My Package Has Arrived

Only a delay in posting this since I was not notified that the owl and package had in fact arrived yesterday when I came home from work. So... today I took my package with me to work to open and ended up with a small audience.

This is what was awaiting me when I opened the box. Look at all of the goodies and wrapped in fabulous Slytherin paper.

I received the Slytherin Pride Socks by Anne!!! Oh how I love these socks. I think they are absolutely beautiful. I need to get cracking on my fair isle skills. Once I have that tackled I look forward to working on those since they look super warm and I would love to show them off.

Some wonderful treats: my fav Ferrero, some cheerful looking chocolate frogs, and some very interesting looking elf candy (which I am looking forward to eating) :)

In the back you will see Twinkle, she doesn't bite but will eat coins. The small owl tin hold some lovely Slytherin stitch markers (which you will see in another picture). Some lovely owl erasers, paper, pen, and pencils. A tiny little owl- Minerva's owl can also be seen. It is a lovely and heavy figurine. I <3 all of the owls :)

Pictured here is the card (and wax seal) that was sent to me, a fantastic mini skein of Half Blood Prince colorway, some Soak, a crochet bookmark in Slytherin colors and the beads match the stitch markers, a lovely mini Slytherin journal, a view of the stitch markers (that are in the owl tin), and Salazar Slytherin's locket. I have another picture of the inside below - which did have me cracking up when I opened it myself.

 Told you so!!! Isn't it awesome!?!?!

Last but certainly not least... a keyhole scarf!!! It is made of some super soft wool and has the most awesome back story: Made of BFL that was sheared, spun, and dyed in Lizzie's home county. How amazing is that!!! And the yarn even came in Slytherin colors!!! I love it so much. I still cannot get over how soft it is- I'm talking possibly softer that Malabrigo soft people!!!

Thank you so very much Lizzie. I am sure you were quite worried about the owl and box since you mentioned it took over two weeks to arrive from when you shipped. I love absolutely everything and there were many praising comments from my co-workers as they watched me unwrap everything. 

End of Swap

Time just seemed to fly by. I cannot wait until my owl arrives in Canada to my spoilee. Hopefully the trip goes well. I will be using one of the Post's owls since mine would not be able to carry the heavy package that I am sending. My poor owl just isn't "heavy duty" enough. I am planning on sending him out for a shorter delivery just so he feels all important and gets to stretch.

Week 9 Blogging

1. To which prison was Gellert Grindelwald sent after he was defeated by Dumbledore in 1945? Nurmengard
2. Who is the first casualty in The Deathly Hallows? Charity Burbage
3. What does Draco Malfoy name his son? Scorpius
4. Before Harry gains control of it, who is the master of the Elder Wand? Draco
5. Severus Snape’s Patronus takes the same form as which other character’s? Lily 
6. Where do Ron, Hermione and Harry apparate when Death Eaters invade Bill and Fleur’s wedding? Tottenham Court Road
7. Who does Harry send to search for Mundungus Fletcher and the missing locket? Kreacher
8. Who destroys Salazar Slytherin’s locket? Ron
9. What does Hermione use to destroy Helga Hufflepuff’s cup? Basilisk Fangs
10. Following the death of Lord Voldemort, who is named temporary Minister of Magic? Kingsley Shacklebolt

Week 8 Blogging

1. SPARSE VENUES  ---> Severus Snape
2. GO UNLOAD LOVE  ---> Luna Lovegood
3. A MOTH SEDAN  ---> Dean Thomas
4. FLUSH CIGAR  ---> Argus Filch
5. SLICK AIRBUS   ----> Sirius Black
6. DUMB ANALOG   ---> Ludo Bagman
7. A DRY MOO-CALF   ---> Draco Malfoy
8. UNSNAP THE SKI   --->  Stan Shunpike
9. PIT-A-PAT RIVAL   ---> Parvati Patil
10. AN OLD JEE   ---> Lee Jordan

