Journeys Are My Diary

Life, Adventures, Entertainment and more - A little bit of everything blog!

Harry Potter turns 20!

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Can you believe that on June 26th 2017, JK Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” has been publish for 20 years?! It seems no time at all, since I discovered my love for Harry Potter and his Wizarding World but despite being 38 years old this weekend and having gotten both my daughters to love Harry Potter too, I find it hard to believe that it really has been twenty years since the start of my favourite book series.

That said, I wasn’t one of the first people to jump aboard the Harry Potter band wagon. In fact, when both my mum and dad were raving about the books, I was actually wondering what the hell was going on with all these adults loving a “kids book”. It wasn’t until 1999 (Philosopher’s Stone was 1997), not long after Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was published, that I finally caved to peer pressure and borrowed my parent’s copy of the first book. In typical “child” fashion, I hated to admit when my parents were right, but oh my god I loved the first book. So much so that it was read within a few days, despite working full time. Book two was then devoured within days, followed by book three. It was official, I was hooked. I was desperate for the fourth book… and I suppose that was when I truly became a Harry Potter fan.

Book Four – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was pre-ordered. When it arrived, I couldn’t wait to get reading and I literally didn’t put it down until I was done. This became the same for all the other books, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince and finally The Deathly Hallows. I have never before, or since, been so hooked on a book series. And it didn’t end with just the books either. I went to see every movie that was released, if not on the very first day, within very few days of released. The Deathly Hallows Part 1 was released not long after my ex and I split up and having no one who was immediately free to go to the cinema with, I ventured for the first time by myself to see a movie – rather than wait too long and go with someone else. When the final movie was released, myself and fifteen other friends, all gathered for a party of sorts. We all went to the first midnight showing of the movie and some of us even got Deathly Hallows tattoos to remember the occasion – this was my first ever tattoo.

This week I have been to London and of course a visit to the Platform 9 3/4 shop is an essential part of that trip. Not only that, but as I mentioned earlier – I turn 38 at the end of this week and guess what I’m doing for my birthday? A trip to Watford and the Harry Potter Studios (it will be my third time!). I’m really a huge Harry Potter geek and I don’t care if I should be too old for it or whatever. I have loved Harry Potter for (almost) twenty years and I will continue to do so for at least twenty more. I have loved sharing the stories with my children and hope they will continue to share the books with their own children too. This weekend we are also attending MCM London Comic Con and they have pre-releases of the 20th Anniversary “house” editions of the Philosopher’s Stone and I’m so tempted to get one (or all of them…)! Harry Potter books are the one and only set of books I would never be parted with, over all the books I own.

As a final thought and conclusion to my post, I wanted to share this infograph, put together by Cartridge Save. It has loads of fun facts about most used words and phrases, along with how many copies have been sold and how many words are in each book etc. If you’re yet to read Harry Potter, no matter what the reason, I honestly recommend you give it a try! You have nothing to lose and a whole lot of love to gain!

Harry Potter Ball – take two

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As you may remember, I posted a little while ago about a Harry Potter convention and Ball that I went to with my best friend and two daughters. It was a little disappointing to be honest and left me feeling like I could have done better myself. Having talked it over with Nat (or maybe ranted in the car on the way home) we decided that maybe we should plan our own – perhaps for her 30th next year.

This got me to thinking about what I would wear – the changes to what I wore this time and what I could improve. The largest change of all, would be to lose some weight. We’re hoping in fact that this may motivate us! She got so many lovely compliments in the dress she was wearing, that I really want people to look at me and say the same. For that reason I would definitely pick the same dress. I have worn it twice now and I love it. However I definitely think I could do with some accessories so I’ve been doing some research.

Gryffindor Ball

I love the idea of a heavy piece for a necklace – something like this beautiful Victorian necklace from Berganza. I also love this cuff bracelet from House of Fraser and these ruby earrings from India Times to really give the Gryffindor vibe (I’m sorry, but I love red far too much to not be a Gryffindor). The ring probably isn’t that necessary to the outfit but I love to pull a bit more of the ruby in and this would be a nice subtle touch.

Since the girls are Ravenclaw and Slytherin (Lily is like me, torn between Gryffindor and Slytherin), I decided to look for some ideas for them too. They won’t be going to Nat’s 30th but just in case we find another decent Harry Potter ball to get invited too, I thought it would be nice for them to have accessories.

Ravenclaw accessories

Megan is quite delicate so all the pieces I picked are delicate too. They all feature sapphires as I figured this suited Ravenclaw colours. Of course no ball outfit would be complete without Rowena Ravenclaw’s Diadem too.

