Dragon Costume... Pants

Begin with sweat pants.  I found these for 3.50 at Target.

I used a 16 oz red plastic cup to trace around and make the scallops for my dragon scales.  Don't worry about them being exactly the same size since you want some variety. Then I hot glue gunned the scallops on- wrapping them around the leg as I went.

After I had wrapped the scalloped felt around all of the pants I added in contrasting scales in neon green, blue, and purple.  I just cut out random scale like shapes and glued them in as randomly as possible- I put same colors next to each other on purpose so it would look more random.  Ironic isn't it?

 

fun, right?  Next for the tail!    I forgot to take pictures of this process but here's a basic description.

I cut out three triangles.  I angled it so the part of the triangle that was at the top of the pants is longer so the tail angles downward.  I machine sewed the triangles together.  I put beans in the bottom to weigh it down but I don't think it needed it.  I stuffed the rest with polyfil and handsewed it on to the pants.

The back view of the pants and here's my little guy wearing them!  I'm so excited!  Now I just need to do the top!  Stay tuned!

Two more months!

And then Bree's book comes out.  I am drooling in anticipation.  You can read the first chapter of The Dark Divine here.   And you really must check out her current contest for a name for The Dark Divine sequel.  She is giving away wonderful new signed YA books in exchange for comments, suggestions, and publicity.  She is also looking for street team members!  So read her first chapter, comment on her blog and join her street team 'cause her book is going to be AWESOME just like she is. (And yes, I know her personally so I can say that truthfully)
I should scan in some photos of us from college for you to see. LOL. :) 

Asher's Dragon costume!

I found a cool knight costume for Kaden at Costco. It was 20 bucks but it was so cool and came with so many parts I decided to get it anyway. I am hoping that it will be a dress up costume that the boys wear for play. Kaden loves the idea of it and wore it when we first brought it home... now though he refuses to wear it and I am wondering if I will be lucky enough to get him in it for Halloween. I think he will get the 20 bucks of use out of the sword and hopefully Asher will be more willing to wear the costume when he is big enough. And who knows, there is enough length in the knight costume that Kaden can have the opportunity to wear it for the next two years. :)

Isn't it awesome?!  I hope he starts to wear it... Anyway.  I decided to make a costume for Asher.  He is going to be a dragon to go with Kaden's Knight.  I am just in the beginning stages of this project so I thought I would document the journey.  This is my first time trying to make an elaborate costume.
So first here is my inspiration for the dragon.

I saw this amazing costume on Little Birdie Secrets and thought that the felt feathers would make great Dragon scales!
Etsy Owl Costume by Lollapanoplies
Isn't that and amazing costume!

 I searched Etsy for dragon tails and wings.  I found lots of tails and this dino hoodie.
 Dragon Tail and Wings by Contrive
Monster zip Hoodie by LittleAngelsJewelry

Yesterday I went in search of supplies to help me create this costume.

I found a hoodie at a second hand shop for 3 bucks.
I will use hand me down sweats we already have on hand.
I found fairy wings at the dollar store with a good metal frame that I will recover to make Dragon wings.
I found silver nylons to recover the fairy wings and the dollar store too. 
Felt (eco felt- so it's made from recycled bottles) 1 yard in green and 6 9x12 sheets in neon green, blue, and purple (for accents)
I already have fiber fill to fill the tail and I think I will fill the end of the tail with beans to weight it down (this I will have to experiment with and tweak)

So after all the time and effort and supplies I buy it will be at least 20 bucks but it is oh so fun to be crafty and try to figure all of this out.  I am hopeful that it will be a pretty cool costume too!  :)  Pictures to come as I start putting stuff together! 

Kaden is obsessed with Super Mario

Smash brothers to be exact.  He carries the game around with him everywhere (even sleeps with it at night).  He "reads" the booklet that came with the game over and over.  This mostly consists of him repeating the names of the characters over and over or him asking the names of the characters.  He is now pretend friends with all of the video game guys.  They ride in his carseat with him and help him fight bad guys and save people everywhere.  They are even willing to get Mommy for putting him in time out(I'm not so happy about this one).  He has quite the imagination now and it is fun to hear him tell the story of the Super Smash Brother's game.   The other day he begged me to play the game with him.  I told him he had to wait for Dada because I don't know how to play(sad I know).  He told me, "It's easy.  You just walk and fight bad guys."  I replied,  "I don't know which buttons to push."  He replied, "You press A."  LOL   Crazy kid just might know how to play!  Every time we go anywhere Kaden asks me if there are Super Mario Smash Brothers Video Game Guys where we are going.  It doesn't matter where we are going- the library, a friends' house, the park, Target....I always tell him no.  He always replies, "I think they do, Mama."  Sweet boy.  So after hearing this everyday all day long I decided he needed some Super Smash Brother's Video Game Guys to play with.  So I drew Mario and Princess Peach (yeah, I know they are amazing!)

