Mayflower

My kids made boats at Home Depot in the beginning of the month. I commandeer one of the boats, and added some peg doll pilgrims and Indians I made.

The Indian princess ended up with a massive amount of hair. 

I really like my indian boy. 

And my pilgrim girl, I love her bonnet. 

Another burlap wreath

The morning after Halloween I was ready to purge/ clean. I wanted all the costumes packed, all the leaves tracked in from trick or treating gone. Apparently I got a little ambitious. By lunch all the Halloween specific decorations were gone and leaving only fall decor in which the pilgrims and Indians were added to. Turns out I was down a wreath. I hung my fall wreath from last year outside and made a new one for my wine rack.

I used burlap ribbon with ivory tulle ribbon to soften the burlap a tad. Then  I wanted it easy so I used my old school sizzix to cut out mini felt leaves. I wish I had dies with larger leaves but I do like the mini aspect. I also decides I wanted a mum garden on my wreath since in effort to save money this year I didn't buy fall flowers for my planter pots outside. 

Of course I found thanksgiving subway art to match. 

Lastly I made mini felt leave garland for my back door valance. 

I was finished with my new decorations by Friday evening it was great.  

Halloween Crowning Glory

Here is where Halloween started.

(They weren't suppose to have face paint at school.)

One More of Ron

I just can't help myself I'm seriously obsessed with the boy whether he is in a costume or not.

For his cloak I just used a shirt/jacket/vest thing of mine, and doubled up the sleeves.

Halloween Costume #4

My family gets a kick out of me dressing up.  So this year, I decided to be an owl.  Hedwig to be exact. Thanks to pinterest it was real easy costume, and took about $1 worth of felt.  I basted (large sewing stitch) the feathers onto the collar and the sleeves of a white shirt.  I used this template.

My daughter really did not like the costume, but tried to be a good sport.  My husband thought it was hysterical and my son/Harry Potter told me it was fine.

Harry Potter Accessories

For some reason I made my son a wand.  I'm not sure why he needs a wand to trick or treat, but I had all the supplies on hand so it was free. I used this tutorial, with my kid's air dry crayola clay for the handle.
 

At least it made him feel special.
 

I always say I'm going to buy costumes.  But then I looked at the price at Amazon, because heaven knows I'm either buying it at Amazon or Walmart, and I couldn't bare to spend that much when I had a large piece of hand me down black twill in my closet.  I bought the patch for $5, so much cheaper than Amazon pricing.  I didn't add lining, because I figured a black cloak (minus the patch) could be used at Halloween for years, where a black and maroon cloak not so versatile. (But you know in the pictures of the characters from the early movies, they don't have maroon lining.) This is the tutorial I use for the cloak, plus I added a hood.
 

And here are the matching buttons I made for the boys to wear on their costumes.

So here is a another picture of Ron's Tie.

And well who doesn't want to see another picture of my ginger baby.  He's so adorable. 

(Aren't you glad I don't clean my house before I take pictures?!) 

Turns out that tie is a very effective drool catcher.There are two more Halloween Posts, one more costume, plus the 7 year old actually dressed up.

Halloween Costume #3 -- Dobby the House Elf

Orginally the baby was going to be Ron, but then my kids really wanted him to Dobby.  I think other than Harry Potter, Dobby is my 7 year old's favorite character.  So I made a Dobby Costume, everyone loved it but the baby, he would scream until he could grab the ears and rip it off. So then we went back to Ron for the baby, but I did have a house elf costume sitting around that the big kids loved playing with.  Then my husband needed a costume for a work party, so low and behold:

Dobby the House Elf, with his black sock.

His black sock he found in Tom Riddle's Diary.
Overall don't you wish I had a decent camera? Me too.  We have a nice SLR but it doesn't do well indoors.

Costume #2 -- Ron Weasley

Since my oldest is going as Harry Potter for Halloween, I decided to have my red headed baby goes as Ron. I made him the tie and button badges for his shirt. Since the book periodically brings up these badges. One is a gryffindor quidditch graphic, and the other says Ron is King, I found both on Pinterest.

I purposely dressed him sloppy because it was Ron.  The shirt isn't all buttoned, the tie is loose, he is wearing worn in jeans instead of slacks.  (It also worked out because it was more comfy for a baby.  

I think the tie material is very reminiscent of Mary GrandPré's illustrations. Convenient that his pretzel sticks look almost like a wand.

Princess Rapunzel's Wedding Dress Halloween Costume

This costume was sort of the death of me.  It was a little ambition on my part, it felt a little bit like when Rapunzel first escapes from the tower.  Some moments it went well and I was sure my daughter would love the dress forever, other moments I thought she would run in terror from it screaming I hate it.  (Its not uncommon for her to tell me "I hate it, I will never wear it." When I buy her clothes.)

 

She wanted a LONG veil.

Close-up of the tiara and veil.  I used this pattern.

It seems like it was worth the time.

This reminds me of the movie Tangled.

Halloween Pillows

Remember the Halloween Pillows I have been waiting to make?

Sneak peak Halloween

Here is the sneak peak of my daughter's Halloween costume.

I might be done, I'm debating if I'm going to fix something or if the dress is good enough. 

Raven Wreath

After spending too much time on Pinterest I decided my wine rack Halloween wreath needed to include a raven.

 And other than the black bird that cost $3, I didn't want to spend any money. This is what I came up with. There were lots of words I could have added for bunting, but I just couldn't shake never more. So it became an Edger Allen Poe wreath. Then I needed Halloween colored flowers. 

Not my favorite wreath of all time but it fit the requirements. Free other than black bird and a raven. 

Pattern

After years of making dozens of stockings, I finally made a PATTERN!

Hopefully this makes my life easier over the years. Although at least half my siblings are done having babies, and I am definitely winding down so I guess I'm getting near the end of my stocking career for many years, until my kids get married. So bizarre!

Bridal Shower

A friend of mine just got married. It was a quick engagement and so it was an even quicker bridal shower. As in I heard about it 5 days before. I couldn't attend, but was thrilled for her and still wanted to give her something. Between nap, and school schedules, and whatever else was on my calendar for those 5 days, I really had no time to shop. (I barely find time to  grocery shop.) So during the baby's nap, whipped her out an apron. Plus it was a second marriage for both so they hardly needed Pyrex. Anyway, hopefully an apron was an adequate present. Thank goodness for fabric storage. 

I had a really hard time taking a self portrait of me wearing it. 

Remember hostess aprons are my favorite.  

Lastly, I know what miss manners says about second weddings, but beyond what do you give for a gift for a second marriage.  I'm all about cash, but a bridal shower is about opening presents, not cards with cash.

Very long time ago

A very long time ago my sister had a baby boy. A not quite as long time ago I made her a blanket and burp cloth.

I really like this bird material.