Puzzling

I've been thinking about everyone in New York and the East Coast this morning...and given that this is currently coffee table decor in our living room, I thought it would be a good thing to share.  We had a lot of fun putting this together.  Jack was in charge of adding the buildings, but for some reason Matt & I ended up putting the base puzzle together.  Despite the fact that we really enjoyed doing it (and may have forgotten to feed our kids dinner in the process), I swear we did not take over, but truly picked up the slack.  I hope everyone stuck inside has some fun projects to keep them busy too!

Sock Monkey Hat

I've discovered the perfect way to make a 3-year-old smile...just give them a sock monkey hat!  I made this sock monkey hat (pattern from Crochet in Color with size adjustments, worsted weight yarn & an H/G hook combo) and was extremely thankful for Olivia's willingness to try the hat on for me as many times as necessary to be sure it would fit (it's hard to switch yarn weight on a gift project).  She even did a couple try-ons during nap-time (I never woke her up, but at times she was definitely groggy).

When I was done hooking, she was a super willing model as well.  I think the endless grinning says it all!  I heard that her buddy Fin likes it a lot too.  I'm just glad she was willing to hand over the fun hat to the birthday boy.

Halloween Dress Rehersal

I took advantage of our one warm, non-rainy day this week to get some photos of the kids in their Halloween costumes.  We trick-or-treat in the dark in our neighborhood, and it's almost always freezing as well, so it's nice to get some pics during the day (without the 5 layers of warm clothing under costumes).  The girls went a little less glam this year (last year they were very fancy) and Jack chose to be human this time around (check out his platypus look here).

Olivia chose to be...wait for it...a cat.  You're shocked, right?  I was surprised she went for a plain cat (I thought I was going to have to figure out HK for sure), but she knew exactly what she wanted.  So, I crafted up a costume so she could be "a black cat with pink ears and white paws).  I have a feeling she will insist on the nose and whiskers all weekend!

Hat - Pattern with adjustments for size & J hook, Yarn is Charisma in black and pink from my stash
Mittens - Pattern with adjustments for size & H hook, Yarn is Vanna's Choice Baby in white
Sweats - Target
Shoes & Socks - Liv's closet

EJ knew what she wanted to be for Halloween in June...Bernie Brewer...and there was no talking her out of it.  I had no idea how I was going to give her all of that bright yellow hair (especially the mustache), but my Mom suggested craft fur and while it was super messy, it was definitely the way to go (I have tons, if anyone needs any).  By the way, she is thrilled with her costume, but a little freaked out about having fur glued to her face, so she would not loosen up and smile!

Hair/Mustache/Eyebrows - Yellow craft fur (pinned into hat & glued on her face)
Hat/Jersey/Baseball pants - Jack's closet
Cleats & Glove - EJ's closet

On the other side of things, Jack could not decide on a costume AT ALL.  In fact, he had no ideas, so Matt & I have been brainstorming for ages and nothing has interested him.  Finally, we stumbled on a (semi) winning idea...a blind referee.  We think it's kind of fun, Jack isn't positive even now.  He may just be a ref.  He did play it up for the camera though...he even threw a penalty flag for me.

Referee Shirt - craigslist find
Penalty Flags - party favors
Walking Stick - cake dowels taped together & reinforced with white duct tape & red electrical tape
Hat - Uncle Bob's closet
Sunglasses - Dad's fishing gear
Pants & Cleats - Jack's closet

This Weekend Had...

Visits to pumpkin farms...and lots of puzzling (including a marathon session of Mom and Dad help that went so long we forgot to feed our family)

And dancing in the pumpkins...

 And fun breakfasts (Liv said these were pig pancakes, but I thought more Big Bad Wolf)...

And white pumpkins (new to this family)...

And soccer times two (this was at the much warmer Sunday game...Saturday morning was down-right freezing).

Big Day Kit

The day of a wedding can be just a bit stressful.  You can do all the planning in the world and still forget something super important that you'll need to get ready.  No one wants to smile for photos if they really needed (but forgot) dental floss, right?  Pics are forever, my friends.

So, as part fo Julie's shower gift, I made this Big Day {just in case} Kit (tag designed by nellie*design) for her and all of the bridesmaids.  I had done a similar kit years ago, but this one was much better/cuter (sorry to my SIL who received the first version).  I tried to cover all the bases: beauty products, spot cleaners, medicines, snacks and a few fun things too.  Hopefully we won't need any of it (well, let's be honest, I'm going to need that Diet Coke), but it's nice to have it just in case.  As the tag says, the goal is to get Julie hitched without a hitch!

A Shawl for a Bride

I've posted before about wanting to make something to keep my friend Julie warm on her upcoming wedding day (wedding dresses and coats do not usually work together) and posted here asking for help picking a pattern.  Well, I finished the shawl and I love how it came out!

Yarn - Patons Lace in Antique
Pattern - Silver from Berniolies Designs (my shrug pattern was from her shop as well)
Finished size - 15 x 52" (I added five additional pattern repeats)

I love that it's so detailed and delicate, but that the yarn is also fuzzy.  It feels so cozy wrapped around my shoulders, so I hope it keeps Julie warm on her big day without weighing her down.

Work-in-Progress 31

The scarf/wrap for Julie is starting to take shape.  It is a thinner yarn then I've ever worked with before, so I'm constantly worried that I'm going to break it.  So far, so good.  It's really thin but seems super warm too.  I love the pattern detail (clearly, blocking will be needed)!

Birthday Weekend Quick Pics

Jack had a birthday celebration or two, school had their annual fundraiser run, two baseball games, soccer, cousins and friends...not a bad deal!

And for me...Fall candy, a new book from my library hold list arrived, my bridesmaid dress still fit after 2 weeks of lying about nursing my shoulder, and a new crochet project on Sunday night.