Craft Project: Harry Potter Monopoly

EDITED DECEMBER 2021: Please see bottom of post for links to the PDFs

I mentioned a few weeks ago I was finally back to working on craft projects again. I wasn't able to post about this one until now because it was a birthday gift for one of my besties and he reads my blog. :)

My friend Chance is obsessed a huge fan of the Harry Potter books and movies (he is the person who forced encouraged me to read the series). A few months ago he mentioned how he couldn't believe that there was no Harry Potter Monopoly game. We even double-checked and looked on Amazon but couldn't find one (I'm convinced if you can't buy it on Amazon, it just doesn't exist). Lol. I decided a few weeks later to go online to see if someone not associated with Amazon sold the game. I found this website called Mugglenet and it had a picture of a Harry Potter Monopoly game someone had designed. First and foremost, I want to make sure I give full credit to Robbie, the designer of this game. I just printed the PDFs and made my own game pieces. He was the master mind behind this design. He was gracious enough to provide PDFs for everyone to make their own game. He just obviously asks that no one sells his designs. Please check out this post here if you want the PDFs to make your own game.

I used white card stock paper to print out the property "titles" and red and yellow card stock paper for the "Chance" and "Community Chest" cards (which are called "Spells" and "Potions").

I needed to find a design for Harry Potter Monopoly money (I didn't like the one provided on MuggleNet), so after a Google search, I found this website that provided PDFs of Harry Potter themed money. I originally was going to print out the money on different sheets of colored paper, but instead I took the files and used Microsoft Paint to color the edges so each denomination was a different color. A quick search online let me know how many bills of each denomination is included in a regular Monopoly game.

I used my handy dandy craft cutter to cut them apart (that was such a great purchase a few years ago). :)

I had originally planned to find an old Monopoly game so I could just Mod Podge the board layout on top of it. I looked at four different Half Price Books and couldn't find one (I didn't want to buy one new). So, I had to improvise. I bought art board at Michael's (with my 40% off coupon, it was very reasonably priced) and used Mod Podge to glue it down. My only problem with this is that the board couldn't be folded up, but it wasn't that big of a deal. I figured he wouldn't mind.

The first time I glued it down, it didn't seem even, so instead of ripping it up (and ruining the board), I just glued a second "layer" on top of the first one. There are two PDFs of the board (divided in the middle), so in order to not have a huge line running down the middle of the board, I used Microsoft Publisher (am I the only person who still uses that?) to "combine" the logo portion of the board so I could print it as one piece. That way there wasn't a line down it.

I covered the entire board with several layers of Mod Podge to give it a "glossy" look and less "papery" feel.

I kept wondering what to use for game pieces. I looked online for Harry Potter mini figurines or Legos, and they were WAY TOO pricey ($16 for one piece is crazy). A few years ago I used glass beads in a craft project and had a ton left over, so I decided to cut out pictures of Harry Potter characters and glue them on the back for the game pieces.

This is what the pieces looked like afterward. I know I had more pieces than what was needed, but I figured whoever played could pick their favorite character (I did design two different Harry Potter pieces though).

Since I wasn't able to find an old Monopoly game, I didn't have house or hotel pieces. I decided to use buttons. Mainly because I had a lot of buttons left over from another craft project and I was trying my best to use supplies I already owned. :) I used 36 smaller buttons as the "houses". I tried to use buttons that were the different colors from the houses of Hogwarts, but I had to improvise (again). I didn't have gold, so I used orange. I didn't have silver, so I used clear. I used bigger purple buttons to represent hotels (mainly because it was the only color I had bigger buttons in).

I decided to make a "Rules Book" so I looked online and found a copy of the Monopoly rules. I copied them and "altered" them to fit a Harry Potter Monopoly game. The Rules Book is the one thing that was actually MY design. :) 

I bought this little plastic tote (again at Michael's, I love that place) to keep all the pieces in. I also bought a set of dice and included them in it. I used "sticker" paper and printed out the Harry Potter Monopoly logo designed by Robbie and stuck it on the top and edges of the tote. I also used that same logo on the cover of the Rules Book. 

I gave Chance the game last Friday. I also had bought him the illustrated version of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone (he had not so subtly hinted that he wanted that book). I had bought the book as a back up in case I didn't finish the game or if he didn't like it. But of course he loved the game. :) He has a son (who is beyond adorable) and can't wait to play a game with him and read the illustrated book with him.

