Soooooooo tired...

Icky...it's 5 am...I've been up all night, working like a House Elf...there are people coming today to take our refrigerator, stove, microwave, power transformers and wardrobes! I've been busy all night long, cleaning and moving things about. Actually, I started in the morning...but it's hard to get much done when you've got a poltergeist that won't leave your side. But now I'm finally working on the stove. Last thing. Biggest task. So tired. And they could be here in as soon as 2 and a half hours!!! Ugh...I guess I'd better get back to it...I'll be glad when we're on the road to Germany!!!

Week 9: Pop Quiz

Let's see if I can do this without any outside assistance and merely rely on the knowledge already in my head to answer these! :D

1. To which prison was Gellert Grindelwald sent after he was defeated by Dumbledore in 1945? Nuremburg
   
2. Who is the first casualty in The Deathly Hallows? Hedwig
   
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 Malfoy
   
5. Severus Snape’s Patronus takes the same form as which other character’s? Lily Potter's
   
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? A Basilisk fang (from the Chamber of Secrets)
   
10. Following the death of Lord Voldemort, who is named temporary Minister of Magic? Kingsley Shacklebolt
    

Now let's see if I got them all right...::rummages in the beaded bag for the appropriate books to cross-reference::

1. Oops...it's Nurmengard...I was close, and in my defense, I have friends in Germany that keep mentioning Nuremburg! ROFL
2. Boo...It's Charity Burbage...I always forget that Deathly Hallows begins at the Malfoy Manor...::sigh::

The rest are correct! Woo-hoo! :D

Week 8 activity - Anagrams!

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

Wow! This anagram was more challenging than the other ones. I can make easier sense of randomly jumbled letters than I can deconstructing actual words to make names...LOL But I got done, nonetheless, even with having to take the time to get a kid ready for school and take him to the bus stop. Whew! :)

Muggle Technology

Eesh. And yet another example of silly Muggle technology giving me issues. Last night I lost my Internet connection and earlier that day (after the world's worst morning) I ran out of minutes on my phone. Mr. Bagnold is working 12-hour shifts, so I don't get to go get minutes on my phone myself and have to wait for him to remember for him to do it on his own. So when my Internet went down (despite all of not only my efforts, but those of Mr. Bagnold!), I felt very isolated and disconnected! I was offline for over 12 hours, but blessedly I did get my connection back. So now I'm blogging before it happens again! (That's what I get for procrastinating, huh?!) It seems to fluctuate with the temperature (which is highly annoying!), and as it gets very cold at night and remains fairly cold or chilly during the day. Blah.

Anyway, because of the lack of vehicular access, the elusive item for Emma's kit sadly remains so. :( We're still waiting on our orders, which is driving me bonkers, and I've been sick lately. (Wow, what a negative post...LOL) I can't wait to be in Germany!!!

C-C-C-C-C-C-COLD!!!!

Brrrrr! I woke up this morning and had a very hard time making myself get out of bed! When the house you live in doesn't have carpeted floors and the front door doesn't have proper seals on it, it gets quite cold indoors! Even now I'm shivering, though it is not truly that cold. I've just not really been properly warm all day. And on top of that, I think the elder poltergeist brought home some more sicky germs.

I haven't seen an activity posted yet for this week, but seeing as how my week is jam-packed with appointments, I wanted to get my blogging done early on! So much paperwork to get done just to get the one that says "Yes! They are clear to move! Here's the date you are leaving!" Ugh. And they had better be snappy about getting us that single paper after our appointments are done, or else it could mean the poltergeists and I are not only left behind by Mr. Bagnold while he reports for duty at our new base, but also that the three of us would have to go all the way back to the U.S. until it has been pushed through, just to turn around and head back to Germany! Ick! I truly hope it doesn't come to that.

I've been plugging away on Emma's kit, and am very pleased with the progress I've made, for the most part. There was one thing I made that the younger poltergeist got a hold of and broke, and once I re-made it, Mr. Bagnold teased me about it not being perfect...which is very not nice, because now I have to make it a third time! There's no way I can send something second-rate! Item number 2 I've been working on has been a little tricky, color-wise, but I think I've nearly got it now. And the "elusive ____________" still remains so at this point. I'm hoping to find what I need some time this week when we're out and about tending appointments...we will see!!!

Trying again!

Let's see if I can't stay ahead on this blogging thing! (Well, for now...obviously it'll get a bit more difficult once the move is in full swing...) We're still waiting to hear on when we're supposed to leave Italy, so I actually possibly could make it to the UK for the premiere of Deathly Hallows! (This move has really crummy timing...it disrupts the elder poltergeist's school year, it's debatable if I'll get to see Deathly Hallows in a timely manner, I'll most likely miss the postponed craft fair, I am missing a base theater musical production of "Fiddler on the Roof" in which I know 2 of the cast members...) At any rate, today is an American holiday (thank you, Christopher Columbus, for discovering America!), so while the poltergeist doesn't have school and Mr. Bagnold doesn't have work, the entire Italian economy is open to my continued hunt of the things that will help me get over this bit of Emma's kit that's got me stumped! :D I know exactly where to go looking, too...I just hope they're open! (I'm not sure why they wouldn't be, but I've never really gotten a firm grasp on when and why Italian shops close...) I guess I'd better get to it before they shut down for lunch and riposo!

