Witches brew and an Avenger too.

For Halloween this year dad wanted to go old school.

so after a tiny bit of convincing, ali embraced the role of a good old fashioned witch.

Not that it was hard to convince her to do anything daddy wanted. 

and once she knew crazy hair and make up were involved it was a done deal!

We searched high and low for the perfect basic costume to bring dad's vision to life...

When all was said and done we decided to piece our own together.

So the dress was a walmart find. the hat was from a costume store (and I just hot glued it to a headband).

The tights we had from a last halloween clearance sale. and the shoes were a find of my mom's from several years ago that miraculously fit this year...it was costume kismet!

She rocked that classic costume like nobodies business!

But a theme must be had, so what was piper to be?

well, every witch needs a black cat of course!

again, super basic...but hilariously executed by pipes.

When you asked her what a kitty said she responded with the most perfect little "meow"

and Cole...oh the traditional theme went out the window.

He is not so easily convinced and his love for all things Avengers was too deep for us to crush with our own agenda...but believe me we thought about it!

Halloween day they wore costumes to school and that night, though showered in icy rain, was magical and oh so fun.

these two ran from house to house, while piper watched from the car that rolled on at speeds on of 0.2 miles an hour.

They are at the perfect ages to make this kind of thing amazingly enjoyable as parents.

It was the happiest of halloweens.

Back to School

It was time for

and

to go back to school!

so we had a back to school dinner.

(disclaimer: I stole all these ideas from some wonderfully awesome mother online)

It fell on FHE night which was perfect.

We talked about our family theme for this school year.

(I even found this online...loved it. It was perfect for a new year of adventures)

They chose to have spaghetti, which I hardly ever make. and we had corn grown in our very own garden!

It was TONS of fun. and we will definitely be making it a tradition.

Then the next morning it was off to school!

Cole is going into the 2nd grade. He has Mrs. Cousin. Love her already.

Doesn't he look old?

Ali waited "patiently" for her turn.

Afternoon Kindergarten takes a while to roll around when you are THIS excited.

I think she aged crazy fast in the week leading up to kinder cause I swear she wasn't this old five minutes before that.

I dropped her off and she marched right in without looking back.

just like she belonged and had done it a million times.

She has Mrs. Hale. We love her already too.

and this was her face after she rode the bus home with her brother.

It was a good day!

Mommy however looked at the clock a million times missing her kiddos.

Piper slept right through Al's entire time at school. 

I think my smile was as big as this when I had them home again.

"Shushi"

Ali got to choose the daddy daughter date festivities...

"SHUSHI!!!!!"

They had sushi and he took her to get a manicure. 

How stinkin' cute is that?

Fancy, Five, and Fabulous!

When throwing an afternoon garden soiree, there are certain things that are simply imperative.

Invites should be hand delivered to each of your closest friends.

The entrance to your gathering should be inviting and informative.

Your guest should be provided with accent pieces such as feather boa's so as to liven the party atmosphere.

Having your hair done by a professional is a perk that really ties it all in. 

Now, at this point pictures of our host all done up would be featured. Unfortunately even the best party planners can't account for the tragic slip of a hand that accidentally deletes all photographic memories, leaving us with only the back up photo's daddy brilliantly took with his phone.

So imagine if you will that this outfit was completed with ruby red glitter shoes and red laces that laced up the leg to just under the knee. which accented the ruby red glitter belt. ah, isn't it stunning? Just like the Fancy Nancy we all know and love. 

Now that you have that in your minds eye, let's continue, shall we?

Ah! the decor! 

Place settings can really add some flare to your event.

Tea cups, fans, goblets, individual mini containers housing purple colored chocolates 'o deliciousness, the sky is the limit really.

Then it's onto the food. 

When planning a ladies luncheon, think light finger foods. Something that can be eaten daintily.

You may have to show your guests proper edicate at such a fancy affair.

Don't worry, they will follow your lead.

(notice the proper pinky placement)

Engaging your guests in conversation is a true talent of any hostess.

One must know how to strike the perfect balance of lady like behavior and jubilant giggles.

  

See? look at those table manners, I told you they would follow the lead!

After dining begins the real fun!

Fancy Makeovers!

Cucumbers to rejuvenate the eyes.

Nail painting to spruce things up.

(nail painting not pictured due to a fore mentioned tragedy.)

(notice that bedazzled sleep mask in the picture below? A craft is also a nice touch at a get together of this magnitude)

Then it's onto dessert.

If your soiree has a particular person of honor, now would be the time to celebrate them.

 But ladies who dine daintily don't dig into cake like normal party goers.

No, no they are much too refined for that.

Parfaits make the perfect touch of sweet and civilized.

Guest should each be allowed to choose their own garnishes. This is after all a celebration!

Then to place the final fancy touch, a group photo session.

striking poses is an art.

You have to give the camera something different every time. 

It can be exhausting. 

but a true hostess never let's the exhaustion show.

It is after all her duty to show her guests how its done.

It is also her duty to thank her guests repeatedly for the bounty of gifts that she received and for their presence.

(sometimes party planners mothers have to beg for a party bundle back to photograph to replace the tragically lost previously taken photograph.)

But the real key to throwing and hosting the perfect soiree is to have wonderful friends who will get fancy and enjoy it with you.