Slytherin accessories

Lily likes to be fierce in everything she does so I know she’d rock the brightness of the emerald pieces. The snake earrings (despite the fact her ears aren’t pierced yet) and the snake bracelet are by far my favourite choices. She also has a huge amount of hair so this beautiful comb would look great. Finally the necklace is nice and solid so it would hang nicely around her neck.

Sorry Hufflepuff but you lucked out. No one in our house is interested in being from Hufflepuff so I decided not to do one for you! Besides, really not a fan of Amber or yellow coloured stones either.

What would you pick if you were supporting your favourite Hogwarts House to a Yule Ball?

Week 24 – Monday Round-up

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It’s been a crazy busy week and it still hasn’t finished being crazy! As I write this, its Wednesday afternoon (though no doubt I’ll backdate) but as you can see, I’m massively behind. For the most part, this week hasn’t had that many major points of interest, so I’m going to make this a bit quicker than normal. I’ll still try to cover the whole week though!

Monday was a school day and Chris was at work. However Megan had a school trip that I was also going on and as such we dropped Lily off early at her Grandma’s, went on the school trip (all day) and were back for 5pm. Megs and I had a lovely day at Twycross Zoo but I was exhausted in the evening. I didn’t do anything other than lie and watch TV! The next day was luckily a lazy day. I needed things from town so I walked in, but I got plenty done, caught up on blogging and even housework too. Wednesday I finally picked up my new kettle (I ordered it and then it got lost – don’t ask!) and also went back into town with Chris as he had an Opticians appointment. Sadly I wasn’t feeling very well (something that had come on the night before) so I didn’t end up doing much constructive.

By Thursday I was feeling better and a lot more productive. My new sewing machine foot arrived (after I lost the last one) and so I got to sewing in the evening, making Megan a Ravenclaw pencil case. Also in the mail that day was a new Thomas Kinkade canvas that I’d ordered – technically to replace a duplicate gift I’d received from Nat. We had a note through the door about Dominos opening and I knew it would be bad! So bad that we actually ended up ordering that very same evening and again over the weekend. It was amazing though but so expensive!

The next day was Friday and Nat and I started a DIY project on my bedroom. We covered all the furniture and stripped the ceiling paper, before starting to paint the walls. I posted about it on Twice the Mum. The rest of the weekend was spent working on the bedroom too. Chris and I spent both days, all day, of the weekend, sorting out the room. Sadly it still isn’t done but we’re getting there. Not much else happened over the weekend though the kids at least managed to relax.

This week is looking like it will be busy busy busy, at least for the next few days. I have a Murder Mystery to write, some sewing to do, some blog posts to sort out and of course my bedroom to finish decorating. I really hope to get on top of the vital things straight away as I’d love to get on with the things I want to do, rather than those I feel I have to do!

Thursday is Tag Day – Harry Potter

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Last week I decided to share a Disney tag with you, so this week I wanted it to be Harry Potter. I searched and searched, but the internet has a poor quality of Harry Potter tags. However luckily I found this one, which is a sort of “which would you rather” tag! If you’d like to, please feel free to do it and I’d love to read your answers so leave a comment with your link!

Would you rather go to prom with Harry, Draco or Ron?

My initial reaction is to say Ron, though I imagine a night with Draco would definitely be fun. I’ve always struggled to turn down the bad boy in favour of the nice but nerdy, so there would be a conflict of emotions I’m sure. However Ron wins out, for sure. He’s always the underdog but I think he’s one of the best characters that exist in Harry Potter.

Would you rather be sorted into Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin?

I’ve always joked with people that I would be like Harry Potter, and the Sorting Hat would have a dilemma as to which house I should be placed in – Gryffindor or Slytherin. However, just like Harry Potter, if I got to pick, I would definitely say Gryffindor. Yes I’d like to be bad occasionally, I’d also like to be nerdy and belong in Ravenclaw sometimes. However my heart is Gryffindor and it’s there I’d want to be sorted into.

Would you rather explore the Forbidden Forest or the halls of Hogwarts?

This is a no-brainer for me. Yes I can be brave, but I don’t throw myself into scary situations on purpose. Exploring Hogwarts would be a dream come true – all those corridors and hidden places. I’d much rather be walking around the castle and seeing everything there is to see, than scaring myself stupid in the Forbidden Forest.

Would you rather enroll in Potions, Charms, Divination or Defence Against The Dark Arts?

