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As soon as little O turned one I decided it was time to follow in my mother's footsteps and start sewing our very own handmade Halloween costumes. So for the past three years, we have been trying to do just that. There is something special about a homespun costume - and for those of you who don't sew, it can easily be created from boxes, paper, and more found objects. I just think there is something special about creating and wearing something original and hand crafted.
For us we like to have our costumes later become great staples for our imaginative play costume box. So more often than not I like to sew them, so that they last and can be easily stored. Last year the boys asked to go as a pumpkin and Perry the Platypus. And let me tell you what. That platypus has been worn quite a number of friends and family members alike. It's probably been the number one requested dress up item in our home. And the pumpkin? Well, I love that one so much that I'm keeping it nice for baby M to wear again one year.
In 2010, the boys went as knights. We had a lot of tun with these and even themed Little O's 2nd birthday party around them. By basing these off of a vintage art smock, they were not only simple but easy for the little guys to wear...over...and over again.
That year I also decided to share a simple DIY ghost cloak that you can make from a sheet. And trust me, if you don't have a costume idea made up and ready yet, you can totally make this one the day before (or even the day of!) Halloween.
2009 was the year I began all of this sewing madness. I actually wanted to start sewing as soon as A was born but I think it took having number two for me to really be inspired. I kind of get into themes. And really you only have so many years before you can get your kids to theme your costumes. Or at least that's how it's played out in my house.
So in 2009 the boys went out as a sailor man and an octopus. I started the costume with a fringed white beard...that lasted for about three seconds (A wasn't into how it felt on his face).
So as much as I loved the beard (it still comes out for Santa Claus impressions) we nixed it for a simple, younger, sailorman costume.
And what's a better side kick for a sailorman than a squigly red octupus? I can't deny that I was seriously in love with how my little baby O looked in this costume and was proud to have created it completely on my own (no pattern). And I seriously can't wait until baby M can fit this, because I'm very sure that I've not had enough of it yet.
And this year? Well stayed tuned to find out! I mean I now have three costumes to create! So you'll just have to keep a drift to see if everything turns out as planned.
What are some of your favorite costumes from years gone by? And why? Any of them handmade? I'm still in awe of my friend Sarah's darling gumball costume, found on Inchmark, made for her daughter. Seriously so innovative. You can see more of what is inspiring me costume wise via my Hallow's Eve Pinterest board. And can you believe that the haunted holiday is upon us!? EEK!!
This year, because of our sweet new little babe, Halloween in our home has been on the back burner a bit. So when mid Oct. rolled around, A asked "Mom, when are we going to decorate for Halloween?!" So after promising them in the morning that I would indeed pull out the Halloween decor, at about 7 pm (right before bedtime) I did finally manage to make it to the back shed and unearth our box of frightful delights.
A set out creating his own snowflake pumpkins (a family favorite tradition of ours) right away and then got to work on some goulish puzzles and mazes.
While Little O, well he pretty much consumed every last minute of it. I casually began placing items here an there around the house, such as fun little spider window clings that found themselves on windows and the glass of unsuspecting framed works of art.
While doing this, Little O asked, "Mom, are you making our house haunted?". I just love his perspective. So I replied, "Why, yes. That is one way we like to celebrate Halloween." He just smiled his mischeivious smile. I think we have ourselves new "haunting the house" convert.
And now to just finish (or start?) those costumes...
And what about you? Do you go all out with Halloween decorations? Do you do up the yard more or go full steam indoors? Or both?! Any favorite decor stories from years gone by?
Sweet Baby M turned three weeks today and we are all head-over-heels smitten with her. I was hoping to have her birth story up on the blog last week but with four-year-old birthday parties, sleepless nights and grade school coughs and sniffles, things have been a bit "congested" around here. I do however have plans to share it this week if all goes well. I also have a slew of costume round-ups from years pasts to share as well as more Halloween fun!
Hope you have all been enjoying one of the most magical yet fleeting times of year. We've managed to have a few romps through the fall leaves (bringing baby M along for the fun...what a trooper) and have plans for pumpkin patches and cider sipping nights. Can't wait.
happy monday!