Then Kaden drew some of his own.  Up until now his drawings have mostly been scribbles.  Once or twice he has drawn something that looked like what it was but generally scribbles and the occasional misshapen circle.  Now he can make people!!!  :)  I am so excited for him to enter this stage of drawing and so is he.  He made himself Wario and Pit, complete with wings. Diddy Kong, Wacario, and Princess Zelda on the bottom left. Donkey Kong on the bottom right.  I'm so impressed with my new little artist!

Choice Humanitarian

About nine and a half years ago I began one of the hardest and best journeys of my life.  I served an eighteen month long mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Houston, TX.  I spent the first 9 weeks of that journey learning Spanish and studying the most basic beliefs (and really the most important i.e. the Atonement) at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT.  Then I was sent to Houston where I met my Training Companion and my Mission President.  It was a wonderful time of study and prayer and focus and a difficult time of study and prayer and focus.  It was a roller coaster of rejection and acceptance.  I am forever grateful for my time serving as a missionary.  My testimony of the Love our Heavenly Father and Savior have for us increased exponentially.  My Mission President was Dr James B. Mayfield.  He is a truly remarkable man. He inspired us as missionaries to set goals, to achieve goals, to work hard, to study hard,  and be faithful.  Long before he was my Mission President, he helped to start a non profit group focused on ending poverty by providing people with tools/skills and resources and leadership. That group is Choice Humanitarian.  They have chosen to honor him for his dedication with a Fundraising Gala in November.  He has asked all of his missionaries to attend.  I'm not sure if that will work for my family at this time (we just found out today and haven't had time to discuss it yet) but I will be working to donate to his organization.  From what I have read on their website I believe that Choice Humanitarian is educating and empowering people and I want to be a part of that.  Please check out their website and see if it is a charity that you would also like to support.  If you will be in Salt Lake City on November 14th consider buying a ticket to the Gala. For more info go to  Choice Humanitarian.   and the Gala/donating site.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs After Party

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs party! Look for my husband's name(Matt Wheeler) in the credits under lighters and Compositers. :) I totally recommend seeing the movie in 3D- it's amazing! Here's what we did:

Decor
I kept it pretty simple. I got blue plastic table cloths and white plates so they kind of looked like a sky with clouds.

Matt got some stuffed animals from the premiere- a rat bird and a Steve. And we had two toys from a trip to Burger King.

We gave my Dad a framed Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs poster for his Media Room for his b-day so we used that too.
Menu
Main dish
Italian meatballs (with spaghetti (or shapes pasta for the kids) or dinner rolls and mozzarella for mini subs) LOVE blog chef for recipes- always simple and yummy
Sweet and Sour Meatballs (with rice) LOVE My Kitchen Cafe- also always simple and yummy. I made LOTS of extra sauce for these
Swedish meatballs (from Ikea with their special gravy :) )

sides
Salad
French fries
Fruit (current favorites- nectarines, grapes, apples...)
Ruffles chips with french onion dip
Plus rice and pasta and rolls as mentioned above

Dessert
Brownies (Matt's fave for his b-day)
And Jello done in a jello mold like the hotel in the movie (forgot to get this out of the fridge)
assorted candies including Gummi Bears- (when you see the movie you'll see why)

Activities:
I totally wussed out on these! I am so disappointed in myself since really this is what a party should be about (for the kids anyway). We did a few things but not food oriented like I had originally planned.

Finger painting

playing with toys downstairs (we made a slide out of our old Quadro set- some day when I have a house I want one of these! Even though it is now 25 years old everything came apart and went together really easily.)

This photo was taken earlier in the day but you get the point- kids love it!
Coloring Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs coloring pages (Matt got a book from the premiere)
played a few games outside (classics like Chase the Uncle and duck duck goose (which turned into Chase the Aunt since they didn't get that only one person was supposed to chase when she said goose. :) )

 

Family photos to spell out We Love You Grandma!

We used the activities to send a care package to Matt's Grandma Wheeler. We sent her photos of family groups holding the signs We Love You Grandma! and I cut up a section of the fingerpainting to make a large card- everyone wrote a short message on the back of it. We also sent her some Cloudy Coloring pages and some crayons.

I had wanted to have the kids paint with apples, oranges, and potatoes. But I was a slacker about it. I also wanted to do a pin the meatball on the city game but I never made the game. See total slacker! Well it did take me awhile to put the slide together- even though it was easy it was a long process.

 Party favors for the kids
Punch Balloons- these are the coolest things ever! Last a lot longer than balloons- you can blow them up several times and kids LOVE them!
Water bombs from the dollar spot at Target
Felt Apples that I hand-sewed (I was too ambitious and didn't quite finish these but they are still cute) pattern from Umecrafts on Etsy

Smocks for painting (I made these from pillowcases- you can see them on the kids in the fingerpainting photos)
A toy dinosaur from the dollar spot at Target for the baby cousin


It was great fun!  Everyone there was family so everyone was happy to just hang out or to help out.  Now I know for the next party- don't procrastinate!  HaHa I guess I already knew that.  I found and had lots of great ideas that I didn't get to do because I waited too long.  This year for Kaden's birthday I think we are going to give him a real party so I am starting to gather ideas now(His b-day is in Feb). :)  Maybe then I will get all my ideas done!