all dressed up

We had a VERY BUSY Halloween week and it's taken me awhile to sort through all the pictures.  First we went trick-or-treating at Emma Jane's preschool.  For that event, Emma Jane was Widget from Wow Wow Wubbzy (I've inserted a picture since most people have never heard of Widget!) and Vivian was a cute little chef.  Later in the week we went to Boo at the Zoo where Emma Jane was Widget again and Vivi was a bumble bee.  Trick-or-treating in the neighborhood was lots of fun!  Emma Jane was a fairy this time and she hit the candy jackpot!  She is allowed to have one treat after lunch and dinner, so I think we may have enough candy until next Halloween!  Vivian didn't know what to think about all of this Halloween craziness.  Next year she'll be smack dab in the middle of it, I'm sure!

Widget says, "No Problemo!"

Our little chef with sweet cheeks...

and the perfect pout!

Emma Jane with her ladybug friend, Addie.

Our happy buzzy bumblebee!

Ready to take on Boo at the Zoo!

A hug for Lily the Kitty...

Awestruck!

Foam fun...she LOVED this!

The whole family!

A rare sitting-in-mom's-lap photo...

by the way, Emma Jane insisted I dress up,

so I obliged with kitty cat ears and painted whiskers!

Doing the chicken dance!

We all had fun dancing at the end of the night.

Helping daddy carve the pumpkins...

This happy fairy was ready to finally do some real-live-knock-on-the-door-trick-or-treating!

Vivian had no clue what was going on...

but she was happy to "bee" there!

Checking out our own bowl of candy before we left it on the porch for other trick-or-treaters!

So many houses, so little time...

 These two were pros before the night was over!

Stopping for a quick pose with mommy!

What ARE they doing and why don't I get any?!?!

These two little witches had a ball all week long.

Goodbye, Halloween!  See ya next year!

pinterest addict

Yes, I'm hooked.  Pinterest has taken over my life!  I wanted to share just a few of the projects I've completed since I became obsessed. 

DIY CANVAS:  I chose an 8 X 10 of Vivian to try this out.  I can't take credit for taking the photo (Thanks, Amanda Zabrocki!) but it's one of my favorites.  This was such an easy project and I love how it turned out.

Materials Needed:
8 X 10 print
8 X 10 canvas (pack of 2 at Hobby Lobby for $3.99)
modge podge (already had some)
acrylic paint (antique bronze, medium brown, metallic black)
sponge brush (have loads of these)

Cost:  around $7

Here's the link to the tutorial I followed after finding it on Pinterest:
http://thisismeinspired.blogspot.com/2011/07/instant-gratification-canvas-photo-diy.html

Tips:  (1) The print was actually slightly bigger than the canvas, so I had to cut it.  I was LAZY and didn't measure before cutting.  I also didn't have a paper cutter, so I just eyeballed it.  The print still wound up slightly over the edges of the canvas.  No big deal, but it would've turned out better if I'd measured before cutting and used a paper cutter to ensure straight edges.

(2) Painting the smudges around the edges was the hardest part for me. I'm not very artsy so my smudges looked intentional rather than having that rustic look I was going for.  Next time, and YES, I will do this one again, I'll try not to make my "smudges" so perfect!  Ha!

BURLAP WREATH:  This was one of my first Pinterest-inspired projects.  I love anything made of  burlap and I think it suits our front door.

Link:  http://undermypolkadotumbrella.blogspot.com/2011/01/burlap-wreath-tutorial-giveaway.html

LEAF RUBBING:  This is a tried and true project for the fall.  Emma Jane collected lots of leaves the other day.  She did NOT want to get rid of them, so I decided to try this project with her.  She loved it!  I told her that if she rubbed the crayon on the paper, her leaf would magically appear!  

Link for one version of this project: http://www.filthwizardry.com/2009/11/leaf-rubbing-and-paint-mural.html

HALLOWEEN PROJECTS:  Here are the projects I tackled for Halloween this year. 

