Harper's First Halloween

I don't even know if I can put words in this post that can express my excitement of Harper's First Halloween. I will start by saying, that I couldn't even sleep on Halloween Eve (of course) because I was so excited... and also freaking out a little bit about her costume that needed some last minute changes. But, we ended up having such a blast! I always imagined that Halloween would be so much more fun with kids, but I had no idea! :)

Of course she had to rock the most adorable Halloween outfit all day for our errands! 

Tights & TuTu are from Gap last season

I went back & forth a million times about her costume, but finally decided that I had to incorporate the tights that originally made me want her to be Tinkerbell. I just couldn't find things to match that green (and mis-matched shades of colors totally drive me nuts!) so we had to do some last minute shopping to find just the right stuff! In the end, I found this adorable skirt in the toddler clearance section at target that I was able to make into her dress! I bought a matching pair of kids spandex shorts (in the same shade of green) and made that into to the top part of her dress, and used some of the scraps to add some extra flair to her headband! Finally... the perfect little TINKERBELL!

Trumpette Tights, Jameson Monroe Headband

Purple Onesie, Fringe Boots

I dressed up as Tiger Lily & couldn't wait to take her Trick-or-Treating for the first time! I bought a plain brown dress & made the top of my costume from some cream felt & ribbon. Also, I can't sew, so a hot glue gun was my weapon of choice.

Jameson Monroe Headband, Fringe Boots, H&M Dress

Brandon was going to be Rufio from Hook, but last minute he just decided to wear his lumberjack costume (aka. nothing). We saw that other people in our neighborhood were tailgating, literally TAILGATING, in their driveways for Trick-or-Treaters, so it was more important that he set up the fire pit, get S'mores & fill up the coolers than dress up.

We went to a few houses in our neighborhood, really just the people on our culdesac that we know, and walked around a bit with the little girls next door.  Harper of course had a blast shoving her hand in the candy bowl to see what she could grab! :)

Little Tink didn't make it very long, only a few houses and then she was out for the count. I love this picture of Dad carrying her with her little tired face.

And at the end of the day, we were able to mesh pictures from hundreds of miles apart for the cutest little Peter Pan & Tinkerbell of all time! :)

I hope you all had amazing Halloweens!! I love looking at all of the cute baby costumes out there, cannot wait for next year (we already have a costume idea in mind!) But most importantly... it is now officially the HOLIDAYS! I am so excited to take down our Halloween stuff today & replace Hocus Pocus with Christmas Vacation in the DVD player for the next two months.

 'Tis the Season to be Merry!

Halloween Brunch & Decor

 Seriously, how much more fun are holidays when you have kids?! Not that Harper could really partake in the Halloween Brunch festivities, but it was such a fun excuse to have some friends (and their kiddos) over for some festive fun! First, let's define brunch. My husband loses his shit when he hears that word. To him, it means getting short changed on a meal ...combining breakfast & lunch into one ...Celebrating your birthday on Christmas. So in this house, brunch means breakfast food for lunch. Essentially, breakfast numero dos, and I can roll with that.

Here's what was on the menu. Chocolate Pumpkin muffins (thanks AP!) which was literally a chocolate cake mix & a 15 oz. can of pumpkin, mixed together & baked for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. We served them in our spider cupcake holders that I got from Crate & Barrel last year.  These are so delicious .. a perfect brunch "appetizer."

 

 Main course was Biscuits & GRAVEy (get it?!) and Candy Corn Waffles. Saw the recipe for these on pinterest and was totally obsessed. Super easy as well, make your waffle batter as you normally would, separate into three bowls, color two of them (yellow & orange) and then you pour them in rings in your waffle maker. Start with un-colored batter in the center, a ring of orange & then a ring of yellow around the outside. Then, when you break it into triangles.. BOOM.. candy corn!

I live for this.

Of course, what is brunch without Mimosas?! :) I bought some plastic carafes from Target, drew jack-o-lantern faces on them with permanent marker, and served the different flavors of orange juice in them.

The house is all decorated for Halloween...

.....and so is the baby!

Headband from Jameson Monroe, Onesie from the Gap last season

PS. I am super obsessed with the traditional pumpkin Trick-Or-Treat buckets (they have them at Target for $1), is anyone else still loving these over all the new monogrammed bags & such? So nostalgic for me! :)

Harper's Fall Photo Shoot

During our last trip to Iowa, my incredibly talented friend Becky took pictures of Harper. They officially melted my heart. So excited to be able to share them... prepare for cuteness overload.

This might be my favorite picture of all time. Her chubby cheeks, the hilarious cat hat, the giant pumpkin & of course, the chalkboard... all in one perfect Iowa Fall setting. 

 Mini Chalkboard, H&M Grey Onesie, Gap Bubble Shorts & Tights, Gap Kitty Hat from last season

Genius idea from Becky, bare baby toes and pumpkins!? Perfection.

 And of course, the shot I shared on instagram, this sweet little smile & adorable hat that totally fits her personality.

