My Life's Ingredients

We're still having an unbroken record of homemade Halloween Costumes for the girls, 4th year running!! :) The girls only told me middle of September they wanted to go as Tigger & Eeyore instead of Supergirl & Miss Martian (the costumes from the Edinburgh Comic Con would have still fitted fine!!)... So, trying to figure out how to make the ideas work I opted for tutus and hoodies (given Scottish weather around Halloween). We'll keep the tutus for visiting Mickey (and hopefully Eeyore & Tigger will make an appearance, too!) next year, but will change tops to T'shirts instead of hoodies (given Florida heat! ;) ). Eeyore's costume was finished on Wednesday, and I decided to omit the tummy patches due to the hoodie pockets and the fact that I went with grey and should have gone with light pink & light yellow (for Tigger). I bought Tigger's tutu from my friend Elaine as she still had a Halloween Witch's one left over (and colour scheme fitted ...

I just love it, and this year we had even more kids around than usual. Glad to see so many younger kids with their parents, and Doug can’t wait for the girls to be old enough to go “guising” = kids have to do something to earn their sweets – a joke/dance or similar – Doug prefers this to standard “Trick or treat”, and the amount of kids asking right out for money was next to nothing this year I think. Have been sewing the twins’ costumes, didn’t give myself enough time to do it properly, and it’s been a while since I touched my sewing machine, so the outfits are a bit of a dog’s dinner. Suppose, they look ok as long as you don’t turn over the girls (I can’t measure correctly either, apparently – didn’t allow enough fabric for the “skirts”). So … here they are in their secret identities!! Kara on the right, Megan on the left. And yes … their parents are total geeks. And now the usual Halloween addendum: “Hallo Ian”–still funny as!! :D Looking forward to lots of years of the ...

After getting annoyed by a cold the whole week I've finally succumbed to it ... sinusitis, sore throat and that annoyed scratchy cough (which I think is due to the sore & irritated throat, but of course the doc won't do anything as it's not affecting my lungs and therefore my asthma). Managed to go to the Halloween Horror Hop (Ceroc) yesterday ok, but flagged after midnight and should have known today is just not my day. Still managed to go and see "Burke & Hare" with Nikki, Anna, Dave & Doug, but now ... Halloween is cancelled for me, no candies at our house this year. Feeling a bit off as I ALWAYS had Halloween on the 31st since we moved to our house ... either at home with pumpkin carving & candies for kids, or going to Orlando.  :( Ah well... I leave you with this instead ... thanks to Nikki for reminding me of it on FB! :) (we'd seen this actually last year live at the Edinburgh Fringe) And we decided I'll be carving pumpkins fo...

First year in UK that I wasn't either at home or in Orlando for Hallowe'en. We were invited to go to Nikki & Dave 2's Halloween bash with proper dressing up etc. :) That's why we only had 1 pumpkin this year, and I used it as an "Offering to the Football Gods" again... have been carving "Miami Dolphins" pumpkins for the last couple of years we've been at home (for DH - for me usually something witchy ;) ) :) So this is in the hope that the Dolphins will win against the Jets today. :) Nikki & Dave 2's party was fun, good to meet up with them, Billy & Anna, the other Dave (Nikki & Dave's flatmate), TD and Stuey again. :) Shame Nikki & Dave B had already plans to go to their Ceroc Halloween Party. Ah well. ;) Lots of fun, a bit of alcohol and all in all a good evening. :) Had my pumpkin with me and left it there in the end. Photos from the evening: Anna & Nikki And to my shame I realise I wasn't ...

Just taking a lunch break in between making Xmas tags for the Advent calendar Swap on Dani's Forum , making the first batch of cheesecake brownies for the next 2 weeks, sewing small Xmas bags for the swap above, filling them with the goodies and then sending them off in a parcel to Germany. ;) So far I think I am on track ok ... let's just hope my sewing machine is not playing up this time. Didn't get a new costume for tomorrow's party, but that's ok ... found my lab coat, still to find my goggles mind ... then "Mad Scientist" it is again. :) Wonder if I am going to be more prepared next year ... might actually SEW something ... again... provided sewing machine is compliant, but then ... I've to do a lot of sewing the next month, so it SHOULD BEHAVE!! Pumpkin soup tonight ... and want to carve the thing as well... no idea yet about WHAT I'm carving, will find out later ... ;) It's not first priority (that would be the swap today). So for now I ...

A bit weird having to go to work today after I had Halloween off last year (well... more than just that day ;) ). Didn't carve the pumpkins yesterday but got all the goo out ...at least something. Got a nice Halloween Card from Sharon - thanks, hun! I really have to look into getting some of those stampingbellas as well!! :D Got home at 5:30pm, popped upstairs to print off a template for an easy pumpkin and a recipe for "Brataepfel" (baked apples). Had already kids trying to come around that time, but I ignored the doorbell at that point. After I had done the printing I put on my witch's hat and went in the kitchen to carve pumpkins. NOT THAT EASY WHEN YOU HAVE GYSING KIDS COMING AROUND ALL THE TIME!!! :D So about 4 doorbells and a DH arriving later I was able to finish the FIRST pumpkin ... not too happy with it. It's the one for my DH, and it didn't turn out right. :( Very tricky template ... supposed to say "GO DOLPHINS" ... :o Anyway ... here ...

Yesterday I suddenly got the idea to have a look at patterns for carving pumpkins ... not sure where this came from, just suddenly popped in my head. You'd think me planning my trip to Sheffield this weekend, down to London the week after and our cruise would be the first thing on my mind ... but no, it's not. :o That's going to happen soon, I hope. :) Had 6 beetroot in our veggie box this week ... so the rest of this week food will be BORSCHT!! :) Have to check it's cooking ok ... quite fancy eating that Russian soup again. OK, gotta dash ... check the soup, get an e-mail out to the Edinburgh Scrappers for the Secret Santa Swap ... aaaah! And DH and I may be going to Ratho tonight for some time at the spa.