Another week over...

I cannot believe how this past week has just flown by!!! (Hmm, maybe it's because I spent so much time sleeping...lol) I was so good last week about blogging, and this week, I'm back to the last minute (almost)! Definitely no time for the homework this week (which actually pains me to skip)...things have been busy with the older one going to school. I'm not fond of how it breaks up my day to have to drop him off and pick him up at the bus stop. (And yes, I do have to...if I'm not there, they won't let him off the bus, and if I leave him to get on by himself in the morning, I could get in serious trouble with MoM officials...one of the things about living in your non-native country...) I can be in the middle of knitting or beading or cleaning, and the second that my alarm goes off, I have to drop it all to go wait for him at the bus stop. I'm definitely looking forward to next year, though, when I won't feel guilty for laying down after seeing them off in the morning. I feel horrible for laying down when my younger one is so wide awake, but can barely even function.

Tonight Mr. Bagnold is off gallivanting with a friend (well, okay, not really gallivanting...they're playing the Muggle video game Borderlands...and have been at it all day...he likely won't be home until tomorrow!), which is fine with me, but it makes me really miss having Poppy and Meladia so nearby! I keep telling myself "Soon.....soon.....soon...." and we'll only be a couple hours away from Poppy, but we still don't have that blasted paper that tells us exactly when "soon" is...it's a bit maddening, really...okay, now I'm off to post on the family blog about Emma's kit!

More Beads

Woo-hoo! I finished all the earrings for the bridal party! (And then found out that one of them doesn't have pierced ears...ROFL) I also went on to make the bride's necklace, and bracelets that match for the bride and the entire bridal party! :D (What can I say? I get carried away....)

Beads, beads, beads, beads, beads...I'm not sure what it is about it, but I've been more excited about beading than yarn crafts! Craziness!!! Anyway, I must scurry off to work on Emma's kit some more!

Word Association Game!

1. Pumpkin PIE!!!!!!!!! (Mmmmmmmmmmmmm............)
2. Owl treats
3. Leaf Ericson (I know, I know....not the same spelling...LOL)
4. Weasley twins
5. Quaffle waffle
6. Hallow cheeks
7. Mad Eye
8. Dragon eggs
9. Crystal ...actually, the first thing that came to mind with this was "The Dark Crystal"...LOL
10. Trees Elves
11. Hermione Bagnold
12. Hogwarts  Hogwarts, Hoggy, Warty Hogwarts....
13. Burrow  den
14. Dobby murdered house elf :(
15. Horcrux ring
16. Ministry of Magic
17. Magic powers
18. Sirius Black
19. Apple juice
20. Juice orange
21. Candle scented
22. Ghost spooooooky (You have to make that ghostly "oooOOOOooo" in your head when you read that...LOL)
23. Snake sneaky
24. Wand expelliarmus!
25. Invisibility cloak
    
26. Tent backyard camping
27. Spell....ing Bee
28. Umbridge Um from Umbridge (Alice in Wonderland reference...lol)
29. Dursely "You great prune!"
30. Prophet newspaper

Jump Start!

Whew! I don't want to leave this week's blogging until the last minute, like I have been prone to do lately, and watching our schedules fill up as fast as they have...it's better to do this now while I have a spare moment!!!

Emma's kit is coming along beautifully, and thanks to some inter-family brainstorming (Thanks, Perenelle!!!), I think my kit will meet the well-rounded expectations I had from the start! Now if only I could find the time to do it all....LOL

My bestest-best friend in the whole wide world is getting married!!!!!!!!!! ::SQUEEEEEEEEEEE:: She got engaged about a week ago, and since then, my brain has been swimming with wedding thoughts. I reallyreallyreally wish I was closer to her, geographically, so that I could truly perform my Maid (Matron?) of Honor duties! Instead, I'm watching from afar (very far!), and coordinating and gifting what I can through the Muggle Internet. It has come in quite handy! I did tell her she had to have something handmade from me for her big day, and that she could choose what it is (she's not really a shawl person, lol, though I may end up making her one of Emma's designs; To Have and To Hold). She decided she wanted me to make her some earrings and maybe a matching necklace. And here's what I came up with for her earrings! (This picture was deliberately taken with direct afternoon/evening sunlight, to show that the darker beads are not black, as they can appear, but rather red...):

I haven't started on the necklace yet, as I need to go get more beads, but I have started matching (though simpler) earrings for the bridesmaids! (Hence why I ran out of beads...LOL)

I've got 1 and a half pairs of those done, and once I get what I need (hopefully tomorrow!), I'll be able to finish the other 1 and a half bridesmaids earrings and my earrings (which will pretty much be the same as the other bridesmaid's, but with an extra strand of the smaller beads on each earring, just to make it a teensy bit different). Once those are done (and I'm absolutely out of rubber backs for hook earrings! YIKES!), I'll be able to move on to her necklace. I'm also thinking of simple pendants for the bridesmaids and maybe bracelets, too...if the craft store has enough of what I need! LOL Here's to hoping! Now I need to go work on some of my household spells, as they seem to be sticking less and less often (I must need more practice!), now that the poltergeists are in bed!

What a Week!

