Harry Potter And The Crazy Muggles In Costumes At The Midnight Premiere (Plus "Half-Blood Prince" Mini-Reveiw)

I didn't tell my blog readers this, but I have been geeking out over the new Harry Potter movie for a bit now. My new friend/co-worker Brittney invited me to join her crew at the midnight premiere of Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, and of course I was stoked. The last midnight premiere I went to was for the kinda lame Pirates Of The Caribbean sequel. I was trying to be all cool about it since these are all recent high school grads (I feel old) so was about to tell Brittney that I wouldn't embarrass them by showing up in costume or anything when she said to me "We should totally dress up for it." I have found my kind of people...

Anyway, after discussing Snape, Longbottom and even Ginny (if I could have found a red wig, it would have happened) we decided on Ron Weasley for me. Which was a perfect excuse for me to dye my hair red again! Win-win! Brittney was going as Hermoine, and her crew included a Harry, Cho, Luna Lovegood, Prof. McGonnagall, Hagrid and Dean (plus a random Ravenclaw student.)

I painted a tie in the colors of Gryffindor, threw on black pants and a cardigan and dyed my hair red. Bam, instant Ron. Plus, I broke my wand and taped it together, like in the second book. Brittney provided a Quidditch broom and we were off.

The whole gang met at her friend Claire's house for pictures, and we looked friggin' epic. After that, we headed to the theatre. A few other costumed people were there, although our costumes were the best looking. That is not me being egotistical. I did see a guy in Ginny drag, which made me sad for not going through with it. Also, a really awesome Mad-Eye Moody. We also appeared to be the biggest group that went in costume. Seriously, people were talking about us. Luna looked fab, Harry was convincing and Hagrid was bloody brill.

The whole point, of course, was to see the movie. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince is quite possibly the best of the films so far. It was elegantly shot, the camera glides through scenes and the special effects are more breathtaking and intricate than ever before. While the long and densely plotted sixth book in the series by J.K. Rowling had to be trimmed, the plot remained cohesive for the most part. The battle sequence from the end of the novel was dropped, which was the only real disappointment I felt. Attending with teenaged avid readers of the series, I was reminded of a lot of missing scenes, but that was only one I missed.

The best part is, of course, Harry and his friends. The character interaction was well written, youthful romances blossom and perish and it's all very realistic and lovely. The film also has some funny bits. Love potions and liquid luck have some goofy side effects. Rupert Grint was outstanding in Ron's comical scenes.

If you've enjoyed the Harry Potter films, you probably already plan to see this one. If you're on the fence, go! It's hot.

Not as hot as our costumes, though...

From The "Who Thought This Was A Good Idea?" File: Tim Gunn's Guide To Style Ball Cap

I was on Bravo's website, finding a picture of my future boyfriend Richard for my Top Chef recap (coming tonight/tomorrow morning. No later than Sunday I promise!) when I stumbled into the Bravo store. The Tim Gunn bobblehead is going on my Christmas list right now. I was trying to decide what gay man would be caught dead in the "Team Rainbow" t-shirts (seriously, did it take them a exactly 69 seconds to design that logo?) before clicking onto the biggest fashion disaster of the season:

Seriously? Does Tim Gunn know about this hat? I'm pretty sure this is not something he would recommend keeping in your closet,* let alone wear himself. Of course, ever since I saw Tim in a tee-shirt on Best Week Ever my image of Mr. Make It Work has been somewhat altered. However, I'm pretty sure he'd think a Tim Gunn's Guide To Style Ball Cap was tacky. I know this in my heart, where Tim Gunn will always live. As a bobblehead.

*Unless you're a lesbian, which case it's a slight improvement over your current ball caps.

Are You Looking For Katy Perry's Diesel Sunglasses?

OK, I'm a lil' addicted to the site meter I installed in my blog a few weeks ago. One feature keeps track of what pages people are at when they click on a link that takes them to my blog. Apparently the people of the internets are looking for Katy Perry's Diesel sunglasses from the "Hot N Cold" video and my post on the clip is the first link that comes up when you do a Google search for "katy perry diesel sunglasses." Since I only want to serve my fans, even the accidental ones, I now give you a link to a pair of what appears to be the same thing: click here. You're welcome!

On a semi-related note, you know how I posted last month about my transformation from frump to fab? One of the first purchases I made that created a fashionista in me was a pair of Diesel jeans at a Ollie's Bargain Outlet for twenty bucks. I know! They fit my ass like a glove, too. I'm all about DKNY now, but I still have a spot in my heart's closet for Diesel.

Why I Love Fall...

Every third MySpace survey seems to ask "What is your favorite season?" and I always say "Fall!" Why? Well, let me tell you...

Fall is the time of year when you can curl up with a good book and a cup of hot cider or chocolate, while your hunky boyfriend wears half-zipped sweaters with nothing on underneath and bakes pumpkin-spice cookies. While the cookies cool off, the two of you take a walk in the sunny afternoon, leaves crunching under your feet as you laugh cause your scarf keeps tickling him when you kiss. In theory, this is what is great about fall.