Week 7 Blogging

Well, I missed a week. Bloody me for being busy. Last week like this week just seemed to completely get away from me. I really liked having Friday off of work even if it meant working on Saturday or Sunday. I have some exciting things I am working on for my spoilee. I cannot wait until everything arrives so that I can send her kit off. :)

Horcruxes:

Harry:

Nagini:

Ravenclaw's Diadem:

Hufflepuff's Cup:

Riddle's Diary:

Slytherin's Locket:

Gaunt's Ring:

Week 5 Blogging

1. Vine wood and Dragon Heartstring  --> Hermione 
2. Walnut and Dragon Heartstring  --> Belatrix
3. Hawthorn and Unicorn tail hair  --> Draco
4. Hornbeam and Dragon Heartstring  --> Viktor
5. Ash and Unicorn hair --> Cedric
6. Rosewood and Veela Hair --> Fleur
7. Elder and Thestral Hair --> Dumbledore
8. Mahogany and an unknown core --> James Potter
9. Elm and Dragon Heartstring  --> Lucius
10. Cherry and Unicorn hair --> Mary Cattermole
11. Yew and Phoenix Feather  --> Tom Riddle
12. Holly and Phoenix Feather  --> Harry Potter
13. Willow and Unicorn Hair --> Ron

 

Week 4 Blogging

1. Why does Harry accuse Remus Lupin of being a coward?  --> because he would rather go off in the face of danger than to stay at home protecting his wife and their unborn child.
2. Who is R.A.B.?  --> Regulus Arcturus Black
3. According to legend, what would a person become if he could assemble the Deathly Hallows?
4. What is Ariana Dumbledore rumored to be?  --> a squib
5. What is written on Harry’s parents’ gravestone? --> The last enemy that shall be defeated is Death
6. Why does Krum want to fight Xenophilius Lovegood?  --> he is wearing the symbol of Grindewald
7. Why does Voldemort seek the Elder Wand? 
8. Where did Dumbledore’s family live? --> Godric's Hollow
9. Whose eye does Harry see in his magic mirror shard?
10. What item does Harry steal from Gringotts? Helga's cup
11. Where does Rita Skeeter get her information about Dumbledore?
12. What is inside the Snitch that Dumbledore leaves Harry? 
13. Why does Dumbledore leave Ron a Deluminator?  --> so he can find his way back to those that need him
14. Why has Hermione not read The Tales of Beedle the Bard? --> she is a muggle born and did not learn those tales as a child
15. What is Dumbledore’s greatest regret?
16. Whose mail did Snape open?
17. What form does Snape’s Patronus take? --> a doe
18. Why can the Sword of Gryffindor destroy Horcruxes? --> it is forged with basilisk venom
19. What name is given to wizards who help Mudbloods? --> blood traitor
20. How do Harry and his friends enter the Ministry of Magic? --> by getting flushed in the loo
21. Who made Harry’s wand? --> Ollivander

 

I was recently RAOK'd by the lovely and wonderful Meggie Black....

The Lot (well, not entirely). Meggie did send me some Lindt chocolate truffles, one milk, one dark, and one white chocolate. Sadly, they did not survive to the taking of the picture a few days later. The unfortunate trio was gobbled up soon after opening due to me being hungry after a long day at work. They were absolutely delicious though! Thank you for everything!!! Below are some detail shots showing the even more amazing package.

 An adorable sock keychain with needle size holes as well as a 2" ruler!!! (I had to take this off of my keychain to photograph it beautifully since it is already traveling with me.)

 Look at the OWLS!!! Absolutely lovely and amazing stitch markers. If only I could make them larger and come to life to carry some things for the post from time to time. I can't wait to use them. I <3 stitch markers so much.

Look at the pandas of this adorable mini project holder! PANDAS!!! :) This tiny bag is so freaking sweet!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Meggie!!!! I love every single item. I apologize for the chocolates not surviving for the picture.

