Weekly Etsy Find #19

Hello lovely readers! Welcome once again to Wednesday Weekly Etsy Find.  It seems more and more I am finding stuff that I love on Etsy.  It is my obsession.  One that I love sharing with you all.  Let's get to this weeks find.

This week I found these sweet shot glasses.  Of course they are not just normal shot glasses.  They feature the Hogwarts Houses.

I think the reason I really like them is that they are just so simple.  Yet they combine shot glasses with one of my favorite book series.  You can check out the glasses along with the rest of the shop at Puppy Bao Creations.   Check them out!

That is all until next time.  Until next week. 

Weekly Etsy Find #13

Sorry for a very long holiday abscence.  It wasn't intentional.  Since I feel so bad for my lapse of planning ahead and being busy I have several epic items this week for the Weekly Etsy find.
I am once again returning to my Harry Potter roots this week (sorry non HP fans).  So, lets get things started.

First up I found this really adorable sign for the laundry room.  If only I had a house to decorate and hang it up in.  The sign can be found at Letter Things.  They also have a Frozen sign for mittens which would be cute if you had young children who are fans in the house.

Next, I have an item for those adults who want to be like Mad Eye Moody.  Here is a flask that says "Polyjuice".  It's a fairly simple concept, but the design looks great as well.  You can check it out at the shop Android Sheep.  While you are there you can check out the other epic merchandise.  They are shirts, other flasks, posters and more featuring many other fandoms like Sherlock and Supernatural.  In fact, be on the lookout for a future Weekly Etsy post on this shop alone because there is that much awsomeness.  

Last, but not least I bring you this cute little key chain.  It is nothing fancy but the price is right and would make a great stocking stuffer (for next year) or gift.  Now if only it would really levitate my keys to me when lost.  Find it at Geek Tags shop along with other nifty finds.  

That is all I have for you on this edition of Weekly Etsy Find.  Since I am always scouring the Etsy site for great finds let me know of anything interesting you have found and favorited on the site in the comments.  See everyone next week.

On the 4th day of Pottermas....

A whole lot of nooothing! Yea, the fourth riddle gives you a new chapter in the story but nothing Potterfans didn't already know. There a few collectibles you can pick up if you wish such as Imps and woodlice.  The answer is (highlight to view) "Chaser"
Same goes for the next chapter which is called "The Orphanage".  The password to view that part of the story is "Professor Dumbledore" (highlight to view).
Although this is one of my favorite chapters in the book and the artwork is great, I was slightly disappointed.  No new content and not even a collectible.  I am very sad now.    O well, onto the next chapter called "Slughorns Party"
Finally new content.  The password is "Luna Lovegood".  This time we are shown a lively party scene.  Here we get new info on vampires.  Not going to lie, I forgot vampires existed in the wizarding world, therefore this is a great piece to me.  We learn that Snape is not a vampire.  That's something I never believed or considered anyways.  There are also a lot of collectibles if you are into that as well.  As usual with my Pottermas posts click the show/hide tab with info as to how to get to the new content. 

Click on the Vampire on the left side of the image to get the content about Vampires. There is also mistletoe on the top of the tent to collect.

On the 3rd day of Pottermas J.K. Rowling gave to us...

..Amazing info about Potions and Cauldrons!
In Felix Felicius there are two new writings.  The first is about Potions class.  The idea of creating potions has always interested me.  It is great to know that the same holds true for J.K. Rowling.  During this writing we also get insight as to why Snape is Harry nemesis.  We also learn that us puny muggles cannot create potions of our own.
There is also a piece about Cauldrons.  With this writing we as readers learn why witches and wizards use cauldrons still.  In addition, we get J.K.'s insight about cauldrons.  It makes for an interesting read.

This next one is in the chapter titled Felix Felicious. You once again need to answer the riddle: Professor Slughorn. You will be taken to the potions class. Move your cursor along the back bookshelf here you will not only find exlusive info about Potions class but also a variety of collectible potions and ingredients. To get the writing entitled "Cauldrons" double click to zoom in. Next to who I believe is Harry there is a cauldron you can hover over and click to get the new writing.

12 Days of Pottermore #2

Today I am going to let you guys in on A) How to get to the new content, and B) my thoughts.
Day 2 features original content about Diagon Alley.  More specifically The Leaky Cauldron and Florian Fetescue.  Both are found in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.  There is a lot to look at there and collect.  First up, there is background info on The Leaky Cauldron which was very interesting.  Apparently, at one point in the wizarding world, muggles could see and enter the Leaky Cauldron.  We also learn more information about the ice cream man Florian Fetescue whom we meet in the Prisoner of Azkaban.  By getting this content we learn that there was originally a plotline about Fetescue that got cut.  It also explains his capture by Voldemort and why J.K. Rowling did so.  Lots of great information any Potter fan will enjoy.  Like my last post, click the show/hide button to view how to get to the new exclusive content.

