tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19954068720079524512024-02-20T06:42:41.321-08:00Relocating the Goat RodeoI'm heading to Washington, leaving behind my good friends in the South and all they got was this lousy blog.Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-141209434304536122013-11-08T12:38:00.001-08:002013-11-08T12:38:21.850-08:00Halloween 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This Halloween involved MUCH less work for me than last year (TARDIS and Weeping Angel from scratch, anyone?). </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't let that scowl fool you.<br />She was thrilled with how it turned out.<br /></td></tr>
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This year, my oldest made her own Padame costume. She found a graduation robe at a thrift store, used a red felt Xmas tree skirt, black duct tape, cereal boxes, wrapping paper, and a witches hat (for the head piece). </div>
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She did it all herself and I think she looked great.</div>
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My son raided the costume box and opted to be Darth Vader. My youngest then decided to be Princess Leia. Problem is, we tossed the Leia costume last year after it got stained and she hates the wig. </div>
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So we busted out socks and made sock buns with her own hair. She wore her white turtleneck under her sister's long white shirt. Plus leggings and boots. Voila: Princess Leia. <br />
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Middle daughter initially wanted to be Elizabeth Bennet, but later opted for Supergirl. She wore red leggings, boots, her superman shirt, another red Xmas skirt for a cape, and the yellow belt from a Superman costume we got on clearance a few years back.<br />
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<br />Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-59579816432366088402013-11-08T12:30:00.001-08:002013-11-08T12:30:32.440-08:00Homeschool review<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. They offer an</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.time4learning.com/elementary-games.shtml?ref=Review+Referring" style="color: #0084f7; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: underline;">elementary curriculum</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.time4learning.com/learning-middle-school.shtml?ref=Review+Referring" style="color: #0084f7; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: underline;">middle school curriculum</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.time4learning.com/homeschool/high_school.html?ref=Review+Referring" style="color: #0084f7; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: underline;">high school curriculum</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">, and plenty of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.time4learning.com/curriculum/information.html?ref=Review+Referring" style="color: #0084f7; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: underline;">curriculum information</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">. Find out how to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.time4learning.com/homeschool-curriculum-review.shtml?ref=Review+Referring" style="color: #0084f7; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: underline;">write your own review</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">!</span>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-12417279076098181502012-10-29T12:25:00.002-07:002012-10-29T12:25:56.104-07:00Weeping Angel WingsIn a bit of a panic last month, I told my kids that they needed to come up with their own costumes because I didn't think I'd have the time or energy to make something for them. <br />
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So of course I've spent the past 2 days creating these Weeping Angel wings:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kt_ZUcmL9eU/UI7XZL7BzqI/AAAAAAAAAmU/rFx_Br4UD7I/s1600/WeepingAngelWings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kt_ZUcmL9eU/UI7XZL7BzqI/AAAAAAAAAmU/rFx_Br4UD7I/s400/WeepingAngelWings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My oldest daughter wanted to be a Weeping Angel. She found the perfect grey fabric at the thrift store and agreed to do much of the work on the costume herself. So I agreed. </div>
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In fairness, she has done a lot of the work. She sewed the seam in the dress herself (by hand). She helped paint the shadows and highlights on the dress and she helped me out a little bit with the wings (I had to do most of the wings myself just because I'm like that). </div>
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She actually helped a lot with the wing prep, but I had to scrap our original plan at the last minute. She helped me cut out and paint foam "feathers" to look like stone, but when applied, they made the wings too heavy. So I had to do much of this at the last minute. </div>
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I'm going to do her makeup. She can't wait for Halloween. Honestly, I can't either. </div>
<br />Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-90401190728257867512012-10-23T15:43:00.001-07:002012-10-23T15:43:59.076-07:00The kids have the costume box.<br />
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Nothing says, "Happy Halloween" like a chihuahua in a yellow submarine costume. </div>
Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-18225102107505741902012-10-18T19:18:00.001-07:002012-10-18T19:18:16.299-07:00Halloween is creeping up on us. It's a favorite holiday here. I told my kids I just wasn't feeling up to making costumes. So, of course, now I'm making 2 different costumes which include the most intricate work I've ever done (I can hand stitch [poorly], but I can't use a sewing machine and I've never actually made clothing from scratch). <br />
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This ought to be fun where "Fun" means horrifying, anxious, frustrating, and awesome in the end. <br />
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Unfortunately, the whole goat rodeo won't coordinate this year (it's <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/11/hogwarts-will-always-be-there-to.html">so much fun when they do</a>). My oldest and youngest will, though. But shhhhhh, no one can know what they're going to be just yet. Whenever I finally win this battle with mount fabric (aka finally finish these blasted costumes), I'll post pictures. Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-3113203033203232302012-10-04T10:05:00.001-07:002012-10-04T10:05:30.557-07:00Conversations at Chez Goat RodeoThese conversations both happened yesterday.<br />
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<b>6-year-old son playing Mad Libs: It asks for a thing. Everything in the world is a thing. Even the world is a thing.</b><br />
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<b>Me: <a href="http://youtu.be/8-r-V0uK4u0">The world is a vampire</a>. </b><br />
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Later in the day, my son was playing a game with my youngest daughter (age 3). She won a surprising number of games in a row. He made a comment in an astonished tone.<br />
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<b>Son: You won AGAIN.</b><br />
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<b>Daughter: Sorry. I just can't stop myself. </b>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-59365776279968196302012-08-24T10:56:00.001-07:002012-08-24T10:56:19.790-07:00If you give a Whovian some sneakers...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.justjon.net/lego/the-lego-tardis-snot-technique/"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.justjon.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/tardis-tennant.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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For a long time, it seemed as though this blog would become a Harry Potter-themed craft blog. It did not. <br />
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Now, I'm going to risk it becoming a Doctor Who themed craft blog. Woo hoo! Come along for the ride. <br />
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I made TARDIS sneakers/trainers for my kids. I pinned <a href="http://globalgeeknews.com/2012/07/12/tardis-tennis-shoes-pic/">these</a> a few months back. I loved them and thought I could use them as inspiration. <br />
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A few months ago, I found 3 or 4 pairs of Converse sneakers at a children's consignment store for a quarter each. They included these perfect blue ones. There was a spot of purple paint in the upper left corner, but I just painted over it with blue paint. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SASZ9Ywy_7I/UDe8ykZ9KYI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/tttYbUIZ3Tw/s1600/TARDISshoesside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SASZ9Ywy_7I/UDe8ykZ9KYI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/tttYbUIZ3Tw/s320/TARDISshoesside.jpg" width="320" /></a> Using those pinned sneakers as inspiration, I did all the painting freehand (which I think it pretty obvious). I'm just not much of a planner. I'd rather get straight to work. So the outsides of the sneakers have the TARDIS doors painted. I printed the telephone signs on fabric and sewed them on by hand (I used iron-on fabric, but it's too old and doesn't stay put on its own). I thought the strips on the back worked perfectly for the "Police Pubic Call Box" sign, so I mimicked that. I'm horrible at copying fonts, but I did my best. I asked the kids what they wanted written on the white toe portion and they all agreed on "Bad Wolf." <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UuxFvLvPDWM/UDe8zoe1coI/AAAAAAAAAlY/rbPmzWPO8zU/s1600/TardisSneakers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UuxFvLvPDWM/UDe8zoe1coI/AAAAAAAAAlY/rbPmzWPO8zU/s320/TardisSneakers.jpg" width="288" /></a>I'd like to replace the white laces with blue ones, but the ones we had on hand were too short. So I'll need to find longer ones. Still, I'm very happy with how these turned out. My kids love 'em. They fit my oldest, so they can be handed down to all the others (assuming they can keep them in one piece). <br />
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These will go nicely with the whole collection of Doctor Who-themed t-shirts I've made them, but that's another post for another day. Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-47054953129684616472012-08-15T18:38:00.001-07:002012-08-15T18:38:09.381-07:00How have I survived without this?We were lucky enough to find a house with a pool when we moved. I'm a fish (both in that I love the water and I'm a Pisces). My children are also fish (they all love the water, but only the youngest is a fellow Pisces). The twins learned to swim years ago in day camp, so they're fine in the pool. My son is timid and very careful, so he spends most of his time either outside the pool skimming it or in a tube in the pool. My youngest, however, has no fear and loves the water. Last year, that meant I had almost no time to myself because all my time in the water was spend holding desperately on to her in an attempt to keep her from diving in face-first. <br />
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A friend once posted to Facebook, pictures of her two children wearing these floatation devices I'd seen at the store, but just brushed off as any other device. In fact, they were a little more expensive than most floaty bathing suit, so I never even considered them. Then I saw her picture with a comment about how they were the "The best invention EVER." <br />
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So, this year, I sucked it up and bought a Stearns 3D Puddle Jumper and I agree with her completely. <br />
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We've used floatation bathing suits and they're just okay. They provide a wee bit of extra safety, but they were never great. They still require watching like a hawk because they have a tendency to push your child's face in the water. <br />
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This, however, actually hold my daughter up and keep her face and shoulders up straight. My 3-year-old is learning to kick and she feels completely independent in the water. I don't have to hold her the entire time, so we can all have fun swimming together. I could kiss whoever invented this thing. <br />
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I like that it's not attached to a bathing suit. Have you ever tried to wash one of those floatation suits with the built-in styrofoam? It's a pest. It floats in the washing machine, so it doesn't come completely clean plus the machine can damage it. Plus we swim A LOT and needing one specific suit is a problem. We have a number that we use and then toss in the machine. So being able to just put this on my daughter with whatever suit she happens to be wearing helps a lot. <br />
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This thing is awesome. I can't put into words how much it saved my summer. I've been able to actually swim in our pool rather than just drag my daughter around the shallow end. I do wish they were cuter (we have that frog one and it's okay, but nowhere near adorable) and I sometimes worry about catching my fingers in the clip in the back, but those are the only drawbacks (and so far so good). It's a little pricey too ($19.96 at Walmart and $18.99 at Target) which is the biggest con for me, but I found out in the end that it's so very worth it. Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-79408486998591212022012-08-10T12:21:00.000-07:002012-08-23T00:01:31.289-07:00Give me a head with hair...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are a number of things you don't typically think much about until you have kids. Other people's haircuts fall into that category for me.
