Behold: The Emily Bear in 2008 and 2009.  She’ll probably be a princess tonight, but she wanted to dress up in the bear costume first.  Last year’s bear adventure just might be my favorite blog post of all time.

And Jacob was a peapod last year.  A tiny, six-month-old peapod.  This year, he will probably be The Jacob Bear.  He’s a furry, roaring, hugging, mildly destructive mammal, so this feels appropriate.

I just have to tell you that this week has been a bit crazy.  Emily has given up naps (Yikes!) and proven that she needs to be busy in the afternoons.

And perhaps needs her walls painted in chalkboard paint.

As we work out our new schedule, I think the afternoon will be more peaceful, and we’ll all be more content and productive.  I hope!

On the upside: Emily is potty-trained!  This morning, I heard her taking off her diaper in her room and having a conversation with herself: It’s panty time!  Alright!  How about Dora panties?  Okay.  That’s fine.

But I digress.

Happy Halloween!!!

I just finished Erin’s outfit (since it’s not technically a dress).  I modeled it for you, although I must warn you that it was made to her measurements and not mine.  One thing Erin and I do have in common: we’re both redheads.  Her hair color is more intense than mine (and it’s curly too!), so I think this will be incredibly striking on her.

I also made her a tulle flower for her hair using Martha’s Peony template and tutorial…

For added flair.

Here are Erin’s instructions for her dress.  She does not want a bow in front. ;)

She sent me a couple yards of textured green fabric, a black tulle skirt, some black satin, and a lighter green ribbon.

So far, I’ve made the bodice, trimmed it with a tulle ruffle, lined it, and put in boning.  The boning is not particularly comfortable.  I rounded the ends, but I guess I didn’t round them enough.  And they are stuck in there (They’re melted slightly to the fabric.  Oops.).  Any suggestions? :D

A pressing deadline, a PGM dress form, a challenge with a limited budget (I assume) and limited materials… Do you see the PR connection?

P.S. I think I love my dress form.  I’ll have to build up the waist and hips for her to match my measurements.  But still.

It is so liberating to have the right tools.

Cake toppers (not my original idea).

Emily requested chocolate cupcakes.  I used this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook.

And I used this chocolate frosting recipe.  Warning: This much chocolate requires a healthy dose of milk… which we had.

I made Emily a special birthday skirt (and a matching one for her doll… who she named “Aurora,” by the way), and I appliqued a shirt for her.

Her party was at the dance studio where she takes “pre-dance” class.  And with plenty of friends, dancing, laughing, cupcake-eating, fancy-necklace-wearing, scarf-waving, and tip-toe-walking, I’d say it was a success!

Baby Emily.

Emily at 1.

Emily at 2 (on her birthday last year… she was sick).

And Emily (today) at 3.

Things you love right now:

• trying on all of Jacob’s clothes at naptime
• The P. Bears
• stickers & all art supplies
• things that are “so pretty”…
• such as Ariel and Belle and Aurora and Mommy’s earrings
• getting into Mommy’s makeup and trying on Mommy’s glasses (and attempting to paint your own toenails… even with a carrot stick)
• Feist
• parks
• libraries
• going over bridges
• dance class
• Where the Wild Things Are and Olivia and Eloise and anything by Eric Carle
• Mommy and Daddy and Brother and everyone else in the family

You’re pretty great.

Today I made Emily’s doll a reversible skirt.  It’s purple polka dots on one side and denim on the other.

I also made her a white linen shirt, although it is far too late in the year for such.

And last night I appliquéd a squirrel onto a reversible bag for her.  It’s all about the accessories, don’t you think?

Better than Barbie?  Maybe.

Now it’s time for me to stop playing with dolls and get to work on other projects.  My friend Erin has asked me to make her a strapless, edgy dress with a black tulle skirt (for a photoshoot with Melinda Register Photography).  I finally ordered a dress form which I think will help with this project… :)  It’s like Project Runway meets Real Housewives of Tulsa County.  Or something.

A dress…

And a scarf and coat.

She still needs some little brown shoes.  But I think she’ll survive the winter if she stays inside. ;)

1. Untitled, 2. Rachel Denbow, 3. Untitled, 4. ., 5. All Kinds of Signs, 6. Autumn 2009, 7. taking stock, 8. New arrangement, 9. reversible bib, 10. delicious, 11. Tiny cloth doll by Hirako Matumoto, 12. autumn in new york jumper, 13. Little Striped Pumpkin, 14. Mabel, my first doll, 15. Untitled, 16. red cozy

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