Splendid

Sugar Skull Tour

Yesterday we went to Toluca about an hour outside of Mexico City for a sugar skull market tour. It was so interesting to hear the history of the Mexican candies and of other traditions and customs of Dia de los Muertos.  Dia de los Muertos is November 1st and 2nd, but people prepare for weeks. Dancing skeletons and coffins, skulls with colorful designs and bones are all part of what they view as a duality that while we must celebrate and embrace life, we also must celebrate and embrace death.

  

they have many alters to honor those who have passed...

 


at the Botanical Gardens,

Our apartment complex had a huge Halloween party tonight. There was over 70 trick-or-treaters in the buildings running around. After the 2 hours of trick-or-treating they had a party in the Salon de Fiesta downstairs.  More candy, food and games.  For Mexico not really observing Halloween, it was pretty cool. The girls dressed up early in their costumes.  Big sis was a "truth or dare" devil and little sis was the on-land Ariel.

cutest baby ever...

Little sis and her friend Minnie Mouse 

Hope you have a great Halloween, too!

Autumn in Philadelphia

Here's some pictures from our trip a few days ago to Philadelphia.  We went to see our home, get it cleaned out and furniture moved into storage and put it on the market.  It was a really hard week.  I cried at least a half dozen times, as did my girls.  It was a shock to us to really come to the realization we may not return to Philadelphia after our 2 years in Mexico.  Dave isn't sure where we'll end up, he think west coast again, or Europe.  Doesn't sound too bad, but when you've become attached to an area and a group of friends and neighbors, it's hard. But I do feel relieved today back in Mexico City. I feel like out of sight, out of mind.  I don't want to be a debbie downer, so I'll just roll the pictures now...

and going to the pumpkin patch, always an autumn favorite...

hayrides..

days spent joyfully at the park down the street from our house...

carving pumpkins with neighbor friends...

our street, I love it in the Autumn...

finding a furry new friend...

hope you're having a great week!

Bad Behavior

The next Category Stories prompt is "Bad Behavior."  So fun and great prizes from Elise Blaha.

here's my layout...

this picture is from when Jen, Patty, Matty and me visited Chicago at the Oak Street Beach bar...now go play!

Here's my Chicago trip mini book-from Elise Blaha, speaking of her and Chicago...I love to look at it and remember my 4 fun days in Chi-town with some of my favorite people...

I'm slowly uploading my Philadelphia home visit from last week.  It was a hard week, but I'm so thankful to have seen some of our old friends.  Our house is officially for sale now.  The market there is a bit slow (like everywhere) so we'll see what happens. It gives me a reason to return a couple times a year!!!

more scissor sisters and other stuff...

well, I'm off to Philadelphia. I leave tomorrow morning ...hopefully I'll get to see her and do some thrifting...hopefully he'll meet up with us since he may be going there when we're there. We can't wait for the pumpkin patch and hay rides with this family and this family.  This is going to be an extremely difficult trip.  While we're excited to see all our old friends and do all the things we love to do (hello photobooth at El Vez, hello Honey's, hello Urban Outfitter's, hello AMERICAN Starbucks with non-fat milk and Pumpkin Spice Lattes... ), yet we have to pack up our house, and that is NOT going to be fun...

Just wanted to share these I did this week, more scissor sisters as we like to say...I have 3 others half done and a couple more planned, so stay tuned...

Mandi, I used some of her Housewife collection papers.  She's so super talented that I'm always in awe of her photography and crafty style.

and my lovah-extraordinaire Heather, I'm STILL waiting for her to do my make-up...

just added, Sandy, my good friend whom I adore...

And just to end, I will be going to Philadelphia to close up shop...my sweet, old house...the house we have decided for now to move everything into storage and put on the market...yes, my house.  I am BEYOND heart-broken, my girls are upset.  But unfortunately, my husband does not think there is a place in his company for him back in Philadelphia...He is always looking forward, the glass is half full kind of guy, always reaching for more.  Which I am immensely proud of him and his success, he is a risk-taker and a dream follower, yet with a practical, business-savvy head on his broad shoulders.  I feel fortunate many days to have the experiences we've had, lived some of the places we have. I feel like it's been a good thing. And who knows where we will end up next?  Mexico now, maybe Europe or back in California. But today, I am truly, truly super sad.  So, I will try my best not to type anymore sad posts about leaving my home, friends or Philadelphia, but I will miss it more than I can say.

