dressew

While I was in Vancouver for my work conference, I walked a few blocks (okay, several blocks) towards the 300 block of West Hastings into the Heritage section of the city (still the good part of Hastings) and hit Dressew. It is a huge fabric store that has just about everything, include thread, zippers, ribbon and some very quirky things too -- crazy Halloween wigs for instance.

I was very restrained - mostly because I had to fit whatever I bought home in my suitcase. Here's a photo of what I bought and a few photos of the store. The prices were very good - fabric for less than 4.99 a metre, buttons for covering at .99 (they are over $3 in Fabricland), zippers for .79 cents, Gutternman thread for 1.49, etc. They don't have many patterns - just some Burda.

My work conference was pretty jammed packed with sessions, but I did manage to make some time to do a bit of Christmas shopping and check out the Vancouver Art Gallery. I think after our super ambitious schedule that we had on our NY trip, everything seems really easy now as far as city sightseeing!

in costume

I had this photo printed at 4 x 10 inches. I needed it that long to fit in all the little goblins.

I used an old My Mind's Eye set of papers called Spooked.

I'm ready for bed tonight by 10 - so tired right now. I got up for a 6am fitness class today so I could be home and do dinner and fit in the kids' H1N1 vaccines later this afternoon.

I'm off to a conference in Vancouver for work tomorrow for 2 days, so I'll be taking a blog break. I'm wondering if there are any fabric stores near my hotel? :)

a simple little skirt

I sewed this little skirt up for Sophie. She picked out the fabric herself.
It is a very easy pattern but I was swearing at the waistband when I was trying to insert the elastic. I think I made one little part of the casing a bit too small and it was a royal pain to try and insert the elastic through that section smoothly.

I hope Sophie enjoys it :)

For myself, I went into our local fabric store today and picked out some suiting fabric for the "easy" skirt I'm going to sew for myself. We shall see how easy it really is.

a couple of projects

Ah, Sunday night - Halloween is packed away for another year. We got our photos processed today and I bought Sophie a really inexpensive little album that she could put them all in. It`s her little book and she wants to take them to daycare tomorrow to show the highlights of Halloween to her friends.

On the project front, I finished up a layout the other day of some photos from the summer of Sophie and our neighbour Maggie. The supplies were from the September Cocoa Daisy kit - which I really love.

I am also almost finished another little skirt for Sophie. I`m using the same easy peasy pattern. Just have to insert the elastic and I`m done!

Trick or Treat

Halloween 2009 is wrapping up around here.

We had a great afternoon doing our downtown treat trail. Sophie and I joined her little friends Danielle, Mikayla and Morgan and their moms and hit all of the businesses in our downtown core.

Later, Vic's cousin and his wife and their two little kids joined us for trick or treating around our neighbourhood. Their family just moved up from the US so it was nice to welcome them to Salmon Arm by doing something together. By this time Fynn was up from his nap and he was finally into getting into his costume (whew!). By 7pm these characters are much too full of candy - Sophie has a nasty habit of sneaking it while I'm not looking. Fynn naturally will NOT take off his costume now. Figures :)

Here is the album for more photos of the day's event.

Vic's off to get Thai food and I'm beat. The lead up to Halloween has been fun and I'm sure we'll all have good memories.

some Halloween lights

So much work goes into making Halloween the magical time it is for these little kidlets. This morning went off pretty well. I got Sophie to kindergarten in her costume (no issues) and Vic took Fynn in (in his regular clothes) since he can't sit in his carseat with his tail. I asked the ladies at his daycare to put on his costume and they gave it the old college try but he just wasn't having anything to do with it today. I'm hoping he is a little more game tomorrow.

The ghost sugar cookie were a big hit, so that is definitely something we can do again for Christmas.

Tonight Fynn got settled into bed quickly -- he was pretty tired from all the daycare festivities and Sophie got an extra special treat and was allowed to watch some TV before bed.

Here is a photo of my pumpkin mantel lights.

9:48pm

Yes, it's 9:48pm and that's me in the pink bathrobe...making ghost shaped sugar cookies.

Note to self: sugar cookie dough must be VERY well chilled.

I think they'll turn out pretty cute in the end.

The Halloween prep this year just about put me over the edge. Christmas?