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It was as if Harry put a Confundus charm on me…

June 21, 2011 by Leanne

Don't worry, we're about to Manage some Mischief.

I had the time of my life at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. After Matt denied my request to celebrate our fifth anniversary at Hogwarts, a.k.a. Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, I easily convinced my sister that we needed  a “girl’s trip,” and fast.  After only a day of planning, Reagan and I had secured a hotel room, plane-park-and express pass tickets, and child care for our children. We were off like a Nimbus 2000.

I was already suffering from a mysterious pre-trip dizziness, (which the genius doctor at the after-hours clinic diagnosed as a possible brain tumor) but it didn’t matter, I was going to Florida. I packed only the essentials: a messenger bag, a visor and granny panties. And if these items weren’t enough to classify this as a “girl’s trip,”  for our pre-Park fare, we bought wine and cookies at the local grocery store. We had a great night-before carb load and were ready for an early morning.

Reagan and I woke up at the crack of dawn to get to the park early. Upon arrival, my dizziness lost its battle to an intense adrenalin surge as we raced to the back of the Islands of Adventure Park. Entering The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was surreal. I’m not making this up: the Castle, the Hogwarts Express, Hogsmeade etc. is breathtaking. We later learned that Universal Studios spent an estimated $200 million on this creation, and I am here to say, every penny was well spent.

Hogwart's Express

Platform 9 3/4

Entering Hogwarts

After entering the gates of Hogwarts, you are instructed to stow all of your belongings in a locker in order to ride, “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.”  Stowing all of your belongings is mandatory. This should have been our first clue. Then, as we walked through the Herbology Greenhouse Three, the following sign was posted:

See the stick guy vomiting over the side of the boat?

I’m pretty sure whatever  potion they slipped us had a little bit of Tiger Lily in it. We were about to be motion sick out of our minds.

But before the nausea ensued, we walked through the Hogwart’s corridors, past Dumbledore’s office, and through the Griffyndor Common Room. Right before you get on the ride, Harry, Ron and Hermoine appear from underneath the invisibility cloak in the Great Hall. They explain that we will be flying through the grounds of Hogwarts, and that we should beware of a dragon that Hagrid has let loose. At this point in the line, the 13 year-old in front of us began to panic, and Ron made the Great Hall actually snow, by accident, of course.

Talking Portraits

Dumbledore's Office

Griffyndor Common Room

At this point in the line (probably about 75 minutes into our wait) I was feeling impervius to motion sickness. And even as the Sorting Hat warned us of the dangers of the ride, Reagan and I boarded our enchanted bench.

The Sorting Hat

After four minutes of the coolest ride I never experienced, (about two seconds into the simulation, Reagan and I both closed our eyes– tight) I silently willed myself onto the moving walkway that led to the end of the ride. Reagan and I walked side-by-side without a word, through Filch’s Emporium Gift Shop and straight to Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. We were both concentrating really hard on not puking our guts out. (If only we had a Purple Puking Pastille.)

It only took about a half an hour before we were ready for the Dragon Challenge Roller Coaster. To get on this ride, you walk along a path laced with banners for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. After passing through the Champion’s Tent, which showcases the Triwizard Cup, you then choose whether to ride the Hungarian Horntail or the Chinese Fireball Dragons. We chose the Hungarian Horntail and quickly found ourselves in the midst of a levicorpus spell.

Banners leading to the Coaster

Champion's Tent

It was after The Dragon Challenge that we had to the leave The Wizarding World all together. After a good hour of complete still-ness, and a few bottles of water, we went back for more. The last, and only ride in The Wizarding World that we really enjoyed was Flight of the Hippogriff. It’s a kiddie roller coaster that won’t put your equilibrium in check- if you even have any after the previously mentioned rides. And as a bonus, while waiting in line for this kiddie coaster, you pass right by Hagrid’s house.

Hagrid's House

Look closely to the right and you can see the Hippogriff flying right by.

