greetingarts

Happy Halloween

Hope everyone had a fun, sugary Halloween.



Our spider cakes didn't turn out quite as smooth and professional-looking as Megan's, but I loved making them and Becca liked eating them.



Can't believe another Halloween is over. 



Two more jack-o-lanterns carved and pumpkin seeds roasted.

 

Jess' first time trick-or-treating (at the mall, I know, I know, but it's safe and a lot less scary!), and she  absolutely could not believe that people were just dropping candy in her bucket whenever she held it out!  Her expression of astonishment and then sheer joy was priceless.

Happy Halloween, my two Cinderellas.  Hope you had a good time at the ball.

100

Yep.  It's my hundreth post today, and I'm kind of at a loss for words, not feeling particularly eloquent.  But I was so excited about the Whiplash news, I had to say thank you and "hi" to those of you who popped on over because of it. 



Meet Trudy Bear, one of my finished WIPs from a couple of weeks ago.   She was intended as a baby gift for a friend, but now belongs to Jessie, who rarely gets anything new and seriously suffers from BSS (Big Sister Syndrome, where the big sister takes *everything* from the baby as soon as said baby shows the tiniest bit of interest in any item whatsoever).  Besides, she takes the bear and snuggles it right between her cheek and shoulder, with the sweetest little sly smile.  Who could deny her anything after seeing that?  Trudy was adapted from this pattern, knit in two pieces.  The dress was crocheted totally off the cuff, and the other details (shoes, bow) are felt, just roughly cut and hand sewn.  It's the first time I've used safety eyes, and also the very first time an embroidered nose turned out just right on the first try.

100 posts.  Socks, color, kidlets, goofy moments, confessions.  Felt, pincushions, patterns, swaps, celebrations, memories.  For those of you who have stopped by and stuck around, I've got to keep up with blogging tradition, so I'll pick a name from my comments at the end of the week (Friday) and send the winner this.  (I would give away one of my fabric thimbles, but they've mysteriously disappeared.  Sigh.)  Keep coming back for more of the same, finished projects, daily life, maybe some items for sale and a tutorial or two?  I think I'm gonna stick around for a while. 

salmon

I know my mom is going to be mad at me when she sees this (why is it that whenever one of my kids looks sad, mad, or upset in any way, I'm the one that gets reprimanded?).  But I swear to you, no child was harmed in the making of this photo.  And that outfit is the exact same color of the salmon Crayola crayon I pulled out of the box this afternoon.

She was actually quite happy, playing with a balloon she'd gotten at a Halloween costume parade.  But when Jessie isn't laughing, she's usually frowning.  She just always has this fuss-face, lines of concentration, I guess.  Hey, don't look at me, she definitely got that trait from her father.

tan

Not the best photo by a longshot, but a good opportunity to share something I saw when we went to the county fair a month ago.  Yes, that is a sign advertising a glazed doughnut chicken sandwich.  Two Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts, with a deep fried (I'm assuming, because why would you grill?) chicken patty in between.  With cheese, no less.  No, I didn't try it.  But you know what?  I really wish I had, just because that's such a county fair-type thing to eat.  Deep fried Snickers, deep fried Twinkies, why the heck not a glazed doughnut chicken sandwich?  Oh well, there's always next year.  Maybe I should start training for it now... run laps, strengthen my heart, clear my arteries, and otherwise prepare my body to ingest such interesting and unique fare.

fabric thimbles

With two kids under the age of 5, my dressing-up days are on hiatus.  When someone says accessory to me, I don't think fashion.  No, no pins, earrings, bracelets or belts on me, and my bags are big and bulky, more functional than stylish.  So what to make for this month's Whiplash?

I can't sit still without something in my hands.  When the kidlets have finally fallen asleep, and I have a chance to watch some TV, I grab my knitting needles, a crochet hook, or something to sew before I can get into trouble with a bowl of Ben & Jerry's.  So I decided to make a craft accessory that you can also wear.  For the design category, I suppose?



I saw some fabric thimbles in a book by Kumiko Sudo, and the image of them stuck with me.  At first, I thought they were rings, they were so beautiful.  Mine are made of a strip of wool felt with some scrap fabric appliqued on top, and then embroidered.  I haven't actually used them as thimbles yet, we'll have to see how well-suited they are to the task.





But even if they aren't all that useful, wouldn't a half dozen or so of these look yummy in a small ceramic bowl?

desperately seeking salad tongs

Help!  Mommy messed up, big time.  I was trying to be cute, and went to serve myself another helping of pasta with my daughter's tongs that she uses at dinnertime.  I no sooner had them in my hand when - snap!  I stared down at two halves, and the wailing started.  Oh, such misery!  The tears were like little rivulets, streaming down her face.



I got these at Target a few months back, at their Dollar Spot.  It was early this summer, when they had their luau, scrapbook, camping and lobster stuff.  If you happened to pick up an extra pair, or just have them lying around, could you please please contact me for a trade?  I'll make it worth your while!  And you'll be putting a very favorite item back into the hands of a 4 year old.

You know what she said to me right before her head hit the pillow that night? 

"I forgive you, Mommy.  I forgive you for breaking my very favorite thing in the whole wide world."

goldenrod

Not the best photo of a candy dispenser bought at Disneyland on Becca's 4th birthday.  I think I like it more than she does.

WIP working on presents

Here's the lineup:



Baby present #1



baby present #2



and sad, faceless teddy makes baby present #3.  Slow going, but I'm getting there.

circle

Here's Becca's take on this week's Kiddley Photo Theme.  It's a fabulous idea, and I think we'll have a lot of fun with this "homework."

casualty

The Sock Wars have ended... for me, at least.



These are the socks that arrived underneath my doormat (yes, I stepped on them), courtesty of Fedex and Dominique.  So the game is over, and I was able to complete two pairs and get them sent off before I received mine. 



Here's the second pair I mailed, this time to Washington.  They arrived at their destination last Thursday, but I never heard from the recipient.  I hope she likes those Rowan Tweed socks, I sure liked finishing up the knitting on them!  That was some really nice yarn!

So now that I'm dead I can get on with my life, and finish up the two hundred other things I need to do.