an adventure. . . unexpectedly. .

Part 1 began with a picture. A picture of a man--or was he a man?--wielding a word, a man with flaming, deep-set eyes, his mouth set in a snarl, his hair long and falling in waves over his shoulders. It was a man lost in a beard, a man of power, a man. . .or dwarf. . .not to be taken lightly.

And then I realized that this. . dwarf. . .was non other than Richard Armitage.

Submitting was tough. On one hand we have Mr. Thornton: Mr. Thornton the dark. Mr. Thornton the brooding. Mr. Thornton the mysterious. And what has he done? What has the ever-epic Richard Armitage, excuse me, Mr. Thornton, succumbed too? being stuffed into a wig. . .a long, ghastly wig. . .and growing a beard. . . and downsizing SEVERAL FEET into dwarf-ism. And, well. . .I wasn't so sure, dedicated fangirl though I am. . .if I approved.

But then. I didn't know anything about The Hobbit, either.

Part 2 began with a trailer. THE trailer. The first, one-does-not-simply-watch-once-a-day trailer. And my friends moaning in inhumanly deep voices in the back seat of a 12 passenger van. . ."Far over, the Misty Mountains cold. . ." while I laughed helplessly and tried not to ruin the recording. It was dissected, examined,  and critiqued in our most learned manner (aka stalking. I call it Intense Personal Research.) We, that is, Anna and I, submitted. Even Richard was partially forgiven, but that's only because, in our own strange way, we are hyper-nerdy Ringers. Just don't tell anyone we have yet to see the LOTR trilogy.

I finished reading The Hobbit in November, and as Bilbo can testify, I left part--a good, solid chunk--of my heart in the clutches of Middle Earth. In that darkly beautiful world of comfortable hobbits, majestic elves, sturdy dwarfs, goblins, Orcs, and the wizened old Gandalf. Blame the hype all over facebook--but I fell. Hard. And that clears up any gaps in the not-so-sure-about-Richard problem. I mean, facebook aside, all  I needed was the book to convince me that Richard Armitage IS Thorin. The King Under the Mountain. Thorin the dark. Thorin the brooding. Thorin the mysterious. Thorin the--(seeing a theme here, or is it just me? o.O ) And of course Martin Freeman IS Bilbo. There was never any question at all in my mind. He just is. He was BORN to be Bilbo.

And so, 2013 and I, though we aren't yet well acquainted. . .saw The Hobbit together. With a group of friends. Only I don't remember them being there. It was just me, my medium-sized popcorn (that kept getting into my mouth. . .until the whole bag was empty,) and one of the most beautiful, hilarious, and quotable movies I've ever, ever seen. Plus it was all in a theater. . .which. . .well, the last time I was in a theater I was 4. And I saw The Lion King. And it scarred me for life. :P

    

The first sight of the Shire warmed the very core of my soul with all it's green and I-want-to-live-there-NOW. Seriously. My 4'9 self deserves a hobbit hole. And pantry after pantry of FOOD. And curly-headed, furry-feet-ed children. And blue skies and chubby, comfortable neighbors, and peace and calm and quiet. No wonder hobbits don't go on  adventures. Who would want to leave a place like that? Heaven on Middle Earth.

Having not seen LOTR, BUT knowing what I know about Frodo. . .the opening scene of The Hobbit did nothing for me. I mean, it wasn't like Frodo came on screen and I started jumping up and down feeling fluffy feelings. I just don't like him (try not to kill me). But then we hear the legendary words--"in a hole in the ground" and the theater goes "awwwwww!"  And the popcorn starts going fast. THEN Smaug attacks Erebor, and Richard--I mean, Thorin--first shows his majestic self--and it goes THAT much faster. I nearly choked. At least, everyone in my group and probably everyone in the theater knew I was--fond--of Thorin. And the fondness just kept growing. And the popcorn kept on vanishing.

The dwarfs, right next to hobbits, are my absolute favorite race in Middle Earth. Maybe even more so. . .just don't tell Bilbo (or any hobbit wandering through cyber-land). Fiercely loyal, fun-loving (albeit a bit. . .er, sloppy? that's the nice way of putting it,) whimsical, fearless, proud, strong, stubborn, lovers of beauty and music. . .I really appreciated the detailed look into their history and linage. Deeply-feeling characters are my favorites. . .so the dwarfs, especially Thorin (all fangirling aside,) did much for deeply-feeling me. I especially liked Balin's fatherly care for Thorin, and how, though he is much older, he regards him as his King and leader. So powerful.

