French apartment renovations, Day 313: Halloween and Zari is 15!

In the morning Eric read Zari's birth story--our family ritual--and a few other journal entries from when she was a newborn. Ivy and I stayed home this morning while everyone else went out. She was still quite sick, but better than last night. I'm feeling icky, too.

After lunch, Zari opened her birthday presents. From us she got a new Adidas school backpack, shinguards, and soccer gloves. Plus a raincheck for a Cavigal backpack that she's been asking for. She got some clothes from my mom (that she picked out).



I ended up having to haul my sewing machine out again for more last-minute adjustments. We turned our papier mache pinata into a fabric-covered ghost.

We had an early dinner and birthday cake, and then our family went to Inga's friends house for a little Halloween party. We left Inga there for a sleepover. I only have a blurry photo of Zari's cake; she made a stencil out of cardstock and then sifted cocoa powder on top of white frosting. It worked out quite well!

The kids were so proud of their costumes. This year I only had to make two! But they were both sooooo time-intensive. I forgot to take pictures until it was already dark outside, but nonetheless I got some that turned out after a lot of photoshopping the color/light parameters.

Details on the costumes in case you are curious:

Inga: Viking warrior

• I made the leather armor (vest & wrist bracers) from a thrifted sheepskin jacket. Inga helped with the blanket stitching. The jacket is laced with 2mm leather cord and the decorative stitching is waxed polyester thread. 
• The belt is one I already owned (originally thrifted)
• The embroidered tunic was thrifted
• I sewed the fur collar and boot cuffs from a long faux fur scarf. Inga picked out the metal buttons at the fabric store
• Boots: thrifted locally
• My dad made the sword from renovating scraps and wrapped the handle in leftover leather
• ~ One of Inga's 3 braids has a piece of leather cord braided into it

Ivy: Medieval girl

• I bought two ribbon embroidered curtains about a year ago in the States, thinking I could make something interesting out of them. They came with me to France and, voila! Perfect for Ivy's costume. I made the whole dress without a pattern and it worked out. Underneath is a sleevless linen dress with an embroidered hem, made from an old thrifted sheet. 

And Zari finally tried on her leather motorcycle jacket that I found in the garbage depot last year. She put on a pair of Eric's jeans that fit her perfectly (garbage depot), one of his old t-shirts (garbage depot), and a pair of his thrifted designer shoes. And now she loves the whole outfit. "It's like a goth/biker version of me!"