Hogsmeade and the Souvenir Shop

When we first started out that morning in Jurassic World I told Russell it was OK, we didn't have to go back to Wizarding World.  By the time we got to the Lost Continent I said, 'You do realize I'm going back to Hogsmeade right?'  Yes, he already knew that.  😆

 I got one of the frozen butterbeers and it was so much better than the regular.  

It was getting onto lunch time so we went to the Three Broomsticks.  I had shepherd's pie and Russell had roast chicken with potatoes and corn on the cob.  Outstanding.  The food is so good here!

The windows were easier to see into cause it wasn't so wet like the morning before when they were all steamed up.  That's a mandrake that moves and squeaks.

Far less crowded than the day before.

From across the street Russell thought this was a real owl so of course I went over and found it was a puppet with a very skilled puppeteer, who made the owl move realistically.

Better pics of Gilderoy Lockhart's books.

Quidditch stuff.

 The Hogs Head bar is in the back of the Three Broomsticks.  The bartender touched the hog's nose and it moved and snorted and the bartender said, 'He's just grumpy cause he's stuck on the wall'.  

We made our way back to the front of Islands of Adventure and I stopped into the huge souvenir store that sells stuff from all of the different places.  I actually just went in for a keychain.....and walked out with an armload of souvenirs.  They sent them up front for me to pick up when we were done for the day, which we weren't.  

I wanted the Ravenclaw diadem so bad.

And Slughorn's Hour Glass.  I love it!

Tom Riddle's Horcrux ring with the resurrection stone

Wizard's Chess

Next time I want to get Buckbeak the hippogriff and Pigwidgeon the owl.

Academy Awards.

We had to stop at the scooter rental to ask if we could take them over to the second park, Universal Studios, which we could.  I got a kick out of this sign.

Some Souvenirs

You laugh, but this is me in a cool place with lots of shops.....

So here are some of the things I got in PTown:

For my sweetie pie.

Glass floats that I've wanted to buy only like forever.  This set was only $10.00.  I've seen them in BBay and Wareham for way more money!

A little fuzzy lobstah followed me home.  I haven't name him yet.  I have a plush lobster, also bought in PTown years ago, and his name is Crusty Crustacean.  So I'm open for name ideas for this little guy.  

OK I didn't actually buy this, but I took a pic of it so that I could, um, 'improve' on it....

.....like so.  But before anyone says I'm being mean, HE is the one that keyed in on the 5 lb rib roast when I posted my pics on Facebook.  

Some postcards and a New Brunswick license plate.  I could have sworn I had one but wasn't sure so I bought it just in case, and I didn't have one!

It bums me out that these novelty license plate cards no longer carry my or Russell's names.  So I got this one.

3 little bottles for a buck, so I got them in 2 sizes.

The fish bottle.  Have no idea what to do with it and I seriously have no more room for dust collecting bric a brac  objets d'art, but it's just so quirky.  Never seen anything like this before.  Plus it was cheap.

I got 2 of the cobalt and the one cranberry.

I could so easily have spent a ton of money up there.  There's always next time.  

Victoria BC: My Fave Place

My regular readers have lived my various and sundry adventures to Vancouver Island and my fave city, Victoria, BC.  Search the word "Victoria" on this blog and tons and tons of posts and photos will pop up, should you wish to view photos of this beautiful Garden City.

I love to shop, and I have come home from each trip to Vic with tons of souvenirs, mostly made in China - a resin box, a waterglobe, keychains, a toy doubledecker bus, antique beaded purses, etc. etc.  However, I always made sure to also purchase arts and crafts made by local artisans.  Here are some pictures of some pieces I've picked up in Victoria.

This orca whale pendant was made on Vancouver Island.  It was sold on a black cord but I made a necklace for it.

This notecard of the BC Legislative Buildings is called "Night Light" by Blaine Jackson.  I have another of his notecards featuring the Empress Hotel.  I looked him up online and found out that he passed away at age 44, in 1999.  

Another notecard of Parliament, also called "Night Lights" by artist Grant Fuller.  I have a second one of his of Butchart Gardens.

I fell in love with these paint splattered and beaded notecards and bought one, or more, on every trip to Victoria.  They are made by a First Nations Artist on Vancouver Island, but I was unable to locate her name in my scrapbooks.  

This was the last one I was able to purchase, in late 2010 on what would be my last trip to Vic.  The owner of the store that sold them, Instinct Art & Gifts, told me that she was no longer making the cards, they had been unable to get ahold of her for many months, and this was the last one they had. 

This gorgeous beaded purse is by Liane Mann at Amulet Art.  She had the most amazing selection of amulet bags that she'd made and was selling at the Bastion Square Festival of the Arts.  It was hard to choose just one!!  Sadly, I never saw her there again and her website is gone.  I am so grateful to have purchased one of her beautiful bags.

An amazing painting by the brothers at SprayBombs.  I highly recommend checking out the link and watching the time elapsed video of how they create a painting.  These young men have been painting on the Inner Harbour Causeway in the summer for years.  Just like with the amulet bags, I had a hard time choosing one, and decided to go with this orca whale, to commemorate the whale watch I'd gone on a day or so before.

Finally, I was able to find a souvenir t-shirt, actually made in Canada, with a design by Keith Tait, of the Gitksan Carrier Band First Nations of Northern BC.

I don't know when I will get back to Victoria.  I hope to.....someday.