Harry Potter party

So the boy asked for a Harry Potter themed party for his 9th birthday. The internet is a trove of ideas for such an event and I nabbed some fab ideas from all over the place and set about making them into a reality. I started several weeks before the event and pottered about making fel ties, bertie botts boxes and wands long in advance. The party went off without a hitch, and there were some very happy wizards about the place.

Yes I made butter beer. It was like a spider, sooo good!

The sorting hat sorted each kid (thank you iphone app!)

The entry to the party! I made this using an old sheet, a square sponge and some brick colored paint. Nothing flash but looked effective.

A collection of creepy things! On the end are wands made using dowel and hot glue gun and paint. Each has a tag stating what it is made of (eg elm with phoenix feather), felt Hogwarts house ties, and gross things... Bloodworms, hippogriff gizards, blind cat eyes, gillyweed etc (spaghetti in tomato sauce, smoked oysters, cocktail onions, weeds in green water!)

The polyjuice potion and Elixir Of Life bottles were filled with water for those not wanting butter beer. My funky broomstick is a Martha Stewart knock off!

Finn made the Wizard Collector cards to go with these himself!

I wrapped truffles in gold foil and attached white wings to each for snitches. So cool!

These were chocolate coated licorice sticks, dipped in melted white chocolate then sprinkles.

Wizard hat cupcakes.

Cheeseymite scrolls.

Hogwarts house cupcake tower

Each child took home their wand, one of these fabulous cookies from Crumbs of Yum, a spellbook and a Bertie Botts box of beans. 

It really was a fantastic success and a lot of fun!

Cookies from: https://www.facebook.com/crumbsofyum 

Printables from: http://justsweetandsimple.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/harry-potter-party.html 

Butterbeer recipe from: http://bakingdom.com/2010/11/butterbeer-oh-yes-friends-butterbeer.html 

Bertie Botts Box template from: http://61098.deviantart.com/art/Bertie-Botts-176610553 

Jar labels from: http://www.ivillage.com/12-easy-ideas-wizard-worthy-harry-potter-birthday-party/6-b-139571#139574 

Broom craft: http://www.marthastewart.com/272757/witchs-broom-favors

Partyin. Wizard style.

Finn wants a Harry Potter party this year. I dare you to google 'harry potter party' and see how many hits you get. And for many of those hits, the work, effort, time and money involved has been INSANE. It's a touch stressful, but inspiring too. I've already spent too much money at spotlight on crafty stuff (one has to make wands and house ties and fancy invites and such after all). There are still 6 weeks to go. Today the hot glue gun I got (I know, me, a hot glue gun - it's so funny!) is getting a work out. I had NO idea how one worked but I seem to have figured it out. Then J took it off me and he's doing it. We're making wands. As you do. Hot glue on dowel makes patterns, then painted and distressed a bit and voila. Mega cool. I'm even gonna attach cards saying what each wands is made from (e.g. vinewood and dragon heartstring). YES I AM.

I KNOW - I am the coolest Mum evah.

I am even making butterbeer. For real. Non alcoholic though I may slip rum in my own... And various other Harry themed foods (snitch truffles wrapped in gold foil and with feathers stuck on, herbology crudites etc.)

I am even planning to make these cool floating candles - battery powered tea lights in the ends of empty loo rolls, hung with fishing wire. SO COOL. I even found a template for Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans to whip up. Should keep me us busy over the school hols anyways.

Anyway, must go, am up to my elbows in Gryffindor ties.

What weekend??

It's Monday. Apparently, I just had a weekend, but I swear I was robbed of it. I went and saw the final Harry Potter movie, Deathly Hallows 2, with my sister on Saturday and when I got back, my son had a friend over for the night - and I discovered he was there until 3pm Sunday. 3pm!! Good bye weekend!!! I took them both to Scienceworks on Sunday but the kid was not collected until 4pm, so my weekend was shot to hell. Kinda frustrating, there was stuff I wanted to do. And next weekend is hectic as well, because it is Finn's birthday party on Sunday. Gah! At least he is enjoying himself!

I am loving how the poll is going here. Young adult writing is in the lead by a decent margin. I am interested in that, I think I have a fairly good voice for YA fiction, so I am looking forward to seeing what I can come up with from it! The Ebook has sold a few copies, but nothing astounding. Still, I am glad I could share it with those that were interested. Thank you to those who have shown me support, I truly am grateful and inspired to push on as a result.

I will keep writing and I will get better, and I will have success. I can feel it!

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows (Part 1) Review (NO SPOILERS)

Please note, I have tried hard to avoid any spoilers in the review, please keep it the same in any comments!

I went and saw the movie this morning, with my Mum. I have seen the previous installments, and was keen to see the first part of the finale to the series. I am a big fan of the books (and books are always better than the movies!) but I promise to keep that bias aside in the review, and just keep to it as a movie...

The overall impression that I got, was that this was way too bloody long. 3 hours, for part 1. So much could have been cut. Unless part 2 is jam-packed with action, they really didn't need to make this two movies. Endless plodding through woods could have been cut. An entire scene of Harry and Hermione dancing - irrelevant and could have been cut. It was almost frustrating (and bordered on boring a few times as a result).

The dark parts of the movie, were again very dark. Looking back at The Philosophers Stone (Sorcerer's Stone in some countries), it seemed aimed at children. Then suddenly, as the books progressed, they became increasingly adult, and increasingly dark. Let me say this - don't take small kids to see this movie. Just don't. I have a 7 year old, and he won't be seeing this (or most of it's predecessors for that matter) until he is muuuuuch older. It's scary. It has dark and confusing concepts, and it's not a kids movie, despite what many seem to think. I was kinda horrified to see the age of some kids in the cinema. Just... no.

The focus is very much on Harry, Hermione and Ron in this one, very few glimpses of any of the others from Hogwarts, including our favorite villain, Snape. McGonagall was absent altogether, which disappointed me greatly! Neville was a glimpse, even Draco was a minor appearance. And, I am really, really, not a fan of Bill Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour.

All that said, there were many positives, too. There were some clever jokes and witty humor, and I do so love the many polyjuice scenes. I loved Luna Lovegood's father, Xenophilius Lovegood (big Rhys Ifans fan!), and more of the house elves. As an adult, I loved the dark scenes, the tension was great, and I think Helena Bonham Carter returning as Bellatrix Lestrange was brilliant in her role yet again. The ending was climactic enough to leave you lamenting the 7 month wait for part 2.

I'd give it maybe... 6 out of 10. I hope part 2 is an improvement - much expectations to carry for the final installment of a tale that has gripped us now for a ten good years. Fingers crossed!