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My twins didn't have much hair as babies. They were constantly referred to as, "Boys," because they had barely any hair. So when they got older and suddenly had some hair, I was thrilled. By the time she was 6, the younger of the pair (who was bald until she was a toddler) had a head full of gorgeous blonde curls.<br />
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Now, my theory on most things parenting is, "It's your body. It's your decision." It was awfully difficult to hold to that, though, when my middle daughter came to me asking for a haircut when she was 7. I loved her hair. We had waited so very long for it to grow out. I desperately wanted to make her leave it alone. Yet, I had to remind myself that it was her body and her decision. So she got a few inches cut off. A month later, she asked for more. So she got it chopped up to her ears.
She loved it. I preferred it longer, but I kept my thoughts to myself and reminded myself that it was her body and her decision.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2YUm_QC94ug/UCVcW1_V2_I/AAAAAAAAAio/k-fD3YEM5pQ/s1600/552579_10150991352322546_429783306_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2YUm_QC94ug/UCVcW1_V2_I/AAAAAAAAAio/k-fD3YEM5pQ/s200/552579_10150991352322546_429783306_n.jpg" width="168" /></a><br />
A few months back, my son (who has always had a head full of gorgeous curls that makes people stop and comment on them) asked for his hair to be cut "Like daddy," (aka super short). I hemmed and hawed, but eventually agreed to it. I couldn't stand it, but he loved it. Again, his body, his decision.<br />
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This past week, both my big girls asked for haircuts and my son asked for a mohawk.<br />
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My girls had quite a bit of hair chopped off. I actually love their haircuts, but they look so mature. My son's mohawk suits him well. I still miss his curls, but it looks cute on him.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My shaggy-haired son</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fNmqNLso2Tc/UCVe_CSSsVI/AAAAAAAAAi8/IWs5lr9YR_Y/s1600/2012-08-08+15.04.24-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fNmqNLso2Tc/UCVe_CSSsVI/AAAAAAAAAi8/IWs5lr9YR_Y/s320/2012-08-08+15.04.24-1.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mohawk boy</td></tr>
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I want them to be able to express themselves. I don't want to be the over-bearing parent who forces her ideas on her kids. Sometimes, it can be tricky to find a balance between the two.<br />
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Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-40987368652605487692012-02-22T21:54:00.004-08:002012-02-22T21:54:50.662-08:00Harry Potter and the painted t-shirtI realize this blog is on the verge of becoming exclusively about our Harry Potter obsession.
I'm sorry about that. I swear I'll fix that soon, just not today.<br />
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We leave for our <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2012/01/wizarding-world-of-harry-potter-here-we.html">surprise vacation</a> to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in ONE DAY. I'm so freaking excited. <br />
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Remember, we're going in honor of our twins turning 9 and 3/4. Through Pinterest, I found this awesome 9 and 3/4 shirt. I decided to follow her lead and make one of my own (well, two, since they were for twins). I, however, cannot leave well enough alone. <br />
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So I ran with that idea and decided to make a HP charm necklace shirt complete with 9 and 3/4 painted on the side. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fDsecCvTWyU/T0XLvlq00WI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/Wt44cIcTvHY/s1600/HPShirt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fDsecCvTWyU/T0XLvlq00WI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/Wt44cIcTvHY/s320/HPShirt2.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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I admit I did a somewhat sloppy job. The red "beads" are dots of red paint, but the paint was too watery and they bled a bit. The blue chain is painted using a straw as a stamp. I love the way it turned out. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CzigyM1hpuA/T0XLwLqpv_I/AAAAAAAAAbY/CYHJO8p6Skc/s1600/HPShirtClose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CzigyM1hpuA/T0XLwLqpv_I/AAAAAAAAAbY/CYHJO8p6Skc/s320/HPShirtClose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Can you identify all the charms? </div>
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I was particularlly interested in whether or not people had any clue what the blue shape next to Luna's glasses was. </div>
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Any guesses? </div>
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Take a guess.</div>
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Okay, if you're here, I assume either you guessed or you gave up. It's Merlin's Pants. Yes, I realize "Pants" refers to underwear, but I left that up to my kids and they decided they didn't want a pair of underwear on their shirt. So American pants it is. </div>
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Let me identify them all for you. <br />
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<b>Gold "Chain"</b>:<br />
That is, of course, the symbol of the Deathly Hallows. It's also traced in glow-in-the-dark paint so it will, (duh) glow in the dark. <br />
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<b>Hanging from the long blue "chain"</b><br />
You'll find an owl. I used iron-on fabric patches that you can find at most grocery stores. This particular one was purchased at a Shop Rite 25 years ago, but, hey, it worked. I sewed buttons and felt on for eyes. There was a felt beak, but it fell off in the wash, so I'm just going to paint one on. <br />
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Towards the right, you'll see an F and G from the same iron-on patch. Those are, of course, for Fred and George, or Gred and Forge. My twins refer to themselves as Fred and George. At camp, some of their friends didn't know their real names. They knew them only as Fred and George. <br />
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<b> Red charm necklace</b><br />
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Starting from the upper left is an orange sock. It's a sock for Dobby. It's orange because Ron loves the <a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Chudley_Cannons">Chudley Cannons</a> and orange is their color. </div>
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Next is a crown because "<a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Weasley_is_Our_King">Weasley is our king</a>." </div>
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Next to that is a pair of glasses and a lighting bolt for Harry. </div>
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Next comes a time turner. I was inspired by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69231926/harry-potter-time-turner-necklace-with?ref=sr_gallery_30&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=time+turner&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">this one</a> on etsy. I drew it with paint marker on iron on fabric transfer paper (It's not transfer paper where you have to print backwards and iron it on to fabric. It's actual fabric treated on the back with iron-on webbing. You're supposed to print directly on it and then iron it on. I don't know if they still make this stuff. It's from my stash and it's really old) and then used some fabric paint and added glitter. I then ironed it all on when it was done. It was the only way I could think of to contain the glitter to a specific area and not get it all over the shirt. I originally painted a light bulb there for Hermione, the "Brightest witch" of her age, but I didn't like the way it looked. So I ironed the time turner over that. </div>
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The next one says <a href="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_li5xqcQKyy1qeo9yho1_500.png">62442</a> which not only spells "Magic" on the telephone, but is also the code used to access the Ministry of Magic from the guest entrance. I used the same technique with iron-on fabric and wrote the numbers with marker. </div>
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Next to that is an HP for "Harry Potter." </div>
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After that you'll see Trevor, Neville's toad. It's actually a frog charm that broke off of one of my daughters' necklaces. I sewed it on through the ring and added a bit of stitch glue for added security. </div>
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Then we have Merlin's pants. I cut the shape out from the same patch used for the owl. These are covering up a snitch I tried to paint, but which came out looking awful. </div>
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Next are Luna's <a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Spectrespecs">spectrespecs</a>. You might recognize those because I've <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/09/getting-my-craft-on.html">crafted with them in the past</a>. I did these freehand using just the tip of the handle of the paintbrush. </div>
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You'll see a lightning bolt next for Harry's scar. </div>
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On the far upper right is a black cauldron. <br />
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<b>Yellow "chain" in the center</b>:<br />
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On the far left is a spider both for Aragog and for Ron's fear of them. <br />