Gap Bubble Shorts & Tights, H&M Grey Onesie, Polka Dot Pocket Hat

I can't believe how fast this little munchkin is growing! I wish I could have pictures like this of her done every weekend. Thank you all for the sweet comments on instagram... if I could just go into business playing dress up with this kiddo... I would! Also, it's almost Halloween. Cannot wait for costumes, trick-or-treating, and all the other festiveness that comes along with it! What are all your babes going to be?! There is nothing better than an adorable kid costume... I'm ready to see gnomes, lobsters, cupcakes (or muffins!), popsicles (or Harpsicles!) and of course... little troll dolls! 'Tis the season!

Halloween Costumes Are My Thing.

 Everybody has their thing. Maybe you make a mean Chili... have the best Christmas light display around (your name better be Clark Griswold)... or dominate at knowing "what other movie" that actor or actress plays in. But dressing up for Halloween is my shit. The excitement is overwhelming.... that is where my eve's of holidays first began. I can't even fall asleep the night before Halloween because I am too giddy about the festiveness that awaits me in the morning.

So, my friends, a little flashback of my favorite Halloween costumes over the years.

My first, and most favorite costume of all time, the Muffin.

This was 2006, my junior year in college. I had it in my head for the longest time that I wanted to be a muffin... well before Pottery Barn had "cupcake" costumes. This puppy is made up of a hula hoop, packaging paper, loads of duct tape, some fabric & hot glue. I don't know how to sew.

Brandon was Waldo. Looking back, he totally should have been the Muffin Man.

Not pictured, because I literally cannot find one, I was a troll doll. Flourescent purple hair sticking straight up, nude body suit stuffed in the belly & the hips and a jewel in my belly button. Would be a hilarious kids costume.

The next year, I was a witch. I was obsessed with this costume, not necessarily for it's creativity, but probably because of my super duper obsession with Hocus Pocus. The skirt, legs & shoes were the best. I am obviously beer-bonging with one of my best friends (she was Glenda the Good Witch) because Brandon had a lame pirate costume that gradually fell apart through the night. I still have this costume.. dare me to wear it to the grocery store on Halloween day.

The next year I was a peacock & Brandon was a lumberjack. While I do love couples costumes, sometimes you gotta do your own thing so you can both be what you want! :) I'm guessssssing it was Brandon who desperately wanted to be a lumberjack this year.

Next up, Zack Morris & Kelly Kapowski. Ironic, since my brother's real name is Zach Morris. This one got us first place in a costume contest (whoop!) likely because of the giant cell phone. This was made up of an old cordless phone stuffed into a computer speaker. Craftsmanship right here.

Temporary spray hair color turned this dude blonde for the night. Sorry for the blurry pics, apparently I only took them on my phone rather than using a real camera, such a shame.

 

And last year's costume, the Home Alone Wet Bandits. I was pregnant with Harper here. If you remember from my Halloween post last year, I complained about how much it super sucked being pregnant in a bar (especially dressed like a fat old man) with all the half-dressed-playboy-bunnies running around. But it was Halloween, so it was worth it.

 

Hope you've enjoyed all of this nonsense... I certainly have. I secretly wish I could be the muffin every single Halloween.

I can't wait to share our costumes for this year, which we finally just decided on, along with Harper's adorable Tinkerbell costume! :) I will leave you with a pic of this little pumpkin.

 Carter's Halloween Outfit

Halloween Baby Favorites

 I never could have imagined how much more fun the Fall season & holidays would be once we had a baby. If you remember from posts way back when, before little Harpie Doodle was born, my excitement to "decorate the baby" was overwhelming! Here it is in action! :)

 

JamesonMonroe Headband, Mud Pie Halloween Skirt/Tights, Gap Halloween Onesie from last season

I believe in celebrating holidays all month long!! :) I have to share some of our favorite Halloween items that Miss Harper will be rocking this season!!

Mud Pie Halloween Skirt Set - Would like this in my size please. I die over this outfit.

Boo-ti-Ful Shirt - Love that it is just black & white so you can pair it with anything!

It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse! & Little Spider Finger Puppet Book - Thanks Uncle Zach for the cutest Halloween book (written by the author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie)! And the finger puppet book is just endless baby entertainment.

Halloween Baby Legs - Love these for cool weather & to put on with any onesie, whether it necessarily matches or not :)

Mud Pie Halloween Bow - over the top festive cuteness!!

Candy Corn Pajamas - as a compulsive candy corn snacker, I just had to have these!

PS. Have you ever mixed candy corn with peanuts?! You'll never want to eat either alone ever again. It's the most delicious combo EVER. We have refilled this jar three times since September. File this under how not to lose baby weight.

Orange Mercury Glass Owl is from HomeGoods, Glass Canister from Target

While we were in Iowa two weeks ago, we had the most adorable photo shoot of Harper playing in the Fall leaves. She was on cloud nine!! Her face in this pic seriously cracks me up. I swear she was thinking that I was crazy for sitting her right on the ground with access to so many things she could put in her mouth!

And of course, her sweet little boyfriend, Talan! Could this kid be any cuter?! 

These two are so cute together, that we have decided to dress them up (hundreds of miles apart) together for Halloween. May I introduce to you................

PETER PAN & TINKERBELL!