Homemade Zombie Costumes

I lucked out on costume buying this last Halloween as my older 3 all decided they would go as zombies. We used old worn out clothes or if they didn't have any, I bought a couple cheap things at Goodwill.

Here is my son sporting the finished product :) I decided to use this picture because after trick or treating for awhile in the rain, he started using his jacket to cover his head. After seeing him like this I thought, what a perfect zombie pose!!

Now let's start from the beginning. First, here are the supplies I used:

1 long sleeve shirt

1 pair of pants

1 package of zombie tattoos (I used 2 packs for 3 kids)

1 can bright white temp hair color

1 can zombie grey temp hair color

1 tube white cream makeup

sidewalk chalk

good ole outdoor grass & dirt

I bought these items at Walmart. However, I am sure you can buy them at multiple places (Amazon, Party City, etc.). I also still have at least half a can of each color & most of the white cream makeup left over. So if you happen to have a stash from a previous Halloween, even better :) The zombie blood spray I did use, however, I don't suggest investing in it. It just faded into their clothes.

Step 1: Begin cutting & ripping strips in the clothes.

Step 2: Make holes by cutting & ripping.

 Tear & rip until you feel satisfied by how the clothing looks.

Step 3: Get them dirty!! (Whoever hear of a clean zombie??)

Here are two of my kids crawling through the grass. I had them crawl & roll around creating grass stains on their clothes. We also wet some dirt & they trudged through that as well. And to finish off the 'dirty' look, we rubbed chalk on their clothes.

Front & back

Step 4: Apply tattoos, make up & hair color.

I started out applying tattoos to their faces & hands. I used the white face make up around the tattoos on their faces to give them that pale zombie look. I then put the fake blood that came with the tattoos on so some of their 'wounds' looked as though they were dripping blood. When it came to their hair, I stuck mostly to the zombie grey. The hair color not only put color in their hair but it acted as a hair spray as well allowing me to be able to give them that nice zombie messed up hair.

I present to you, 3 zombies & a butterfly :)

**Any products shown or places linked to are my own opinion & example of things I bought & used. I placed the links only to make it easier for viewers to go to.

Oh My How Time Flies!

Whether you know it or not, or maybe I said it once before, I originally made this blog to go along with the online store I was running. Well needless to say, I didn't do so well at blogging lol. I also ended up closing the store due to multiple reasons, mostly because it just became to hard to juggle with life at that time. I will say I miss some of my awesome customers I used to have :( I also really miss putting together kits to sell. I sold them at quite a good discount too. Probably why I didn't exactly profit from the business. But I really loved doing it anyway :)

So now here this blog sits. I made one when my husband was deployed to Iraq so he could keep up with our growing children. Again I didn't so well at keeping up at blogging :/ Oh well. So why am I blogging now? Because I want to. Because I can. I'm thinking I'm going to use this one in somewhat a way it was used before or meant to be for. Crafts! I love the site Pinterest thanks to a great friend of mine for introducing it to me awhile back. I've pinned & repinned many things & have even made a few things. Well now I want to 'show' how somethings are made & 'pin' them. If you are following me on Pinterest & I post something myself, it will likely link back to this blog to show a step by step on how to. I can't promise it will be that way all the time. Heck I can't even promise I'll blog constant either. But hey, I'm going to give it a try.

I already have some projects lined up so stayed tuned :)

Blog Following I will go.....

I am so determined to blog my heart out this year. My ramblings & what not will be kept on here in "Di's Thoughts" & I will do my project 365 on the "PahmanFamilyYearBook." Friends, family, fellow military, independent PartyLite consultants, fellow scrapbookers/crafters & so on, if you have a blog, post a comment, let me know. You can 'follow' me & I will 'follow' you. Google has that wonderful feature found at the very top of each blog & some of us have it added on our sidebar as well (I just added mine to both blogs). Here is to a great 2011!!

Photo taken with no flash to see the beautiful illumination:) PartyLites new Infinite Reflections Prism Tealight Holder + a jar candle on each side

Happy New Year

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Years! Although I haven't been so good with updating a blog & my resolutions last year didn't work, I am seriously thinking of trying to do a photo a day challenge. If I do do it & am successful (ok minus the 2 days I missed already) you will need to check or follow along with my other blog. Since the name of this one is Di's thoughts, I'll leave it at that, but the other is The Pahman Family so what better of a place to have a photo a day blog, my own project 365:)

Btw, isnt' this cute?!? It's PartyLite's new customizable tealight holder:) This is one of their photos but I do have one & saw the cutest idea that I plan to use. When I get it done, I'll upload & show you what it looks like:)

Item P90171 Customizable Tealight Centerpiece by PartyLite

End of the Year

I bet you can't believe you are actually seeing a blog from me! Amazing huh!?! Well lets see, this makes my 3rd blog for the entire year. Not very good considering one of my new years resolutions was to blog more. In fact lets recap them:

