Hands Down, Best Kids Halloween Costume. Ever.

Okay, I have an update to my post about kid Halloween costumes.

This has got to take the cake, by far...

These two cuties are Joaquin and Gabriella, my parents' neighbors.  I've met them once in person, but I'm basically obsessed with them, for obvious reasons.

For Halloween last year, Gabriella was Frida Kahlo, and Joaquin was "a Mariachi guy."  I love her unibrow and his black moustache with his white-blond hair.  Too flippin' cute.

:: yes, they often holds hand like that. ::

Because I often like to end with a question, I'll ask one I'm sure you can all relate to: Do your parents have neighborhood kids that you are totally obsessed with? :)

Quintessentially October: 3 Great October-y Things

As is well established this time of year, every year, fall is the sh*t.

Here are 3 great October-y things:

1.  Baseball!  (Go Giants)
My favorite part of watching sports is developing an emotional connection with the players and the team.  So when a friend drew my attention to this blog, I basically lost my mind.

Um, you guys, it's not just any old player blog.  It's "Brandon and Brandon: A Season with Belt and Crawford" -- Giants Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford's blog.  Love.

And they talk about the game, but also about team friendships and locker room dynamics (The real scoop on Pence's Friday Night Lights-esque pep talks!), hanging out with their wives, and going to Chipotle on the road so they don't need to take forever at a restaurant.  (Seriously, Chipotle is mentioned multiple times.  I love it so much!)

:: first baseman Brandon Belt and wife!! ::

:: shortstop Brandon Crawford and pregnant wife and puppies!!! ::

 2.  Kid Halloween Costumes
It's no secret: I'm obsessed with kids and babies in costumes.  Lucky for me, Jordan at Oh Happy Day has been doing a series on the cutest kid costumes, like, ever.  Check out the whole Homemade Halloween Series here, but here are some of the absolute cutest:

 

Gaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Me, dying of the cuteness.)

3.  Seasonal Decorating

Pumpkins 'n gourds.  Gourds 'n pumpkins.  Ain't it all just grand?

Emily Henderson did a great roundup of 22 New and Creative Ways to DIY Your Pumpkins.  Check it out.  Here's just a tiny preview (there are 17 other really cool ideas too):

And, while we're talking about gourds, please laugh out loud while you read (or, for most of you, re-read) this hilarious McSweeneys piece.

What's your favorite October-y thing?

Pumpkins!!!

Usually I will try my darnedest to get out of theme parties, especially if it involves costumes or a mandatory craft.  (Like, can’t we just hang out normal-style?)  But when our buddies Pete and Ali invited us over to carve pumpkins on Sunday, I couldn’t say no.  

1. They are literally the most adorable people in the world.

2. It was last minute, so I had no time to get nervous about it.

3. It was their baby’s due date, so they wanted to keep busy while Ali wasn’t going into labor… how can you say no to that?!

Guys, spoiler alert: carving pumpkins is seriously, seriously fun.  

Travis and I were nervous because two of these friends are artists for a living.  I don’t want to be carving no pumpkin around people who make a living off of visual art!  So I made a rule that we all seriously had to try our hardest so I wouldn’t cop out and make a garbage pumpkin.

Travis and I both got very, very secretive about our pumpkin plans and didn’t want anyone to see what either of us was working on.

When it came time for the big reveal, mine was an epic dedication to our love (1 month married!):

And Travis’s was… well… Travis’s

I’m going to go ahead and classify this as an epic dedication to our love as well, because I really, really, really liked this movie.

All of our masterpieces:

Our darling hosts, with a full baked baby.  (Full of baby and Ali had a chili and cornbread feast with pumpkin spice cupcakes for dessert.  Too cute.)

I hope you all get to experience the unbridled joy that is pumpkin carving with your pals… it’s a spooktacular treat!!!

Bye!

Halloween: I hope I see baby lions!

Even though it is mid-October, it is fully one million degrees in LA.  So warm, that I almost forgot it’s nearly Halloween, which means nearly time to see babies dressed up as things!  Personally, I think if you don’t dress your baby up as a lion, you’ve wasted your baby’s Halloween.

I know, I know.  It’s the best.

What’s your favorite baby costume?

Also, a lovely autumnal feast for the eyes:

via old chum

Bye!