The Morning After A New Moon In Knoxville

OH WOW! Yesterday was quite a day. On a "not-so-Twilight" subject to start. My day started with a black cat crossing my path as I was leaving to take my son Zane to the doctor yesterday morning. I crossed out the cat and went on my way. Luckily Zane was tested for H1N1, regular flu and Strep and tested negative for all three! They did a CBC and decided he just had a virus. I was so glad it was nothing serious, so that I was able to go about my day without worrying.

So then I was off to sit and wait for Taylor and Kristen to arrive at The Pinnacle 18 for the premiere of The Twilight Saga: New Moon. I looked at my clock before getting out of the car and it was 11:40am. When I arrived, there were signs saying that the theater was closed for the special event and there were policemen and barricades. I freaked a little because I was afraid that they weren't allowing people who didn't have tickets. Luckily the cop looked through my bags and let me go up to the red carpet area. There were maybe thirty people there when I got there. I was going to sit behind group of ladies, but they pointed out that there was plenty of space on down where I could be up front. I thought maybe they didn't like the look of me, but I'm glad they said that, but more on that later.





I moved on down to my spot and set up my chair and prepared for the long haul...little did I know. SHEESH! I watched as preparations were being made and the red carpet, beautiful flower arrangements and lighting were being put in place. Anyway. Shortly after that, two young girls came to stand next to me. They were attempting to take a self portrait, so I offered to take the photo. I'm glad I did because we quickly struck up a conversation and bonded over our love of all things Twilight. Danielle was Team Jacob while Hannah and I are both Team Edward so we looked through the new issue of Vanity Fair and tried to convert Danielle. (In the photo left to right: Hannah, Danielle and me)


During the course of the next few hours there were lots of people who started filing in. Some girls in homemade t-shirts declaring their love for Taycob came to stand next to us. There were also tons of people with signs. I wish I had gotten a photo of one that said, "Save a motorcycle. Ride a werewolf!" It cracked me up! Another photo I wish I had gotten was of a man who had in red contacts! It freaked a lot of people out, but was so cool. We spent some of that time deciding what we would want to have signed if we got lucky enough to get autographs. Luckily I was prepared with 3 Sharpies that Danielle, Hannah and I split them and well, it's a good thing we did. ;o)



There were also tons of media outlets that were there conducting interviews. I was featured on a couple of local news channels, WATE 6 and WBIR 10, which was exciting for me. Also there were people from REELZ Channel and the Oxygen Network. I'm not sure when those things will be on, but I will definitely try to keep my eye out. There were people from Radio shows (Mark Anthony from Star 102.1's Mark, Kim and Frank: Such a nice guy) and websites (Adina from TayLautnerDaily) that conducted interviews with fans all around us. People were there handing out different things like coupons, lip gloss and Team Jacob signs.

There were people in place wearing tuxedos with tails to open doors for the attendees. There were also executives that were hanging out to speak to the fans and to keep us apprised of what to expect as the day went on. We went from thinking Kristen and Taylor would be there at 4pm to conduct an interview. Then we were told it would be 5:30pm, but it was at that time that the fans with tickets to the film got to enter the theater. We were informed that they had already arrived in a darkly tinted Chevy SUV and were greeting the V.I.P.s in the tent around the side of the building. and They would then get in the SUVs to come around the building for the red carpet event. THEN, we were told it would be 6:30pm or any time between 6:30pm and 7pm before they would come our way. While all of these times were thrown around the crowd all around began to grow and get closer and closer in proximity. I stupidly still had my chair set up, so I folded it up and tried to keep all of the crap I had out of everyone's way. I don't know what I was thinking bringing all of that junk...the mom in me trying to always be prepared, I guess.

Then, because we were all so close together we could hear what other people were saying about their prospective "inside sources". One said that she was told that Kristen had left her dress for the event on the airplane and hat someone had to go back to get it. The airport is close to where I live which is approximately 30 miles away from the theater. Then a girl who had the same "inside source" that I did, said that it was true and one of the executives said it was true as well. By this time my new friends and I had been standing for about 7 1/2 hours and had not eaten or gone to the restroom. We were all getting very impatient. Then the executives and the Knoxville Police officers began moving into position and we knew our wait was nearly over.

From where we were standing we looked to the right and saw a black Chevy SUV with darkly tinted windows heading our way. The crowd went wild! When the car stopped in front of where we were people got out and walked right into the theater. We were then told that the Executive V.I.P.s would arrive first in five cars and then Kristen and Taylor would come in separate cars. Not everyone knew this, so the folks further back and in trees freaked out each time. Then the two cars came around the corner and we knew.


