managed to make myself only read it in bed, before I went to sleep (I did sneak in 3 chapters yesterday afternoon), and stayed up until 3am 3 nights in a row finishing it, listening to DeBussy's "Clair de Lune." I must, must, must go get the other 2 books ASAP!

Twilight is set in tiny Forks, Washington, which is located near Port Angeles. It is about Bella Swan, who moves back to Forks to live with her father. She's used to the hot sun of Phoenix and cannot like the constant clouds and rain. Her first week at school she sees a very interesting group of fellow students, all beautiful beyond belief, sitting at a lunch table with trays of food but not eating anything. One boy in particular, the one with bronze hair, strikes her fancy, and, though he stares at her, seems to dislike her.

Bella finds out these are the Cullens, a group of foster children who live with Dr. Carlisle and Esme Cullen. The one with bronze hair is named Edward Cullen and he ends up saving Bella's life in a way that seems impossible. Bella and Edward strike up a sort of friendship/romance and Bella eventually realizes that Edward and the Cullens are vampires. Edward ends up telling her about the family and how they do not drink human blood, only animal. The difficulty is that Bella's scent is the most beautiful Edward has ever smelled. He adores and loves her and cannot bear to hurt her.

Bella and Edward's romance is one fraught with peril. She is the most tempting thing in the world for Edward but cannot resist being with her. He is the most beautiful and wonderful man in the world but could harm her without meaning to or else break her heart by staying away. Yet, he cannot stay away.

I absolutely loved this novel. There are only a few "vampire" novels that I like and they are usually the ones that are more romance/story than sci-fi. Twilight is one of those, very well-written, funny, heart-wrenching, interesting, and moving. The author, Stephenie Meyers, is a fan of Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, and Charlotte Bronte, to name a few, all favorites of mine. I read that she named Edward "Edward" because it was an old-fashioned, romantic name and for Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre and Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility.


Twilight, the movie, will be in theaters 12 December 2008, starring Robert Pattinson, who played Cedric Diggory in HP and the Goblet of Fire, as Edward Cullen. The official movie site is here.

Stephenie Meyer's site with lots of great items is here.

Go read Twilight!

Book Review: Emma & Knightley

When Emma and Knightley marry at the end of Jane Austen's Emma, Emma is a very young 21 or 22 years old. While she has been mistress of her father's house for a number of years, she has never had to balance her role as a daughter caring for her (hypochondriac) father with her new role as Mr. Knightley's wife. I for one always wondered how their relationship continued to develop after the close of Austen's novel.

Fortunately for us, Rachel Billington's novel Emma & Knightley: Perfect Happiness in Highbury: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Emma brings the reader into Emma and Knightley's life after their marriage.

As is usual, I am sure, the Knightleys have their little difficulties adjusting to married life. Knightley has agreed to live to live at Hartfield, rather than his home of Donwell Abbey, so that Mr. Woodhouse will not be disturbed too much. Emma is trying to figure out how to relate to Knightley as her husband, rather than the beloved older neighbor. And he is trying, as always, to help Emma continue to grow into a well-rounded, thoughtful lady, and to help her see him as the love of her life, not just a loving familiar face.

Their lives are further complicated by the difficulties of those around them. Mrs. Bates has died, leaving poor Miss Bates alone. Jane Fairfax Churchill dies, leaving a bereaved (and half-mad) Frank Churchill with a newborn. Knightley's brother John has major financial difficulties, which they hide, for a time, from Emma's sister Isabella. And, it seems as if every couple is having children, except the Knightleys.

I confess, while I love Emma, it is probably my least favorite of Jane Austen's novels, partly because Emma does not seem to grow as much as a person as the other Austen heroines do. That's why I am delighted that Billington did such an excellent job on Emma & Knightley. Her novel continues Emma's growth as a human being and a woman, rather than a girl, and shows how the Knightleys figure out how to relate to eachother as spouses and settle into their marriage.

Billington also did a good job continuing the secondary characters Austen wrote. The Westons are lovely and, naturally, expanding their family. Miss Bates is her usual chatty self, but ends up providing perfect companionship for Mr. Woodhouse. Frank Churchill is a selfish cad and causes Emma difficulties. Billington also introduces new characters, including Mrs. Philomena Tidmarsh, who challenges some of Emma's ideas.

I was also happy with the fact that Billington did not try to change the characters or make them behave in ways inconsistent with their Austen-written characters. The plot was well-developed and satisfying.

Emma & Knightley is a delightful continuation of a beloved book. I recommend it for any Austen fan and anyone interested in following the development of Emma and Knightley's marriage. You can find it at any bookstore or through Amazon.com.

Book Information: Emma & Knightley: Perfect Happiness in Highbury: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Emma by Rachel Billington (Sourcebooks Landmark; ISBN: 1-4022-1207-0; $14.95; 368 pages; paperback)

A Shakespeare Contest!

Since today is William Shakespeare's birthday and he would be 444 years old, I thought I would do a little Shakespeare Give-away!

I have a copy of Will In The World How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt that I would love to give to a lucky reader!


Here are the rules:

• Leave an answer to this question in the comment section of this post: What would you write on Shakespeare's birthday card?
• The winner will be drawn randomly from my blue and white English teapot.
• The drawing will be Wednesday, 30 April 2008 at 4pm pst.
• If you would like, please feel free to tell me your favorite Shakespeare play, sonnet, poem, or line (and post it, if you want to!), or even favorite Shakespearean Insult!

Good luck!

I hope good luck lies in odd numbers. There is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, chance, or death.
-William Shakespeare
The Merry Wives of Windsor. Act v. Sc.