My March

March was still quite hot at the beginning, but Autumn finally started to kick in towards the end. I've been waiting for the leaves to turn, and they finally have. It's been cool enough to start using the oven again, and cook some hearty meals.

What I've been growing ...
I grew potatoes, which was quite exciting. I was going to write a separate post about this a few weeks ago, but I couldn't find the photos from the beginning of the process -- letting the 'eyes' grow on the potatoes and planting them. It didn't feel complete without them, but I didn't want to go with not mentioning it at all. Here are my 4 potato plants at the nearly-ready-for-digging-up stage:

Here is my harvest. I planted 4 full-size potatoes, and put together I'd say these babies equal about the same. All it cost me was half a bag of compost and a couple of handfuls of straw. I didn't pay enough attention to regularly adding more compost and letting the plants grow taller (and therefore grow more spuds underground). I'll remember that for next year.

What I've been cooking ...
Husband and I re-watched the Harry Potter movies, and on the spur of the moment we decided to have a Harry Potter feast day. For breakfast we had a cooked breakfast with sausages, eggs and mushrooms:

We were so full from breakfast that we weren't hungry for lunch (which was going to be Mrs. Weasley's corned beef sandwiches). I was also going to make pumpkin pasties and treacle tart, but we wouldn't have been able to eat them! So we skipped straight to dinner: a roast beef and veggies complete with Yorkshire pudding and gravy!:

I had some Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans from a trip to the Shop of Requirement (see my post on my first visit there here!), and it was time to try them! Yes, they really are every flavour! I wrote about them a bit more on my Instagram.

Finally, some less scary desserts. Muggle versions of chocolate wands (chocolate liquorice logs), (non)jumping chocolate frogs, and ordinary-flavoured jelly beans:

What I've been potting ...
I love re-potting plants. It's one of my favourite activities. I went to the local nursery and splashed out on lots and lots of pots, and a couple of new plant friends. Then I had some mammoth re-potting sessions. I'm still not done yet though. I had a wealth of cuttings from my fuchsia and succulents to pot up, and I'm still not done yet. I've been trying to re-use materials more -- such as bits from a disposable coffee cup to line the bottom of the pots.

What I've been making ...
I started a new craft project but I can't reveal anything about it yet as it's a gift for a friend. So you'll have to wait until next month to find out what it is!

Selections from Instagram
The place where I'm working isn't that picturesque, but I did find this stunning display of Autumn leaves a few days ago:

Sharick 'helping' me to fold my clothes:

Madfest Anime Festival 2018 and Haul

About a month ago, I went to the Madfest Anime Festival. I have attended every year since it began in 2016. In the previous two years, it was held in mid-November, but this year it was moved to mid-September. I think there are pluses and minuses to this timing. It's not too close to other festivals that happen in November, such as PAX and Supanova. On the other hand, the weather isn't as likely to be good. The day I went was dull, grey and rainy -- not very good conditions for cosplay photography! I did see a couple of people braving the rain to take photos, but I did feel a bit sorry for them.

The lineup featured all of the usual: community performances, celebrity appearances and signings, merch booths, creators' corner, and movie premieres (for an additional ticket price). Last year I wanted to build up my plushie collection, but this year I was mainly interested in stickers and crafty things. These things are found in the creators' corner and this year it was huge! All of the little yellow squares on the map below are creator stalls. I was determined to see them all, but I felt like I spent most of my time in that section! However, it was really great to see so many makers getting the opportunity to share their creations.

This year the festival was held in a smaller space -- and it made a big difference. The moment we walked in the door, we were hit with a wall of people and it was quite daunting. There was a much smaller space to sit and only a couple of food stations compared to the spacious area and large selection of food stalls last year. That was a little disappointing. The creators' corner area, too, was very crowded. It took a long time to squeeze through all the people to see each stall. There were some that I wanted to buy products from, but I gave up because of the wall of people in front of them.

I'm not good with crowds, and I needed to take regular breaks after every couple of aisles to reground myself. I'm familiar with the noisy and frenetic atmosphere of conventions, and I was prepared for it, but I still found it overwhelming. I started to get a feeling, too, that I was just there to buy stuff. However, I did enjoy looking at the cosplay costumes, the displays, and being with a group of people who have the same interest as me.

Having said all that, now for the haul! Links to the creators' Instagrams are included where possible (You don't need the Instagram app to view them, links are to a browser version of Instagram.)

https://www.instagram.com/kokoscope/
https://www.instagram.com/zombeevee/

https://www.instagram.com/artofkatieelle/

https://www.instagram.com/missaree/
https://www.instagram.com/asongofbeads/
https://www.instagram.com/milkymanastore/

https://www.instagram.com/trinketsbyblu/

https://www.instagram.com/chelsea_megs_tcc/

https://www.instagram.com/artofaliss/

Haul : New Harry Potter Shop in Melbourne!