I didn't get a picture with Chance on Friday with the gift, but here is a picture from last Tuesday when I forced him to take one at the Stars hockey game. :)

And here is a picture of his dog Dobby (who I like better than him). Just kidding. A little. Maybe. :) I always take a Dobby picture when I see him. HE doesn't complain about taking pictures (unlike someone). :)

Dobby was not happy that Aunt Rachel would not share her Whataburger with him

Hope you enjoyed my craft project! I'm hoping to do more around the holidays! :)

XOXO!

EDITED DECEMBER 2021:

I'm so sorry if you have emailed for PDFs and I haven't responded. I got locked out of the email associated with this blog and since I haven't posted in a year, I haven't had use for it (so I now have to figure out how to either change the email or get back into my old one). I am going to try and link the PDFs below- I hope that helps everyone looking for them!! Again, so sorry for the delays!!

Board PDFs:

Part One Click Here

Part Two Click Here

Rules:

Click Here

Money:

Click Here

Properties:

Part One Click Here

Part Two Click Here

Part Three Click Here

Part Four Click Here

Part Five Click Here

Part Six Click Here

Part Seven Click Here

Part Eight Click Here

Part Nine Click Here

Potions:

Part One Click Here

Part Two Click Here

Part Three Click Here

Spells:

Part One Click Here

Part Two Click Here

Part Three Click Here

Mobile Monday

I haven't done this kind of post in a while, but I had some pictures on my phone I hadn't shared. I figured this was the best kind of post to do (and how long as it been since I updated on a MONDAY?!) :) My goal is to update at least three times this week (I know, I'm getting ahead of myself). Lol.

A while back I got a manicure and decided to get into the "Halloween spirit". The lady doing my nails was confused at first with what I wanted, but after I showed her a picture, she understood. Have I mentioned that I love my nail salon? Whenever I walk in, they all greet me by name. They even said they felt bad for me after the Rangers were eliminated from the playoffs (EVERYONE knows my love of the Rangers). Lol.

A few weekends ago my friend Chance had some friends over for food and college football watching. Of course the only pictures I ended up taking were of his dog Dobby. Well, Dobby was the most photogenic of the bunch. :) Each time I hang out with Dobby, I'm one step closer to getting a dog of my own. One day...

He loves his Aunt Rachel so much, even though she takes a lot of pictures

The Sunday before last my church hosted their annual Trunk of Treat event. I'm new to the church (I've only been there a few months) but I have become a member of a GREAT Sunday School class. I'm a little bit younger than the rest of the class (okay, about 20 years younger), but they are a lively group. They keep me on my toes. I love them and am so glad they let me be a part of their class. They have been so warm and welcoming to me, for the first time in a long time, I feel at home in a church. I was in charge of decorating for our Trunk or Treat "trunk". They loved my decorations. :)

I got bored with my hair so I cut it, again. It's shorter than it's been in a while, but I like it. And I like the gal who cut my hair, she was awesome. I definitely will go back to her.

Yes, this is a shameless public bathroom selfie. I was texting my best friend and needed to show her my hair. Don't judge. :)

Last Wednesday I made another appearance on The Scoop (sports talk radio/podcast). My friends Glenn and Tovash have been bugging asking me for a while now to come join them again for some Dallas sports talk. I didn't think I did that great of a job, but they both said that I did (and they both insist that I come back again). So, I might be a guest on their show again. :)

My sports-talking peeps...

I found this gem at a Half Price Books for $3. Not gonna lie-I was pretty excited. I loved this game when I was younger. It's one of the few board games I play. My next game night is gonna be great!

Last week my office had our annual Halloween festival. This year we had a Harry Potter themed "haunted house". I think it turned out great!

My friend and co-worker Cara was there with her kids. Her youngest son is one of my favorites (although her oldest is awesome too, I can't leave him out). The first time I met her youngest he was like, "You are pretty. Are you in college?" Evidently he was asking if I was going to be at the Halloween festival, so of course, I had to get a picture. :)

Thanks Cara for letting me post this picture with Captain America!

I went home last weekend to see my folks and for my great-nephew E's sixth birthday party. I hadn't seen E or his brother C in a few months. They love taking pictures with Aunt Rachel's phone. They especially loved the features on my SnapChat app. We probably spent about 30 minutes taking pictures with that one. They even got Pawpaw (my dad) in a picture! Lol.

