October 21, 2014 by Born To Organize

If Your Costume Needs Zing, Add Bling

It’s true. A costume isn’t a costume until you add some bling. I spent my in between moments today adding bits of this and that to the dress. It’s fun sorting through my jewelry box for the odd piece. Small treasures also linger in craft bins and my sewing box.

Heart Bling, Straight From my Jewelry Box

I popped out last night for a few groceries and picked up a pair of jewelry findings to finish the cape. Using a few strands of green embroidery floss, I attached the flower finding to a silver leaf and added one on either side of the cape.

Shoulder Bling

Packet of Seeds (A Gift from Alyster the Gnome)

I threw together a headpiece this afternoon, but it’s been a bit of a challenge keeping it upright. If the elastic strap is under my chin it stands up. If it’s behind my ears as it should be it has a bit of a tilt. I’ll figure something out after another night’s sleep.

No-Candy Countdown:

I’ve been so focused on staying away from candy this month, that the subject entered my dreams. I was standing at a counter in a store, and the woman I was with was sharing details of a murder. Then she produced a delicious box of chocolates and I started eating them. Half way through I realized that I was eating out of stress, and worse, that I would have to tell all of you about it.

All you dream diagnosticians can have a field day with this one. In better news, I’m still candy free. Darn that chocolate haunting my dreams.

Pumpkins on Parade:

Today’s pumpkin is a two for one.

Pauline of The Contented Crafter said:

Surely all the aqua loveliness calls for a mermaid pumpkin to celebrate the costume unveiling?

Introducing, Merpumpkin.

Merpumpkin

My friend Betsy loves mermaids so hopefully she’s giggling when she sees this. The headdress is part of my costume by the way.I’ll be writing more about it tomorrow.
Marlene of In Search of it All said:

Wonder what would happen if you put the pumpkin on the dress form in costume?

Great idea, Marlene. I’ve been waiting to get the costume in respectable order before giving this idea a try. Aside from the shrunken head and the missing neck, not bad. Her beautiful eyes and blue skin more than make up for that. ;-)

Pumpkin Head

If you’re planning your own Halloween costume this year, please let us know what you’re up to in the comments below.

Bling-Bling

October 20, 2014 by Born To Organize

Under-the-sea Costumes: Home Stretch

We’re almost there. I’ve been working on our under-the-sea costumes for about three or four weeks now. Thursday was the first day that I had several hours of uninterrupted time. What a rare treat to have an afternoon dedicated to getting my creative juices flowing.

Things were humming along with my dress but then I hit a snag. The original plan wasn’t working, or more accurately, I didn’t like it. The overskirt looked bulky, not the smooth, draping look I was after. Furthermore, the layers of sequined panels, reused from part of a thrifted child’s dress, looked messy. What to do, what to do?

Overskirt, front panel, seaweed and gardening tools

I went to bed in a funk. It’s a bit of a let down working on something for so long, only to have it disappoint you. The next day I realized the problem: the outer skirt, removed from an extra-large dress, was simply too much fabric. With that sorted out, I removed the original waistband from the skirt and redistributed the fabric more judiciously. Rather than keeping the gathering uniform all the way around, I lined up the side seams of the dress with the over skirt and created a box pleat in the back. Now the skirt flows but without the bulk. In the front I stitched just a few inches of the overskirt to the waistband, then let the excess fabric fall in waves down the front. Much better.

Costume Details

Gardener of the Sea Dress

After removing the sequined fabric from the front of the dress, I replaced it with a panel of material I’m using for the cape. I had just enough left over to make the panel without compromising the flow of the cape. Serendipity! It’s all trick of the eye, as the panel is only 14 inches wide but it works.

With that sorted out, it was time to add some bling. I cut three narrow strips of the cape material, then stretched them to capacity. This created a curled edge and a distressed finish. The idea is to suggest seaweed. After sewing the strips to the front panel, I added a few green glass beads, some jewelry findings and tied a few knots in the ends.

One of my thrift store finds is an aqua eyeglass lanyard. I sewed that to the front panel as well, and attached my tiny spade key ring. I bought it at a clever shop in Victoria, Canada. I hope to add another gardening tool but that’s still working itself out in my head.

