Sarah gets crafty

For most major holidays, my friends here in Hoboken and I try to get together for a themed get-together. I soon learned that with such creative folks, one simply can't have a small gathering with some run-of-the-mill food thrown on the table--there is much thought that goes into the planning, preparation, and presenting of everything. This year, I took on Halloween and let my imagination run wild (I also spent a bit too much time on DIY and party blogs getting ideas) and before I knew it, I was up to my eyeballs in orange and black. But because I only had to cater to a small crowd, the projects were totally doable--especially the food and desserts. Plus, Mark took on the main course--his famous chili--so all I had to do was make a few things look pretty (also helped to have my mom's fabulous eye assisting with the set up).

Here are some shots from the evening:

The food set-up and my banner--so easy to do with scrapbooking paper, foam board, and string! And a great "reading" tool for Eamon...I think I'll make one for every holiday!


I channeled Martha Stewart with glittery DIY pumpkins, while Mark went for the tradition Jack-o-Lantern.





At the bar, we served "Chilling Cider Cocktail" (which was the speciality drink at our wedding five years ago, then named "Stand BeCider"; a mix of mulled cider, vodka, brandy, cinnamon and sugar. While tasty, not much of a hit with the beer-drinking crowd.) The non-alcoholic option was "Ghoulish Goblin Punch", a blend of apple, cranberry, and grape juices and seltzer. And yes, that's an icy ghoulish green hand floating in the bowl...spoooooky.


A platter of Devil's food cupcakes with orange buttercream frosting. Botched the frosting job, so they tasted better than they looked!


Borrowed this idea from a blog...white chocolate-dipped pretzel rods made to look like ghosts. So easy, tasty, and cute!


And because every kid party has to have goodie bags, I opted to do homemade honey popcorn balls and caramel apples as our to-go treat. I wrapped them up in cellophane bags and made a tag for each kiddie. Making caramel from scratch is NOT easy, my friends, but it wound up tasting scrumptious. And I mixed whatever I had left over with peanut butter for a delicious dip.


Another shot of the dining room. Soon, the table was filled with many more savory dishes brought by the girls...steak-cut french fries, bean dip, jalopeno poppers, panko-friend chicken tenders, and more...all homemade, of course!


A party shot of the happy hosts...although we couldn't get Eamon to wear a costume for the life of us and my actual costume didn't come together in time (I saved it for Sunday), we still had to be a little festive! The mask is courtesy of Erin's semester abroad in Italy.

From bumps to babies!

Not too long ago, Kristen, Mary and I (and Eileen!) posed for this picture...


...And now 2/3 of those bumps are babies!

Mikaela Namakula was born on September 4...and is already the best-dressed baby out there!

And Brendan Thomas was born on October 5...I couldn't help but "borrow" this adorable pic from Mary's FB page. He is so sweet!

Finally, Flynn Baby #2 should be pulling up the caboose on November 18. Looking forward to seeing these little peanuts play together!

Some wedding photos...

Free scrapbooking design created with Smilebox

Here's a little slideshow I put together from photos of Eileen & Derrick's wedding reception. It was a beautiful night!

They're hitched!

We had a GREAT time at Eileen and Derrick's wedding! Such a fun weekend--too much fun to write much more at this point on a Sunday night, but will post more pics and details soon. Meanwhile, congrats to Eileen and Derrick; enjoy Costa Rica!

Hamilton Farm

Last Sunday, we ventured out to Hamilton Farms in Boonton, NJ, with our little pumpkins (Leezie met us there with Sam and Jack). It was a beautiful fall day and the boys had so much fun running around, playing on the wooden train playset, taking a hayride to the pumpkin "patch" (I use that term loosely, as it was actually just a bunch of pumpkins set out on a field), and sampling apple cider donuts. We brought home a bunch of pumpkins to carve and decorate and now all we need is to finalize our costume plans!

Posing.

When Eamon feels like it, he really knows how to work the camera! Usually he's too busy playing to stop and pose, but today I got him at just the right moment. Doesn't he look like he's ready to head to kindegarten in this outfit? Where's my baby?!

Happy.

Someone was very happy to stay up late AND get cake for Daddy's birthday!

Celebrating Mark's Birthday

On Wednesday, October 6, Mark turned the big 3-2! He's had a rough week work-wise (many late nights), so we kept it low key with dinner, dessert and prezzies at home. Eamon stayed up for the festivities and of course wanted to get in on the action when it came time to blow out the candles on the cheese cake!

Playspace

There's a great kids-only spot in Hoboken that opened up around us not too long ago, featuring a gym filled with soft mats, trampolines, a climbing wall, parralel bars, toys, and other fun stuff a two year old finds amazing. I'd held off on taking E there because it's super-pricey, but they recently sold a Groupon offering a reduced rate for their classes and open gym (AKA Playspace). I have ten passes to use before the end of October, so we're trying to go as often as possible. Good thing Eamon loves it! Here he is last weekend during one of our visits. He never stops moving once we step inside!

Little Football Fan

There's no doubt that Eamon loves football...he requests to watch it just as much as he asks for Thomas or Wonder Pets. So recently Mark bought him a set of mini NFL helmets, which have turned out to be quite the hits. E can name many of the teams now, recognizing them both on the helmets and even when they're playing on TV. It's amazing what a two-year-old can absorb! Here's a quick clip of him naming some of the teams...as you can see, Mark taught Eamon that the Giants are "Papa's Team," so that's how the G-Men are referred to around here.

I'll try to get some video of him naming more. It's really cute.

Getting Fit

Eamon loves to do whatever Daddy is doing--including working out around the house. Here he is joining in on one of Mark's pushup sessions.

Rainy Day Activity

Here's how Eamon and I passed the time on a recent rainy morning. I swear, this was his idea--not mine. But let's just say he has spent enough time watching running races (both live and on TV) to get a good sense of what a "track start" is.

Baby Brunch

My, my how time is flying! Here we are in October, now less than seven weeks away from the arrival of our next little Flynn. In celebration of his or her's impending delivery, my dear friends here in Hoboken (plus Leezie!) threw me a little baby brunch/playdate on Friday. As usual, these girls went waaaaay out of their way to see every detail through, from an impressive diaper cake to a delicious spread. And though I told them that I didn't need anything, they still so generously brought gifts like a bouncy seat, swaddling blankets, pjs, and other essentials. I never like anything to be done in my honor, but I must say that it does feel very nice to have such sweet and caring friends.

While we munched and chatted, the little ones--all seven of them--ran amuck and played. These are the same buddies Eamon has had since he was born, practically, and they are now very comfortable around each other. They are all really coming into their own personalities, which is so cute to watch. Below are some pics of the morning--including an attempt at getting the kids together for a group shot. Not an easy task.