New Ink

Let me start out this post by stating how much I love tattoos. I feel they are a great way to express yourself and allow you to put out your creativity in a different format. I currently have 5 tattoos and the 5th one is a new addition. As I have stated I am a nerd for Harry Potter and so I nerd-raged and got my Harry Potter tattoo. The following photos are the stencil, then on my back, and the finished product. This tattoo was done by Zac Bowden at the Atomic Tattoo on Kings in Brandon, Florida

So I wanna know does anyone out there have a nerd tattoo or are thinking about getting one?

Harry Potter The End Of An Era

For those of you who reading for the first time or do not know me I am a huge Harry Potter fan. This story has enthralled me since I was 11 years old. A boy wizard with the odds stacked against him in a world he doesn't quite understand spoke to me as a kid. Growing up and trying to understand how the world works and trying to fit in was something I knew well. These books taught me how to love and become a great friend. My generation is the Potter Generation and two weeks ago the last film came out marking the end of Harry's journey. So i wanted to share with you all of my favorite scenes from all 8 movies.

From Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone

"The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why. But I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. "

From Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

"Eat Slugs"

From Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
"First thing you wanna know about hippogriffs, is that they're very proud creatures, very easily offended. You do not want to insult a hippogriff."

From Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (My Favorite Book)
 Voldemort: "Don't you turn your back on me, Harry Potter! I want you to look at me when I kill you! I want to see the light leave your eyes!"
Harry: [facing Voldemort] "Have it your way!"

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Neville Longbottom: Dumbledore's Army's supposed to be about doing something real.

From Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

"Weasley can save anything,
He never leaves a single ring,
That's why Gryffindors all sing:
Weasley is our King."

From Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1

Dobby the House Elf: "Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"

From Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2

"There are no more horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good."

These are my favorite scenes and various quotes that fit the photos. For all of the Harry Potter fans out there, those that were there from the beginning to the new fans just finding out how magical this story is, remember that even though the era is over and there are no more movies or books that Harry, Ron, and Hermione will always be there when you need them all you have to do is read or relive your favorite movie moments. 

Now I end this post with my three favorite quotes of all the books/movies

Dumbledore- "It does not do well to dwell in dreams and forget to live"

Dumbledore- "Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love

Dumbledore- :"Even in the darkest of times one must remember to turn on the light"

I wanna know what are your favorite parts of the movies/ books or your favorite quotes?

Potter Puppet Pals

As we all know that I have an unnatural obsession with a special wizard named Harry Potter! So I am always on the inter-webs finding random things that have to do with the books or the movies. So a while ago I found the Potter Puppet Pals. Its different web videos that follow the wizards through different escapades at Hogwarts!
















I hope you enjoy these as much as I do

The Wizarding Par-Tay

Whats up my fellow bloggers and bloggetts I know it has been a while but July is a busy month for me. Its my brothers, moms and my birthday within weeks of each other. So for my birthday this  year the big 23 I decided that I would have a Harry Potter themed party to celebrate the 7th movie premiering and the opening of the land at Universal Studios.  I had some start up help from my lovely blogger buddy and Starbucks Partner in Crime, The Lovely Lemon she sent me some ideas to have an awesome party. 

The sign the guest saw before they entered my house

Tapestries in the Living Room

Center Pieces on the tables

 The Floating Candles (excuse the mess)

After the guest ate I had a mass sorting into the four houses of Hogwarts by Sorting Hat! My Mom and Dad did a wonderful job of creating my own song hat that would make JK Rowling jealous.

 Sorting Hat

The Sorting Hat Song Before The Sorting

The Prefects: left to right

Gryffindor- Myself

Slytherin- Diana

Ravenclaw- Alex

Hufflepuff- Leanna

The Sorting Was Awesome

After the sorting we all moved to our houses and played an awesome game of Harry Potter Scene It. To the winner went this amazing House Cup also made by my Mom

Oh Scabbers!

The Cup went to Slytherin!

It was a wonderful party and a Harry Potter Party is not complete without Butter Beer!

I want to thank all of the people who came and helped with the creation of this awesome party. At the bottom are links to websites to help you with your Harry Potter Party

Harry Potter Birthday Ideas Part 1

Harry Potter Birthday Ideas Part 2

Harry Potter Hoopla

I cant wait till my next themed party!  What ideas can you think of?

