a simple confession

After a month-long absence it feels strange just popping up as if barely any time had passed. I don't have a good excuse, other than life being busy. And the frustration of not quite having the hang of my new camera. I'm back to the trusty old slim silver automatic until I find the time to take a proper lesson at Henry's, so maybe the posting will be more consistent.

Anyway. It's Halloween. I'm bathed in the glow of grinning lanterns. There is a basket of carefully crafted bat favours ready to go to pre-school tomorrow. And a motherlode of chocolate sitting very temptingly, but fortunately not at arm's reach, by the door. We're ready.

The kids' costumes, which I would normally be frantically sewing tonight, were actually ready ahead of time, thanks to the Halloween birthday party we attended last week. My neighbour did some crazy good decorating - I love the creepy piano vignette - but my favourite has to be the wheelbarrow filled bones half buried in sand on her front lawn. So fun. I had fun making the costumes, but if I ever attempt to work with that crazy furry crap again, someone please poke me in the eye. I don't think Henry's too happy with his tiger hood either. I could have used a pattern for it, because it turned into quite a cowl. I tell myself it's warmer that way, but truly I'm not sure the poor kid can see left or right in the thing and we'll probably end up abandoning it at the end of the driveway. But Stella's vampire costume I could not love more. Maybe it's because she totally works it. Technically speaking it's the simplest of costumes, of course, but we added a couple of flourishes: an old silk tie turned into an ascot and a scrap of red fabric made the perfect cummerbund. Tomorrow is dress-up day at school and the instructions were clear that violent costumes and/or weaponry were not welcome. In my heart of hearts I know the vampire violates one, if not both, those rules, but I'll be damned if I'm making something else now. I'm ahead of schedule for the first time in my life. Happy Halloween friends.