(baby M pictured above in our DIY hand stamped swaddle blanket. It's been soo great!)
If you are looking for the perfect trick-or-treat candy bucket, but you don't want to spend a lot (or if you are like me and don't want to bother going out to the stores only to find that what you're looking for just doesn't exist)...we've got just the thing for you! A Do-it-Yourself bat (or pumpkin) treat bucket from a tin can, adorned with cardboard wings and duct tape!
To make these candy buckets, simply gather together a number of household materials, such as:
- a tin can (paint cans work great as they already have a handle in them)
- a wire coat hanger and pliers (if you don't already have a handle)
- an assortment of festive duct tape colors
- an X-acto knife and self healing mat (see tips for cutting duct tape here)
- cardboard (for the wings if you are making the bat)
Start by punching holes for the handle into the sides of the can with a hammer and an awl (or use a drill). You can then bend and trim the coat hanger until you are happy with the size and shape for your handle. Don't place the handle into the holes just yet, though. I would wait to do this at the end once the tin is already covered in tape.
Once the holes are punched, you can begin covering your tin with duct tape. For the bat I covered it completely with black and created the face, and other decorative elements, with colorful tape. I even did a few rows of corresponding tape within the bucket to make things pop a bit. It's important that you have a good layer of tape folded over the top of the bucket so that no sharp edges are exposed. You can also cover the holes you previous made in the tin can and then puncture the tape where the holes are. This helps to cover any sharp edges that holes might have created as well. I then added a few bat ears by taping together pieces of black tape and then cut out triangle shapes which were then taped to the inside
of the bucket.
Once you have finished decorating your tin, you are ready to put your handle on. You might want to wrap a few layers of duct tape to the top of the handle to make it that much easier for little hands to hold throughout their night of tricks and treats.
For the bat wings, simply download this bat wing template and trace it two times onto cardboard (or a cereal box, etc.).
Cut the wings out of the cardboard and then cover with duct tape. Fold the wing over (at the dotted line) and tape securely to you bucket.
But don't let the fun stop there! You can continue to create an assortment of other haunted treat containers for your home or to give away as ghoulish gifts. Have fun raiding your pantry for a variety of cylinders. We made this little pumpkin guy out of an old discarded chow mein noodle package and we've become quite fond of him (not to mention the goodies he now holds inside!).
Now that your trick-or-treat buckets are complete, your little ones are ready for a spooky night out on the town! And my favorite thing about these treat containers is that they are mighty durable and, if treated well, should hold up for at least a few years. (To store, simply remove the wings and lie them flat. Any nicks and scratches can easily be repaired with a new "coat" of duct tape). And little O's favorite thing about these buckets? Well the candy they hold of course!!
This past weekend baby girl and I were showered
with so much love! I feel so blessed to have been able to get to know so many incredible, talented and generous women this past year. Two such lovely women are Melissa Esplin and Stephanie Ford who threw this gorgeous affair (at Stephanie's utterly beautiful home).
The event started off with a delectable spread of amazing food. Spicy and regular California rolls (a HUGE pregnancy craving of mine), incredible salads, chocolate donuts, out of this world chocolate hazelnut cupcakes (thanks to Alison! I think I need one right now...) and yummy vanilla Italian sodas.
And as if that wasn't incredible enough, throw in a group of magnificent, crazy talented and admirable women, and a perfect shower you have. So many dear friends that I've been able to make since we have moved here were able to attend. I have to confess, I can tend to be a hermit/homebody at times (OK, maybe most of the time) but I have seen the benefits of putting myself out there more and opening myself up more (something that is not always easy for me) for many more to get to know me. (It's one thing to open up on the blog...behind the computer...but it's an entirely different thing to let so many into to my real day to day life). It doesn't help that I'm so busy I feel like I never really have time for friends! But putting myself out there has been worth it and I've been so thankful to have met and made so many friends that have touched my life in some way or another. Many friends which you probably already know and love as much as I do, such as Sarah Jane, Meta, Amy, Alison, Meg, Michelle, Jen, Annie, Liz, Nicole, Sarah, Danielle, Heather, Amelia, Caroline...
