Yes! It's true! As of right-now-this-minute-these-words my pint-sized place on the interwebs is one hundred and eleven posts old. Cool! You say. Fantastic! And also Why does this matter? Well, here are some things:

→ One is my lucky number and eleven is my favorite double digit, so I figure three of them right in a row is something extra spectacular. 

→ I generally operate under the idea that any opportunity to reference Lord of the Rings is an opportunity well-taken. 

→  There are few things happier than finding your postbox home to actual post or, as we would say around here, rill mell. 

→ I have this hereditary habit of buying postcards from absolutely wherever I go because a) my mum started it and b) I am enamored of the bite-sized-correspondence culture and c) mostly it's just the best way to pretend you own a Van Gogh, at least until you're rich enough to buy up the Met entirely. But to be honest my collection is getting totally out of hand, and I should really do something about it.

So if you've made it this far and even managed to connect the dots, you'll know that to celebrate this obvious milestone I'm going to send you a postcard! Well, only if you'd like—but I promise it'll be a pretty one and even say some nice things on it, too. Basically what will happen is that you email me your address, I'll pull a postcard from my collection, add a few colors and contours myself (this will maybe involve glitter), send it off to you, and voila! Your postbox is proud home to actual post and the world is all the happier for it. Sound like something you could get behind? Excellent! Let's recap:

Please send all postcard requests with the subject "111th," and know that eleventy-one posts is too short a time to write and read and wander among such excellent and admirable people such as yourselves. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, but it means whole worlds and miniature galaxies to me that you would stop in so frequently no matter how sporadic my actual blogging tends to be. Thank you very much for coming to my little party; I do hope you'll stay awhile.

from the fourth.

 

send her victorious.

The facts are these: I have a really stellar mum who a) not only tolerates my eccentricities (I speak in accents, mostly British/Commonwealth, when especially happy) but b) often encourages them. Like last week, when we kind of sort of laughed about celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and then, around two o'clock that Saturday afternoon, suddenly realised COR LOVE A DUCK WHY WOULD WE NOT CELEBRATE THE QUEEN'S DIAMOND JUBILEE?!

So I cut a quick stamp and scrawled out a dozen invites while my sister whipped up the trifle and my mum and I set about transforming the backyard and seven hours later we had a party full of people from all sorts of places but one common love. Hail Britannia, indeed.

The good news for those of you who may have missed out on such an occasion is that while the official party played out last weekend, the Jubilee celebrations last until the end of the year and you can join in when you like, where you like, and as you like. Not convinced? Spend some time with the best of the best over at our party playlist and you might just change your mind.

quidoovia.

When it comes to Cory + Sharlie Erb, I doubt even seven books could cover such a story. Let's just put it this way: I once came home to Hedwig at my door. And a month later attended--hands down--the best Potter Party yet. Because here's the thing about these two: they don't do life by halves. For Sharlie's 24th this dynamic duo crafted and posted all acceptance letters, organized and categorized all guests by costume and feast fare, made their apartment every bit as magical as the Great Hall, ran Ollivander's wand shop, monitored the Goblet of Fire, kept Honeyduke's stocked with all the fan favorites, created sets and props worthy of any top-notch production studio, and then proceeded to top it all off with the single best party game to come out of the known Potterverse--a Quidditch/Taboo/Trivia mash-up they created themselves. 

Guys. I'm pretty quiet, mostly. Whatever personality profile you want to assign me--Blue, INJF, Marianne Dashwood--my party style is absolutely Behind the Scenes. Games? Not so much. But this game? I would throw a party just to play this game, no Potter theme necessary. I would call all my friends together just to play this game on a weeknight. I would pull randoms from the college crowd just to play this game in the middle of campus. I would write up an entire blog post just to get other people to play this game and understand the absolute epicness of it all. Which, oh look. I did.

So, with the Erb's blessing: Ladies and gentlemen, muggles and magics, we give you

- Q U I D O O V I A - 

you will need: 

-  two teams

-  two Seekers from each team

-  two Keepers from each team

-  one Beater from each team

-  sixteen golden snitches, eight for each team

-  all seven Harry Potter novels

-  Harry Potter Taboo cards 

   (Cory made his own; you can, too!)

-  Taboo timer

-  a Madam Hooch to referee 

   (a Lee Jordan for commentary optional)

how to play:

One thing I especially loved about this game was that anyone could play, from Dursleys to Dumbledores. Once we'd been sorted into houses and then further divided into two teams (we split Gryffindor + Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin + Ravenclaw), we ran a quick survey to get a feel for Harry Potter knowledge in the group. Those who hadn't even so much as bothered with the movies were assigned Seeker status and sent to search out their eight team snitches (in this case, golden golf balls labeled by Hogwarts House) that had been hidden about the house beforehand. The ones determined to be somewhat (ahem) fanatic became the team's Keepers, prepared to answer the toughest trivia at a moment's notice.

From there, the real game begins. The rest of the team (Chasers) take turns playing Taboo Potter-style, and if they get through three cards in the allotted 30 seconds, they have "thrown the quaffle" and it's up to the opposing team's Keeper to block the shot by answering a trivia question. If incorrect, the goal is good and the shooting team earns 15 points. And those Beaters? Every Taboo round a Beater from the opposite side stands over the Taboo-ing Chaser's shoulder to make sure they don't say any of the taboo words. If they do say any of the taboo words . . . Bludger via pillow to the head (told you there was something for everyone).

But the real score awaits the Seekers, and then ultimately the Keepers. The Taboo rounds end only when the Seekers return with all their eight snitches, and fifty points go to the team who managed the feat first. However, after all the scores have been added up, the losing team has the chance to challenge the winning team in a duel to the death. In the event of such a challenge, each team chooses their Dueler and a Second who then face their foes at the front of the crowd, wands---er, minds at the ready. The referee reads out one final trivia question and the duelers have thirty seconds to find the answer in one of the books provided for them. And with the win, cue the chorus. Weasley is Our King. 

Caught the vision? Play the game. Let me know. This could be the beginning of great things.

On an entirely other note: I have entered the realm of animated gifs. Oh no. (Told you there was a puppy.)

Did I mention the Moving Portraitbooth? There was a moving portraitbooth. I know. We all wish we had thought of it first.

penny for the guy.

remember, remember the fifth of november

the gunpowder treason and plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

guy fawkes, t’was his intent to blow up king and parliament.
three score barrels were laid below to prove old england’s overthrow;
by God’s mercy he was catch’d with a dark lantern and lighted match.

holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

_____________________

happy to be with some high school mates for the holiday.

katie + james made the most epic effigy and we hiked up a mountain a bit 

and the boys built a bonfire. also, steamed milk + sandwiches.

doesn't get much better than that.

the bonfire | the marcus | the crowd

la petite fête.

Seen Woody Allen's latest? Our Midnight in Provo party was a little homage to the idea of returning to your golden era. Allison with flowers in her hair. Myself in Fitzgerald glitter. Aubrey, inexplicably (awesomely), as Amy Winehouse. Also a lot of boys in clever caps and tweed. We picnicked under stars and fairylights. There were baguettes and any number of sugared possibilities. It was, all in all, the loveliest. 

Especially when two dapper chaps elbowed me out of the kitchen, insisting they captain the clean-up crew. NB: Gentleman is a good look for any decade.