Now to find someone to RAOK :)  Hmmmmm...... ^_^

Week 3 Blogging

1. Pumpkin  - pie


2. Owl - Hedwig

3. Leaf  - Maple

4. Weasley - ginger

5. Quaffle - quidditch

6. Hallow - eve

7. Mad  - eye

8. Dragon  - Norbert

9. Crystal  - ball

10. Trees - burning

11. Hermione - library

12. Hogwarts  - castle

13. Burrow  - amazing

14. Dobby - sock

15. Horcrux  - locket

16. Ministry  - fallen

17. Magic  - spells

18. Sirius  - animagus

19. Apple - Mac

20. Juice  - box

21. Candle  - flame

22. Ghost  - basement

23. Snake  - Athena

24. Wand - swish

25. Invisibility - cloak

26. Tent - camping

27. Spell - sectumsempra

28. Umbridge - PINK :(

29. Dursely - Dudley

30. Prophet  - Rita

HSKS12 Week 2 Blogging

What 5 things would you not leave home without if you were going into hiding or running away and WHY.


My number one thing to take if I was going into hiding or running away would be a Time Lord. I mean, how useful would that be? One minute we are here, then the next we hop in the Tardis and land on some distant planet, some alternate universe, or somewhere in the past or future. Talk about the perfect dream to hide or run away.  (And who wouldn't want a dreamy and quirky companion like him to travel with and bring about excitement in your fleeing pursuits.)

My second thing to take would be a bag with an undetectable extension charm to fit all the rest of my items. This could be way too useful and make carrying a plethora of items around.

My third thing would be a small library of books to read along my travels as well as knitting and crochet books and patterns. I love to read and would be great at occupying time while running away or hiding from others.

My fourth thing would be my roll of circular needles,  DPNs, and crochet hooks for all my knitting or crochet needs. You have to craft somehow ;)

My fifth thing would be as much yarn as I could stash inside my bag. The top of my stash would have to be Malabrigo in all yarn weights.

HSKS12 Week 1

My answers to help you out...
1. I knit, crochet, sew, make costumes, dye, and drop spin (some year I will have a wheel)
2. July
3. USA here
4. That's not me.
5. I have been in 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and now 12... wow that's 6 times around
6. I have a large stash, but have not put it up... ahhh one of these days I will do that.
7. I knit and crochet
8. Black, black, and more black
9. Autumn is my favorite season and of course Halloween is my favorite Holiday!
10. Merino wool or alpaca


Who I found...
1. Someone with the same craft as you (either those listed above or another one).
Quietus - makes her costumes as well
2. Someone who was born in the same month as you.
Wisty
3. Someone from a different country.
Hermione - soon to be ex- Italy and resident of Germany
4. A new HSKS Family member.
Acromantula
5. Someone who has been in 3 or more HSKS swaps.
Emma Wigworthy
6. Someone who has a bigger stash than you! (And if your stash is the biggest, proudly say so!
Megaera Black
7. Someone who both knits and crochets.
Emma Diggory
8. Someone who has the same favorite color as you.
Selana - black
9. Someone who has the same favorite season/holiday as you.
Morgianna Defeufaucon - Halloween
10. Someone who has the same favorite fiber as you.
Fleur - Alpaca and mmmmmMalabrigo ^_^

SQUEEE!!!

This weekend is going to be "fabulous"!!! Today (Saturday) I am going to Wisconsin Sheep and Wool. Which is packed with lovely vendors... and sheep! I so want to smuggle a little fluffy sheep out of there. And in excess of the sheep and fibery goodness... there is an afterparty with food, drinks, and prizes! YAY!!!! I am in heaven!

Tomorrow is the finale of True Blood, so if you have been checking my blog you will have seen some of the yummy delights that I have made for the episodes. (I do still have more to upload. I have been taking pics but failed at posting.) Anyways Yay for that!

