Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Trick or Treat

Today for the festivities, my husband's not quite boss told him he needed to dress up for Halloween. Last night after spending an hour or so looking at old rap stars from the 80s and early 90s, and not getting anywhere fast, we saw the vacuum in the closet, and decided on Ghostbusters. I cut out all the logos, and did the taping and safety pins so I felt like helped him out a lot. And boy did it pay off. My husband won 2nd place in the costume contest at work, which means we now have a $20 movie gift card. Sweet I know!
And here is the little rhino trick or treating through the cubicals of my husband's employment.
Before trick or treating, jobo and I met the dad at the office and ate lunch with him is cube. It was fun. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of my hubby by his name plate in his cube. We forgot!

Thursday, October 25, 2007

I finished!

It is complete-- Jobo's costume. Not as cute as last year, but I wasn't feeling as insane either. Maybe it is because this year I realized he only wears it for a few hours, or maybe its because I'm no longer in school, so I have more brain capacity free, to think rational thoughts. I think it really comes down to last, year was my first Halloween as a mother, and this year it is old news. He is a Rhino in case you have missed the posts leading up to this one. Here is another shot.
Bet you didn't know Rhino's have blankets and suck thumbs. Its the best I could get before naptime.
Here he is acting the part getting ready to head ram something.
(Rhino's do head ram right?)
Here he is now roaring or something, since he is the acting the part of the second largest land mammal. See those scary claws, I didn't tell him rhinos don't have claws.
So this is actually the improved costume that I finished an hour ago. Last night I finished the first draft which gave Jobo shrek ears on his rhino suit. Notice the different in ears, much better the second time around I think.
Now I realize this is not the cutest costume ever, but hey it works. Its original, (sort of I know I borrowed the idea but it turned out totally different the the original, I meant not every other toddler will be wearing it) and the all I have to do is remove the horns and ears, and he has clothes he can wear the rest of the winter. I thought about buying a real costume, but I decided that would be totally unfunctional, and expensive for only one night. Not to mention it is warmer than most inexpensive store bought costumes, which is needed since its cold here in Happy Valley.

Friday, October 19, 2007

I knew it would pay off

Yesterday once again I did not make a Halloween costume, and boy did it pay off. Instead I made a baby blanket for my brother's new daughter. I loved the material I hope they will too. I use to show my husband it before we went to bed for about a week straight if not longer, because I thought it was so pretty and I wanted to show it off. Here is the finished product:
Now that I have made about 25 baby blankets at least over the years, they are super quick and easy to make. Its amazing how quick it took me, it use to take me hours.
Since the baby's name was so short, I decided to make the name frilly looking. I love the way it turned out. (All you people without frilly embroidery for your baby's name, don't feel bad, I like your kid just as much) The red mark on the top of the M is a tie from the other side. For whatever reason my pink material looks orange in this shot.
Here is the material together, isn't it gorgeous?! The answer is always yes, by the way, my husband has learned that well.
The reason procrastinating the Halloween costume one more day and making a baby blanket instead paid off is....wait for it, the best answer is coming... my husband decided he wanted to use the 4 yards of fleece for a sleeping bag liner. Yea, I'm saved from the guilt of buying more fleece than I could uses. I'm back to square one with the costume. I can do whatever I want, I can't decided if I want to buy a generic costume, or if I want to make one with a little less work by using a premade sweatsuit. He does need a costume for trick or treating at my husband's work. Oh yea, I'm so happy! I love being at square one with the halloween costume, I want to go out shopping today, but instead I have to make three boxes of cupcakes for Activities Days tomorrow. Arg, this is going to be the death of me.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Procrastination

This is how I filled my afternoon yesterday. I used the October 2007 Better Homes and Gardens idea for "dressmaker pumpkins". The magazine said, "Inspired by fabric and sewing notions (two things I love!), these pretty decorations will outlast the season." My husband would beg to differ with that last statement, I bought fake pumpkins 60% off and he was not excited that that means one more thing to store for 11 months of the year. But I begged and he loves me so he said I could keep them. Basically I'm procrastinating making my son's halloween costume. I really don't want to make it, I wish I would have bought one, I wish I would have kept my receipt so I could have returned the 4 yards of dark grey fleece, I wish I would have gotten light grey fleece so I didn't have to make pants and shirt, and could just use a sweatsuit. I wish so many things that aren't going to come true. During the middle of dinner, during my tears of frustration, that dinner was late, the rice was under cooked, then it was burnt, after a burnt hand, and 4 yards of fleece sitting in my bedroom waiting to be made into a rhino, my husband asked if we were going to bring our kid to his work's trick or treat. I smiled asking if they really do that? He said yeah, I said well now I have to make the costume. And with that my tears dried up (I cry way too much especially when my husband and I spend way too little time together, between my busy vacation schedule, and his scout master schedule). No matter what happens with the costume, at least I have dressmaker pumpkins, and a new necklace. The great thing about crafts is you get so many other ones done while you put off the most pressing ones. Although I think they should be called pin cushion pumpkins instead of dressmaker.
Post Script: Last night my husband told me that he thinks my pumpkins look better than BHG pumpkins. Yea for him he always says the right thing. He is the best.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Latest Creations

This is my latest creation.
Actually all I did was string it with ribbon, and clasp it. Unfortunately I do not know how to blow glass so I had to buy the pendent. Maybe in another life I will learn how to blow glass. It would be fun.
This is my treasure.Its a photo of my mother as a small girl. It is great, she has a white lacy dress on, with white curlers in her hair, and white fabric tassels on the bike. I just recently framed it in this frame, I think it makes the shabby chic frame look antiquey although its not even 10 years old. Nonetheless I love the whole thing together. Its sits on top of my chest of drawers.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Yesterday's Craft

This is what I did yesterday.
Since I wasn't doing my normal past time of chatting online with my hubby, he thought I had abandoned him for reading a crappy YA novel.... But no I was doing something much more useful, trying to sell my wedding dress, (that took over hour in hopes of building a relationship so the girl calls back and decided to give me the money), and making this wonderful trick or treat bag. A few days ago I was in Ross and saw little trick or treat bags for kids, they were $3. I thought I can make this. Sure I ended up spend more than $3 on the material and a heck of a lot of time, but doesn't every 19 month old need his own personalized homemade trick or treat bag? Thats what I thought too. (Here is the real truth, if I would have come home with the $3 bag my husband would have said, $3 for this?! but if I come home with $6 of material my husband is glad I have something "productive" to do with my time, and then after a day of work, he is so proud at my awful sewing skills.) Its not so wonderful, as you might think, but it was the first bag like this I have ever made. The stitching is terrible, that's why you don't get a close up of the tag. But on the back side of the tag is my kids name, so he doesn't get it confused with the other homemade trick or treat bags of all the other kids on the street. I know I was thinking ahead when I thought of that idea. But see here is where I was really ingenious -- it is a bag that can grow with the kid. You might notice in that first picture of the bag, that it looks like a mighty big bag for such a small kid, BUT you can fold it down and make a much smaller bag. The only problem is the handles are too long, and by the time my kid fits the full sized bag, he won't want to take it trick or treating.
So my kid is totally not excited about his trick or treat bag, he started to cry after this picture because he didn't want to hold it. I wonder if its because he accidentally heard me call it a Halloween purse. Dang it, yesterday's craft is ruined.

By the way I bought a yard of material and used every inch of it to make this bag, not a single piece was left over, I don't think I have ever used all the material on just one project. To me this was the biggest accomplishment for the day.