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Center is a <a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Winged_Keys">winged key</a> from the challenge in the Sorcer's Stone. That's another one I did freehand using <a href="http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/2010/06/thursday-is-request-day-skeleton-keys.html">inspiration from the Graphics Fairy</a> and the tip of my paint brush handle.<br />
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Could you tell that was the sorting hat? I added that to cover one of the warped wings from the snitch. I think it turned out okay, but I'm not certain if everyone can identify it as such. <br />
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And, of course, there's the 9 and 3/4 painted on the side. <br />
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I want to add an F and G to the back of the shirts (I have another HP-themed t-shirt not shown here), but I haven't yet. <br />
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I should get on that, shouldn't I? I'm running out of time. </div>
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<br /></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-19218187629077495202012-02-14T21:57:00.000-08:002012-02-14T21:58:23.390-08:00On Valentine's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was in high school, I wore black and protested the stupid made up commercialized holiday that is Valentine's Day. When my husband and I started dating, we found we shared the same view of the day, so we never celebrated. <br />
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Once we had kids, though, my attitude changed. I found myself longing for the school parties, the hand-made valentines covered in glitter and glue, the heart-shaped cookies. The more I thought about it, the more those were all very much NOT what the day had come to symbolize for so many (expensive dinner and flowers or jewelry to flaunt in front of everyone else. I saw someone share a photo of roses today with the note, "I have a good husband." Um...what? "Sit! Stay! Buy roses! Good, boy. Good husband."). I can get behind a celebration that's about friendship and love. <br />
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We do tend to give the kids little trinkets, but that's not all the day's about. Yes, one year, the big girls got giraffe rain boots they wanted, but another year, they got book marks I made out of cardboard, ribbons and stickers. This year, they all got recorders I bought for 50 cents. <br />
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They decorated and sent cards to their grandparents and some friends. Last year, we went to a party with one of our homeschool groups (and we all had a blast! That was probably the most fun I've had on Valentine's Day as an adult). Everyone gave and received tons of cards, we all shared awesome snacks, and we had a blast playing and chatting. <br />
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This year, I see more people than ever venting about Valentine's Day (or "Single Awareness Day"). Oh how I understand! I am not at all a fan of what the day has come to symbolize. But, hey, the day is what you make of it. Cover it in glitter and top it off with heart-shaped cookies and you might just find you enjoy the day.Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-85369320315100499512012-01-27T13:28:00.000-08:002012-02-05T10:15:12.459-08:00Wizarding World Of Harry Potter, here we come.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our plans for our surprise vacation are moving along swimmingly thus far. We bought plane tickets and have a rental car reserved. We're currently scanning deals for a place to stay in or around Orlando. One of my awesome cousins (who I adore, but don't get to see nearly often enough) offered to let us stay with her for the second half of the trip.</div>
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Our flight leaves early in the morning, so we're limited in what we can do for our big reveal. That means there won't be time for a big Harry Potter-themed scavenger hunt or anything of the sort. </div>
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So I think what we'll do is pack the van the night before while the kids are sleeping. Then, in the morning, get them up and tell them we need to go out. I think I'll ask them to check the mailbox where they'll find envelopes addressed to the big three (the 2-year-old will get over the fact that she doesn't have one, I assure you). </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2cEturBRBUE/TyMYArC9bBI/AAAAAAAAAa0/mt-2-Ey3Ugs/s1600/HPTicketBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2cEturBRBUE/TyMYArC9bBI/AAAAAAAAAa0/mt-2-Ey3Ugs/s320/HPTicketBlog.jpg" width="320" /></a>I spent an hour last night creating the text for the envelopes and finding playing around with <a href="http://www.mugglenet.com/downloads/fonts/">fonts</a> so that they're very similar to Hogwarts acceptance letters. Our twin daughters will get letters explaining that this is in honor of them turning 9 and 3/4. I even used graphics from <a href="http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/">The Graphics Fairy</a> to design tickets to mimic<a href="http://www.homeofthenutty.com/harrypotter/screencaps/displayimage.php?album=1&pid=130190#top_display_media"> the Hogwarts' Express</a> ones (my favorite part is the bottom portion. The original ticket from the movie read "Journey subject to the rules and regulations of the Hogwarts Express Railway Corporation." Ours says, <b>"Journey subject to the rules and regulations of your parents."</b>) </div>
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Our son will get a letter which explains his dearest wish is coming true. </div>
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You see, the last time we got Chinese food, his fortune read, "Your dearest wish will come true." He hung that up on the fridge and announced, "My dearest wish is to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter." SWEET! So his letter works with that. He made it easy on us. I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what his letter would say until he made that wish. Thanks, kid. </div>
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This is one of his sisters' letters (identifying information has been removed): </div>
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The geek in me must note that I'm assuming McGonagall would still be headmistress by this point. Jo Rowling has said she wouldn't be in 2017, but I'm going to assume McGonagall would be in 2012. And yes, I realize that the deputy headmistress/master is usually the one responsible for sending the letters, but I don't know for certain who that would be (Flitwick? Sprout? Sprout would make sense because we know Neville takes her position in 2017, but we just don't know for sure). So I took some creative liberty with that portion of the letter. Let's wait and see how long it takes my middle daughter to pick up on that and argue about it.<br />
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I am SO freaking excited about this trip. We're going to have a blast. We've never been able to do anything like this for the kids and I can't wait until we tell them. I've almost slipped up a few times, so I need to be careful or I'll spoil the surprise. <br />
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This will be our first ever family vacation AND we'll be able to surprise our kids with something they want so badly. I'm so freaking excited about this.Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-77053940626883406062012-01-18T21:28:00.000-08:002012-01-18T21:28:25.261-08:00Cancer and lossCancer is taking a friend of mine. <br />
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Here I am making plans for a vacation, trying to decide if I want to venture out on the snowy roads, trying to find time to write, bundling kids up to play in the snow, going about my usual routine and a friend of mine is dying. <br />
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This is not, by far, my first experience losing someone to cancer. I've lost grandparents, cousins, aunts, even my brother to cancer. A number of my friends have lost their mothers to various forms recently. <br />
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Still, this shakes me to the core. Losing others doesn't diminish the loss of this soul. I really thought she'd beat it. She and her family have the strength, resources, and the knowledge to do anything and everything possible and they have done just that. <br />
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I'm so heartbroken and so sorry for her and her family. <br />
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Please daven (pray) for her and her family.Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-33965803202858328562012-01-07T19:59:00.000-08:002012-01-07T21:44:49.973-08:00Pinterest: Tips & Tricks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm addicted to <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> and have been for quite a while. It's incredibly useful for collecting links and making them accessible from any computer plus it's a fantastic way to find new ideas. Nearly all of my <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/07/wordless-day-before-wednesday.html">recent</a> <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/07/things-i-love-day-after-thursday-magic.html">projects</a>, <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/12/very-potter-xmas.html">crafts</a>, and <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/06/decorating-you-can-go-your-own-way.html">decor</a> have been inspired by Pinterest. <br />
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There are a few tips and tricks that not everyone seems to know and I've wanted to compile them all for some time. So here we go. <br />