Having run Deckleswood for years and years, I’m sure my few on this is a little biased. I love the idea of being all kick-ass and knowing DADA, but also knowing Charms would be fun. Even Divination has a place in my heart, so I think I’d realistically like to do all three of those! The only one I wouldn’t be that bothered about is Potions – and if I was really forced to pick just one of the other three, then I’d say Defence Against the Dark Arts for sure.

Would you rather buy an owl, cat, rat or toad?

Practically, I’d say neither. I am so NOT an animal person. I don’t like the responsibility of looking after them, feeding them, cleaning them etc. However, in the Harry Potter world, I guess an Owl requires the least commitment? I certainly wouldn’t want a rat or a toad, so I’ll go with an owl. They can be sort of cute… I guess.

Would you rather have in your possession: the elder wand, resurrection stone, or the cloak of invisibility?

The Elder Wand and Resurrection Stone seem a little too dangerous for me – so like Harry Potter, I think I’d just stick to the cloak of invisibility. While the other two items can be powerful and life changing, I’d be good with just being invisible every now and again.

Would you rather be tutored by Luna Lovegood or Hermione Granger?

Hermione is smart and all, but I feel like she’d just end up making me feel stupid. Luna is mental and probably doesn’t know an awful lot of facts, but I’d still rather study with her. Besides, she’s in Ravenclaw so I imagine she’s pretty smart too – it might just take a while to sieve through the silly things she knows and the actual things she knows.

Would you rather, in the final battle, fight against Nagini (the snake) or Bellatrix?

Bellatrix for sure. I mean, she’d probably kick my ass and all – since she’s pretty awesome – but I’d like to give it a go. Besides, who wouldn’t want to scream “not my daughter, you bitch!” and then kick her ass. Not to mention I’m not really a fan of snakes. Sure that would meaning killing Nagini wasn’t too much of an issue but snakes… eww!

Would you rather fight a basilisk or a dragon?

Definitely a basilisk – mostly because I really like dragons. I know that hypothetically dragons are dangerous and scary, but I couldn’t bare to injure or kill one. I only roleplayed being very into Care of Magical Creatures and working with Dragons after school. Because of this they have a special place in my heart. It would have to be the scary basilisk fight instead.

Would you rather be a part of the Malfoy family or Weasley family?

Other than the fact they are ginger (and I would get teased even more about being a closet ginger), I’d choose the Weasley’s. I love their big family, the way they all care for each other and even their strange house. Molly and Arthur would make great (if not strange) parents and it would be fun having so many siblings. The Draco household might be cool occasionally though, I just don’t think I could look at Lucius for long without laughing at his hair.

Would you rather have a Butterbeer or pumpkin juice?

I hate pumpkin so I imagine pumpkin juice is pretty gross. That’s not to say I like Butterbeer either (at least, not the stuff they serve at the Warner Brothers Studio). However if I had to pick, then I’d say Butterbeer. And honestly, I’m sure in the Harry Potter Verse, Butterbeer actually tastes nice.

Would you rather travel via broomstick, Floo network or Portkey?

This is actually a tough one. I’d really like to try all three. The Floo would be exciting, as would Portkey. However I’ve always wanted to fly and since reading Harry Potter, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to fly on a broomstick. I think it would be great to actually fly a broomstick as a regular bode of transport, though unfortunately a little like a motorbike there would be downsides!

Would you rather have a conversation with Daniel Radcliffe or J.K. Rowling?

This is an easy one – J.K. Rowling. I don’t especially like Daniel Radcliffe anyway, but even if it was my most liked actor from the series, I’d still say J.K. Rowling. She wrote some of the best books I have ever written and while I don’t have anything specific that I’d like to ask her or even talk to her about, I’d still love the opportunity to actually meet her and talk for a while.

Week 7 – Monday Round-up

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Some weeks I really hate the fact I do this round up thing – haha. I honestly right now can’t remember what I did yesterday, let alone a week ago. I’m going to try though, but it might be brief! On Monday Chris had the day off and the girls were at school. We had a very lazy day that started with bacon butties and moved on to cheese toasties at lunch. I spent majority of the day on my computer and then rang my car insurance to add Chris to it. After that he drove us to Saxilby – which was probably the most scary experience of my life. We picked the girls up from school and this time I drove home. When we got back Chris had offered to get us Indian for dinner and since I knew the girls wouldn’t want that, I ordered them pizza and a chicken burger from takeaway instead. During the day time my order for Ravenclaw material had finally arrived and so I spent the early part of the evening, cutting out the pattern pieces. Before putting the girls to bed I read them some more of the Never Girls book and then Chris and I watched the next few episodes of 100 before then watching the new Walking Dead episode. Not long afterwards, we headed to bed.

