Four Finds for under $40.

Whew hew! It's Friday again. This week's we are featuring four finds under $40. Because it's just about gift giving season... So, let's just say I would love to give or receive any of these things.

1. Seawinds & Willows Tote from the New Domestic $36
2. Ecote Macrame Skimmer from Urban Outfitters $39
3. Etsy's Slippin' Southern hand cut bright wood arrows $31
4. Royal Apothic Extract roll on perfume. Smell good. $18

Well, that was fun! I wish all a very fun and fabulous Spooky weekend and Halloween.

happy weekending! be well and safe.

Halloweening 2011: Devlin

Last one..

Devlin as a Devil. 

The details:

This red sequin dress is a hand me down. Devlin really wanted to wear it for Halloween, so I suggested she could be a ladybug or devil. She chose the latter. The pitchfork, horns and tail were purchased on clearance at Party City.

For the cape, I found the red flame fabric at Joann's and stitched it to some ribbon.

Total: $11.00

Devlin and I both agree her costume is missing . . . something, so hopefully we will add some more flare before the carnival on Saturday.

Of course, Tim and I are dressing up too. . . but we will save our costume reveal until Halloween!  

Halloweening 2011: Finn

So continuing on the costume train...

Finn as a Mummy!

Who doesn't love a classic monster? Last year, I had suggested that Finn dress as a mummy, but he wasn't having it. So, we were super surprised and excited, when he said he wanted to be a spooky mummy this year.


Details:
I bought a few yards of the cheapest white fabric I could find at the fabric store. For the top, I bought a white tshirt at Michaels for $2.50. And then dyed it all with some tea.
I caught a lucky break (via facebook) when a fellow Cardiff mom gifted me her son's old mummy costume. (thanks MMB, you're a life saver!) The hand me down costume's look was a little different than our vision, but I used the pants and head piece after removing some of the tulle bandages on it.

The end result is almost what I had in mind. (but seriously, the whole process took a lot longer than I could of imagined.)

This costume is 75% hot glue, 15% sewing and 10% good luck. I am so thankful it turned out.
I picked up a face-painting kit on clearance and bamm! a mummy is born resurrected.

Grand total: $7.50


....Devlin is up next, tune in tomorrow!

Halloweening 2011: Malley

This week, I would like to unveil the Ott family Halloween costumes!

I really love Halloween, it's definitely one of my favorites. (hello candy!) But for some reason, that I can not actually explain, I insist on creating our costumes myself, rather than the simpler prepackaged Party City route. (not that there is anything wrong with that!) I guess I like the challenge of reinventing what we have around the house and I try to keep each costume under $10. In the past we have done family themes, but this year, we let the kids choose whatever they wanted.

 

Malley as Wonder Woman!

I was quite excited when she choose this costume, for two reasons: 1. it's totally rad and 2. my super star sister had made my niece, Lillian, a Wonder Woman costume last year!

Details:
We found the red shirt at Target for $5.00. For the Wonder Woman type logo on the front, I bought a piece of gold fabric and some Wonder-Under and voila! 
The cape, headband, belt, lasso and skirt were from Lillian's costume. The skirt was a little long and big, so I added elastic to the bottom to make it more of a bubble. I love the volume the elastic created.
The gold wrist protectors were made from some gold fabric and Velcro I had.
The purple boots she had from her normal wardrobe, and I added some white duct tape down the front.
Total: $8.00!

Stay tuned for more tomorrow....

I heart Borrego.

I come from a family that really seems to like each other. Which is nice. Because my family is fun and nice and generally rocks.

Saturday we drove out to the family desert house. To watch a parade and hang out with each other. The weather was nice, but pretty warm.




Borrego Days annual parade. Which is so great, and super down-home-ish. The parade kicks off with an airplane flyover. How awesome is that?

Back at the house; the kids swam, rode bikes and went on a spooky scavenger hunt that my mom planned. The grown ups got busy catching up and enjoying cocktails. And we had a couple of surprise desert house visitors. Borrego is like that. Or my parents are. Either way, I like it.

Our best attempt at a self timer family picture. (of course, Malley was not having it, Banner was distracted, Jeff's faced is blocked and Grandma and Grandpa were too busy sleeping.)

Another successful trip to the desert.

{four for Friday}: put an owl on it.

Is it just me or are owls really having their time?  I feel like everywhere I look, there's an owl on it. Good thing, too, because I think they're pretty awesome.

{one two three four}

And owls make for a great Halloween costume. This diy one, from Alpha-mom, is my favorite. Even Finn dressed up as an owl when he turned one. (One of my favorite costumes I have ever made.)

 Happy Owl-o-ween!!  And happy weekending!

getting into the Halloween spirit?

We were 'boo'ed last night.  Big ol' bucket of Halloween goodness.

Are you all familiar with this suburban tradition? It's sort of like door bell ditching a curse. A neighbor leaves some treats and Halloween goodness anonymously on another neighbor's door, and in return, they must copy the poem and 'boo!' sign, run to Target, buy a bunch of Halloween crap stuff and leave it at two other neighbors doors. Once you have been boo'ed, you are to leave the ghost in your front window so you don't get boo'ed again.

All this boo'ing and costume making (I have been busy doing that too) had me thinking, the season is really upon us.

Halloween is here, folks.

          (cake round up from top left: Country Living, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Better Homes & Garden)

The kid's school carnival is next weekend, and the cake walk is a Cardiff tradition. Guess it's time to get my bake on, I love all these tricked out cakes and cupcakes. So spooktacular.