By day two, we were back to just “hang out” in Hogsmeade. This was probably my favorite part of our trip. We had a Butterbeer, sat on the patio at the Three Broomsticks, bought some candy at Honeydukes, had a laugh at Zonkos, and watched some lucky kid get chosen by his wand in Olivander’s Wand Shop.

It may look cold, but it's June in Florida.

Fantastic.

Inside Honeydukes: Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans; we also bought a few chocolate frogs.

Inside Zonko's. They had Extendable Ears but no Love Potions.

Darn kid. It should have been me.

And although we were pretty upset that Olivander picked some little kid over the two of us, we bought our own wands before leaving. I chose a replica of Hermoine’s wand and Reagan chose a generic wand– or, excuse me, it chose her.

Hermoine's wand. It has a vine on it that signifies loyalty.

Reagan's wand.

Overall, I would say we had the time of our lives. It is so fun to see the books come to life, and I had the best company and Harry- Potter-expert in my sister as a tour guide. I would venture to say that this is one of the places I would think about if Expecto-ing my own Patronus.

Posted in Books, Lily's Whenever Whatever, Movies, Pop Culture | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments »

The House that Matt Built, Part I

June 3, 2011 by Leanne

The House that Matt Built is finally done. Put a fork in it. Complete. Fanito!

Now we enter the “decorating” phase of this project, a phase that Matt has been waiting for since we started this little project in August 2010. Insert wry smile and wink here. I have about a zillion photos to share and then I’d love some feedback. (Please post your comments to my blog. Pretty please.)

First, it has to be said that Stacy Nance, with Stacy Nance Interiors, helped me with quite a bit of the house. Stacy has a great eye and a very clean style. Her own kitchen was recently featured on COCOCOZY for those of you that love this design blog.

We will start with part of the kitchen. I love just about everything about this space. The paint color is: Sharky Grey from the Martha Stewart collection at Home Depot. We went with non-textured walls throughout the house and a white ceiling to make the rooms look bigger. Non-textured walls seem to be something of an oddity in Oklahoma; most people prefer textured.

Kitchen: Appliances- GE and Capital; Granite- Marble Designs

Kohler sink in white, Delta faucet

Below is a picture of one of the granites we chose for the kitchen. I really really really wanted white marble for the majority of the countertops, but after 3,000 people advised me against this for the kitchen, Matt and I began hunting for a granite that looked like marble. We found Brazilian Arabescato that looks similar to marble, but because it’s granite, should be less likely to stain and chip. We love it.

Granite: Brazilian Arabescato, Marble Designs

Range: Capital, Hood: Designed by Stacy Nance, Stacy Nance Interiors

As you can see in the photos, we do not have anything on the countertops. Through the last two moves, I have become much more minamalistic than before and I am trying not to clutter any of my spaces. But what should I put on the countertops? Or should I put anything?

Backsplash Tile: Southwest Tile and MarbleHardware: HardwareResources.com

Next, here are the breakfast area curtains. Stacy picked out this fabric and we had these roman shades made at Vu’s Fabric in Edmond, Oklahoma. Vu is a genius, and I would recommend working directly with Vu. If she’s not in the shop the day you go in to have something made, go back another day.

IKAT fabric: Fabrics Unlimited OKC, Made by: Vu's Fabrics

Breakfast area light: Shades of Light

Ceramic Tile: Classic Tile and Marble OKC

Now for the living room. Because Matt and I are not Vanderbilt descendants, we decided to use almost all of the furniture from our old house in the new one. You will see the Norwalk sofa from our last house and some aluminum tables from I.O. Metro. Additionally, there is a piece of art above the mantel, some pillows and a few accessories that we transported from Little Rock.

