We Love to Dress Up...Trick or Treat!

3 Ninjas and a Princess emerged from the house after hours at the sewing machine and curlers/makeup for Lydia. Cousins Avery Butterfly and Connor the Pirate joined us for the annual "begging candy from door to door" :)

The boys each wanted $39 Ninja costumes from that nifty catalog that arrives in the mailbox mid-August. I finally announced about a week ago, that I would make them instead. Imagining a design, no problem; getting silky fabric, no problem; obtaining Ninja swords, no problem; finding time to create...a big problem.

With the deadline of sunset looming (typical procrastinator) the fabric was spread out....the scissors flew and the sewing machine hummed for about 3 hours...and then Ninja pants, colorful sashes, and a princess cape appeared.

I am really not an experienced seamstress. I try so hard to pay attention every time my mom explains how to piece together a pattern, or how the nape of the fabric should run; however, it is no use. I just can't grasp what she is saying! It's just like playing cards....one of those things that I REALLY want to be able to do, but I'm just too impatient to figure out the rules!

I am not really a "rule-follower" either (although I try to be, during moments of necessity)....and figuring out something new usually is "do it and see what happens"...that's my learning style (you know, other people won't touch a thing until they sit and read the manual?) Today, I recognized this personality flaw is okay and figured out how to make that unhelpful characteristic work. I have finally learned how to sew! No pattern....just start imagining, hacking away with scissors, and sewing with no particular plan in mind! I really enjoyed it SO much more than forcing myself to adhere to the plan set out by someone else :)

Most of all, it turned out great and the boys were all impressed by my creativity....I informed them not to expect any other sewing in the near future however ;)

These pictures really don't reveal how totally CUTE the boys looked and how absolutely BEAUTIFUL Lydia looked with her curly hair piled on top of her head and eye makeup :)

I dressed up in princess attire as well, so that Lydia wouldn't be the only royalty...she loved it---that we looked the same. (Another tactic to help her deal with interracial adoption issues...that even though she is Chinese, she is the same as us...pointing out characteristics that she and I share as mother/daughter too).

2009---the first time for homemade costumes, Lydia's first time for makeup, AND when the boys realized the value of using a pillowcase to carry their loot...much COOLER than a pumpkin and holds more!