"A Mustard Moment": 3rd Annual No-Kiss Blogfest

Thanks to Frankie, 55 bloggers and I have had an awesome opportunity to participate in the 3rd Annual No-Kiss Blogfest yesterday! My apologies for posting my entry one day late, but better late than never, right? The idea of the blogfest is pretty self-explanatory--

"Write a scene or post one from your favorite books, movies, or tv shows that show the almost kiss-- the rising, crushing, excruciating, longing, tension that comes  when two characters get oh-so-close to kissing that you can just feel it, want it, NEED it....and then...they don't!"

For the blogfest, I've decided to go with a scene between Will Schuester and Emma Pillsbury from the musical comedy, Glee. Sadly I couldn't find the scene on Youtube, but the scene is from Episode 6: "Vitamin D" in Season 1. Enjoy!

Lunch period was Emma's favorite time of the day. 

It wasn't that she didn't enjoy advising the children about sibling troubles and relationship woes and the unimportance of popularity (convincing them that the positively linear relationship between boob size and social life didn't matter was tough). 

Quite the contrary, in fact. 

Emma loved being a high school guidance counselor and listening to other people talk about their problems. She liked helping people. 

She especially liked helping Will Schuester, Spanish teacher and director of Glee Club, during lunch period.

Today, the topic was Glee Club. 

"The kids have gotten really complacent," Will was saying now, waving his sandwich around in frustration. "It's like their fires have totally gone out." That's when Emma spotted a smudge of yellow mustard on his chin. She repressed a snort. Seeing the mustard didn't bother her as much as it should have. It looked so funny.

That was one of the best things about Will. When Emma was around him, she felt more comfortable. Her OCD wasn't as big of a problem and wasn't as big of a controlling factor. She could enjoy herself.

Emma cleared her throat and looked down. "Um," she said. "Um, I'm sorry. You've just, ah, you've got a little mustard on your...well, your cute Kirk Douglas chin dimple." 

Was she blushing? Maybe. It did feel a little warm in the room. Emma could never tell what she physically felt like when Will was around. All she knew was that when William spoke to her, she couldn't focus on anything. And for Emma, that was saying something. 

"Wha-?" Will swagged his tongue over his chin and gave Emma an inquiring look as if to ask, did I get it? He laughed and her heart skipped a beat. 

"Um, well, ah..." She reached out one of her plastic-gloved porcelain-like hands over to Will's chin and swabbed the mustard off. "There."

Her fingers rested on his jawline. She smiled, and then noticed that he was looking at her. Really looking at her. His hazel eyes were electrifying. He hadn't looked at her like that since last month when they were alone cleaning Miss. Hoffmire's classroom and he'd brushed chalk dust off of her nose. 

She told herself, don't look at his mouth, don't look at his mouth. She looked at his mouth. He was staring at her, too. her heart began pounding inside. It was like the daily high school stampede into the cafeteria all over again. 

Will whispered, "thanks." 

"A Mustard Moment": 3rd Annual No-Kiss Blogfest

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No Kiss Blogfest: The Day Chloe Gets Her Smooch....well, Almost!

Question of the Day: Would you rather kiss a goldfish or a turtle?

Hurray! Frankie is hosting her 2nd annual No Kiss Blogfest, in which all participants should post an entry from a book/movie scene involving an almost-kiss! How could I not sign up? Kissing scenes are so fun, but almost-kissing scenes are as intense to read as it is to write them! Of course, I just had to pick the scene from Smallville's finale in Season 1 where Chloe finally gets to go to the spring formal with Clark Kent. As some of you already know, I am a total Superman fan. :) During the first big half of the series, even though Clark's drama with Lana keeps our attention at a max, we still can't help but hope for "Chlork" to happen...

Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville. The series belongs to the Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.

The Day Chloe Gets Her Smooch...well, Almost!

The jamming music of Remy Zero drums and guitars suddenly eased to a slow, mellow tempo. The soft tunes of Perfect Memory began to fill up the gym. My jaw dropped and I uttered to my girlfriends in surprise, "Oh my gosh, I love this song!"

In the near distance, I could see him walking towards me, his eyes fixed on mine. Yes, there he was in all his beauty and perfection. Clark Kent. My friends melted away into the shadows as he came approached me with that huge, goofy grin of his.

