Wishes from GA

[lilia2000.livejournal.com]

Hello all! I'm so excited about Holiday Wishes this year! This is my third time and I've already had fun granting others wishes. :-)
My name is Lil and I'm currently an undergrad at Georgia State University. Only two more semesters left before I graduate and I'm seriously starting to panic! But yay for the holiday season! A time for cheer all around. :-) I've got a jar I've been saving all my change in for the past few months to better grant wishes. It's so exciting!

On to the wishes:

1.) DONATE! This time last year one of my closest friends was diagnosed with ALS, often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body.
ALS is fatal and seriously affects the lifestyle of those who have it and their friends and family. If you could please donate to the ALS Association of Georgia http://www.alsaga.org/getinvolved/getinvolved_giving.asp in honor of Melissa Kern. The ALSA of GA has been wonderful help to her over the past year, and continues to do so. And if you can't donate, at least be informed about the disease. Every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS.

2.) DOCTOR WHO! I love Doctor Who. I just discovered this show earlier this year and have fallen in love with it. So anything Who related. DVDs, pictures, icons, wallpaper, a scarf! It doesn't matter! If it's Who related, I would lurve it. Especially David Tennant as Who!

3.) FANDOM BUTTONS - You know, little buttons you can put on your bag and stuff? I love decorating my messanger bag with them. Or patches. Patches are cool too. I currently have a Buffy patch and a Gryffindor patch. My fandoms are, Lord of the Rings, Buffy, Torchwood, Doctor Who, Harry Potter and Narnia.

4.) Of course anything from my Amazon list -
Especially Buffy or Doctor Who seasons. I'm perfectly happy with new or used!

5.) Chirstmas CARDS! I love getting mail and I love decorating our house with all the cards I get.

6.) A SCARF! I'd really like a Harry Potter Slytherin scarf. Third movie style. It doesn't have to be exact. The movie version is a bit longer than I'd like . Plus it can just be one layer. Mainly I like the color of it! (Plus I'm a HP fan...)

7.) Take a look at my DeviantART site... http://thatgirllil.deviantart.com/
I'm into photography and I'm slowly building up my collection. I would love feedback, or just you taking a look at it!

8.) Speaking of deviantART... my big Christmas wish is the new deviantART MESSANGER BAG - http://deviantwear.deviantart.com/art/Graphic-Artist-s-Bag-104550816
Everyone seems to make one big wish and that's mine! I like the urban flap. :-D I have a laptob bag, but all it holds is the laptop. Nothing else. I'd really like a bag I can carry around more stuff in!

9.) Speaking of PHOTOGRAPY Tips! I have a Canon Rebel XT. I'm pretty familiar with using it, but I'd really like to get better at using it, especially the manual settings. I took a class last summer, but sadly I didn't commit everything to memory and need a refresher! So anything that has helped you... shutter speeds, apature settings... I want to be a better photographer it's one of my favorite hobbies!

10) And finally, TRAVEL TIPS! I'm going to Europe next year with a friend! That is if the economy holds, my job stays and all that good stuff! So of course I'm looking to travel on the cheap. Hostel recommendations, places to eat, things to see/do on the cheap! Even used travel books. We are hoping to see England, France, and Italy. All by Eurail! So any hints you have... I would love!

Thanks so much in advance!

You can e-mail me at ThatGirlLil(at)gmail(dot)com for contact info. Please make subject something about Holiday Wishes. :-D

Comments

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

I love to travel & have some of my & my husband's trips blogged here (http://www.ttrealtravels.com/), including Italy & France. You have to book your rail passes from the U.S. & plan how many days you need -- France is better for rail, imo, than Italy. But both are subject to strikes, so be prepared.

The U.K. is in between for rail; it's ok for big cities like London to Bath, but not great for the countryside, which is beautiful & totally worth seeing. You can rent a car & get around more easily. Tons of cheap B&Bs in the U.K. too -- I don't bother w/hostels bec. the breakfast is really worth it.

French food is the best in the world. Stop by any outdoor market & load up on fruit, veggies, & cheese (& a bottle of wine ;-), for an excellent, affordable picnic, any time of year.

If there are specific places you have questions about or types of things you like to see, please ask & I'll try to answer!

[lilia2000.livejournal.com]

Oh thanks! I'll be reading the blog!

I have friends in London and have been once before. So mainly I'm looking tips about Italy and France. Especially Paris, Venice and Florence if you've been to any of those places! :-D

Also, on the wine... any recommendations? A friend of mine and I who are going are really looking forward to sampling some French wine. So I wondered if you had anything you thought was particularly worth trying?

Thanks again!

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

Paris is magnificent -- the Louvre & the Orsay can't be missed, just leave a full day for each bec. they're huge (esp. the Louvre). Try to see mass at Notre Dame; I'm not religious, but it was beautiful to see the ceremony there. And the gargoyles up top are amazing. Sainte Chappelle is another gorgeous cathedral, smaller & often overlooked, but has stunning stained glass.

My fave. thing to do in most European cities, but esp. Paris, is just sit at a cafe for a few hours & people watch. The Marais District was really good for that.

Can't recall a specific wine, altho' you don't have to spend much. 5 euros for a bottle or 20 euros, & they were both excellent (& I live in California & have tasted a wide variety of wines :-). Even the house wine by the glass at a corner bistro will be nice!

I'm going back to Venice for Carnivale this year; only was there a few days before. But if you're traveling later in the year, check back on my site & I should have more. I can definitely recommend the "secret itineraries" tour of the Doge's Palace, in addition to the standard tour. We visited my sister-in-law lives in Florence, & hit all the big museums -- order tix online in advance. Costs a few bucks more, but you won't spend half the day in line a the Uffizi (SIL says there is a line every day of the year!).

HTH!

[mypetconcubine.livejournal.com]

Hello there fellow Harry Potter fan I can send you a card :)

[lilia2000.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Send me an e-mail and I'll send you my address! Thanks. :-)

[http://users.livejournal.com/regretless-/]

Email me a link to this wishlist and I'll send you a card!

worstxintentions at gmail dot com

travel tips

[crimedoc1.livejournal.com]

Youth hostels can be terrific places to stay. They are cheap and you meet all sorts of people from all over the place. In the evenings, people often gather in the common room, play games, chat, and talk about what to see, where to eat, and so on. Lots more fun than being alone in a hotel room. Sometimes I would find someone who wanted to go to the same museum or market or whatever and we'd go together. YMCAs can be good too - there was one in London that once gave me a bed (and breakfast too!) for next to nothing because I got stranded there overnight and was basically broke - I'd gone in to ask if I could crash in the lobby until I could get a train out the next morning and the desk clerk insisted I get a good night's sleep in a real bed, not a chair in the lobby.

Also, if you are going to London, get an Oyster Card. It gives you unlimited rides on the underground and buses for however many days you purchase. Usually a great deal.

Hit the street markets or a grocery (Sainsbury's, or Marks and Spencers food section) for picnic lunch fare instead of spending a fortune in a restaurant

And you said you're still at university - there are LOTS of places in England that give student discounts. Get an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) or International Student Exchange Card (ISE).

One last tip... consider hitting the charity shops and street markets for souvenirs and trendy clothes instead of blowing your entire budget at Harrods.