The Barons in Seattle: Chloe's Clown Costume

"A house does not have to be perfect to be a home of joy, a child does not have to behave perfectly to love and be loved, and every moment of life does not have to be perfect to be of value. Too often, I realize, we fail to see the glorious reality of the simple joy that abounds in the seemingly mundane routine of day-to-day living. Instead, we tend to idolize the past, idealize the future, and devalue the present.... What better way to show our appreciation to Heavenly Father for what we have than to embrace our lives, albeit 'ordinary' and 'unexciting,' with joy?"

--Winnie Dalley; Ensign, March 1998

Monday, November 10, 2008

Chloe's Clown Costume

This year for Halloween, Chloe wanted to be a clown. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, if you're weird and obsessive about clothes (especially kids clothes) like me, then it would have bothered you incredibly (like it did me) that all of the children's clown costumes available for purchase are incredibly cheap in construction and appearance. So, that left me needing to sew Chloe a costume. Now, I am not a sewer. Yes, I have a sewing machine and grandeur ideas about using free time to sew wonderful creations. The reality is that besides making an apron in seventh grade, I had never used a pattern before. But, with a little guidance (ok, at times it was a lot) from my mother, I was able to make Chloe the most adorable clown costume ever (and no, I am not biased).