1. Continue my schooling - That one I accomplished, in fact if you don't already know, I'll give you a little run down of it. Spring & summer semesters I continued with 3 classes, 10 credit total both ending in 4.0 GPA. This last sememster I made the decision to double major, added a class boosting me to 13 credits & was accepted into the honors program. In the honors program, I had to do an extra project/paper & have an instructor sponsor me, I chose my microbiology instructor. In the beginning of the semester she told our class about an opportunity that was truly out of this world (literally). I thought to myself what are my chances, but this may be a one time shot that I just had to try. Once accepted into the honors program, she asked me would I be interested in participating which of course I was & that became my honors project. To make this short, google SSEP (Student Science Experiment Program).

Opportunity knocked & I opened the door. Our window the little, but we did it. I met with a everyone interested, became the college student for team 1 & matched up with early college high school team members, two of them. We were one of the smallest teams. We worked hard, created our proposal, were finalists in the local panel (3 out of the 7 submitted were picked) & then all our hard work truly paid off when we won the final spot from the national panel. What does that mean? So long as no problems come up, our proposed experiment will be on board the next/last space shuttle flight. My teammates & I have already appeared on three local news channels, had an article in our local press & have been mentioned on SSEP's national blog. Prayfully everything goes to plan, as of now, we'll be present at the time of the shuttle launch (yes, NASA's Kennedy Space Center) & presenting our findings at a national conference in DC. Pretty amazing huh!?

Michelle, Jarisma & myself

2. Reduce the amount of crap we have - Certainly in the process but at the same time we moved & life has changed so its really hard to say. Old toys, items not needed & so on have left but at the same time school books & things like sports equipment have entered the home.

3. Blog more - Well that sure didn't happen!

4. I will lose 1/4 of the wt I want to lose in total - That didn't really happen either.

5. I will scrapbook more - That certainly didn't happen either:(

6. Print more photos - Nope, not really. But when you have to move unexpectedly in the year, not everything you plan on can be done.

Emma - December 2010 - 8 yrs old

Christopher - December 2010 - 7 yrs old

Matthew - December 2010 - 5.5 yrs old

7. Continue to learn about my OCD - Yup, done that:) In fact I've actually helped some others.

8. Put my needs before my friends - Definitely did that!!

9. Refresh my memory of the second language I once learned - Mmm, not so much, but really need to!

10. Organize more, in a normal & not so OCD sense, I hope - I'll say from what I did accomplish its a for sure. Some of it just goes with #7 & some of it I decided my way is just better:)

Oh & before I forget, yes, I got into a home based business, one I have always loved & was with once before. At first I told myself I'm signing up because I love the products so much but truly, our family can use the extra income when I can bring some in & neither Jesse or I has the time to go out & job where someone else makes our schedual. So PartyLite it is:) They have been in business for nearly 38 years & are the only candles I swear by. Don't like to burn, they have warmers, reeds & more to help freshen your home, car & so on.

My set up at a home based business open house. Feel free to visit my website anytime:) www.partylite.biz/dianapahman

Well, I think I'll stop there for now. I want to say at the top of this site there is an option that lets you follow my blog. So you aren't hopelessly checking on & off, click to follow & you should get an email when I actually DO post something. Really hoping to change that, even if my OCD knows I've missed things I wanted to post before, just so I can get something out there, even ramblings kinda like this:)

The Boys Room

So I started my organization and reorganization process last week. I have completed the kids rooms so far. I still have to get a picture of Emma's but I at least have the boys to share. I went through and removed at least half of their toys. Everything left, went into a storage container and onto the shelf. No more toy box.

Then last weekend, the kids got to have a little four wheeling fun.

I'll be sure to get some pictures of Emma's room soon and get those posted. School for me begins next week. I'm just hoping the new room set ups will help the kids to help me more. Of course if all goes well, in just over a month the boys room will be changing again, as we are planning to get them a set of bunkbeds. Ta ta for now!

Happy New Year

Wow, can you belive it, a post from...me! Well it's a new year and like everyone else, I have New Year resolutions.

1. Continue my schooling

2. Reduce the amount of crap we have

3. Blog more (I'm sure you are thinking, I will belive it when I see it)

4. I will lose 1/4 the wt I want to lose in total

5. I will scrapbook more

6. Print more photos

7. Continue to leare about my OCD

8. Put my needs before my friends

9. Refresh my memory of the second language I once learned

10. Organize more - in a normal and not so OCD sence, I hope

Well, that is what I have for now. What you all probably would like to see, some pictures.

The Pahman & Hand Family

Emma, Christopher and Matthew. And yes, we have a dog, her name is Sophie! The kids are growing by leaps and bounds. Even our furry and scaled family has grown. Sophie being one of them. She is very protective over the kids and I. A great delight, a wonderful companion.