Wow! I don't think I can even put in the thought and effort into the blogging prompt this week. It seems that this "bad week bug" has been hitting all of the families this swap! As for me, the poltergeists have been up to their usual antics, regardless of the fact that I now only have one during the day time! Mr. Bagnold was rear-ended last night on his drive home. (Just another reason to not rely on Muggle technology...) The other night I had absolutely no access to the Muggle Internet for hours (which caused a little panic on my end!), and we've been passing the cold around our house. :( I'm finally feeling better, as it seems the younger poltergeist is. The older poltergeist still has a bit of a cough, and Mr. Bagnold appears to be just now coming down with the symptoms.

In order to protect the Ministry, we have to keep up appearances of following all these Muggle laws and regulations, so the other day, I got to go to the Muggle dentist for a teeth cleaning and a consultation on another matter. Everything is starting up to prepare to move to Germany! I'm very excited to be going, but I am really not a fan of the paperwork and everything that leads up to the actual move. LOL I'm going to have to put an undetectable expanding charm on my yarn tote so that I can keep enough crafty stuff on hand to keep me occupied while we're living in the temporary lodging on base, through our drive up to our new station, and until we have all our things shipped to us!

I've been very busy with working on Emma Wigworthy's kit, too! The creative juices took a little bit of time to get going, but now that they are starting, I'm getting some more substantial ideas. :) In fact, I should go over to the family blog and share over there....

First assignment of the term!!!

1. Someone with the same craft as you. Siobhan Mooney (RavID: CelticMommy) crochets :D
2. Someone who was born in the same month as you.Winifred Hornswaggle (RavID: angel101580) is also an October baby
3. Someone from a different country.Saraid Swiftrunner (RavID: Swiftrunner) is Canadian :)
4. A new HSKS Family member.Caradoc Brocklehurst (RavID: Cayden) is a 1st year (Welcome to HSKS, Caradoc!!!)
5. Someone who has been in 3 or more HSKS swaps. Emma Wigworthy (RavID: AnnKingstone...used to be spinningmaid...) has been around HSKS longer than I have (and I've participated in 6 rounds prior to this one)!
6. Someone who has a bigger stash than you! it would appear that Fleur Sweeting (RavID: misslucy) has the largest stash in the swap!
7. Someone who both knits and crochets. a certain Miss Clara Clovenhoof (RavID: ajkane) does both
8. Someone who has the same favorite color as you.Perenelle Tejedora (RavID: sylvo) shares the favorite color of blue with me! :D
9. Someone who has the same favorite season/holiday as you.Cassandra Grubbly-Plank (RavID: kristo) and I both love Christmas time! :D
10. Someone who has the same favorite fiber as you. Acromantula (RavID: daisymum) is a fellow alpaca lover :D :D :D

Maybe I'm just weird, but I love these beginning-of-the-term questionnaires and information tidbits! (Maybe because it helps in stalking?...Or maybe just because I'm just that nosy and social!) Anyway, here are my answers to these questions, so that others can "use" me. ;D

1. I knit, crochet, play with beads, cross-stitch...pretty much any crafty thing I can get my hands on!
2. My birthday is October 17th!
3. I am American, so don't let my posts about living in Italy (and soon, Germany!) fool you! ;)
4. Nope, I'm not new!
5. This is the 7th HSKS for me! I love it here!!!
6. I have a whole 75 yarns listed in my stash on Ravelry
7. I've been crocheting for roughly 14 years and knitting for about 2 and a half
8. BLUUUUUUUUUUUE!!!!!! I love blue!!!! (though those purples and greens aren't bad, either...) ;)
9. My favorite holiday season is CHRISTMAS! I love everything about it! (Well, everything POSITIVE about it, anyhow...LOL)
10. My favorite fiber of all time has got to be alpaca. I lurve alpaca and alpaca blends...like right now, I'm playing with some Knit Pick's Andean Silk...YUM!!!!!!!! I also am really a fan of 100% cottons. :)

Getting Ready...

It's almost time for another round of HSKS!!! HOORAY!!! I'm so excited! The portkey appeared today, and I'm all signed up and ready to go! It looks like we've got some old faces back that we've not seen around for a while (studying abroad, maybe?) as well as some fun new people! :D Sadly, though, we won't be returning to Hogwarts. I do miss Ravenclaw Tower! But it's okay, because being a part of a family and doing some Horcrux hunting sounds like fun, too! :D


The older poltergeist started school today, and we're preparing for the Ministry of Magic to transfer Mr. Bagnold to Germany, so not only will I be Horcrux hunting, but we'll be magically moving the Bagnold Manor, as well! So much going on! Here's to another successful round of Potter swapping! :D ::raises butterbeer::

Wai--WHAT?!

How have I completely missed blogging for two weeks this go around?!?!?!?! How is that even possible?! I'm Miss Overachiever! Miss Get-It-Done-On-Time! Blargh! I have no idea where last week went...I remember that Mr. Bagnold started back to his office job at the Ministry this past week, after his 6+ month work out in the desert...and I recall doing school shopping for the older poltergeist online because what I needed wasn't all available at the base here...and then...BOOM! It's Sunday, and I've missed blogging! Insanity! But at least I have finished Lizzie's kit. (And that's not gone out on time, either! Getting used to not relying on magical ways of traveling in conjunction with only having one Muggle car is really a change...) It will be sent off with Persephone on Monday. I can't wait for her to get it! :D (Whew! At least I managed to get a few lines in for the last week of summer camp...)

