HARRY POTTER PARTY

Last year my daughters and I hosted a Harry Potter Party!

We sent out "Owl Posts" for invitations, had a game of find the golden snitch, a taste test and HP trivia. It was so much fun and everyone did such a wonderful job of creating costumes, we decided to make it an annual event.

Here are some decorations from last year's party!

The 93/4 platform of course!

The only way for wizards to arrive.

Fleur and Sirius greet the Muggles who arrive the normal way.

The school banners.

Honeydukes in all it's glory!

 A huge hit with all the guests!

 We strung fishing line at the ceiling, which became invisible at night. Then we attached "floating" pumpkins and candles.

The effect was perfect, it was the favorite room!

 Pumpkin Juice of course!

 Hedwig and Dobby watch over dinner.

The barn was where the taste test was held. I copied the Knockturn Alley sign. Using a jigsaw I cut out the fingers, then painted the sign and added the words.  

The original:

The copy with guests at the barn.

 Costumes, of course, are de rigueur. 

Here are some fabulous examples of last years outfits!

 Dolores Umbridge and her ever present cat!

 Professor McGonagall and Snape

 Fluer and McGonagall serving drinks! A Rare McGonagall smile!

 Sybil Trelawney adjusting her glasses.

 Dueling Sirius's.

 Rosmerte and Narcissa Malfoy plotting together!

 Voldermort and Dumbledore, that head just called out to be Voldermort!

 Moaning Myrtle and Nearly Headless Nick, the most amazing costumes!

 Hagrid and Harry share a Butterbeer.

 Trying to decipher the clues!

 Molly Weasley, Narcissa and, is that a Golden Snitch?

 Beautiful Bellatrix strikes again!

  

Harry himself!

The Owl Posts for this year have been sent. If you did not receive one, here are what they look like!

 These are the envelopes, the font is a HP script you can download here:

http://members.outpost10f.com/~lindax/harrypotter/fonts.html

The invitation was printed on sketching paper, it feels like parchment.

 This is the train ticket we included with each invitation. 

A packet of Floo Powder was included for the wizards convenience! We found little parchment envelopes and filled each of them with a little salt.

I can't wait to share photos from this year's party. The guests are so creative and the costumes will be delightful!

Fall Is In The Air

I woke early this morning, excited, my mind tumbling with ideas. You see, today is the official start of the 

2012 Holiday Season! 

Yes, for me the first day of October marks the beginning of what has become my favorite time of year. Decorating, Thanksgiving, Christmas Trees, Halloween, Jack and Lola's birthday, Baking Day,  all of it filled with good food, good friends and most importantly, family. 

We plan to add some new traditions this year. The menfolk are planning a boy's day out and they are all going to  a Seahawks game together. Us girls are going to add the Nutcracker Ballet. It will be wonderful to see it again through the eyes of my Granddaughter who loves all things ballet!

Our traditions abound and each year I can play them over in my head like a slide show. They get sweeter every year, I think it must have something to do with age! 

I have to confess, I started the decorating part a little early, so here are some of my vignettes!

First, a photo of my helper, Stella.

 The Happy Halloween banner is made form Kraft paper and is a Martha Stewart item. Love her stuff.

 I collect these whimsical figures. I just love them.

 Hedwig watches over all!

 This was my very first one, it says "charmed life" and it reflects how I have always felt about my life no matter the circumstances!

 Very scary!

 Mercury glass and crystal, what could be better for sparkle.

 Fall color in the glass containers

 Gourds are so wonderful 

Sparkly

SEPTEMBER BOOK CLUB DINNER

This month it was my turn to host our book club dinner. My pick for the book was A Slave in the White House, by Elizabeth Dowling Taylor. It follows the life of Paul Jennings, a slave on the plantation of James and Dolley Madison. He goes with them to the White House and later buys his freedom. Ironically he ends up helping Dolley Madison when she becomes destitute after President Madison dies. The book is pieced together through  letters and journal entries resulting in a fascinating look at slavery in the nineteenth century.

Of course, as anyone who is a member of a book club knows, the meetings are all about the dinner and talking about life. Our group is a wonderful mix of ages, working women and stay at home moms. We share about our lives, good and bad, and offer support to each other. Everyone needs a group like this!

We started with a signature drink, cosmos, and cheese plate. My kitchen has a large butcher block island, perfect for gathering around.

Four cheeses, grapes, dried persimmons, nuts and olives make a pretty plate that tastes good too!

The dining table was set with blue Spode plates and dark wood chargers. I was going for a late summer woodland theme. Off I went into our woods foraging for foliage and inspiration. I came across these wonderful fungi and knew I had to use them. I clipped blackberry branches, salal and ferns. Then I gathered some moss and took my basketful to the house to start arranging. Here are the results!

 I put the two fungi on a mercury glass stemmed bowl surrounded with the blackberries, ferns and moss. Then I filled four small mercury glass vases with the rest of the foliage.

 I just love this. Look at the tiny little fern growing out of the fungus.

Dinner started with a salad. Arugula and Bibb lettuces with sliced peaches, blue cheese, and almonds. It was finished with a plum vinaigrette. A slice of Parmesan bread was added on the side.

The main course was herb crusted salmon. The salmon was spring Chinook accompanied by heirloom tomato salad and baby eggplant. The baby eggplants were filled with sun dried tomatoes with goat cheese followed by a drizzle of honey and balsamic vinegar.  Delish!

Several white wines, crisp and cold,were served with dinner.

Dessert was apple pie made with the apples off our ancient apple trees. It was served with homemade ice cream, spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon.

Another wonderful evening with "the girls"!