Harry Potter Theme Party

Yesterday we had my oldest son’s 12^th birthday party. It was a Harry Potter theme party. My son has loved Harry Potter for several years now, actually it is one of the things that he talks about over and over. And to be honest I have read all 7 years and seen all 8 movies. I, too, love Harry Potter. JK Rowling is a genius!

I created a lot of things for his party. I actually let my creativity run wild, and Pinterest helped a lot too! I also did a lot of googling for Harry Potter theme parties… some people are SOOOOO creative!! If I had more money, and more time there is no telling what all I would of done.

 

I made this sign for the porch... I painted it red and then used gold paint for the words and numbers... simple!  :)

This my husband basically did for me... ok, he painted it (thanks hubby).  It is a brown curtain and for the red bricks he used a sponge.  He did cut a slit in it so the people could walk through it.

One set of cupcakes. 

Another set.. Owls!  Oreos and m&ms.  :)

a 3rd set... quidditch cupcakes

The cupcakes on a stand on the table.

The table in the kitchen

 

The wands that I made.  They are sticks with hot glue on them and then I painted them in different colors.

The other table.  There are ties, a sorting hat, wands, glasses, and na Honey Dukes Candy Shop.




The house symbols and flags.  Printed the symbols off the internet.

 

 

The ties (here is a link - http://thebrilliantcraftytype.blogspot.com/2012/04/felt-hogwarts-ties-tutorial.html).   The sorting hat, I made.  It is a witches Halloween hat.  I got paper and crumbled it up and hot glued it to the hat.  Then sprayed hat the whole things brown.  The glasses I ordered from a party supply store.

 

More decorations.

Potter baby! 

 

He is casting a spell!  :)

The birthday boy!

Little brother as Harry Potter!

Little Potter Girl!  She is a beauty!

 

My other two didn't want to take pictures, my 8 year old was trying to be "cool" like his oldest brother.  And my 6 year old didn't like the ties at all.

 

Here are some other sites that I used for ideas.

 

http://justsweetandsimple.blogspot.com/2011/07/harry-potter-party.html

 

http://www.gracesscrapattic.blogspot.com/2012/04/harry-potter-potions-and-ingredients.html

 

http://serendipitycreative.blogspot.com/2011/05/parties-harry-potter-hogwarts-school-of.html

 

 

Gigi's Raspberry Cupcake

I am actually not sure what the name of this cupcake is.  There wasn't a label on it when I bought it.  The cupcake lady told me that it was a raspberry cake with a chocolate icing.  I wanted to try something that I didn't think I would like.  But unlike the two that I got that I figured I would like, I actually loved this cupcake!!!  It is a pink raspberry cake with chocolate icing with a white chocolate drizzle and a raspberry drizzle.  It was so good!!  I would love to get this one again.  I am not sure how often they sell these though.

Gigi's Mississippi Mud Pie

Gigi's Mississippi Mud Pie is a chocolate cake with coconut and nuts inside.  Then chocolate icing with chocolate drizzle and a couple marshmallows.  When I got this cupcake, I didn't know there would be coconut with it, I am not a fan of coconut at all.  The cake was ok, I could taste the coconut, but besides that it was good.  Now the icing was wonderful!!!  Love the icing!  It was a perfect chocolate icing.  Fluffy, creamy, rich... super yummy!

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

So I am a Pinterest junkie, and I have no problem admitting it.  Today I tried out a cupcake recipe.  They are chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes.   All of my children loved the icing and the cookie on top.  As for the cake, they are not sure about it.  As for me, I didn't mind anything about this cupcake.  The cake is a little buttery.  But there is like 9 sticks of butter in this recipe.  Overall, I would eat these, but if my kids don't like it there isn't much point making them since I don't need to eat 24 cupcakes!  Here is a link to the recipe.. leave me a comment if you try it out!

http://www.beantownbaker.com/2011/03/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-cupcakes.html

My Cupcake List

Well after all of my cupcakes, now it is diet time!!!  But they were great!  And I can't wait till I get to go back for more!

Here are my top three from each place.

Gigi's

1) Red Velvet

2) Chocolate Midnight Magic

3) White Midnight Magic .

Pinkitzel

1) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

2) Chocolate Malt

3) Chocolate Truffle

If you have tried either place, leave me a comment on what I should get next!

Pinkitzel's Chocolate Truffle Cupcake

This is a picture of LOVE!!!!  I love this cupcake!  It's perfect!  The chocolate cake is moist and fluffy with a chocolate filling in the middle.  And then chocolate icing.  So yummy!!!  I need another one of these cupcakes and soon!  I highly recommend this!

Pinkitzel's I Want Candy Cupcake

Pinkitzel's (http://www.pinkitzel.com/) I Want Candy

The pink icing had a different taste to it.  The chocolate cake was very good, it was moist and fluffy.  This cupcake had lots of candy on it, like gummy bears, worms, and m&ms.  I let my children taste test this cupcake.  Some loved it and some had no love for it.  And all day long I was singing "I want candy!". 