What’s Left:

My cape: It’s almost done, but I need a pair of buttons and a bit of elastic to attach it to my dress.

Headpiece. I’ve been gathering bits of material and some netting. I’m trying to make something that I can attach to a hair band.

Gloves. I’m still working out the details, but I have the material and a general idea of where I’m going with it.

Mike put the finishing touches on his helmet this weekend and it looks great. He glued bits of moss, some gold jewelry findings and just a hint of glitter. It looks a bit menacing to me with the full mask, but he likes it and that’s what counts.

Guardian of the Sea Mask

I finished his cape on Thursday, trimmed the tunic and added a few small touches. His costume is essentially done with one exception: I need to sew loops on the cape so it’s removable.

Guardian of the Sea Cape

Guardian of the Sea Tunic

We attend our first of three Halloween parties next Saturday, so with my busy week ahead, I need to carve out time for these last details.

No-Candy Countdown:

Candy-free Countdown

As my 31-day, no-candy countdown continues, I’m enjoying the feeling of being more in control of my food choices. I hope those of you joining me on the journey are feeling positive as well. Please let me know how you’re doing in the comments below.

Pumpkins on Parade:

Pincushion Pumpkin

Nothing reminds me of sewing more than a bright red pincushion. Today’s pumpkin should feel right at home.

Thank you for the additional suggestions for pumpkin dress up. I’ll be working on a few of them later this week.

October 16, 2014 by Born To Organize

Restoring Order and Some Time at the Machine

This I know for sure: creativity and order are not mutually exclusive.

Since I don’t have a craft room, I improvise in various rooms of the house. I set up my sewing machine in the living room and projects requiring glue, tape or paint happen in the kitchen. We’ve been doing our costume spray painting outside in my newspaper-lined wheelbarrow. Boy, the fumes are nasty. I don’t think I’ve spray-painted in ten years.

After weeks of setting up Halloween, dressing up pumpkins, making cards, sewing our costumes, I could take the chaos no longer. I sorted, cleaned, straightened and did the family laundry while I was at it. When I found one of the buttons to Mike’s costume at the bottom of the washing machine, a barely flinched. How it got there is anyone’s guess. I’m just glad I found it.

With order restored, I felt the calm descend. I threaded the machine, pinned some fabric into place, and I sewed. Yippee! Life is good.

No-Candy Countdown:

Thanks for cheering me on with my no-candy countdown. Marlene, Diane and a few others are doing the same. Support and accountability help me stay strong. I’m sleeping better, not so driven by my cravings and the scale moved south, just a bit. With three Halloween parties to attend, I’m planning a good dinner ahead of time to limit my junk-food intake once there.

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

I completed all the machine sewing on Mike’s tunic today. The medallion is sewn in place along with the buttons to support the cape. I plan to add ‘seaweed’ to his tunic and some sparkle to give it a sense of movement. Additionally, I cut the fabric for his cape, but need him to try it on before I finish the shoulder details. It’s fun seeing it come together.

Under the sea costume progress

Pumpkins on Parade:

Introducing the ghost of the mystery pumpkin patch.

Ghost pumpkin

One of my boys insisted on dressing up as a ghost one Halloween, though quickly realized how difficult it was to see. Lessons learned. I’ve kept the ‘costume’ all these years, and use it in a variety of ways. This year it’s draped over the wicker chair on the front deck. Other years I’ve used it as a part of a group of layered table cloths for our Halloween party. The year that our magic cauldron leaked, the ghost soaked up the water along with orange and purple dye from something on the table. After a wash, it still had just a trace of those colors. Our ghost continues to improve with age.

Please keep sharing your ideas for pumpkin dress up. I’ll be catching up on comments and your posts over the next few days, but I’ll be back here at Gardening Nirvana on Monday. I hope to see you then.

October 15, 2014 by Born To Organize

Resurrecting Frank and Shelley

Shelley’s Makeover

Last August I wrote a series of posts that brought out the giggles in all of us. Pauline recently reminisced about the demise of poor Frank (I dropped him!) and his cohort, Shelley and what fun we had.

