Nancy Drew: Next Halloween, I will be the Girl Sleuth (if I plan ahead)

I was blown away by this suggestion for a Halloween costume.

If only I was not already set to be a witch (not sure if I'm a good witch or a bad witch). Yes, I know a witch is boring and everyone does it. In fact, I do this costume almost every year, as my stand by.

Next year, next year, I will plan ahead and get myself a smart outfit, tweed skirt suit and mary jane heels, a cloche hat. I really want this outfit. And I will carry a book for notes and a magnifying class.

Next year, next year.

via automatism

Fun With Play Clay

Ho Ho Ho.

This looks like a photo from the 70's but I took it this morning, underexposed, and then played with contrast and brightness and turned it black and white. I kind of like the grainy look. Those are the play-clay snow men we made, and the Christmas tree, too. And behind them is a photo of my Grandmother. She died when I was born. I like the picture, though.

Okay, the kids didn't make the snowmen, I did. Because I didn't know if the solid balls of clay would ever dry, or dry without cracking, or even stick together if they did dry. So these snowmen are hollow. I made a hollow tube around my finger and just pinched and squooshed the tube into snowman shape. The tree is also hollow. I made the cone and then squooshed and stretched it into a kind of seussical shape. We'll see if they dry correctly. Maybe we'll paint them. Or maybe not.

Play Clay Recipe
1 cup Flour
1/2 cup salt
1 TB oil
1 TB cream of tartar
1 Cup water

Stir over medium heat until of good consistency. Add dough and food coloring to zip top sandwich bags. Mash and mix in the bags. Store in bags in refrigerator.


As an added plus, the kids thought it tasted awful, so none of that pesky eating the play clay nonsense. Yay for home made!

The Holidays Are Over, Long Live the Holidays

Halloween is over (above are my little ones in the mommy made kitty and ghost costumes. I am especially proud of the kitty ears made of felt, glue and hair clips). Thanksgiving is creeping up, and the freight train (full of presents, of course) that is Christmas is barreling down that track toward us.

Ai Dios Mio, save me from the Holidays.

I really want to be Martha Stewart and fabricate handmade swags out of pine needles, felt shaped into flowers and organic berries, but I need to be realistic.

I've got too much going on to have to live up to Martha's glorious standards. It always fills me with anxiety and I never manage to do it all.

Will I be able to make the kids presents? Perhaps, since I am not budgeted for big bang presents from the store. Will I be able to bake and decorate christmas cookies? Maybe even a gingerbread house? It would be so awesome, but I don't know. Can I manage handmade presents for friends and family, both near and far? I'd better get cracking right away.

I plan on wrapping presents in brown paper and twine again. Some Christmas tree twigs as accent. Simple and direct, as well as nostalgic.

But before I go on and get all wrapped up in the coming holidays, I am going to take a moment and celebrate something non national, non religious, non over the top.

In fact, a day I have a tendency to ignore every single year.

MY BIRTHDAY!

I will be 38 on November 19, and I have already decided, with some prompting from the party happy boy, that I will bake myself a cake and have balloons and maybe even party hats.

I will send my kids off with their grandma to buy ME a present. I will give grandma a list of things I might like and let the kids choose from that. I will suggest they go to Target, but my mom is creative and will probably manage to deal with yard sales, consignment shops and used book stores.

I will also make that outing into a MommyDate. Some time with myself, celebrating myself before my actual birthday. And artist's date. A movie date. Something for myself, just for myself. Alone, baby free time. Ahh.