In practice, none of that stuff has happened to me, so here is the real reasons I love fall:

FOOD! Besides the fresh pumpkin pies and apple-cranberry crisp that I always make for Thanksgiving, I also adore the local produce. "What?" you say, "Summer is the time to hit the farmer's market, not fall! Silly gay boy..." But in summer, do you have fresh pressed cider? What about huge apples and juicy pears, picked just hours before you arrived? And the beautiful pumpkins and gourds just waiting for you to take home and leave in a bowl to be decorative now, but you will really make into pumpkin pie later? Only you don't really, because seriously a can of Libby's is so much easier and smoother tasting? But the thought was there? Yeah, that's what I thought.

WEATHER! I hate to be hot, too bad I'm so smoking hawt that I raise the temperature of every room I'm in. Such a burden! But I'm not a big fan of freezing my nips off, either. So that leaves fall and spring weather to enjoy. But spring is so wet, and I can't wear canvas shoes for fear of soaked toes. Fall has the perfect temps, plus the gorgeous changing leaves in my favorite shades of orange, red and yellow. It's the only time of year I wish I was back in Potter County.

FASHION! (Put it all on me, don't you want to see these clothes on me?) Sorry, had a Montag Moment. I love fall because it's time for sweaters, sweater vests, light jackets, hoodies, scarves and hats. I hate shorts, I don't do ball caps and flip flops annoy me, so summer fashion is not my deal. And boots and heavy coats make my portly frame look even pudgier, so winter fashion is not for me, obvs! But fall is the time to throw a zip-up grey sweater over your polo and head out, or wrap a striped scarf around your neck for just a little warmth and a lot of style. And my wine-colored velveteen Dragonfly jacket with black hood (pictured at left) is fierceness personified. Ooh! I think I need this sweater right here.

So, that's why I love fall. Of course, if the opening scenario comes true, I'll like it even more...

From Frump To Fab In Under Four Years, Or; License To Thrill

I was a late bloomer, in more ways than one. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 21, I didn't come out of the closet (Well, officially. Everybody knew before I did...) until I was 23, I didn't go on a date until I was 24. Sad, right? Don't be sad for me, though. Everything in it's own time.

For example, I was reminded of just how much has changed for the better in the past four years. Besides getting a job that I excelled at, I learned how to be fabulous. Working out, eating just a little bit smarter and you drop fifty or so pounds. Realize that you can make people laugh, and you make more friends. Mix Goodwill finds and last-season looks from Marshall's and basics from Old Navy, Target or even (gasp!) Walmart with the occasional splurge (like a vest from Express or an amazing jacket by Dragonfly) and you have a look that makes salesgirls take note. Being fabulous is not as hard as it looks, but some people just have the extra something to pull it off effortlessly. Those people are me and Tyra Banks.

What prompted this strut down memory lane, this tale of my journey from Frump Boi to Fashion Star? Well, this:

This is what I looked like on my old Driver's License, in my jean jacket with a Family Guy pin on the lapel and in desperate need of a hair cut and better glasses. I tried, the sweater was from Target, my idea of the height of fashion at the time. It was better than the South Pole-wearing vanilla thug look I tried for a hot minute. A very sad little hot minute. Then I started watching "What Not To Wear" and paying attention to what made my body look good.

Today I had an interview with Barnes & Nobles, and of course I took care to wear the very best. My new Express sweater vest over a DKNY white button-down, black Old Navy pants and my Georgio Brutini shoes and black-and-white checkerboard socks. After the interview I had to renew my Driver's License. That is what fabulous looks like!

You can't really see any of the amazing clothes I'm wearing. But that's OK, you can see on my face just how fabulous I feel. And, kids, that's what fabulous is all about. If you feel it, you will rock your Walmart jeans and your SalvArm jacket. Your shoes may be worth five bucks, but you pair it with a million-dollar smile and you're golden. Oh, and my hair looks fierce! That helps...

Some Gave All (I Just Give In...)

I finally gave in to the urge, the hunger, the want, the need, the DESIRE...

I was on my way back from my therapist appointment, and I only planned to buy new sneaks for work. I had my frequent buyer card for those, which make them cost 61 cents (I know!) But I had an excuse to stop at the mall, to find a place to put out Now Hiring signs (sure, that's the reason!) But my object of lust awaited. Remember the feirce sweater-vest-with-hood I blogged about? Well, my need for it grew stronger, and I was weak. I had a 15% off coupon for Express, plus I was easily swayed by the promise of another 15% for getting a credit card.

I was wearing my new (via Salvation Army) Georgio Brutini loafers and the click-click of leather sole on tile floor made me think I was Jordin Sparks (or Amy Winehouse, with a red dye job instead of beehive). And when you combine that sense of celebrity with the DKNY dark wash jeans hugging my ass just right AND crying out to be topped with more than a V-neck tee, I couldn't not give in. I am powerless against the call of the fashion sirens. So yeah, off to church I go, looking fly as fuck, y'all!

If I Had A Million Dollars...

...I would buy all the fiercest stuff! Here my fall fashion wish list:

This seriously hot hooded sweater vest from Express For Him.

Another Express look: screen printed canvas jacket with hood.

One more from Express, an argyle hooded sweater.

