P365: The Capitol [084]

Explored parts of downtown Sacramento, including the park around the capitol.  I haven’t been there since fifth grade for a class field trip. Good times. :)


Taken on Casio Exilim. 

P365: Peter Pan [083]

After watching Toy Story 3 again, I decided to visit my old pal, Peter Pan. He sits on top of my desk nowadays, but when I was little, I played with him all the time, taking him everywhere with me.  Sometimes I thought I lost him, but he always came back.  

Guess it’s true that toys always come back when you need them. :) 

Reflection: Harry Potter

So it's been a dozen days since the release of the final installment of the Harry Potter series, but even so, people are still reblogging HP material on Tumblr, still tweeting about it on Twitter and definitely still posting about it on Facebook.  Let's face it...Harry Potter was a huge part of this generation.  Well not just huge...it was:

Monumental.  Phenomenal.  Fantastic. Mesmerizing. Magical. 

While people have been saying this is the end of an era, is it really? I mean I understand you won't be anxiously awaiting the midnight release of another Harry Potter book or the midnight showing of another Harry Potter movie.  However, you'll ALWAYS be able to revisit those adventures at Hogwarts, managing mischief flipping through over 4000 pages, soaring on broomsticks through over 1000 minutes and defeating You-Know-Who over and over again.

The magic continues on with the fans and 
everyone who continues to bring it to life.

"I don't think the end of the story happens tonight. Each and every person...will  carry this story throughout the rest of their lives and it will effect what they do."

- Daniel Radcliffe

It's synonymous to how Star Wars effected a generation 30+ years ago.  While the film series ended, the story continues with its fans, the conventions, the cartoons, the books,the toys and much more! And who could forget Star Tours at Disneyland?!  Especially since they just updated that so guests can experience over 50 different tours.

Like Star Wars, Harry Potter will be passed on from generation to generation, keeping the magic alive at Hogwarts...always.

"Stories we love best, do live in us forever.  Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home."

- J.K. Rowling

P.S. And just for good fun, I took a Sorting House Quiz.  Usually I'm sorted into Hufflepuff (yeah, yeah, yeah), but this time I got Ravenclaw.  Definitely not complaining.  I feel like I fit into either house really.

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

MOVIES: Toy Story 3

I love Toy Story 3! 

If you haven't seen it yet, you need to see it! It was AWESOME!  It was an excellent closing to the Toy Story trilogy.  Pixar did a fantastic job bringing back the beloved characters, while introducing new ones.  The storyline was great too!  It definitely takes you on a ride, trying to figure out the welfare of the toys as Andy prepares to go to college.  I'm not going to lie; I teared up at the end of the film.

I was just reminded of how I used to play with my toys and what happened to them once I out grew them.  Some of them were handed down to my younger cousins, while others were sold in garage sales or given away to family friends or children in the Philippines.  However, some are still in the house...somewhere.

I know that my Peter Pan doll is in my room.  He sits on my dresser.  I used to carry him everywhere.  I loved Peter Pan so much when I was a kid that I was him for Halloween one year.  Kinda like how Andy dressed up like Woody or Buzz. 

After watching Toy Story 3, I wondered where all my Barbie dolls went.  I think I probably played with them the most with my sister.  We enjoyed changing their clothes and creating different scenarios of families and friends.  It was fun.  I'm glad Ken was introduced in this movie.  I found it funny that he had a whole closet of clothes.  I'm pretty sure my Ken dolls only had swim shorts and if we were lucky a suit.  Pixar made some additional shorts with Ken, including Groovin' with Ken (found below) and Ken's Dating Tips. 

As we grow up, there will always be a special place for those things we grew up with - toys, childhood friends, places and more.  I'll never forget those things or the memories I made with them.  I'll always be a kid at heart. :)