Monday starts HSKS12! Yours truely is heading up Draco's Pure Bloods and Dark Arts group. One of 4 groups within the swap and based upon the last book since Part 1 of The Deathly Hallows comes out during the swap or around the swap end (sorry I don't have my calendar handy at the moment.)

Anywho, stay tuned for my mass pic uploads. Yes, I will be uploading. ;)

Kit From Celestina

According to the house elf, my kit arrived sometime on Friday. Luckily they were kind enough to bring the parcel as well as the owl inside while I was away. I may be Slytherin, but I still treat them well. When I came home from the fair on Saturday evening I opened up the kit and squeed the entire time I was unpacking it. Sadly, I was completely exhausted so the pictures and blogging had to wait until today.

This is the kit all laid out for all to see :D I completely love it all!!!

Some wonderful yarn to make a fantastic Slytherin hat!!! I really need to make myself some hats since I do enjoy wearing them. Here is the perfect opportunity.

Look at the lovely owl pouch! This is coming with me to the Ministry of Education tomorrow. Inside the wee owl was a Slytherin sticker, some Harry Potter trading cards, yummy chocolates in House colors (yes, some are missing from this picture... I couldn't help myself), some wizardry buttons, and this tin which has a surprise inside (you will see it soon).

Told you, you would see it soon. ;)  The buttons and thread are actually magnets in Hogwarts house colors! How awesome is that!!! These will also be going to the Ministry of Education tomorrow as well.

Here is another wonderful picture of this delightful owl which is just too adorable for words! He really is quite soft and squishy :)

These were also inside the little owl. Sadly they escaped the picture above. They are little buttons!!! Too adorable! I can't wait to find the perfect place to use them.

This picture came out quite dark, but the green is really lovely and vibrant. A perfect color for these Slytherin socks. I have found a love for knitting socks and I think these might just be queued in next :) The yarn is so soft and lovely; I am really looking forward to knitting with it.

Again, thank you so very much for everything Celestina!!! This kit is amazing! You totally spoiled me this summer! :D

Bah! Where Has The Time Gone?

Okay... so not much is new. My computer is still broken and I am still using my previous one. I am closing out another week at work and right now I just  feel drained. I think it is due to an overabundance of information in my training and minimal first hand experience to go off of and put what has been taught to use. I just really don't want to be confused and not knowing what to say/do during my first few weeks/months of actually working my job.

The hours are fine but with the additional 3 hours of time on the road and waking up at 5 am to leave by 6 really takes a toll. I am really looking forward to being able to (I hope) move in closer to my job so my commute and gas money is lessened.

Well... off to study for my second assessment test which is tomorrow. I really hope I do well.

Work Joy and Computer Woe

This week I started my new job. I have two weeks of training and then I am set loose amongst the masses. My position is Student Advisor which means that I am the person that someone works with and contacts with any questions once they have gotten beyond their initial class. The Student Advisor is with them through to graduation. I am looking forward to it, but like anything else... it can be stressful.

This week has basically been nothing but information getting thrown at us in hopes that we can accurately answer everything in our end of the week exam (which happens to be tomorrow).

Oh boy Thursday was a great day... or at least it was until I came home from work. I was all ready to hide some wonderful water balloons for campers to find... and my computer said, "no". Something is wrong with it all around. It won't get on the internet (IE or Safari), the browsers just won't open at all. To top that off my computer doesn't want to hibernate or even shut down. It just does nothing and sits there.

So... now I am on my old laptop which I haven't used in a few years. This thing works, but it is outdated and heavy. Oh well, it gets the job done, right?

I am really hoping that I do well on this test tomorrow since it will reflect on how my training will continue for next week.

The only downside to this job is the distance. I am driving about an hour and a half each way... which means three hours on the road in addition to the nine at work. By the time I get home I cam completely beat and there isn't much time before I am off to bed. I am really hoping to move into an area close to work before winter... really really hoping.