View from the fireplace

View from the kitchen

Sofa: Norwalk, Ottoman: Red Chateau- OKC

Light fixture: Shades of Light

Sofa: Room and Board, Lamps: TJ Maxx

Sofa table: Mathis Brothers, OKC

Pink/Orange Pillow: Mathis Brothers, Geometric Pillow: Fabric- Fabric Factory OKC and Vu's Fabric, Work: Vu's Fabric

Wingback chairs: Z Gallerie

Mirrored Bamboo Table: Wisteria, Rug: Rug and Carpet of OKC

Concrete surround: ProCast in Marlow, OK

The concrete surround for the fireplace was a big decision for us. When traveling last summer, we went to a gorgeous hotel in Half Moon Bay, California. We got the idea for our fireplace and a window seat you will see later from this hotel. See the pictures below:

The only problem with our concrete surround is that we were hoping for a different color. We’ve contacted a faux finisher to paint the surround a different color but can’t pull the trigger. What do you think? (See the two color options below.)

Current color: buff, New colors: light grey and charcoal

So for the last photo of “The House that Matt Built, Part I,” we have one more question. I really like these built in book shelves, but right now I dislike what I’ve got in there. I’d like to have photos of our wedding and the new baby!, but it looks strange to me. Any suggestions? 

Silver Frames: Pottery Barn

Stay tuned for Part II. Thanks for indulging me!

Posted in Lily's Whenever Whatever | 15 Comments »

Dear Oprah, I Take It All Back…

May 31, 2011 by Leanne

Dear Oprah,

I’ve had an “ah-ha” moment.

Although I don’t (yet) have a gratitude journal, I am a recent Oprah convert. It was as if the clouds parted, my eyes were opened and I finally saw the light.

For the last few months, I’ve really been enjoying your Farewell Season. I watched intently as you brought on The Judds to talk about their own farewell tour, I wished that I was given that trip to Australia, and I almost cried when I realized that I’d missed the Fergie interview. (Still waiting for that one to re-run, hint- hint.) Not only did your Harpo magicians bring us all the “A List” guests this year, but they also managed to have Aretha Franklin belt out an extremely slow and moving version of  Amazing Grace at your Surprise Spectacular. Season 25 was some amazing television.

Why Not Me?

Ironically, although I’ve always watched your show, I have only been a fan of yours for about the last fifteen minutes. I’m sorry to say that in the past, I’ve even given you a hard time on my blog for what I thought was your self-appointed Deity Status. But after your re-interview with James Frey, I began viewing you afresh. The episode: “James Frey: Five Years Later” shocked me. I had witnessed his lashing five years earlier when you and many others in the U.S. gave him such a hard time for publishing his novel as a memoir. I couldn’t believe the way in which you let him have it.  I felt so sick for him in that moment, being human myself and often making my own mistakes, and I just wanted you to show him a little grace.

You were about to unleash the Fury.

And then you did, in your most recent interview. I thought, in fact, you showed all sorts of grace. You apologized for the way in which the interview was conducted, for making Frey feel “ambushed,” and for the way in which you went about berating him for his mistake. I thought that was very big– even for Oprah Winfrey.

It was a freeing experience for me. I could now not only watch your shows, but finally understand what everyone had seen in you all of these years. And now, instead of cynically viewing your last episode as a tribute to yourself, I was really able to view it as you intended: as a Love Letter to your viewers.

Your last episode inspired me: your pretty pink dress, your words of wisdom, and most of all your encouragement to follow one’s calling. You said, “My great wish for all of you, who have allowed me to honor my calling through this show, is that, you carry whatever you’re supposed to be doing, carry that forward and don’t waste anymore time. Start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world.”

Amen, ya’ll!

I know you can't really see the earrings, but I loved them.

So now I’m hooked, and just in time. I’ll have to see how much it’s going to cost me each month to add the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) to my cable package. But for Gayle, Shania and Fergie, no amount could be too much.

Thanks for all of your hard work,  Oprah. I’m really going to miss you.

Leanne

Posted in Books, Lily's Whenever Whatever, Pop Culture | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria’s ?