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure. It was a two day extravaganza of fun and magic. The first day we headed to Orlando for some fun at the Florida Mall and Downtown Disney

   The Sea Room With A Giant Squid At T-Rex Diner

Baby Mammoths

After dinner my best friend, her boyfriend, my husband and I went to the shops and got into alil mischief 

We all went a little mad

Finally the day was upon us that we have been waiting for since we (by we I mean Diana and I) have waited for since we started reading Harry Potter! The day started early we got up at 4:40am and were at the park by 6:30am. If you do not already know I am from Florida and by 6am the heat is already unbearable and we were in a crowed line.

That was the line in front of us it wrapped around and through the rest of the Jurassic Park area

The line behind us that went out the park and around to Universal Studios

This is a map of Islands of Adventure and the yellow line shows how we were lined up. The black X shows my place in line at 6:30am. The wait for the park was long and fraught with anxiety and stress. The part of the line that we were in was poorly managed allowing for people to move up and pick a position that was not rightfully theirs. Eventually security was present and did corral the issue. Another issue of the wait was the fact that myself and my party could not see the opening festivities. We were told by Universal that monitors to watch the show. When we got to the park only one monitor was present at the port of entry and no more were to be found. 

There was my little rant on this waiting business, now on to the good stuff. Diana and I created these amazing t-shirts that received massive praise and adoration by other Potter fanatics. Here is what they looked like

Now we finally got into the land at 10:15am after 4 hours of waiting the time was upon us. Its hard to describe my excitement for this particular moment. When i walked through the Hogsmead Arch I was in awe. It was like I stepped into a magical world. There was something in the air that made me feel that I was really in a Wizarding World and I belonged. 

Our main objective was to get to Hogwarts to ride Harry Potters Forbidden Journey. As Diana said, "Bre we do not have time to be awed." So we made a bee line for the castle and as we almost ran through Hogsmead, Hogwarts become a towering focal point of the 20 acre land.

Hogsmead 

Hogwarts Almost There

I am going to let you know in advance this is not a spoiler free review. It is full of spoilers and if you don't wanna know about it then please skip down.
Now with that said, I do not have many photos from the inside of the ride. I was too busy enjoying the events that were happening all around me. Now this ride is  So after you stand in line, which most of it is outside of the castle, you enter and walk toward the griffin that hides Dumbledore's stair case to his office. As you walk around the griffin you are greeted by talking portraits. Now this portraits look like they do in the movie I have yet to figure out how its done. After you are accosted by two talking portraits you walk into a room that is full of them.
The main talkers are the four founders of Hogwarts: Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff.
They are discussing Dumbledore's allowance of muggles into Hogwarts. Of course if you have read the books Salazar hates muggles and non pure bloods. So he is highly upset about muggles at Hogwarts. Godric comes to the defense of the muggles and Dumbledore. As you past the room of portraits you enter Dumbledore's office. It was an exact replica of how the office looks in the movies. There are random movie props like the pensive and cabinets filled with magical objects

Both of these photos were taken by my friend Randy. These photos are from the office it shows the pensive and Dumbledore's desk. If you look close you can see Dumbledore in the photo.

Dumbledore comes from upstairs on the balcony to welcome you to the school and to give you a quick run down of how everything works at Hogwarts in addition to letting you know that there is a dragon on the loose. From Dumbledore's office you move to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. From there you meet up with Harry, Ron , and Hermione who want to sneak you out of Professor Benz's lecture on the history of Hogwarts. They devise a plan that involves Hermione creating a spell to make muggles fly. At one point in their explanation of the plan it actually begins to snow bubbles.

As you move on through the rest of the castle you run into the Fat Lady and an amazing bulletin board with a moving newspaper clipping of Harry playing quidditch. 

Once again taken by Randy

Finally your almost to the ride final talking portraits go over ride safety and debate how great of a wizard Hermione really is. The last character you meet is the Sorting hat, he was an amazing touch to the whole experience. He was very interactive and guides you with final ride safety. Finally your on the ride and they strap you in.

Randy Photos

This ride was amazing and that statement does not even give it justice. It is a fully imersive ride that makes you apart of the movies. You spin flip and turn through out watching flimed sequences and actual sets that have various creatures comming out of the shadows to get you. This ride takes the scarest creatures from the movie and makes them real. From dragons, acromantulas, and dementors who try and almost succeed in giving the kiss of death. Its a ride that has you believing that it is real and at any moment you will plunge into darkness and never resurface. A must ride for all Harry Potter Fans!