Wizard Feast!

I wasn't in the mood to throw a big party for the last harry potter movie (i hosted so many parties last year i got burnt out) but i wanted to at least cook something fun for dinner.

i looked through my harry potter cookbook for something festive to make.

changed up the display on top of my hutch for something on theme. (unicorns and a cat)

after i took this picture to show you what i watched while i cooked i noticed the harry potter magnetic pad. haha. obsessed. i'm really sad there are only a few sheets left on it. 

wands and crookshanks

h is for harry. table cloth had pots on it. we pretended it was cauldrons.

i got two of these candles for free at work and we decided they looked kinda magic?

so we had a quorn roast (really good!) mashed parsnips (mediocre) glazed carrots (blah). i picked stuff that was inspired by what the house elves would make for the hogwarts dining room. or something. 

i keep fretting about my yorkshire pudding but it turned out so awesome! i will definitely make it again.

crystal's husband had to work until later so we made a fourth dinner guest.

for dessert i made a british style trifle a la aunt petunia. it was yellow cake/jam sandwiches, homemade custard, then strawberries, then whipped cream. it was REALLY good. and thankfully dobby didn't destroy it (/super nerd)

Pugs In The Park

I took an unintended break from the internet the last few days. had to see harry potter a handful of times, and was reading the hunger game series like crazy (finished last night. so addicting!). now i've got soooo many entries to read on my blog reader and lots of photos to edit. but i love it so i'm not complaining.

I missed the last few pugs in the park meet ups, so i was determined to go this month. So determined that i showed up an hour early by accident and was bumming out that no one else came. The pugs liked being at the park anyway. It has been so hot they haven't left the house except for potty breaks in what seems like forever.


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phyllis with her tongue out KILLS ME.


once i figured out no one was going to show up for at least 30 more minutes i put the girls back in my car for a bit of air conditioning and we went to sonic for a 9:30 am grilled cheese and huge fruit slush. when we got back to the park there were 5 other pugs there and i had fun petting and holding them all! I was feeling shy though and didn't take any pictures. Phyllis was acting like a puppy and chasing a little boy pug named Wesley around. It was really really cute. Not a big crowd (lots of the regulars are on vacation) and next month will probably be sparse too because of the heat. i can't wait for the fall!

Muggle Born

having tons of fun getting ready for tonight! i am going to cry SO MUCH.

First Annual Porter Flea

this past weekend was the first annual porter flea! i'm so glad my friend dana told me about it because i would have hated to miss it! i have never been to such a great craft fair in nashville! there was big crowd and great food and i could have easily spent my whole paycheck on the goods! i hope they will do it again in the fall. i could probably get all my christmas shopping done there.

dana at her booth for work horse. she makes the cutest skinny ties. if travis ever wore ties, we would have a whole collection of these! maybe he'll get one for christmas. 

my weakness is silkscreen posters. i have more than i have room to hang up already. and i bought 5 more that day! including a features one from boss construct. i'm going to hang it over travis' dresser. 

screen queen was my favorite! i bought 2 prints and a tote. i wish i had seen the han solo prints she does! i would have snagged on for sure. the wood blocks with vintage images on them were great too. there were some really funny halloween ones. 

finally got to try pizza buds. so many people i know have been raving about them.

this is not a very impressive photo but the pizza was SO GOOD. it had sugar on it. oh man i want some more right now. i'm tempted to go to the east nashville movies on the knoll just to get some! even though i don't want to PAY to see outdoor movies (the park and the belcourt have spoiled me)

some prints i bought. look at those cute girls cooking with poison! it is hanging in my dining room already. not sure where i'm going to hang the trick or treat kids. 

salted caramel ice cream. yummm.

i liked the furniture from modern arks but it was way out of my price range.

i also would have loved to have that fox print from laura baisden but it wasn't in my budget. i had to content myself with a sweet little card of bears. it is going to hang in my craft room. 

as we were leaving dana gave me this dutch hex sign she picked up for me in knoxville! the two best in my collection, both found by my dear friend. thanks dana!!

i really hope the porter flea keeps growing! i'll definitely have to save up for it next time.

