As if we weren't busy enough with the KLAQ Halloween Parade, we decided to throw a small Halloween Gathering this Friday. It's been hectic in the Brady household but Halloween only comes once a year...we can always sleep next week!

Here were the invites for the party:



The tongue was this really realistic, gooey toy we found at a dollar store! Blech!

Thought I would post a quick sneak peek of what's been keeping us so busy lately!:


The Very Beginning

Becky and I Painting Turtles

Lou Gives a Hand with Painting

Bowser and Jimbo

Look Familiar?

Whew, I was a crazy Indie Shop Promo making fool this weekend! Made little Indie Shopper notepads ("Place by your computer to jot down all the fun indie shops you come across! You'll never forget a site again!") for The Sampler. I had a hard time figuring out something relatively easy to make that incorporated sewing so I came up with these. Next month's contribution will be better, I promise. I've already started working on them!

The flower hairpin and the copy of a drawing I did are for a Promo Swap with The Switchboards. We have over 20 swappers this month, wow! I thought I had made more than enough hair pins but I eventually figured out that each shop would only get about 6 pins and had to make something easier to supplement those...hence, the little girl cards.

Whew, promo goods can wear you out!

Things I got done on my day off:
1. woke up late
2. got Gerbera close to done
3. read my book a bit
4. took a nap
5. got my Sampler stuff done with
6. messed around on the internet

I'd consider it a "sick" day well spent!

A Few of the Sites I Saw While Messing Around on the Internet:
- Knitty Bitty Bags from Adesso Creative (probably would like the stitch markers too if I was better at knitting and knew what to do with them!)
- The Gone Fishin' earrings at Linda Lin are so cute (and priced to steal!)
- I couldn't even decide on one item to highlight from Sacred Kitch Studio...it's all so cool!
- I have a friend who has a cladggah engagement ring (soon to be wedding ring!)...wouldn't these thank you cards from Simply Serra be perfect?
- Pretty Fireworks Brooch from Rena Tom (actually, I love pretty much everything on the site)


I got Lili La Malice's green felt beads from Plain Mabel today...now I just have to figure out what pretty item to make with them!

Hopefully Jim and I can take a night off to enjoy this new indie jem of a movie:

Primer

It's arriving in El Paso on October 22...isn't that when The Grudge comes out? I'm sorry but those previews give me the creeps.

Whoopee, I'm playing sick from school today...wish I could just read in bed all day but I've got a million things I need to do for Gerbera. Still, it's nice to be in my pajamas!

Man, I can be such an airhead sometimes! I completely forgot to watch the season finale of Nip/Tuck...grr! I'm just going to have to watch it on Sunday. And I had no idea that the new season of America's Next Top Model or The Apprentice started. Hah, don't you just love TV?!

More Wonderful Indie Things:
- How awesome are these Faux Wood Pouches from Camp Apparel?! (Actually, I'm madly in love with all their designs)
- Pillow Covers from Sandra's Daughterfor when you're feeling a bit prissy!
- Fun Skirt from Bird In a Skirt!
- If I had this Bird Feeder Stationary from If'n Books + Marks, I know I would be better about writing letters.
- These Stuffed Animals from Janice Marie are so cute
- I'm in desperate need of one of these Monster Stoles from Gaijin Geisha (isn't her shop the sweetest?)

I'm super excited about the Felt Bead Jewelry Kits I ordered last night from Plain Mabel! I'm not sure what I'm going to make with them but I absolutely love that bright green.

School Update: I'm having a blast in my Intro. to Fashion Design class. A couple classes ago we spent the entire class watching a video of a few different designers' fashion shows and had to determine what the emerging trends were going to be. It was really interesting and something I would have done while chilling out at home, watching the Style network. Yesterday we had to turn in sketches for our first outfit...eek, fun but scary!

Bellydancing Update: I stopped going for a while but I found another studio, closer to home, last week and went to the first lesson on Monday. I had forgotten how sore my hips and belly get!

Well, October has arrived and the Brady household is officially in Halloween Float Mode. Actually, we didn't get as much as we wanted done this weekend but at least we were able to get the pencil to paper and sketch the layout of the float. If things go our way, we'll have a King Koopa, a Man-Eating Flower and tube, "floating" blocks and a castle...you know what they say about best laid plans, though!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!