294/366: Fall Happenings

Things are bustling around here. 

Yesterday, I went into Little Man's class to help with a Fall Leaves craft.  It was great.  We made bookmarks with the laminator.  Yes, I'm very excited about the laminator.  I may need a personal one at home soon.

We are adding real leaves and this quote I found:

Autumn is a second spring,

When every leaf is a flower.

by Albert Camus

Behind Little Man at his new "seat" is a cutting mat filled with bats and sea monster cuffs and claw feet.  The Halloween costumes need to be completed by this coming Wednesday.  A FULL week ahead of Halloween.  That isn't sitting well with this procrastinator.

Tuesday might be a late night...

I'm also getting ready for a big show I am doing the first weekend of December, more of that to come soon.

The leaves are falling, the sunlight is sparse, and the smell of pumpkin pie is in the air!

Tutorial: Headless Man Cyborg

This is a very easy costume!  I know, it looks complicated at first, but give it a try.

Supplies:
Rolling backpack with handle and a two way zipper (so it can be partially closed on each side)
cardboard (I got a couple free posters that I used along with some cereal boxes)
3/4 length adult coat (I tried with a lab coat, but it was too short)
Gloves (rubber or winter gloves)
Quilt batting or poly fill
Duct Tape
Scrap of muslin or flesh colored fabric
Silver spray paint
Spray adhesive
Random bits of things that may look mechanical...I have a plastic straw, Christmas picks, some pipe cleaners, and a balloon.

As you can tell, much of this may already be in your home.  I didn't have a rolling backpack, so purchased a Hannah Montana one at the thrift shop (please don't tell my son, I spray painted it black so he couldn't tell).

Step One:  Create a tube with the cardboard or cereal boxes to fit within the neckline of the jacket.  I added extra length with duct tape and staples.  At the bottom, I used two 8 x 2 inch pieces of corrugated (from a shipping box I had) to the end of the tube.  This gave me about 7 inches of space where candy can fall from the neck hole into the bag.  That's right, no need for a candy bag.  The candy just goes right into the backpack.

So set the tube in the pack and with the handle extended on the backpack, ensure you have at least 4 inches above the handle for the neck.

Step Two:  Create shoulders.  Here, I took another piece of cardboard and cut out a rectangle with curved corners to act as my shoulders.  I taped that to the handle (set it on top of the handle) with duct tape.  Set the neck into the backpack and cut a half circle into the shoulder cardboard piece so that the neck sits nicely in place.

Step Three:  Fill coat arms with batting, make a couple stay stitches so that the batting doesn't fall out.  Stuff gloves with poly fill and sew them to the sleeve hem.

Step Four:  Test...I tried this out several times with my son just to see how it fit.  Tweak it here and there as needed.  My son is tall, so I needed a long neck.  Place the backpack on your subject, put the coat on over that and button the top button.  This will keep the neck in place as well.  Figure out where your subject's head will come out of the coat, we had two buttons under his neck.

Step Five:  Decorate the neck.  Some folks have just filled the neck with paper mache, or simple stuffing to make it closed off (in this example, you wouldn't need a long tube), but if you leave it open, it becomes super cool.  I added a bunch of items with simple duct tape to the inside of the neck.  You will spray paint these silver, so anything will do.  One was a Christmas straw with a plastic tube over it that I separated and made it two different pieces.  I purchased two Christmas picks at Micheal's.  One was a twisty thing with wire and the other was a stick like item with fronds.  I also added a little batting to the outside of the neck, then removed it.  Not sure why, but there was some left and when painted, it kind of looked textural.

Step Six:  With spray adhesive, attach a strip of muslin to appear as skin on the outside of the neck piece that shows above the collar.  I left the edges raw.  Insert tube into backpack and jacket on top of backpack.

Step Seven:  Test.  Find where the head comes out of the jacket and sew one hand a bit above that place.  I sewed one hand directly onto the coat so that the fingers passed the side of the coat.  This way, the fingers of that glove will be on the opposite cheek of the person wearing the costume.  I sewed the second hand on in similar fashion.

Step Eight:  Decorate.  Since my son wanted it to be half man half machine, we added some "blood" to the neck on the muslin with face paint.  I tried the fake blood, but that never dried.  Paint would work here as well.  We painted my son's face with some white cream makeup and spiked up his hair.

If you will be trick or treating, add a couple safety pins to the zippers so that they don't open and spill all the candy.

Eight steps...really simple once you get the idea.  I'd love to see if you made something similar in the future!

Happy Haunting!

Halloween 2011

Pumpkin carving was a great success this year.  We used an electric pumpkin carving knife.  The kids were able to cut their own pumpkins.  They drew the faces and I helped with the eyes.

I have a thing about these photos with the child looking into their pumpkin.  I love them.  Eventually, I'll put them all in one collage to see how they've grown.

And since we are all kids around this time of year...

Not many trick or treaters at our house, but it was nice.  I was able to catch up on photo editing and eating Reese's Pumpkins...man, I love those!

Since Sam is no longer eating foods with artificial food coloring, I paid him 10 cents for every piece of tainted candy.  He made $3 and still had a boatload of chocolates. 

Hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween.

