Fire Truck Completion

 I think this was my favorite Halloween ever.  Walter was so excited the entire day.  He trick-or-treated at a slight run while "woo-ing" like a fire siren.   He fell twice (less than I thought), and was more concerned about the candy falling out of his pumpkin than he was about the scrapes on his hands.  The fire truck, while being the cause of the falls, also kept his head from too much damage---thanks fire truck!   It is so funny to imagine what Walter is thinking.  I love how children just accept these bizarre curves from the routine with little questioning.  "Okay, today we talk to all of our neighbors and they give us chocolates.  We do all of this while wearing cardboard fire trucks and lamp parts with paper wings on our head."  

"Okay!"

We also went to a costume contest at a Books-A-Million.  Book stores are frequent haunts for my family, so it seemed appropriate.  Walter was the only kid that showed up.  He won!  It was like the entire holiday was centered on him.  The staff still let him parade through the store to the different stations to "trick-or-treat" to the different employees.  Each employee secretly gave him their entire stash of candy (they had planned on a much bigger event).  They were all so sweet with him.  I also experienced a bit of motherly pride when Walter kept confusing how he was supposed to ask for candy.  

"What do you say?"

Answer:  Trick or Treat.

Walter's Answer:  "Please."

Awww.

In Pink Cheeks news, I am working on another large order for a toy shop.  I have 60 Strong Man arms to sew, always an obstacle for me.  I suppose it is why I am blogging right now----good procrastination productivity.  

I am going to be unveiling a few new products this month that I am just itching to show you.

I hope your Halloween was lovely and your bellies don't hurt too much!

Wishing you a Happy Halloween

May your little plastic pumpkin have a higher ratio of Reeces Peanut Butter Cups to Tootsie Rolls.

Picture Post

On my table:  A Victorian Mr. Mustache.

A pile of Snuggy Baby Swaddle Bears

A sense of calm on my window sill.  The figurines I purchased from Elsita.

Walter and I went for a walk and came home to Mr. Pumpkin Head greeting us on the porch.  

Fire Truck Progress and the Ark

It's been a bit quiet on the Pink Cheeks front this week.  It was nice to make something slowly, and really nice to spend time on something new.  

Walter got to paint his fire truck.  Right now it looks like a mail truck, but it is the under painting of a fire truck.  Note to self:  Good costume idea:  Postman going "postal" while driving a mail truck.  Walter loves painting.  His technique is a bit "Jackson Polluck" (he favors a messy splatter).  

Louisiana is one of the most overweight states in America.  I think I know why.  "Hey, Louisiana, make some sidewalks!"  We used to walk all over the place as Hoosiers, but it's hard to walk comfortably with a toddler when there are no sidewalks.  It's really maddening.  Also, with homes having to be on "stilts", and our home in particular not being constructed in a thoughtful way:  every time I walk across the house I feel like the Stay Puff marshmallow man.  Everything shakes and rattles.  I used to do workout videos, but I know if I tried that here then pictures would fall of the walls and Walter would surely wake up from his nap.   I'll feel much better once I join a gym, but I've grown a bit tired of gyms.  Maybe I'll take a line dancing class.  I've got to do something, and it's not going to be swearing off beignets!

I really am in love with this latest mobile (now available as a made to order item in my shop).

It's soft, sweet and gentle.

I usually love a loud splash of neon and bold patterns, but sometimes it feels very good to make something as quiet as a whisper.

Halloween Prep

Here are some sumos in progress.  I was glad someone ordered them, I love working on sumos.

I am determined this year to not let Halloween creep up on me.  Making costumes are among my favorite childhood memories, not to mention one of my main motivators for becoming a mother.  Not really.  Okay, yes completely.  I was surprised to learn, actually, that the time-frame that you, as a parent, have to decide what your child will be for Halloween is extremely limited.  Walter is 2 1/2 and I definitely wanted him to be a strong man, but I would feel too guilty making him dress up as something he doesn't find awesome.   Surprisingly, he is not as fond of nostalgic circus side show characters as I am.  So, we are going with fireman driving a fire truck.  He loves fire trucks.  He calls them "woos" about 50% of the time still (because that is the noise they make).  There is a kid song about a fire truck where you forcibly (but still at a kid friendly level) say "get out of the way" for the fire truck, and he loves to run around and demand we "get out of the way".  I think it is his clever way of getting away with being rude in protest to us always reminding him to say please and excuse me.  Anyway, I am going to paper mache and paint that truck, and then he is going to wear it like the little boy below (notice the pug-turned-dalmation [love it]).  I really want to all dress up as a family this year.  My original plan had me as a cat stuck in a tree and Joseph as a ladder (because inevitably, Walter will tire of walking and want to be carried).  But, Joseph thought it would be a little lame to be a ladder?!  So, we are all going to be in cardboard cars.  I think Joseph will be batman in the bat-mobile (opposite of being a ladder), and I will be a hippie in a VW bus.  I am also very tempted to have my dog, Albert, be in an Oscar Meyer Weiner mobile, but I don't know if he'd be as good of a sport as the pug below.  Watch out Halloween! 

This Week...

Ninja Girls got new hairdos

Sheep Went to the Prom

Here they are dancing to All the Single Ladies

Horse-head and Fish-head walked their terriers.

This kid continued being awesome.

What's On My Desk

A gal in a horse head, and her fishy-fan hubs.