The cars stopped in front of us and Taylor got out first looking amazing in a black suit. He walked up to the media area while the fans all around were screaming, myself included! Then we saw Kristen and she looked gorgeous She walked over to the media area and we couldn't really tell where either of them were. We saw Taylor to the side under the awning greeting some fans who had tickets to the screening. The crowd was so thick that it was so tough to tell where they were. Once we did figure out where he was, we were wigging out! Then Kristen walked past where he was and out to the fans behind the barricades. People were behind me pushing me against the railing and she wasn't even close to us.



I started snapping photos and wondered to myself, "Is she going to come all of the way down here? Oh please, oh please, oh please!" She kept getting closer. I had my hard bound copy of New Moon and my blue Sharpie and when I realized that she just might make it down to where I was, I quickly pulled the lid off of the marker with my teeth and tucked it into the binding. Next to me was a group that had four little girls that had their school notebooks for her to sign. She stopped and spent some precious moments with them. She gave hugs and signed the autographs directly to them. Then I realized I was next and all I could think was, "HOLY SHIT!"


She stopped in front of me and I held out my book and asked her to sign it. She grabbed my Sharpie and my book and began to sign. I had to think of something to say! UGH! So after hearing the of the dress complication I said, "Your dress is so beautiful." and gave me a sincere look and said, "Thank you." I just looked at her and said, "It is such an honor to meet you." She was so sincere and humble in her thanks. She was trying to hand me back my marker, but my hands were full, so she put the lid on it and put it back in my book. Then she moved on to sign a photo addressed "To" my new friend Danielle and I was kicking myself for not asking her to sign my book "To Amy". Oh well. She continued moving down from fan to fan and I continued to take photos and then I think I went into a bit of shock. Two of the up close photos were taken when she was signing my book. Plus her make-up looked so beautiful and her skin is FLAWLESS! By the way, her dress was Jason Wu Spring 2010 if you were curious. SO beautiful and worth the wait.





We began chanting Taylor's name in the hopes that he too would come our way, but apparently their time was very limited. He had gone to greet the fans further down from where we were behind the barricade. Shortly after that he retreated to have photos made under the awning and to do interviews. I was amazed at how much time Kristen spent with the fans. Then she was gone. She followed Taylor to the spot for photo-ops a few minutes later and I attempted, unsuccessfully, to take a great photo of Taylor from a distance. The only decent one I got was after they had gone inside the theater to greet that crowd. You can see the edge of Kristen's dress in the shot.

I was going from being in total shock to being completely giddy. It was such a surreal experience. We were told that they would not be coming back out the way they had gone in, so everyone decided to pack up and retreat. As I was leaving I was interviewed by a reporter from the local newspaper, The Knoxville News Sentinel. She addressed the idea that I didn't fit the demographic of a typical Twilight fan, since I am 32 years-old. I wish I had thought to tell her that there is no real demographic. Twilight transcends all of that and appeals to people of all ages. If I am in he paper though, I'll be sure to let you know. But, I digress...I was parked close to where the tent was set up outside the theater and there were fans waiting to hopefully see Taylor and Kristen as they were leaving to go back to the airport, but my car was parked so far away and my feet hurt so bad, but I was ready to get home to my baby. In the past 72 hours I had been so excited that I had only gotten about 9 hours of sleep altogether, so I got in my car, turned on my New Moon soundtrack and drove home in my beautiful haze. When I got home I took a photo of one of my most prized possessions.



The best thing of all is that the whole thing was for charity. I wanted to share a couple of professional photos taken at the even, too. They were both just so stunning in person! I always loved Taylor but I have had mixed feelings about Kristen for a while mostly caused by jealousy *blush*. She was so kind to the fans and the little girls that were next to me and had been so patient for so many hours. Now I have great respect for her and I am probably on my way to being one of her biggest fans. These two huge stars took time out of their super bust schedule to make an appearance to help raise money for Variety, which is a local charity that helps handicapped children to become mobile so that they can be more active participants in their daily lives. A great cause!

If you made it to the end of this blog today I want to thank you for reading. It was so wonderful to get to be around people who understand my love of Twilight! Plus, I am hoarse, can barely speak from screaming and I'm exhausted, but yesterday was in the top five greatest days of my life and I am so glad to have gotten to share it with you all. I hope you'll leave a comment and maybe return to read more in the future.