Pinkiztel's Cherry Almond

Pinkitzel's (http://www.pinkitzel.com/) Cherry Almond... 

White cake that was perfect!  Love the cake!  Icicng was a light pink color with a cherry flavor, very good and fluffy.  Personally I don't normally like cherries, but I liked this cupcake.  I did take off some of the almonds and the cherry on top.  But overall very good!

Pinkitzel's Strawberry Shortcake

Pinkitzel's (http://www.pinkitzel.com/) Strawberry Shortcake cupcake didn't do well on the ride home either.  But this one is so cute!  Another girly looking one.  My 3 year old would be in heaven over these!  The white cake is very good.  Fluffy and moist.    There is a strawberry jam filing in the middle.  The pink icing is also very light but has a wonderful strawberry taste.  Perfect for the summer!  I really enjoyed this cupcake!

Pinkitzel's Birthday Surprise

Ok, this photo doesn't do this cupcake justice.  The icing didn't like the car ride home, even though I was very careful.  But it a super cute cupcake.  Very girly!!  My 3 year old daughter would love the look of this cupcake!  White cake that was very yummy and moist.  Now the pink icing does have a "surprise" to it.  I am not sure what it is though.  But after you swallow the icing you can still taste it in your mouth.  I am not too sure about getting this cupcake again.  (http://www.pinkitzel.com/)

Pinkitzel's Peanut Butter Cupcake

Here is the peanut butter cupcake.  If you like peanut butter, this is the cupcake for you!  My boys would love this cupcake!  The chocolate cake was so yummy and soft!  Wow, super good!  The icing had a strong peanut butter taste and was fluffy and of course a peanut butter cup on top.  Personally I don't like peanut butter much at all.... ok to be real, I can't stand it.  But this wasn't a bad cupcake at all.  I probably wouldn't get it again for me, but I would for my boys!

Pinkitzel's Red Velvet Cupcake

Well my first cupcake review and no photo.  On my way home from picking up this cupcake at Pinkitzel (which takes about 40 minutes), a semi had a blow out and I had to slam on the brakes.  Everyone was fine, except this poor cupcake.  So for the actual cupcake... the cake was very moist but no real flavor.  The icing was good, but not as good as Gigi's, the decorations were pretty, what was left of them.  Maybe I will give this one another run, but for now I still LOVE Gigi's Red Velvet.

Gigi's Midnight Magic

This cupcake is Gigi's (http://www.gigiscupcakesusa.com/)  Midnight Magic.  Chocolate cake with chocolate icing, sprinkles, and "antlers".  The cake was pretty good, but the icing was wonderful!  Very rich and sweet.  I love chocolate icing.  Even the sprinkles were good and so was the "antlers".  I would recommend this to any chocolate lover!

Gigi's Midnight Magic Cupcake

And this is Gigi's (http://www.gigiscupcakesusa.com/) White Midnight Magic cupcake.  It was a chocolate cake with white icing.  This cake wasn't as dry as the "Thunder Up" cake.  The icing was good.  This cupcake also had chocolate sprinkles and "antlers".  I am really not sure if they were antlers or not but they looked like it to me.  Overall this was a good cupcake.  The flavors were good together, I would buy this one again. 

Gigi's Red Velvet Cupcake

This is Gigi's (http://www.gigiscupcakesusa.com/) Red Velvet cupcake.  Before this cupcake I had only had a red velvet cupcake once before at a baby shower.  My sister loves Red Velvet so I decided to really try it.  And wow!!!!!!!  I am hooked!  Red cake was moist with on the inside.  Very good taste to it.  White icing was sweet and fluffy, and the white fondant heart was really yummy!  It also had red crystals, which were goofd.  Overall this was wonderful!!!  I highly recommend this one!!  It is my favorite at Gigi's. 

Gigi's "Thunder Up" Cupcake

And this is the "Thunder Up!" cupcake!

I went when the OKC thunder were still in the finals against the Miami Heat.  This cupcake is adorable!!  And if you are wondering if the basketball is edible, it is!  It is a sugary sweet basketball.

It was a chocolate cake with white icing.  The cake was a little dry, but the icinf was sweet and rich.  The cake actually needed the icing to make it not so dry.  And then lots of sprinkles, but they were pretty good sprinkles.  Overall, not bad.  I would get it again to support the OKC Thunder! 

Gigi's Wedding Cake Cupcake

Well I was at Gigi's (http://www.gigiscupcakesusa.com/), I got 6 cupcakes during my first trip so I could have several to try.  This one is wedding cake.  It is a white cake, with white icing and white crystals.  It was plain.  It was fairly good if you enjoy white cakes.  The cake was moist and the icing sweet.  It had a few too many crystals for my liking though.  But I am not a sprinkles type of girl.  I would recommand this to anyone that likes white cakes.