Monday, December 11, 2017

Come See Our Fantastic Beasts Harry Potter Party!

Want to see what John and I can accomplish when we quit Overwatch cold-turkey and spend two months crafting, plotting, and building things together?


Awww YEEEAH

Since I have just so much stuff to share, I'm going to follow suit from last year and do a video walk-through. Obviously I'm not great at this (I don't mean to sway like a drunken sailor, honest) but it's the best way to show you where everything is and, more importantly, let you see and hear some of our more dynamic effects. (Sound on, peeps!)

Right, 'nuff gab. Got about 8 minutes and a burning desire to see most of my house transformed into [SPOILER]? Think I can't make 8,000 people sea-sick at the same time? THEN HOLD MY GIGGLE WATER, and watch this:


How about that last thing? Eh? [eyebrow waggle] EH?

(UPDATE: Youtube was a poopy head about the music, so we had to re-upload the video without all our sound effects. Just imagine Myrtle moaning in the bathroom, the Goblin painting snoring, and a magical forest soundscape outside by the Thestral.)

Stay tuned for plenty of photos, more details, and tutorials/build logs of a few of my favorite builds, starting with Tiny Tim in the backyard there, then the moving painting, the Giggle Water tree, and whatever else you guys want to know more about. (Sound off in the comments: anything here you'd like a closer look at?) I'll also be posting the FANTASTIC 1920s fashions all our friends were wearing (you guys, I was blown away) and some of the fun foods and silliness we got up to.

Happily John and I have family in town and are running ourselves ragged at the theme parks, but that also means you'll have to wait a little longer for the guided photo tour. Soon, though. SOOOOON.


53 comments:

  1. So amazing! I could spend hours looking at all the details. Would love to see more of the moving painting. Merry Christmas!

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  2. O. M. G. Wonderful! I can't wait to see the still pictures so I can really get a good look at all the Fantastic (ahem) detail! And WHERE did you get that FAUCET????

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    1. Haha, no we didn't make it; you can find them on Amazon and Ebay for surprisingly little money. Be warned, though: the faucet they show you in the picture is WAY better than this, so we had a lot of frustration trying to get someone to sell us the actual pictured faucet before finally giving up and installing this one. :/ If you've never seen the advertised one it's still darn cool, but yeah... what they promise is better. ;)

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  3. SO PRETTY!!!

    Also, yes, ditto about the tap! Wow!

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  4. *Is speechless* I just had a huge grin the entire video.

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  5. Everything looks and sounds magically amazing!! Thank you for the lovely walk through - it was almost like being there to admire in person! :) Hope your party is a smashing success and we can’t wait to see more pictures, any tutorials you’re willing to showcase, and read any stories about the planning/creating/partying process! You guys are awesome!

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  6. That was FREAKIN' AMAZING, every bit of it. I mean, I can't even pick a favorite part because each little detail is so good. Now I'm just mad I don't have any local friends who either a) Do this or b) would appreciate this.

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  7. Also (ugh, hit enter and then thought more), I didn't think the video was too shaky at all! The only place I paused it was to read the drinks menu, cause you went by it a little fast. The rest of it was great.

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  8. An amazing job as always! I can't wait to hear more about Tiny Tim.

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  9. I love it! Forever in love with your dedication to decorating for this kind of thing. Also, it is beyond awesome that the Drowsy Goblin painting snores!

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  10. This is SO amazing! The Drowsy Goblin is some serious Universal-level theming (and is way better than half the stuff *in* Universal!) I would love to just park myself in front of the moving painting and just watch it for ages. (Also: is it really moving?!)

    You always have a way with gorgeous and fun crafts, but you completely outdid yourself with all of this! I think my inner monologue throughout the video was just "Oh my GOD!" about 10 billion times. :D

    I do have a question though: was there a sound of splashing water in the bathroom, or was I hearing things? (Also: I LOVE that the bathroom is the "Room of Requirement!" Dumbledore would be proud!)

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    1. Yup! The bathroom had an Ambient Mixer soundscape that I made called The Fantastic Bathroom. It had dripping water and wind, the occasional splash, and various animal sounds including a distant roaring dragon. :)

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  11. Wow, oh wow! Everything is fantastic. I can't to hear more about Tiny Tim, and the lights in the yard!

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  12. Where did you find your music? That was so spot on I'm impressed. Everything looked amazing and I can't wait to see it more in detail!

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    1. Thank you! I worked really hard on the playlist, so I'll be sure to recreate it over on Youtube and share the link with you guys. I found some really fun 20's Christmas songs I think you'll love!

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    2. That's what I was thinking! I love a good playlist. It changes the whole mood of a party & steps up the game. My biggest problem has always been what order to play things in. It's a skill I'm not super great at.

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    3. Yay! I absolutely was wondering about the playlist!

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  13. Thirded on the faucet. Want!

    Like that the monster tree is lurking in the bathroom to startle guests. "Hey. 'Sup?"

    Love the Mad Scientist light switches.

    HOLY BLAP YOU MADE A THESTRAL.

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  14. This is absolutely AMAZING! LOVE IT!! <3 The only thing that makes me sad is that I wasn't one of the people attending ;).

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  15. Just absolutely amazing. Y'all are my crafting heroes. My husband doesn't even ask any more where I get my crafting ideas. Always a highlight of my day to read your posts. Absolutely love the Giggle Water tree. The dragon tap made my jaw drop. I just smiled for 8 minutes straight.