May 25, 2011 by Leanne

How could you cheat on a lady like Maria? She’s so beautiful, she’s an accomplished author and journalist, she’s the mother of his children. The news about the split of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver (and  what caused it) makes me sad.

I guess I’m not surprised. It’s like Tiger all over again. And President Clinton, and Michael Jordan, and JFK, and Prince Charles, and Magic Johnson, and even FDR.

I am not suggesting that each of these men should have been forced to wear a scarlet “A” for the rest of their lives, but I am saying that our society should place a little more value on fidelity. Maybe if fidelity was regarded as an important virtue, (just as important as good diplomatic skills, good offensive skills, and good looks) these men would be more motivated to be faithful.

Arnold will be raked through the mud for a few months. The media will unveil all of his dirty secrets and we will eat it up while shaking our heads. But just like Tiger, I predict we will be cheering for Arnold in less than a year– or at least going to see one of his new movies. That’s ok with me. Let’s forgive him and move on.

But let’s start a new trend. Let’s brag about long-lasting marriages and couples that have faced adversity and made it through. Let’s support marriages and families and value these commitments. Let’s celebrate someone’s character rather than just his or her contribution to a score board or an appearance on the silver screen.

Maybe we won’t solve this problem of Maria’s, but let’s start a positive trend. To all those who are faithful: Tiger Lilies all around!

Posted in Lily's Whenever Whatever, Pop Culture, Sports | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

A Royal (and Tiger Lilied) Proclamation

May 13, 2011 by Leanne

By the Queen. (If I were Queen, that is.)

Whereas, I have taken into my Royal consideration the extent to which I have been obsessed with the marriage of William and Kate, a spectacle provided for our viewing enjoyment by a number of  media providers: the BBC, People Magazine, NBC’s Today Show and Lifetime Television, to name a few; and being desirous that all of my loving subjects (you, my Tiger Lily readers) may avail themselves, with all convenient speed, of the great benefits and advantages of such a spectacle;  I have thought it fit to hereby publish and declare to all of my previously mentioned loving subjects, that I formally mandate, under the authority of the Great Seal of the Tiger Lily Nation, the following statues:

Each subject should immediately view the Royal Wedding in its entirety or in its synopsis form- as provided by NBC’s Today Show, carefully considering and absorbing all of the pomp and circumstance, Queen snobbery and quirky British humor. Be sure to don an appropriately smashing morning coat (for the gents) or a fantastic hat (for the ladies.)

Furthermore, after having viewed the Royal Wedding at least once, each subject should then take an evening to view at least one, if not all, of the following British movie staples: the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice starring Collin Firth; (thank you Traci) Bridget Jones’s Diary part I or II, also starring Collin Firth; any, or all of the Harry Potter feature films, which should star Collin Firth; and my latest recommendation; The King’s Speech, also, and not coincidentally, starring Collin Firth. This will give you further insight into the British culture.

Hereto, and finally, each subject should view Lifetime Television’s made-for-tv-movie: William and Kate. (Let Love Rule.) As per personal experience, such made-for-tv-movies are the stuff that change lives. Her Royal Highness is now properly obsessed with William and Kate after viewing the (literally) awfully-fanatastic William and Kate.

. . .

This proclamation is the result of my recent and unplanned obsession with William and Kate. I guess this new fascination has grown out of every girl’s fantasy of becoming a princess; this is just the grown-up version. I can’t help but compare myself to Kate and think that “it could have been me.” Don’t kid yourself girls, we all thought this. Right- my parent’s aren’t part of the British aristocracy or even self-made millionaires like the Middletons, but the fact that I have English roots (on my mother’s side) and am of the right age: just a year or two William’s senior- is enough for a girl to dream.