My sweet E turned six on Friday. I love his silliness and his loving heart. He loves being silly with Aunt Rachel but always knows when she needs a hug. After my carjacking in December 2012, I spent a few weeks with my family. E didn't know what was going on, of course, he just knew that Aunt Rachel was visiting. One day I was sitting alone in the corner and he climbed up in my lap, put his arms around me, and started singing "Jesus Loves Me". That is when I knew that I was going to be okay.

I don't know where he gets this from...

He loves pandas, so his birthday party had a panda theme

Sporting a panda look with my oldest sister Martha, C and E's "Meme"

My lovely niece Alice, the mother of C and E

I love this video that E and I made. Even when he's trying to be scary, he can be sweet.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

XOXO!

Book Review 2015: The Harry Potter Series

I know, I've been talking about reviewing Harry Potter for a while now. It only took me five years to read the series (okay, more like 7 months). It was not the fault of the books, I just got in a reading funk and had Netflix other thinks consume my life.

There are seven books in the series, but we all know how long it takes me to write just ONE review, so I decided to combine all the books in the series into one review. It's gonna be a long review, but it's better this way.

**All reviews published on Randomness With Rachel are done on a five-star rating system. The reviews are solely my opinion and no one else's. Randomness With Rachel does not receive any incentives or compensations for reviews.**

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few decades, I'm sure you've heard of the Harry Potter books (or at least the movies). Up until last September (or maybe it was October), I had never read the books or seen any of the movies. I feel I have to put a disclaimer up before I continue. It wasn't that I felt anything was wrong with the series or that I felt it went against my religious beliefs. I have been asked those questions many times. There are a LOT of books that I haven't read and it's not because I don't think they are any good, or that I feel something is wrong with them. There are books you read and books you don't read. I just never felt any desire to read these books.  

I joke with one of my best friends that I only read this series because he threatened to end our friendship (okay, there is a lot of little truth in that). Lol, But I'm glad I read them and stuck with them, despite it taking me over half a year to finish them.

First of all, J.K. Rowling is a great author and an amazing storyteller. I was really impressed with her writing in these books. These books are not "quick reads" by any means. I think the shortest book was maybe 400 pages and the longest one was well over 900 pages. I'm gonna be honest (and please don't hate me die-hard Harry Potter fans), I struggled with the first book- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It wasn't that it was bad, I just couldn't get into it. It may have a lot to do with the fact that I'm not a "fantasy book" fan (mysteries and thrillers are my "go-to" genre). I've never believed in magic (yeah, I was that kid), so it was hard for me to get into the story. Again, it was not the book's fault, it was mine. I will say that I have friends who love the series who agree with me about the first one being hard to read. Book 2, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, seemed better to me, but it was probably book 3, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, before I really got into the story. I would text my friend for spoilers, and of course, he wouldn't give any. 

The author had a lot of lovable characters (and some that were not so lovable). One of my favorite characters was Nearly Headless Nick. I don't know why, but I really liked him. And he wasn't even a main character. I would say after book 4, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the series really got exciting (to me at least). People say that is when the series turned a little "dark", but maybe I prefer reading "darker" stories. Lol.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (book 5) might be my favorite of the series. It was the first one I got emotionally invested in. For the last two books of the series, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I listened to the audio version of the stories. I have to say, I love audio books (that is, if the narrator is any good). I did a lot of driving when I was reading (listening) to those stories, and the narrator (Jim Dale) did a fantastic job. It seems someone has uploaded these audio books onto YouTube, here is the first book being read by Mr. Dale.

I noticed that the author's writing got better with each book. Not that it was ever bad, it just seemed like she got more comfortable with the characters and her writing just improved. There were parts of the story that I predicted would happen (I won't post spoilers, you can message me if you want to know), and there were some that totally surprised/angered/saddened me.   

I would be very interested to read another book by J.K. Rowling, just to see her tackle another genre. I saw on her website she wrote a crime novel, so I plan on checking that out soon! That kind of book is right up my reading alley.

If you have been putting off reading this series (like me), I say give it a try, even if it's not the type of stories you normally read. You might be surprised and like it. 

Another thing about finishing the Harry Potter series is that I can cross it off my "50 Banned Books" list on my 101 in 1001 challenge! I'm going to get to more books on that list eventually!

XOXO!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

It's Wednesday, and you know what that means...it's time for:

So link up with yours truly, and Jodi, for another installment of What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I'm loving...

