Saturday, June 28, 2008

A Week Already????

My goodness! This week was so busy and I'd meant to post last Sunday! The day simply got away from me. I have such awesome, awesome news to share!!! Two really great things happened this week.

Cat and Winnie
Sunday the headmistress and I were able to meet at a nearby Starbucks. We live in adjacent towns - who would have thought? She noticed that my mailing address was near where she lived and she contacted me for a meet up! I was so jazzed. Here is a picture of us with my girls - Grace Ann and Mikayla.




My Kit Arrived!!!!
I still have to email Daisy, but I wanted to display the wonderful package that she sent me. Sorry, Daisy, that I could not post until now.


Daisy knit this beautiful bag!!! I absolutely LOVE it!! Along with the great pattern of a bag she sent these awesome buttons that look like snake eyes.

She also included a beautiful note, these gorgeous green stitch markers, a set of straight needles as well as circular needles, 3 skeins of Patons wool, a knit cup sleeve - love (1) - a Snickers bar, and a coupon for a free Starbucks drink!!! Thank you so much, Daisy!!! You are more than awesome! :)

Now to get cracking on finishing up my kit and those mini socks!!

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Busy, busy bee!!

So sorry, Slytherins!! I know that I'm posting just under the wire. Things have been so busy here with the twins that I've nearly forgot all else. Ear aches are no fun, I tell you!

I do have some wonderful news, though! I received a wonderful package just yesterday from the ROAK swap from our dear fearless leader, Arabella!! Thank you so much for the lovely yarns! I love angora and wool. Within the next couple of days I'll be picking somone from the ROAK list on our Ravelry board and shipping out a little goodness too! So, look out for your mailboxes because you never know who it's going to be!

Also, my package for my partner is coming along nicely. I'm running a little behind on knitting up something so, a beautifully sewed bag it will have to be. I might give a sneak peak at the fabrics next weekend just before I ship it off.

For those of you that are trying to beat the heat here are a few ways that you can stay cool this summer:

Try a desert trick. When the air outside is dry and cooler than the air inside, hang a damp sheet in an open window. “That’s what we do here in Death Valley,” says Dale Housley, a ranger at Death Valley National Park. Incoming breezes are cooled by the evaporating water.

Block the sun. Closing curtains and blinds (ideally with sun-deflecting white on the window side) can reduce the amount of heat that passes into your home by as much as 45 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Make a makeshift air conditioner. If it’s hot but not humid, place a shallow bowl of ice in front of a fan and enjoy the breeze. As the ice melts, then evaporates, it will cool you off.

Give your A/C some TLC. Clean or replace the filter in room and central air conditioners about once a month during the summer. If you have central air-conditioning, have the ducts checked for leaks, which can reduce a system’s efficiency by as much as 15 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Seal any cracks between a window unit and the frame with peelable caulking or a sealant strip. These steps help ensure good airflow and keep the coils cleaner, which means more efficient and more effective cooling.

Close the damper. While running any kind of air conditioner, shut your fireplace damper. An open one “pulls hot air into your house instead of sucking it out,” says Tommy Spoto, a master chimney sweep at Chimney Chap, in Copiague, New York. “This is called flow reversal.”

Close everything else, too. Whether the air conditioner is on or off, keep windows and doors shut if the temperature outside is more than 77 degrees Fahrenheit (most people start to sweat at 78). Whenever the outside air is hotter than the inside air, opening a window invites heat to creep in.

Fan strategically. If the day’s heat is trapped inside your home, try a little ventilation at night or when the temperature drops below 77. A window fan can help; the trick is to face the blades outside to suck warm air out of the house and pull cooler air in. “Kind of surprising,” says Bill Nye, the Science Guy, a scientist, engineer, comedian, author, and inventor. “Having a fan blowing in is a good idea — but it’s not as effective as one that’s blowing out.”

Spritz yourself. Keep a spray bottle in the refrigerator, and when the going gets hot, give yourself a good squirt. “It’s all about thermal regulation,” says John Lehnhardt, an elephant expert at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. “As the water evaporates, it cools you.” While elephants wet their ears first by blasting water from their trunks, humans should begin with their wrists to quickly cool down the blood flowing through their veins.

Run a fan and an air conditioner simultaneously. You can use the air conditioner at lower power and still feel cool if the fan is blowing over you. That’s because the air conditioner removes humidity from the air while the fan helps evaporate sweat and moves heat away from your body. (Note: Fans don’t cool a room; they just make people feel cooler, so shut them off before you leave.)

Turn on the vent in the bathroom. When taking a shower, be sure to use the vent fan: It helps sticky moisture escape.

Stay cool, Chicas!!

Quidditch ~ Round Two

Picture Scavenger Hunt

Kingsley

Nymphadora


Bellatrix Lestrange
(This is a family portrait of Bella that hangs in the Black family Manor)


Remus
(a sweetheart among sweethearts)


1. At the beginning of the year feast, who is the only person who rudely interrupts Dumbledore during his speech?

b. Professor Umbridge

2. Off what street is the alley where Harry first met Sirius?

c. Magnolia Crescent

3. Tonks’ mother had two sisters, both pure-bloods, and both left on the Black Family Tree. What are their names?

c. Narcissa and Bellatrix

4. What spell are the students studying in McGonalgall’s class when Umbrdige is doing her inspection?

d. The Vanishing Spell

5. Who comes to warn Harry and the rest of Dumbledore’s Army that Umbridge and her group of followers are coming to break up their meeting?

