A Happy Halloween On The Fly!

Boo!  Are you ready for the spookiest, sweetest day of the year?  I’m not the biggest fan of the scary part of Halloween (I’m a big scaredy-cat and I startle REALLY easily), but I’ll take any excuse to dress up in a costume…AND get free candy (I love all things sweet!)!  I’m all about getting creative with my costumes, either using stuff I already have with Goodwill supplements, or pulling out my poster board, markers, scissors and glue to craft something!  We’re about 24 hours out from the big night, so if you’re scrambling to come up with an easy, cheap AND unique costume, I thought I’d share some of my past hits…plus, I’ll throw in a Halloween treat that’s quick and easy to make for your kid’s classroom party!

First the costumes:

Mary Poppins.  Step in time with this classic character, which also promises to keep you warm if your Halloween plans entail time in the crisp fall air.  Here’s what you need:

• Long skirt/black tights
• White button down shirt
• Black overcoat – one that nips in at the waist
• Red ribbon – tie around shirt collar in a bow
• Scarf
• Black hat accented with flowers
• Carpet bag (I know, they don’t really sell these – so any black purse, small tote, etc.)
• Umbrella!!

Once you’ve collected everything, simply assemble!  Tuck shirt into skirt, tie the red ribbon around the shirt collar, and add the overcoat.  Mary is prim and proper, so hair should be pulled back into a bun.  Then, add the hat, loop the scarf around your neck and grab your umbrella and bag as you head out the door!  I actually found a purse at Goodwill made of some rug material - not quite a bag, but had the effect, plus I had something to carry all my stuff in all night! Here’s my version from a few years ago, compared to the real deal (and yes, that’s a Bert with me, who I randomly met while waiting for the train. Crazy!).

Me and stranger Bert - and Julie Andrews. Not bad, right?

Elf.  Christmas is my MOST favorite holiday, so I just dug out some of my decorations a little early.  Poke through your attic and collect the following:

• Santa hat
• Green or red jumper
• Tights (red or green if you have them!)
• Lots of bells

Just pull on any combination of red jumper over green shirt or green jumper over red shirt, or maybe even pull out that candy cane turtleneck your great aunt gave you one year – just get Christmasy.  Add the tights, and tie on bells to your shoes, maybe one around your neck, bell earrings, you get the picture, and top it off with the Santa hat, and maybe a little red lipstick to make rosy cheeks.  Ta-da! You’re Santa’s favorite helper.

This one is a little more involved...but you get the picture.

Time Flies. Play on words costumes are the best!  Super cheap, super easy, and super fun!  A few years back, as a poor rookie news producer, my budget was li-mi-ted!  So, my news friends and I hit the internet and came up with some costumes from familiar sayings!  I was Time Flies – cut out a big cardboard circle, drew a clock on it, hung it around my neck and strapped on some wings.  Get it?  (when people asked, I would add that I was Time Flies When You’re Having Fun – and I was the fun…maybe it was more hilarious while the cocktails were flowing.)  Anyway – here are a few other good ones, some tried, some not:

• God’s Gift to Women – wrap a big box in wrapping paper, cut out a head and arm holes and attach a large gift tag that reads “To: Women, From: God” (my friend James did this – it was a hit!)

• Lawsuit – wear a suit and pin pieces of paper with laws written on them to the suit (my other friend James did this – also a hit!)

This man is from the internet.

• Cat’s Pyjamas – Wear your PJs, and stick on some kitty ears, maybe a tail, and draw on whiskers for good measure…

• 50 Shades of Grey – my current new favorite. Hit the paint store, grab the little swatches – enough to amount to 50 paint shades of grey.  Then just stick them on to the front of your shirt. Done!

• Holy Cow – Cow costume with wings and a halo.  If you don’t have a cow costume, just use a Sharpie to draw black patches on a white t-shirt. Awesome.

You get the picture.  They’re a lot of fun to come up and make – and GREAT conversation starters at parties!

SEE how much fun we had! The clock is cut out, but you can kind of make out my wings - just hanging with my friends the Lawsuit and God's Gift to Women!

 

Now, onto the treat!  Of course, you can always just grab a bag of candy from the store, or a baked good already made – I mean, kids aren’t picky, as long as there’s sugar in it!  But, if you want to impress the other moms at the school party, collect the following ingredients:

 

• Lollypops
• Tissues
• Ribbon or string
• Sharpie marker

Wrap a lollypop in a tissue, tie the ribbon around the bottom, then dot two eyes and a mouth...Voila! It’s a Ghost Lollypop!

I remember my Mom making these for our treat bags for school!

Share your costume and treat ideas!  I’m more than happy to keep celebrating well into November…did I mention I love sweets?  Happy Halloween!