"May I have this dance?" He said, hooking his arm around mine. Even as he said those words, I still couldn't believe that this was real. Was it all just a dream? Or was it truly a dream turning into a reality? I couldn't begin to count how many times I had imagined this moment.

"Of course," I replied, not able to stop myself from smiling up at him. Perhaps it was the way Clark was looking at me, but I somehow knew that it was him who had requested the song. As we walked to the middle of the dance floor, he touched my hand, the one that was woven around his arm. The incredible warmth of his fingers seemed to send a jolt through my body. I couldn't help but bring my other hand up to clasp those fingers that had held me, and saved me, so many times in the past.

We laced through the millions of couples that were slow-dancing, and a few of them were even in a lip lock. Seeing those couples together made my heart pound....would that be us in a few moments?

Clark pulled me close to him, and I put my hands around his wide, muscular shoulders. He was still the sweet, farm boy I'd always known, but here was a side of him I'd never seen before.

"Clark Kent, man of mystery," I said. "Just when I think I have you figured out, you surprise me."

"How's that?" He asked, his eyebrows scrunching up together.

"The song...the tux....Tonight."

"And I'm still here," Clark pointed out.

"Yeah, you are." He was right. He was still here, just like I'd hoped, just like he'd promised. He was here with me, not with Lana or anyone else. Clark was here with me, and we were together.

He held me closer, and I wound my hands around him to close the embrace. I bent my head down and could feel his cheek pressed against my hair. I'd done this so much in the past...his body was so familiar to me. But during all those other times that I'd hugged him, Clark had been my best friend, and I had been his.

This time, it was so much more different and nerve-wrecking and exciting. For the first time, I was letting myself open up to him and show those feelings that I'd held within me for so long. I'd liked, even loved, Clark for so long. Ever since I knew him. How many times had he saved me from peril? I didn't know how he'd been able to do it, and I still didn't know now. For once, it didn't matter to me. He was, and had always been, my own personal superhero. And I knew now that he cared for me. That was what mattered.

I wrapped my hands around him, holding all the more tighter. I didn't want this night to ever, ever end.

Clark gently pulled back, and I looked up at him. His nose was inches from mine, and I could see his chocolate-brown eyes moving across my face, from my eyes to my lips. Oh gosh, this was it! Clark was finally going to kiss me.

My heart thudded faster and harder than the wings of a hummingbird. He tilted his head to the side, and so did I. I closed my eyes, waiting for the moment I'd been waiting for for years. Just before his mouth touched mine, the loud piercing sound of a microphone interrupted.

"Stop! Stop the music for the just a moment please. Uh, can I have everyone's attention please," the dance coordinator said from the stage. "Uh thank you. The National Weather Services just issued a tornado warning. Apparently three funnels have been spotted heading towards Smallville." Clark and I exchanged worried glances.

"Now, please everyone stay calm," the man continued. "The twisters are gonna set down south from here. For your own safety, nobody will be allowed to leave the gym."

"The bus station's south from town," said Clark. His eyes widened in alarm. "Lana's there."

My heart plummeted all the way down to the depths of my stomach. I found myself shaking my head. "Clark don't worry about it...I'm sure she's home by now." Was I saying that to keep him clam, or to convince myself? "You know what, I'll go call her on my cell and you wait here, okay?"

I immediately spun around to retrieve my purse from the gym doorway, but something in my mind whispered for me to look back to make sure my dream-come-true was still there, and would surely be waiting for me even after I got back.

I turned and, sure enough, Clark had pulled one of his signature disappearances. I looked this way and that, so fast that everything was a blur. No, no, this wasn't happening, I thought to myself in panic. He promised. He'd promised me he would stay with me.