This month, the Shop of Requirement opened here in Melbourne. It's actually within walking distance of my work, and it's been very hard to resist the temptation to go nearly every day at lunchtime! I waited until Husband and a friend were able to come too, for my (first!) visit.

I'd been told there were queues down the street in the first week of opening, but thankfully we were able to walk straight in. It was still very well patronised though, and I didn't manage to get many photos because of all the people! The shop was exquisitely decorated and set up, with a back room for relaxing and looking at the premium items in a quieter atmosphere. All of the Harry Potter merchandise that you can possibly imagine was there, from wands and robes to biscuit cutters and shot glasses. One wall had a bay dedicated to each house:

The atmosphere was so full of excitement it was a little overwhelming, and I only bought a few things. I snapped up the sticker book because ... stickers! Over 400 Harry Potter stickers to use in my art diary, in one handy book? Yes please! The keyring blind box contained a little Dobby and Hedwig keyring.

I of course had to purchase some Hufflepuff-themed items, as a proud ... well, I'm actually a Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw hatstall, but I went with my heart.

A pink Pygmy Puff keyring! The metal tag is thick and good quality. All of the official Harry Potter items that I saw were very good quality.

Whenever I see a pack of playing cards lately, I have to admit I'm always thinking about whether I can use them for divination. The diversity and depth of the characters in Harry Potter seems like it could work. I chose the cards from Order of the Phoenix as that seemed to have the largest cast of characters and action in different locations of all the movies. (I'm willing to admit I'm wrong -- I was trying to remember off the top of my head!)

If you're in Melbourne, the Shop of Requirement is at 6 Smith Street, Collingwood. If you're planning on going, check the website, as the opening times are a little unusual. I'm sure I'll be returning soon!

PAX and Madfest 2017 and Haul

Over the last two weekends, I went to two Cons: PAX (computer and tabletop games) and Madfest (anime). Despite feeling like a perpetual noob in both of those fields, I managed to have a very fun time and came away with an extensive haul from both.

At PAX I enlarged my plushie collection, with a large Jigglypuff and a Bulbasaur from Pokemon Go, a Mr. Meowgi from Neko Atsume, and a dinosaur Pusheen.

My dream is to have a Wall of Plush (well, a shelf, in reality). I'm hoping that once the shelf is full, I won't have the urge to buy more plushies. That's the theory, anyway...

I also purchased some Pokemon Go charms. I was planning to make an Ita Bag (a fan-themed bag), but the bag itself didn't arrive on time for either Con, so I wasn't able to put it together in time. At least I'll have plenty of charms for when the bag finally does arrive. There's also a Crossy Road pin. I've been enjoying playing this game for the last few months, and didn't know until the Con that it's an Australian game! So I had to buy a chicken pin. I somehow snapped up the last pieces of Stardew-Valley-themed merch from the place, too. (Another girl had picked them up, and I was standing behind her, mentally willing her to put them down. It was quite drastic.)

Here are the tabletop games that I convinced Husband to buy. Sagrada is brand new game (well, new to Australia, anyway?) -- it only came into the booths on the last day of the event. Reviews coming soon.

I also spent some time checking out the Australian Indie games area, one of my favourite parts. I took photos of the ones that interested me most as a reminder and thought I may as well post them on my Instagram.


One week later, I went to Madfest. It has a different vibe, but just as fun. This year the area was more spacious, which created a more relaxed atmosphere. I'd estimate that almost half of the patrons were dressed in some kind of cosplay or anime-inspired outfit, so many that I almost felt like I stood out for wearing a normal outfit! While I thought I looked pretty cute, I'm determined to step up my outfit game next year! (I forgot to take any photos of myself, but I might do a What I Wore drawing sometime soon.)

After we had sushi handrolls and matcha custard buns for breakfast in the food hall, I made straight for Artist Alley -- the part I look forward to the most. It's been re-named Creator Zone, which is more inclusive. I was mainly on the lookout for stickers for my Hobonichi, and prints for my art wall. This year there weren't as many stickers -- many of them were larger vinyl decals, which were beautiful, but I can't justify the extra cost for a more durable sticker if I'm only going to use them in my diary.

Here's a visual run-down of everything I purchased from Creator Zone -- I managed to keep track of most of the makers: their Instagrams are linked below each picture.