Answer: ____Dobby_________ (five letters)

6. Who are the members of the Order that met Harry Potter in the Dursely’s house during the summer before his fifth year?

c. Alastor Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Remus Lupin, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, Hestia Jones

7. Moody used the Disillusionment Charm on Harry.

a. Yes

8. Which of these Death Eaters is Sirius related to?

d. All of these

9. At what age did Sirius leave his home?

Answer: _____16____________ (Number)

10. How many of the original Order members were killed (don’t include those who disappeared)?

b. 8

Monday, June 9, 2008

The Forbidden Forest

Not too much homework will be done this week. If you don't see me post too often this week it's because Lav, Ophelia, Emma and I are on a mission to the Forbidden Forest to find her husband. If you are a Slytherin you have access to the notes left by our owls. If you are not a Slytherin, well I suppose that you'll have to wait until we return to get the full story of our travels. Please, wish us luck! I can tell you that we've already come across some magical beings in our travels.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

My Patronus

I heard that Professor Lufkin is requiring that everyone needs to post their Patronus, so here is mine:



What Is Your Patronus Charm?
You scored as a Owl Patronus
Although it took a bit of work, you managed to produce a wise Owl Patronus! Exceptionally intelligent and unbelievably clever, you are by far a genuine person with a mind filled with brilliance and the potential for great things. You generally keep to yourself, but you have a lot going on inside of your head. Any way, you are a wonderful and useful friend. Now go kick some dementor butt!
Rabbit Patronus

70%
Swan Patronus

70%
Owl Patronus

70%
Dog Patronus

70%
Fox Patronus

70%
Horse Patronus

60%
Butterfly Patronus

60%
Cat Patronus

30%

I wasn't entirely happy with that quiz so I took another:

The TOAD, most may see this as a humiliating patronus. I mean how are you supposed to strike fear into the hearts of evil with a toad... come on. But this patronus is far from a joke; its wisdom surpasses all, giving it a tactical advantage. And by using its massive and adhesive tongue it can spit it out at the enemy and suck it in, making your nemesis’s come to you. Then subsequently swallows them... thus absorbing there power and saving the day. Not a wise patronus to mess with! 27 % from 46252 test takers had this profile!

Noni Contest!!

I just had to write about this. The CraftGossip Blog Network is holding a contest for the Just a Bowl of Pears Noni pattern. Head on over and enter because she's giving away a big of yarn too!!

Friday, June 6, 2008

Hogsmead!!!!

I am so excited! The headmistress announced earlier this week that this weekend is a Hogsmead weekend!! Yay!! I know that I don't want to spend the time in Hogsmead running around like a chicken with my head cut off, so I shall make sure that these stops will be first on my list (anyone care to join me?):

The Three Broomsticks
My favorite drink is the cherry syrup and soda with ice and an umbrella. Madam Rosmerta is such a dear! She always remembers me and as soon as she sees my head pop through the door she begins making my drink. Do you think that she's related to our own Emerald Rosmerta?

Honeydukes Sweetshop
Favorite candies? Of course Fizzing Whizzbees. It is so fun to float for just a few minutes as they dissolve in your mouth. Acid pops and blood flavored lollipops are also among my favorite. I used to love Canary creams, but last year some students went over board and now those things give me nightmares!

Gladrags Wizardwear
I must stop here because I have to get some things for me dad. The American Father's Day is coming up and I wanted to get him a special cloak that he's been eying for some time now.

Well, for now I must get some good sleep so that I can enjoy the trip tomorrow!!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Hufflepuff Slytherin Quiz #3

We have been asked by Hagrid to describe an experience that we've had with a magical creature, so today I'm going to write about my childhood pet that I called Limpy. Limpy is actually a Plimpy.

When I was 2 years old I couldn't say Plimpy very well, so when my parents asked me to repeat my new pet's name I said Limpy. A Plimpy is "a kind of fish, shaped like a ball with two long, rubbery legs and webbed feet. If you happen to spot a plimpy with its legs tied in a knot, you will know that merpeople are around." I had Limpy just about from birth, and because they grow slow he didn't reach full size until I was 4 1/2 years old - just about the time that the old memory storage kicks in.

On our property we have a huge pond, so when Limpy got too big for my little fish tank we put him in the pond. Well, when I was about 4 1/2 the merpeople, who were not in our pond before, showed up. How they got there, I don't know. My parents, who really are fun loving people decided that they did not want merpeople around their daughter, so they decided that Limpy had to be moved to another pond. I remember being so said that I cried for days and days. To this day, every time that I see a pond I wonder if I'll see Limpy.

Curious Meme

The ever curious Lizzie Wytchwood tagged me with this Meme, and I've only now been able to sit down and respond to it :)

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Do you mean 10 years in Potter time or muggle time? Well, we'll go with muggle. I was just entering muggle college to get a degree in communications.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today?
Change diapers.
Wash clothes.
Change diapers.
Sneaking in a nap.
Playing with the twins.

3. Snacks I enjoy...
Heide Gummy Bears
Ice cream
Oatmeal and raisin cookies

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire...
Buy my parents a house.
Donate to charity.
Travel.
Invest in my children's education, and
BUY LOTS OF YARN!!!

5. Places I've lived..
San Diego, CA
West Covina, CA

6. Jobs I've had...
McDonald's
Mortgage Company
Women's Ministry Leader

7. Peeps I want to know more about...
I have enjoyed the posts of the following on HSKS and Ravelry, and invite you to respond to this Meme if you care to:
Wisteria Lovegood
Violet le Veela
Cressida Townsbury
Emma Wigworthy