True Blood Episode 6 (?)

I think we are up to episode 6 now. I could completely be wrong. Last week I made some lemon blueberry muffins. They were lovely and went before I thought about taking a picture.

This is my current cooking exploration!!! I tried out my brand new set of ramekins (which I love). I ended up putting a tad too much batter into them, so I got some overflow... but who cares!

Dark chocolate batter layer at the bottom, a layer of some Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips, and a covering of more dark chocolate batter. Once they came out, I melted the remaining dark chocolate chips and put some quick designs to top them.

I can't wait to eat!!! Yum!!!

Activity 3 - Scavenger Hunt!

I tried to get as many pictures as possible from Ravelry. The links below them should go back to the pattern of the project pictured. A few are just plain amusing and stem from icanhascheezeburger (and their plethora of other sites.

 Campfire

Pine Cone

Bowtruckle

Candle

muggle trash ^_^

Water Balloon

edible plant

creature that lives in the lake

bird feather

yarn

House Pride

Headmistress in a bikini!!!

Activity 2 - WINGO!!!

W1 - Andromeda spins (her Slytherin Pride skein is so lovely)
W2 - Ambyr has seen every HP movie in the cinema
W3 - Celestina takes the commuter train to work
W4 - I don't think there are any summer campers that live within 100 miles of me :(
W5 - Gryphon knows ASL

WINGO Help

Things that I have done and tid bits about me...

N1 - I have been on a train. The Metra (commuter train) to Chicago and all around the Chicago suburbs. I have also been on the El (Chicago above and underground mass transit) and the Subway in NYC.
G1 - I love Claudia Handpainted, and Malabrigo (who doesn't )
O1 - I can speak French, German, and Spanish although I am more adept as reading them.
O2 - I currently have 313 items in my queue.
W3 - My patronus is a Phoenix.
I3 - My collection would have to be yarn and books. I am an avid reader, so my library is a nice size.
N3 - I have a hat like Prof. McGonagall, I have wands made of paper, oak, birch, and metal (my lovely crochet wands).
O3 - I do make stitch markers, though they tend to be either for my use or with kits. I don't sell them (yet).
G4 - I have played quidditch away from the computer and over land. We have a team in the area I live in.
O4 - Yes, this is true.
W5 - This is my 5th HSKS.
I5 - I have been on multi-day camping excursions for Burning Man and while living in New Mexico.
N5 - I play trumpet and piano.
G5 - My birth month is July.
O5 - I brought Stig, my owl and Hades, my snake to summer camp.

Activity 1 - list of things about me

• Knit or crochet or both? I knit and crochet. Right now I have been knitting more, but I enjoy doing both.
• Brands you would like to try but don't have easy access to: I love smaller independent dyers with interesting colorways. Wolmeise is something I would love to eventually get my hands on. 
• Favorite fibers/least favorite fibers: Favorite: Wool, silk, bamboo, cotton - Least Favorite: Acrylic - I found out I am allergic to it, my skin breaks out in hives. 
• Favorite colors/least favorite colors: Favorite: Black, green, grey, red, blue, rich hues - Least: yellow, pink, orange, white, pastels
• Yarn weight preferences: Fingering or worsted
• Favorite projects: socks from the top down, fingerless gloves, hats, amigurumi, and other things worked in the round ;)
• Favorite gadgets: My computer, Blackberry, stitch markers, project bags, organizers, tarot deck, runes
• Favorite designers: Ysolda Teague
• Salty or Sweet or...? Both
• Tea or Coffee or...? Neither
• Allergies: Acrylic, Angora bunnies, peaches, potent cinnamon or mint flavored things
• Other things you like, i.e., buttons, pens, fabric, stitch markers, etc.: I love all of those things along with note pads, darning needles
• Currently Craving: Blue Moon ice cream (mainly cream with a hint of anise and it is heaven), more hours in the day and the energy to accomplish everything.
• Where you might have wish lists (Loopy Ewe, Amazon, Etsy): I have lists at all of those, and they can be found on my sidebar
• Measurements (feet for socks, wrists, head circumference): 64 sts on 2.75mm cuff for socks - 9" length of foot from toe to heel, 22" head circ, 7.5" wrist