People pushed by me, confused and shocked and nervous. None of them were Clark Kent.

~~~

There you go! I hope you liked it. :) Be sure to vote in my "Rate & Review TRA" poll on the right. I'd love to receive some feedback about how I can improve the blog in 2011!

No Kiss Blogfest: The Day Chloe Gets Her Smooch....well, Almost!

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Vote For My Entry [Tessa's Blogontest Finalist!]

Question of the Day: What language/dialect/accent do you most enjoy listening to?

Hello all! I hope you are having a lovely week so far and staying warm. =) I just received a wonderful piece of news.....I'm one of the finalists for Tessa's blogontest! It was a HUGE surprise, seeing as all the entrants did an amazing job and there were some truly outstanding submissions.

If you read and enjoyed my entry (the Harry Potter fanfic), I would truly appreciate your vote!

You can read my entry HERE

You can vote HERE

Deadline to vote is Sunday, December 12th. Good luck to all finalists!!

Vote For My Entry [Tessa's Blogontest Finalist!]

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Tessa's Blogontest: Outside the Box

Question of the Day: When was the last time you overcame your fears or stepped out of your comfort zone?

Kudos to the lovely Tessa of Tessa's Blurb, who is hosting a "Blogontest: Outside My Box." Entrants are to post a short piece of writing that they usually are not used to writing. Since I write original fiction most of the time, I've decided to share with you all Chapter 1-3 of a fanfiction piece that I have been working on in my spare time when I decide to take a little break from my WIP novel. The fanfiction is based on J.K. Rowling's Wizarding world and stars The Marauders and Lily Evans (way back before Harry Potter was even born).

Let me know what you all think! If you are interested in reading the rest of what I have so far, you can view it HERE.

For What Is Worse?

Chapters 1-3

The golden, fluttering ball just didn't ever seem to want to stay put. Of course, the Golden Snitch's job was to never stay put—it was meant to keep moving at all times. Still, it was no match for James Potter's strong hands and flexibility as he caught the Snitch over and over again, almost leisurely. It never took him much energy to keep the Snitch from flying farther than a couple feet away.

"When are you going to stop playing with that thing?" Remus Lupin asked, looking over Quidditch Through the Ages. He was leaning against a tall oak tree, his forehead and his eyes being the only visible parts of his face. That tree also happened to be shading James, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. It was a late Friday afternoon, and they had just finished their last class for the day…for the weekend.

Two days to do whatever they wanted. Best of all, tomorrow would be another Hogsmeade trip, and everybody looked forward to that.

"When this little sphere finally manages to get the better of me," James replied, sniggering almost lazily.

"Which will never happen," Peter piped up.

"—Unless some girl comes and distracts ol' Prongs for a second too late," Sirius added.

"Please," Remus said, finally putting down his book and turning to the others. "James has had that Snitch since the beginning of eternity, and girls have been chasing him since the beginning of eternity. Nah…Prongs is—"

"Whoa," breathed James. The others turned to look what where he was staring at. His brown eyes were wider than Galleons.

"What are you looking—"

Before Sirius could finish his question, James grabbed him and pointed ahead.

"Do you see what I see, mate?" He said, still breathless as though he'd been running.

"Uh…I have no clue what you're seeing…" Sirius said, uncertainly. "Come off it, just tell us what in Merlin's name you're staring at."

"Who is she?"

"She?" Remus automatically turned. "Oh James—you idiot—that's Evans!" James's eyebrow raised in surprise.

"Lily? Lily Evans?" he said. Lily was holding her books and apparently chatting animatedly with her friend Gizelle Peters. There was no mistake about it. The reddish-brown hair, the green eyes, it was all the same. And yet...Lily Evans seemed to have changed as well. She'd seemed to have sprouted over the summer; her hair was wavier and curves had appeared. Her complexion was bronze, not so pale like the last couple of years.

"That's her?" Sirius said, incredulously. "Merlin's beard, she looks different!"

~~~

From the corner of her eye, Lily Evans saw a boy walking towards her. Messy black hair, glasses…who else could it be? Lily asked herself. She rolled her eyes and continued chatting with Gizelle.

To Lily, Potter was nothing but an annoying show-off who thought he was cooler than anybody else on the face of this earth. Unfortunately he seemed to have made Lily his prime victim and every year he would not stop teasing her about everything, from her red hair to the robes she wore to Potions class.

But this year would be different, she decided. She would not let him bother her anymore and if he even tried she would curse his face—literally.

"That's not the Potter boy is it?" Gizelle asked her, now looking the same way Lily was a moment ago.

"Yeah, it is," Lily muttered. "No, don't look that way; and maybe he won't bother us."