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    1. Also, where did you get the dimensional Hogwarts crest in the middle of the wreath?

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    2. The Hogwarts Crest is from ThinkGeek, and is absolutely STUNNING in person. We got it on sale for under $40, and it looks and feels like it cost at least twice that. Highly recommended!

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    3. Thank you. It looks sooo good in your wreath.

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  16. OH you guys what an amazing job! Just, wow! So many things to make! And all so sparkly and beautiful. <3

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  17. As everyone else has said - AMAZING!!! I was wondering if the Wanted posters were your friends, or movie characters - I'd love to see them better. Also, from some of the comments about the sound, it looks like I got a different sound track than they did - all I heard was a jazzy Santa Claus is Coming to Town. No sound effects in the bathroom or snoring painting...??? And I didn't see it moving so would love to see more of that too :-)

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    1. I am pretty sure I spotted a mix of movie characters such as Newt Scamander and their friends/family. I did see a "Yates" label and one of the pictures looked like their friend Christie who has made several appearances here for her awesome cosplay.

      AMAZING decorations!!

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    2. Turn the volume up and really listen and you will hear the other sounds under the jazzy song. <3

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    3. Yep, other than the Newt & Jacob ones ALL of the Wanted posters are our friends - John had fun customizing each one with their photos and individualized "crimes." (He stalked their FB pages to get the photos so it would be a surprise!)

      And yes, you'll have to turn up the volume to catch the sound effects under the music - they're a little subtle!

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  18. Yes, I want to second that I need to see more movement from the moving painting! I only saw a flicker right when the camera panned away from it, so a nice long gaze at that area would be awesome. Can't wait to see how you did the surface, so cool, and such a great idea.

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    1. I promise lots more video of that when I post the build log! The movement is super fun, but hard to catch - which was intentional, of course, to keep our friends guessing. :D

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  19. Oh my god! Everything looks so fantastic. I adore your cute little house too. I applaud the amount of work this must have taken. You guys rock!

    Lady with Books

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  20. It looked spectacular! I can't wait to see more pics. Your house is so nice. I want to be you guys when I grow up.

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  21. I just...I just... I don’t have words! I’m in awe of your and John’s creative abilities! Everything is absolutely fantastic! Where did you I find that awesome vintage Giggle Water poster?

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    1. The poster is a version of a famous one! :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubonnet

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    2. What Ali said! John found a free download of that one, then modified it in Photoshop. Then we printed it on regular paper and taped them all together. Since it was dark you couldn't see the seam lines at all!

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  22. You guys hit it out of the park ah-gain. I was riveted to the screen! Oh and the end... I felt jolted out of a daze when it faded to black. I’d love an up-closer look to ‘Tiny Tim’ and maybe a walk around too? Just phenomenal you guys! So LOVE everything. Makes me very nostalgic for the Harry Potter days. You know, right in the middle of it all....

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    1. Your wish is my command! The Tiny Tim post is coming up first, with lots of day-time photos and a build log.

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    2. I looked at my screen and started mumbling "is that a... ?! Wow."

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  23. So the painting really was snoring, right? That is amazing! You guys are amazing! I can't wait to see more (and more and more and more!). WOW!!!!!

    I will say, that my favorite "fantastic beast" was the one on the back of the chair. ;) (My fosters made weight and were all put up for adoption yesterday, so I'm still recovering from my "kittenectomy.")

    Love,
    Zippy

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  24. The simple joke that the Room of Requirement makes itself the bathroom for the guests is sheer brilliance.

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  25. Perfection. So much fun. Thanks for bringing us along for the ride.

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  26. Afreakingmazing!!! Simply stunning.

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  27. Amazing! As I was watching, I kept thinking, "I wanna live there!" And I think my Momma had the owl wall hanging that is beside the owl tree! <3 Thank you so much for sharing your Christmas with us!

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  28. I like your faucet. It looks like you threw the party of the year! Thanks for inviting us to the virtual party. I had a very good time and can’t wait for the next one!

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  29. I love that you used my book again. :) And I’m not saying this to kiss up or anything, but this is all Universal quality stuff and I would literally pay admission to come to this. Like a lot. So so so amazing!!!

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    1. Hogwarts a History is yours?! Giving up a copy of that must have been hard. It looks like it's been in your family since your parents were kids at least!

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  30. Gorgeous! So much detail! Stunning!

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  31. Everything looks so amazing (as usual!) You two should be designing for Disney (or in this case Universal!) Was that a dragon water faucet in your Room of R.? So impressed! I can't imagine how you did some of those things! Happy Holidays Jen and John, we'll all be here when you're done with the family stuff and have recovered your strength! :)

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  32. I love how y'all go all out! This is great and your attention to detail is, as always, inspiring. Love the faucet, the monsters, the wanted posters, especially the moving painting. So, so amazing. Thank you for sharing!

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  33. AMAZING doesn't even begin to cover it. What you and John do counts as real magic. You should publish a book on how you do all of that. Do the cats socialize or do they hide out in the "off-limits" room?

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    1. Lily hides out, Tonks is more imprisoned, ha. With the back door opening so much I wasn't about to risk it, though. I did bring them out near the end to say hello, when there were a lot fewer people around and everyone was back inside.

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