A Happy Halloween

I've known all year that I wanted Maddie to be Boo from Monsters, Inc. for Halloween.  It really has to be done this year because she's the right age and just looks so much like the character (although cuter in my opinion).  Her costume was pretty easy - purple stretch capri pants (I just put Maddie in a size 9 months pants I got on sale from Target for $2.74, I got this idea from Ed as he accidently put her in her brother's pants and they fit except for being a bit short) and a pink oversize tshirt ($2.50 at the tshirt warehouse) and white socks.  What really sells the costume though is the pigtails and while I wasn't able to find pink ball ponytail holders (we used to call them knockers, but I guess no one else did?!?!?) I did manage to get Maddie's hair up, after several practice runs throughout the week, into pigtails . . . crazy, uneven pigtails, but pigtails none the less.

I really wanted Jamie to have a Monsters, Inc. costume as well, and several weeks ago I came up with the idea of dressing him as Mike Wazowski.  At 10 p.m. on October 30th I had a yard of green felt, and a small piece each of black, white, and blue felt, and a pair of green stretch pants from Target.  Three hours later I had Mike Wazowski sitting on my computer chair:

I really have to thank my good friend Tor in Australia for talking me through all of my random ideas for the creation of Mike, and especially for using her artist eye to help with eye and mouth placement over the webcam.  The most important part, however, was the shape.  I figured if I just sewed together two circles poor James would end up looking more like the green m&m than Mike, you know, just sort of flat.  Tor came up with the idea of three barrel shapes sewn together, and it was brilliant, I freehanded a barrel (I was obviously tired and desperate because I never freehand anything) and cut through all three layers of fabric in the most haphazard of ways.  I then sewed it together in a ridiculously hasty fashion, I am literally just lucky it came out so nice.  The eye I measured out with different size plates and cups, and because my hot glue gun went kaput I was forced to stitch it on!  So I got to practice my precision stitching and discover that my machine will indeed stitch through four layers of felt!  

James really, really loved this outfit, it was kind of funny, he kept grabbing it and rubbing it on his face like a blanket, and in the stroller he smushed it up and fell asleep on it like a pillow.  Here is a full body shot so you can see it with legs, and one of him laughing . . . the flash is a little harsh, but you can't beat that grin!  The costume is so big he could probably be Mike for at least 3 more years . . .

And last, but not least, here are my little Mike and Boo with Mommy on the porch before heading out to Disneyland (where Daddy kept wheeling the stroller up to employees and saying "Excuse me, we are looking for someone named Sully" which was usually met with a blank stare).

Happy first Halloween to my sweet little Mike Wazowski, and Happy second Halloween to my beautiful Boo girl.