{Stefanie Palladino}

{Ashlin Day}

{Niipan}

{Kosmotiel}

{Koko City} // {BunnyLoz}

{CritterCat} // {Miss-a-Ree Guts Creations}
I collected cards from many more sellers whose work I loved, but wasn't able to stretch to buying on the day.

I splashed out and got a large Mystery Bag from Sugart Creations. Actually ... I asked for the largest bag, thinking the medium one was the large one. There was an even larger one hidden behind which the stallholder thought I was asking for, and I felt too bad to refuse it. The stall had many beautiful handmade things as well as commercial merch, and overall I think the bag was worth the purchase. My favourite items from it were the Vulpix wooden brooch, Charmander badge, cat-ear beanie, Lolita headbow and the Sanrio plushie.

Speaking of plush, I only bought one: a Vaporeon from a stall selling official Pokemon Go items. From the discount manga stall, I bought the first volumes of Orange Crows and Planet Ladder. There's the Pokemon Go cookbook for Husband to give me for Christmas, and a manga version of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I haven't played any of the Zelda games, but I've just started learning to play the ocarina, so it would be nice to know the story.

Sometimes when there are obstacles in life, you just
have to learn to work around them!
There were several gallery spaces showing art from the animes Attack on Titan and Cowboy Bebop, and the Studio Ghibli film Your Name. I enjoyed seeing this side of the culture, away from the fandom and commercialism. (It was literally less noisy in these spaces, which I appreciated.) Madfest is a relatively new Con, and I while last year was very good, this year was even better. I'm looking forward to going again next year.

Re-Reading the Harry Potter Books

I've just finished re-reading the Harry Potter books, and I found them even more wonderful than I remembered. It took me several months, as I don't get much time to read these days, but even still, I was more than a little sad when it was over. It was like a friend was staying with me, and then they left. I thought I'd write this post as a little tribute to my re-reading, and to remind myself of why it's important to read the book as well as watch the film. These are things I've noticed in the books which are different or downplayed in the movies, which really bring them to life so much more.

* Ron is really useful ... when Harry, Hermione and Ron are caught by the Devil's Snare in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, it's Ron who has to remind Hermione that she can use magical fire to defeat it. He stands up for Hermione on several occasions -- even to Professor Snape when he calls her an insufferable know-it-all in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. He shows bravery and intelligence that the movies don't reflect.

* The Weasleys swear ... a lot. Obviously the movies can't depict a character swearing, and the books can't use specific words, but quite often the text will say: "Ron swore...". The brothers also get up to more teasing and practical jokes on each other, and there are a lot of family in-jokes. There's such a beautiful sense of how close the family are.

{Picture Source.}* Ginny is awesome ... Sure, Ginny is awesome in the movies, but she's even more so in the books. This comes out in the Quidditch matches, which are covered in the later books but dropped almost entirely from the movies (presumably due to time constraints). In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ginny easily makes it onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a Chaser. When Harry is ill, she fills in for him as Seeker and catches the snitch which wins the House Cup. In the books too, we see a lot more of Ginny and how her experience in the Chamber of Secrets affected her. She feels guilt for what she did to her fellow students, and worries that she might become possessed again.

{Picture Source.}* Hermione is really good at giving gifts ... the most memorable one being the broom maintenance kit she gives to Harry, which the book mentions him using several times. Hermione might seem like the kind of person who gives people gifts "for their own good" rather than what they would really like, but this isn't the case. (Well, except for the talking planners she gives Harry and Ron in their O.W.L. year!) I think this shows her as a caring friend and makes her a richer character. I have to admit, I'm a little bit envious of this ability.

* Luna is smarter than she seems ... There's an inkling of this in the movies when Luna give Harry advice about how to deal with Voldemort's mind games. It comes out more in the books, though. At Bill and Fleur's wedding, Harry is disguised for his own protection. He uses Polyjuice Potion to transform into a random muggle boy from the nearby village and passes himself off as a distant cousin of the Weasleys. Luna, however, sees through this disguise at once, recognising Harry from the way he moves. This shows that Luna has the ability to see past the obvious and trust her own ability to make connections where others can't.

{Picture Source.}* Harry is quite smart ... It's difficult for movies to show the thought processes of characters, without going into annoying internal monologues, so we don't really get to see how Harry thinks. There are several occasions in the books though, where he thinks something over and comes to a smart conclusion. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, he sits down and thinks about how to find the Diadem of Ravenclaw, and realises that he can talk to the Grey Lady. In the movie, Luna tells him this information. As angry as Harry is that Dumbledore didn't give him all the information he needed before he died, Dumbledore trusted him to come up with the answers on his own, and he did.