In case you missed the silliness last year, here you go:

Pauline, at The Contented Crafter suggested earlier this week that “Frank [the pumpkin] may feel a little left out” after seeing Shelley’s fashion makeover. She opined “Could you not knit him a scarf or maybe come up with a hat for your cooler nights?”

I knew Frank wasn’t long for this world, being a split pumpkin full of staples and all, so I did the next best thing: I put him on a pedestal (always good for improving ones sense of stature) and floated a festive Hydrangea for stylish panache.

Frank spews seeds

Then poor Frank ‘tossed his cookies’ while cousin Shelley looked on in horror.

∏ – ∏ – ∏

Today it was every critter for themselves: houseflies, pincer bugs, squash bugs, you name it. Opportunists came and went, including something with very sharp teeth. I’m glad I missed that transaction. Soon I will don some gloves and rescue a few seeds so that Frank’s legacy lives on.

Frank’s Tale

What do you suppose is beyond the dark abyss?

Frankenstein is a novel written by English author Mary Shelley about eccentric scientist Victor Frankenstein, who creates a grotesque creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty. The first edition was published anonymously in London in 1818. Shelley’s name appears on the second edition, published in France in 1823. Source: Wikipedia

We miss you Frank.

No-Candy Countdown:

Another day, another happy face stamp. Candy Cravings, gone.

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

We picked up a few baubles at the craft store this week and set about creating a crest for Mike’s costume. We’ve got the concept down, but the Crazy Glue refuses to stick to the rubbery chest plate. I’ve considered sewing it in place, but I’ll try my hot glue gun first. If you have any experience marrying rubber and glass, please let me know.

Working out the details of the crest

Pumpkins on Parade:

If I could visit a time in fashion, it would be the roaring twenties. I love the silhouettes, the bright red lips, and the dancing. My fair pumpkin below insisted on soft-focus photography for that fresh, dewy look. I was happy to oblige. Thanks for the ‘eyelashes’ Boomdee. ;-)

1920’s Glamor Pumpkin

October 14, 2014 by Born To Organize

Halloween Traditions: You’ve Been Boo-ed!

Have you been ‘Boo-ed?”

The act of ‘Booing’ also known as ‘Ghosting’ is popular in our neighborhood and it goes something like this: Someone rings your doorbell after dark. (This already sounds ominous, right?) You look out the window and no-one is there. (Scary, still). Your kids get a bit nervous, but when you finally check outside, a Halloween surprise awaits you. Over the years our boys received small toys, candy treats, light-up wands and even Halloween liquid soap.

Along with the kids loot are instructions to ‘Boo’ two more neighbors within two nights, and the tradition carries on. Our boys loved receiving the surprise at the door year after year, and they were equally delighted to ring and run when it was our turn.

As our neighborhood ages and small ones become teenagers we see fewer and fewer little ones on our street. Rather than abandon the tradition, someone in the hood added a new twist. A friend posted a photo on Facebook of a plate of home-made cupcakes and a bottle of wine along with the ‘You’ve been Boo-ed’ sign. I guess you can’t keep a fun tradition down.

I’ve created my own small tradition revolving around fairy gardens. A few times a year, at Halloween and at Christmas, I put together a small bag of fairy garden treasures for two little girls across the way. Only their mom knows its me. She graciously shares photos so I get a little window into their joy. This weekend I made a couple of pumpkin cards using tag board. I added ink and vintage pages from a small book about a Faerie Queen. I stamped a pumpkin on a couple of cotton treat bags, added beads, and filled them with origami paper, foam pumpkins, erasers and other small items to use in their garden. I hope it continues to bring them the joy that it brings me.

Fairy Garden Halloween Treasures

Traditions might be fun but they can also be taxing. I know that more than one mom on our street dreaded the idea of ‘one more thing to do’ this time of year. I read something similar in an article as well.

I think it’s fun making up your own traditions, removing all expectations with an established goal of having fun. Do you have family traditions that are uniquely your own?

No-Candy Countdown:

Yes, folks, the gardener remains candy-free.

