Everything But the Kitchen House Elf

Just a quick note to my friends and family: there are only 141 shopping days until Christmas (unless my math is off. Which it probably is).

Photo Credit: Entertainment Weekly

EXPECTO MYHEADTOEXPLODUS!

This is the latest special edition Harry Potter DVD collection. The "Wizard's Collection" releases September 7, 2012, and is available for pre-order on Amazon for a whopping $349.96--and that's a huge discount off of the original $499.99 pricetag!!

According to Amazon, here's what you get:

The magical film franchise is now available in a spectacular limited-edition collectible box set. The most comprehensive Harry Potter movie collection yet features all eight films, exclusive never-before-seen content and must-have memorabilia.

This new limited and numbered 31-disc collection contains all eight Harry Potter movies on Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet Digital Copy and more than 37 hours of special features including all previously released materials and more than 10 hours of new to disc bonus content, and 5 hours of never-before-seen material.

In addition to the theatrical release of every film, the collection also includes the extended versions of  Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; and the 3D versions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows –- Parts 1 and 2.

My take on it? If you are a die-hard fan, yet don't already own all of the movies on Blu-ray, haven't had a chance to see any of the television specials that have aired, documenting the music, monsters, and special effects, and haven't made it to either The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida or the WB store online to pick up some memorabilia, then I could maybe justify the price tag. Maybe. It's really, freaking cool, though.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Dear Santa...

I'm just going to leave this right here:


Credit

That's the packaging for the $140 (okay, $139.98) Amazon pre-order of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial on Blu-ray. Anybody want to get me a really cool Christmas present?

Pin-Up Posters and Diva Decor

You know how I said yesterday that I hoped to take some pictures of the bathroom last night? Well, I decided to wait on that until there was something decent to photograph. Right now, the towels aren't out, the decor is only halfway installed, and a great big container of spackle is right smack dab in the middle of my countertop. Trust me, you want me to wait on this.

Andy's Room. Photo Credit: DisneyWallpaper

In the meantime, let me tell you about my nowhere-near-finished guest room! (I can tell you're just chompin' at the bit.) The room had been what Thomas referred to as "Andy's Room Blue", but we painted over that with slate gray and trimmed the window, doors, and baseboards in white. Most of the accents are lime green, which really pops against the gray.

The inspiration for the room came, in part, from a rather odd source: Victoria's Secret. I kid thee not.

See, back around the time of the last fashion show, the company held a sweepstakes, and I--for once--won a prize! I received a design-inspired sketch of one of the runway looks. Now, to be perfectly frank, I wasn't thrilled. I was thrilled to get anything, of course, but I'd hoped for a gift card, discount, or maybe a t-shirt. Design-inspired sketch never even entered my mind. What on Earth was I going to do with a picture of some random chick in lingerie?


Photo Credit: CBS News.
Change the yellow to pink, and this is my sketch.

A few weeks later, my "major award" arrived. Inside a little "Congratulations! You're a Winner!" card was the sweetest little cartoon-like sketch of a redheaded superheroine--all in hot pink with white go-go boots! The background was a lemon-lime green, and the entire piece was beyond adorable. I squealed a little, and decided right then and there that I would decorate the guestroom in a sophisticatedly (is that a word? It is now) girly fashion. The sketch went into a chrome frame with a white mat, and the search for equally precious pinup art commenced. 

A quick search on Amazon brought up some winners. Here are my favorites:

Photo Credit: Poster Shop Live (This and next two)

Link

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Photo Credit: Pop Culture Graphics

Since the room's going uber-girly, I thought I'd toss in a frilly mirror...

Photo Credit: Kirkland's

...then tone things down a bit with a mod lamp.

Photo Credit: Target

It's a work-in-progress, but I think we may be getting there. Any thought? I'd love to read them in the comments.

Gift Guide: The Stylist

As I type, I'm wearing shredded jeans, an old gray t-shirt, almost zero makeup, and holey ancient Skechers, Batman. Oh--and my hair is a total mess that wouldn't even stay in a clip.

I know you want me...*sigh*

I'm probably the last person on the planet who should be writing about beauty and fashion, right now. Normally, I'm slightly more together than this (key word: slightly), but this morning I had to go help some sound technicians set levels at the Church because we nearly killed the parishoners with feedback at 8 am Mass last Sunday, and...well, that's another story, nevermind. The point is, whether or not I practice what I preach, I do know a thing or two about what works and what doesn't, and you know what doesn't work? Disorganization. When your closet is so cluttered that you don't even know what you have, how can you put together a top-notch outfit?