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<b>#1.</b> <b> Pin the direct link.</b> I've seen this rule broken time and time again and it makes it impossible to find the project, image, or link pinned. For the love of all that is holy, do NOT pin the entire freaking blog. <br />
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The easiest way to do this is to click the title of the post. For instance, if you wanted to pin my <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/10/harry-potter-lumos-canvas.html">Lumos canvas</a>, you don't want to pin http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com. You also don't want to search "canvas" and then pin the search result page. Nor do you want to click a photo and pin just that. Click on the title and pin the direct link. At the bottom of most blog post, you'll find the date and/or time or a link title, "Trackback." Clicking any of those will bring you to the blog post. Pin from there.<br />
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On Tumblr, it depends on the layout. On some layouts, you can click the date/time on top of the post and that will take you to a direct link. If that's not there, look towards the bottom of that particular post. You'll see "Notes." That will take you to a direct link. Click that and then pin from there.<br />
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For some reason, certain Tumblr accounts won't pin. I don't know why this is, but I found a way around it. Go to "Notes," and click one of the others who reblogged it. Click their link and it will open up a new blog, but the same graphic post. Try pinning from there. That usually works. <br />
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If you Google an image, please click the link to go to the website or directly to the image (it may be necessary to follow the steps already mentioned to get a direct link). Please don't pin the Google Image results. Click through to the link and pin there. <br />
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<b>#2. When repinning, please change the text to something suitable and accurate. </b> In some cases, you can leave what others have written. For instance, if you repin a recipe and someone used the title of the recipe in the description, you go right ahead and keep that. If, however, someone has a personal note on that photo, please don't just repin with the exact same personal note. <br />
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This can cause confusion for everyone. <br />
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One of the great features of Pinterest is that you have the ability to search a ton of creative ideas. That search, though, relies on accurate descriptions. So please keep that in mind when you pin. <br />
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<b>#3.</b> <b> If you highlight text within a link before you click "Pin it," that text is automatically entered in the description box. </b> That's an easy way to avoid problems with #2. <br />
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<b>#4. Pinning existing links is more useful than uploading your own images. </b>Don't upload something unless it's not already available on the web. User uploaded pins are a pest. Sure, they're pretty, but they don't provide any additional information. If you made it yourself and you don't have a blog, upload away. If you downloaded the photo from another site, please search for it and pin the link. Professor Google is your friend. Finding the link (see #1) is always best. <br />
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You'll notice both images I used here were uploaded by users, so I haven't been able to accurately credit them (although I tried). <br />
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<b>#5.</b> <b>Ask for an invitation.</b> If you don't have a Pinterest account, don't suffer in silence. When you request an account through pinterest.com, it can take quite a while before you're approved. If a friend, who already has an account, sends you an invitation, though, you're in instantly. An invitation is so much faster. So post on FB asking if any of your friends can help. Tweet about your burning desire to be part of the few, the proud, the pinning. People WILL help you out. <br />
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<b>#6. At least for the first few weeks that you have an account, activate your notifications so that you can see when someone repins one of your pins or follows your boards.</b> When you get the notification, click their name and check out their boards. There's a good chance you'll find that they have a board you want to follow as well and/or that they've pinned something you'll want to repin. <br />
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I've found TONS of people and boards to follow this way. <br />
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It can get overwhelming once your boards become popular (you could get quite a few notifications every day), so you may want to stop then, but at least early on, it's very helpful. <br />
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<b>#7.</b> <b>If you find a pin you like, check out the "Also from" on the left side of the pin.</b> That shows other pins from the same domain. If you like a recipe pinned from one blog, chances are you might like another one that shows up under the "Also from" tab. This is another reason #1 is so important. If you don't accurately pin a link, it may not show under the related domain. <br />
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If you want to immediately see what pins are pinnned from a specific site, you can see the results by going to http://pinterest.com/source/DOMAINNAMEHERE.com/ <br />
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For instance, if you go here: <a href="http://pinterest.com/source/google.com/">http://pinterest.com/source/google.com/</a>, you can see all the pins from people who didn't follow rule #1 and pinned google results rather than a direct link. <br />
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#8. <b>Change your boards to suit you.</b> Don't be afraid to create more if you need to. Don't just limit yourself to the default titles and number of boards. Change them to suit your needs, wants, and sense of humor. <br />
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<b>#9. Every once in a while, check out everyone.</b> By default, Pinterest shows you those you follow. There's a whole world of pins out there that you're missing. Along the top, it gives the option of clicking "Everyone" and then use the drop-down menu to find something that interests you (DIY & Craft is my favorite). Then have a look around.<br />
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<b>#10. Categorize your boards.</b> I realize it isn't always possible to find one category that fits the board, but go with one that seems to fit the best. That makes #9 easier for everyone. <br />
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<b>#11. If you're inspired to make/do/cook something by a pin, give credit to the original creator/blog/website. </b> It only takes a second to add a link in your blog post.<br />
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<b>#12.</b> <b>You can add prices and tags to your pins.</b> $ before an amount will show a price in the corner of the image. # before a word creates a text tag. If someone is following you, you can tag them in your pin to make sure they see it. Type @ and begin to type in their user name. If they're following you, their name will auto fill. Just be careful with that because not everyone gets notifications about their tags. <br />
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So realize that there's a chance they won't see it. If you @ tagged your best friend when you pinned that horribly ugly hat because it was just perfect for her, but she never commented, don't get offended. She may have missed the tagged entirely. Then again, maybe she did see it and she thought you were out of your ever-loving mind for assuming she'd love that leopard print disaster. <br />
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This is what I have thus far. Anyone else? I reserve the right to come back and add more as I think of them or as others share them.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image from the title courtesy of <a href="http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/2011/03/vintage-sewing-clip-art-scissor-frames.html">The Graphics Fairy</a></i></span><br />
<br />Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-85504850077415782152011-12-22T13:33:00.000-08:002012-01-04T21:54:47.501-08:00Calling all Potterheads: I need your help.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kZaQ1LC2Lpc/TrBQES2KDcI/AAAAAAAAAWE/CUD_MIUdZ2Q/s1600/Halloween2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kZaQ1LC2Lpc/TrBQES2KDcI/AAAAAAAAAWE/CUD_MIUdZ2Q/s320/Halloween2011.jpg" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My goat rodeo <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/11/hogwarts-will-always-be-there-to.html">this past Halloween</a>. </td></tr>
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We're trying desperately to throw together a surprise trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for this winter, when our twins will be 9 and 3/4. </div>
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I'm putting out a call for help from my fellow Potterheads. Assuming it all works out (knock on wood), how do we tell the girls? I plan to not tell them until we're either on our way or the day before we leave. How do we do that, though?</div>
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I've seen invitations for HP-themed parties delivered by <a href="http://www.themarysue.com/harry-potter-party/">balloons decorated to look like owls</a>. I could do something like that (although, rather than scrolls, I'd probably have them holding envelopes addressed to the girls and their specific room and beds, like Hogwarts' letters). I could arrange to have those at the front door and ring the bell. </div>