Jeans I own in spades, but red jeans? I'm in lust! From Levi in Chili.

And the CDs I'm in desparate need of:

Katy Perry - One Of The Boys

Jay Brannan - Goddamned

Kerli - Love Is Dead

Kathy Griffin - For Your Consideration

So yeah, if you just have some spare cash laying around, maybe think of me in my time of need/non-credit-card-holding. LOL

M.I.A.'s Clothing Line

I'm not sure who would want to dress exactly like Sri lankan rapper M.I.A. I heart her hip-hip with a world beat and punk attitude, and her duds are always eyecatching, but they sometimes cross the line between crazy-hot and fugly. But she has her own label, per Women's Wear Daily. It'll be bomber jackets, tee-shirts and leggings, so hopefully you can pick up some shit like this soon:

If you're lacking fundage to acquire this fierce threads, take a cue from M.I.A.'s video for "Paper Planes" and just [bang bang bang] and take the money!

New Spring Fashions Have Arrived!

Yesterday was such a beautiful day, I was inspired to get some new duds for summer. I'm not much of a shorts person, I have exactly one pair I love. I own some boring denim ones, but I don't usually like wearing them. The one pair I've had for two summers now, they are still pretty cool looking. They are slate-blue corduroy with cargo pockets. I'm not much for cargo pockets either, but I do like these. Here is a picture from last summer with me wearing them:

I don't always follow trends. A lot of trends are for skinny people, and I am not one of those. One trend I didn't like last summer was the plaid shorts. I thought they were old-mannish and reminded me of golf pants. I decided this year I'd have to give in and at least try them on. I hit my favorite stores for clothes, Marshall's and Ross's, and tried some thangs on! Here's how it went down:
After work last night I grabbed my littlest hag, my cousin Sarah. She's only ten and not the savviest at things like color matching, but I hate shopping without someone to bounce ideas off. So we went to Ross's first. I tried on three shorts, a pair of black wide pin striped shorts, a robin's egg blue pair with a brown grid in a synthetic fabric and a pair of blue and black hounds tooth Red Snap rockabilly shorts. The synthetic ones were really billowy and wide legged, plus I really disliked the fabric. I thought they were swim trunks when I first saw them, but the don't have the liner. I really did not like them at all, plus they were a little big. I love pinstripes, so I really wanted to like that pair. But they were really tight, and gave me camel toe. I didn't get them either. I was starting to think short shopping was a bust, but then I tried on the Red Snap pair. I fell in love! They kinda make my ass look a little big, but Dana says I have a nice butt so I thought I should show it off a little. They have a little skull and cross bones printed above the right back pocket. I'm really into skulls right now, so I was hooked. I also tried a navy polo with a few multi-width orange stripes across the chest. It was too small, and not cool enough to be worth buying in hopes of a further slim down. So I bought one pair of shorts, which I model below with a chocolate polo I bought last fall and my plaid hat:

After that we crossed the parking lot to Marshall's. I hadn't even considered any of the couple plaid shorts we'd seen at Ross's, and I had remembered seeing some I actually liked in Marshall's a few weeks ago, so I was hoping for the best there. I went to the shoe department first, but didn't really see anything I loved. Which is good, because I really don't need any new shoes. So we went over to the men's clothes racks, and I started going through the shorts. I saw some DKNY plaid shorts, and I really wanted to try them on, since DKNY is my brand of choice. but they were $25 and really dark for summer. I skipped them. I pulled a couple of plaids of the rack and didn't really like any of them. Then I saw the green plaid Izod's and thought they were OK. I wasn't really sold on them, yet. I still am resistant to the whole plaid thing. But I carried them around and hit the shirt racks. I saw a salmon colored Izod polo and held it up with the shorts. Sarah was all about it right away. I still wasn't sold, and I knew Sarah wasn't always the best at matching colors. At Ross's she had suggested a a shirt in a paler shade of robin's egg blue to match the robin's egg blue shorts, so she doesn't always grasp matching. But she tries!
So I tried them on. And I stood in the three way mirror and thought "What a preppy bitch I am!" and knew I had to have it. I didn't know about the salmon with my red hair, but I had to do it! I asked Aunt Tina when I got home, and she confirmed it looked OK with my red hair. So here it is, with the new messenger bag I bought for work:

I also picked up some new sheets for my bed, so I knew I had to stop spending my money. But Sarah was on the hunt for some press on nails, so we once again made our way across the parking lot to Five Below. And I didn't intend to spend anymore money, but I made another find. I always do. It's a tacky little pop-art inspired plastic ring for one dollar, but I think it looks funky fresh! What do y'all think?

My New Clothing Obsession

OK, this is going to sound weird, but at Target I got these Merona Mid Rise Briefs, and they are the best underwear ever! The large size fits just right, snugly "supporting" the right things, they don't curl up my cheeks, or fold down at the top. No wedgies, either. The downside? Ten bucks for two pairs, I don't pay that much for undies ever. But I might have to, they are ten times better than the Hanes I bought for $7.99 for six. You really do pay for quality, I guess. I guess it's not that weird to have a favorite underwear, so I'm admitting it. I have a pair of favorite underwear.