Well folks its ALMOST here – the BIG DAY — the biggest Harry Potter Birthday Party of the decade (for Angelgirl’s 11th birthday) – this Sunday May 27.  I am sure you are all eagerly awaiting the event and pictures (or tired of hearing about it by now and glad it’s almost over) — either way I thought I’d post a quick progress report while I’m waiting for the last batch of pumpkin cakes to come out of the oven.

I have off work today and tomorrow so I can cook.  Teacherman is off tomorrow too (thank goodness!) – so I think we will have everything under control.   So far today I went to the firehouse to check on things and see if they keep the refrigerators open for me Friday so as we cook we can just bring over the big containers and trays (we don’t have room here) – they said yes!   Plus they have an air compressor I can use for free to blow up the dozen 5 foot wands I have (I was going to try helium but the estimated cost would have been close $100 for all the tanks I’d need).    I also went to Party City (again!) to get some cake candles, bubble machine and smoke machine (on sale, very reduced) for the two big cauldrons. I was going to get dry ice but there is no place to get it on Sunday – and if I bought it on Saturday it would cost about $100 to get enough and HOPE it lasted until the party, and then it would only give us about an hour of smokiness any way.   So for less then that we got the smoke machine and bubble machine and now we’ll have them for other parties and Halloweens. 

Cake – No word on the castle cake YET!!!   ***biting nails***   My sister is taking care of it and won’t even give me the phone number for the place.  She was going to pay for it – but informed me on Tues. she can’t so I had to give her $125 – but she said the baker won’t tell her how much it is until he starts work on it – so it was just an estimate.   I was like WHAT???  Are you crazy? – he could show up and demand $500 or more for the cake – no one does business like this.   I would pay up to $200 – but if it’s more then I’d go with a regular sheet cake (but of course by Sunday that will to late to get one).  My sister had told me she could get a 3-D big castle cake for around $125 which is what she paid for her step-daughter’s a couple years ago – but if he won’t give her a price I just don’t know.    I must tell you I am not happy about the situation at all.  BUT I refuse to get upset — if there is not cake or the cake is too much I will just refuse to accept it and have hubby run to the bakery shop and get cupcakes.    If the guy shows up with a nice cake and a reasonable price then fine — as long it’s not much more then what I already gave my sister to give to him ($125).    

Photos – She also informed me that now her camera doesn’t work (she was taking photos for the party) and wanted to borrow money for a new one.  NO WAY — so I ended having to buy a $100 for camera sight unseen – I had no time to go shopping – so she is buying it, BUT I’m keeping it after the party — whether I can use it or not who knows.  I have two digital cameras already, that I’ve gotten over the years but never learned how to use them and now the pieces and booklets are who knows where.  I am hopeful this time I can learn to use it, and it will be nice to have photos I could post on the blogs too.

Volunteer Snag – My two bartenders (long time friends of ours) are not coming — I called them last night and they said they were planning on showing up about 3 pm and staying for an hour or two just to socialize with us — I was like WHAT!!!   I had assumed Teacherman (it’s his best friend and the wife) had explained to them what this party was and what was needed.  But I guess not.   They have so many things booked for that day they can come at 12:30 which is when I need the staff there are the latest and then stay so their daughter can enjoy the shopping, classes, events, etc. – plus I explained this like a theater production Teacherman and I are going to busy the entire time there will be no socializing, no one is hanging out – all adults at the party are working as wizards or witches (teaching, shop keepers, kitchen help, etc.) and the focus is all about creating a totally cool fun environment for the kids.    So they decided it was best they didn’t try to “squeeze” it in.   And I have to agree.   They have never even seen the Harry Potter movies any way.

So I will have to rearrange my volunteers but I should be able to cover it.   I’m hoping Gamerdude (Mama Kelly’s hubby) can do double duty as a shopkeeper and assistant barkeep.  I have someone in mind who can do the bartending full time, it’s a boyfriend of a friend from work - never met him but he’s put so much into preparing for the party to help out I’m sure he will enjoy a bigger role (he even went into New York to try to get a Hagrid costume -but no luck – we never did find one).  He did order the replica of the Dumbledore hat, and I managed to find a plus robe to fit him from ebay and got fast delivery – so he’ll play Albus Dumbledore’s brother (who happens to be a barkeep and no one has seen yet so it works out).

But OVERALL everything is going ok.   There are always going to be a few snags in a big event like this.  And I am just going to roll with it.  The event is all about my daughter’s birthday and having fun – there is no way I will ruin it by being upset or overly stressed.   We have two full days to set up and decorate and cook.  So that Sunday morning I hope all I need to do is soak the crystals for the rainbow in a tube (Potions class),  - they take 6 hours to soak; take a shower; get dressed; get the mylar balloons inflated at Party City, hand out the staffing assignments and make sure everyone knows their roles and then let the day unfold and have fun!

Well my pumpkin cakes are ready to come out of the oven (the last 3 dozen for a total of 9 dozen).  Next I will be making several dozen “wizard” cakes (rice krispie treats using a cookie cutter shaped like a witches hat some with purple sugar sprinkle, others with star and moon tiny candy sprinkles.   I will also try to get the mashed potatoes done tonight so they can cool and be ready for the Quidditch (Shepherd’s) Pie tomorrow.

I will try to post an update tomorrow and maybe even Saturday. 

Have a magical happy day,  Lady Rose