Even though the movie-version of The Hobbit is a lot darker then the book (in some ways,) it's also very comedic and keeps that lighthearted, fairly-tale feeling of the beloved classic alive. Nothing gets more adorable then Bofur. And Dwalin, Dori, and Balin are all fantastic. Respectively. Goodness, and I can't forget Ori! ("excuse me, don't mean to interrupt. . .but where should I put my plate?" Such a memorable, likable, unique cast of characters. Aside from Radagast (more on him in a minute,) I can't complain at all. The casting was sublime.

Like I said, the movie is darker. There are a lot of battles--too many battles, sometimes, and personally the story didn't really "pop" until the middle. Namely during the thunder battle. Everything prior to that was fine, but huge stone-giants hurdling themselves at 13 innocent dwarfs and one hobbit got my attention. And from that point the movie took off. Gandalf was wonderful throughout, and (cringe, but I must say it again,) having not seen The Lord of the Rings movies, I was surprised at how much I liked him. No. I LOVE Gandalf. As in, Thorin has competition for first-favorite spot. He is very human, simple, wise. . .powerful, but only in his natural abilities. While I'm still not sure if my Christian-views and fantasy coexist, there is a distinct message of good vs evil in Tolkien's works. I was disappointed that The Hobbit movie lost the concept through Radagast the Brown, a "good wizard" who resorts to witchcraft to save his animal friends. I thought it was totally unnecessary to the plot and very contradicting: evil does not conquer evil. Goodbye Radagast and lets keep Gandalf, thank you.

Then of course there was the whole Azog/The Defiler/Pale Orc (what exactly IS his name, anyway?) subplot. . .which was interesting, especially since orcs are only mentioned once in the book. A bit corny at times (just don't ask me to do my impression,) and definitely not as scary as the other orcs (my dad says he looks like a bald mummy,) for all his roaring and pet warg. But he added an interesting layer to Thorin's honor--his passionate hate for orcs, and his burning need to reclaim his homeland. Of course, without Azog there would be no epic ending. . .

The beautiful, beautiful, BEAUTIFUL ending, with the (spoiler!) eagle rescue (be still my heart!) and wounded-warrior-in-distress (AWD to us "morbid" girls,) and gasp sob sniffle. . ."I've never been so wrong. . .in all my life." Just.perfect. No, more then perfect--one of the best movies endings in all the world. Period. Amen and amen. If I wasn't a huge fan before I'm a MASSIVE fan now.

Honorable mentions: Elrond (he was epic!) Fili and Kili (I rebelliously walked into the theater knowing I wasn't going to love them. . .simply because every other girl on the planet does. ;) ) The hilarious "my-sister-and-and-I-are-laughing-our-heads-off-and-we-don't-care" parasites/troll scene. Goodness gracious. Too much funny.

So. . .that is my review in a nutshell--because I could seriously talk about this movie all day and for an eternity. Our secret Pinterest board (love that feature!) is chock full of hobbits, and dwarfs, and more hobbits, and jokes only professional Ringers would find funny.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. 10 out of 5 stars. Note that this movie IS PG 13--there is quite a bit of violence, ie chopped and rolling heads, some blood, etc. For the most part I think it was to be very expected, especially in the battle scenes. Nothing my conscious couldn't handle, but everyone's rating system is different. Also, depending on how strictly you like or dislike fantasy magic, there are the Radagast bits that I found very disturbing. Otherwise--visually gorgeous film, soaring, passionate, mysterious, beautifully-gritty soundtrack (like someone said to me, it sounds a lot less "hobbity" and more "dwarvy,") fantastic acting, and several plot twists that enhanced the story. HIGHLY recommended.

{"Did he say parasites??" "We don't have parasites, YOU have parasites!" }

Oh. . .and thanks for letting me fangirl. I'm done now. . .er. . .for now.

Another chapter closed.

2012. In some ways, it was the most life-changing year of my life. So many places, so many faces, so many new, strange, unique, and completely God-made experiences! Those are the memories I want to keep forever. Others, like breakups with friends, hurt and distrust--I've buried. I've surrendered to my Jesus. And that's the miracle of 2012; learning the true meaning of complete surrender.  I'm done with worrying about living my life according to other people's standards; I am me. And I must follow His perfect, unique path for my future.

{via}

That's 2013. An adventure into the unknown. Pages--like my heart put into poetry--blank and waiting to be filled by the Master of life. Aside from the SAICFF (more on that in a minute) I don't have many plans. . . .and it's a little frightening. My heart left the Shire and my comfortable Hobbit hole long ago; The World is Ahead!

