My new (well not so new) obsession is needlepoint. I have a needlepoint coffee table that has been in the family for years, and I can’t wait to use it in my new place. I have become obsessed with needlepoint shoes as well. I know, I know, I’m not 50 but I think they’re so cute! A great thing to wear to lunch with the girls. Below are some of my favorites from Star Monograms.

Navy and White Check Needlepoint Ballet Flats $110.

Anchor Needlepoint Mules $132.

Blue Gator Needlepoint Baby Shoes $42.

Brown Dog Needlepoint Baby Shoes $42.

Throw Blanket – Camel $85.

Neckroll Pillow $35.

I waited weeks for the letter to arrive. I knew what it would look like. Old, yellowed parchment with my name in magical green ink.

Regan Gifford
Blue Room in the Corner
1011 Wigren Rd.
Frewsburg, New York
I knew what it would say.
“We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…” And it would be signed by Dumbledore himself!
Unfortunately, the letter never came. And I’m sure I wasn’t the only eleven year old disappointed in having to attend public school.
I was one of those kids lucky enough to grow up during the Harry Potter revolution.  I was 11 when the phenomenon began. My mom bought me the first book from Sam’s Club and I read it in within a week. Immediately, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were my 3 new best friends. Dumbledore was my grandfather. Gryffindor was my house.
I read each book immediately after it came out. It was like J.K. Rowling’s personal gift to me (and all other invested 11 year olds worldwide). I anxiously awaited each new adventure to arrive on my nightstand. I mean, I grew up with HP. His enemies were my enemies. His friends were my friends. I hated Draco and Voldemort even more than he did. And Hogwarts was the ultimate school. It was such an enchanting place! The old stone architecture, the way the staircases shifted, the foggy campus with the mysterious mountains in the backdrop, the candlelit dinners in the Great Hall, the house elves creeping around at night, the dusty, old classrooms….ugh! I wanted to transfer there right away. It just seemed so cooooool.
HP has always had a special place in my heart for many reasons, but one of the chief reasons is that Harry, Ron, Hermione and all the Hogwarts kids were my age. We started sixth grade together. We graduated together. We all endured the same awkward stages and life lessons together, although mine always involved way less magic and mischief. And when the movies came out, the actors and actresses were the same age as me. For some reason, that just always seemed so…magical.
A while ago, my sister pointed out how J.K. Rowling intentionally changed the difficulty of her books as her readers got older. The first book was written at an 11-year old reading level. The last book was written in a way that catered to a 17 year-old. Which is so cool! I’ve never known any other author to do that. She kept us captivated over the span of a decade, as our interests and abilities grew and changed. And she inspired an entire generation of kids to read. That alone is a feat worth acknowledging, I think.
HP has been one phase of my life I haven’t seemed to grow out of, not that I’ve really tried. I mean, just this past November my college friends and I (at least the ones who are cool enough to like HP) went to go see the first part of The Deathly Hallows. And even though love for Ron Weasley has turned into a full-fledged (and maybe slightly unhealthy) obsession with Rupert Grint, I still find HP as (if not more) exciting than ever.  That has also been one of the most magical parts – how long the HP phenomenon has lasted. The first book came out when I was eleven. I’m 22 now. I mean, it impacted an entire generation. My generation. For more than a decade! The trailer for The Deathly Hallows said it perfectly:“The Finale of the Worldwide Phenomenon. The Motion Picture Event of a Generation.” And although we’ve grown up and graduated and are away at college or grad school or working real jobs, I think a lot of us will still always have a special place in our hearts for HP. I know I will. So thank you J.K. Rowling (and Mom and Dad) for giving us HP and allowing our imaginations to run wild. Ten points to Gryffindor!

Regan Gifford is a senior at the College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY. She is studying in the Natural Resources Management program and hopes to join the Peace Corps. after graduation. Besides reading Harry Potter on an unhealthy basis, Regan enjoys snowboarding, running, and basically anything outdoors.

Thank you Reggie!