Candy-free Countdown

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

Mike bought a helmet to go with his guardian of the sea costume. The crescent on the top is reminiscent of a wave. I regret not taking ‘before’ photos, but we’re having fun modifying it from its original state.

I save and re-purpose my wall calendars every year, but this is the first time I’ve used one on a costume. I took a page from last year’s sailing calendar, and tore the edges to suggest waves.

Guardian of the Sea Helmet

It’s a photograph of a sailboat in dark seas. I tore a few layers, glued them to the helmet crest, then sanded the paper for a textured look. I added a bit of dark green ink, and in a happy accident, realized the glue dots, once sanded, looked like bolts. We’ve more to add in the way of seashells and a bit of glitter shimmer. It is under the sea after all.

Pumpkins on Parade:

Aloha! Today’s pumpkin is ready for a tall, cool drink under a palm tree. Her grass skirt is nearby when the music begins. She’s kicked off her sandals for a walk in the cool grass.

Aloha Pumpkin

Please hold my calls

She’ll be back tomorrow, refreshed and contemplating the latest wardrobe change. We hope to see you then.

October 13, 2014 by Born To Organize

Sentimental Thrifting: Kicking Shame to the Curb

Thrift store shopping is all the rage. Clothing and household goods get a second life, proceeds from purchases usually benefit a non-profit, and for those who can’t afford new clothes for themselves or their family, they’re a boon.They’re also an excellent place to shop for Halloween.

In the year leading up to my father’s death, most of our purchases came from a thrift store. After Dad died and Mom had three young girls to raise, our clothes and shoes came from the local St. Vincent de Paul. We enjoyed going there and the kind treatment by the woman who volunteered for the store.

We didn’t own a car, and within a few weeks of our dad dying, mom loaded us girls with arms of his clothing, and we walked to the store to donate them. I’ll never forget the pain of that day. When we walked in the door, she asked us how our dad was. I couldn’t possibly say ‘he died’ so instead I said “he’s fine” and fled to the back of the store as the tears welled up yet again. I turned ten a few months later.

In my early teens, I was more aware of the scarcity around us. That’s when the shame set in. We lived in affluent Millbrae, but on the ‘wrong’ side of the tracks. Girls would ask if my dress was new and I never knew how to respond. It wasn’t new of course, just new to me. I felt trapped between telling the truth and my personal shame. The last time I shopped at that local thrift, I went in to find a pair of overalls. They were all the rage in the day, so I hoped to find a pair of my own.

When I walked out of the store, a school bus drove by and I imagined everyone on that bus looking at me with judgment. I jumped back into the shop, my heart pounding and waited for the bus to pass.

I was in college before I mustered the courage to enter a thrift store again. I found several treasures for a few dollars, and brought them home to decorate my room. The problem, though, was that smell. It’s a mix of stale fabrics, moth balls and the collective journey of donated items. It’s also the smell of loss and shame and grief.

It’s wonderful to have worked through so much of those feelings as I continue a path of healing. I’m able to embrace the thrift store experience once again. Not only is it trendy to recycle fashion, it’s practical, economical and green. Items get a second life.

So, with that in mind, I’ve been haunting local thrift stores in search of the perfect find. Once I get past the smell, those thrift stores no longer haunt me.

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat.I’m feeling great, losing weight and enjoying the sense of control I’ve gained over my extra-curricular eating.I’m rewarding myself with a happy face stamp. It’s fun and a way to stay self-aware.

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

I had all kinds of fun last Friday, and again over the weekend. I planned out the rest of the details for my costume, draping and pinning as I went along. I ran out of safety pins, so had a few ‘tender’ moments getting the dress on and off. I picked up a bag of pins on Sunday.

Thrift store finds: Purple dress, two sections of fabric and a pair of unique earrings

I cut the smaller of the two pieces of fabric in half, then draped it over the shoulder of the dress to create a short-sleeved top. I’m using the longer length of fabric for a cape. I found a unique pair of earrings for two dollars. I removed the earring and used the rest as faux fasteners for the cape.