{via}

2012. 

--my 21st birthday.  if i could stop time (because seriously, i'm getting old!) i'd stay right here. 21 is somewhere between maturing-young-adult and little girl who doesn't NEED (or want) to grow up. . .yet. and i'm happy that way. 22 will be great, i'm sure. . .but after 22 comes 23. . .then jumps to 25. and right now i don't even want to think 30. (Peter Pan, i'll always love you!) the interesting part of turning 22 is that i'll be celebrating it in TX. and i've already gotten a Kindle Fire HD as an early birthday gift. which is pretty awesome. :)

{taken in MI by my friend Danielle} 

--attended the 2012 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival with a whole crew-ful of beautiful people. we drove alll the way from Ohio, and while i'll admit that overnight road-trips and i don't get along, it was one of the best experiences of my life! we sang, talked non-stop, rarely slept, ate nothing but sandwiches, granola bars, and M&M's, cried, laughed, debated, nearly lost the ball-bearings on a tire, stayed overnight in a parking lot (while said tire was being repaired,) ate more M&M's, watched countless movies, sang some more, met hundreds upon hundreds of people, talked a lot, had the van window broken into, danced, ate a few more granola bars, and bonded in the deepest way possible. i love my friends.

--drove down to Branson MO for Vision Forum's Titanic 100. it was a gorgeous event, full of speeches, special music, and a 3-course dinner on the showboat Branson Belle. plus Anna and I got to spend it with our daddy. :)

--lost my precious Banjo-man Nick in June. as some of you probably remember, Nick was the Yorkie i got as a therapy dog--at least, that's what i hoped he'd become. it's still very difficult for me to talk about, and i try NOT to think. putting down my puppy was the worst thing i've ever done--one of the hardest, most challenging decisions of my life. i went through a lot of guilt. i cried until my TMJ flared and my throat was sore. but now, looking back, weighing the facts, and through lots of support from my family, friends, and prayer, i know my decision was the right one.

{Nick in his Christmas jammies, about five months before he died}

i miss you, little buddy. thanks for leaving your squeaky-puppy for me to snuggle. it smells like you, and whenever i see it, i see YOU, scampering in the backyard with your beautiful, silky coat, floppy ears, and a mouthful of squeaky-puppy. ♥

". . .because I knew you. . .I have been changed for good." 

--spent over 2 months sewing a ballgown and all the trimmings for Beyond the Mask, an Independent Christian film by Burns Family Studios. Though extremely challenging, (think layer upon layer of clothing--all authentic, hand-drafted re-productions) working with the Ohio branch of the BTM costume team was hugely rewarding! i learned so much, and while i'm STILL not an expert seamstress. . .the seam-ripper and i aren't on the friendliest terms anymore. WIN! 

 

{sneak-peak of my finished gown. the second picture is post-huge hairstyle. :P }

--went on an epic week-long vacation to North Carolina and my forever-beloved Tennessee. ok, so i had the worst head-cold of my life (curse you, sun-poisoning!) and hardly remember anything about Dollywood. . .but swimming for the first time ever in the real-life Atlantic ocean was total bliss. if that's what you'd like to call being knocked over by every single wave. it's what you get at 4'9. ;)  i loved exploring the tiny, secluded island of Baldhead--where Blackbeard and other pirates supposedly roamed, once upon a time--in a golf cart. that is, Blackbeard wasn't in a golf cart. we were. oh my, but all the little golf-cart garages! sooo adorable. i want one. 

 

  

things to remember on vacation: always, always, ALWAYS wear sunscreen on the beach. otherwise ones knees are prone to turning bright-pink and hurting horribly. and ones face may turn red. and one may get a horrible head-cold. and then one may not be able to properly enjoy cabins-in-the-Smokies and hillbilly bluegrass jams across the NC/VA border. word to the wise.

  

  

{pics by Anna}

--saw my friends and Celtic band The High Kings in concert. again. That makes 7 concerts now. 

 

 {R-Darren (my favorit-est King) gives the BEST squishy-daddy hugs. he's an absolute sweetheart.}

--went to a rodeo for the first time. as in bull-riding. yes, i'm addicted. 

{by Anna}

--lived through another Ohio Summer Rendezvous! it was my third year as main event planner and hostess, and thanks to my co-planners-in-crime, OSR '12 was truly the best yet. 