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What about in the van? We could get everything ready the night before (luggage packed and hidden in the back of the van), then just tell the kids we're going out, file into the van and find balloon owls in the girls' seats with letters addressed to them. Maybe we'll splurge and buy cute stuffed owls.</div>
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I'd love some other ideas. So, fellow HP-fans, what do you think? </div>
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We've never taken a family vacation (deployments made that impossible), so we really want to make the most of this. <br />
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FWIW my girls each wrote essays to the <a href="http://ellen.warnerbros.com/">Ellen show</a>'s call for adventure ideas asking for Harry-themed adventures. One (Luna in the picture) asked Ellen to reunite her and the friends she had to leave behind when we moved at the WWOHP. The other (Hermione in the picture) asked Ellen to send us to Kings Cross station when she and her sister turn 9 and 3/4 and have Jo Rowling meet us there so that my girls could present her with an award for "Being the best writer in the world and the whole universe." <br />
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We never heard back from Ellen, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and do what we could.<br />
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9:17 pm edit: What about a scavenger hunt? We could leave clues that lead them to Harry-related things and maybe eventually to the van where the letters will be waiting in their seats. <br />
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<i>The picture is from Halloween. You can read more about our costumes <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/11/hogwarts-will-always-be-there-to.html">here</a>. </i>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-13965170355583292462011-12-21T17:07:00.000-08:002011-12-28T19:00:17.567-08:00A Very Potter Xmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RAoFeCyYVEs/TvKCThAXBYI/AAAAAAAAAZk/ZTt9riPg4es/s1600/OrnamentsAll4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RAoFeCyYVEs/TvKCThAXBYI/AAAAAAAAAZk/ZTt9riPg4es/s400/OrnamentsAll4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A while back, I pinned these super cute <a href="http://thetroublewithcrafting.blogspot.com/2011/10/happy-holidays-from-hogwarts.html">Harry Potter ornaments</a>. Now, my 2-year-old will be the first to tell you, "Christmas is NOT our holiday," but I knew I'd have to make these for someone and I knew just the person. <br />
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Those are obviously loosely based on the Potter Puppet Pals (DUMBLEDORE!), so I took my inspiration from them. I opted to leave Voldemort and Snape out (much to my kids' dismay. Severus' absence meant they weren't able to recreate their <a href="http://youtu.be/Tx1XIm6q4r4">favorite Puppet Pal song</a> (not that they've ever needed anything extra to sing the song in the past--loudly and in public. You can't even imagine the looks you get when your 2-year-old yells, "It's a pipe bomb. Yay," at Home Depot). I, however, added Dumbledore to the mix. He, however, lacks robes which can be removed (once again, much to the kids' dismay). <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tbcABl_5iic/TvKCRmne8sI/AAAAAAAAAZU/WmQPKRnUuo0/s1600/OrnamentHarry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tbcABl_5iic/TvKCRmne8sI/AAAAAAAAAZU/WmQPKRnUuo0/s320/OrnamentHarry.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ornament who lived</td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3cu6qzNoajc/TvKCSpqmMkI/AAAAAAAAAZc/vxJMmx65bQI/s1600/Ornaments4Floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3cu6qzNoajc/TvKCSpqmMkI/AAAAAAAAAZc/vxJMmx65bQI/s400/Ornaments4Floor.jpg" width="278" /></a>I free-handed everything and tried to work with what I had on hand. The heads are from felt. They're basic round shapes with ears on the sides. The red hats are cut from the <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/02/last-christmas-you-gave-me-90-off-tree.html">Xmas tree skirts</a> I bought on clearance (I told you they'd come in useful, even for a Jew). There was still more than enough left for the kids to use as a cape. I painted all the faces with fabric paint. Ron and Dumbledore's eyes are the exception. Those are nail polish. Ron and Hermione's hair is felt. Harry's is black duct tape. <br />
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On my trip to the craft store, I forgot to grab white felt. So I had to use white ribbon I had for hat trim and white foam I had on hand for Dumbledore's beard. There wasn't much which is why it looks a bit thin. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4tLS22omgWU/TvKCQREvC5I/AAAAAAAAAZM/9bIaKgqmEIg/s1600/OrnamentDumbledoreCloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4tLS22omgWU/TvKCQREvC5I/AAAAAAAAAZM/9bIaKgqmEIg/s200/OrnamentDumbledoreCloseup.jpg" width="116" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 9-year-old's work</td></tr>
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My oldest and I stitched around the heads and hats. They're stuffed with sliced up clear plastic packing material. We have a TON from all the Chanukah gifts, so we put it to good use. The hats that could be stitched on were. Dumbledore's couldn't, so it's sewn in the corners and then we used craft glue. <br />
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The white puff balls on top of the hats are from a foam menorah kit. See, even when it comes to making crafts for my Christian folks, I'm still a proud Yid. They're held on with craft glue. <br />
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There are tied bits of yarn on the back for hanging. <br />
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I must say, I love Ron. Now, I've <a href="http://www.myspace.com/howairplanesfly/music/songs/sidekick-18991826">got a thing for sidekicks</a> to begin with and I've always adored book Ron and I think Rupert Grint is pretty damn adorable as well, but I really liked how the Ron ornament turned out. I didn't want to part with him. He's cute! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m2L4eVvH8v0/TvKCUVdB06I/AAAAAAAAAZs/qiq8s5VdK08/s1600/OrnamentsBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m2L4eVvH8v0/TvKCUVdB06I/AAAAAAAAAZs/qiq8s5VdK08/s320/OrnamentsBack.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably should have paid more attention to the back.</td></tr>
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Through this craft, I found my youngest daughter is a <a href="http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/Harmony">Harmony shipper</a>. My 2-year-old broke my canon-loving heart when she insisted on making the Harry ornament kiss Hermione. My middle insisted, "No, she loves Ron. Let me go get the Ron ornament and she can kiss him." The youngest pitched a fit and insisted that was not going to happen. I put Harry out of her reach after that. I like Harry too, but, damn she can go <a href="http://www.fanhistory.com/wiki/Ron/Hermione">Romione</a> or go home. Wait, this IS home. Well, that complicates the matter a bit, doesn't it<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NAr1SIWT8Gw/TvKCVo6yA8I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/W3Elu2ODTLI/s1600/OrnamentsRomione.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NAr1SIWT8Gw/TvKCVo6yA8I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/W3Elu2ODTLI/s400/OrnamentsRomione.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romione FTW!</td></tr>
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<br />Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-77170365965263143372011-12-20T10:12:00.000-08:002011-12-20T10:14:34.794-08:00Chanukah with the Goat Rodeo<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jdwliN-7B80/TvCz76cI-zI/AAAAAAAAAY0/Ho9Es09X1JA/s1600/ChanukahLO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jdwliN-7B80/TvCz76cI-zI/AAAAAAAAAY0/Ho9Es09X1JA/s400/ChanukahLO.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">My big 2 in 2006</span><br /></td></tr>
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Tonight, at sundown, Chanukah begins. No, it's not Chanukah just yet (much to my children's dismay and Facebook's confusion). <br />
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I'm going on the assumption that everyone knows what "The Festival of Lights" is all about. I realize, based on my friends' experiences discussing Chanukah at their kids' schools, that this may not be an accurate assumption. If you really have no idea about the story of Chanukah, you can always set up a consultation with Rabbi Google. <br />
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Luckily, if that's too much effort, the Maccabeats exist.<br />
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Chanukah, like nearly every other Jewish holiday, can be summed up as, "They tried to kill us. We won. Let's eat." It is NOT a major holiday at all. People seem to think it is since it occurs around the same time as a major Christian holiday, but it's actually a pretty minor holiday. It is NOT the Jewish Christmas (which doesn't even make any sense). <br />
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We celebrate in the standard way--lighting the menorah (aka hanukkiah) every night at sundown for 8 nights. <br />
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Our family has quite an extensive collection of hanukkiot. <br />
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There's the <a href="http://www.tableandhome.com/prodfhfia">large silver one</a> we bought right after we got married (pictured above). <br />