Ack!

I can't believe I forgot to blog this past week!...Well, okay, maybe I can...Tuesday I ran off for a couple of hours to myself, Wednesday, I took the older poltergeist out for some one-on-one time, Thursday was the younger poltergeists' turn, Friday was a family day where all four of us went and spent the day out together, and yesterday I took both poltergeists out so that Mr. Bagnold could get some quiet time to himself. (I ended up out with both poltergeists for close to 8 hours! LOL) So between that and busily working away at Lizzie's kit, I suppose it shouldn't be any surprise that this past week got away from me. As a matter of fact, I went by the craft store yesterday to check and see if they had the wire I needed (I want to try knitting and crocheting with wire for jewelry!), they told me they were closed. I knew they were supposed to be closed on the 31st, but had completely not realized that the last day of July was yesterday! (Happy August, everyone!) Ahh, things are really picking up speed here...I'd better be prepared after I leave camp for the whirlwind of events that are on the horizon...::wanders off making mental checklists::

WINGO!

Unfortunately, I don't think I have the time to participate in WINGO this year. I have too much going on and too little time! I will, however, list the things I qualify for the other people using my name to cover. :)

N1 - I have been on quite a few trains, since I'm living in Europe for the time being! I've taken a train to the following places: Venice, Florence, Siena, and Haworth! (And I forsee quite a few more train rides in my future!)

G1 - I reeeeeeeeeeeally love Knit Picks and Cascade. I don't think I can pick between the two!

O1 - If you use the term "speak" loosely enough, I can piece together some French from the 2 and a half years I took in school...but I'm far from fluent!


G2 - I have one brother (older) and 2 sisters (both younger) :)

O2 - My queue is monstrous....are you ready for this? 621!!!


W3 - My patronus is an otter. :)

I3 - Years ago I used to collect cats...nowadays I still collect Tiggers, though I'm not nearly as passionate about it as I used to be.

G3 - I've been to Edinburgh Castle (in Scotland), Hohensalzburg Castle (in Austria), and Castel Brando (in Italy)

O3 - I make stitch markers, but haven't made any for sale yet...working on that, though!


I4 - I am an American citizen. :)

N4 - I love black licorice, and also really enjoy the black currant licorice treats that Lizzie introduced me to while in Edinburgh!

G4 - The only Quidditch I've played is online ;)

O4 - You better believe I own every Harry Potter DVD!!!


W5 - I've been around this swap since HSKS6 (and don't see myself as ever leaving!)

I5 - I've been camping on multiple day trips while in school; in 6th grade, I went to the Sand Dunes and in 8th grade, I went somewhere (I don't know exactly where) in the Rocky Mountains, both in Colorado. :)

N5 - I have played the flute since 7th grade (though I can count on one hand the number of times I've touched it since I graduated high school, sadly...)

G5 - I'm an October baby :)

O5 - I brought my owl, Persephone, along with me to camp

Hope I was able to help at least a couple of people! :) Now it's back to my preparations for Mr. Bagnold to come home!

Hellooooooooo, Summer Camp!!!

I am so very, very excited to come back to camp! My only lament is its short 6 weeks duration. LOL I really love this group of people and am so happy to have them in my life. :) This time around I get to spoil Miss Lizzie Wychwood!!!! I have wanted to spoil her (and Emma Wigworthy!) for quite some time now, and I am beyond ecstatic that it's finally happening! :D When I found out who I was sending to, I could hardly sit still for excitement, and had to immediately reach for a pen and paper to jot down the ideas that were spilling out of my brain! I've already made some purchases, and with one simple interaction with her (via electronic owl), I already have the kit in its entirety planned out! Now if only the things I have ordered would get here quickly...

Siobhan's Interrogation ;)

For the sake and sanity of my summer camp spoiler, Siobhan, I figured I'd go ahead and fill out this little questionnaire she wrote up! :)

Knit or crochet or both? Both! :) I've been crocheting for 14 years and knitting for about 3 years

Brands you would like to try but don't have easy access to: Thankfully, with the Internet, I can get most things, it's just a matter of time and finding a seller that will ship to an APO address...I love Boye hooks (ick on Susan Bates! lol) and my Knit Picks Harmonies...I'd like some hooks that help my speed, though, for dueling purposes ;) and as to yarn, I've heard the tales of both Cascade and Malabrigo, but have yet to try either

Favorite fibers/least favorite fibers I love the Knit Picks combos of 75% Pima Cotton/25% acrylic and 60% Pima Cotton/40% Modal (hmmm, must be the Pima cotton...), but love the warmth of wools (there is one kind of highland wool that I react to, but I can't recall what kind...note that it's only a highland kind, though...not sure what the difference is!) But really, my biggest part of preference is that it be machine washable. As to least favorite fiber, I'd love to not use 100% acrylic ever again (except in the case of kid items)! LOL

Favorite colors/least favorite colors I love blue! Blue, blue, blue, blue! I also like greens and purples. (Makes sense, right? I mean, they do have blue in them!) I used to abhor reds and browns, but I like them pretty well, now. About the only color I dislike is pink. Pink = ew. lol

Yarn weight preferences Most things I make fall into the sport-worsted weight category. Knitting socks is okay, but I'm really not all that into it, lol I prefer to make hats and scarves. :)

Favorite projects LOL It seems I should read ahead...LOL I make hats and scarves the most, I think...a lot of accessory stuff. (Probably in part because they're quick and easy to make, and when I make things simply for the sake of crafting, I know my BFF will take any accessories! LOL)

Favorite gadgets Ummm....like crafting gadgets?...stitchmarkers and row counters. Gadgets in general? My iPod. (I'm pretty much a music fiend.)

