This Halloween I decided I've heard enough of the "Mom, you NEVER dress up." "Mom, you're such a party pooper!"  Why does no one understand that I'm the reason there even is a party. I'm the one who makes the party happen. I hunt - I sew - I lay awake at night for weeks before Halloween planning how to pull off all the little details.  If someone made me a costume the way I piece together theirs, thread by thread, SURE I'd dress up every year!  Anyway, enough of the rant.  I did come up with a little silly costume that made both Lily and Jack cry everytime they looked at me for the first hour after I did my hair - I can't imagine why.  I think I looked quite glamorous.

We're giving a big shout out to the big H.P. this year.  Maggie and Ty are both huge Harry Potter fans, so it's only appropriate. One of these years when I start sewing Halloween costumes in April we'll do a family themed Harry Potter Halloween (Jack would make the CUTEST Dobby), but for now Ron and Hermione take the stage.  I'm pretty proud to say that I made Hermione's robe from a sheet, using red pillowcases for the lining, and an old valance I found for a dollar for her tie. Considering the fact that windows and pillows are pretty much IT as far as my sewing repertoire goes, I am quite pleased with the end result.  And could Maggie's hair be any more perfect?!?! Awesome Hermione hair.



We borrowed Ron's get-up from a friend (halleluja).  Ty makes a good redhead, don'tcha think?



Claire, after flipflopping two or three times, settled on a pirate princess.  I'm not sure what makes this pirate a princess - maybe the jewelry and all that pink?- but she is happy.  Everything came from the dress-up tub with the exception of the earrings. The Earrings! I think I could've told her to just wear the earrings and scrap the costume and she would've been THRILLED.  Big hoops=happy pirate princess.



Lily.  Lily the hoppity bunny rabbit sporting the cutest cousin hand-me-down costume you ever did see.  My sister sewed this for her now 17 year-old daughter, Brenna, who was then 3. I love big girl cousins who have cute things to give us!  Funny story about this rabbit costume - I can't look at the darn thing without being sort of embarrassed by this memory:  When Reas and I were dating, Brenna and I delivered a cake to Reas at his work for his 18th birthday.  His birthday was right around Easter that year... Brenna fit the bunny costume... she was cute...Reas was a sucker for her 3 year-old cuteness...I was 18 and did obnoxious things.  So it only made sense that I would send my adorable little niece into my boyfriend's place of employment wearing a rabbit costume to deliver a birthday cake and sing "Happy Birthday."  WHY didn't anyone stop me?  He was probably embarrassed, or maybe he liked it.  I don't know. Guess it could've been worse...I could've been the one wearing a bunny costume. Gag.


And Jack, otherwise known as CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS.  I just figured it'd be a good idea to create some good blackmail material now while he's young and unaware.  Always good to be prepared, ya know?  I think he looks dashing.  The super cape suits him well.



With bags in hand we are heading off to do some Trunk-or-Treating, followed by days of candy indulging, and then finally visits with the dentist all around.  Really. They're all getting cleanings next week.  Perfect timing, eh?