XOXO!
Amy

You Have Been Found Wanting

Here is the high quality version of the newest New Moon trailer. Never in the history of movies have I ever been so excited to see PREVIEWS for a movie! I am so excited for this movie I can barely contain myself. Check it out...enjoy!

The Twilight Saga: New Moon 'Meet Jacob Black' Preview in HD



The preview is so super cool because we get our first glimpse of what Jane (Dakota Fanning) looks like. She is one of those characters that I am most looking forward to seeing on the big screen. Of course the entire Italy sequence is one that I hope is well done and CAN NOT wait to see. Thanks to twitter's own vampirefreak101 for the HQ photo.




Another character in the series that I am really excited about and look forward to knowing who will be cast in the role is that of Leah Clearwater. There is a great deal of speculation going on in the city of Vancouver this week. Filming of Eclipse has begun this week and interestingly enough, Vanessa Hudgens has been seen out and about with Nikki Reed (Rosalie Cullen) this week. There was talk a couple of months back that Hudgens could be cast as Leah, but nothing was ever confirmed. Is this proof? Will Summit tell us for sure? She is a pivotal character and she is the one story that Stephenie Meyer said she would like to continue after Breaking Dawn. May I also just say how hideous Hudgens pants are in the photo below? ICK. Anyway, thanks to JustJaredJr.com for the photo.



Nikki Reed has been something of a shop-a-holic these past few days. She was seen out with her fellow cast mate Elizabeth Reaser (Esme Cullen) doing some shopping at one of my favorite stores of all time. For I while I haven't really cared too much for Nikki, but since she was seen two evenings in a row at Kings of Leon concerts and she carries that much merchandise out of the GAP, I think my opinion of her has definitely changed. She is a cool chick! She also likes to make faces for the paparazzi, which I think is hilarious. To see the rest of the photos follow the link to one of my fave blogs, Lainey Gossip.



http://www.laineygossip.com/Kristen_Stewart_wig_testing_in_Vancouver_while_Nikki_Reed_and_Elizabeth_Reaser_go_shopping.aspx

One person of whom I will NOT change my opinion is Kristen Stewart. She was seen out at a salon in Vancouver yesterday testing wigs. She still has that hideous black mullet on her head. I wish they could do a weave on her head and color it, so that she doesn't look like some heroin addict. She is just so unattractive. According to Lainey Gossip filming did begin yesterday with Jasper and Rosalie flashbacks. Apparently there was talk of Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale) filming a scene on horseback. I would love to see some photos of THAT! To read the story via Lainey go to her website. She is a very gifted and entertaining writer. I often catch myself laughing out loud when reading her articles.
http://www.laineygossip.com/Kristen_Stewart_wig_testing_in_Vancouver_while_Nikki_Reed_and_Elizabeth_Reaser_go_shopping.aspx

This morning I watched this weeks episode of True Blood and I am so excited that Eric is getting more screen time! This was an especially good episode. We got to see Alexander Skarsgard half naked and got to see a more human side to him. It made me cry to see Godric die. When he was asking Sookie about God. OMG! It was so touching. That show grows on me more and more every week and now that the story line between Eric and Sookie is coming into play a bit more, I am so excited.


Zane didn't do very well getting off to school again this morning. He said that he wanted to stay with me and that he wanted to stay with me all day. He cried and cried for about twenty minutes. It broke my heart. I walked him to his classroom, which he found very easily, and he had this very sad look on his face. When we got to the hallway outside his classroom his teacher told me that he cried some "Mommy tears" yesterday, but that she talked him through it. I told her he might shed a few more today. I hugged him and told him I loved him and that I would pick him up this afternoon and left as quickly as I could. That was one of the toughest things I have had to do. When I picked him up this afternoon, though, he was all smiles. His teacher put him in the car and said he had a much better day today. She said they were doing crafts and that he said, "I'm having so much fun and I'm not even crying." I was relieved! When he got in the car he told me that it was the best day ever. I suppose the honeymoon isn't over. He just had cold feet. Once he makes some good friends and gets used to being there for so many hours, I know he will love it. Everyone please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

One final note. I am so excited to tell you all that I have passed the 400 view mark on this blog. I can hardly believe it. I know that there are quite a few loyal readers and I know I have said it before, but it means more to me than any of you will ever know. THANK YOU!

OOooooo!!!! I just got some AWESOME news. Tune in tomorrow!!

A Quiet Saturday

There's not too much going on today, so I'm gonna keep this one short.

