Harry Potter Studio Tours

Now that the Harry Potter movie series is complete, the studio where all 7 movies were filmed over a 10 year period, has opened it's door to let you really have a true HP experience.  The studio, located northwest of London, barely opened its doors in March.  So as soon as I found out about it, I knew we had to add it to our London itinerary. So glad I did, it was so SO much fun!

Here is where it all started, #4 Privet Drive.  This was on the back lot along with the Knight's Bus, Hogwart's bridge to the school, Tom Riddles's headstone, Haggrid's motorcycle, the chess figures, and the Weasley's car.

We also tried Butter Beer on the back lot.  It tastes a lot like cream soda would if you added butterscotch, then they add this thick creamy foam to the top.  It was a flavor bomb in your mouth!

 We started the tour watching a video interviewing the actors that played Harry, Ron and Hermiony.  They talked about their experience on the set and made us aware of all the different shops such as costume, make-up, creature creation, architecture etc.  After the movie, we entered Hogwarts through the main doors straight into the Great Hall.  Here are the girls in front of Dumbledore's costume.

 After the Great Hall we were released to explore on our own, so we used our eyes and listened with our ears to experience the Harry Potter story on a whole new level.

The Mirror of Erised:

 

Snape's Potions Classroom:

 

The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets:

 Dumbeldore's Army Wand Collection:

 Chocolate Creation from a banquet in the Great Hall:

 Dumbledore's Office:

 Collection of wand props:

 All three of Harry's brooms:

  Shopping on Diagon Alley!

 The replica of Hogwart's took 3 months to build inside it's own sound stage.  All the outside shots of Hogwarts were taken using this replica, then the flying owls and the wizards and witches on broomsticks were digitally added.  It was super impressive and pictures alone cannot describe how detailed it is.

 McKenna in the wand room. A wand box (not sure if an actual wand was inside each one) was made for every person that worked on the movie series.  It. was. a. large. room!

 

 The next day while touring London, we made sure one of our stops on the tube was at King's Cross station.  There we were able to "try" to go to Hogwart's!

 

 

 

Girls Just Want To Have Fun!

Oh my, where to even begin explaining this fabulous week I had with my girlfriends. I better start with the background. Sherisse and Jill are friends from my childhood. Sherisse and I were in dance class together when we were 5-6 years old. Jill moved into the neighborhood when she was twelve. We were all pretty inseparable and what I remember most of all is how much we laughed when we were together. We loved that classic movie "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", you know which one I'm talking about, don't deny it. Sara Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt, and a dancer that looks just a little too familiar if you are a good LDS church goin' fool. We had the entire movie memorized back in the day, so how great that Sherisse found a copy that we could watch while they were here. Talk about a blast from the past. Here we are in our matching PJ's (thanks Sherisse) getting ready to be highly entertained. Is it weird that I felt every line in the movie coming?
Through the years I had stayed in contact with Sherisse as much as I could, she still lives near my parents, so I would check in with her when I went home to visit. Sherisse would catch me up on what Jill was doing, but unfortunately the last time I saw Jill was when I got married!! As I was preparing for their visit, I kept thinking, "What will it be like, it has been so long since we've been together and we have all gone through many life challenges" I had nothing whatsoever to fear, it felt like home the minute they walked through the door. For the first time since I married my sweatheart, I didn't want to sleep in the same bed, I wanted to hang with the girls on the couch in my PJ's and talk until we couldn't talk anymore.
We did a lot of talking and catching up, but we also did a lot of sightseeing and shopping. I tell you it was girlfriend heaven.

We started the week in Heidelberg. Mark and the girls were able to join us. Here we are taking the funicular to the top of the castle. May I just say, I love the word funicular, it is so fun to say. Go ahead, try it, you'll see what I mean.
Tuesday was a down day, I had to work. But the girls were able to go with Mark to work and sit in on a rehearsal. When the two of them walked in, the lead singer Craig asked where they were from. Sherisse - Utah. Jill - Idaho. Craig, with a perplexed look on his face replied, "But, you both look so hip?!" Classic.

