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Writer's pictureAmy Cunniff-Bleau

Trick or Treat



When I dreamt of being a parent, one of the things I looked forward to was dressing my kids up fpr Halloween. There were so many fun and adorable costumes, and I wondered what my kids would want to be.


Caleb’s first Halloween he was a reindeer. By the time he celebrated his second Halloween Zach was two months old. I had bought a lion costume at a garage sale when I was pregnant with Caleb and it was the perfect fit for Baby Zach. Caleb’s favorite animal at the time were elephants, so I found an elephant costume for him. When they were two and one, they coordinated in train costumes - Caleb wanted to be the red engine James from Thomas the Train, and Zach was Thomas the Train. Then Caleb wanted to be Thomas and Zach was Buzz Lightyear. In 2011, Angry Birds were all the rage and Caleb wanted to be Red - which was sold out. But I improvised and made him a costume out of a red hoodie, t-shirt and sweat pants! Zach was in to all things pirate, and he made the cutest little swashbuckling buccaneer.


By the time they were five and four we had entered into the superhero phase! The movie How to Train Your Dragons was popular, and I took a chance and bought a generic dragon costume for Zach - which he LOVED! Even though it was summer when I bought it, he wanted to wear it all the time! Caleb wanted to be my favorite super hero - Batman. He wore that hot sticky mask everywhere - and I mean everywhere, to bed, doctor’s appointments and to pick out a Christmas tree.


I love these pictures of the boys smiling and happy in their Halloween costumes! I thought they were adorable, but this was a hard season of life for me. Caleb had gotten his first wheelchair, and it was hard to see him wheeling around while Zach and the other kids could run and jump and play on their own. But the reality was that Caleb was having an absolute blast! Both boys were simply happy, carefree and loving being the best little dragon and Batman they could be!


Scrapbooking Tips

I created this layout by using up scraps of paper and a 6x6 paper pad! I love it when I can use up my stash and still produce a design I am proud to display.


I used Doodlebug papers because I really like how they create non-scary Halloween products, and I feel the cuteness factor of the paper really matched my photos.


I followed a Scrapbook Generation sketch to create the design and even went the extra steps to add the stitched lines shown on the sketch. I felt the time and effort I invested elevated the whole look of the layout.


One tip I have learned from numerous designers is to mat your photos when you are placing them on a busy background. I adored the cute pattern paper, but still want my photos to be center stage, so it was important to help them stand out from the background.











My last element to point out is the digital triangle effect I created with my sticker placement. The visual train angle really helps draw the viewer’s eye around the page. To give the layout a little dimension, I adhered the stickers using foam adhesive, which lifts them off the page.


Overall, I love my not-so-scary Halloween layout, and the smiles on the boys' faces bring me right back to that fun night!




Supplies Used:

Card stock - Bazzill

Pattern Paper, Letter Stickers, & Die Cutes - Doodlebug Designs

Embroidery Floss - DMC

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