Favorite designers I tend to really like both Rheatheylia and Priscilla Hewitt's crochet designs, and I simply adore all of Ann Kingstone's designs, though I'm not sure if I'm quite ambitious enough to try them all! (I'm actually quite backlogged on that goal...)

Salty or Sweet or...? Both, but usually sweet over salty.

Tea or Coffee or...? TEA! Coffee = EW! lol

Allergies animal dander (cats are the worst for me, but I also react to dogs, rabbits, ferrets, horses...pretty much any 4-legged animal with hair! LOL), seasonal stuff, hay, dust, mold, and Dr. Pepper

Other things you like, i.e., buttons, pens, fabric, stitchmarkers, etc. I love pens and journals (I love to write!), but rarely get the chance to use them...I've got more than I can use! I also like bags. Not like purses, but the messenger bag style. Also, stitchmarkers and earrings. :)

Currently Craving beer battered mushrooms from Gunther Toody's...though those wouldn't ship well. LOL My favorite candy is black licorice flavors (Lizzie introduced me to the combination of black licorice and currant! YUM!!!!!!!!), though I do love chocolate candy bars, as well (most especially snickers and butterfinger)

Where you might have wish lists (Loopy Ewe, Amazon, Etsy) My wish lists are linked in my side bar :)

Measurements (feet for socks, wrists, head circumference) Hmmm...I'll have to get back to you on that, once I've found my tape measure...

Whatever else you'd like to share! I spend a lot of time on the computer and on the Internet...that, crafting, reading and music are what I like most, hobby-wise. :) I've got 2 little poltergeists, one that's starting school this fall, and they tend to be...rough...with things. But they already love books, too! :D

Owl alert!

Oh yay!!!! I had a special delivery owl show up today. I was informed by Siobhan and Wisty that I get to be the camp counselor for the Black Lake Bungalow for summer camp this year! I am so very excited! I already have ideas running around through my mind about how to decorate the cabin (and naturally, we'll need cabin colors and the like...) and kit ideas and trying to schedule in a few visits to Azurina down at the lake! :D This is going to be great fun!!!

Charming Hermione

Lately, I've been holed up in the manor with the poltergeists. Normally, that sort of thing is dictated by weather or health (we generally stay indoors if it's raining, as there's really no place on base for the boys to play indoors, and if any of the three of us are feeling under the weather, I just don't even try. lol) But today I managed to venture forth and get some things done, one of which included stopping by the owlery...and I'm so glad that I did! I got the handmade portion of my kit! And I love, love, love it!!!!!!!!!!!! It seems as though Rowan tossed in a pair of spectrespecs for me, very appropriate for a character that needed help with the open mind aspect. :) (I can't say I'm not unlike Miss Granger in that aspect...)

How do you think they look on me? :D

And the other part of the handmade item? It's the best thing EVAR!!!! I looooooooooooooooooooove it!!!!! In all the years of getting jewelry, I've never before had a charm bracelet. (And I've been heavily hinting to my husband that I've wanted one for some time...) Rowan is clearly accomplished in Occlumency! I put it on right away and was sad that I couldn't get a decent picture while wearing it, because that meant I had to take it back of. I may not be too adept at Divination, but I don't see myself removing it much, if at all. :)

The charms (from left to right) are: a spider (for Aragog...I don't generally like spiders, but I love htat it's on the bracelet!), a crown (for Ron, as "Weasley is our King"), a cat (for Crookshanks, of course!), an owl (for Hedwig, and by proxy, Harry), an eagle (for Ravenclaw!) and a Pegasus (for Care of Magical Creatures, since a Hippogryph for Buckbeak evaded her searches). I am so in love with this bracelet!!! THANK YOU, Rowan!!!!

YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

It's here! It's here! It's here!!!!! I finally made it to the owlery today (which is where Persephone has to fly into and out of, since we're stationed overseas and all), and wouldn't you know it, there was an owl waiting for me!!! (Well, 3, actually...the other two were from my mom and Knit Picks...but only one really matters...) ;)

Rowan, I love my kit!!! And I'm excited that there's more to come! :D

The first thing I saw when I opened this box was this gorgeous Ravenclaw hued tin!

I'm not sure what I'll use it for yet, but I have no doubt in my mind that I will find a use for it, and it will be well-loved in whatever capacity it's cast into. :D

Inside the tin were a lot of fun Ravenclaw-y and Hermione-ish things!

There was a pattern that matches the Hermione Hat I made myself for my trip to England last year, complete with pretty grey wool and a pair of needles that I had been coveting the style of way back when I went to Loops in Tulsa with Pren! (How on earth did she know?!)