Mike’s getting into the spirit of dressing up this year and he’s having fun. We went back to Savers and bought a pant suit, soon to be converted into his cape. The dark green and swirly pattern are perfect. The thrift store pricing fit the bill too. Don’t worry, it will be manly when I’m done with it, with zero trace of this suit.

Thrift store finds: Green and Gold chiffon pantsuit

Pumpkins on Parade:

Will of Marking Our Territory had the following to say about this year’s crop:

Halloween beats out all but two holiday for parties? I’m seriously impressed. (Side note: the 3/4 pumpkin in the lower left corner is my favorite – it’s got character)

Will has wonderful character so he should know.

3/4 Pumpkin

Please keep sharing your ideas for pumpkin dress up.

October 9, 2014 by Born To Organize

Mystery Plant Shows its True Colors

The ‘mystery plant that ate the vegetable box‘ continues to grow. Our temperatures remain warm, night and day, so the plant is spreading happily over the edges of the box, and pumping out fruit like nobodies business. I can’t get over it.

It’s a Pumpkin After All

I thought it was a late season pumpkin, but could not fathom why it was growing in a box without water. I’m still perplexed. Someone suggested that it might be a round zucchini instead. The fruit grew quickly to the size of a small cantaloupe or a very large apple, but remained dark green and hard. Whenever I looked under the prickly leaves I saw new growth. Whatever it is, I love the plant’s tenacity.

Dark, Green and Healthy

Today I took another look and saw orange. Squeeeee!!!

I think I’ll have a couple of small pumpkins out back after all. No signs of squash bugs either. This month keeps getting better and better.

Shades of Orange

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat. Who thought that not eating something could be this fun? Today I rewarded myself with smiling face stamps on my countdown calendar. It’s the little things, isn’t it?

Candy-Free Halloween Countdown

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

No time today. Hopefully this weekend.

Pumpkins on Parade:

The lovely Cathy, who blogs at Words and Herbs suggested the following:

Love the pumpkin outfit again today! Those sunglasses reminded me of Elvis… wonder if that might be a possible one? ;-)

This pumpkin’s for you, Cathy. I’ve added a video clip of one of my personal Elvis favorites, In The Ghetto to go with it.

Pumpkin Elvis

Please keep sharing your ideas for pumpkin dress up. I’ll be catching up on comments and your posts over the next few days, but I’ll be back here at Gardening Nirvana on Monday. Time permitting, I’ll be further along on my costume by next week. I hope to see you then.

October 8, 2014 by Born To Organize

Spiders and Lizards and Rats, Oh My!

My version of Halloween is pretend-scary. I trot out the plastic spiders and the rubber rats, then I fill in liberally with pumpkins.

Yesterday, life was having none of that.

Bungee Spiders

It finally cooled down by ten degrees spurring us into decorating action. My son set up his inflatables while I rearranged the deck furniture. I took my baskets of succulents from the hooks, gave them a quick tap, then set them in the kitchen sink for a cool drink. I put them out back this time of year to make room for decorating.

Giant cat inflatable and the great white hunter

I saw a quick movement emerging from the stems and a spider *jumped* out of the plant. Spiders climb and swing in my experience, but this one jumped. It went from the plant into the sink, then half way out of the sink it jumped again. Yikes. I quickly gathered my wits and grabbed my spider catcher, keeping an eye on the jumper at all times. With the spider safely ensconced, I walked quickly to the back of the garden and released it on the rock wall. The bungee spider jumped one more time, turned in my direction and looked right at me with… blue eyes!!! That really creeped me out.

Addendum: I’ve since learned that my bungee spider is none other than Phidippus audax. Based on the orange legs, my little visitor is a juvenile. His eyes aren’t blue, but his chelicerae are. Feel free to use that word in a sentence over the next few days. According to Wiki:

Phidippus audax is a common jumping spider of North America. It is commonly referred to as the daring jumping spider, or bold jumping spider. The average size of adults ranges from roughly 13–20 millimetres (0.51–0.79 in) in length. They are typically black with a pattern of spots and striped on their abdomen and legs. Often these spots are orange-tinted in juveniles, turning white as the spider matures. The spider belongs to the genus Phidippus, a group of jumping spiders easily identified both by their relatively large size and their iridescent chelicerae. In the case of P. audax, these chelicerae are a bright, metallic green or blue.

