costume time

So, every year I swear I am NOT going to make Halloween costumes - I mean, we haven't even gone trick or treating for a couple years now - but somehow, the week before Halloween hits and I find myself caving to the pressure and making at least  one or two costumes... This year it was 3. 

Tallulah's costume was almost complete here- we had not glued the flowers to her wig (tutorial found here) yet, and I ended up taking the dress in a bit so it was not so wide in the bodice, but you get the idea.  The dress tutorial is here.  This was a lot of fun to make and a big confidence boost, as it was my first time making my own pattern and it actually turned out pretty cute!

The boys are Merry and Pippin from The Lord of the Rings.  I made their capes and pants, the rest is either thrifted or from the dress up bin.  We will draw some hair on their feet tomorrow night. (Did I mention the fact that we are not trick-or-treating?  We are having dinner at a friends house, but the kids are still going all out with the costumes.)

The other kids are getting their costumes from the dress up bin, but I was really tempted to make this one too :)

a new dress for adelaide

Dianna and I had a sewing night last week and I made this dress for Addie.  Actually, I messed up on the dress, and sewed it together backwards (this is what happens when I try and sew and socialize at the same time).  There are supposed to be two buttons on the yolk front, but instead they are on the back.  Also, the shoulder seams are a bit toward the front instead of on top of the shoulders, but Addie didn't even notice my goof up.  It still turned out pretty cute and was relatively easy (I was able to finish the dress in one evening).  The pattern is McCall's M6388, view D, in case you are interested.

boing, boing, boing

Regan and Tallulah have been saving up for a trampoline for awhile now.  They were about $100 away from having enough for the trampoline they wanted when the BJ's holiday toy catalog came in the mail last Thursday.  I hadn't even seen the catalog when the girls brought it to me saying "Mom, mom, the trampoline we want is on sale!"  So after we added up their trampoline fund $ and I gave them their allowance they were just $21 short.  I knew if we did not jump on the deal right away, we would miss out- so I forked out the extra $ and the next morning we headed to BJ's to buy a trampoline!

I had planned to let the hubby put the trampoline together over the weekend, but since I have no resolve, I ended up putting it together Friday afternoon (with the help of the boys, of course).

and some help from Addie too :)

While we worked, Lulu napped in the box.

We won't talk about all the mishaps that occurred during the assembly process, or the fact that it took us 5 hours to finish.  There has been lots of happy jumping since, and that is what really matters :)

i'm still here...

Wow, how has it really been nearly a month since my last post?  I miss blogging and really hope to be back here more often!  So, I am going to do a little catch up posting this week- try and document some of what has been happening around here the past few weeks!

My parents came to visit a couple of weeks ago.  It was their last trip out in the RV before winter.  When we moved away from the DC area, one of my dad's requirements was that we find a house with a driveway big enough for the RV to park in.  Lucky for him (and us too) our driveway ended up to be the perfect length for their coach.  It is pretty nice for them to bring their home with them when the come to visit- instead of cramming into our little house with all the noise and chaos.

We were lucky to have them stay for a full 5 days this time, but not so lucky to have it rain the WHOLE time they were here (boo!)  My mom had brought stuff for s'mores but when it became clear we were not going to get a dry night to roast marshmallows by the camp fire, we ended up standing under the umbrella on the deck, while we roasting them over the camp stove.

I love to roast marshmallows and am actually pretty good at getting the nice golden brown color, but I don't eat them, so instead I roast them for all the impatient roasters in the family who always catch their marshmallows on fire :)

Regan has been asking for a beam in the back yard (and bars, and mats, and a trampoline) for forever.  My dad had planned to make her one earlier in the summer, but ended up not being able to come visit with my mom, so it got put on hold until this visit.  Here's Lulu showing off her stuff on the new beam :)

Last year the hubby's brother (and fam) bought a new (to them) house.  This chandelier was hanging in their new dinning room and for some reason they did not want it- needless to say, I was more than happy to have their cast offs.  It's been in storage for a few months, because it needed to be re-wired, but my dad rewired it and hung it while they were here.

It's hard to take a good picture of it, but is is super fun and sparkly :)  It is also significantly brighter than our previous light- so much so we had to install a dimmer!