On Friday, Sugarwings and I had a Girl's Night Out. We got all dressed up to go to the local community theater to see a play about pirates. Before it was time to leave, I double checked the theater's online site to see when we needed to be seated and saw that there was a costume party before the play! Now, how did I miss that before, that is the kind of thing that we just love to do!
We had about 15 minutes to devise a costume that looked piratey. What we came up with is kind of a shabby chic, princess, cowgirl, gypsy pirate, but she loved it.
Especially since she had a treasure bag hung on her belt that held some jewels and a half a roll of Lifesavers.
She also raided my jewel box and put on an armload of bracelets and a few necklaces.
The cowgirl boots were the only boots we had in her dress up closet, and were a few sizes too big, but she insisted that they were just right. Of course, they ended up in my purse, and I carried her most of the night because they kept falling off every time she took a step.
She was entranced by the play, and thinks she won the costume contest, even though she didn't. She was so enthralled by the show she let her "Shiver Me Timbers" float melt and forgot to drink it.
I'm hoping the theater will have more kid's productions, this was a blast for both of us.
So, Friday ended much nicer than it started. I got up early that day, with a fistful of dollars, and all the garage sales circled in the ads, finally heading out for some thrill shopping, it has been months since I got to scour for junk. Even though there were only a minimal amount of sales listed in the paper, I was up at 7 am and ready to hit them.
Instead, I walked out the front door into the breezeway and saw this mess! (it was even worse than pictured, I took the photo after picking up a bag of ripped up trash)
We'd had our own pirates over night. Coons came through the window to raid the cat food.
That is my curtain and the rest of the window's weather stripping on the floor. They tore the screen right off its frame and shredded it.
We've had trouble with raccoons in the past (I've walked right into a herd of them in the pitch dark, lurking in the breezeway, waiting to eat me- now I turn on the light before entering the room at night) so, I keep the windows closed out there, but since its been 104 degrees with a heat index of the surface of the sun, I cracked it open a a few inches to let out a bit of steam.
Who knew that the marauders could get through such a small opening?
The destruction they did seemed unwarranted for the small amount of food that they got. I think they were mad there was so little there for them and they wanted to teach me a lesson. They got a handful of cat food (stored in a plastic jug with a lid on it) and two juice boxes from the cooler. There was no good trash for them to eat, they just ripped the bag open out of spite.
You'd think that these guys might have barked while our home was under siege. They bark if a bunny comes within a 100 yards of our house or if a leaf falls from a tree. Although, even if they had warned me, I doubt if there was anything I could do. Coons intimidate me, they show no fear and always win a stare down contest when we get into them.
At first I was sad about these curtains, but then, I realized this was just the reason I needed to redo the room and get new ones. Its been this bilious green for years, and I've been wanting to redo it, just haven't done it.
Now, of course, its too hot to even think about, plus I'm still knee deep in tags. But I'll start the hunt for the curtains and that will lead me to the right colors for the room and I'll be thrilled to get it painted. I chose this green the day a beloved puppy died and I wanted something physical to do, and a color that was bright. So, not a lot of thought went into the color, I just grabbed a bright can from the store (oops paint, which someone else was smart enough to turn down), ran home and started to paint to take my mind off being sad.
The thing is, I just don't like living with brights too much. I prefer soft backgrounds. So, time for a change. And when I get the new curtains up, I'll keep the windows all the way shut to protect them from pillagers.
I'm continuing this giveaway. The prize is a dress form tutorial. If you have already purchased one of the $15 classes, (thank you!!), then I'll send you a kit of vintage goodies instead if I draw your name.
That Sugarwings is the CUTEST pirate girl I have EVER seen. Love the look. Stuff some cotton balls into those boots and they will fit much better.
And that close up. Such a beauty.
Thanks for sharing. But where was your outfit, Karla?
Debra
She looks amazing!!! great dress up xx
Darn coons, hate those awnry things. We just got one very big one run off with the prodding of a .22 (it needed it, I think it was diseased, kept coming out during the day time and wasn’t looking too great) But now there is another little one coming up on the porch at night for the cat food. They sure do make a big mess. Hugs!
Sugarwings looks quite the pirate princess… I love it.. Coons are a real problem right now. My friend’s home was vandalized by them for a bit of catfood, too… on more than one night.. She wasn’t home, and when she came home, they charged at her sister!!! They have trapped 14. A little retired schoolteacher lives down the road from us… She is 87, and she has personally trapped and (killed) 24 coons around her precious garden.. at last count… She is a force to be reckoned with… no wonder those sixth graders knew their capitals and multiplication tables, huh?