--worked with the (MI branch) BTM Costume team AND appeared as an extra in the masquerade ball scene. see, this is why i haven't put up a proper BTM post. there was so much beauty in the 9 days we worked in MI, it can't be put into words.

sewing until 7:30 AM. . . root-beer floats at all hours of the night, deadlines, colds, eating way too much, laughing our heads off. seeing set for the first time! o.O i won't even TRY to explain. let's put it this way--i am an incredibly blessed girl. i have bonded with the most incredible people in all the world. i have lived in a household of crazy-amazing young ladies. i have BEEN IN A MOVIE.

and i was hugged twice by John Rhys-Davies. 

the end.

i can't wait to see what God does with BTM--it's hugely fascinating, watching the Independent film movement revolutionize the world.  

{pics my Anna}

to my Beyond the Mask family:

"Now we're back to the beginning

It's just a feeling and no one knows yet

But just because they can't feel it too

Doesn't mean that you have to forget

Let your memories grow stronger and stronger

'Till they're before your eyes

You'll come back when they call you

No need to say goodbye

You'll come back when they call you

No need to say goodbye".

you have no idea how much you mean to me. i love each and every one of you--for your uniqueness, your spirit and love for the Lord. for your purpose and oneness of mind. for embracing me in your circle, even though i knew you for only 9 days. thank you so much! 

{copyright Joe Henline}

And now stretches this white, empty canvas--this thing called 2013. Already I see so many changes. Watching my "little sisters grow up, for example. how does that happen? just a couple weeks ago I had a deep heart-to-heart with my 15 year old sister Julia. Once these chats were secluded to the "older set". Julia isn't a little girl anymore. I've seen--and am seeing--her blossom into a young lady who is smart, thoughtful, sincere, and in ways very above me in maturity. That girl is going to teach me a lot, I can tell. 

{our parents. i'm assuming dad got wet from the fountain. ;) } 

{L-R: me, Julia, Maria, Lidia, Anna}

2013. Who are you? So far we've seen The Hobbit together, I've booked tickets to the SAICFF 2013, I'm turning 22. . .and everything stops there.

Write upon these pages Lord. Make them Yours. I give them to YOU.

"In My Life"

This is past tense, since I started writing last week. Life gets in the way of blogging, sometimes. Anywho, I like this too much to erase it all and start over. Enjoy, and I'll try to bring you up to date with current events SINCE last week as well (since at this point the post is only half finished. Confused yet?) Also--you might want to check the Rafflecopter widget below (Giveaway "300"). The winners have been announced! Congrats, ladies. I hope you had as much fun as I did. :)

{me. with my friend Bilbo. and his friends.}

I loved today. One of those grey, overcast, dreamy sorts of mornings (brings out the blogger in me,) as dreary as my heart was heavy--I didn't want to go to work. So I prayed, and I trusted, and all at once, almost literally, things were better. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, yes? Work (nannying, for any new followers,) went quickly and uneventfully. Really, is there anything like a chubby, bubbly new baby to mend  a broken smile? I think not. :) The twins were fun, Mimi (aka, Yours Truly,) ran around, read books, made strange faces, danced, sang. . .and ultimately behaved like the perfect 2 year. . .and all is well with the world. Like I told a friend the other day, it's all about attitude.

Now I'm enjoying the solitude of a grey, overcast, dreamy sort of evening; my younger sisters are listening to Adventures in Odyssey {part of every day life} downstairs, mom's cooking, and Anna is ripping seams from a one-day skirt. And instead of reading North and South (more on that in a minute,) I'm writing a much needed blog post.

Something happy:

 

{Anna, our friend Hannah, and me, outside the theater}

Last week a group of friends surprised a friend by showing up opening night at A Christmas Carol. Of course I spent all that afternoon making a skirt to go with my new shirt from The Loft (be still my heart, that store! o.o) And of course that's because I forgot to wash the fabric the day before and then realized I didn't have enough fabric. . .which of course usually happens to perfectionists-in-a-hurry. It turned out perfectly, in the end, and I'm really excited to wear it all winter (can't go wrong with black corduroy). We drove down with our friend Hannah, and snuggled with everyone into the most adorable little theater ever. Sigh. Need I say how much I LOVE plays and theater and curtains and theater-chairs-that-don't-stay-down and pomp and circumstance? Because I do. Having a good friend star as Fred made it all the better. The look on his face when he saw us was worth all the "lying" and facebook threads. Really--after my surprise birthday party (has it really been almost two years ago? o.O ) everyone has become excellent liars. Only this time I got to lie too. hehe

{yay! Sneaky, awesome friends. B) }

Something sentimental:

Last weekend my family hosted our monthly meetup--when all our "local" (meaning, all over Ohio and PA,) friends get together for some type of activity and fellowship. It's new and fun and makes for awesome memories. Anyhow, it was a night of laughs, way too much pizza and chocolate, utterly failing at Guesstures, learning (or *trying* to learn ;) ) The Charleston. . .and losing a baby corn snake under the piano. Which meant of course ripping my ancient upright apart looking for it. It was quite the adventure (after we found the snake. . .it was in it's bag the whole time!) discovering the beautiful  insides of my 90 year old player piano. All the valves, bellows, strings, hammers. . .parts I can't name, so intricate, so detailed. I almost didn't want to close the cover. Best of all, the player *isn't* actually broken. With a little help, it still plays--1903 ripped paper and all.