What I’m most fascinated with is the idea of “Royalty” in the 21st century. Now that there is no need for an aristocratic ruler of Britain, being a “Royal” sounds like a great job. From what I can tell, each Royal family member is doomed with donating all of his or her time to charity and serving as the Nation’s figurehead with no responsibility to actually govern. This idea really appeals to me. Not to mention the tiaras.

On a cerebral level, being part of history is also appealing. Kate’s little branch is now grafted to the Windsor family tree. I think it’s the combination of my love for history and a new fascination with ancestry (thanks to NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?) that makes this so interesting for me.

On a vanity level, having a stylist would probably be the first wish I’d have my Genie grant. My second might be to have the House of Windsor bank roll the wardrobe that he or she would pick out. As frivolous as this sounds, it’s less about having the clothes and more about getting to play a grown-up version of dress-up. I’d even settle for being part of the cast of AMC’s Mad Men  just for the wardrobe.

I’d change one thing though. I’d never marry William. I don’t care what they say- William is not overly attractive. And judging by his father’s and Aunt Margaret’s looks, I’m pretty sure there has been some in-breeding going on. If I could substitute Matt for William I’d go through with it- you wouldn’t even have to twist my arm.

I guess I wasn’t old enough to sympathize with Princess Diana’s as her unhappy life began to unfold so publicly. Now I have a (probably naive) hope that Kate’s fairytale will be just that. I guess she and I will live and learn. Maybe in a few years she will think of a life like mine and wish, for just a second, that she was in my shoes.

Posted in Genre Writing, Lily's Whenever Whatever, Pop Culture | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

On Motherhood

March 29, 2011 by Leanne

Having a baby is stunning– in both the good and bad sense of that word. It is amazing and paralyzing all at the same time.

Michael Whitaker Deason, “Whit,” was born on December 21, 2010. (A good excuse for my lack of Tiger Lilies.) He is wonderful, perfect, smart, handsome, and so on and so on. Yet, while he is no doubt, blog-worthy, I promised when I started the TLs that I would never be another “Mommy blogger.” So I promise I won’t, but I am allowed at least one “Motherhood” post, right?

So in the Tiger Lily spirit of things, here are the stunning truths I’ve discovered in the first few weeks of Whit’s life:

1. I am not a “hard-ass” mom.  I thought it would be easy for me to show tough love. But I’m just as melty as the next spineless woman when it comes to my child. This shocked me. How could you say no to that face?

2. All babies look alike, at least in the beginning. If all parents were honest they would admit this too. In the first few days of Whit’s life I might have had a hard time picking him out of a baby-crowd.

3. I am one hot lady. After weeks of looking like the walking dead, not showering and having all sorts of baby-ness all over me, when I clean up and actually, shower, fix my hair AND put makeup on, I am hot. Motherhood has done wonders for my self esteem.

4. Breastfeeding is over rated. Attention La Leche crazies: please don’t bomb the comment section. I think it actually takes a lot of courage for me to write this one down. And if you decide to bash me anyway,  I will challenge you to a “beat my breastfeeding complication duel.” I will win.

5. I now love other people’s children. Before, I was annoyed with your children. Unless they were related to me, of course. But, having a child is like getting a dog. Once you get a dog and fall in love with him or her, you become a dog person. So I guess I am now a baby person.

6. Speaking of dogs, I love Greta just as much as I did before. Everyone said I’d love her less. What’s ironic is that I’m a bit more concerned about her than before. It’s like Greta became president in December and the aging process has accelerated. As I type, we are spending some quality time together. I love her even more.

7.  This has to be said: my sex-pectations have decreased dramatically. This actually surprised me.

8. I feel guilty for NOT going back to work. Although I love that I can stay home with Whit, sometimes I feel like a free-loader. And then I go back to sleep and get over it.

9. Daddies are important- and much calmer than mommies. I knew this before but now I really know it. And it makes me love my #1 even more.

10. I knew that I would fall instantly in love with my little guy– everyone says you will. But I didn’t realize how much it would matter to me that he love me back.

