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Last week was a busy week. I haven't had time to blog. I barely had time to check my email (thank goodness for my BlackBerry). I've been making a birthday cake, having a birthday party for my now 6 year old, making my halloween costume, took a field trip to the apple orchard with Little B's kindergarten class, attended a teacher conference and dealt with fund raiser stuff for school along with spending much needed time with the family. The rest of October looks to be just as busy as the beginning for us but I wouldn't want it any other way. I was so wrapped up in trying to be a good blogger I began neglecting the more important rolls of my life. I'm working on finding the balance so that I can be a good blogger (far from being a great blogger, Id settle for just good) and be the wife/mother/friend that I know I am without neglecting one area of life for another.

My halloween costume is coming along nicely. They boys are going to be Mario and Luigi (homemade costumes of course) and I decided that I'd keep the theme and go as a mario character myself when we attend all the halloween parties. My first thought was to go as Princess Daisy or Princess Peach but I'm not much of a girly girl so the whole Princess thing just wasnt me. I decided to go as Toadette. I found a pink dress on ebay. I couldn't find a button up or open red vest so I found a pull over sweater vest at Goodwill and cut it down the middle and added the yellow bias tape. I have white tights and brown boots to wear. I am working on my hat and hair now. I have to have it all finished by this Friday because we are going to visit family in VA Beach for a birthday/costume party this weekend.

Here's what I have so far for the boys mario/luigi costumes:

We all ready had both pairs of overalls and the red/green shirts. I bought the hats on ebay. They are regular baseball style caps. I was going to hand make the hats but I figured as much as they both love wearing hats they could get much more wear out of the hats I bought. All I need for them is the white gloves (cant find any small enough for Baby B) and to get the mustaches. Can't decide if I want stick on ones or ones drawn on with black eyeliner makeup? Oh and I'd like to make them each one of the treat bags if I have time (don't need them until halloween though).

And here is what I've got for my Toadette costume:

I'm using the family.com Dotty Toadstool costume to do Toadette's cap and I used the free cloth ball pattern from Grand Revival Designs that will be used as Toadette's pigtails. I've probably spent just as much on making the costume as I would have buying a store bought one but I enjoy sewing, crafting, etc. so I prefer to make costumes. I'll post a Toadette tutorial once I get all my photos taken if anyone is interested. The sombrero will be covered in bubble wrap and then covered in pink felt fabric to make the toadstool costume hat. I think it's coming together nicely, I just have to get it finished the next couple days to be ready in time.

*Update* Here are our Mario, Luigi and Toadette costumes complete...

What are you and/or your children dressing up as? Are you buying or making costumes?