Harry Potter Movie Night

The invitation

The sign on the front of our "Honeydukes" concession stand

Filled with homemade kettle corn

Other concessions included Veritaserum to drink (water- odorless, colorless, tasteless), Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Pumpkin Pasties and Licorice Wands

We had our fogger piping steam from the imaginary Hogwarts Express as you passed through the gate at Platform Nine and Three Quarters

My favorite potion in "Snape's Dungeon" was the Felix Felicis because after dark, it glowed with hope (a.k.a. a click light) while it danced with jubilation (crumpled up plastic wrap)

We enjoyed watching Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince on the big screen in our backyard. I thought that we would then go see Part One of The Deathly Hallows later that weekend because we were exhausted and I still had the Wii Mario Kart party the next day to clean up, then set up for. But... die hard fans that we are, we went that night anyway!

(And luckily, the party the next day went off without a hitch... pictures later)

Another Impromptu Movie Night

This time with more of a vintage theater style. Yea for Costco popcorn machines, and spray paint and leftover wood!

How to make popcorn cupcakes:
1. Ice the cupcakes with buttercream or frosting of your choice
2. Using scissors, snip the top of mini marshmallows twice in opposite directions to form an ‘X’.
3. Arrange the marshmallows on top of the cupcakes
4. Lightly spray the marshmallows with yellow tinted water to resemble butter
5. Wrap the cupcakes in red striped wrappers (I made my own template, but you can find them on the Internet, or even order adorable ones from Etsy)

New Moon on the Big Screen

sign on the front door

A very quickly put together backyard movie night, but so fun nonetheless.

Decor:
~ red, black, and white theme
~ canopy made out of black organza
~ white paper lanterns
~ white and red linens
~ black drink displays with click lights under glass
~ shepherd's hooks stringing white lights and lanterns along walkway
~ 8x10 movie screen and black drape
~ clear glass, and black and red serving ware, cups and napkins
~ vases filled with floating apples (red and reminiscent of the Twilight book cover art), wrapped in 2" black ribbon
~ black frames with book and movie quotes printed at Kinko's (the file can be found at http://www.hostessblog.com/2009/04/host-a-twilight-theme-party-at-home/)
~ red and white candles
~ white lights cast a warm glow as they diffused through white linens on the side tables

Concessions:
~ red licorice in coordinating vase wrapped with black ribbon
~ brownie "bites"
~ 3 blood types in carafes and bottle with black lid- V8 Fruit Fusion, Hawaiian Punch, and traditional V8 (again the labels can be found at http://www.hostessblog.com/2009/04/host-a-twilight-theme-party-at-home/)
~ popcorn drizzled with red butter to look like blood (it only tinted it- if I were to do it again I think it would make it more opaque and make popcorn balls but there was no time)

Activity:
~ the movie! We got New Moon on Blu-ray and watched it cuddled up with blankets and pillows. It was beautiful in a macabre way, and so fun- an event even Alice Cullen would be proud of!

Hollywood Premiere Baby Shower

For a second pregnancy closely spaced with the first, we did a "sequel" movie premier theme.

I made the invitations to look like a "V.I.P pass" ticket.

The tables each seated eight, were covered with a white tablecloth, red satin, and the centerpieces were gold pedestals with a popcorn box seated on top with tissue paper puffing out. At the beginning of the party, each centerpiece was surrounded by eight bags of popcorn for the guests to enjoy before the buffet.

The movie "Father's Little Dividend" (1951 with Elizabeth Taylor and Spencer Tracy) was rear projected and played silently in the background while a soundtrack of recognizable movie themes such as Indiana Jones, E.T., Singin' in the Rain, and Harry Potter played over the sound system.

Each guest passed by an inflatable Oscar statue and walked down the red carpet past movie posters while their pictures were being snapped by eager paparazzi.

The game was matching weird celebrity baby names with their parents. The winner received a sparkling body gel named "Shining Stars" with tinsel attached and gourmet popcorn so she could have her own movie premier at home, in style.

The buffet table was set with director's clapboard plates covered in fruits and vegetables as well as brownie bites and pretzels for dipping in ranch and homemade chocolate ganache which were served in giant martini glasses. We also had a platter of crackers and cheese. Elevated on the center of the table over draped gold and red tinsel was the "red carpet" velvet cake which I decorated with a covering of white fondant, black and gold hovering stars, gold ribbon and a classic Hollywood camera. I hand stamped the edges of each plate with gold and silver metallic stars, we had scarlet red napkins and the plastic forks were held in a popcorn bucket.

For additional decoration as well as a keepsake for the mom-to-be, we Photoshopped a vintage Casablanca movie poster to have their names on it and I built a shadow box that I painted a glossy black and uplit to house the poster.

The cake on a silver plate

A guest walking the red carpet

The game table with directions printed in an Old Hollywood art deco font

The game itself, the title in a Hollywood sign font

The buffet table was ravaged after the party

Looking back after all the guests moved up during the gift opening