Brayden's Harry Potter Party

 We celebrated Brayden's birthday a few days early this year, so that Todd could be with us.  I cannot believe that on Wednesday I'll have an ELEVEN year old.  It just doesn't seem possible.

I had fun planning this party, even though I've never read the books and I've only seen part of one movie.  There were tons of easy idea's online, and my mom and sister helped as well.

I set up the candy store on my hutch.  From left to right we had:  Exploding candy, chocolate licorice wands, lemon drops, acid pops (fizzy pops from the dollar store), Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Blood Pops (pomegranate raspberry suckers), cockroach clusters (candy coated peanuts), salt water taffy, and crystallized pineapple (freeze dried).

I actually spent nearly $5 on a teeny tiny box of "Beanboozled" jelly bellys so we could have barf flavored beans.  I thought it was a bit ridiculous until Brayden got a rotten egg bean.  It was hilarious and I definitely got my money's worth!

The day before the party, I put a few drops of food coloring in the bottom of these paper cups, and let it dry overnight.  When it was time for dinner, I added ice to the cups so you couldn't see the food coloring.  The kids watched me pour my magic potion (sprite) into the cups and each one came out a different color!

I made a Quidditch cake using barbecue skewers, paper flags, and a Ferrero Rocher candy with gold ribbon "wings" for the snitch.

 I used my two least favorite cakes to get the Gryffindor colors: Yellow and Red Velvet.  Can I just take a minute to give you my opinion of Red Velvet cake?  Every single bite is just a reminder that you're not eating chocolate and you're wasting perfectly good calories on cake with no taste.
I did, however, make homemade frosting.  I'm not a frosting lover (more like a frosting hater) but it actually turned out pretty good....for frosting.

 My mom gave Brayden three Harry Potter robes (for his brothers) and some Harry Potter glasses.  Dillon wanted to try the glasses on, but instead of Harry Potter, he looked more like...

...Chicken Little!

 Here are my little wizards.  Harry Potter and two red-headed Weasley (sp?) boys...Fred and George, I think.  Now if I can talk my mom into making a snitch costume for Justin...