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There's the <a href="http://www.jewishstore.com/Judaica/Products.asp?ProdID=AJI-PRL852">electric one</a> Bubbe gave us the year before. It doesn't fulfill the mitzvah (Chanukah candles must burn to do that), though, so we put that one in the window and use it in conjunction with another one. <br />
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Anyone who has Jewish children in any sort of religious programming/schooling will tell you we quickly collect far more hand-made hanukkiot than we can use. We have two clay ones the big girls made in their pre-school Sunday school program 7 years ago. We had sand ones the big 3 made as part of their yeladim group, but the sand didn't hold up well after being stored in the attic in the Great Big Box o'Chanukah. What was carefully crafted layers of pretty color sand became a giant mess the following year. One year, they made some out of painted wood blocks. Those fell apart before we were able to pack them away. Last year, they made some out of a long piece of metal, dominoes and nuts (as in nuts and bolts, not food). They went into the box as hanukkiot They came out this year as a jumbled mess of parts. <br />
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To celebrate, we light the menorah (I usually light the silver one and the kids light the electric one. The big girls take turns lighting theirs each night) each night, say blessings and sing songs. Of course, Chanukah hasn't even started yet and I've been randomly bursting out into <a href="http://youtu.be/7y0Z3YpqEdw">Sivivon</a>* for more than a week now. <br />
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Here's a tidbit you may not have known: traditionally, women don't have to work while the Chanukah candles are burning. Here's another tidbit: Our hanukkiah holds regular shabbat candles which are about 5x's as thick as the usual Chanukah candles. ;-)<br />
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We eat traditional food cooked in oil to remind us of the story of the oil. The most well-known ones include latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts). <br />
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In our house, the kids get one gift each night, more than one if there are enough. Some people plan out exactly which gifts to give their kids on each night. We usually just plan for the first and last. Back in his youth, my husband got "useful" gifts on some nights (the family cats usually gave him socks or underwear). That's not our thing, though. Our pets aren't allowed anywhere near the lingerie department. The kids usually get toys, books, electronics and/or clothes. This year, among Journey Girl dolls, DS games, dresses, books, and all things Harry Potter, my middle daughter asked (and will receive) a bath mat. I don't understand it, but she's fascinated by those plush ones, so we put it on her wish list and Mémé bought it for her. I can't tell you how thrilled she will be. I also can't tell you why in the world she asked for one in the first place. Well, she IS my daughter. I guess that should be sufficient to explain all. <br />
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*<i>The lyrics are slightly different in Israel. Nes Gadol Haya Sham (A great miracle happened there) becomes "Nes Gadol Haya Po," in Israel (A Great Miracle Happened Here). Dreidels are also slightly different to reflect that change . The letters correspond with each word: Nun (Nes), Gimmel (Gadol), Hey (Haya), Shin (Sha), but the Shin is replaced by Pay in Israel. </i><br />
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<br />Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-68219086874411704302011-11-26T18:17:00.001-08:002011-11-28T19:01:54.558-08:00We're Thankful for...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over Thanksgiving lunch (we had to do lunch since my husband worked on Thanksgiving, as always), we talked to the kids about gratitude. They told us they were thankful for each of our immediately family members and when they were done with us, the younger of our twins added, "And J.K. Rowling." Her twin sister agreed and added, "and Harry Potter." My son agreed. When we asked the 2-year-old, she insisted she was not thankful for Jo Rowling. She is, however, thankful for Dobby, Hedgwig and <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/09/looney-luna-lovegood-is-full-of-awesome.html">Luna</a>, so that's Ms. Rowling by default. </div>
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I suggested the kids let Jo Rowling know they're thankful for her, so they each made cards for her. </div>
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G-d bless <a href="http://pinterest.com/ourgoatrodeo/">Pinterest</a>! We headed there and found some inspiration. </div>
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This was E. (younger twin)'s card inspired by <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/506040293/">this</a>. She used magazine pictures for the feathers and the boxes from our stuffing and apple pie. She used the inside of the apple pie box for the body and the background is a page from an extra phone book (I've since <a href="http://www.yellowpagesoptout.com/">opted out of the phone book </a>since Google exists). </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eTJLz2mGn5w/TtGb__1aNQI/AAAAAAAAAXY/WqQ3ofR3EtI/s1600/EsTurkeyCard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eTJLz2mGn5w/TtGb__1aNQI/AAAAAAAAAXY/WqQ3ofR3EtI/s320/EsTurkeyCard.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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This one is courtesy of my son. I can't find the inspiration now on Pinterest and I didn't think to save it at the time. Sorry. He used recycled magazines and sequins--lots and lots of sequins. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover</td></tr>
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This one's from my oldest. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/552936969/">This</a> was her inspiration, but, in the end, opted to stamp dots and draw and color circles rather than use finger prints. The outlined it all as well. Then, she cut a circle from cardboard and added googly eyes. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wrcB0BP2rl8/TtGd_5q_-rI/AAAAAAAAAYg/Hzgg2NGl0Qo/s1600/LsTurkeyCard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wrcB0BP2rl8/TtGd_5q_-rI/AAAAAAAAAYg/Hzgg2NGl0Qo/s320/LsTurkeyCard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LB-qDT-ol9A/TtGepooXPeI/AAAAAAAAAYo/vljOTB4eBcU/s1600/LCardInsideEdit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LB-qDT-ol9A/TtGepooXPeI/AAAAAAAAAYo/vljOTB4eBcU/s400/LCardInsideEdit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Up at the top, you see one all of the kids made. I saw <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/97671885638219635/">this</a> and thought it was perfect for our 4. So we traced and cut out each one's hand prints and then they each decorated their own hand print. They each signed the back of their hand print. Well, the toddler scribbled and I printed her name. Hey, that's what she meant, even if she doesn't know it yet. </div>
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The toddler did NOT want to let hers go. "Dat my hand," she screamed when I tried to put the card in the envelope. I had to explain that we were sending it to Dobby and Hedwig. Only then did she agree. </div>
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I included a note of thanks to Ms. Rowling as well. Just before I sent it, I added another quick note explaining that turkeys made from hand prints or cutouts are common for Thanksgiving. Not being American, I could just imagine her receiving that first card and wondering what in the world was wrong with us. </div>
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We Americans really are weird, aren't we?</div>
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###</div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-37852799523056489032011-11-23T10:33:00.001-08:002011-11-23T10:36:42.955-08:00NaNoWriMo = NaNoBloggingMoThe bad news: NaNoWriMo has taken over my life. Most of my free time has been spent working on my novel. <div>
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The good news: Last night, I surpassed the 50K word mark. Last year, <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2010/11/soy-un-perdedor-im-loser-baby-so-why.html">I didn't make it this far</a>, so I'm thrilled. </div>
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Even better news: November is almost over. Woo hoo! </div>
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The blogosphere shall celebrate my return very soon, I promise. </div>
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There had better be fanfare and streamers and loud party music. </div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-87104368055056287482011-11-17T21:45:00.001-08:002011-11-17T21:51:02.829-08:00World Prematurity Day 2011<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/world-prematurity-day"><img src="http://www.bloggersunite.org/image/resource/badge/087213bd900bb4630f951cbd6411a752.jpg" /></a></div>
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My twins were born 2 months premature. Today, I planned to share their story, but, when I stop to think about it, I'm too bitter. Nearly 10 years later, the anger behind nearly losing my girls hits me too hard. We're finally at a point where I no longer dread their birthday and "Homecoming Day" goes by almost unnoticed. Still, I hate that we have a story to tell. I hate that others have stories with endings not nearly as happy. </div>
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So here, I'll leave you with my bitterness, my anger, and my <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2010/11/november-17-prematurity-awareness-day.html">post from this day last year</a>. </div>
