Big Reveal

Yes, it is finished...
...but not everyone is happy about it!

If you aren't sure what Wee One is, he is a pierogi! I had to make a few modifications to the costume today. First, this morning when we tried it on after breakfast, the bottom was too tight and would not quite fit over his shoulders. I ripped out the seam on the left side from below the arm to the leg, then hand-sewed some snaps (or pressers) on so it could be opened to ease over his body, then could be snapped shut. Alas, the snaps did not stay closed when we tried it on (he really, really is not happy about it). This afternoon, I removed the snaps with my trusty seam ripper and hand-sewed some very plain, thin off-white ribbon inside the pierogi layers to tie the front and back shut on the open left side. So far, these have held!

Designing it and making the pattern was the most difficult part; the assembly (aside from all the modifications today) went very well and did not take as long as I had thought it might. It also cost me nothing as I simply used the ton of leftover felt I had from making the little stuffed pierogi magnets this summer. I had to also restrain myself from hand embroidering "Lil' Dumplin'" across the butt.

I figure if we can get him in and keep him in the costume long enough to visit a few neighbors and snap a few pics, we will have been sucessful. I would like to walk in a festive Halloween parade with him but I don't know if he will have the strength. Nor I!

A Proclamation Throughout the Land...

IT'S FINISHED!!!

I finished Wee One's Halloween costume an hour or so ago but have to wait until the morrow to try it on him as alas, he is dreaming away at present. I just wanted to say I finished it! I also really, really hope it fits! I will surely let you know the verdict...

Also today, I:
-cut my hair myself (which I do at the full moon to keep it growing well)
-picked up my free 8 x 10 photo collage from Walgreen's
-went out to lunch with the Wee and Nature Boy, then grocery shopping
-found these super-cute Halloween ideas!

cute Halloween luminaries from Project Naptime (using used tissue paper, old jars, old lights you have lying about)

these skeleton cupcakes are so creeptacular, I might have to veganize them...

seriously, why have I NOT made these leaf garlands out of newspaper yet?!?!

So much inspiration out there, so little time!

Post-Samhain Photo Diary

Pre-Trick-Or-Treat wear about town:

This was our best costume pic (cold weather + excited fidgety Wee One = quick blurry photos):

Hangin' on the stoop giving out the treats:
Our jack o' lanterns:
The morning light showed the back of the Estate had been *GASP* egged by some goblins from the alleyway. As a vegan, I'm takin' that one REAL personal, ya hear, little thugs?!?!?!? Next year I plan to install a camera trap so you should smile for the camera while you are winding back to throw....

Poison Poppet?

So I had a frustrating family-related phone call earlier in the day. So frustrating that as I sewed up the final accessory to Wee One's Samhain/Halloween costume, I began thinking horrible thoughts as I stabbed the needle through the fabric. I realized what I was doing near the end and while I stuffed it and sewed the final seam closed, I tried to focus on more positive things to hopefully correct it. Now I'm almost afraid to give it to the Wee One; will my awful angry thoughts poison his little poppet?

It's hard to vent about these things. I can't call other family members to speak of this as there is already more than enough family drama to make a reality-type show. Nature Boy, sweet and wonderful as he is, does not do well with my venting. He will listen of course but does not say very much and often changes the topic, the result being I still don't feel heard. There is nowhere to take it but inside sometimes and for the record, that really bites.

Ok so now that I have vented about not having a satisfying vent and then using Wee One's accessory as a physical outlet for my pent-up howling angst, I should probably unveil the Wee One's costurm for tomorrow. Behold, The Costume:

That's right, the Wee One is an acorn! (PLEASE tell me you knew what he was going to be just by seeing the pictures and not because I told you; PLEASE).

Ok, the details. Feel free to skip ahead if this is boring. I made a pattern by tracing some clothing that fits Wee One for the shirt. The bottom is elasticized in an attempt to create a "rounded" body that suggests acorn. The acorn cap is made in a beret style. I first sewed the diagonal lines on the material for the top, then sewed the hat added a little stem. I made a pattern for some oak leaves, cut them from felt and made the veins by embroidering in running stitch. I embroidered an acorn on the pocket, then decided there needed to be a little friend in that pocket, to give courage to a first-timer Trick-O'-Treater. There were also some shoes made based on THIS PATTERN by Heather Bailey. They were quite fun and fast and I think I might make some more in the future.

There were also some cupcakes (vegan of course) which were needed most definately after my morning; I had one and am trying not to have another until at least tomorrow...

Wish the Wee One luck tomorrow as he goes forth into the night to secure some treats he does not have the teeth to yet consume. That's right, he does it for the glory. Not gorey, GLORY.

TEEN FICTION

I'm not going to say much about it except I've been working really hard on something. It's for Samhain or Halloween. It's a Wee Costume. I think it still looks better in my mind's eye than in person, but Nature Boy keeps insisting it looks good. Once I'm done and the big day gets here, I will show you. It's involving some sewing which again is not my forte but a girl needs to branch out at times.

So I did finally finish the 2nd Punkin' Hat, this one for Wee One. I think he likes it!

