Captain CaveKid

There was never really any question that Luke (my four month old) would be a dinosaur for Halloween. I am so in love with the the dino costume his big brother wore his first Halloween that Luke and any future babies will most likely be wearing that their first Halloweens as well (provided I can squeeze them in to it it fits them).

I had a really difficult time deciding on Adam’s costume though. I originally toyed with the idea of him being a dinosaur too, but I knew there was no way he would keep any sort of mask or hood on, and most of the costumes I found online had one or the other (and not to mention were more than I wanted to spend). I really wanted the boys’ costumes to go together so when my husband suggested Adam dress as a caveman, I knew it was perfect (though technically according to the geologic timeline cavepeople and dinosaurs did not coexist, but what's 65 million years between friends?).

So a a quick trip to Joanns for some animal print fabric and another to a Halloween costume shop for the plastic bones around the top and we were in business. I used one of Adam’s shirts as a guide for the size (and still ended up having to take in the sides twice).

We added his dinosaur feet slippers and a club (yes, I gave a two-year-old a club, probably not one of my better parenting decisions) and there you go, instant Cavekid. We'll be going to a party at a friend's house on Halloween, instead of door-to-door (he's still a bit young for trick-or-treating), but we'll put pants and a long-sleeve shirt underneath to keep him warm.

I think my little wild man pulls off the caveman look pretty well.

(By the way, Erin - I can't comment on your post for some reason, but the costumes you made for your boys turned out fantastic! You did a great job!)

Dressed Up Canning Jars On Driftwood

I've been wanting to decorate the driftwood stump in our yard for a while. My neighbor Pam has a beautiful sculpture garden in her yard, so I had to give her one too. I've made several of these since & keep refining my process, so sadly no step-by-step, just the pictures.

I live in the most beautiful place in the world, Sunset Bay, NY.

Costume Making Year 2

Elliott is Super Why and Henry is supposed to be Woofster (Super Why's dog), but he wasn't into the cape, so he is just a dog.

Elliott's costume is two pieces, shirt and pants--which I managed to make on the first try. His shirt is appliqued and he has a blue cape and green mask. The mask could've used more tweaking, but he doesnt seem to care.

Henry's is a jumpsuit and it is my second try. The first attempt was with a more dog-like fuzzy fabric. Problem was, it had almost no give (so what was a little small was REALLY tight) and the inside of the fabric was itchy, so he was just not happy. The second try was fleece and MUCH easier. He has a hood with ears and a tail in the back. The jumpsuit zips up the front.

The costumes weren't as hard as I expected, but I didn't really follow a pattern, either. I just traced around a big shirt/pants of theirs and added a BIG seam allowance so that they'd be able to wear the costumes over clothes (this is Western New York, after all!). Then I embellished and sewed the two pieces right sides together (except for feet, hand, and neck holes). MUCH easier than I expected!

Can't wait to see what other people have come up with!

Erin

All dressed up with nowhere somewhere to go!

This month's theme is dressing up! So many choices... dress up a cardigan with flowers... bedazzle a tshirt... or show off a Halloween costume or decoration you made! Happy crafting :)

A Little Less Exposure

This is really for the house, but I've meant to do this for at least two years. I crossed it off of my to-do list, therefore it is for me.

Our bathroom has these tow 48" X 48" mirrors over the bathtub so, in addition to the two mirrors above the vanity and the one on the linen closet....that's a whole lot of naked to see when stepping out of the shower. I wanted to make it a little less...reflective.

The curtains are made out of muslin ($16 for 10 yards at Joann's) and tied back with twine. Eventually I'll add beach glass to the ties, but we're throwing a party for 100 of our closest friends tonight so it won't happen today.

The palm trees are "etched glass" cling-ons I bought in Florida. When I first put them up, I thought it looked a little too much like something Bea Arthur might have in her bathroom, but together with the curtains, I like it.

Instead of having the various seashells from our beach adventures scattered on the ledge, I put them in an old candle holder and it made the difference I was looking for.

If anything, it's something new to look at while doing my business in the morning (Note the position of the toilet. Like I said, it was a WHOLE lot of naked before the curtains!)

Now for the rest of the list....

Little Wallet

Earlier this month while supporting the economy at a local fabric shop I purchased this pattern.

That same night I put it to good use and whipped up this little wallet.

The pattern was super easy and quick to sew (my type of project). I will admit it didn't turn out exactly as I'd planned. I had intended to have the entire outside of the wallet be the floral fabric and have the stripes on the inside, however due to my misreading the pattern, this is how it ended up. I actually think I prefer it this way (happy accident).

It has three pockets on the inside and is the perfect home for the gift cards and business cards that live in my purse.

I've made three more since this one. It's a nice little something extra if you're giving someone a gift card.

Now I need to go see if my library has that Amy Butler book that Erin used so I can make a matching bag. (:

Teardop Bag

I took my first ever sewing class last week (with Amy) and it was SUPER fun! I made myself the Amy Butler Teardrop Bag from her Style Stitches book. It was SO much easier than expected and I love how it turned out. Next time, though, I am either making the strap shorter for a shoulder bag or longer for a cross-body bag. It's currently kind of an 80s length... Easy beginner bag for anyone who wants to branch out!