"Too late…" replied Gizelle. James Potter had already approached them. He casually flung his hair out of his face and placed his arm around Lily's neck.

"Hey there Evans," he said, trying to sound cool and relaxed. "How was your summer?"

Disgusted, Lily tossed Potter's arm from her, way farther than was necessary. He let out a yelp of pain and rubbed his arm.

"Jeez, what was that for Evans?"

"Don't talk to me," Lily snarled. "See you haven't changed over the summer."

Potter smiled at her. "See you have." His eyes skimmed up and down her body.

"Just shut it, Potter," Lily snapped at him. "C'mon, Gizelle, let's go somewhere else." She grabbed Gizelle's arm desperately and began to walk away. But before they could go any further, Potter ran up to her, blocking her way.

"Get lost," Lily said. She didn't want this boy to have any more say in anything.

"Hey, hey, calm down Evans," Potter said, shocked at the way this beauty was acting. "Just hold on a sec, okay?"

"And what? Listen to your little teasing remarks for another year? No, I don't think so." And Lily took a step forward.

"No—wait—I have something to say. Look, I promise I'll stop teasing you forever on one condition." Potter smiled again, this time in a mischievously cheerful way.

Lily raised her eyebrow. "And what's that, Potter?"

"I promise to stop teasing you forever if you'll go out with me."

"What?" Lily laughed and wouldn't stop. "Forget it, Potter. You're way out of your head."

"No I'm not," replied Potter. "I just happen to know what I want and I'm willing to sacrifice some things for that."

"First of all, I decline. And second of all, you say you'll stop teasing me forever but in the end, to you forever means the end of tomorrow."

~~~

James walked back to his group of friends, feeling discouraged but not upset. Evans always acted this way toward him, ever since their first year at Hogwarts. But now that it was their fifth year, he wanted things to be different.

He always had an interest in girls of all kind, but this one seemed to spark him in the forehead. James had always thought of Evans as the girl who he could always tease without shame, for she was headstrong and didn't seem to care what others thought. Especially not him.

James returned to the tree that Peter, Remus, and Sirius were lounging under, their heads bowed and hands over their faces. Obviously, they were chuckling at what they just saw.

"That, my friend," Sirius said, smacking James on the back, "is what I call an epic fail." The rest roared with laughter when James punched Sirius in the arm.

"Don't worry," said Peter, "she'll probably say yes to you sometime or other. I mean, every other witch in this school would die to be in her place."

"Yeah…" James said absentmindedly. But somehow or other, he figured this girl would be different than the others and not so easy to obtain.

~~~

Sirius had just finished naming James' attempt an "epic fail," laughing with the rest. But inside, his thoughts were complete confusion.

When Sirius had seen Lily Evans a moment ago, it was shock at first. Had that small lanky girl with no boobs really transformed into this wondrous woman of red hair and curvy hips? Even he himself wished he wouldn't think such things; in their younger years he had often thought Lily as a sort of clumsy potion brewer of a witch. Always mixing something in her cauldron, she never needed a textbook to create anything—a genius by all means. Just the instructions, her ingredients, and her cauldron: that's all she needed.

But now…now was different. Lily was different. And Sirius had suddenly changed as well.

James had always been Sirius's first mate; or rather, it was the other way. Sirius had always been James' first mate, right-hand man. He supported everything James did, no matter what it was. His years at Hogwarts consisted of so many memories, all shared with James…

How they had almost gotten expelled in their first year for lighting a teacher on fire...

How they had both spent their second year trying to kill Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat and then both wounded up in detention…

How they had taken time in their third year to come up with plans for their monthly outings with Peter and Remus, turning into Animagi…

How they had stolen food from the kitchen underneath James' Invisibility Cloak their fourth year…

James was Sirius's brother. They were always together and never let the other down. So why was it that now Sirius felt like his mortal enemy?

But secretly, inside, he knew.

That uncomfortable, squirming feeling he experienced when he saw Lily just moments ago confirmed it.

And now an internal battle seemed to be taking place within Sirius. His desire versus his right mind: two opposing forces like fire and ice fighting against each other, never ending.

That's James' witch, you know you can't have her.

Who said I wanted her at all?

You know you do. And you also know you can't.