Happy Easter!

Ok, so that is a very delayed statement.  But since the picture I'm sharing is of the kids on Easter morning I figured I just had to titled that way.

Just a little update on some of what is going on here.  Jesse, is finally, cross your fingers, having his appt with Ortho on Monday.  Please pray we will get some good news.  Whether it be he can have a permanent profile and still be able to stay in the army, or that he can have surgery.  If it is the surgery option, that the surgeon will actually have the wisdom to preform it correctly.  

Emma is still having a bit of trouble with reading.  Both her teacher and I work closely with her helping her along and hopefully, I know she has it in her, she will be able to pass on to second grade, without going to summer school.

Christopher continues to do well in school and is 100% boy.  Matthew of course just had his 4th birthday and is back on the band wagon with potty training.  Crossing fingers, he seems to want to do it, every day.  This past week the only time he has worn his pull ups were at night in case.  After all, if you ask him, he is a big boy now.  And as for me, I am officially enrolled in the community college here.  Working on studying little bits here and there to get ready to take my placement test so I can work towards getting accepted into their RN program.

That's all for now.  I know I don't update as often as I like so I'll try to do it more often, even if it is just little tiny posts with updates and or pictures.

My Baby is 4!

I just can't believe how time has flown.  It has already been 4 years since our precious Matthew was born.  Can you believe it, my baby is four?!

We had a nice little party for Matthew today.  Rented a jumper for all the kids to play in, had food and of course cake.

I made a spongbob cake for his birthday.  Matthew throughly enjoyed opening all of his gifts as well.  Happy 4th Birthday Matty!!

Father Daughter Dance

Ok I give, I don't think I will ever get the past posts done I wanted to. Between life and computer probs I just don't see it happening anymore. Please forgive me.

This past Thursday Emma and her Daddy attended the Father Daughter dance at her school. She had so much fun. I'm pretty sure Jesse enjoyed taking her as well:-)

Emma and her friends Hailey and Alexis before the dance.


Daddy pinning the corsage on Emma.


Father and Daughter!


Happy Valentine's Day!!

A Blog to the Extreme

You know sometimes something comes up that you just know that it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. I know there are many times I have just sat by and watched life just pass my by. Well today, I was not going to let that happen.


Above (door knock - day 1) and below (demolition day - day 3) photos taken from the website.


Have you ever seen (or even heard of) the show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition?" I'm sure most of you have. Well a family here in El Paso was chosen to receive one of their awesome homes. By the time I had heard it on the news (and I don't watch it very often at all), mulled it over for a bit and finally decided, yes, I will find a way to work it out so I can be on the team, production had already started. Ok so that didn't work but I wasn't going to hold me back from at least visiting the location.


Above demolition day (taken from the web site - day 3). Below, construction day 1 (taken from the web site -day 4).


Construction day 2 (taken from the web site - day 5).


Sunday afternoon Jesse, the kids, along with a friend of mine and her kids, drove out to see what we could of the production. Of course we didn't really know where to park and most of the area was blocked off so I only have a couple shots of the back of the house nearly done.


I took the above picture on day 7.

Today, was when I really decided, I am not going to let this once in a lifetime opportunity pass me by. I went back, all by myself. Found where we parked and got out. As soon as I got up to the shuttle stop, I learned they had run the last one. We were allowed to walk but not guaranteed to get in to see (about a mile or so walk). I went for it. As soon as I got to the barricades, I was told they weren't letting anyone else in, they had already 'moved the bus'.

I started to get in the line to get on a shuttle to go back, and there was quite a line. Once I got to the back, I noticed one of the designers out taking pictures, shaking hands and all that. So I snapped a few shots (thank you honey for the wonderful camera with a telephoto lens:)). The line was so long so I just waited, figured why be in a hurry and good thing to, they decided to let more people in, so away I went down to the home.


Eduardo Xol


I stayed as long as I could getting shots of the new home. I also bought a shirt to commemorate the event. The police let us stay so long then decided to start moving everyone out. On the way out, I ran into another designer, of course got pics of him, but this time, I got well his initials on my new shirt as well as a picture with him.


Rib Hillis


I left feeling pretty good. They told us that Ty and the family would be inside filming for hours yet. Again, thinking how once in a lifetime this opportunity is, I proceeded to get my oil change and head back, just to see. This time I parked on a street a bit closer and got out to walk. They weren't letting anyone down to the house anymore and just when I thought all was lost, I heard his name shouted out. Yes, there he was, Ty Pennington himself. You could tell he didn't have a lot of time and I'm not a pushy person (as so many there were), I didn't end up with his autograph, however, I did get some pretty good pictures though.


Ty Pennington


Boy am I glad I grabbed this chance by the horns:-)