Once you crack the code which is Diagon Alley by the way you will gain access to Weasley's Wizard wheezes. There is alot to collect here so keep you eyes out. To get to the story double click twice to get a closer look at the balloons in the window. Click the pinwheel for the information on Florian Fetescue. One of the balloons contains info about the Leaky Cauldron. You will also find lots of other collectibles behind the balloons, click all of them to be on the safe side. There are also other collectibles throughout the shop to look out for like Extendable Ears.

12 Days of Pottermas: Day 1

Hey Potter fans.  The always wonderful J.K. Rowling has been at it again and is releasing brand new stories and background information on Potter more.  Word is there will be 12 new short stories leading up to Christmas.
 The first debuted yesterday exclusively on Pottermore and is just some short background info about the town of Cokeworth where Severus Snape and Lily Evans grew up.
To get to this story you need to first get on Pottermore.  After that follow these steps-They are blocked out for those who want to find the stories on their own. Click the show/hide button to reveal.

Go to chapter 2 of the Half Blood Prince called Spinners End. Once there you will see the image of Snape, Bellatrix, and Narcissa Malfoy making the unbreakable vow. You need to double click to zoom in and click on the white drape in the back. There is also a book on the left hand side of the image that you can collect

 I personally think this is some great background info on Snape and Lily. It helps to understand the character of Snape a little better to me. I cannot wait to continue to search on Pottermore and see what else Mrs. Rowling has in store for us over the next week.

Weekly Etsy Find #12

Hello and welcome to another week of Etsy finds.  This week I am featuring not a single item but a shop.  I am also going back to my Harry Potter roots this time around.  I just cannot resist.
This week I chose to feature The Thinking Gallery.  This shop features hundreds of t shirts.  I chose to feature them for the awesome Harry Potter themed shirts like the one pictured below.  There are also a few other shirts in the shop as well such as one about Lord of the Rings.

I like this Expecto Patronum one as well as the next two pictured.  There are more I like as well, but I would be posting pictures all evening if I included them all. 

If you can't tell from the photos there is sale going on right now at the shop.  If you are a Potter fan, you should definitely check out this page.  

That's all for today folks,  Until next week.  

A Ranking of the Harry Potter Books

Let me preface this post by saying I truly do love each Harry Potter book.  There are some books that I like better than the others.  So here is my ranking of the 7 books.  This does not include my thoughts about the movies.

#7: The Order of the Phoenix
I love the beginning of OotP.  And by beginning I mean the part where they are at Grimmauld Place.   I however despise Umbridge.  So much that I had trouble finishing the book recently when I was rereading it (yet again).  I also hate certain deaths at the end.

#6: Chamber of Secrets
Was just never my favorite. Wish I had a good reason.

#5: Goblet of Fire
Harry is just so angst ridden in this one its annoying.  Its also ridiculously long and drawn out.  Love the Quidditch World Cup though and the fact that we see other wizarding schools.

#4: Half Blood Prince
Here is where ranking them gets tough for me.  I love all the rest of the books.  I choose #4 for again certain deaths that take place.  Also since Slughorn slightly bothers me at times.

#3: Prisoner of Azkaban
The first time we as readers meet Lupin and Sirius.  Also Harry has a parental figure for once!  So much good in one book.

#2: The Deathly Hallows
Is there a lot of death and sadness? Yes-staring from.the beginning.  However it is so well done and is a perfect ending for this epic series.

#1 The Sorcerers Stone
The book that started it all and introduced us to the wizarding world.  So much great stuff.  The book that got us all hooked.  Need I say more?

Weekly Etsy Find #8

I'm realizing now that a lot of my Etsy finds are Harry Potter themed.  This is not intentional, it is all just stuff I have favorited while perusing Etsy.  I promise other stuff will come.  This week however you are stuck with more Harry Potter.
This week is this adorkable sign I found recently.  I want it so bad, I just have no where to put it.  It says "House Elves Don't Work Here".  I think it would be cute in a kitchen or living room, especially in a house with kids.  Hermione would be proud.

You can find other cute signs at Bugaboo Bear Designs.  Uunfortunately Etsy says this particular item has already been sold.  But, it also says that they will make customizable signs.  Perhaps there is hope for me to get it yet.  I usually won't include stuff not actually for sale, but this was too great not to share and I had wanted to share it sooner but didn't.  

That is all for this week. Until next time. 

Weekly Etsy Find #6

Hello everyone and welcome once again to your Wednesday Weekly Etsy Find.  Halloween is so close!  I for one am excited, it is afterall my favoirte holiday.  Therefore this week I am featuring not one but two items related to Halloween.
First we have this cute little dog costume.  Yes, I said dog costume.  I want to dress my dog up this year because I am somewhat crazy.  Seeing as I am hoping to dress as Bellatrix Lestrange this year I went to Etsy to find something for the dog related to Harry Potter.  I found this cute, simple outfit.

What I like is it is easy for most people to understand-no explanations as to what it is supposed to be.  Plus it is only 7.99$ plus shipping and handling.  Seeing as I am not sure if my dog will even tolerate having it on and he chews everything lately it is nice to not have to spend a boatload on something for a night or two.  You can find this item and other Halloween inspired items at Di Ash Designs.