He also likes swinging the Terrible Towel on game days with his game face on:

I also have a sad sad confession to make. I check out lots of books at the library, mostly crafty books, some fiction as well to read too. I placed a hold on a novel way back at the beginning of the summer, which apparently was in such high demand it just now came to me this week! The smirk on the young librarian's face as I checked it out was perfect; I smiled back and proudly walked out the door with it. What was it you ask? L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad of the reality show (sort of) on MTV called the Hills. It says TEEN FICTION on a sticker along its spine. Why am I admitting this? I really don't know!

DAMNIT!!!

Why did I not look at THESE sooner!!!?????!!!??

"Wing it Vegan is doing an entire month of Halloween foods so I don’t even know where to begin. I guess with her latest post: Halloweegan Meatloaf Scramble With Mashed Potato Ghosts. But honestly, that is just the tip of the iceberg of mindblowing cuteness and startling innovation, so take the day off from work and read all of her Halloween posts. Heck, take the week off. Tell ‘em I said so.

Musings from the Fishbowl offers us some scaradorable skeleton cookies. Hewwo wittle skewwy poo. Pwease haunt me.

EatnVegn shares a few Halloween posts from years past. I thought this was particularly cool - spiderweb creme for your soup! Also, note the dedication. She hasn’t missed a day of blogging since MoFo began!"

These were all stolen from the Post Punk Kitchen Blog. Might have to keep Samhain going for a while in my house...

Happy Dias De Los Muertos!

I received my package yesterday from my Raverly Vegan for All Seasons pal, Emily:
We have two beautiful skeins of what looks to be cotton hand-dyed yarn, as well as two skeins of a soy/bamboo blend. A soy candle (almond scent), two bars of handcrafted soap (they smell wonderful), a beautiful autumn acorn card, a box of seeds and some yummy mandarin orange lip balm were also in the box. Last but not least, some maple sugar candies from Marquard's Tree Farm. This girl was spoiled indeed--thanks Emily, your a great swap bud! Even the scents of the soaps are the kinds I would pick out for myself.

So the Week of Creative Pursuits has sadly not yielded as much as expected. With Samhain and trick or treat mayhem and my working what should total about 51 hours this week, my time at home has been spent lying on the couch napping. I did clean the estate before going in to work on Thursday (worked 3pm-8pm that day) so that yesterday was truly a "day off." What did I do, you ask?

Made THESE:

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting from:

This was so I did not feel left out with all the non-vegan Halloween offerings hanging around for goblins. I do say, they taste just like the most divine non-vegan cupcakes I've ever eaten and I don't miss the crappy animal-product infused candy that everyone seems to love so much one little bit.

We gave out tons of that candy by the way--it only cost a small fortune, I don't know where all these kids come from! I leave you with my favorite quotes:

ME: Ooh, nice wand, can you work some magick for me with it?

LITTLE GIRL WITH WAND: No silly--it's not real!

LITTLE BOY (as he pulls something out of his pillowcase): Hey, is this dental floss?

NATURE BOY: I don't know... Happy Halloween (as he shoves two candy bars at Little Boy).

Here's a link about Dias de los Muertos.

Here's one for Samhain.

Over the Weather

As I am no longer "under the weather" I have climbed out of my coccoon on the couch, the one made of Afghanistan and a tumble of used tissues and cats. I am feeling better and it's time to get on with things.

I have been very very bad about knitting this past week. Last week, I busted out a side project (true, it was a very small scale project) and finished Sock #1 of the esteemed Pair O'Sox. Then I lie dormant whilst not working, watching TV of the likes that would destroy brain cell after brain cell. Enough!

I proclaim this week as follows:

Great Week of Creative Pursuits

That's right, here in Knitsburgh there will be a cultural revolution of sorts, a junction and grand fusion of artistic efforst so stupendous, it will earn it's own place in Knitsburgh History. Hold on to your hats!

Speaking of hats, I did buy not one, but two hats, this weekend. The first is my Irish hat, purchased with a gift certificate left from a return following Yule of last year. The second is my 100% green organic cotton cap found on sale at Anthropologie, in cranberry. How very exciting indeed, I don't think I have ever purchased two caps in the span of two days in my entire life. They are seen posing with the Trick or Treat ammo: that's 2 bags of 75-count Reese's PB cups and Kitkats, 2 bags totaling 7 lbs. of Tootsie Roll/Dots/Tootsie Pop assortmant and 3 bags of fun size 100 Grand bars. Last year we ran out and had to turn off the porch light. Nature Boy has already started the rationing: we start with the cheap candy and give one piece per goblin, no more! Seems he blames me for giving out too many candy bars at the start of the game last year. If you saw the stairs the goblins must climb up to even get a little something, you'd feel bad too!

Finally, I will leave you with my lastest creative pursuits from last week. Here are pics of a bath cloth and some geranium mint soap I made, as well as some bookmarks as part of the Vegan for All Seasons swap I participated in. The enitre package is featured last, with some yummy yarn.

It was really a lot of fun getting everything together and shopping for yarn. It's also nice to kinda get to know someone from a different corner of the country too. Well, I'm off to get all creative and stuff....'night!

HAPPY SAMHAIM!!!

Thought I would showcase my current projects, as modeled by my friend:

I also saw this lil' cutie today; how bad will our winter be?

Here's a shot of the "amunition" for tonight, Nature Boy stocked us up good this year after we ran out last year and had to turn out the lights and pretend we weren't home.

Here's Nature Boy with some of the local wildlife:

Ok, got to get to the trick-or-treaters...here they come...