Viking Boy

In the past, I've droned on about the Swedish heritage I've inherited through marriage, friends, and associates. It's a love/love relationship, really, even if it might not sound like it. I've also talked about my hate/hate relationship with Halloween. It's a holiday I've always avoided, but with a kiddo in the mix, you just can't be a Halloween scrooge, as much as you'd like to be.

Last year, I committed to making kids' costumes so that I would be prepared and enjoy the holiday. Sawyer as a mummy was a success last year...and a cheap one at that. This year, we upgraded to something actually sewn and preconceived.

My little half-Swede was a VIKING!

As the base layer, I used a white undershirt, brown shoes, and brown leggings. I bought a plastic viking helmet for $3 on Amazon which I figure will grace a dress-up box for years to come. At JoAnn Fabrics, I bought some faux fur for his tunic and boots (sewn onto the base layers), some canvas ribbon to "wrap up" the boots, some black suede for a belt, and some Nordic buttons to add to the belt.

Keeping the helmet on was obviously some pie-in-the-sky, rookie mom idea, but he kept it on for about ten seconds at a time, so we got a few pictures in his full-on gear.

He and his bunny friend "trunk-or-treated" and had a grand old time. He had to get used to the action first, so looks a little unsure of things/miserable.

After a round of bags, he warmed up to the idea.

Once he realized candy was involved, he was intrigued.

Worn out after an evening of pillaging!

Just My Type

Knowing of my growing appreciation for all things font, my friend Alli told me about a new book that she thought I might like...and like I did! I ordered a copy post-haste.

It's titled Just My Type: A Book About Fonts and it was written by Simon Garfield, a British journalist. If you loved Eats, Shoots & Leaves or were a fan of the documentary Helvetica, you're in for a treat.

Here's a review from Amazon:

Simon Garfield’s Just My Type presents an entertaining history of fonts, from font "pirating" dating back nearly as far as Gutenberg to the creation of Comic Sans and Ikea’s font-change controversy. With a variety of recent, news-making examples and font samples throughout, Just My Type explains how and why certain fonts can elicit emotions or gut-instinct reactions. Garfield’s humor and historical anecdotes add to his deep understanding of how something as simple as font choice can speak volumes about our cultural climate--and why it’s so easy to agonize over what font to use on a party invitation. Whether you’re already a font aficionado or can’t tell the difference between Times New Roman and Arial, this entertaining history will give you a greater appreciation of the typefaces that surround you every day.

DROOL...order your copy today!