That I had a row all to myself on my flight to Florida last week. It was quite nice. I was able to stretch out some. :)

I'm loving...

That I got to know some of my coworkers on my business trip. A few of them I knew by name (we all work in different departments), but I had never spent any time with them. They were a blast to work with! And yes we did actually work. We just had some free time when we first got to Florida, so we did a little sightseeing. There were a A LOT of pirates on Amelia Island.

I'm loving...

That my coworkers pulled over so I could take this picture. If you know the song "Ice Ice Baby", you might recognize the line "A1A...Beachfront Ave", which is what I kept singing every time I saw this highway sign. They finally stopped so I could take a picture. Maybe they stopped just so I would quit singing. Lol.

I'm loving...

One of my best friend's new dog, Dobby (yes, for all you Harry Potter fans, he named his dog after THAT Dobby). :) Dobby is so sweet. And no, that's not a cigarette in his mouth. It's a skinny bone, but he was making me laugh walking around with it hanging out of his mouth like that.

I'm loving...

That I get to see my family this weekend for Easter. I haven't been "home" since Christmas. I can't wait for family time (and lots of hugs. I've been needing hugs lately!)

I'm loving...

My friends. Yes, I use this one a lot. But they always seem to be there for me, even when I want to have a pity party for one, they seem to show up and crash my party. Even if all they do is listen to me vent (or read it via text), they mean so much to me. I would be lost without them. I love them with all my heart (and I always will). :)

So, what are YOU loving today?

XOXO!

My weekend!

Hello my sweet friends! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! Mine was pretty relaxing. It started on Friday with SNOW in Dallas. Okay, I'm sure all of you up north will laugh that we were excited with the little amount of snow we got, but hey, it doesn't snow that often, so when we see any amount of it, we get excited. We also get stupid when driving (but alas, that's a story for another day). 

It started snowing about 9 am. I was already at my office, so about 10:30 I asked a co-worker if she would take my picture in the snow. Yes, we are also nerds that have to document the snow with pictures. My office had once again allowed us to wear jeans (I tell you, this NEVER happens, much less twice in the same week). 

Yes, it wasn't a lot, but hey, it was snow. The picture on the top left is my new favorite picture of me. :)

Fridays are usually my half-days at work anyways, so I left by the early afternoon. I decided to go to the grocery store then, just so I wouldn't have to worry about it later in the weekend. It was still snowing pretty hard by the time I got home, so yes, I took more pictures. Lol. 

I'll have to remember what my pool looked like covered in snow when it's 107 this summer. 

I was told that I needed to do a Mary Tyler Moore pose (I guess the picture of me looking up at the snow reminded people of the Mary Tyler Moore Show intro.) For those who don't know it, here you go...

I never want to disappoint, so I went ahead and took a picture like that...along with some other ones. Lol.

"I'm gonna make it afterall..."

Despite the crummy weather, my friend Monica and I rode the train to the American Airlines Center to see a Stars game for our friend Beks' birthday. I guess the weather must have scared off a lot of people, because there was hardly anyone at the game. Or it could have been the fact that the Stars are stinking it up this season, but why go there.

We got to see our good friend Michael (bottom L) and I got to meet the infamous Grubes (bottom R) ,who is a Twitter friend. I also finally met the new Stars mascot, Victor E. Green.

Starting at top L: Me and the birthday girl Beks; spending some time talking to Beks' husband Chuck; The Stars paid their respects to Mr. Spock. I never watched Star Trek, but I know Leonard Nimoy was loved by millions; Me with Beks and Monica- my hockey homegirls!

When we got back to the train station after the game, it was still snowing/sleeting. The drive to my apartment wasn't too bad, there was a little ice on the one bridge I had to cross. I was happy to finally get home. The rest of the weekend I spent pretty much inside my apartment. I got caught up on some DVR watching (I possibly watched about 10 hours of TV on Saturday- don't judge me). I did workout both Saturday night and Sunday night (after a guilt trip from my friend Matt-lol). I also drank a lot of hot tea (I couldn't seem to get warm), and I read a little (yes, I'm still reading Harry Potter. As God as my witness, I will finish reading this series. Lol). I've been in such a reading funk lately. I can't seem to get motivated to read anything. :( 

Picture proof that I actually worked out. Also, my favorite tea mug that my sister Martha gave me. And the 5th book in the Harry Potter series.

So, how was your weekend? Did you do anything exciting??

XOXO!