Says the girl whose shoe rack, literally, imploded yesterday. *sigh*

If you have a friend, relative, significant other--whatever--who's a bit of a fashionista, I've got a couple of gift ideas that will keep their designer duds in tip top form.

1) This Whitmor Chrome Supreme shoe rack holds up to fifty pairs of shoes or shoeboxes, and can roll wherever they need it to go. This is *not* the shoe rack that currently litters the floor of my closet, by the way. $69.95, Amazon.

2) I actually own this makeup case, and can attest to its awesomeness. Durable, roomy, with adjustable dividers for customized organization. This is also about as large a case as you can get without wheels. I'm planning to order a second one after Christmas for Fighting Owl Films growing makeup supply. This can easily accomodate all of our greasepaints, effects makeup, hair supplies, and a squeeze bottle of blood. 'Cause, we all need that. Right? $49.38, Overstock.

3) Now, here's a jewelry organizer that I haven't tried, but the design is ingenious. This is a thin mesh panel that can be hung up pretty much anywhere. Earrings can either hang on the front, or be stored in rolls at the bottom. Rings also stash in the roll, and necklaces and bracelets dangle from hooks. No counter or dresser space required! $19.99, Bed Bath and Beyond.

P.S. There were pictures. They were really nice. Blogger ate them.

Bring the Magic Home (Or Don't)

Photo Credit: Amazon

If you're itching to finally own all of the Harry Potter movies, you can now pre-order a bare bones collection at Amazon for $89.99. That's $50 off MSRP, for the record. It's a Blu-ray collection, with all eight films and their previously released special features. The official release date is November 11th. If this is your first time buying any of the films, it's not a bad deal. IHowever, if you're just dying for new material, you might want to hold off for a bit. Nothing's been announced, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if there's a fancy-schmancy special edition collection on the horizon. (Standard Definition is also available for $64.99.)

Going For the Bronze

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I am blindingly white. In fact, hey, Chlorox! If you need a spokesperson, I'm perfect and available!! Call me!! Now, normally, I'm quite proud of my "Southern Belle" complexion (Why, yes, I have been under a parasol all day. Why do you ask?), but "fishbelly white", as my Daddy used to call it, is not a good look for legs in shorts and sundresses. Then again, neither is "Oompa Loompa orange". I can tell you that from experience. *shudder*

Tanning beds scare the crud out of me. Laying out in the sun only makes me burn, and it's not exactly "healthy". (oh, I am big on quotation marks today!) I'm not quite up for sunless tanner, yet, and finding a good one is like finding the Holy Grail. Basically, what I needed was something that would give me just a little color, so you could tell where my white tanks and light khaki capris stopped and I started. Was that asking too much?

Photo Credit: Walgreens

Thankfully, the folks at Jergen's didn't think so. This year, I snapped up a bottle of the perennially popular Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer ($8.99, Walgreens) and the companion Face Moisturizer ($8.19, Amazon) before they sold out. There are pros and cons to these; the pros being that they deposit just enough buildable, streak-free color to give you a little glow, but not scream, "I'VE USED A TANNER!!!!!" They dry quickly, don't transfer to clothing easily, are long-lasting, and the body lotion really does firm well. You can actually feel it working as you apply the lotion. The cons are a little rough, though: there is a definite fragrance, and not one I find particularly pleasant. It's a far cry better than the original fragrance from when the products launched a few years ago, but it's still fairly awful and doesn't fade. They're a little sticky, too, but the worst thing about the products is the packaging. They only come in tube form, which means that you'll be picking up the tubes and trying to squeeze out lotion with greasy, slippery hands. The tanner gets all over the outsides of the bottles, which leaves streaks on your counters. A pump would be greatly appreciated, at least by this user. Final Verdict: 8 out of 10. Fantastic product with just a couple of kinks to work out.

Photo Credit: Sephora

Now, I don't know about you, but the first thing I notice after I use a tanner of any sort, even one this light and natural-looking, is that my makeup is too light. Not much, but enough to look a little chalky. I recently had the opportunity to sample Too Faced's new Primed & Poreless SPF 20 Bronze Tint Skin Smoothing Face Primer ($30, Sephora), and I have to say, it helps.

