Halloween Costume Bonanza!!

During October I usually throw myself into costume hell. Even though I promised myself I wouldn't wait until the last minute to start sewing, it came down to the wire once again this year. Luckily I had already gathered most of the necessary components for the costumes over the last few months. So................with our annual Halloween party bearing down fast upon us I locked myself into my sewing room (aka the closet) and started the marathon sewfest. Here's how they turned out:

Sean's favorite movie for the past few months has been Willy Wonka (both versions). We decided to honor the classic and dress like the characters from the original movie. For my costume I found: white capris, brown socks, brown turtleneck, white gloves and a green wig. The only additions I had to sew were the suspenders and a few buttons. Add an orange face, white eyebrows, some pom-poms on your shoes and viola! "You get no commercials!" ...a sweet costume for sure.

For Sean's I sewed together the vest, and adapted a pattern for his uber pimpin velvety coat. Add them to khakis, white shirt and a simply tied golden bowtie. For props he used a cane made from a dowel rod (with a round candy top) and a top hat which was made from felt, posterboard and glue. He was proud as a peacock and fit the part perfectly with his rendition of Willy's song ....."If you want to view carrot-dise"

For Bryan's all I can say is ....................YO GABBA GABBA! DJ Lance Rock was pretty easy to make (except finding orange pants). Just add the white and yellow felt stripes to the sweatshirt and pants, find some goofy black glasses and a puffy orange hat. I took two stocking caps and added some stuffing in between then covered it in orange fuzz material. I created a little bling-bling for his white belt by creating a ROCK belt buckle made from posterboard and glitter glue. Don't forget DJ Lance's boom box. Spraypaint a cardboard box and glue on some clip art speakers. The crew needs a place to ride around in! Throw in a kick and a little dance and the kids go crazy!

We're making three appearances with these costumes so the effort is definitely worth it. PLUS we save every costume to re-use and recycle. You never know what next year will bring!

Rolling Rolling Rolling......new items added

New at PeaPod Crafts:

Roly Poly Make-Up Brush Roll - Where does one store their make-up brushes?? Previous to creating this roll I threw mine in with everything else. NOT a good idea. This organizer is great for markers, crayons, crochet/knitting needles, and other art supplies too!

Carry-It-All Kid's Vendor Apron - Little Man feels like such a stud when he wears this apron. It's a smaller version of the Do-It-All Vendor Craft Apron that mom wears. Watch how your little one transforms when they're carrying their favorite toys around with them.

Building A Miniature Ecosystem

Take container gardening to a whole new level and explore the benefits of building a terrarium. I ran across a fabulous container at our local second-hand store for $3.99 and decided it was time to make a go of it. There are many how-to's on the web, but here is my favorite: How to Build a Terrarium

And the finished product!

Other benefits of terrariums:

• Planting a terrarium is a great way to introduce kids to gardening as well. They'll have fun picking out the plants, setting it up and of course watering it from time to time.
• Terrariums are portable- can easily pick up or move it inside during inclement weather, or move outside to enjoy.
• Because a terrarium is a controlled environment, gardeners can use tropical, desert or other types of plants typically not used in a specific zone.
• They're beautiful!

Keep your eyes peeled for that special container and send pictures when you've completed yours!

Easy, Cheap and Fun Date

Lunch $6.98, marbles 4/$1.00, spending the day with your little one - priceless. Need a cheap memory-making event? Try visiting your local small town and be a tourist for the day! Here's an example itenerary taken from my recent visit to Fayetteville, TN- of course with my little man "in tow".

Destination: Lafayette- TN
Population: 7007
Attractions:

• Sirs Fabrics - Fabric warehouse known for upholstery and decorator fabric. In operation since the 50's this store has 3 buildings full of fabric!


• The Lincoln Theatre: Opened in 1951 this theatre is still in operation!! It was remodeled in 1982 but still possesses all of the charm and nostalgia of the original theater. It has two screens- one upstairs in the balcony and one on the main floor. We are going to visit the theater again in May when they will be showing Pixar's new flick UP.


• Shopping: There are also many cafes, antique stores and shops to browse. The town square has a great map posted at each corner to aide visitors.

I've decided to make this a monthly tradition with my son. We'll head out (map in hand)and find a quaint little town to visit. Depending on our budget, we might pack a lunch and picnic at a local park or visit one of the local treats. Since eye-buying is free, we've got a day that costs next to nothing but can be entertaining even for a thirty-something and a two year old at the same time.