Last night much of the cast of Eclipse was spotted out at a sushi restaurant in Vancouver. It looks as if it was a party to celebrate the beginning of filming for Eclipse. Word is that shooting will begin early on Monday morning. Via Twitter, I learned that Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen) was set to appear at a convention but had to cancel because he has to be on set at 5:30am Monday morning. It will be so exciting to hopefully see set reports and photos. Also, notice Kristen Stewart's hat in the photos. Wonder how long it will take for people to start saying that it's Rob's hat? UGH! The photo of Kellan is for my friend Jennifer. Have you ever wanted to be a piece of sushi more in your life?! ;o) Follow the link to JustJared.com to see more photos.






http://justjared.buzznet.com/2009/08/15/robert-pattinson-kristen-stewart-miko-sushi/

I read some interesting news on Twilight Lexicon today. According to Catherine Hardwicke, the director of Twilight, there were 4 guys that were in the running to play Edward Cullen. Here is the direct quote.

"Catherine Hardwicke said that the 4 finalists (who she called bachelor 1, 2, 3, 4) for the part of Edward Cullen were Jackson Rathbone, Ben Barnes, and Shiloh Fernandez. She said to watch for Shiloh because she predicts that he’s going places."

I love Jackson, but he is too perfect as Jasper and I really can't imagine Ben Barnes as Edward, but he is gorgeous. I guess we'll never know. To read more facts from Catherine and other cast members, follow the link to one of the best Twilight Saga resources on the Internet.

http://www.twilightlexicon.com/2009/08/15/phoenix-twitour-day-two/

One more thing I read on my favorite blog today is that there are talks about remaking the 1994 film Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire and that Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to play Lestat de Lioncourt. I have been a huge Anne Rice fan since the early nineties and I remember when they announced that Tom Cruise would play Lestat. I didn't like the idea back then, but he ended up doing a great job, but I think RDJ would be AMAZING! The only drawback...how could they possible top Brad Pitt as Louis or Antonio Banderas as Armand? Plus, it's only been fifteen years and it just seems a bit too soon for a remake. If they want to delve into the current popularity of vampires, why don't they make the second novel of the Vampire Chronicles, The Vampire Lestat? That one was always my favorite and I was so ticked that they tried to push two novels into the movie Queen of the Damned. That movie was terrible, but I did like Stuart Townsend as Lestat. This is a tough call, but I will definitely be keeping tabs on this story. If you'd like to read the rest of the story, you know what to do.

http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/2009/08/interview-with-the-vampire-getting-a-remake/



Right now I am watch Cold Mountain and I have to say, Jude Law might be one of the most gorgeous men alive. He doesn't look especially hot with a beard, but at the beginning of the film he is absolute perfection. Plus, I just love this film. The Battle of the Crater that occurs at the beginning actually happened and was one of the better battles for the Confederate forces, because the Yankees ran into the crater and the Rebels were able to pick them off easily. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. I learned all about it in my Civil War History class at UTK last year. I also love that the movie shows what the southerners went through that stayed behind. The war was hell for everyone. Anyway. This movie is so good and I love that it incorporates s history lesson and keeps you entertained, with tons of celebrity cameos, great music (Jack White), drama and comedy. I love it! If you haven't seen it, you should check it out.

I'm also worried about my kitten, Jasper. I noticed last night that his ears are swollen. I guess it means that he has ear mites. I just wish there was a remedy to get rid of them without having to take him and pay for a vet visit. I guess I will have to wait on getting my guitar since I am going to have to pay to get him to a veterinarian. Send him healing thoughts.

Weekend On The Couch

I just found the coolest website! It is called "Not Starring" and has a list of roles that were originally supposed to go to other actors and actresses. Your favorite stars, and the roles the didn't get. It is interesting to see which actors were often competing for the same roles. For instance, Johnny Depp and Keanu Reeves have often been considered for the same parts. Johnny Depp was who the Wachowski brothers originally wanted for the role of Neo in The Matrix! You should check it out. It's pretty cool

http://www.notstarring.com/

I want to share a photo I saw on twifans.com. Everyone has done a Simpsonized version of themselves, so you knew it had to just be a matter of time before the cast of Twilight would have their own done. Hahaha!