Who says I can't? Wait—who said she was James' witch in the first place? She's nobody's witch…which makes it even more appropriate for me.

No it does not! James is your best mate!

Exactly, he'll understand perfectly.

If he does, that makes it all the more worse for you to even think about it!

Lily...Lily Evans…how could she have become so beautiful in the course of three months?

Stop that! Stop that, I tell you. You have NO right to think those thoughts.

Neither does James.

That's none of your business.

Lily Evans…

In the end, Sirius convinced himself that these thoughts were harmless, that they were just normal wishes of getting a girl himself for once, not necessarily Lily. He promised that he would stop thinking about her, that he would think of any other witch but her. After all, James had liked, perhaps even loved, Lily for all these years even if he hadn't admitted it. And now James was showing his feelings more than ever. And Sirius honestly didn't want to interfere with that either.

Still, he glanced one more time towards the direction in which Lily and her friend were walking away. And he couldn't help but see the way her dark red hair rippled in the wind, so bright under the sunlight. And in an instant, Sirius wished so badly to hold the person who owned that beautiful mane, to bury his face in those strands.

~~~

What do you think?

~TRA

Tessa's Blogontest: Outside the Box

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Retold Blogfest: "David Speaks, Melinda Doesn't"

*gasp* Yes. Yes, I am writing a post that does not involve Harry Potter. That's because it's November 16th, the day of Sarah's Retold Blogfest at The Wit and Wisdom of Sarah. Congratulations to Sarah for keeping up such a wonderful blog and reaching her 100th post.

For the Retold Blogfest, we are supposed to write a scene from another book/tale/novel from another character's point of view. I just finished reading Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. I loved this book and really admire Anderson's way of writing and bringing readers into the mind of her main character. Therefore, I have decided to write my Blogfest entry on the "Stupid, Stupid" scene from Speak, in which David Petrakis asks Melinda to come over for "celebratory pizza". I have written this scene from David's point of view.

I hope you enjoy.

David Speaks, Melinda Doesn't

There were ten seconds left in the last basketball game of the season. The air was thick with screams and shouts as a Hornet dashed towards the basket, but I could hear none of it. The scoreboard read 50-50. My eyes were glued on #12, who was dribbling to ball towards the goal, the key to our school's pride. As though in slow motion, #12 dodged two Coatesville Cougars and reached towards the gym ceiling. In one swift movement, the ball fell through the basket.

There was silence, and then there was an immense uproar. My friends and Dad and I sprinted up from our seats and screamed, clapped, and cried along with the rest of the crowd. We had won. How was that for the Horny Hornets of Merryweather High School?

"WE WON! WE WON!!!"

"Damn, that was one amazing shot!"

"He did it in just one move..."

"Legendary, man."

"WE WON! WE WON!"

"Didn't even get pushed on the way to the basket!"

"Faked right, duh."

I loved basketball and always had since I was a kid. This was by far one of the best high school basketball games I'd ever seen. That #12...whoever he was, he was going places.

We pushed through the doors, still conversing excitedly about the game. Suddenly, I caught sight of that Melinda girl, the one from Social Studies class. The one with blistered lips and a dumb, blinky-blink look when people asked her questions. I couldn't believe she was here. I barely ever saw Melinda at any school events or activities except for the Art room. Knowing my friends wouldn't miss me if I disappeared for just a few moments, I walked towards my lab partner.

"Melinda! Where were you sitting?" Blink, blink.

"Did you see that last shot?! Unbelievable! Unfreakinglievable." I pretended for a moment that I was #12, and mimicked his movements with the ball. I dribbled, dodged imaginary obstacles, dribbled some more, and then swished. Melinda's eyes followed my motions, but she never said a word. Go figure.

"I mean, seriously, where did that guy learn to shoot like that? Even before the end, he was already getting us some serious points. I bet he's gonna win a scholarship some day." I rambled on, hoping to spark Melinda's interest somehow.

This was crazy...I was talking to myself. I mean, I'm not a total genius or anything, but usually I can figure most people out. But Melinda? Nothing. It was like...whenever I tried to talk to her and dig in deeper to find out who she was, what Melinda was like, there was nothing but a brick wall to block my way. What I feared most was that there was nothing to find out. That she was a dummy.

Ding! Light bulb. I had an idea.

"Say, why don't you come over and have some pizza with me? Dad's getting three boxes for us to chow down back at my place...you know, to celebrate the Hornets' success!"

Blink, blink.

"Come on, Mel. You gotta' come with us! My dad told me I could bring anyone I wanted. We can give you a ride home after if you want. It'll be fun. You do remember fun, don't you?"

I thought I saw Melinda twitch for a moment...her lips. They had made some sort of movement, but no sound came out. She gave me a twisted look, a cross between a half smile and a grimace, and made the teeniest motion with her left hand. It was obviously a no thanks.

I shrugged. "No? Okay then, no. Suit yourself. See you Monday." I walked away.

As far as I was concerned, Melinda wasn't going places like #12. In fact, she wasn't going anywhere unless she learned how to speak.

