Happy Halloweenie!

Here's the quick rundown on Halloween 2011:

Harry Potter and ladybug. Ben's teacher let him borrow her Gryffindor scarf so he looked legit.

Had a fun Halloween lunch today at a friend's house. She is a homemaker extraordinaire and made delicious soup in homemade pumpkin-shaped breadbowls.

 

 Our kids went out with a few neighborhood friends in a mini entourage. Everyone was kept in line by the amazing Maya (a.k.a. the Princess)

 Lucy tackling her best friend Nolan, who was dressed in a hilarious chicken costume.

Lucy and our next-door-neighbor Traci (Lucy's other best friend). She asks to go over to Traci's every single day, where she gets little cups full of goldfish crackers and hangs out.

The trick-or-treating crew.

 The fam damily.  Andy and I are wearing almost the exact same outfits that we wore on Halloween last year. I think we'll make it a tradition.

 Sorting their loot and separating out the peanut candy from Ben's stash. He still managed to eat the one nut candy and we had to pump him full of Benadryl so his lips wouldn't swell.

Lucy's reaction when anyone tries to touch her candy.

Channeling her inner chipmunk with a Starburst lodged in each cheek.

P.S. In this picture you'll notice the lack of pants and the ladybug attire strewn around the room. Lucy was so wrapped up in trick-or-treating that she didn't make it to the bathroom in time.

All in all, a fun night.

Eagerly Anticipating

I'm in desperate need of a good book and can't wait for this to come out TOMORROW. If you are in search of a fun story and haven't read Matched, go find it at your library. Of course it will be a trilogy, but what's not to love about having something to look forward to? Hunger Games movie, anyone?

For all of us who would be Starbucks junkies if we drank coffee: I give you Choffy. I'm intrigued. No joke. 100% organic brewed CHOCOLATE. Pure ground cacao beans, nothing else. Oh boy, this could be trouble. Maybe Santa will put some in my stocking since I've been good this year.

With the BIG holidays fast approaching, there's no better time use the fabulous red Eiffel Tower cookie cutter that arrived in our mailbox today. Mercí, gran-mere. What a wonderful reminder of our trip. Knowing me and my laziness when it comes to rolled cookies, maybe we'll just drop brownie batter inside instead. Et, voila!

A homemade (dare I say "craft") project that I actually want to attempt. I know, STOP THE PRESSES! As a self-professed non-creative type, the cuteness and simplicity factors united in the perfect combination on this glam kiddo necklace tee. If you are craftalicious (you know who you are), there's also killer no-sew iPhone costume tutorial on the same website that you could probably whip up in the next 30 minutes to be ready for tonight's candy extravaganza. The rest of us might need until next Halloween.

Now I just need to find something to host so I have an excuse to buy this fabulous tiered serving tray.

What are you eagerly anticipating?

Boot Scootin' Boogie

It's officially fall and I can't get enough of riding boots. Is it too much to want a black pair even though there's already a brown pair sitting in my closet? Yes, yes, they say brown is a neutral that goes with everything, but there's just something trés chic about black.

On a related-note: We're quickly approaching our fifth Ohio winter and I still haven't invested in real snow boots. Perhaps it's some form of denial/wishful thinking that the the climate will somehow magically transform so such hard-core gear is not necessary. My trusty rain boots dutifully keep out the slush, but leave my tootsies chilly. In years past, I've just worn thin slippers inside my boots over my socks to stay warm. But recently at Old Navy I discovered some turquoise fleece rain boot liners that will solve the problem perfectly and look something like this.

Et, voila!

Welly Warmers. I can't wait to use them. I take that back - actually, I can.

To snow and Ohio's notorious "wintry mix": Don't visit the Midwest for a long, long time this year. May we have at least a few more weeks of glorious fall weather, pretty please?

What are you doing to bask in fall glory? I have a sister who looks forward to pulling out her sweaters each year. Another sister and I, on the other hand, see how far into the season we can last until we break down and are forced to wear socks. Are you excited to bundle up and hunker down for winter?

Newest MWP Interview - "Meredith"

My newest interview is now on the Mormon Women Project website.

Synopsis: After 15 years of marriage, Meredith's husband came out as gay and requested a divorce. She talks about how her husband's announcement motivated to turn to God to know how to proceed. She is working hard to do what is best for her children and to love her ex-husband.

This was one of my most unique interviews to date, for a number of reasons:

1. Meredith nominated herself for the MWP. I volunteered to follow up and examine a topic thats's prevalent in contemporary society.

2. This was my second interview where the subject wishes to keep her identity private. The situation makes me even more thoughtful in my questions and editing. Although this time I was privy to her personal information, she chose to remain anonymous to protect her young children, who aren't aware yet of their father's sexual orientation.

3. I came into the interview armed with a list of questions, but only had to ask a few of them. Meredith was so thoroughly prepared that she covered every point I wanted to address and made my job very easy. I thank her for sharing her candid perspective on what can be a very sensitive issue.