Candy Corn Nails

Getting in the Halloween spirit. I painted my nails candy corn. It is easy to do but time consuming. Start by painting your nails orange. I recommend painting the orange base coat the day before. Cut strips of tape and place them horizontally on your nails. paint above the tape yellow. Paint below the tape white.  Peel the tape off and apply a top coat of clear nail polish.

Halloween Books for Kids

Fun for everyone

These are some of the Halloween books I like to read at bedtime.
 The Halloween Play By Felicia Bond is a short and sweet.
10 Trick-or-Treaters By Janet Schulman fun with math. Who doesn't like to count candy?
The Halloween Kid By Rhode Montijo Love this book!
Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet By Diane de Groat good for k-3rd grade.

On the scary side

Both these books have great illustrations. Boris and Bella even has the lesson that just because you are different doesn't mean you can't get along.
 Vampire Boy's Good Night By Lisa Brown
Boris and Bella By Carolyn Crimi

The Halloween Kid By Rhode Montijo is by far our favorite Halloween book. It is really fun to read aloud with a twangy southern accent. This book inspired D's Halloween costume.

Oktoberfest

 Pink Pumpkins for Breast Cancer Awarness

We went to an Oktoberfest this weekend. There was a great German band playing Polkas. This Oktoberfest benefits the local Elementary, Middle and High schools. It is put together by edUCate! EdUCate! is a nonprofit foundation that was founded in 1993. It gives supplemental funding to all UC schools. EdUCate! helps fund field trips and art classes... Pretty much anything that the district cuts from the budget. It also awards a scholarship to a University City student every year. So it was a great time and a great cause.

Morena's Corner: Puffy Flower Hair Pin

I've seen these flowers before and always thought they were cute. I found a tutorial (the link is below). I had no idea how easy theses are to make! It's a great project because you can use your fabric scraps. It took me about 45 minutes to do this. However now that I know how to make them it will be faster.

I made a pin

The blog I got the tutorial from made the flowers into a headband. I think I am going to try that next. Theses flowers are so cool because you can experiment with different fabric textures. Depending on the style of button and fabric you can make your pin look vintage or modern.
Morena's Corner: Puffy Flower Hair Pin: This project is so easy and can be done in less than thirty minutes.

Bewitching

So pretty I don't want to open it

I received my Julep Maven box in the mail today. I got 3 nail colors, some nail glitter and candy corns. I love getting treats in the mail. The Halloween theme is great. The boys are still fine tuning what they will be this year for Halloween. I can't wait to go Trick or Treating with them.

Downton Abbey Withdrawls

I can't believe Downton Abbey won't return to television in the US till January 2013! UGH It seems so far away. If you need to get your rich English people fix might I recommend the book The American Heiress By Daisy Goodwin. This is Daisy Goodwin's first novel. The book was published the same year Downton Abbey first aired on TV. I've just started it and I am really enjoying it. It starts off in Newport, Rhode Island in 1893. The main character is 18 year old Cora Cash who's family is nouveau riche. They have loads of money and she is the closest thing in American society to royalty however her Mother wants her to have a real title. They are in England hunting for a husband. So far this book is delicious. The author really did her research so it's great historical fiction.

Birthday Cupcakes

So pretty I didn't want to frost them

 Marble Cupcakes

 Our family September's Birthdays

I can't believe he is turning 12.

This past weekend was HOT. The News kept saying it was going to be a scorcher but I didn't think it would really get to 100 degrees. My side of the family had already planned a little birthday get together. I was planning on baking a cake for it. However since it was SO hot I decided to spend less time in the kitchen by making a box cake. First the Birthday Boy wanted a strawberry cake then he changed his mind to marble cupcakes. They turned out lovely.