We Love Halloween

Halloween decorations from around our house. I love Halloween, its my all time favorite holiday. I carved the S pumpkin with a old school potato peeler and the white part shines in with the candle inside. I also cut out a small piece in the back of the pumpkin inside of cutting off the top. Plus some painted pumpkins that Addie did and the cute potions centerpiece i made (idearoom.blogspot.com)

We went to The Sea of learning here in Durham for their Halloween celebration and to decorate halloween buckets. And it happened to be the day the SWAT team was visiting at old navy (next door) with the K-9 unit and McGruff the crime fighting dog. So we got Addie's ID made. The SWAT team guys were really friendly but they were all monstrous. But Durham is a pretty rough place, so I am sure they see a lot of action and have to be super tough. (that is not sarcastic)

Next is Hailey, Addie's BFF and Addison at the Butterfly exhibit at the museum of life and science. The butterflys are my favortie part, its a humid room that has butterflies flying around and sometimes they land on you. Its pretty much the coolest thing ever.

another project update!

The dress I made for Addie.
























and a before and after pic. I bought this table (and 4 chairs) at the thrift store for $35. I recovered the chairs and stained it. The top was not actually wood so using a rag, i created a faux wood grain. It needs some touch-ups and looks better in person but I learned so much and are currently working on my parents old oak coffee table. I will post before and afters soon!

Going back to Cali . . .

So we've officially accepted an offer for a summer associate position in the Palo Alto office of Cooley Godward Kronish. We are so excited!

What I have been up to..

Ryan has been flying across country every weekend and for a while there he left me for two weeks (but all in the name of getting a job, GO RYAN!). And the tortured artist in me has come out and I have been all right brain lately and here are some of my creations.

before:
After:
The new entertainment center:
before:

after:

Addie update

Addie and Hailey after we went to Cloudy with a chance of meatballs. They look super awesome in their 3d shades! And we made it through the whole movie... Hooray!
Addie loves Mac n cheese!

She is the best shopping buddy ever!
At Falls Lake, Addie thought getting her feet buried in the sand was hilarious.

And last but not least, potty training is hard work. She decided she wanted to use the big potty and got her footstool and climbed on up, and well, ran into some trouble. She was screaming for me and was really upset that i ran to grab the camera instead!

now this I'm into...

simple..

Addie had a hard time going to bed tonight but every time she comes out of her room she just sits at the top of the stairs and waits for me to put her back in her room and doesn't even put up a fight.
But she really wanted me to lay next to her so she got me a pillow and covered me in a blanket. Every time i would start to get up she would push me back down and say "hold you". When i asked her if she wanted me to sing her a song, she decided she wanted to sing me a song, after a couple different renditions of ring around the roses she was ready to sleep.

she held my hands while she fell asleep and as she was falling asleep (like big heavy eyes and mumbling) she said i love you mommy and 2 seconds later she was out like a light.


it was one of the highlights of the last two years of my life

and even better, Addie is so close to being potty trained. This was a really good week and she seems to understand it all of a sudden... hallelujah