I agree with Debra; Sugarwings is an AMAZING beauty!! She makes an absolutely gorgeous cowgirl-princess-fairy-pirate!
But of course, the lovely little jewel-filled pouch complete with lifesavers is the piece-de-resistance! Karla, you have so many enviable talents!! In addition to being a creative artist, an innovative photographer, and a fun & loving grandmother, you are really a fascinating writer with a knack for using a play on words. I love love love reading what you write!
Oh, that Sugarwings…just getting prettier all the time. She honestly could be a child model (but she needs a childhood and gets to model for you). I just get such a kick out of her, partly because she reminds me of my own Katie. We have had coons at our house, right in the middle of Saint Paul. I had to chuckle thinking of Jud trying to have a stare down with an enormous coon. When that didn’t work he clapped his hands. The coon hissed and charged at him and Jud ran into the house! They are pretty nasty little creatures.
Love your two fur babies just standing there. They are adorable!!!
Hugs,
Suz
Miss Karla… Sugarwings makes a very cute pirate… and thank you my tag book arrived this morning.. thank you it is so pretty.. thank you to you for hosting and to all the wonderful artists who’s tags I now have in my studio….
hugs Wendy
Your dogs have such great expressions on their faces! They’re all, “Um. Sorry. We just couldn’t face those coons. It’s not so bad, is it? It is? Well, let me just distract you with my cuteness.”
Sugarwings made a cute little pirate! What a fun day!!
Sugarwings is a beauty & has a kindred soul like her grandma Karla. Karla, you are such an awesome grandma!
I raised orphaned raccoons from infancy to adult. With their razor-sharp claws and their natural instincts, they can tear apart anything. I had mine in a steel cage with a three-part interlocking lock. One night I walked into our kitchen to find them in the upstairs hallway… how? I know I had locked them up for the night. Some how they managed to open that lock. They apparently wanted to be with me their mama(me), they climbed into the basement celing rafters to get under the upstairs bathtub, chewed a large hole in the wall just to come and hang out with me. They were real proud of themselves too.
Grrr, Karla Matey where is your costume photo?
Sugarwings is the cutest pirate! You whipped that up in minutes, I’d be scrambling around for days! Probably a good thing your dogs didn’t hear the invasion, the raccoon could have done some real damage to those cuties!
You are a rocking Grandma!!
I can’t believe the RACCOONS!
Im ready to get some traps before they decide to come thru the house windows or the doggie doors!
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Sugarwings looks so gorgeous!!
Hope the racoons dont visit again maybe its why Daniel Boone and Davy crocket made them into hats?
That is a much better use of coons!
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She has an overflowing dress up closet with lots of garage sale finds in it, so we had lots to chose from!
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when I come back in my next life I would love to be one of your grand-daughters.
Wow! What a great costume you conjured up! Sugarwings made a great pirate. Racoons are exceptionally fond of cat food. I have a friend who lives out in the woods in Washington state and they put out dry food for the racoons every night, she asures me that cat food is better than dog food. Sorry that they made such a wreck of your breezeway but luckily no one got hurt or bitten. I’m with you I like soft colors, too. Good luck with your hunt for the right color!
Sandy
Sugarwings gets more precious every day. You are a fun grandma!
I don’t know how you handle the snow in the winter and the humidity in the summer. Too bad you can’t put metal screens on the window during the summer.
~elaine~
Oh no! Glad they did not do more damage than they did. We have the same critter problem here. We have a big fat one that sits in a tree outside our dining room window watching us. He sometimes scratches on the back door trying to get in and then goes around and tries the front door. I have had to touch up his scratches on my doors so many times but at least he is not eating up my curtains!
We might have to add some chicken wire. I hate to do it, but it will keep them out at least.
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Sugarwings is the sweetest little pirate I’ve ever seen! What fun that you have each other to play make-believe with!
I’m sorry about all the problems with the racoons ~ pesky little critters!
Love her cowboy boots! She is just the sweetest little girl.
Yes, Sugarwings should have won that contest! She is such a doll when she dresses up. Sorry about the racoons! They would scare me as well — ugh!
Well, she is sure she won. She called out her own name when the winners were announced
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