...and of course the lovely ladies behind the event, the amazing Stephanie (Sycamore Street stationary designer) and Melissa.
They added so many touches that made this all so meaningful to me.
Such as this chalkboard drawing. Do you recognize the illustration from the Father's day plate I created with the boys? I just love that Stephanie drew this and then added the darling origami dress to the little girl on the way! So perfect! (and can we take a minute to think about the time that went into making all those little dresses for this garland! I love them so much, I've framed a few for the nursery).
And I think I'll have to do another post just on the incredible gifts these ladies shared with baby girl and I.
Can I just say that we have some serious vintage scouts here with quite the eye?! I need them to take me thrift shopping!
...and the hand made, thoughtful, creative and beautiful gifts were almost more than I could handle. (almost ;)).
We are some lucky ladies.
I can't think of a better way to welcome a little girl in the world than by sharing with her the
joy of womanhood through friendship. So thanks ladies! 
Oh yes, and I can't forget the gents too...Brett Merritt, Jon's acting friend, and husband to Amelia was so kind to stop by as well (and we discovered a theme of geeky glasses going on here). And Larry, Stephanie's husband was SO kind in watching my boys (and then some) throughout the duration of the shower, as Jon was in a performance.
Needless to say I feel so grateful and so much more ready to welcome a new life to this earth and to our family. And Oh my, is it true that I only have one more week to go?! Eeek! (Well...I guess I do look ready to pop... :)
*(many of the photos shown here were taken by Melissa).
Hello friends! Sorry it's been such a quiet week around here. I'm actually up to my neck in fun kids craft projects that I can't share with you quite yet (but can't wait until I can!). And of course I'm scrambling to get so many things completed before this little girl gets here - now scheduled to be arriving on Oct. 2 (if not before!). Things have been bustling around here and there is definitely an air of excitement and anticipation in our home. The boys are just over the moon about the prospect of getting to meet their little sister and so are Jon and I.
Our space in our home is very small so we have been trying to find the best way to incorporate this little girl into the room with her brothers. It's been a little restrictive but I'm always up for a design challenge (I'm finding the "less is more" aesthetic is definitely crucial for this space to work, which is hard as we need so much more...). Little by little we are adding small touches of "little girl" into our home and our lives. Just one of those touches is the the introduction to the doll in our home, such as this darling vintage doll, with a new hand sewn ensemble, gifted to baby girl by my sister Lorajean.
The boys are trying to take this all in, especially A who has always
been afraid of dolls (he insists that all dolls be removed from the
guest room when we stay at my in-laws...he claims that they are looking
at him and it makes him squeamish). That fear has now been translated
into silly play where one of the boys will grab this doll and chase the
other one around the house with it, giggling and threatening to scare
one another. Oh boy.
We've had a few chats about how we need to respect little sisters stuff
and how this might make her sad in the future, etc....but we'll see how
much it sticks (and I can't deny suppressing a few giggles and eye
rolls of familiarity when thinking about teasing older brothers, who
will torment and pester their sister one minute and then defend and
protect her in the next breathe...something I know a thing or two about - having
just such an older brother).
Well her brother's are going to need to get used to a few dolls around here because one thing I've been dying to delve into is the world of the doll. Well OK, I've sort of been into dolls for perhaps my entire life...and I just may or may not already have a small collection of them (that the boys have never seen). In fact, when we were found out we were expecting our third I told Jon that I was going to have to buy this blonde Blythe doll for the baby if it was a girl...and if it was a boy, well then the doll would just have to be for me :). (We didn't get the doll...yet....).
