Meredith Carson... Across the Pond and Back Again...

I decided to celebrate my birthday twice this year, and after successfully orchestrating the Harry Potter themed birthday hullabaloo for my ten year old, I figured it was high time for me have a birthday soiree for my own self.  I invited a few of my Michigan friends over for an evening of fun and intrigue.  The theme: Murder Mystery.  The instructions were somewhat vague, leaving tons of room for creativity: "Please come dressed as your favorite murder mystery character." My friends did not disappoint.  We had a wide variety of characters including... Dame Agatha Christie and Detective Inspector Jack Frost. What a handsome couple they make! Adrian Monk and Precious Ramotswe. Of course you've read Alexander McCall Smith's wonderful series about the lady detective from Botswana, right?? Dr. Reid and Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds were terribly impressed with my lifelike pistol shaped ice cubes . Even Scooby Doo turned up!  A...

For many weeks we have been planning, and now I, with a little help from my friends, have finally pulled off a successful Harry Potter party to celebrate my oldest daughter's tenth birthday.  I had a notebook filled with lists of ideas for games, activities and Potter-themed snacks.  I had purchased sparkly fabric, pulled out Halloween decorations that seemed appropriate, and scoured the Internet for inspiration.  Mentally I was prepared.  The night before the party, however, I started to hyperventilate a little as I attempted to sort and separate different shades of brown and pink and yellow Jelly Belly jellybeans into individual party cups for the "Bertie Bott's Bean Guess."  My husband walked into the kitchen as I sat at the table staring stupidly back and forth between a marigold-colored jellybean pinched between the fingers of my left hand and the slightly different goldenrod-colored jellybean held similarly in my right hand.  "I ...