At first, I was really concerned over how dark and sparkly the product was coming out of the tube. It honestly looked like metallic copper fabric paint. In fact, the first thing I thought (okay, said out loud. To myself. Because I'm crazy like that) was, "Oh, my God, I can't put that on my face." However, for the sake of you guys, I went through with it. Almost as if by magic, the primer disappeared into my skin, leaving only a very subtle glow and an evened skin-tone. My pores do appear smaller, and my skin looked radiant. The primer is silicone-based, which gives it a silky texture, but it's also very lightweight. I don't feel bogged down under a mask, and that's fantastic in this humidity. When I put my usual foundation over it (lightly, I must add), the color came through just a bit, which aided in making my light foundation work on my darker skin. Best of all, it's SPF 20, which alleviates the extra step (and cost) of sunscreen. I also noticed that my makeup stayed fresh throughout the day, including my eyeshadow, and I had forgotten to use my eye primer. I wish the price was a little lower, but it's a large tube, so you do get what you pay for. Final Verdict: 9 out of 10. This is a Summertime life-saver, and a winner all around.

Photo Credit: Sephora

Lastly, for those of you who like a little extra oomph around the cheekbones, I can not recommend enough the (again) Too Faced The Bronze and the Beautiful Bronzing Powder palette ($38, Sephora). This palette gives you three increasingly potent bronzers in a beautiful mirrored package, complete with the softest, most wonderful bronzing brush I've ever encountered. It delivers the precise amount of product and blends effortlessly. The bronzers begin with Snow Bunny, the lightest, that deposits a minimal amount of color, but a maximum amount of highlighting shimmer. Next in line is Sun Bunny, a medium shade that works for even the lightest complexion. Lastly, we have Pink Leopard, which looks fabulous over a tan, and also works for sculpting. I like to brush a little Snow Bunny over the other shades for a little extra shimmer. The price may seem a bit much, but each bronzer runs $28 individually, and this way you get all three, plus brush. The sizes are marginally smaller than if bought individually, but after months of daily use, I've barely made in a dent in my set, and have the option of blending shades for a custom look. This stuff, to put it bluntly, rocks. Final Verdict: 10 out of 10. It's on my list of products I can't live without.

Cute Hoots

Part of the fun of being a movie producer (or the lady who happens to be married to the movie director) is paperwork. Lots of paperwork. Lists of actors, crew, phone numbers, addresses, bios, emails, costume sizes, food allergies, props, agents, distributors, festivals, arts associations, film associations, locations, location managers, scheduling conflicts, etc. There are schedule revisions and scene revisions; blogs to write, and buzz to keep track of; photos to bind and press releases to proof. Paper here, paper there! Paper! Paper, everywhere!

My newest task is to start on thank you notes. I'm compiling a (rather sizable) list of all the people and organizations that helped make The Night Shift happen, and while Thomas edits, I'll write.

We have a very (very, very, very) limited budget, so I'm probably just going to end up grabbing whatever bulk thank you notes I can find on sale. However, a girl can dream, and in those dreams, we can afford adorable thank you notes that reflect the film company, Fighting Owl Films, and our quirky vision.

Dream with me, folks.

Photo by Peter Pauper Press

This little cutey comes from Peter Pauper Press, and is available in a pack of 14, with 15 matching envelopes. I love the circus-like stripes and the bright Autumn colors, and I especially love the confused look on the owl's face. Trust me, all of us Fighting Owls look like that right about now. It's very sweet, but fun at the same time. Amazon, $8.99.

Photo by designedbyme

This one really makes me think of Halloween. I think it's all the orange. In any case, it's absolutely precious. From designedbyme on Etsy, this one grabbed me with her daisy-shaped eyes and polka-dotted wings. The swirls of color give the tree branch a magical, whimsical feel, and I really want some individually wrapped, x-ray-scanned candy now. And some cocoa. Yeah...cocoa...mmmm. Set of 8 with matching orange envelopes. Etsy, $16.

Photo by Sweetprintsshop

As is, this little sweetie seems more suited for a baby shower than a film company, but the colors and font are customizable to your particular needs. With a red owl on a taupe background, we'd have a very nice, professional looking note card, and I would be a happy, happy camper. From sweetprintsshop on Etsy. Set of 10 with matching envelopes. Etsy, $12.

Now, you have no excuse not to do as Emily Post and your momma told you. Write some thank you's, darn it!