{Picture Source.}* Magic is hard work ... The first few movies are sprinkled with comedic moments where a student casts a spell and it ends up blowing up in their face or turning into a furry teacup. In the later movies, there isn't room to depict the ongoing struggle to learn magic. Even students like Draco Malfoy or the Weasleys, who have been immersed in magic their whole lives, find it a struggle to learn to perform magic effectively. The students in Harry's year had an education in Defense Against the Darks Arts that is patchy at best, and they had to work very hard to catch up. Even when a student does learn to cast a spell, being able to control it is a different matter. When Crabbe uses the Fiendfyre spell in the Room of Requirement, it burns out of control with fatal consequences.

There's so much more to the Harry Potter books that I can't even begin to cover in a blog post. I'd like to re-read them once a year ideally, even if it does take 5 months!

Christmas Wishlist

Harry Potter Boxed Set
For the last few months, I've had a hankering to read the whole Harry Potter series again. I never had a full set because I'd borrowed the first 3 or 4 from the library to read, and had only purchased the last few as they came out. I must have donated them because I can't find them anymore. So I'm wishing for a lovely boxed set like this one:

New Phone
Actually, I have a phone, it just isn't set up yet. I'm not very technically-minded, so it's taking a long time to figure out how to do everything. (My situation is complicated by the fact that I have an old-style sim card that doesn't fit the phone, my music library is on my old laptop, and my contacts, apps and photos are spread across 3 devices.) I know I have to do the work myself, and it's a bit unrealistic to call on the Christmas elves to help, but a girl can't help dreaming, right?

Plant Pots
I have so many baby plants now that I need a constant supply of nice pots for them to live in. Spare pots are also handy for keeping craft supplies and other household items in. Specialty bonsai pots are the prettiest, in my opinion -- they come in small sizes, and many colours and shapes.

Hose Trolley
Watering the garden every day in Summer is a must for it to survive, but lugging around an unco-operative hose is no fun. It would be so much easier with a retractable hose trolley that I could trundle around to different parts of the garden.

Miss Peregrine Book
I don't often buy fiction books unless I'm sure I'll like them, but having seen the trailers for the movie, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children seems to be one I'll surely like.

I'm quite sure at least a couple of these are under the Christmas tree already!

Movie Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

SPOILER ALERT!: I have tried not to give away too much of the story in my review, but nevertheless, but if you have not seen the movie yet, you may wish to wait before reading this post.

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a movie set in the universe of Harry Potter. It is loosely based on J. K. Rowling's book of the same name. In the Harry Potter universe, the book is a non-fiction school textbook, a guide to magical creatures. The movie is the story of the book's author Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), and one of his many adventures.

The movie is set in New York in 1926. Newt Scamander has just arrived from England to find that wizards do things rather differently in the U.S.A. Muggles are called 'Non-Maj', and there is a law against having any contact with them except strictly for business. Newt has with him a Tardis-like suitcase full of magical creatures, some of which escape. In trying to catch them, he reveals himself to a Non-Maj and is caught by an investigator (Tina, played by Katherine Waterston) from the American version of the Ministry of Magic: MACUSA. At the same time, darker events are happening, for which his creatures are blamed.

Before the movie, very little was known about Newt Scamander's character beyond his profession as a magizoologist. More devoted fans might know that he was a Hufflepuff at Hogwart's. Eddie Redmayne was absolutely perfect as the devoted animal-keeper. Forthright, socially awkward, yet brave and curious, he embodied the ideals of a Hufflepuff and the eccentricities of a wizard.

The female characters were also satisfying. Tina Goldstein, the demoted ex-auror had a complex history and a quiet yet strong demeanor. Her sister Queenie could have been told as yet another blonde bimbo, but her character also had depth. The pathos of Queenie's beauty and sometimes-uncontrollable Legillimency (ability to read minds) was quite moving.

The story is set against a background of fear and oppression. A dark force strong enough to destroy buildings is ravaging the city. An extremist group called the New Salem Philanthropic Society are campaigning to expose and eradicate witches and wizards. Despite the audience being half young children the day I went, I would say this is not a movie for little ones. There are themes of death, abuse and oppression. Some of the imagery, especially that of the political rally and the New Salemer's speeches, was quite chilling.

Despite all this, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ends on a positive note. There is a satisfying amount of duelling and disapparating, and the animals both small and large were fascinating to discover. There are several nods to Hogwart's and the Harry Potter era, such as echoes of the music in the score, and Newt's yellow and grey-striped scarf. Any concerns about the movie feeling 'samey' however, are dismissed immediately.

The ending ties back into the main history of events that occurred in Europe, and I have a feeling there will be at least one more movie on the theme. I certainly want to know more.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them receives a definite thumbs-up from me!