On to Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween

 Amazing that I'm not still sewing.  In fact, costumes were completed Monday night...yes, almost a full week ahead of schedule.  We have one addition to Sam's costume for tonight, if it works, I'll fill you in.  If it doesn't, pretend you never read the previous sentence.

This week I found a filter on my camera.  Pretty cool, huh?  The original picture is below.  This was a face I found at Micheal's for a buck.  Super cute, they just stick into the candle like a push pin.  Warning...as the candle gets hot and soft, the pieces start to slip.

Amazing the capabilities I've found after reading the manual.

Also, if you look at the top right of my blog you'll see a project I'm going to attempt...a month of gratitude.  Just one photo each day.  We'll see if I can keep up!

Gone!

I did it. I have successfully ingested all that is gluten free. It was a struggle, but someone had to do it. All that is left is a bunch of gluten infused-belly swelling-bad for you candy.
Back on the modified Weight Watcher plan for me.

Red Tipped Finger = Costume Making

Here they are...the 2009 installment of Halloween Costumes.

Big Boy as Radioactive Man (no, Simpson viewers, not that one) that is Hulk's nemesis and Little Man as a venomous snake that isn't mean. LM picked out all the fabric for this one, I think he did a great job.

BOO!

:: loving this picture of Sam

Ah, pumpkin gutting and carving. You would assume that getting that goopey, slimey, stringy, cold guck out of the pumpkin would be great for two young boys. Nope, not in this house. Last night, Tom and I had two girls.

Ewww, gross, 'I'm gonna puke' is what was heard.
I gutted three pumpkins, while Tom did his own and roasted the seeds. Which no one ate, but him. The boys and I had cheese curls...at least the color was right for Halloween.


Hope you have a safe and spooky Halloween!

Technology Woes

No pictures.

No office computer.

The virus won. My computer is dead. Fried. Toast.

My camera, I can't get a battery to last more than 4 pictures. I am on my third rechargeable unit and multiple batteries, none of which are working. Even a brand new non-rechargeable battery lasts maybe 8 pictures. Perhaps it is time to look at the camera and not the battery. I just figured out how to use this one and am not ready to purchase a new camera because I want a nice SLR, which isn't going to be at the price point I can afford.

Better get making more goods.

As the calendar shows, it is Halloween costume making time. I have a standard base that I try to use for every costume, and that is the zipper hoodie. The warmth of the sweatshirt is usually enough to keep my goblins warm, and super easy for them to put on themselves at school or parties. They also tend to last longer through dress up time for years to come. At any given day, you may see a slug, skunk or multiple bats flying through our home.

So, just as I figure out how to make an easy wearable costume, Big Boy changes it up and wants to be Radioactive Man (not from the Simpson's, but a nemesis of Hulk). Basically a day glow green Hulk. There goes my sweatshirt idea. It ended up okay, not my best, most creative, but I guess that is what happens when you teach your children to think for themselves and make their own decisions.

Little Man was going to be a squirrel, Mr. Octopus from Spiderman, and many other random people and animals. We went to Target to get the zipper hoodie for the squirrel (with an acorn loot bag) and he told me he wasn't going to be a squirrel. He was going to be a snake. I couldn't be happier. Easy. That is tonight.

He can't change his mind again.

Well, he can. But in this house, you get what you get.

Blogtoberfest Finale

Couple of Batty Bats checking out the loot. And eating as much as they possibly can before mom says to stop.

Little O says, "just a little bit more, mama?"

Well, okay, since you called me mama and not mommy. Sure bud, anything.

(later, I realized that O can't quite balance sugar like his big brother - he was uncontrollable for a good hour after this photo. Lesson learned.)

Cystic Fibrosis Boo Bash

Can you guess the boy? First pick is Little Man, second is Big Boy. This was BB's costume when he was one and a half, and LM's when he was one and a half. It had to be shortened for LM, but he was fortunately able to wear it last night to the Cystic Fibrosis Boo Bash. The best part of this costume, is the tail. Just long enough where it hits the ground and bounces as the child runs or moves.

Twice, LM was chasing his tail, so funny. And one girl guessed BB's costume correctly. Again, he wore last year's costume. I can't be expected to make two costumes two weeks prior to Halloween! I am more of the 29th kind of girl. I was hoping to start the base this weekend. They both want to be the same thing, so that is kind of exciting. I don't allow commercial heroes or anything that is plastic yet intended to look like fabric. I want to let their imaginations work and come up with something they think is neat, hence BB's costume last year. His idea. Completely. Have you guessed yet?

Growing up, my parent's made our costumes. We always had great costumes. It was one time in life where I felt like I was in with the in-crowd. Being someone else, in an impeccable, well crafted way beat that plastic super hero every time. My parent's also liked making us a set...mouse and cheese or Princess Leia, Darth Vader and a Jawa. I was also once a baby bottle. And don't imagine anything easy...this was foam core and pantyhose wonder. I have no idea how I even got to school with that thing.

Oh, and after three years of the Monkey Costume...we finally got first place in the costume contest last night. It was pretty fun. LM was crying and tired, so it was a quick acceptance, but nice. We gave the ribbon to BB, since it really was his costume first. But, shouldn't it have been for me???

And BB last year...

Was a Slug.

This year...you will have to wait and see.

What Is Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:
clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.
In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

If you would like to donate to Cystic Fibrosis, you may do so here .