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In an attempt to put a more positive spin on it, I'll share this related story about <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2010/08/one-can-pay-back-loan-of-gold-but-one.html">how one nurse made all the difference in the world and how I'll be forever in her debt</a>. </div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-44572305199297196522011-11-02T13:29:00.000-07:002011-11-02T13:29:33.530-07:00Wordless Wednesday: Halloween 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tJgeTOYjluw/TrGl3Mtgv0I/AAAAAAAAAWw/BpKVcYM4Kr0/s1600/UsHalloween2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tJgeTOYjluw/TrGl3Mtgv0I/AAAAAAAAAWw/BpKVcYM4Kr0/s320/UsHalloween2011.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trelawney & Hermione's dad</td></tr>
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I actually dressed up for Halloween this year for the first time in at least 10 years. I went as Professor Trelawney and had a blast. My husband humored me by wearing a name tag which read, "<a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hermione_Granger's_father">Dr. Wendell Wilkins</a>." </div>
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When I rounded the Goat Rodeo up in the yard to take pictures, I had my middle daughter (aka Luna) take a few pictures of the husband and me, since we're always the ones behind the camera. She complained that her father stuck his tongue out in one photo, so then we both felt compelled to make faces at her. I think this is our new favorite picture of the two of us. I may need to work this into our New Year cards. </div>
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Nothing says, "Happy New Year," quite like this:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JbSQRZDhdjc/TrGl2wXRXvI/AAAAAAAAAWo/MZrfdovJ944/s1600/Halloween2011tongues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JbSQRZDhdjc/TrGl2wXRXvI/AAAAAAAAAWo/MZrfdovJ944/s320/Halloween2011tongues.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Wordless Wednesday</span></a></div>
<br />Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-81434823973198960922011-11-01T15:12:00.000-07:002011-11-01T15:17:40.657-07:00It's NaNoWriMo time again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ym0m2QkXOG0/TrBtClX9d9I/AAAAAAAAAWU/tA0z5Jq4BhY/s1600/Participant2_180_180_white.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ym0m2QkXOG0/TrBtClX9d9I/AAAAAAAAAWU/tA0z5Jq4BhY/s1600/Participant2_180_180_white.png" /></a></div>
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Last year was my <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2010/11/soy-un-perdedor-im-loser-baby-so-why.html">first year as a NaNoWriMo participant</a>. If you asked me this time last month, I would have sadly shaken my head and admitted that I wouldn't participate this year. I had absolutely no ideas. </div>
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Then, just over a week ago, I got <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/10/wordless-wednesday-nanowrimo.html">a flash of an idea</a> (it was actually a combination of several aspects of other ideas I've had in the past). I started to write immediately and then decided to take a break and wait until November. That actually helped give me some time to pan out more of the idea. <br />
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I know NaNoWriMo can be time-cosuming and frustrating at times, but I'm looking forward to it. <br />
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###</div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-60648379329918018442011-11-01T13:16:00.000-07:002011-11-02T12:12:03.054-07:00A very Harry Potter HalloweenFirst and foremost, my apologies for the crappy photos. I forgot to charge my good camera before Halloween and so, the battery was dead. <i>*head desk* Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!</i> So all the photos were taken on my phone. I'm sorry about the quality (or lack thereof).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yRnbuIha7zs/TrBO3wltkpI/AAAAAAAAAV0/L4EjKMG5gow/s1600/HP4Halloween2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yRnbuIha7zs/TrBO3wltkpI/AAAAAAAAAV0/L4EjKMG5gow/s320/HP4Halloween2011.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very Harry Halloween (complete with <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/07/goat-rodeo-entourage-got-little-bigger.html">Mischief-Managed</a> in the corner)</td></tr>
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We had ourselves a very Harry Halloween. It all started with my oldest. She couldn't decide if she wanted to be Harry or Hermione, so she decided to coordinate with her baby sister and posed the question to her. Go as Harry and Dobby or Hermione and Crookshanks? The youngest picked Crookshanks. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zxr3BwAcC9E/TrA3NWTe2iI/AAAAAAAAATs/H4C8ukmWn44/s1600/HermioneCrookshanks" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zxr3BwAcC9E/TrA3NWTe2iI/AAAAAAAAATs/H4C8ukmWn44/s320/HermioneCrookshanks" width="203" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Inspiration </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0xo2vm9GTQU/TrA5wEsJ4NI/AAAAAAAAAT0/WHyOGWoERs8/s1600/HermionePost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0xo2vm9GTQU/TrA5wEsJ4NI/AAAAAAAAAT0/WHyOGWoERs8/s400/HermionePost.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Oldest daughter</span></td></tr>
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Not bad, eh? She has a red and yellow tie (which she got at a rummage sale a year or two ago specifically to use for Hermione) over her brother's dress shirt (which really is too small for her, but luckily, you couldn't see it). I got that sweater for $1 on clearance last year at Volde-Mart. It, too, belongs to her brother, but it's 3 sizes too big for him, so it works great for the sister who's 4 years older. I got the skirt for less than a dime at a consignment store. She had the tights and socks and she wore existing dress shoes (not pictured here). <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PHVfEBplQWo/TrA74LSflvI/AAAAAAAAAUU/DrzIngXNPM8/s1600/SPEWSmaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PHVfEBplQWo/TrA74LSflvI/AAAAAAAAAUU/DrzIngXNPM8/s320/SPEWSmaller.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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She wore robes that we got ages ago on clearance. They're perfect because they're black, lined in red fabric, and there's a hood. The only problem is that the huge skull closure makes them look more like Death Eater robes (and when she put the hood on, her baby sister asked, "Hey, Death Eater, where did Hermione go?"). No problem, though, because Hermione needed a S.P.E.W. badge, so I made a huge one and used double stick tape to tape it over the skull. </div>
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She already has brown curly hair, but in order to amp up the bushiness, she slept with her hair in 6 braids. It worked. She had perfect bushy Hermione hair. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QMtsyTCbJH0/TrA83Qq7VOI/AAAAAAAAAUk/KI0HHW80A9k/s1600/HermioneBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QMtsyTCbJH0/TrA83Qq7VOI/AAAAAAAAAUk/KI0HHW80A9k/s320/HermioneBack.jpg" width="183" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Hermione's bushy brown hair</span></td></tr>
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Total cost for the whole Hermione costume: <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">under ten cents. </span></b></div>
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<a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Crookshanks">Crookshanks</a> wasn't quite as easy to throw together. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://totalcatmove.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/hermione_and_crookshanks-sized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://totalcatmove.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/hermione_and_crookshanks-sized.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Hermione and Crookshanks </span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mVpUPDpN56Q/TrA-4Zv8oDI/AAAAAAAAAUs/XbQPb1FE1pE/s1600/Crookshanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mVpUPDpN56Q/TrA-4Zv8oDI/AAAAAAAAAUs/XbQPb1FE1pE/s400/Crookshanks.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Our Crookshanks</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZwHL9F_Bnk/TrA-5OUldKI/AAAAAAAAAU0/vS_lFSAntcc/s1600/CrookshanksSide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZwHL9F_Bnk/TrA-5OUldKI/AAAAAAAAAU0/vS_lFSAntcc/s320/CrookshanksSide.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Note the tail.</span></td></tr>
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For this ginger cat, I wanted an orange top with a hood and orange pants. Problem is, it's damn-near impossible to find solid orange clothes, even this time of year. So, I hit the thrift stores. I found this orange sweater for $3 at Value Village. I found the pants (size 6-9 months, which is why they're so short. My daughter is 2 and 1/2 and isn't tiny) for a quarter. My big girls had an orange boa, so I cut a strip of that for the fuzzy chest (to cover the zipper) and used a piece of it for Crookshanks' bent tail. I used orange felt I had on hand to make the ears (and pinned them on so that we can easily remove them and still use the sweater). She had orange socks. We grabbed a few makeup kits last Halloween for a few cents when they went on huge clearance, so I used those for her face. <br />
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Total cost: <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">$3.25</span></b>. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Harry</span></td></tr>