You see this affinity for dolls is really a part of my legacy. My mother was (and still is) a doll artisan of sorts. I grew up watching her make dolls and she has experimented with a wide variety of mediums from porcelain to cloth. I can remember watching her pour the porcelain into tiny hand molds and was mesmerized when I would watch her take tiny paint brushes and create little lips, eye brows and if it was a cloth doll, even eyes. She was also very picky about which dolls she would purchase for myself and my sisters. She would inspect them from top to bottom to see how they and their clothing were made before ever jumping into a sale. They had to have just the right look and design, or forget about it, we didn't get them (we never had Barbies - they didn't make the cut). She somehow ended up with five girls all with different hair colors and we all loved how our dolls would often match our hair color (I always got the lighter brunettes). I think my mother secretly loved having an excuse to purchase an entire line of dolls that she was really into. We each had a Fisher Price "My Friend Doll", a Hasbro's "My Beautiful Doll" (got to love those 80's clothes!), and I can still remember the Christmas when we all got our own Lady Lovely Locks Doll...yeah, that was a good year.
My sisters have also carried on the legacy of the doll in their own lives and in their own ways. Lorajean even makes her own darling doll sculptures. I've enjoyed creating a few dolls of my own and have quite a number of ideas for the future. Needless to say, I am excited to have an opportunity to carry on this legacy of the doll...in our our own way. And hey, if I every veer into "creepy doll lady" territory, I'm confident my boy's doll aversion will be sure to keep me in check ;).
What about you? Does your family have a craft/design/toy legacy that you want to pass on? I'd love to hear about it!
It's been so great seeing all the fun instagram photos from all of your feeds from the different Gap journal making events. I just love seeing what all the Littles have come up with!! It's so fun and inspiring.
And if you couldn't make it out to the journal event (or if you just want to make more!) I am giving you the super easy DIY instructions here. If your child is older, they could most likely do this entire craft, from start to finish, by themselves!
Start by selecting some fun patterned, textured or solid card stock. If it's not already 8.5"x11", cut it down to this size. Then cut at least 7 sheets of interior paper at the same size (or even slightly smaller - say 8"x10"). I like using graph paper for the interior as it give little journal keepers so many options for their personal record keeping. Drawing and creating patterns, alongside writing, can be a fun way for your little one to express themselves. You will also need some fun washi or masking tape for the spine and anything else you might want to pull together to decorate the journals: stickers, gems, etc.
Now fold your interior papers as well as your out card stock in half.
Then simply place the interior papers within the cover card stock. From here you can explore a number of fun binding options, such as punching holes and binding the spine with a number of sewing/lacing techniques. For the Gap events, we made things extra simple by stapling together the papers at the folded spine. It's best to keep the staples close to the edge but make sure you are getting through all layers of paper.
You can then have fun with different patterned washi or masking tape when taping off the spine, hiding the staples. Fold the tape over to the back side of the journal.
And now for the fun part! Decorating your journal. You can add a label for your child's name or pull out a number of fun stickers and decals. Feel free to get really creative!
I love the idea of creating a grid of ombre jewels or using the washi tape to create a monogram for your child's first name. You could also use the tape to create patterns, such as stripes or a plaid atop a sold paper, which could be really really fun!
And speaking of getting creative and having fun, just take a look at these little cuties and all of their journals! I so wish I could have made it out to one of the GAP Kids journal making events, but seeing these photos is almost just as good.
I love it when the kids add their own personal "stamp" to these crafts. For example, how brilliant is it to use the gems for a crazy jeweled eye monster like this in this drawing below? Nothing short of brilliant, I tell you. I think the graph paper also helps make these journals more boy friendly. Sometimes we associate journal writing girls (as we love to write our hearts out, right?!) but I think it's so important for boys as well, particularly when they are young. If they can find a way to express how they are feeling, with words and or pictures, it will do them a world a good in years to come. And honestly, I think my husband is a better journal writer than me at this point (my blog has kind of taken it's place for the time being).
If you have any pics of your kids at any of the events, or if you decide to make any of these crafts afterwards, I'd love to see them.
And don't forget to mark you calendars for this weekends Gap Kids craft! We'll be making animal badges that you will just love. I seriously am so excited for these!! I'll share more details on the craft and specific locations tomorrow but set aside from 10 Am to 1 PM on Saturday and you should be all set for now.
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