Harry Potter Birthday

The opening of the new Harry Potter movie was within a few days of my 26th

birthday, and since we like to have fun movie premieres see here , here, and here...

I thought it would be fun to mix my birthday and the premiere party

into one giant themed event. First I have to say, if you haven't already noticed,

I have the best friends, they get into every theme and are so helpful and

supportive, that throwing and enjoying parties with them is amazing.

Thanks to all my wonderful friends, I feel so loved.

I made the invitations to look like mauraders maps. The hills in my area

are on the front, an areal map of my street on the inside with the footsteps

of Bethany Lestrange leading to my house. There were also a few footsteps

around the Thanksgiving Point movie theater showing where we were

going later in the evening. "I solemnly swear Im up to no good"

"Mischief managed"

We decorated my studio to look like a tent in the middle of the forest

at night. We knew that most of the movie (HP 7.1) would take place

with the main characters traveling around looking for horcruxes,

staying in a tent. Autumn leaves, pinecones, pumpkins, pine scented

candles, spooky twigs, moss, and nuts....

Angie gave me this Hedwig owl for my birthday who looked

fabulous with the other owls that we had collected and tucked

in here and there among the decor.

Laura also had a very authentic looking "Tales of Beadle the Bard"

Everybody got a pic-nic box filled with treats that every one

contributed to. Jars of butterbeer accompanied every box.

The butter beer was amazing, thanks Laura for mixing up

such a yummy concoction.

Libby and Kelly helped put my hair into really small curlers,

really late the night before. Day of, Angie helped riv up the curls

Bellitrix style.

The

Durtschi's made these two amazing cakes.

The first one looks like the one Hargid made for Harry's

11th birthday, and the second is a sugary forest dream,

Cocont with vanilla and chocolate mirangue mushrooms.

I made everyone wands buy threading wooden and glass breads onto

wooden dowels. Designing the different wands looks was way too fun.

The meal consisted of Laura's amazing meat pies, Libby's

tasty gilly weed salad (spiralized simple pickles), veggies and

dried fruits, and cookies! The stripped and spiral ones were

made by the Durstchis, and the lightening bolt cookies were

the creative genius of Kate and Nick. They created their own

custom lightening bolt cookie cutter, and sandwiched gold

frosting between vanilla and chocolate cookies.

While eating we played a trivia game, the winning team each got a horcrux

and the losing team got a deathly hollows object per couple.

Rob got the sword of Griffindor.

Kate got the slitherin locket and Nicky B. (Serius Black) got Tom Riddles diary.

Jenny got Marvolo Gaunts ring, and Laura got the resurrection stone

(I know they are the same thing but I separated them for more prizes)

the resurrection stone even came in a gold christmas ornament sawed

in half to look like a golden snitch. Angie got a whole bunch of yummy

elder wands, and Libby (not pictured) got the cloak of invisibility.

I was Bellitrix Lestrange, Reece-Mad Eye Moody, Nick-Lupin,

Libby-Narcissa Malfoy, Laura- Delores Umbridge...

Crystal-Professor Sybill Trelawney, Josh-Hagrid, Jenny- Luna Lovegood,

Mike- Neville Longbottom...

Everybody really got into the details! Here is Mike's Griffin tie (perfect

cause thats Mikes real last name ;)) and Jenny made her own glasses and

radish earrings.

Little Sam Griffin was Crookshankes, and Genivieve was Hedwig,

Cassandra- Hermione, Eric- Ron Weasley (he even dyed his hair red!)

Jared was a dementor, and Kelly was adorable as Moaning Myrtle.

And Kitch (Kate) was Nyphadora Tonks.

On the way out the door to the theater everybody got to pick

up a treat bag, they got to choose if they were a death eater or

part of the order of the phoenix.

Yes the goodie bags were full of Wizarding candy. Exploding bon bons (chocolate covered cherries and blueberries), every flavored jellybeans, edible chocolate and licorice wands, roasted pumpkin seeds, droobles blowing gum, fizzy wizbees (zots)....

The movie was amazing. Afterwards we came back to my house for cake

and ice cream.

Everything was so delicious, check out the detail on these

meringue mushrooms, gills and everything.

Again thank you to all that came, it was beyond magical.

Victorian Murder Mystery

Ive never been a fan of watching scary movies to celebrate

halloween (mainly cause I scare really easy) but I also love

all the fun decor and treats that this holiday can offer. Halloween

strangely enough, is one of my favorite holidays. So to celebrate

this year I hosted a Victorian murder mystery.

I ordered the mystery details offline but I added my own

creative touches to them. This is what the invites I designed

looked like. They included everybody's characters and the

story background.

On the receiving table I made eatable magnifying glasses,

name tags, and cameo chokers for the ladies.

I found victorian halloween photographs online that

I printed and displayed along with a few of those photos

that change from a normal portrait to a creepy face as

you move past them. I carved the pumpkins with silhouettes

and put fake candles in them.

I was giddy happy as all the characters started to arrive in full

costume, everyone looked fabulous.

I created specimen jars out of apothecary jars, colored water,

and veggies.

The food was spooky and delectable.

I loved the new recipes that we tried which were

the fungus cheese tart and the devils on horseback

(prunes wrapped in maple glazed bacon)

I carved stamps out of wax of a man, a woman,

and a crow. I used back food coloring to stamp

the silhouettes on circles of fondant to top off my

red velvet cupcakes.

we had a black light virgin cocktail bar. Tonic water

glows under black lights so we made it an ingredient

in all the drinks. Black licorice straws and black sugared

rims added a spooky flare.

Within the first few minutes George Sweet dies.

Nick played his character and performed an awesome

death scene. Here is everyones reaction to the death.

Kate "Jardine" seems a little too thrilled at the sight.

Haha.

I moved the story along as every half hour I released new

evidence and instructions. The guests were given varying

amounts of money to use to bribe each other into giving

information. There was also a prize for the holder of the most

money. One of the challenges to make more money was to perform

a spontaneous music number in front of the group. Kate played the

piano, Angie sang "I like big butts" opera style, and Josh made up a

rap about a couple of the guests at the party.

There was a reading of a will, autopsy reports, medical records,

and news paper articles to take notes on.

During tea (crio bru and spiced concord grape juice) the

guests gave their hypothesis'.

Josh won the prize for solving the mystery,

Kelly got a prize for being the murderer (Gasp!),

and Kate won the prize for making the most money.

There were multiple love triangles among the characters

(which proved hard when issuing everybodys' characters

because I didn't want any awkward moments as the people

got into character) and there was a prize for the first

public profession of love and marriage proposal.

Angie and Bear won that prize.

There were two mug prizes, one was a silhouette of a

man that turned into a werewolf when hot water was poured

into it, and the other was a woman that turned into a

skeleton when hot.

the scandalous maids.

love how Josh and Crystal posed themselves.

The deceased George Sweet's three wives,

I was the lawyer and Reece was the inspector.

Look who done it!