Antici......pation

Our kids dress up in random outfits almost daily. Sometimes they are royalty, other times they are on a picnic adventure. This day, they were preparing for a huge snow storm. Their play was interrupted by the fact I put something in the oven and they wanted to watch its progress. They were just so darned cute that I couldn't help but snap some pictures.

I loved how they were in their jammies, as well as snow boots, hats, gloves, scarves, and parkas ... all while happily seated on stools parked in front of the oven.

My Halloween Costume

This year, I decided to go all out on my Halloween costume. The idea was sparked by one of my co-workers who suggested everyone in our seating area dress up like people from the TV show "Mad Men". As a huge fan of the show, I took that idea and ran with it. (No one else in our area did, but that didn't really matter to me!)

I did a number of Internet searches to find an authentic-looking dress pattern, but wound up lying on the floor asking for oxygen when I saw the price tags associated with the vintage patterns. Eventually, I ran across a blog post that referenced a sewing challenge and how the blogger found a pattern at a Portland, OR store called The Knittn' Kitten. I emailed the store explaining my situation. I quickly received a reply and after a few back and forth emails, decided on a pattern that I thought would be ideal .. for $5 (a price I could definitely stomach).

I took the pattern to a local fabric store and picked out the most vintage fabric I found. Surprisingly, the dress came together quite easily. The only sticking point was getting the pleats in the dress to be just right... after 3-4 attempts, I finally got it!

I was able to accessorize with a 1950s hat that I inherited from my grandmother, a fake pearl necklace (picked up from Claire's), bright red lipstick and fingernails, white gloves, and a mink stole on loan from my great aunt.

Being a person who HATED wearing dresses as a little kid (they were drafty, ya know!), I found it entertaining by how much fun I had wearing this dress. I continually found myself swaying so I felt like a bell ringing. (side note: I have great respect for the women from the 1950s and the actresses on Mad Men ... petticoats to not make trips to the ladies room easy at all and they are insanely HOT!!!!)

Both of our kids loved my costume... Annika made sure to point out "Mama, you look cuuuuuute!" while Conor kept poking the fluffy skirt.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this costume a success!

Princess Day

A stomach bug has attacked our kids. We've done more laundry and cleaned up more bodily fluids than we care to think about. After much Gatorade, homemade Jello, and chicken soup, we seem to be emerging from the land of illness.

Eric stayed home with the kids yesterday, so today is my turn. The kids are definitely rebounding and back to playing a bit. They decided to play dress up and as soon as Annika donned a princess dress, Conor insisted on being a princess, too. They are having a wonderful time, aside from the drama caused by us only being able to find one magical wand. We own about 6 wands, but can't find more than 1 of them ... they truly are magical! They disappeared!!!

Conor hanging out in the castle

Princess Conor and Princess Annika (the knocked-up princess)

Stylin'!

Princess Annika tending her new baby ("Snow White")

Combat-ready Princess Annika
(you can't quite see it, but she's wearing a camouflage soldier helmet)

"Abra-ca-da-bra-zap!"

Dressing Up

Last night, Annika decided that everyone needed to be in some sort of costume. She got the bee in her bonnet that she needed to be a ballerina and the rest of the family's costume requirement quickly fell into place.She ran downstairs and donned her pink tutu, which was quite a statement considering she ditched her shirt and was running around only in her plastic high heel shoes, blue underpants, and pink fluffy skirt. It was a vision!! After some doing, we convinced her that she needed a shirt to stay warm. (She initially professed that she wasn't cold; I countered that with "but you have goosebumps", to which she replied "No I don't; those are my bones.") The Gonzaga U. basketball shirt, just like the rest of her ensemble, was her doing... we took no ownership of her attire. I must say, though, she's making quite a statement. (Especially once she swapped out the plastic high heels for her purple tennis shoes and Barbie roller skates.)

She put rubber snakes on our dog, who was just trying to take a nap (he is one patient dog!). Convincing Annika that our cat wouldn't appreciate a costume took some doing on my part, but we were finally able to avoid that potential bloodbath when she agreed that we could pretend his white fut was his ghost costume.

For a little while, I wore our ghost headband, but Conor quickly confiscated it and deemed it his. (What can I say?? He's almost 2 ... everything is his, according to him and he looked so darned cute, I couldn't help but let him keep it on) 

Our roller skating ballerina - she's destined for Cirque du Soleil!

Conor sporting the ghost headband and cardboard binoculars ... he's ready for anything!