A friend of Abby's at her preschool is a Star Wars fan. She was invited to his birthday party a couple of weeks ago (the only girl there). I was personally excited to be buying a present for a boy who likes Star Wars instead of girl stuff like Barbies and what not. Amy gave me some leeway but I got a bit carried away she said. I got him a SW Transformer an early stage Star Wars reading book as well as a Clone Wars coloring book. I found a very very cool gift bag with Vaders face on it at Wallyworld to put it all in. Inside the Clone Wars birthday card I included some of the custom decals I had lying around that I had either made for myself as well as one I had given out at nob01's last year. At the party they had a cake with some cool Vader and Luke toppers that have light up light sabers and his aunt gave him a Yoda card she had made herself. As party favors they gave everyone a Clone Wars cup with an inflatable Lightsaber in it. The mom let me have an extra as well... Yay! The kids had a lightsaber battle that I joined in on at one point and everyone had a blast. Seeing all the kids playing Star Wars brought back a lot of grand memories of youth.

Since 1977, Star Wars has been a part of my world, and within that world my imagination took me to the galaxy far far away regularly. I wanted to be Luke Skywalker on interplanetary adventures flying in my X-wing with my R2 unit behind me. Force abilities would have been a bonus to the whole package. A friend and myself made plans of secret starship hangers and tunnels between our homes where we would keep all the ships we dreamed of having. Much like the more recent cartoon, Dexter's Laboratory had except without the laboratory.

Like many kids we spent our playground time acting out our own Star Wars adventures a la makeshift stick guns and lightsaber hilts. The playground equipment becoming alien worlds the Death Star or the Millennium Falcon speeding through hyperspace. Of course we would have to draft the most convenient girl that happened to be there into our play universe as Princess Leia.

At home I spent any time I wasn't outside either playing with my action figures, drawing or reading books about the same characters. This kind of play was only limited by what I had in my collection at that time or couldn't be substituted by another toy and my own ingenuity. The space under the bed or empty shelf made great mock hanger bays. When my family moved into a new home in early 1980 (before Empire was released) I chose the carpeting in my room on the basis that it had the coloring of sand like Tatooine, and when Empire did come out my room became further transformed with Empire Strikes Back curtains and bed coverings. My great aunt who loved to spoil the kids was the source for most of my Hoth play sets. My parents would get me the ships at Christmas or birthdays as well as expanding my figure collection. Though some I would get with my meager allowance.

At school or daycare during the summer, I would sit drawing star wars battles. One summer the same friend I talked about earlier and myself took some cardboard boxes the day care was throwing out and built a large space station complex out of them. I wish I had a photo of it because it was quite elaborate. They let us keep it in a closet but a younger child who I think was the spawn of the devil broke into the closet and smashed it very soon after we finished it.

For Christmas I had given Abby some Clone Wars figures of her own to create her own Star Wars play. I of course get to join in which beats playing Barbie or Princesses which I do willingly for her by the way. Sometimes I think adulthood is spent trying to relive our youth but at least in having a child I have an excuse.

I have recently finished rearranging my Star Wars room and since I don't get on and blog much anymore I want to walk you through it. Most of you have seen a lot of my collection in past blogs, and while there are some new additions most is the same stuff. I've got some photos here as well as a video tour. It is just a quick run through of the room and I don't say much as I hate the sound of my own voice.

For Quick Star Wars Room Video Tour Click Here

Below are some photo views as well.
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