Wednesday we went to Soufflenheim France (I think, the days are a blur) for a little pottery shopping. Thursday was Rothenburg. Here we are in a little quaint cafe:
And then on the outside of the wall, looking over the city. Self timers on cameras rock!
Someone in Rothenburg stole my door, someday I'll have to get it back:
Friday we went to Dahn to visit a castle ruin and do a little basket shopping:
Saturday we gathered more girls and went to Cologne. Janelle and Nina joined us and we had a fabulous time.
We even got a special visit from Sherisse's husband Greg who joined us for the day. Nice to have a big strong man around, to save us from ourselves. Plus, he is brave . . . he was totally outnumbered . . . and he survived. I just want to say to Greg, "Thanks for taking such good care of my friend!"
Here are a couple of fun signs we saw along the way. If you are from Utah, you say Dang a lot. If you are from Germany. . . not so much.
Anyone up for a "krap" cake?

Another really cool think we found in Cologne thanks to Janelle is this gate full of locks. The gate is near the cathedral. The story is that sweethearts come here to seal their love. They secure a lock to the gate and then throw the key over the bridge into the water. Janelle added a lock to this gate for her and her husband. Love that!

What did I learn about myself this week? Thankfully, that my core personality has not changed from when I was a care free kid. Even through all our life experiences, both tragic and wonderful, and our time apart, we were still so completely compatible. That must mean our core stays the same. I felt young again, I laughed a lot. And it is not because I don't do these things with my own family, it is just that I have feared I am a different person because I'm older and have responsibilities and so I have to be an adult. Plus I have been away from home for so long and I think that has changed me too. I learned that it is okay to let your inner kid out, to have fun, be silly and enjoy life. I also learned that my girlfriends have turned out to be fabulous, strong, compassionate, independent, faithful women who enjoy motherhood just as much as I do but have also found a niche for themselves in the professional world. Here are a couple of gals that are the types of women you want to have in your back pocket.

And just for the record, I only deserted my husband one night . . . after all, Sherisse hadn't seen the movie "13 going on 30", we had to make sure she was hooked up. Doesn't Jennifer Garner feel like she was one of your childhood friends? I just love her.

So, to Sherisse and Jill: Thank you so much for one of the funnest weeks I've had in a long long time! And for helping to make me feel young for a bit. So, when are you coming back?

Bad Bad Shoppette Worker Part II: Australia

I have been waiting for awhile now to see this movie. It has all a girl could want in entertainment, a fine specimen of a leading man, romance, peril, adventure, fine leading man, and did I mention a fine leading man? My mom and sister are here visiting and we finally have a quiet night to ourselves to watch a movie together, perfect girls night.

Enter, Bad Bad Shopette Worker:

Eight pm has arrived, which means in my world my kids are asleep. Comfy pj's, the big red couch, popcorn, an outstandingly bubbly diet coke, great company and I even splurged on a little ice cream. I have no idea how it is going to end! We are good to go! I pop open the DVD case:

"NNNNNNNnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooo!"

Inside is "Tugger: the 4x4 jeep who wanted to fly"

For the love . . . . and "why do I go back?" Because AAFES is in control of my life!!! I just can't break free! And to top it off we watched "Changling" instead. BAD. IDEA. What in the world was Clint E. thinking? Do you have to tell a story with as much dark, black, evil graphic scenes as you can muster???? Do we have to watch the bad people do the bad things EXACTLY! Isn't that what the miracle of fad out is? Didn't we learn this from Silence of the Lambs?! Once again, my head is on fire and I'm feeling the sensation of bugs crawling all over it.

Result: Went to bed with a bad bad aura, bad bad dreams, full full stomach, cold cold bed, no no leading man. Friggin' bad bad shopette worker.