Something sappy:

All the frantic hype over The Hobbit made me watch North and South again. Which made me fall in love with Richard Armitage--I mean, Mr. Thornton--again. Which made me read the book. Which has made my heart incredibly happy, sappy, swoony, and all and everything that makes the proper fangirl.

The book and minstries are almost alike--the casting is sublime. Actually, the few things that were added to the mini series compliment and add character to the story. ie, Margaret "meeting' Mr. Thornton in the midst of beating a worker, the explanation of WHY Mr. Hale left the clergy, the stunning "Northbound Train" ending, and a couple of other things.

Besides loving every single atom of the book, I've come to truly understand and appreciate Margaret--the one "heroine" I've always despised. I won't say much now, in case I decide to write a proper review of the book and characters, but I think I've finally found the heroine I can most relate too. She's amazing (coming from me, that's a big compliment.) Daniela Denby-Ashe IS Margaret, down even to her looks. She pulls the  haughtiness, confidence, and ultimate ignorance and final humbling of the character together beautifully--as though she's stepped right from the pages of the book. And Richard. . .need I even say anything? He is perfect, perfect, PERFECT in every sense of the word--except that the "real" Mr. Thornton is supposed to be homely ("he doesn't LOOK like a bulldog, surely." :P ) Someone in a facebook comment said they wished Mr. Thornton would have shown more gentleness (in the mini series)--that he seemed too unattractive until the very end. I ahem beg to differ. Strongly. :P They couldn't have cast a better actor to show--just through his eyes--all the pent up passion of a rejected, misunderstood lover--of the human being under all the stiffness and starch. Mrs. Thornton is perfect too. . .no, beyond perfect (of course.) And Higgins. And Bessy--though she's a lot more likable on screen; in the book she's just morbid.

I am on Team Gaskgell. Thank you very much, Jane Austen, but your stories do nothing for me.

Something recent:

Two nights ago I attended a Regency Christmas Ball. . .in a gorgeously-restored Victorian mansion.  It was just as beautiful and movie-ish as two years ago, only this time I made and wore a costume that actually fit and that I didn't cry over. Ok, cutting a hole in the neckline is a different story, but otherwise--after all the experience sewing for Beyond the Mask, the dress went together smoothly. I even finished a gown for Anna in ONE DAY. Yes, you may congratulate me.

 

{had to snatch a picture or two on the story-bookish balcony overlooking the main floor of the mansion. There are three floors in all, but what makes the "balcony" (for lack of  a better name,) so adorable is how it branches right off the staircase--so, you can stop and rest on your way up, or just continue up the stairs.}

It was great to catch up with out-of-state friends, wander around the mansion, dance, eat, and be merry. Here's a video of some of the more advanced dancers demonstrating 'Waltzing to Iowa'--I'm in the purple gown with champagne sash, in case you can't tell from the above photos. ;)

Something simple:

And because this is a sappy post, I will mention the Elephant Vanilla Chai tea I had at our local tearoom last week. It was one of those afternoons when I REALLY needed to get out of the house, and made me extra grateful for a mom who notices and cares. We had a great time chatting and oohing and ahhing over girl-stuff (aka, teapots, laces, pink, yada yada,) North and South (since I cant' seem to talk about anything else right now,) and such. Chai tea, btw, is out of this world. Just in case you were wondering.

{yes, it was topped with whipped cream.}

Soooo that is current life in a nutshell. Crazy month--usually we don't have so many events, weekend after weekend. Right now, blog-wise, I am trying to make a vlog, and I REALLY need to write about Beyond the Mask. Sometimes I stop and remember--actually, every day I stop and remember. . .and really, it doesn't feel like it ever happened, it was such a satisfying, once-in-a-lifetime experience. To think that John Rhys-Davies was on set of The Hobbit only months before coming over to little 'ol MI to shoot BTM. And to think that. . .well, that's for another post. ;)