Lazy Day

it has been a lazy kind of day around my house today. i worked an 11 hour shift at work yesterday (4 pm to 3 am), which has totally messed up my sense of time. so today i have been slowly cleaning my house and watching harry potter movies. my own personal marathon to get ready for thursday. i can't believe the last movie will be out in less than a week! then what will i have to look forward to?! oh wait, i'm going to the wizarding world in the fall so there is always that.

can't resist taking a picture of priscilla when i'm folding laundry. look at that sweet face! and look at phyllis' cute tongue in the background!

Harry and the Potters

Harry and the Potters played in Nashville yesterday. It took some schedule maneuvering and some bravery to go by myself (because i am a baby) but i am so glad i did! it was the most fun thing i've done in a while (and we do lots of fun stuff!) I've got lots of wizard rock on my computer (a lot of it is TERRIBLE but it is so fun!) but i had never been to a show.

i was right in the front, which is kind of embarrassing. i kept trying to let little kids get in front of me so they could see better but they were all too shy.

there was a pretty big, enthusiastic crowd!

you could tell they were having fun and really love harry potter and put on a great show. and the songs! my favorites were probably save ginny weasley, human hosepipe, the weasle, this book is so awesome, and the one about thestrals. i'm not quite sure what i was expecting but it really blew me away!

saxaphone solo!

i bought some cds, a shirt, and a silkscreen poster of that great ziggy stardust esque image. i love it! i'm going to frame it and hang it in our dining room.
then later that night marissa, travis, and i went to see them again at the "fortress of solid dudes" in murfreesboro. it was a house show full of stinky drunk hipsters. completely different from the library. 

we didn't go down into the room because people were slam dancing and i'm too old for that now. haha. they ended this show with "smells like harry potter" which was so hilarious and fun to sing. 

i cant seem to find to words to explain why it was so amazing. but if you love harry potter you should check out the rest of their tour scheduale and see if they are coming near you, and go! you won't regret it!

Estate Sale Finds

here are some things i picked up from an impulse estate sale stop the other day after work. i was driving down the street and saw the sign and just had to go see what they had. i wasn't disappointed.


the vintage pennant might be my favorite thing i found. and might be the start of a new collection!

ive been trying to cool it on owl stuff but these were just too pretty (and only 25 cents!)

cute little planter!

i have been wanting one of these forever! he is from the goodwill outlet.


got all of these books at an estate sale just one street over, only 25 cents each!

little handmade sheep travis didn't want me to get, but it is so cute! those eye lashes!

i haven't tried this out yet but it makes one serving of ice cream in 15 minutes!

and that is priscilla. she is so cute. she finally feels like one of the family instead of just the new, sick dog. we love her to pieces.

Fourth of July!

a fourth of july family portrait!


i really need to invest in a tripod so i can get us all at once.

we spent the day with our bffs crystal and marc.

we went to captain d's because it was red white and blue!


we could not stop laughing about how crappy it was. thomas met us there and was like 'this place is so expensive!" and we were like yeah, and the fish isn't very good. neither are the fries. or the mac and cheese....or even the hush puppies. haha. look at that yellow plate!


thomas brought over this game he got when he was a kid. it is called FORBIDDEN BRIDGE!

it was so fun! we kept changing what it would take to win because we were having such a good time. you are an explorer and you have to get across that bridge, get a jewel, and put it in your canoe. if you press on that tiki idol thing it shakes the bridge and throws people off. we were laughing so hard we were crying! we will definitely bring that game out again.



i made a cake. it was really good if i do say so myself. it was a martha stewert recipe that calls for whipped egg whites in the cake. so yummy. and vanilla cream cheese frosting. i was going to make it so there was an american flag inside when you cut it, but i turned all of the second batch of batter blue instead of just half. maybe next year.


we made apple/green pepper/pesto pizza and it was perfect! then we watched deathly hallows part one. we didnt even try to see any fireworks, or shoot off any of the ones i brought. it was a low key fourth of july but it was a great day.