There are some cute little pins (very Ron/Hermione-centric!):

There were also a couple of cute ceramic owls that will also be serving an as-of-yet undetermined purpose:

There was also a cute little frog (who I think shall be named "Ron"...or maybe "Won-Won"...I'm not sure yet...LOL):

And here's everything all together!!!

Thank you so much, Rowan Dragonsinger! I love it! And I'm excited to see what comes in Part II... :D

Owl Delays

I had every intention of sending out my package to Siobhan today for S.P.E.W. (and in the process send off a couple of other packages that are needing to go out!), but somehow I never made it out the front door. Today had nothing to do with poltergeist-hidden keys, either. I stayed up late tagging the hats I'm sending to a cancer treatment facility, with fiber content and washing instructions, so I got a late start to the day, and it just went all downhill from there. On top of that, I kept myself plenty busy with other yarn-related activities, not to mention playing with play-doh with the poltergeists. It's definitely been one of the more laid back kind of days. Tomorrow is a new day, though, with nothing gone amiss, and here's to hoping I can get it started off on the right foot and be productive! Goodness knows the state of my house attests that I need to be...

Faulty wand....

I just can't figure it out....Alohomora has always worked before...and yet, today, after the poltergeists got a hold of my keys, no amount of spell-casting has made any difference! Ack! I'm beginning to think that this is more involved in the Dark Arts than just a couple of poltergeists, because Accio isn't working, either...Things have been stressful around the Bagnold manor as of late, anyhow. Mr Bagnold will be returning "soon." (For those of you not adept in Ancient Runes, "soon" translates into too soon to do anything majorly productive like lose a desired amount of weight or re-organize the house, but too far away to do me any use of comfort today...)

This term is nearly over, which always bums me out. I love seeing everyone's kits and hearing their brags, but it means we'll soon all be boarding the Hogwarts Express and leaving these hallowed halls once more. On the plus side, I've already been contacted by the Camp Director over at HSKS Summer Camp to be heavily involved in camp activities! I am quite excited about the prospect of going back to the summer camp and seeing Azurina, the hippocampus friend I made last summer. :) Life is constantly and simultaneously filled with ups and downs, it seems.

You know, I think I may have a little bit of good old Felix Felicis stashed away somewhere...maybe if I drink a drop or two, I may find those dratted keys...::wanders off in search of her potions::

So....tired....

Oh my. You would think that after having been a responsible student for all of my public schooling career, that I would have continued that habit...but nooooooooooooo. Soon after graduating high school, I became a procrastinator. It never fails! Even with Clara's kit I was so super excited, and had so many ideas, and got started on them so early on, I feared I would need to restrain myself to not try to send before the early send dates! I should have known better...I had everything but one final part finished weeks before the early send period. So why didn't I continue on with that last thing? Because doing so would have meant I had to clean my house (or at least part of it!) to do so....and housework...well, let's just say that I don't usually share the enthusiasm of those poor, enslaved House Elves that think they actually enjoy housework! But I slowly got what I needed to done...and I intended to finish that last bit on Wednesday night, giving me Thursday and Friday to wrap it all up and ship it out. I had to wait until the poltergeists were in bed to begin, and once I went to start....I realized I didn't have everything I needed!!! So it was delayed until the next night, after I could get my hands on the things I needed. (Thankfully, they were available!) So last night, it began...and went on, and on, and on......and on, and on, and on, and on....


By the time I finally finished the last bit of said unnamed item (which is, I think, the coolset part of Clara's kit!!!), and wrapped it all up and labeled it all and packed up the box and filled out the customs form and addressed everything.....IT WAS NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about an all-nighter!!!!!!!!! Thankfully, I was able to lay down and rest for a few hours, anyway. It was enough for me to be able to drive on, and that was what mattered. ;) So I made it to the owlery, in fears that with my luck, it would be closed for some random, silly reason I hadn't known about. But thankfully, it was open! So Persephone (who only just recently returned from delivering prizes to some of the House of Ravenclaw!) was able to get everything settled for customs and be on her way!

So I made the early send date after all, even if only barely! Hmmm, maybe I didn't procrastinate quite as badly as I had feared....at least that wasn't scraping by to make the final send date!!!!

Clara, I hope you enjoy your kit as much as I enjoyed making it for you!

Arithmancy

Wowzer! Second time this term I'm pushing it...and a week with assigned homework, even! What is this world coming to?! LOL When I first pulled up the homework, I instantly realized how long it had been since I'd done any sudoku...I was a bit rusty! But I think I got it all correct...It's a little difficult to focus on it when the poltergiests are demanding my attention. But I'd better hurry up and post this! I need to go pront off more tags for my S.P.E.W. items while my laptop is actually fired up!

Code Word: Dobby

Code Word: Harry Potter

 

Code Word: Hog's Head

Busy-ness!!!

Wow, things have been picking up here at the Bagnold household! Planning a couple more trips before Mr. Bagnold returns, and I still have an entire house that is ridiculously in need of some magic clean-up! It's too bad we don't have any House Elves. (I know, I know, how dare I say that, right? Well, I promise I would be working right alongside them! LOL I just need some help doing a lot of de-cluttering and deep cleaning!) But since the term ends before his homecoming, I should have plenty of time to get it all done (I hope!). As it's actually not raining today here in Italy (for the present 10 seconds, anyhow), I'm about to take the poltergeists out and about for a bit. So here is my Ravenclaw homework:

PART 1


Find one person for each of these questions. No repeats!