I also have a lot of info in my side bar :)

True Blood Episode 4

Oh this week was way better than the previous episode. The best part that my friends and I enjoy are the totally quotable lines in the script. For example: "Some days I think that boy's cheese done slid off his cracker." and "I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it." And Eric's dream sequence was awesome! He is fantastic and I totally love him in the book series. Based upon the preview, next week looks like it will be completely action packed. It also seems like Tara has gotten mixed up in a right mess.

Earlier on Sunday, my friend steeked her first sweater. She loves the color pink so I made her some pink cupcakes. They have a hint of strawberry which turned the batter pink and I also colored the frosting to be pink. They were quite nummy and are now one of my favorites. Next time I think I might try to make some orange ones.

Camping Fun!!!

In a few short days, HSKS11 - Summer Camp will be starting!!!

I am the counselor for Shell Cottage and cannot wait to start working with everyone :D

I am super excited for matches to come out so I can find out who I will be spoiling and who will be spoiling me!! Off to get working on our cabin blog...

True Blood Ep 3

Pros - You get to see Alcide and he is quite adorable
Cons - A majority of the remainder of the episode

I love Talbot and his... umm... persuasion. He brought much more humor to the previous episode but was still great. Can Jason quit seeing bullet holes in everyone's head, please? Really, this isn't needed and is yet another unnecessary stretch away from the book. Eric, Jessica, Lafayette, and Pam... I love you more than bunnies on fire!!! The characters and the actors that play them rock hard.

Another con... this was a weak episode all around and you show this before a break??? Seriously??? When you take a break in a show, you should leave viewers wanting and craving more! Episode 2 would have been a great place for a break because it had humor, great plot movement, and an awesome cliffhanger for the next week. Episode 3 just seemed jumbled, excess, and left you with a blah/ meh feeling. And we have two weeks of that blah feeling to stew with. Not good! This is all because of the holiday (July 4th) there is no new episode, so instead they will be playing the 2 great episodes and 1 bleh episode as filler until it returns on the 11th.

And the ending... really??? seriously??? NO NO NO!!! I would have been much happier if they would have kept to the book as to how Bill ends up in Mississippi. I cannot stand Lorena, but I would have been much happier with her torturing Bill (like it is in the book) rather than both of them being guests of the King and  milling around and... doing that at the end of the episode!!! Was it really necessary? Absolutely not! And it is something I do not think I can erase from my mind.

I hope they put some awesome things to keep us interested during the break either on HBO's site or Jessica's blog. Oooh maybe Jessica can have Pam over for a girly night in and blog/ vlog it. That would be fantastic!!!

In other news, for this episode, I made blueberry coffee cake. Sadly, I did not get a picture of it because it was eaten that fast. Plus I was having a bad reaction to a pain pill so I was feeling quite under the weather at that point.

Food I made for True Blood Episode 2

This week I decided to try out some new recipes. The orange rolls are more of a breakfast item, but I think they sound fantastic anytime of the day. They are in fact absolutely delightful.

The second item I made was S'mores cupcakes. This recipe has a graham cracker bottom with some grated chocolate on top of that, then comes the chocolate cake batter and is topped with more graham cracker crumbs. After everything is all baked, you top it with some homemade marshmallow.

Fresh out of the oven!!!

Waiting for the topping.

Topped with yummy marshmallow sweetness.

I had too much batter so I made some mini chocolate cupcakes.

And like everything else I made, I had way too much of the marshmallow mixture so I topped the mini cupcakes as well.

 And I still had more to use, so I dropped it on some paper for quick divinity.