On Tuesday I have less of a recollection for the events. I know I took the girls to school and then headed pretty much straight home. I started to sew Amy’s Ravenclaw skirt and watch TV at the same time. After I finished that, I finished my T-Shirt Tuesday project which was the Game of Thrones handbag and finally after that I took a bath, knowing I didn’t have to pick up the girls from school. Honestly I don’t remember much more of the day, though no doubt blogging about my handbag was part of the day! Wednesday I was off to London, to see the Game of Thrones Exhibit at the O2. I took the girls to school and then headed to Newark where I would be parking the car for the day and catching the train. I headed off to London and went straight to the O2. The exhibition was pretty good but doing it alone just wasn’t as fun as I’d hoped it would be. After I’d looked around the exhibit, I caught the tube to Oxford Street and did some shopping. I went to the Disney Store, Primark, H&M and Lush. After all that I popped to M&S to grab a salad and then headed back to Kings Cross. I caught my train around 6pm and was back at Newark for about 7.30pm. I then drove home to Chris who was home by then too. I snuggled up on the sofa with him but was pretty tired so we headed to bed about 10pm.

On Thursday I managed a lay-in as the girls had stopped at Grandma’s and she was taking them to school. However as Chris wasn’t at work till late as well, it meant I didn’t get much of a sleep as sadly he wakes me! We eventually did get up and lounged around for a while, before heading out to take Chris to work. I was due to go around to my mum’s to get our electronic registration for visas done but as she wasn’t in, I popped into town for an hour first. After that I went to my mum’s and spent the afternoon there until going to get the kids. We then came straight home and hung out together for the evening. Just before bedtime, Megan started to feel unwell and so it was decided if she didn’t feel great the next morning, she wouldn’t go to school. I also realised that if Megan didn’t go, Lily probably wouldn’t want to either. Anyway in the morning neither girl felt well and so they didn’t go to school. Chris went out on his driving lesson and then straight to work afterwards and so the girls and I spent the day together. We popped out to the shops to get a few bits and pieces but for the most part we spent the day chilling out. We did have to make some Disney inspired food but that was pretty good fun. After the girls were in bed I spent the evening on my computer, watching TV and waiting for Chris to come home. When he did get back though I was so tired that we pretty much went straight to bed.

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On Saturday morning the kids woke us up at about 9am with cards they’d made for us. We all got up and got dressed, heading out for “all you can eat” breakfast. After that we dropped Chris at the station and headed home. The girls got changed into fancy dress and we all watched a movie together as our Valentine’s treat. At 3.30pm the girls got changed again as Lily was heading out to a party. We dropped her off at the leisure centre and then Megan and I got some dinner and went for a coffee. Afterwards we went for a wander, in and out of shops, before heading back to get Lily and then go home. We then settled down to watch another movie together before the girls went to bed. On and off during the day I managed to sew Megan’s Ravenclaw dress and a Villains skirt for Lily too. Chris was home for 10pm and we watched a bit of TV before heading to bed. Finally it was Sunday and we had another fairly full day planned. We headed out to take Chris to work at 11.30am but we had to have so much stuff with us, that we spent most of the morning getting organised. We dropped Chris off at work and headed into town for a while. Lily bought a Tsum Tsum as they were released in the UK that day and then we all went to BHS for lunch. It was a bit of a bust AND we were late back to the car and I got a ticket.

We then went to my mum’s for the afternoon and despite planning to watch a DVD there, that didn’t work out either. At 3.30pm I had to take Megan to a party and then pop to Grandma’s to pick up a bag I’d left earlier in the week. I got caught chatting for a while but then got back to mum’s. The girls’ dad let me know he would be having them overnight and so I went to pick Megan up from her party and when I got back to mum’s, he was just arriving there too. I saw both the girls off and then stayed at mum’s for the evening to save on petrol and picking Chris up from work. At 9pm I went to get Chris but we popped back to mum’s as I’d offered up Chris’ services for fixing the pipe under her sink. After a quick look and removal of a few pipes, we headed home and sat together to watch some TV. We eventually headed to bed, to end our week!

That sums up my week haha. I’m sure I missed stuff but that’s the general jist. As usual these days, it was a good week and I look forward to the next one!