Lizards are us

Mighty Mouse, our friendly neighborhood cat, brings us lizards. It’s happened so often in the past few months, that my boys simply call out ‘lizard!’ and I’m spurred into action. Protocol is as follows:

Confine the cat in a bedroom while someone else keeps an eye on the lizard.
Assess the size of the lizard, and find an appropriate plastic container, preferably with a view.
Grab a piece of cardboard and tiptoe behind the frightened and temporarily paralyzed little critter.
Pounce! I can’t stress this step enough. Otherwise the lizard goes skittering all over the place and my only option is to gradually coax a terrified and sometimes hissing lizard towards an open door.
Relocate the lizard in the back of the garden and hope he finds his way to safety.

Tiny lizard catching sun on the rock wall

Rat a Shoe-y

7:30 each morning is a flurry. Boys grabbing backpacks and lunches, putting on shoes and heading out the door for the carpool. It was the same this morning, but for one exception. My son put on his first shoe without a problem. When he stepped into his second shoe he could feel something at the end. He picked it up, looked inside and found himself gazing at a live rat. Startled of course, he screamed and tossed the shoe into the air and off scurried the rat.

Unfortunately only part of the lizard protocol works when you’re trying to capture a rat: cats confined to the bedroom. The rest is by the seat of your pants.

Unable to stay for further investigation, I left the rat patrol to my husband and quickly fled with the boys.

There are two up-sides to this story. My son is fine. No bites or scratches to his tender toes. Further, I had a proud-mama moment when, once recovered, he worried that he hurt the rat. Mike rearranged the furniture in the most interesting fashion, and in the end, the tiny rat fled through the back door.

The last text from Mike:

The cats did a once over of the living room and declared it boring, which I take as rat-free. I left it in disarray. Sorry. Just push everything back.

Rat-free living room

Phew!

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat. They say it takes thirty days to make or break a habit, but I must say that eight days in I’m feeling great. Yesterday I discovered Fat-Bottom-Fifties Get Fierce, via Pauline. M and E are doing their own 30 day challenge and are encouraging others to join in. You can follow along at Getting Fierce Goal-fest! There’s nothing like putting your commitment up on the internet, is there?

Under-the-sea Costume Update:

Since I don’t have the luxury of a crafting room, our living room doubles as my sewing space. This morning I set up my sewing machine, the ironing board, my ‘selfie’ and all my supplies so I’m ready to drape and sew.

Pumpkins on Parade:

Special thanks to Pauline for The Contented Crafter for the fourth suggestion this month. Pauline says:

I very much like your Baker Pumpkin – good on Boomdee for making that pick! – and I would like to suggest a gardening pumpkin in honour of the hard work and the hours you put in to your actual garden and your blog garden :-)

Garden Pumpkin

Garden Pumpkin Key: Hydrangea hair nestled in my new Flower Arranger. An elaborate collar, also made from hydrangeas, with an Alyssum necklace. Eyebrows crafted from Acer leaves and the lips pouting away between Acer seed pods. The nose leaf comes from one of the Abutilon. Bluebell eyes, punctuated with black flower seeds. Fluttering lashes come from a fern. That cute little spade: a treasure from my recent trip to Victoria. It’s actually a key chain. I’m incorporating it into my costume as well. The gardener looks pensive, but she really does have fun playing in the dirt.
You can read more about pumpkin-dress up month at, NEWS FLASH! Halloween Takes Over Gardening Blog.

If you have any suggestions for ‘pumpkin costume of the day’ please let me know. I’ll see what I can do.

October 7, 2014 by Born To Organize

A Different Kind of Selfie

A selfie is a photo of oneself taken with a smart phone for posting to social media.

This is a different kind of selfie.

It’s soft and full-bodied like me and it closely approximates my size. This selfie, however, is headless.

