My dad read my sister and I The Hobbit and other Tolkien short stories when we were young. When I was about 10, I read The Hobbit, again but on my own. For my 12th birthday, my dad got me my own copy of The Lord of the Rings. I read it and fell in love. It is still one of the very best books I have ever read. Several months after I got the book, "The Fellowship of the Ring" came out in theaters. These movies are the closest I have ever come to being a fan girl (and I really was not close---I am not really nor like that).
My middle and high school years are filled with a lot of Lord of the Rings memories, from waiting in line for each of the three movies, to re-reading the books, watching all of the special features and having movie marathons once the movies (extended edition) came out on DVD. My sister, and my friends, Caitlin and Mallory (twins), and I, were all in the same class our 8th grade (Jessica's 7th grade) year (at our middle school classes were still pretty much like grade school, with just one teacher). We all sat next to each other and were in a corner near the back and side wall. I am not sure how it started, but we started a collage on that wall. There were pictures of Aragorn, the hobbits, Legolas, etc. from the movie, there were our own drawings, quotes, etc. It mostly was all of Lord of the Rings stuff. We practiced writing our names in dwarvish runes and Elvish and put those up in the collage. I think our teacher must have just liked it, because for whatever reason he did not care that we stapled all this stuff all over the wall. I wish I had a picture of it! I have such happy memories from this time and it cemented a love of all things Tolkien in my young heart. I have since reread The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit many times and I love them more with each reread.
So, when I saw that there was going to be a FantasyCon here in Salt Lake City, and Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), Billy Boyd (Pippin), John Rhys-Davies (Gimli), Sylvester McCoy (Radagast the Brown, also Doctor Who) and several of the dwarves from "The Hobbit" movie were going to be there, there was no way I was not going to be there.
FantasyCon was so perfect (it would be better if the whole fellowship or at least all four hobbits were there, though). They had a Middle-Earth kick off panel--with everyone mentioned above, plus a producer from "The Lord of the Rings" films (you know the balding guy with a dorky voice), an artist from the movies and Onering.net. It was wonderful. There was also a panel of just Billy Boyd and Sean Astin--talking about being in the films. Plus, everyone had a spotlight and the dwarf who played Gloin (Gimli's dad) and John Rhys-Davies had a father-son panel, which was pretty hilarious. Basically, my middle school heart grew two sizes too big.
Now, for some pictures!
I dressed Elanor up as Elanor Gamgee (Sam's daughter)--this is who she is named after.
Quickly made Hobbit feet.
{but a not so quickly made dress (I made the dress)}
They had a cute princess area where girls could try on these super awesome princess apron/dresses. I want to make one like that! They had a table set up and they could have a tea party with princesses.
The Fairy Godmother let them pick out a dress and put it on them saying, "Bipiddi, boppity, boo!".
On a Hobbit set.
Jabba the Hut--Tyler did come to FantasyCon--but he is not in any pictures!
Ewoks!
Elanor was pretty excited to find this girl dressed like Merida!
Elanor was obsessed with this dragon. It was her favorite thing there.
A pretty cool fountain.
We went to Sylvester McCoy's spotlight (Radagast and 7th Doctor) and he was hilarious! He also said a lot of really insightful things. I especially liked when he talked about the Doctor and his abhorrence with violence/weapons and said that we should look on fighting. etc. as man's greatest weakness, not strength.
He had great comedic timing.
Middle Earth kick off!
The Dwarves (who made me like "The Hobbit" movie so much more). They were all so entertaining and kind.
Especially this dwarf--he was so nice to Elanor. In the main area, they had booths set up for every actor and you could go up and talk to them and this guy (Graham McTavish-- Dwalin) was so easy to talk to! He talked to us for about 10 minutes telling Elanor all about riding in the barrels. He quickly became our favorite dwarf.
And there they are.
Billy Boyd!
Someone requested that Billy Boyd sing the song from "The Return of the King" and he kindly obliged. I did get a video:
We went up and talked to Sean Astin and Billy Boyd at their booths. Billy Boyd was so sweet and talked princesses with Elanor. The first thing Sean Astin said was "Hi, Elanor!". He knew who she was based on her costume and that kinda made my day.
A quick picture while we were waiting in line.
We also took a picture with Sean Astin (Tyler could not make it for this--so it looks like an awkward family photo..). This was actually the only day I dressed up as well. It is a pretty lame elf costume and I should not have bothered. I am sort of embarrassed by this picture and did not want Sean Astin to think I was weird. Elanor kindly reassured me saying, "Mom, you look beautiful and Sean Astin liked you. "
Billy Boyd and Sean Astin together were wonderful!
We also went to their separate spotlights. Sean Astin was just so sweet and good (he even said a Sam speech and some Goonies lines!!). Billy Boyd was hilarious and so entertaining. He loves being in front of an audience and so does John Rhys-Davies--that guy is laugh out loud funny!
It was a wonderful three days. It was a dream come true (for real).
And in closing a cute video of Elanor dancing to the music from a band at FantasyCon:
I feel like I have been going almost non-stop since Friday and anytime I have sat down to relax for a minute I have not felt like blogging. So, I am extra sorry about not having an "In the Kitchen" for this past weekend, so today will have to do.
The table, nothing fancy, just good food.
Is anyone else as into Tolkein's books (aka The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) as I am? I love, love, love them. The movies are mostly pretty wonderful as well. Anyways, it was the 75th anniversary of The Hobbit last Friday and some group or other was putting on this second breakfast thing (since hobbits love food...as do I) on the internet. Basically, they wanted everyone around the world to celebrate The Hobbit by having a second breakfast. They even provided a beautiful, free, printable bunting, along with other things. Luckily, our new upstairs neighbors (well, Becky, that is) is just as into Tolkein as I am! So, we had her and her twins over for a little second breakfast. We had a lot of fun and it went as well as any little party can with three toddlers, not quite enough chairs, and a bowl of sugar cubes.
Three little hobbits.
I made Caraway Seed Cake (sorry, Mom, I did not make yours, mostly because I went to one store for the stuff and they did not have imitation brandy, but did have caraway seeds, and I did not feel like making another trip). I love Caraway Seed Cake! It has a very distinctive flavor, and is sweet, but not really in the cake way. It is more like a sweet bread, is great with tea (we had licorice spice) and is very British. I made a recipe that bakes it in a loaf pan (many recipes bake it in a cake pan), because there were only two of us (and three little hobbits). I also made Mushrooms with Bacon and Sage, which when I think of hobbit food, I think of the food Farmer Cotton serves the four hobbits. Anyone following? Anyways he serves some sort of bacon and mushroom dish and I wanted to make that. It was delicious. I could eat a whole bowl of it. Yum.
The seed cake, not the best picture, but I had little ones keeping me busy...