Thanks for the chance to have a mommy-post. I promise I won’t follow this up with a poop post or diaper discussion.

Posted in Lily's Whenever Whatever | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

“Un-Cool” Confessions

September 28, 2010 by Leanne

Am I just getting older or have I always been “un-cool?” It recently dawned on me that there are a few things that I just don’t care for that many people love. Similarly, the things that I am obsessed with are often not as main-stream as I think they should be. So I’m putting it out there- I’m embracing my inner un-coolness and I’m proud of it. Stay tuned for my “Un-Cool Confessions.”

#1. I’m NOT into cool music.

For the last few weeks I’ve been traveling to see family and friends before I have little baby Whit in December. My first trip was to Houston to see my cousin who writes the blog, Combined Average, and my brother and his wife, who collectively write the blog, Something Clever. Both blogs are very entertaining and currently have posts up about music.

Everyone in Houston. Mrs. "Un-Cool" second from the right.

I would love to say that I have a deep appreciation for “cool” music but I just don’t. Unless it’s a billboard top 40, and re-digitized to make the singer’s voice sound like Max Headroom, I probably don’t like it. To my brother’s chagrin, I always disappoint him with my non-musical taste and general lack of musical knowledge. This weekend I got Rage Against the Machine mixed up with Radio Head, which he thought was hilarious.  He is a drummer, self-made sound engineer and really cool music person in general that is always asking me if I’ve heard of “so-and-so.” When I say, “no,” “but have you heard the latest song from Taylor Swift?” He drops his head and gives me a disapproving sigh.

Sorry Jay. I just like Elvis, Billy Joel/Elton John, anything on K-LOVE and the top 40. Oh, and did I mention I’m obsessed with the TV show Glee?

#2. I don’t care for any of these popular cooking shows. Or gourmet food in general.

Iron Chef, Barefoot Contessa, Paula Dean, Rachel Ray, Man vs. Food, etc. etc. etc. and ad nauseum. I don’t like to cook, (gasp!) and I don’t like to watch other people cooking. I especially don’t like to watch that guy on Man vs. Food make himself sick and I don’t want to watch any chef-wanna-be’s compete to be the next top chef.

This lack of appreciation also flows over into my  uncultured and unappreciative pallet. On my most recent trip to visit one of my best friends in Atlanta we attended a football get together to watch all of the SEC/Big 12 games we could possibly digest in one day. I was so excited. I thought we’d eat cheese dip, chips and burgers until I swore off food for life– but instead, we were greeted with a spread of three funny smelling cheeses, meat balls, cabbage salad and risotto. Let me tell you, everyone raved about the food. And I could tell it was really “good.” Damn you Giada de Laurentiis. I just wanted a Cool Ranch Dorito.

Here we are cheering on the Hogs, sans brownies

#3. And last, but certainly not least. I am so SICK of Betty White.

I love love love Saturday Night Live. If you haven’t seen Zach Galifianakas’s digital short, Zach Drops By the Set, please go watch it right now. It is hilarious. But I blame Saturday Night Live for America’s obsession with Betty White. Why did they have to let her host? She’s so over-done that I can’t bear to hear her little old voice one more time. I might even boycott any television shows that allow her to make a guest appearance.

Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than old people making sexual jokes. Give Betty some better material. Write her something intelligent. Stop with the booty-spanking of John Hamm (Emmy’s), nasty dancing with Sandra Bullock  (MTV Teen-Choice Awards), and Schwetty Balls references in Delicious Dish (SNL). I hope this trend ends right away. I don’t know if I can stand it much longer.

Instead, I’ll enjoy my Glee episodes, listen to the Elton John channel of Pandora, and heat up my Lean Cuisine’s in perfect bliss. I am who I am. And don’t get me started on organic baby food…

With my brother and his wife. Trying to maintain a little coolness.

Posted in Lily's Whenever Whatever, Pop Culture, Sports, Television, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments »

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