If anyone knows me they know Halloween is my favorite holiday! You can be whoever you want, eat junk all week and you don't have to buy presents or cook huge meals. My obsession started with my mom always helping with the Halloween festival at my school and putting together the haunted house and making elaborate costumes for me. My husband tolerates my obsession with Halloween and my ever growing collection of decorations and costumes I make. First totally homemade outfit 2008 ...my hero..She-Ra princess of power! Yes..I'm a child of the 80's" 2009..Not home made but this was our compromise on a couples costume :) 2010..I gave up on convincing him to do a joint costume. Next was Medusa..Love Greek mythology and my mom always dressed as her for halloween...mom swore I would go blind with these contacts...just like Ralphie I did it anyways and didn't put my eye out.. This love started going into theme parties and trying to outdo the year befores yard decorations (did I mention we have very conservative neighbors ;) ) owls made from poster board covered with black spider web made them look fluffy Printed templates of martha's mice and cut them out. LOVE these!! And the party food. This was before Pinterest.(.I don't know how we all threw parties without it! :) monster spinach dip prom queen carrie grave cake (in a bowl) hot dog mummies ogre eye deviled eggs pukin' pumpkin guacamole dip poisonous (adult) punch with dead rats bloody hand fruit punch ice "cube" in lemonade the Bates Motel Bar shrimp for brains My neighbors would like to personally thank you Martha Stewart for ideas on putting life size skeletons in my yard in 2011 1930's golf game in the front grave yard.. spectators always need classy cocktails I'm a dental hygienist and this guy looks like a lot of fun to work with! SNOW WHITE PARTY...on the inside of the house Spell book i printed and antiqued in tea with the creepy witch's hand offering up a Delicious treat Candy "Bar" Death by Chocolate (Marchino cherry "apple") cupcakes My dear sweet husband who wanted to be sherlock holmes (he's so handsome and dapper:) ) Snow White AND>> With my co-worker at a friend's party the next day..Goose and Maverick (<3 her!) Here's some pictures I found of bringing home the new friends from Target If only I had video of people passing by Davy Bones riding shot gun 2012 I was Inspired by hearing DMB "Grave Digger" (Poor neighbors again) Decapitation is a MUST Did I mention these Glow in the dark! We had a pumpkin carving contest in our office...WILD THING (I had a good laugh when i realized m&ms aren't good for eyeballs on a wet surface//oops) Couldn't get away from the snow white theme it seems.. brought it back in 2012! I fell in love with Queen Raveena from Snow White and the Huntsman so I sewed feathers to make a cape, white out colored contacts and perused ebay for those freaky heart ripping metal finger tips 2013...I've always wanted to be the johnny depp mad hatter. Maybe I am a little "mad" and that's why I fancy this character so much. I searched the web for ideas and refuse to buy a stretchy one size fits no one outfit that might fall off of you if you bend slightly too much. Plus I've figured out I can make costumes cheaper than I can buy them. I think total I spent $40 including the contacts (I lost both by the end of the night..random strange happening but oh well) The jacket was washable suede from a thrift store that I cut down 4 sizes, made more into a tail coat and added lace up corset back, lace sleeves with a measuring tape undertrim and put a dark stain/glaze on it to make it look worn. The skirt was made from a man's suit coat bottom and buttons added. Vest was taken down a few sizes and I was in such a hurry to finish my and my hubby's costume I did the seam on the outside oops! :) oh well it's covered by a jacket. gloves were sewn from sweater remnants. Hat was a .33 cent tomato cage purchased end of season w floral wire wrapped around it spray painted black and the words "We Are ALL Mad Here" shaped in wire and covered with part of the skirt I used for the band and jacket tie. Mistake was I didn't try on the 20 lb headpiece until we got to the costume pub crawl.. I had to cinch it down with ribbons from my ribbon charm chain.. so today I have a red mark that looks like I tried to slit my throat/chin open today and I have a feeling its not going away anytime soon! Oh well.....my fault for always working on something till the last second...I am going to be late for my own funeral I have a feeling. For the dear hubby how "volunteered" to be the white rabbit he wanted a blue velvet jacket like I showed him in the pictures from the movie. After many hours of searching every thrift store no "man's" jacket in blue velvet was to be found..maybe I should've written Elton John and asked if he had any extra?! I decided to be ambitious and cut up a women's formal and "make" a jacket for him..well I cut it but all that ended up being made at the end was a bow tie and a ribbon for the hat! At least I tried..I added some fishing wire whiskers and used the fishing wire to hook around his ears...after 3 changes of placement of the ear attachment wires he found something comfortable..thus part of the reason he had a bow tie and not a jacket :) pocket watch made from an old necklace and spare parts laying around the house. Other odds and ends were thrown together from stuff I found around the house. So excited we won the costume contest....a tv that we will give my dad for christmas!