Halloween

We had a really fun Halloween this year!

First of all, most of my friends know I am kinda nuts about making costumes. It is the one time a year I allow myself to sew, because when I get into a project the house kinda suffers. And it did. This year, I learned that watching too much Project Runway can be bad for your health. Or at least your child's diet, because Christopher would come home from work and find out that there was nothing for dinner a few days in a row because I was so immersed in my project.

See, Christopher's boss is rather big into Halloween. For years he has been building coffins and scary things for a front yard display with fog machines and strobe lights. But this year he went completely overboard (ha!) and threw a Scallywag Swoiree party the night before Halloween that was unbelievable. You can see a video that the photographer made here. There was a shipwreck in the front yard, along with tombstones, a prison cage, and very realistic cannons. Inside there were decorations covering every inch of the house, from a skeleton playing the piano to a treasure chest of chocolate coins with the Digicert logo on them. He also rented a costume for my husband to be "Captain Skarda" at the party. Christopher is on the right, if you couldn't tell, with his boss Ken.


So I figured if he was going to all that effort, the least I could do was get a pirate wench costume! But since I'm me, I didn't want to buy one at the store. I decided to make one. Without a pattern. In one day.

Sorry, that's a terrible picture, and I hope to post a better one later. But for the costume, I think I did rather well. I have a ton of leather in my basement from the baby shoes years, so I was able to make myself the vest from that. I did use a dress pattern for parts of it, but a lot of it I had to make up as I went. That is certainly the part I am the most proud of. As a bonus, I can even wear it with jeans. The sashes were rather easy- just cut 'em out, really. I loved the trim that I got on the clearance rack. Thank heavens I already had the skirt from an antique store years ago. And the white shirt? I am pretty sure that is the worst made garment I have ever thrown together. Trust me, the vest covers all the flaws. I didn't use a pattern or even a pin- I measured myself and cut four rectangles, then sewed them together.

Told you I need to stop watching Project Runway.

Anyway, on to the kids.

Kaitlyn's Tinkerbell came from the Disney store, but I did make the shoes and her bow, as well as a yellow tutu for underneath too make it even more "floofy".

I went back on forth for Tyler, because I have always prided myself on the costumes I made for him. But my awesome Sister-in-law passed on a box of dress up clothes to us for Christmas last year, and this pirate shirt and hat were in there. I ripped a sash to tie at his waist. Does that count? No? Dang.

So . . . we had three pirates and a Tinkerbell. And yes, that is a live bird. Christopher's brother came back from his mission and bought himself a Macaw. Usually he is the worst pet I have ever seen, but he was so excited to have the attention at the party that he was very well behaved.

To put things in chronological order, Thursday night was a party with Steven and Melissa, two of our closest friends. They have a party up at her family's cabin every year, and we wouldn't miss it! Of course, I forgot to take pictures. But there was one couple that came in the most amazing Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip Costumes ever!

Then, Friday I went to was Tyler's preschool party. For that, I put him in the dump truck from last year, because that thing was awesome and nobody at the preschool knew it was a repeat. Unfortunatly, the kids kept wanting to play with the dump truck while Tyler was wearing it, so Tyler had to kinda fend them all off. And he had to figure out a new way to go down the slide.

Then that night was the big party. It was a bit much for the kids, so I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked. But they sure loved the playroom upstairs.

On Halloween itself, I took the kids out trick or treating. Neither of them really understands yet, but they were starting to get the hang of it by the end. It is like herding cats though. Kaitlyn would say "doggie!" and veer off to go visit it. Or "rock!" and wander off to play in gravel. They liked knocking on the door, and they especially liked the neighbor who makes homemade doughnuts and hot chocolate every year. Tyler had another donut hole in his mouth every time I turned around, and Kaitlyn screeched at me if I tried to take away the hot chocolate.

All in all, it was some good loot!