Halloween + All Saints Day 2015 Re-Cap

Get ready to be bombarded with adorable pictures of little kiddos dressed in costume!  Let's start with Halloween....

This is the unorganized mom trying to get all the last minute Fancy Nancy costumes to work.  We chose the family theme of Fancy Nancy at the beginning of the month, but did I even think about it until a few hours before trick-or-treating time?  Heck no.  #momenough  

I'm a huge fan of at least some of the costumes from their childhood being ones that they thought up and/or made up themselves creatively.  They needed some help and guidance, but I thought they did a great job coming up with fun ways to look like the characters from their favorite book series.  

Also you may recall that Kayla's costume for her ballet class earlier in the week was still Fancy Nancy, but (appropriately) geared toward ballet.

 

Chris took these.  And drew that hilarious mustache on Ava. 

Kayla is (of course!) Fancy Nancy.  Elise is Nancy's best friend Bree.  Ava is Nancy's little sister who is a mischievous little tomboy who loves to play pirate with Bree's younger brother in the stories.  Sophie was nominated to play Fancy Nancy's doll, Marabelle Lavinia Chandelier.  Ooo la la!

And of course, Chris and I are Mr. and Mrs. Clancy (easiest costumes ever!)

 

Poor little 'Marabelle' was not having it.

 

 

 

We only trick-or-treated very briefly, but I snapped a couple poor quality shots....

 

This year, since I am on the elimination diet and Chris is doing it with me, we were much less thrilled to get home and check out the candy the girls collected because we couldn't take our cut.... I was surprisingly not bummed out by it though, so I guess that's a good thing.  Take that, sugar!

All Saints Day

The following day, I was equally unprepared for All Saints Day (#momenough!) except that Saint costumes don't materialize out of your closet as easily as Fancy Nancy costumes.  I had bought a few white tees from Hobby Lobby and a black one to use for costumes, but of course had saved it all for the last minute.  Some things never change....

I went to Michaels AND Hobby Lobby and no one sold plain BROWN T-shirts, so I was forced to think outside the box a little for Kayla's St. Kateri costume.  I used coffee and soaked a white shirt until it was (a very light shade of) brown.  It was the best we could do, and it worked well enough thank goodness.  

St. Kateri

 

Yep, Sophie was clowning around while we were getting all costumed up.  She put those beads on and was walking around like a proud little peacock.  #4thgirl  ha!

Kayla's costume is a white T-shirt, turned less white with coffee and I cut off the collar to use are the headband and cut the fringes on the bottom and sleeves.  Permanent marker for the "beading" and a few feathers from Hobby Lobby.  She was so excited.  She loves St. Kateri and just finished reading a chapter book on her.  This little girl is devouring books, especially ones on her favorite Saints.  :) She proudly wore her costume to church as well in the morning.  The other girls weren't up for it (too itchy and uncomfortable, I think...haha)

St. Rose of Lima

 

Elise chose St. Rose this year...until I started putting together the costume.  She was NOT digging that piece around the neck that you see in the picture on the left.  So I made a few adjustments and she was ok with them and did end up being a very sweet little St. Rose.  

Her costume is not as impressive from the back (there is a hole held shut with masking tape) and the veil isn't even in the back, but I'd say it's still barely noticeable, so I'm counting it as a #momenough #momwin .   It's made from two different white T-shirts (one is the bottom part of the habit and the other is cut up into pieces to make the veil stuff.  The black is also a T-shirt cut to work well enough.... and yes, that is tape with roses.  We went for easy over more awesome and authentic.  

St. Cecilia

 

Ava just wore a slightly adjusted version of the costume that her sisters have worn for St. Cecilia for the past two years.  It was FINALLY her turn to be St. Cecilia and she was very excited.  Yes, I know she looks more like a gypsy.  Especially since she chose her musical instrument of choice to be the tambourine.  haha.  

St. Bernadette

 

I could barely get Sophie to keep her little bandanna on, let alone get pictures of her by herself (unless you wanted to see more of her in the pearls and the Elsa dress.....they are below.  hahaha!)

But she is a little St. Bernadette, barefeet and all- ready to wade through the stream to visit Our Lady at the Grotto.  ;)  

 

It looks like someone is choking her, but it was just her flinging it around excitedly when I pulled the camera out.  

And here's a nice little group one-- My favorite

Happy Feast of All Saints (a day late!)

And here are pictures from a fun All Saints Day party we attended at a friend's house.  

 

Our good friends in the picture above. Gregory (the little boy) is appropriately, St. Gregory the Great.  Jacinta is appropriately, Blessed Jacinta.  Scott is appropriately, "St. Aaron Rodgers of the Packers".  haha. 

 

Such a wonderful time.  Thanks for hosting, Laura and Gabe Dilanji!

"...The only real regret lies in not being a saint; we could also say that there is only one real kind of poverty: not living as children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ." 

-Pope Francis