Halloween Party

OK, it was for 8 year olds, but we had a great time. My son has been asking me for a Halloween party for the last few years (he has always had and obsession with this holiday). This year I succumbed and let him make invitations. Almost twenty kids attended his 'First Annual Spookfest'> My house looks pretty cool - and my son did most of the planning and decorating. Old masks, costumes and decor created creepy guests in the living room and around the dining room table.

We served Halloween shaped sugar cookies with frosting, icing, and other decorating toppings for a DIY snack; 'finger' sandwiches (turkey on whole wheat bread shaped into fingers with an almond finger nail); jello mold brain; fruit kabobs stuck into a pumpkin with gummy worms;

and a cake that my son decorated on his own. We sliced the cake in half and tucked some gummy worms inside before frosting. He used Milano cookies as tombstones. This crafty mommy has one crafty son!

This was a kind of old fashioned party. The kids ran around like lunatics, we had some Halloween and skull beads on a table to make necklaces and bracelets, and we had a mummy wrapping contest. We'd better start thinking ahead to the Second Annual Spookfest!

Rockin' T-shirts

I love funky t-shirts. It's another way that I manifest my immature adult side. (Not that wearing t-shirts are immature, it's the japanese cute or grotesque monster ones that make the other moms look at me strange - but you know I don't care. And they wish they had them.) Owl Movement creates limited, artist designed t-shirts that are so fabulous! They have create series of high quality tees whose designs run from the strange (my monsters) to the cute (diving playpus) to the simple (pair of owls). I discovered them at the Stitch Rock craft show and have visited their website to start planned my holiday shopping.

How Cool is This Bird?

This hawk is just chillin' on the rocks around my hot tub. It seems the local wildlife adapts to the suburban sprawl in style.

Lament of the Swapper

You may know I have participated in swaps in the past, often through Craftster. I love crafter and am often too lazy or unorganized to photograph and list a craft to sell. Or perhaps it is too 'handmade' (I admit to being a bit self depreciating and feeling that my handmade items should always look very professionally crafted. Yes, I know slight imperfections add to personality and the aura of handmade authenticity. It is my problem.) Swapping with other crafters let me make stuff to give away and I get something from a like minded individual, or so one hopes. I have received some incredible things in the past. One of my favorite weekender bags (that are day bags for big-bag me) came from a sewing swap. I have received cute pin cushions, hand bound journals, and collage supplies. My most recent swap, however, seems it may be a disappointment. I signed up to do a swap, received the gal's info., received a very nice email from her, and never heard back or got a reply from my emails. And I put together such a nice package for her. Oh well, you swap some you lose some. Anyone out their collect opera things?

Go Sox!

Searching for Halloween Treats

I am insane and allowing my son to host a Halloween party for his friends next Sunday. My house is full of dust/residue from the decorate netting and web that we purchased at the Spirit Halloween store. Is that stuff healthy to breath in I wonder? Hopefully the kids will be retro enough to play some games like pin the nose on the pumpkin and bobbing for apples (or biting them from a hanging string so I don't have to worry about the wet costumes and mess. Some parents are just not that cool about letting their kids get messy these days.) Need snacks. Need snacks other than popcorn in rubber gloves and peanut butter crackers with pretzel stick legs to make spiders. Finger sandwiches (something to be shaped like a finger?) I have been looking for something creative - the Make/Craft Halloween edition had amazing group of cakes with white chocolate 'ribs' that are way too sophisticated for 7 and 8 year olds and where I live the parents don't generally eat cake in public. Direct me, please, or I will be forced to shape rice krispy treats into pumpkins. Need ice cream now.....

Too Cute

During my typical blog-surfing procrastination time, I am often lured to Cute Overload. Being a pet lover I love seeing the cutesy little bunnies and puppies. This weekend they had the funniest cartoon animation video listed under "Caturday" of a cat trying to wake up it's owner. Check it out if you like the animal stuff. Here's my cute: