Happy Halloween!

Our little Owlie...
Felt and hot glue! While I can sew a bit... straight lines and strictly sewing machine... felt and hot glue are the perfect materials for costuming! And, who knew you could iron felt and get such great effects?
Happy Halloween, everyone!

Whoo's Gonna be the Cutest Owl on the Block?

H-MAN!
I'm following Martha's recipe for adorable avian attire this year!
We'll see how long the wings last... and the hat... and the goggles... Okay, so he may just look like a kid with white felt zigzags all over his chest.
But, he's still be the cutest kid on the block!

(Un)Inviting Exterior Decor

Gotta get ready for the trick-or-treaters! (Actually, we only get, like, three or four trick-or-treaters each year... so the decor is really more for us and our guests!)

This year I caved and bought some of those fake pumpkins. The sad thing is, they were cheaper than the real ones, and our Texas "Fall" isn't too kind to decorative gourds. Don't worry, pumpkin farmers! We're still gonna buy some real pumpkins to carve!

I custom painted the owl door hanger (from Michael's.) It was black and didn't really show up on the door. The white "branches" are just cut from white cardstock. Just use painter's tape to adhere to the door.

The giant spiders are from Target (last year.) They held up pretty well to the elements. And to the staple gun I use to hang them. Tough critters!

The crow is from Dollar Tree... but my mom may have bought them all!

It's getting creepy around here...

Spooky Silhouettes

Halloween is the time to let your creative goblins go wild.

Today, I created from black paper cocktail napkins. They've taken over the house! Each napkin makes 6 bats, so one package is plenty. The napkins are not quite opaque, creating a haunting effect. You could substitute black construction paper.

Caution: You may have to call pest control...

"Cocktail" Bats


1 package black cocktail napkins
scissors
bat pattern (1/2 of bat shape... or you can freestyle it with the scissors for a less uniform look)
scotch tape/adhesive dots
dried branches
big, heavy vase (filled with water or sand if branches are too heavy)

Find folded side of napkin and draw pattern along that line. Cut along pattern line. Once cut, carefully unfold and separate bat silhouettes. For a hanging bat, bring two wings in towards body and secure with adhesive dot. Use tape or adhesive dots to arrange on  dried branches in a vase or let them fly freely on walls, furniture, windows...

Halloween 2001

I thought I'd share some pics and stories of our past get-togethers with friends, family, and other folks.

Halloween is my favorite holiday. And we get pretty serious about it around here. These pics were from our first big ole Halloween party, down at the Avenue D house. Crooked paintings and spiderwebs are a must. (Note: our lack of smiles is not for lack of a good time... We were in character. Does Margot Tennenbaum smile? I don't think so.)