Dame Julie Andrews

This will forever be one of the most cherished autographs in my collection.  Dame Julie is an absolute treasure.  Ever since I was a young lad, Mary Poppins has been my all-time favorite Disney film.  All it took was one viewing and I was hooked! The musical numbers are one-of-a-kind (A Spoonful of Sugar, anyone? I think we all wish we could tidy our rooms with a simple snap of our fingers.) and because of this film, we will always know what to say when we are at a loss for words: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.  Her phenomenal performace as the 'practically perfect in every way' Mary Poppins earned Dame Julie her first Academy Award for Best Actress in 1964 (an award that was, of course, very well deserved).  The film also features the talented Dick Van Dyke as Bert and the late Ed Wynn as Uncle Albert (who provided the voice of the Mad Hatter in the animated version of Alice in Wonderland). I know I say this rather frequently in some of my posts, but if there is ANYONE reading this who has yet to see Mary Poppins, STOP reading and find yourself a way to watch this movie as soon as humanly possible. It is excellent and you will thank me later. :)

In 1965, Dame Julie delivered another extraordinary performance, this time as Maria Von Trapp in Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music.  As was the case with Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music boasted a truly beautiful story and an incredible soundtrack.  The film also features the legendary Christopher Plummer as Captain Von Trapp and celebrated its 45th Anniversary last year with a release on Blu-ray HD for the first time ever -- it looks stunning! (Y'know, if you are planning on picking up Mary Poppins, might as well pick this one up, too. You will not regret it!)

And now, to the autograph...well, I had sent a copy of her memoir to be signed in October last year and have not heard back (I've still got my fingers crossed, however).  But I was perusing some sites dedicated to book signings and noticed she had a few coming up throughout the United States -- Minnesota in particular.  After making it past the unknowledgable cashiers, I had a lovely conversation with the woman in charge of booking/scheduling the signings.  We gushed over how absolutely amazing Dame Julie is and because she could quickly tell I was a true, devoted fan, she said she'd make sure to have a book signed and shipped to me.  How absolutely awesome! And while it sounds simple on here, I've come to understand she signs a VERY limited number of books at each event, so I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be one of the lucky few to receive a signed copy.

Thank you for reading what I consider to be my most heartfelt post.  I hope you have come to understand why I adore this woman, her films, and her unmatched talent.  She is true British royalty and while I am almost 100% confident she will never read this, I would like to thank you, Dame Julie Andrews, from the bottom of my heart for the years of happiness and enjoyment you have brought me and my family. 

And here's to many, many years more.  xoxo Andrew