~~~~~~~

So what do you think? =)

~TRA

Retold Blogfest: "David Speaks, Melinda Doesn't"

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~*Potter Parade: Harry Potter News, Links + Extra Trinkets*~

Question of the Day: If you could be any Magical Creature (ex: thestral, unicorn, Doxy, hippogriff, etc.), what would you want to be and why?

"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall. Want to come upstairs and practice?" --Dudley Dursley

"No thanks. The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it -- it might be sick." --Harry Potter, Book 1

3 Days Until Harry Potter #7 Part 1

Because I will be a hosting my Harry Potter contest tomorrow, I thought I'd make today's post rather "chill" and laid-back.

First, major news! The cast of Harry Potter got together in London last Thursday on November 11 for their premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. They look absolutely stunning! Emma Watson's pixie 'do still shocks me...I don't think I can ever get over it after all those years of seeing her "bush" Hermione-Grangery mane. Ohh, without a doubt, our beloved HP characters are truly growing up...

In addition, I don't know if some of you already know this or not, but Daniel Radcliffe's first post-Harry-Potter movie will be The Woman in Black, which is coming out (hopefully) in 2011. This film is apparently a ghost story, and Daniel stars as one of the main characters, a young lawyer named Arthur Kipps who encounters a woman in spirit form. Hmm, not exactly what I had imagined for Radcliffe, but this is definitely going to be interesting! Here's a sneak peek at what Daniel looks like in this upcoming film project...

Totally un-Harry-Potter-like, I know...

I have a confession. I like to bookmark pages...and half of my Bookmarks deal with Harry Potter, Hogwarts, and/or The Wizarding World. I'd like to share with you all some of the goodies that I have come across in the past:

• DanRadcliffe.com : A fan site dedicated to the legendary actor who played Harry Potter. Includes photos, quotes, fun facts, news in the media, and even Daniel's mailing address (ooh la la!).

• MuggleNet.com : Here, you'll find basically EVERYTHING Harry Potter related. Just a few things that it offers include: origin of names, song parodies, real recipes of magical foods, and fan art. This is totally THE go-to site for Harry Potter fans.

• The Harry Potter Lexicon : I have lost count as to how many times I have referred to this amazing encyclopedia while writing HP fanfiction. I don't even have anything to say except that It. Knows. Everything.

• J.K. Rowling's Official Site : If it weren't for Rowling, Harry Potter wouldn't exist. And if Harry Potter hadn't existed, we'd have nothing to live for, right? This is probably one of the coolest author websites I've ever visited. You can choose to amongst several different languages, which is really handy for international readers. You can read her biography, read up on the latest Rowling news, and, if you're curious and nosy enough, you'll find a load of handy links and secrets hidden about!

• Fire and Ice Archive : This website is dedicated to one of the most popular HP fanfiction couples...Draco and Ginny! You'll find countless one-shots, long stories, fluffy pieces, and epic adventures starring D&G.

• Hogwarts School : Love RPG (role-playing games)? This site is totally for you. Finally, you can not only read and write about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, you can BE A PART OF IT.

Last, but not least, Cheryl Clarke's Oh To Be a Muse blog is having a lovely holiday giveaway HERE. Two winners will be chosen by the deadline, which is December 7th. Hurry and enter today! You must be a follower to be eligible.

~TRA

~*Potter Parade: Harry Potter News, Links + Extra Trinkets*~

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