According to robpattinsonlife.com Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were spotted out at the Marcus Foster concert at Hotel Cafe in L.A., where they were seen together the night before. This time they were not alone. They were with Rob's manager and handlers, which I suppose was for t he safety of Rob and Kristen. I still don't want to think they are dating. When they left Kristen got in the front seat and Rob got into the back, while someone else drove. That has been an important element of the "Robsten" sighting on several chat boards across the web. Anyone care to add their $.02? Follow the link to see the rest of the photos and read an eye witness account.http://robpattinsonworld.com/robert-pattinson-and-kristen-stewart-leaving-hotel-cafe-after-marcus-foster-show-pictures/

I think I'll stop there for today. I really feel the need to just veg out and chill today. I had been planning on going to Wal-Mart and to a cookout, but I just want to relax on the couch and watch movies with my baby boy. We've already watched Wall-E, which is so wonderful. Then we watched Teen Wolf. I forgot how truly horrible that movie is. Wish AMC or TBS would show some John Hughes films. At the moment he is digging through his Transformers toy box and pulling out every one. Yes. He has one toy box for just his Transformers. The last time we counted them, he had around 120 Transformers and that was a count from a year and a half ago! He is so spoiled. ;o)



My sister and her family are off to Hilton Head Island, S.C. today and I am so jealous. If stinkin' school hadn't started so early this year we would have been able to go. Last year we went in June and it was so wonderful. When I was growing up we went to Myrtle Beach every year, so it was nice to go somewhere new. My family and I quickly fell in love with Hilton Head. Everything there is so beautiful and lush and CLEAN! All of the buildings there, including McDonald's are required to look similar on the outside. The food at every restaurant is delicious and the beaches have a more peaceful vibe. I wish we could have gone, but I hope Angela, Brett and the kids have a wonderful time.

The number of visits I have been getting has started to go down, so I want to know if anyone has any suggestions for what I could do to improve it? I'm not really sure people are actually reading it either. I will see someone and they will ask me how a particular event went, which I had blogged about. Plus, people have said that they read my blog, but then they ask me about something that they may have known if they DID read the blog. I enjoy writing this and getting some things off of my chest, so I will keep writing, but if people do read, I want them to enjoy it. Any suggestion is welcome and appreciated.

I am off to do some more chillin'!

Quiet Weekend

The blog is going to be a little light today since it's Saturday and I slept until 11:30am! Feels good! Hope you all are having a great weekend so far! So here goes.



There was some good news reported today by one of my favorite Twitter-ers. RobPattzNews reports that Kristen Stewart has confirmed that she is NOT dating Robert Pattinson, but I think this is an old story. Regardless, to this news I say, "phew!". In an interview she gave to Britain's Top of the Pops Magazine back in November, they asked if the rumors were true to which she replied, “No. Rob and I are good friends," she said. "We went through a lot together, so we feel very close. I’ve acquired a good buddy and that’s a big deal, but I haven’t left my boyfriend for Robert Pattinson!” I guess that makes sense and I truly believe it. There are so many fans all over who want the romance of Edward and Bella to carry over into the actor's real lives, but I am not one of those people. I like to think that Rob can do better and that "Robsten" does not exist! He doesn't need some snarky 19 year-old. He needs an older woman who looks young for her age and has a great sense of humor and is a single mom who is also an actress, but does mostly stage work...I'm just sayin'. ;o) Wishful thinking...I know. Here is the article from pronetworks.org.

http://www.pronetworks.org/index.php/independent_films/post/kristen_stewart_publicly_confirms_she_has_not_left_michael_angarano_for_rob/


In other Twilight news, the official World of Twilight website is open for business. It was a part of the official New Moon Website that said it was "coming soon" for a long time, but now it has arrived. There are some pretty cool wallpapers, widgets and IM icons plus tons of other stuff. There is even a part that is set up for Breaking Dawn and says "coming soon". It looks very cool so check it out!

http://www.newmoonthemovie.com/worldoftwilight/

There's not a whole lot going on with me today. Just hanging out at home playing games on the computer. My best friend, Sarah and I are addicted to those hidden object games on BigFishGames.com so she shared one of hers with me and I planning to spend most of my afternoon doing that. Later this evening I am planning to go see Rabbit Hole, starring one of bestest friends, Tony Cedeno. Zane did a recording that they use in the show and I am so excited to hear that sweet little voice. I also just have to say how happy I am that Zane's first experience in theatre was with Tony. It was a real honor for me and Zane and it's something I'll remember forever. Anywho. Afterwards I am hoping to get to meet up with my handsome cousin, Evan and some of my friends for a belated birthday drink. If anyone else is interested, let me know...the more the merrier!

Also, thanks to everyone who reads! I set up a "site meter" 4 days ago and have already had over 120 views! I owe it to you all. You are AWESOME!