[cue the horror movie soundtrack]

Introducing my body double:

Dress Form Selfie

While working on a degree in theatre arts, I learned a variety of pattern-making techniques. In the fashion industry, the person making patterns is a pattern maker, however in theatre we’re referred to as cutters. In addition to flat patterns, you can create costumes by draping fabric on a dress form. I fell in love with this technique working summer stock. I draped half a dozen, bias-cut, ball gowns for a scene in the Sound of Music. I’ve lusted after a dress-making form ever since.

The theatrical versions are heavy and I assumed quite pricey.They also come in pre-determined sizes so costume shops have several. Then I found this:

Singer Dress Form Selfie

I looked at several versions on different sites and finally decided upon the Singer. It was on sale for $107, no tax and free shipping. Score!!!

The form has several adjustable dials so you can get a more precise fit. You can adjust the height, the neck and the bust, waist and hips. Most importantly for me, the length. I have a long torso and find it challenging getting the right fit. I’m really having fun with her.

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat. Candy is not my friend. I’m trying to whittle my waistline and develop better eating habits. Please join me in the countdown.

Yesterday I tried downloading several calendars for my countdown. Everyone else makes it look so easy but in my ineptness, I finally gave up. I’ve just re-read yesterdays blog and saw the dangling sentence suggesting as much. Oops. Sorry about that.

I mentioned that I was looking for a candy alternative to give out Halloween night and Pauline had this to say:

Congrats for the ‘so-far-so-good’ score on no candy. And kudos for considering a swap for something else. Not having the foggiest notion of what else might work, I Googled and found this site: Family Education and thought maybe you could offer a bookmark with those pretzels?

Thanks, Pauline. I love that idea, and many of the others featured in the article. If you’re looking for a candy alternative for the door-to-door goblins, please give it a look.

Under-the-sea Costume Updates:

Now that I’ve assembled my form and it accurately reflects my size I’m ready to drape my costume. I’m starting with this peacock patterned dress from The Cancer Society store. I picked it up for $9.

Under the Sea Costume Components

I’ll be layering from here, using the chiffon from the bottom half of a second dress, and making trim from a third dress. I shopped at three different thrift stores and made purchases for a song: two yards of silky aqua fabric for $4, another panel of fabric for $3 and the dress. I spent much less than I would spend in a fabric store, and the money goes to a variety of non-profits.

Pumpkins on Parade:

Special thanks to LB of Life on the Bike for the third suggestion this month. LB says:

Well, you know I’m going to suggest a helmet … bicycle, motorcycle, whatever!
Looking forward to your Halloween blog take over!

Biker Pumpkin

You can read more about pumpkin-dress up month at, NEWS FLASH! Halloween Takes Over Gardening Blog.

If you have any suggestions for ‘pumpkin costume of the day’ please let me know. I’ll see what I can do.

October 6, 2014 by Born To Organize

Our ‘No Fall’ Fall

My Calendar says October but the thermometer says July. We’d normally be enjoying cooler temps by now and the house would be decorated for Halloween. It’s our no-fall, fall.

I thought about decorating every day last week. But when I stepped outside and felt a ‘wall’ of heat, I high-tailed it back inside. Is hot-and-dry the new norm?

Our seasonal average is 76 degrees F or 24C. Instead it’s been in the 90’s F or 34 C for days. What’s especially strange is that the angle of the sun and the behavior of the trees indicates early autumn. I find myself clinging to the ‘old’ normal: moderate temps and perhaps a bit of rain. What do you suppose the scientists will have to say about these changes one hundred years from now? Is the weather turned upside down where you live, too?

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat. I’m enjoying all the things I love about October while continuing to lose the extra pounds. It’s day six and all is well. I’m also reconsidering my Halloween night giveaway. Mini bags of pretzels are another option. I met someone who gives away books for Halloween, but with close to 200 children, ranging in age from 1 to 16, I don’t think I could pull that off. I love that she does, though. I’ll let you know what I come up with.

Under-the-sea Costume Updates:

Though it was blazing hot all weekend, we braved the heat in short spurts to paint. We huddled in the side year in the shade and added layers of blue to the rubberized chest for Mike’s Guardian of the Sea costume.

This is the package photo: