how october is turning out thus far....

 

• Sparkling Pumpkin Apple Cider and Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream for us to enjoy
• Haunted cobwebs and cheesecloth to adorn the front porch 
• Old horror movies and silent films
• Good ol' Ragtime music, keeping with the theme of Nattie's costume for the month
• Our first Halloween party attended and another one to enjoy this weekend
• Softball games with both cold and hot weather
• The best news of all, the anticipated question answered: We are having a little mister (as Nat calls him already)!

there was a trick after all...

It would seem in my haste last night to finish I forgot to add my little werewolf's ears. Thankfully in conversation with my husband this morning I realized my mistake and now my little lycanthrope can hear!

a little treat, no tricks

My first attempt at a calender. If you like it, go ahead a grab it! Just click on the photo or here for the flickr link.

Today I picked up my sketchbooks for the first time in a long time. It felt good putting pencil to paper so I drew up these little monster friends. A little vampire and a werewolf, monster friends for ever.

September...

Good things:

1. The beginning of my second trimester
2. The start of Second Grade
3. The excitement of Fall's weather approaching
4. Evening visits to Disneyland
5. Leaves scattered across the ground
6. Prospects for a certain spooky holiday
7. His provisions and His providence, all the time

she hides beneath autumn's leaves...

Sunday after church, Nat found herself happily being buried alive under crisp golden leaves by her friends. Nothing like autumn, Nothing like childhood....

the white queen went to a fall festival...

For Halloween this year, Natalie has chosen to be The White Queen from Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. It was perfect since she already had a glitzy (Disney Princesses) white gown. All that was needed was a platinum wig, a gilded crown, black eyeliner and extremely dark lipstick.
I'm pretty happy that she keeps choosing such great costumes. I've looked in catalogs, online and in stores and I find, of course Alice, The Mad Hatter and The Red Queen but never The White Queen (hmmm).

We got a nice preview of her costume last week at her school's Fall Festival. Last year was our first year there and I know she had a grand time. I didn't capture quite as many photos this year since my hand were holding a variety of things so I missed the daylight. I managed to get a few shots, especially her pumpkin bowling (which they had to cut her off after a while, she kept knocking them all down)!

november begins

Already four days into the month of November. On the first I told myself that things will start all over and I will have a new beginning. It doesn't matter that the year is almost over, or that this can be a hard time to start anew with the holiday season upon us. I have to do it. I have to change. I need to get better. My body and mind needs to get healthier for so many reasons. For myself and for my family. My GERD is acting up a bit and I know that I am over for my height. I saw the photos from Halloween and I was not happy. I want to be happy again. Can't I be without sounding or being vain? It's tough for women, isn't it? The balance of all these things. Well, here's to new beginnings...



...and here's to getting on the ball for other things too. I am going to start creating more again and I have a few commissioned projects to do which I am pretty excited about. I am having a hard time getting the new look for my website up (www.mylittlebighead.com). For now though, I still have the old look, which is at littlebighead.tumblr.com and now, a new online portfolio at littlebighead.carbonmade.com.

A few new favorite things:

• Candi Mandi blog
• Thrush Etsy Shop
• Wicked Pen Etsy Shop
• fall recipes from The Kitchen Sink Recipes

all hallow's eve

What a great Halloween we had! We began the day with a little baking. I knew we couldn't have a spooky autumn day without it so I looked around and finally found a yummy recipe Nat and I could do, Halloween Spice Cake. We changed ours just a tad bit. We omitted the cocoa, used dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar and poured the batter into muffin tins rather than a loaf pan. It's more of a bread type but it was perfect as mini cakes (what we were calling them). Natalie is very much like me where she likes to name things we have 'created'. She named this Autumn Spice Cake and I'm more inclined to that name than to the Halloween one.

We also didn't add the powdered sugar on top but believe me, it doesn't need it. They came out so good and I even thought maybe next time I will add walnuts to it. After the bread cakes were done, I started to make some Cinnamon Pumpkin seeds as well. I had them in the oven for 20 minutes, took them out, stirred butter, cinnamon and salt and popped them back in for awhile more. Very good too :)



Rick came with a few treats as well, like Boylan's Birch Beer, one of my favorite vintage sodas. Actually, this one was Creamy Red Birch Beer, a soda with both natural birch oils and vanilla. Delicious!



The real photo taking began once my mother in law, step father in law, sister in law and nephew came. Look how cute momma and son are!





Evening was quickly approaching and it was time for Natalie's transformation into the classic story book character Madeline. She was just perfect, with the yellow hat and spray painted red hair as well. She couldn't wait for Halloween to begin and as we waited for my friend, her husband and their daughter to arrive, Nat was eagerly handing out candy for early trick or treaters.



Yvette and family arrived and it was time to saddle up everyone for our neighborhood trick or treating. Even little Ezra costumed up into the cutest hot dog we all wanted to gobble up!

And the night truly begins...











It was a great night. Nat's costume was a hit with almost everyone and she had to complete the charm by saying 'au revoir' after her thank yous for the candy. I had to restrain her for being a mile ahead of the rest of the group but I know how exciting it is for kids. All the kids made out great (how couldn't a storybook character, an autumn witch and a mini hot dog not?) and us parents and grandparents had a great time as well.



Hoping everyone had a wonderful and safe Halloween too :)

pumpkin patch and a carved owl

We brought Natalie back to the patch once again, and as she was having fun on train rides, I was going around the patch to take some pretty pictures of pumpkins. I also managed to find a few dried out pumpkin stalks that happened to just land in my purse. Rick called me 'the Stalk Thief' :)

face painting, one of her most favorite things...

a pretty pumpkin princess!

and with evening comes the transformation!

oh, scary!

Once home it was time for the pumpkin carving to begin. Originally she wanted a Harry Potter face to grace the pumpkin but had decided on an owl instead. She was such a great and steady helper with the pumpkin guts!

After toiling with the removal of the remainder pumpkin strings, I finally drew in the owl stencil and began the carving.

Whew! Careful work indeed but it was worth it and the time for the preview was upon us...

the hoot o' lantern aglow...

What a night indeed! And now we are preparing for the big day, the first time we will be trick or treating in our neighborhood. We are pretty excited as a few friends and baby cousin will be joining us as well. I read Nourished Kitchen's take on a better and healthier Halloween and thought I would share the link here as well. It is filled with a few wonderful ideas of this time of year and hopefully traditions I can begin to start with my family as well.

The Stalk Thief's goods! ;)

Happy (and safe) Haunting!