Who is new to HSKS this Term? Genevra Dreamy

Who has played Quidditch for their House this Term? Celestina Pettigrew

Who is working on the same project (WIP) as you? Fleur Sweeting (Ahhhh, that Percy shawl....)

Who has more items in their Queue than you? Actually...nobody does! I have the largest queue this term! LOL But Megaera Black is closest to me, with her 400+ queue (I have over 600!)

Who has donated to SPEW this Term? Clara Clovenhoof

Who has participated in Dueling Club this Term? Ambyr Phoenixfyre

Who lives within 100 miles of you? Meladia Starseeker

Who is from a different country than you? Lizzie Wychwood


PART 2

Comment on at least one blog from each of the other houses. List their names here and something you learned about them from their blog post.


Hufflepuff, Selena Starfire: I learned that her wingspan falls between that of an owl and a goose!

Gryffindor, Madam Ferula McGonagall: She has been insanely busy between finishing up the school year (she's a teacher), preparing for her brother's wedding, and being a mom-to-be!!! (And she has a living and breathing Dark Arts detector!)

Slytherin, Quietus Snape: Wow! Quietus went up to Washington D.C. to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert, and made a weekend of it! (I love TSO, and have seen them perform 3 times, myself!!!)

Close Shave!

Whew! I think this is the closest I've been to the blogging deadline so far this term! Wowzer! I've been super busy with the poltergeists (who have been acting up from being cooped up in the house the past couple of weeks), and trying to deal with Mr. Bagnold taking over a higher position where he is deployed (so I rarely hear from him) and friends moving away right and left. But at least I've been able to keep crafting! Unfortunately, I lost the final round of the crochet duel to Rowan Dragonsinger, but ended up with a beautiful preemie blanket to donate.

I've also gotten around to finishing a set of 100% organic cotton washcloths for a friend that is expecting in November. (I am so excited about that!!!) I'm really loving all the new cotton colors Knit Picks has come out with!

And lastly, I'd noticed that Siobahn came up with a new baby/preemie hat pattern! I love trying out her new patterns! (As the copious amounts of Rib-Wrapped hats I've made can attest to...LOL) This one is called "Love in 15," and it's definitely unlike any other baby hats if made in the technique used. :) I think they turned out pretty decently... ;)

Now I'm off to work some more on my HoH and Quidditch ref duties (before I forget)!

Potions

Part 1:

Orginality Marker:

Go around your house, outdoors, for a hike, or wherever and take pictures of 5 different plants, herbs, or flowers that might be used in potions.

Shamrocks: Shamrocks are an integral part of potions that are used for dispossession and can be used in the very tricky, little known potion which prevents one from being put under the Imperius curse (but it only works if you take it at the exact moment you're being taken control of); shamrocks are also a close brother to the four-leaf clover, which is one of the most important ingredients of Felix Felicis.

Lovestone: More commonly known as "ivy," is a part of the love potion Amortentia. It must be dried and sliced into stips before putting into the cauldron.

Moss: This ingredient is used in medicinal potions commonly found in wizarding medical facilities, such as Madam Pmfrey's burn-healing paste.

Allium Schoenoprasum: When the tubular leaves of this plant are cut up, they can be added to potions used in Hogwarts greenhouses in keeping away pests, both magical and non-magical alike.

Parsley: Parsley is a critical ingredient in Fred and George Weasley's bruise-healing paste.

Part 2:

Answer the following potions questions:

1. Sneezewort, scurvy grass, and lovage are used to make what?

B: Confusing Draught


2. Porcupine quills are to be added when to a Boil Cure Potion?

D: After it is removed from the fire


3. What potion, if brewed correctly, should change color numerous times throughout brewing including deep purple, lilac, and finishing clear?

A: The Draught of Living Death


4. This ingredient in the Draught of Peace, would likely bring you permanent peace since it is poisonous, what is it?

D: Hellebore


5. Chopped daisy roots, skinned shrivel-fig, sliced caterpillar, one rat spleen, dash of leech juice are all ingredients to what?

C: Shrinking Solution



Part 3:

Take a picture of and list the ingredients and/or instructions to make one of your favorite potions that you have created.

Pictured above: cooking oil, water, cake mix, eggs, frosting; the cake mix came with it's own potions recipe on the back and I simply followed that to make....

Cupcakes!!! They were in lieu of a birthday cake this year for the poltergeist that just turned 5. :)

Firenze (Part 2)

Whew! I just finished posting about my Tuscan get-away on Facebook, so I figured it was high time to finish sharing my pictures here...so that I can move on to blogging about Verona!!!

After the Duomo, we went to lunch and then a gelaterie close to the Duomo before splitting off into our own directions. I set off in search of Santa Croce, and found this piazza on the way:

Piazza della Signoria:

It was a very beautiful area, and had I known there was an amazing museum right there, I'd have likely lost time in there! There were even amazing works of art out in the open piazza; scupltures and a fountain (but as they contain nakkidittity, and I know Gryphon is looking at the pics, I'll not post those ones here...you can see them on my Facebook, though!) that were beautifully crafted! Instead, I pressed on toward Santa Croce, the "pantheon of Florence."