As I said before, I am hoping to go as Bellatrix this year.  Again, I turned to Etsy for ideas and help.  I found this gem-a necklace very similar to what Bellatrix wears.  Now if only I could find a dress that would work and make a wand (found how to do that on Pinterest)

The necklace and Bellatrix for comparison. 

You can check out the necklace at DoubleDmentia.  They also have some other interesting jewelry as well that you should check out.

That is it for this week.  Let me know what ideas you have for ideas in the comments?  I'm always interested to hear of costume ideas.  

Weekly Etsy Find #4

Hello there! Thanks for stopping by on this lovely Wednesday.  Here is your Wednesday Weekly Etsy Find (I still love the alliteration).  This week is this epic, awesome, and useful coffee mug.
I say epic cause it just is for any Harry Potter fan out there and useful cause for a coffee fanatic like me it is very useful.

You can find this mug over at TooLegitToKnit.  In addition to this Harry Potter inspired piece of artwork they have several other designs to choose from including but not limited to Lord of the Rings and How I Met Your Mother.  There is also a pretty cool Sherlock cup as well (thinking of you Cecelia).  My favorite though is still this one.  My favorite part is the grim at the bottom.  Professor Trelawney would be proud.  When you have a chance check it out further by clicking the link above along with the shop.  

That my friends is your Weekly Etsy Find.  

Is Harry Potter Coming Back?! *Updated*

Yesterday, J.K. Rowling tweeted the below riddle:

Cry, foe! Run amok! Fa awry! My wand wont tolerate this nonsense.

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 6, 2014

A Reddit user discovered that is is actually an anagram that says this;

Harry returns! Won't say any details now. A week off. No comment

Of course this is still just speculation and we will have to wait from J.K. Rowling herself to see if it is true. 

J.K. Rowling has been tweeting all day different clues and hints for us to try and figure out. She is saying that it concerns Newt Scamander, the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. 

I would love for this to be about Harry Potter but I really think that it is just about the upcoming movie. She is currently writing the screen play for Fantastic Beasts. 

You can follow along with the clues at J.K. Rowling's Twitter page below. 

J K Rowling Twitter

We now have the answer to the original anagram:

Newt Scamander only meant to stay in New York for a few hours...

Witch Weekly Covers

Harry Potter fans need to check out this awesome fan art found here.  It is seriosukh awesome.  I wish there were more,  but perhaps in the future we will see some.
The art is covers of Witch Weekly magazine featuring Ginny, Hermione, and Luna.  What would make things better is if there were some articles to go along with the covers.  However for now we will just have to use our imagination.

My favorite is probably Luna's cover.  It see to capture her personality and quirkiness. My least favorite is Ginny's just because I'm really not a fan of her wardrobe.  It is too dark and I am not liking the gloves.  Althoughd that is just mg opinion.

I still think the artist did a great job.  Hopefully in the future we will see more..  how about Professoror McGonagall or Celestina Warbeck?  Who would you like to see a cover of?  Let me know in the comments.

Favorite Harry Potter Characters Ashley's Picks

Fred and George Weasley
The Weasley twins were instantly some of my favorites starting with the first time when we as readers met them at platform 9 3/4.  They are just funny, witty, and smart.  They are probably also people whom I would be friends with.  They also stand up for their family and friends.  I think the films did them justice as well.  The Phelps twins who portrayed Fred and George did a good job.


Luna Lovegood
Luna was not an instant favorite for me.  It wasn't til over halfway through the fifth book that I began to like her.  At first she just seemed straight up crazy and as comic relief.  It was later we saw her true character and her heart.  I like the fact that she isn't a typical person and beats to the march of her own drum.  She is an individual who doesn't care what others think of her which I think is awesome.

Molly Weasley
Okay, so I pretty much like all of the Weasley's (except Percy).  I wish I could be a part of this awesome family.  Although Molly can be overbearing at times and kind of scary when she gets angry, she has a great heart.  She's just so caring and sweet.  This is another character whom I think casting in the movies was perfect.    O and my favorite line "Not my daughter you B*#*#"  It just shows how much she cares about her family.


Sirus Black
One of my favorite books was Prisoner of Azkaban.  I especially liked the part where it was revealed that Sirius wasn't bad, but actually a good guy who just so happens to be Harry's godfather.   It gave Harry and us readers hope that he could maybe leave Privet Dr.  I love Sirius because like Molly, he genuinely cares for Harry.  In addition, he has that rebellious side where he just want to have fun.  The beginning of the Order of the Phoenix made me feel for Sirius a little bit more and we also learned more about his past.  One more thing, the animigus part is pretty cool too.

Bellatrix Lestrange
Lets be honest, Bellatrix is a terrible person. She is pretty much He Who Must Not Be Named's number one woman and supporter.  Plus she kills so major characters and a dislike her for that.  However, the movies made me love the character.  Particularly Helena Bonham Carter's portrayal.  It was just amazing.  The casting for that was another perfect match in my opinion.  I wish I had a better reason for liking her other than that, but I do not.  She does know what she believes in though, even if it is evil