Pumpkin Carving Party 2009 {aka PCP '09}

I'm slightly embarrassed by the lack of photos from this year's party. I was so focused on actually carving MY pumpkin I didn't even think to take photos. Everyone had a great time. The food was wonderful, the pumpkins were clever and there was a MARRIAGE PROPOSAL!?! What? At our annual pumpkin party?! Wow. Too exciting. My Sister and her boyfriend Jesse have been dating for years and he choose our party to pop the question!!! A very clever proposal that included the carving of an abstract pumpkin made for an extremely happy Katherine.

If you missed this years party you missed tons of fun. Who knows what excitement next year holds. So, mark your calendars now. PCP is always on the Saturday before Halloween. What will you carve?

P.S. If you took pics at the party please share them with me!

Michigan In One Post {Hard To Do}

This is extremely delayed as the instant we set foot back in Texas we hit the ground running. The Pumpkin Carving Party was only 9 days away and we were scurrying to pull everything together. Sadly, blogging was minimal that week. Our trip to Michigan was beautiful. I've never seen such vibrant fall colors. And lighthouses! I'd never stepped foot in one let alone climb to the top of one to look out over the most beautiful lakes in the USA. The weather was COLD and my dreams of Mackinac were shattered by the flu, but persevere through the rough stuff, we did.

I'll only post a handful of pictures here, but you can view the fickr album from our trip here. Okay recap:

Thursday Oct 8 – Day 1Airport Houston to Chicago (Marin's first plane ride)
Airport Chicago to Flint (Just enough time to grab dinner and board)
Picked up rental car.
Spent the night at Sleep Inn. (comfy beds!)

Friday Oct 9 – Day 2Breakfast at Sonic. (Funny and so lame.)
Hit the road. Interstate 75 North out of Flint
Williams Cheese – Linwood, MI (Marin LOVED the cow and even posed for a picture!)
Tawas Point Lighthouse
North Bay Bed and Breakfast - Presque Isle, MI

Saturday Oct 10 – Day 3
Sunrise on Lake Huron
Old Presque Isle Lighthouse
New Presque Isle Lighthouse
Knaebe’s Apple Farm, Rogers City, MI (***** Five Stars. My favorite memory from the trip)
Mackinaw City – Arnold Ferry to the Island (The ferry ride was VERY rough. Big waves, lots of swells. Poor baby Marin cried and cried. She finally passed out. We are still debating if she literally passed out or just cried herself to sleep. I'm afraid that was our omen for Mackinaw island)
Mackinaw Island – Bogan Land Inn Bed and Breakfast


Sunday Oct 11 – Day 4Carriage Tour of Mackinaw Island (Arch Rock, East Bay View on Mackinaw)
The Flu...

Monday, Oct 12 – Day 5Leaving the Island – Mackinaw Bridge
Great Lakes Boat Building School - Cedarville, MI (Steven was in HOG HEAVEN. I think he could have stayed for their next nine month session.)
Soo Locks - Sault Ste. Marie, MI (Steven loved the engineering, Marin loved the leaves, I was just trying to stay warm!)
Scenic Drive Between Sault Ste. Marie and Tahquamenon Falls
Tahquamenon Falls (lower falls)
St. Ignace

Tuesday, Oct 13 – Day 6St. Ignace Hospital – Official Flu Diagnosis.
Tunnel of Trees Scenic Drive
Winery
Grand Traverse Lighthouse
The Cook’s House Restaurant - Traverse City (This tiny restaurant in hot, downtown Traverse city only seated 11-18 people. That meal was hands down the best meal we had in Michigan and was Marin's first white table cloth dinner. She did impressively well.)

Wednesday, Oct 14 – Day 7Northport
Leland
Sleeping Bear Dunes (*****another favorite stop)
Four hour drive from Frankfort to Flint.
Sleep Inn Hotel

Thursday, Oct 15 – Day 8
Airport – Flint to Chicago and Chicago to Houston
HOME!

Marin's first Haircut

Marin's second birthday was in July and we are really proud of the hair that she has, but it's been a long time coming! Lately I worried that she was looking, well, sort of mulletish. Can't have that! I knew it was time for a trim. I recruited our friend Sarah to cut Marin's hair, set the date and time and the "adventure" began. We set everything up in the bathroom. Sarah even bought a cute new cape with penguins on it, but Marin was suspicious and wouldn't even step foot in the bathroom. What should have been a simple 15 minute event turned into a 2 hour episode of trickery. I finally convinced Marin to let me paint her toe nails in Aunt K's room while Aunt K "played with her hair." She was clueless as we trimmed the back of her hair but the moment we worked our way around the sides she quickly identified "the bird" (aka scissors) and was insistent that she "didn't want the bird in her hair." Katherine and Sarah were real troopers! They followed Marin around the rest of the evening and worked on her hair while Marin was distracted by various object. Thanks girls for giving Marin her first MARATHON haircut. Maybe trim number two will be less work!

Pumpkin Carving Party 2009 {The Invitation}

Tada! The invite to this year's Pumpkin Carvin' Party. Recipients are sure to recognize a pumpkin or two in this one of a kind, illustration. My friend Cole Carter is a talented artist and I'm in LOVE with his interpretation of our annual party. Thank you Cole.

The count-down begins. Pumpkin Carvin' Time is only a week away!

Felt Birthday Hats

I first discovered custom birthday hats while researching party ideas for Marin's first birthday. I was smitten with these adorable felt beauties and knew it would be a wonderful memento from her first birthday party. The red and white polka dot hat was Marin's. It matched her "Red Ball" theme party. The neon green and pink hat I made for a friend and the first birthday hat with the baby song birds is my most recent creation. It's for Jami's birthday party. Can't wait to see the little song bird in her new birthday hat. But, don't worry Darci, I won't cry if she doesn't want to wear it!