It was an amazing experience to be there. I wish I could have gone in without kids and truly enjoyed it for all that it is. There was also a lot of restoration going on inside, so I didn't get to see all the tombs, but I did get to see Michaelangelo's final resting place...it is a work of art in itself! (Quite appropriate, no?) Very beautiful.

Tomb of Michaelangelo:

A pulpit that I thought looked super cool:

Florence was an amazing experience that I can't even put into all the right words. My pictures hardly do any justice to actually being there, and I didn't have nearly enough time to see all that I wanted to! Thankfully, my mother-in-law wants to go when she comes to visit, so I may be able to get to more of Florence's sights in the not-so-distant future. :)

A view common in Florence;

narrow streets hemmed in with tall buildings and a bell tower in the distance:

Mad-lib part duex

Here is my list of words, plugged into the story!:

Harry Potter And The Curse of Dudley

Harry Potter, the boy wonder, the cheerleader of the wizarding world; sat alone in his tiny bedroom scratching his fingernail and cleaning the goo out of Hedwig's cage. This summer wasn't nearly as boring as his previous summers had been.

Over the summer, his cousin Dudley had grown quite frightened of him. Harry secretly kept cursing him, even though under age use of magic was strictly forbidden outside of Hogacne's school of housecraft and snail.

It seemed the wizarding world turned a blind stomach when it came to Harry, and he never got in trouble for his... transgressions.

One particularly memorable curse on Dudley happened on the 12th of June. It was so hot, you could laugh a/an cottage on the sidewalk.

Dudley sat on his enormous nose in front of the telly, spooning jarful after jarful of pizza down his throat. Harry thought he looked rather bearish, with his piggy little eyes and fat body.

Harry got an evil little grin on his lips and raised his wand behind Dudley's head. "BODIUS SWITCHAMUS!" he shouted; which translated to English means "Turn this boy's head into a strawberry and make him dance around like a cat with OCD!"

And that's just what Dudley did! He clothed off the couch, screamed "SNIVELLUS!" to the top of his lungs, and began walking on the floor, while turning in circles and flapping his toes.

Harry was laughing so hard, he peed his shoe. He was still laughing, and Dudley was still flapping, when Uncle Vernon came thundering down the stairs. He had gone a nice shade of purple. He looked at Harry, shaking in anger, then looked at Dudley, horrified. "SOON YOU WILL BE ON TOP OF THE WORLD!" he screamed, then calmly turned and walked away.

Harry and Dudley looked at each other in abject confusion. Harry shrugged his shoulders in a "beats me" gesture, and the two cousins sat on the sofa, temporarily forgetting their animosity toward one another.

Dudley lifted the half empty jar of pizza and offered it to Harry.

"Don't mind if I do!" said the bespectacled young man, grabbing a spoon and preparing to dine.

Dudley's toes gave one mighty final flap, and the boys had a most enjoyable evening, indeed.

Busy work!

Since there's not a Hogwarts-wide assignment this week (due to the impending Quidditch match this Saturday!), the Ravenclaw house has been given the first part of a mad-lib: the listing of random words! So in the spirit of fun, here is my list!

1. laugh
2. 12
3. stomach
4. snail
5. house
6. acne
7. fingernail
8. cheerleader
9. goo
10. SOON YOU WILL BE ON TOP OF THE WORLD
11. shoe
12. clothed
13. obsessive compulsive
14. cat
15. strawberry
16. BODIUS SWITCHAMUS
17. lips
18. bear
19. pizza
20. toes
21. walking
22. SNIVELLUS
23. jar
24. nose
25. cottage

The end result should be pretty interesting.... ;)

Firenze!!! (part 1)

When I saw the signs for Florence, I immediately thought of our own Fiera Firenze! But Florence was an experience like no other! As I was with a larger group, there was a lot I missed seeing. (Walking en masse with numerous strollers and little ones slows a group down significantly!) And if I had time for more thorough research, I'd have had more places on my list of "must see"! LOL But as it was I was able to see the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella:

Backside of the basilica:

The basilica facade:

An obelisk in the Piazza della Santa Maria Novella:

I also got to see The Duomo (The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) and it's baptistery (the San Giovanni Baptistery) in the Piazza del Duomo:

The facade of The Duomo:

The San Giovanni Baptistery:

One of the hexagonal panels on Giotto's Campanile (the Duomo's bell tower) depicting the history of mankind (this one is wool-working!):

The interior of the Duomo was breathtaking! There were stained glass windows everywhere, mosaic floors, indescribable paintings and sculptures lining the walls...my pictures don't do it justice! But here is the largest of the 44 stained glass windows (that I could see) in the Duomo, a shot of a section of the floor, and the vigil candles:

"Christ crowning Mary as Queen," designed by Gaddo Gaddi

Only one small section of the floor (each section was different!):

I just loved the beauty in the way the had the vigil candles set up:

The best pic I could get of the inside of the dome, since they had the altar roped off (There was the option of climbing 400 stairs to see it up close [see that railing up there?], but the boys wouldn't have made it, so I didn't get to go up):