(1) I made both girls Halloween buckets that they can use every year. 

Link:  http://alderberryhill.blogspot.com/2011/09/halloween-paint-can.html

(2) I mod-podged a fabric initial on one of those plastic pumpkins from Michaels. 

Link:  http://www.brownpaper--packages.com/2010/10/monogrammed-pumpkins.html

(3) The mice on the stairs was an idea I saw on Pinterest, too.  Martha Stewart sells the mice, so this was NOT my creation, but I would never have known about them if I hadn't seen them on Pinterest first! 

Link:  http://projectqueen.org/halloween-decor

 

Next on the Pinterest to-do list?  Well, Vivian's first birthday party is less than two weeks away!  I am staying up into the wee hours of the morning working on invitations and decorations but loving every minute of it!

kitty cats in the pumpkin patch

We took two little kitty cats to our neighborhood Halloween parade and fall festival.  The Sadlers invited us to ride on their golf cart in the parade.  Emma Jane and Lily had fun throwing candy to the spectators.  We were allowed to choose two pumpkins from the pumpkin patch to take home with us.  Emma Jane found the "purr-fect pumpkins" and we let her paint hers on the front porch when we got home.  This was the first of many fun Halloween activities, so more spooky posts to follow!

ferris wheels and funnel cakes

We had a blast at the South Carolina State Fair again this year!

Emma Jane has been talking about riding the ferris wheel for months now, but she got a little nervous while waiting in line.

Paul said she loved it!  Meanwhile, I'm a basket case as I watch below!

I think Vivi might have been a little nervous, too!

Riding the kiddy cars with a new friend...wouldn't it be nice if we could all be this friendly with someone we just met?!?

This was Vivian's first merry-go-round ride.  She loved it and fussed when it was over!

Waiting for the Dizzy Dragons...

Here we gooooooo!

Gotta love fair food!

Flying high on the airplanes!

The highlight of the night for Emma Jane was her "prize" for being a good listener.  She got a $3 trumpet that squeaks when you blow it.  She was beyond thrilled!

 



almost one!

   Vivian turned 11 months old last week.  It's unbelievable that we will soon celebrate her first birthday.  This past month Vivi has changed more than any other, I think.  She's not talking yet, but she does say mama (yay for me!) and the babble is constant when we are at home.  She crawls like a champ...seriously, I have trouble catching her sometimes.  Vivi still loves to eat!  She will eat anything and everything we put in front of her and her temper flares when her tray is empty.  As most babies do, she loves to be held and cuddled, but also enjoys her freedom.  The BIG news this week is that she has started taking tiny steps.  She loses her balance pretty quickly, but she is working on it!  Sometimes when I'm helping her take steps while holding her hands, she will push me away so she can try it on her own. 

   I took Vivi to the pumpkin patch last week while Emma Jane was in school.  She loves to be outside and closely watches and listens to everything going on around her.  I love the way she likes to touch and study anything she can get her hands on.  Putting things in her mouth is starting to slow down (thank goodness!).  We finally had to baby proof the cabinets in the house since Viv's new thing is opening and shutting doors and drawers.  She pinched a finger in a drawer today!  Ouch!

Some of Vivi's favorite things are...

1.  mom, dad, and big sis, of course!

2.  blankies at bedtime

3.  pacifier at bedtime

4.  music anytime!

5.  photos of family

6.  being tickled

7.  laughing at us when we tell her "no!"

We adore our sweet, curious Vivi and can't wait to celebrate her first birthday!

It's the simple things that babies love best.  I put Vivi in this diaper box and pulled her around the house.  She loved it and giggled hysterically!

Here are a few pics from a recent trip to the botanical gardens.  She was so serious as she studied everything the gardens have to offer that I could barely get her to crack a smile!

Finally got one!

Vivi loves to follow me around and climb up my legs.  This is sweet, but sometimes a little difficult when I'm trying to get things done around the house!

This girl loves balloons!  She'll carry one around for ages, sometimes holding the string in her teeth while she crawls to her next destination!