Wordless Wednesday: Harry Potter World

Hogwarts Castle

In September the Huz and I visited Harry Potter World in Orlando. 

It was incredible! The attention to detail was so impressive. 
I felt like a little kid as we wandered around.

If you get the chance you should definitely go! 

Hogwarts Express and the portrait gallery inside the castle.

Honeydukes sweets shop and my chocolate frog

Hog's Head Tavern: outside and inside

The Three Broomsticks and the talking portraits of all 4 Hogwarts founders

Hogsmeade village and the tracker of house points in the castle

Shops in Hogsmeade and the pensive in Dumbledore's office 

More Wordless Wednesday here.

Photos by moi.

Rereading Harry Potter

In anticipation of my upcoming trip to Harry Potter World I just reread all 4,100 pages of the Harry Potter books with a friend of mine. Every time I reread this series I'm reminded of how wonderful these books are. I've already reviewed them on the blog (see the links to all the reviews below), but I just wanted to say that each reread reveals new layers of depth in the stories. The characters are so well-developed and complex, the epic plot is so perfectly planned out, the lessons taught are so important. I can't imagine a time when I will ever grow tired of these books. 

There are books that get under our skin and become part of the fabric of who we are. For me these are some of those books. I will continue to return to them whenever I need comfort or when I'm in a reading slump. They have never let me down. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Photos by moi of the Central Library in Indianapolis and the pup.

Hello 29!

Oh my goodness how I love birthdays and lucky me, today is mine! Seriously guys, birthdays are the absolute best. It's not about presents or anything like that. I love having an excuse to celebrate life, to do fun things that you might not normally do and to spend time with all the people you love. Instead of presents, the Huz always spends a whole weekend having fun adventures with me around the city. We check out new restaurants and go to museums or events that I've always wanted to check out. 

I've never dreaded becoming a year older. I think it's fantastic. I've never regretted one year of my life or the way I've lived it, so each new birthday is a chance to celebrate another year of possibilities. Who knows what adventures this year will hold! 

So here's a few lists to celebrate turning 29! 

5 Things I'm doing during my birthday weekend:

1) Attending my first roller derby game

2) Dinner at a Kurt Vonnegut inspired restaurant 

3) Touring Monument Circle 

4) Drinks at a cool new martini bar

5) Check out the local craft brews at Tomlinson Tap Room

5 Things I'm planning to do this year:

1) Go to Harry Potter World in September! (already bought the tickets!) 

2) Celebrate my BFF's destination wedding as the MOH in June, so freakin' excited for her!

3) Visit Margaret Mitchell's house in Atlanta 

4) Swim with Dolphins 

5) Attend my first Indy 500 Race (I'm a Hoosier and I've never been, shameful)

5 things I'm grateful for:

1) The Huz, always

2) Health, I take it for granted, but all of the people who are incredibly important to me are healthy, such a blessing.

3) Steady jobs for both me and the Huz

4) My niece and nephews. I may not be ready for kids, but these guys are such a joy.

5) The pup, I post way too many Ollie photos on Instagram, but I seriously love that dog. 

5 awesome things I'm grateful for in the past year:

1) Lots of weekend trips and the friends I've taken them with: Shakespeare plays in Wisconsin, a lake house in Kentucky, the Smokey Mountains, Washington DC, Louisville, and Chicago. Each one of those trips was a chance to spend time with family or friends who I love so much. There's something about traveling with people that gives you a chance to get to know them so much better, I love it.

2) Every new thing I learn how to cook

3) Time to read and the desire to do so, such a gift! 

4) A massive road trip to Montana with the Huz

5) All of the joyous events in the lives of the people I love: graduations, babies, marriages, success at work, new houses, new pets, new adventures; each one makes me so happy.

Image from here, because birthday pie is way better than birthday cake.