Christmas in October

This masterpiece earned the coveted "Most Creative Costume" ribbon in 7th grade. It was brilliant, I must admit, and the cheapest costume I ever made. Method: get one huge box, wrap it in last year's left over gift wrap, cut hole for head, and top it off with a gigantic bow headband (of which I owned dozens.) It was a cute costume and everyone loved it, but that sucker was a flippin' nightmare to maneuver on the bus!

Update
Oct. 14, 2009- I submitted this post to Tip Junkie's Talk to Me Tuesday feature. This week's installment, Halloween Show and Tell, highlights Halloween costumes and since this one is so simple to make, I thought I'd share it. Click the logo below to go to Halloween Show and Tell and see more spooky fun!

Give me your trickers, your treaters, your candy-warmonger masses...

Fast forward to 2001. This is my homage to the great Lady the month after 9/11. I thought it was appropriate and I think everyone at work appreciated it. Ingredients: One giant gray-green cut of fabric (on sale, score!), one text book covered in silver wrapping paper, one spray-painted flashlight with gold tissue paper flame, one foil brooch, one store-bought Lady Liberty headpiece, a pair of sandals and some silver lipstick.

Me and Melly, we's like peas and carrots

Welcome to the first installment of Homemade Costumes of Halloweens Past...

When we were dating, my husband used to say--in his Forrest, Forrest Gump voice--that we went together like peas and carrots. So, when we got an invitation for a Halloween costume party/couples wedding shower (cool, huh?), I thought peas and carrots would be the perfect couples costume!

The costumes were a breeze to make (once I figured it out) and pretty inexpensive. First, I tried making them with plastic carrots and pea pods, but they were too heavy and wouldn't stay, plus it just wasn't very cute. So, I decided to make them look like the actual peas and carrots dish. I made them with Styrofoam, Velcro and paint. The peas were 4" balls and the carrots were 2"x 4"x 12" rectangular blocks which I cut into square pieces. I painted them with a couple coats of acrylic craft paint and affixed Velcro (the rough side) on the back of each. I tested the veggies on our new fuzzy sweaters and soon found out that the peas needed a flat surface to stay on better. So I trimmed them and it worked just fine. Perfecto! Costume bonus: without the bits, you have a comfy cozy sweater to wear for the rest of the season...I did!

Everyone at the shindig thought they were so cute. The picture above is at the beginning of the evening with the peas and carrots separate. As the party rolled on, people kept stealing our vegetables and mixing them up. We looked like a mixed bowl of orange and green bits by the end of the evening just like a Luby's side dish! It was so much fun. We ended up wearing them again for my sorority sister's Halloween party in Dallas.

This costume idea was featured in the Costume Roundup on One Pretty Thing!  Thank you, chickadees!

Update
Oct. 14, 2009- I submitted this post to Tip Junkie's Talk to Me Tuesday feature. This week's installment, Halloween Show and Tell, highlights Halloween costumes and since this one is so darn cute, I thought I'd share it. Click the logo below to go to Halloween Show and Tell and see more spooky fun!

You go and rock that vote, girl!

There is no doubt that this year's election will be historical. We could possibly be inaugurating the first African-American president; or, we could soon be swearing in the first female vice-president. Either way, this election will usher in a new day for minorities in politics. I must admit that I am not the most politically-minded person. It's embarrassing to say so, but it's the truth and I suspect I'm not alone. Months before an election, I've always known who I plan to vote for, but this year just may shake up my steadfast party vote. I don't know about you, but after those debates, I decided I need to do my own research. So, if you're like me, and need a bit of help sifting through all the "let me say that agains" and "across the aisles" and "Joe Plummers", without all the misinformation and false claims of voting history, let's do our homework so we won't be undecided as we stand in line. Click the logo below to connect to the League of Women Voters website and rock that vote, girl!

P.S. If Tina Fey was running for the presidency, this vote would be a piece of cake.

Whatever, Marta Ehstewart!

If you haven't caught on to my new favorite show on the Fine Living Network, you MUST! It's called Whatever, Martha! and it is the most irreverent Martha Stewart show ever. It's hilarious. It's hosted by Martha's daughter, Alexis and her friend Jennifer. They watch clips of Martha Stewart Living and make fun of Martha! There's also a radio show on Sirius, but I'm not cool enough to have satellite radio. The most brilliant part about the show is that it is produced by the crafting queen herself. Not me, silly. Although, I like to call myself Marta Ehstewart-- that's Spanish for Martha Stewart. Alexis' and Jennifers' blogs:

My blog

Written to the tune of Elton John's Your Song.

It's a little bit funny, the words that I write
I want to share them when the moment is right.
I don't have much money but boy if I did
I'd write a big book on which I’d live.

I could write in a journal, but then again, no
Or I could hit Broadway with a one woman show
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my blog and this one's for you

And you can tell everybody this is my blog
It may be quite simple but at least it’s not long
I hope you comment, I hope you comment when I add a new post
’Cause yours are the comments that matter the most.

I sit on the couch with my little dogs
They love to watch me while I write a good blog.
Though my laptop runs low when I write too long,
It's for people like you that I keep it turned on.

So excuse me for rambling but I want you to know
That my blog’s as good as any old Joe’s.
Anyway the thing is what I really mean
Mine can’t be the worst that you’ve ever seen.

And you can tell everybody this is my blog
It may be quite simple but I may be wrong
It might be awesome
It might be awesome, you never know.
How wonderful words are when you let them flow.

Welcome to the Nest!

Hi, chickadees! I'm so excited that you found my itty bitty nest in blogland. Come on in and perch a spell!

Some of my friends have said to me, "You're so creative, you should write a book." Well, here it is and the best part? There's no right way to read it. You can start at the end and go backwards, or you can jump in anywhere you want. One thing is certain--you never know what you're gonna find! I hope you have fun at my nest and pretty please with-a-Cheeto-on-top, leave me comments! It makes my day!  How else am I gonna know if you're reading? Oh, annnnd grab my button so I can meet your peeps, too!

The name Silly Bee's Chickadees came to me while I was opening my store on etsy. I wanted to make the name personal and cute, so I came up with a name that honors my family. My mom's name is Bea--she is the ultimate Queen Bee--and when I was little, she used to call me "chickadee".  So, my sister and I are Bea's chickadees! If you know my family, the silly part is obvious. We are silly. My dad is the ringleader, fer sher. We love being silly.  It's the best way to be! 

Thanks for checking me out!
Have a chickadee day!

P.S.  If you don't know where to start, check out the Find It list over there on the side bar.