My Hogwarts House

Yesterday, I finally created an account at Pottermore and found out my official Hogwarts House! I don't know why it took me so long to get around to it. I first started reading the books after the third one came out, so that makes it 1999. At the time, I was instantly drawn to Ravenclaw -- it fit my personality perfectly.

When the online quizzes and tests appeared, I did a couple and the result was always Ravenclaw, too. I was a dyed-in-the-wool Ravenclaw! Or was I? When chatting with Husband and some friends earlier this year, they said I struck them as being more of a Hufflepuff. Were the tests wrong, or perhaps I've changed?

About a month ago, I came across a sorting system based on personality psychology. It's quite complicated, and there's no quiz -- you have to read through the desciptions and decide which one fits you best. The site is here and I would recommend it as an interesting exercise if you're interested in psychology. The system is two-tiered. Your Primary sort is based on your value system: why you do the things you do. Your Secondary sort is your methods: how you achieve the things you want to do. It also explains the concepts of Modelling and Performing.

Choosing my House for the Secondary sort was easy: it was Ravenclaw far and away above the others. I had a very hard time choosing a House for the Primary sort, however. In the end, I tentatively chose Hufflepuff first, with Ravenclaw a close second.

While this exercise and learning more about the psychology-based sorting system was very interesting, it left me even more confused than before. Can you be a RavenclawxHufflepuff? That's why I decided to join Pottermore, do the sorting quiz there and get the 'official' truth. Which is: I'm a proud Hufflepuff!

It wasn't much of a surprise actually, when I think back on the last 15 years. I've changed in many ways. Learning and knowledge are still very important to me, but so is community and supporting others. (The rise of the internet is probably partly the reason for that.) In the last 3 years especially, since buying our house, gardening and plants have become a new and passionate hobby for me. That, more than anything else, is probably the reason my friends now think of me as a Hufflepuff!

I am very happy to be a Hufflepuff, as I think it suits my personality the way it is now. And who knows, perhaps I would have been the student to build bridges between the Houses and show that Hufflepuffs aren't "duffers" after all! There's only one drawback to being a Hufflepuff. The House colours -- yellow and black -- are the same as a football team here in Melbourne. None of the other House's colours suffer from that problem. I suppose that if I ever want to deck myself out in Hufflepuff regalia, I will have to make sure the crest with the badger is clearly visible. I don't mind though, because the badger is the most adorable and foresty of all the animals!

I actually think that if I lived in the Harry Potter universe, I would have been a Ravenclaw. If I'd been admitted to Hogwarts at the age of 11, where would the Sorting Hat have put me? I was such a strong Ravenclaw back then. If the hat had given me a choice between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, I would certainly have chosen Ravenclaw. Now, I would choose Hufflepuff. And J. K. Rowling agrees.


TL;DR I'm a Hufflepuff!

Madman Anime Festival

A few weeks ago, I went to the inaugural Madman Anime Festival. Melbourne has been a bit lacking in anime conventions since Manifest ended in 2013, so I was happy when I saw that MadFest was on. Madman are the biggest distributor of anime and manga, as well as other independent films, in Australia, so they are in a good position to run a festival.

The festival space was smaller than I expected, but there were plenty of things to see and buy. I didn't attend any of the activities, but there seemed to be plenty to keep fans busy all day. I've been meaning to learn more in the world of anime and manga for several years now, and the intense, vibrant atmosphere was a good way to learn what's popular and what makes fans excited.

The main point of this post is to show off my purchases, so here they are:

I'm very interested at the moment in collecting stickers for my Hobonichi art diary, so I spent a lot of time loitering in the Artist Alley area. I bought some Pokemon stickers from Elking Art, and Pusheen stickers and some prints from two girls whose card I unfortunately didn't get:

I've recently started watching Sailor Moon (the original series) for the first time, so I was excited to pick up these badges and a keyring. There are also a pair of Tuxedo Mask earrings and a Totoro pair from Curious Emporium.

I couldn't resist this Pikachu plush, and the Hello Kitty is a gift for my Mum. I named the Pikachu Pickles.

I purchased a hand-crocheted Totoro for an embarrassingly low price from a stall whose card I also didn't get. The detail on this plushie is lovely. The Domo-kun and Beemo come from a mystery box that Husband bought. I got the pick of everything in it that was pink!

Finally, some manga/manwha I purchased from the $5 stall -- Platina and Metamo Kiss. I was hesitant to buy any full-price sets as it's always a risk with something you're not familiar with. If I like them, then I'll buy the rest at a later stage.

While the festival was relatively small, I preferred it over the larger ones which can become overwhelming. I hope it will continue next year, and also hopefully that I will know more about anime by then.