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When I found the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rubies-Costume-Co-3524-Firebolt/dp/B000FCUS14">Nimbus 2000 replica</a> at Value Village, brand new and on sale for 99 cents, I had to get it. Actually, I got 2. When the guy at the register rang it up, he congratulated me and pointed out that they usually sell for $20 each. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NvAg7WfjlG4/TrBC1tB9AAI/AAAAAAAAAVE/KoBXT9HU1Uc/s1600/HarrywithNimbus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NvAg7WfjlG4/TrBC1tB9AAI/AAAAAAAAAVE/KoBXT9HU1Uc/s320/HarrywithNimbus.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
That broom is what convinced my son he wanted to be Harry for Halloween. He was torn between Harry and a Storm Trooper before that point. Luckily, this is <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/03/wordless-wednesday-hogwarts-hebrew.html">not his first time taking on the Chosen One's identity</a>, so he already had much of what he needed. He wore his white dress shirt with his red tie (I used the <a href="http://www.wbshop.com/Harry-Potter-Gryffindor-Tie/HPEPTIEGR,default,pd.html">official Gryffindor tie</a> as a model and painted gold stripes using fabric paint). I cut an old grey sweater vest to make more of a V-neck, but it looked awful. So, when I found a grey tank top at a consignment store for a few cents, I grabbed it for him. He wore his existing grey pants and dress shoes (with red socks because he is a Gryffindor after all). Once again, we headed to Value Village where I found the robes on sale for half off. So they cost me 98 cents. <br />
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Years ago, we stocked up on these glasses for goody bags. They have big freaky eyes attached. We still have a few pairs left, so <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/10/you-know-youre-potterhead.html">I pried the eyes out of them</a> (much to my youngest's dismay. She cried actual big tears and screamed at me, 'You ruined my Mad-Eye glasses.") and my son used them for Harry. Yes, I realize they're purple. Yes, I'm typically a stickler for details, but, by that point, I didn't much care. <br />
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His oldest sister used the same makeup sticks Crookshanks used to draw a scar on his forehead. For those who are new, we're Jewish and my son wears a kippah (yarmulka). So he donned his Harry Potter kippah yesterday. It's his favorite. FTR, his father clipped it, not me. If I had done it, there wouldn't be a kippah clip straight through poor Harry's face. <br />
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Total cost: about <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">$1</span></b>. <br />
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Next up, we Luna Lovegood. This was the most expensive of the costumes. If you've been hanging around for a while, you know my kids <a href="http://ourgoatrodeo.blogspot.com/2011/09/looney-luna-lovegood-is-full-of-awesome.html">adore Luna</a>. My middle daughter was going to be Darth Vader, that is, until we found the blonde wig (again, at Value Village. They really should pay me for the advertising). It was new and $6, but I had a 25% off coupon. The promise of a long blonde wig was just too good to ignore. She swapped costume ideas that minute. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xaMMYN7BNA/TrBJ64A7MCI/AAAAAAAAAVk/hLlO36avDCY/s1600/LunaHair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xaMMYN7BNA/TrBJ64A7MCI/AAAAAAAAAVk/hLlO36avDCY/s320/LunaHair.jpg" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Long blonde curls 2009</span></td></tr>
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The funny thing is that my daughter IS blonde, although she chopped her hair off a few years ago. Before that, she actually had perfect Luna hair. So there I was buying a wig that wasn't nearly as close to Luna's hair as the child's natural hair was. <br />
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So we had a wig, but it needed something more to make her unmistakably Luna. My mind immediately went to <a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Luna_Lovegood's_lion_hat">Luna's famous lion hat</a>. We opted to go with the movie representation rather than the books just because it seemed like it would be more obvious (in the books, it was more of a stuffed lion on top of her regular school hat). I scoured Pinterest for ideas and headed back to Value Village (seriously, I need to start charging for ad space). There, I found the jacket from <a href="http://www.sheknows.com/holidays-and-seasons/halloween-gallery/baby-halloween-costumes/lion-costume">this Old Navy costume</a> for $2. It was 12-18 months, but I had her try on the hood in the store and it worked. Poor kid actually tried on every single hood and hat that was even remotely lion-shaped. That one worked the best. I took it home and cut the hood off. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cNYlM1pchfM/TrBOa_6r7TI/AAAAAAAAAVs/FytHaHizYAg/s1600/LunaHalloween.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cNYlM1pchfM/TrBOa_6r7TI/AAAAAAAAAVs/FytHaHizYAg/s640/LunaHalloween.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Not the best shot, but all I was able to get</span></td></tr>
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When I got my son that $1 grey sweater last year, I also grabbed a black one in the same size for the same price. So we opted to scrap the standard grey and go with black using <a href="http://www4.images.coolspotters.com/wallpapers/122561/luna-lovegood-mobile-wallpaper.jpg">this photo</a> as inspiration. Unfortunately, the only cork we have in the house is firmly pressed into a bottle of wine for the time being, so we couldn't replicate the cork necklace (although both my daughter and I pictured it as a necklace of bottle caps when we read the description in the 5th book). The hat and wig covered her ears, so we skipped Luna's signature earrings. We did, however, print <a href="http://diyfashion.about.com/od/maskandmasquerade/ss/Spectrespecs_2.htm">Spectraspecs</a> (just without lenses because I didn't have anything on hand that would work). I also printed a Ravenclaw patch which she wore on her sweater (held on with double stick tape). She borrowed her brother's dress shirt and blue tie (it killed me that it was blue and silver, like the movie, instead of blue and gold. I'm a Ravenclaw and I'm a stickler for the book representation. FWIW, her patch was cannon and had an eagle, not a raven). She wore rainbow knee highs over her black tights and she wore sparkly pink sneakers. It just seemed like a very Luna thing to wear. She also spent a lot of time staring into space. <br />
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It wasn't, by far, the best representation of Luna, but it worked. <br />
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Total cost: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><b>$6.50</b></span><br />
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While trick-or-treating, we heard quite a few people exclaim that we were the only Harry Potter characters they'd seen. We thought that was odd. With the last movie coming out this year, we were sure Harry would still be popular. Two people caught that the youngest was Crookshanks. One of those declared us their favorite costumes of the whole night. I wanted to kiss those people. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">See the pink tea cup in my right hand?</span></td></tr>
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For the first time since I was in college, I dressed up too. I was Trelawney (which is another post for another day). I even managed to convince my husband to dress up, well, kinda. I <a href="http://craftylilthing.blogspot.com/2008/05/harry-potter-land-2009-what-to-wear.html">found inspiration here</a> and printed him a name tag. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hermione_Granger's_father">Dr. Wendell Wilkins</a></td></tr>
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<br /></div>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-56975334454264060502011-10-31T23:37:00.000-07:002011-10-31T23:39:40.625-07:00Halloween 2011 TeaserIt's too late and I'm too exhausted to post a completely Halloween roundup. So, instead, I'll leave you with one fuzzy photo from the evening and the promise of more information and pictures tomorrow. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c2qK3oWJHO4/Tq-TCrIjEII/AAAAAAAAATk/SFDHRF39ZLs/s1600/Halloween2011Porch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c2qK3oWJHO4/Tq-TCrIjEII/AAAAAAAAATk/SFDHRF39ZLs/s400/Halloween2011Porch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here, we have Hermione (aka my oldest) along with <a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Crookshanks">Crookshanks</a> (aka my youngest). Bonus points for anyone who can guess what my husband's costume is. Those of you who know me IRL (and have seen a closeup of that name tag on Facebook) can't play. </div>
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<span id="goog_939749423"></span><span id="goog_939749424"></span>Dorothyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231829154334525345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1995406872007952451.post-12403473054927640122011-10-28T09:36:00.000-07:002011-10-28T09:37:28.593-07:00You know you're a potterhead...You know you're a Potterhead when, while you're working on your son's Harry Potter Halloween costume, he points his wand at you and yells, "Stupify," but before he can finish, you point your butter knife (which you're using to try to pry the monster eyeballs out of gag glasses so that he can use them for Harry's glasses) and yell, "Protego," before he can finish. <br />
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And he freezes. <br />
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