mirror mirror

Mirror Mirror is a class by Kim and Rhian all about creative self-portraits.  They also have a Flickr group, go look, there are some rad pictures! I know the pdf file is available when the class is all over, so even if you miss the first few days, you can see the lessons...fun.. 

today was #1 for me

and I FINALLY got some stuff delivered today. A dresser/side table and a wood divider.  I am still shopping for more furniture, however Mexico City is at least double in prices, if not more, than the States.  I have ordered more pictures for the walls, and am bringing some back with when I fly to Philadelphia this next weekend. Here's my new table and the start to my wall art collection. Some are from Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and a couple from etsy. Also from Kristina I have one of her pictures framed (the blue fence framed at the top), and she's the one who told me about the Mirror Mirror class, as well, so gold star for her!!

I have a large black and white flower painting from Urban outfitters that will go in the left upper hand corner on my wall here, just waiting for my wonderful mom to mail it to me...

and a close up of my pics...

yep, that's a photobooth pic on the bottom right, from HulaSeventy, another photographer I adore.

I will wait to show you my other bare walls until they are dressed in a couple weeks....I'm bringing/shipping back oodles of milkglass and matryoshkas and pillows and vintage cupcake toppers and anything else I can fit into 6 suitcases...the rest I'll ship!

Okay, ciao for now people!!

mas escuela en mi casa

My girls started an international bilingual school last week.  After Xmas they will attend full-time, but now it's 2 days a week (plus private Spanish lessons twice a week). My heart is both super happy for them to have this experience, and super sad.  Some people say they don't know how I do it, homeschool and stay with my girls all day, and I answer, neither do I (insert a blubbering sound and finger vibrating across my lips).  But I do love it.  Everyday. So for now, I hang onto every fun moment...

Dioramas; this is made by little sis, after reading "Clara the Klutz."  It's Princess Clara's bedroom with a bed, vase of flowers, fancy throw pillow and birdcage.

And big Sis' after reading "Boxcar Children" last week. Quite bare compared to Clara's spread, but that's the whole thing about the boxcar children, they're homeless and live in a boxcar. Now she's reading Astrid Lindgren's "Children of Noisy Village."  So far it gets 4 out of 5 stars. But she'll give a book report on it once she's done.

They wrote a play and acted it out.  "The Princess and the Pirate," complete with flyers, tickets and costume changes.

Big sis read about leavers, pulleys and catapults.  She used a clip, rubber band and spoon and fashioned a catapult to knock down her line of Jenga pieces and dominoes. 

Success!

and little sis took a crack at scrapbooking last night, not too shabby I must say...

okay, back in a jiff with some other news...

new ones

yeah, lame title, but I can't be catchy all the time people...

I did these this week. I hadn't done Cricket's 9th birthday in Acapulco yet, I still have a few others to scrapbook, but I like to have just one pic to feature for a big event or special day.  This was a great 3 day weekend (we made it a 3 day weekend) and all I know is I never celebrated a birthday at a resort on the beach....my fondest birthday memory is Chuckee D'isease's or the regular party with cake and pin-the-tail-on-the-Donkey game...but she was very thankful and actually so was I... this was when she had her cake and was serenaded by the mariachi band.

And here, this is me next to the pool with little sis...

and here's one weekend in Curanavaca, a small town about an hour outside of Mexico City...

and me by the pool in Curanavaca...

and again, Acapulco, not my fave, but I still wanted to get it done...

and what do ya know? Jen picked me for the catwalk!!  Yay and thanks!  What a wonderful surprise and honor! I hope you all had a good week!  Do anything good?

Me Gusta Mucho

My first prompt over at The Creative Type is up.  Go play, it's a fun one.  The technique used is masking.  Here I used some old letters I had laying around to write Me Gusta Mucho, then I sprayed some ink (thanks Vee for the class), let it dry a few minutes, then removed them. Easy!

  

Creative Type newbie

I'm proud to announce I've joined The Creative Type!  Some of my favorite crafty people are on there and I feel super lucky to able to join such a talented group! 

Tomorrow I'll be back to reveal my first prompt!! Hope you're having a great weekend!

Charlotte's Web

The new Scrap Mojo is up. Charlotte's Web is the prompt as the first part, use a quote.  The second part is to use a page from a book.

 

This is one of my best friends Sarah who lives in Philadelphia.  She's got the biggest heart and such I just love her!!!!  I see her in a week when I fly back to Philadelphia and can't wait!!!!!!