Practically Perfect in Every Way

My stake had it’s annual chili cook-off and trunk-or-treat tonight.  Costumes are welcomed so the kids and I dressed up.  We were thrilled to get to wear our Halloween costumes early this year.  It was a nice trial run for the real deal next weekend.  Wingnut was a pumpkin and Peanut was a butterfly.  I’ll take pics of them after we go trick-or-treating next week but they were already in the car when I pulled out the camera so I didn’t get any photos of them tonight.  I did have ODD take a photo of my costume, though, before we ran our the door.

I have such a hard time coming up with costumes but this year it hit me!  We were watching Mary Poppins for a family movie night and that was it! Mary Poppins!  The dress, coat, and shirt are all things I already had.  The shoes are actually shoes from the turn of the century I picked up years ago at an antiques mall.  I found a hat (not quite the shape I was looking for but I was running out of time and it was close enough) added some ribbon, flowers, and berries, and was almost set.  I happened on an orange scarf at the thrift shop along with some red and gold tapestry material which I wrapped around a cardboard form to use as my carpet bag.  I also found a great umbrella but it was all colorful so I spray painted it.  I couldn’t get it all painted for tonight, though, so it will have to wait until next week to be used.

This is the first Halloween costume I’ve made myself that I’ve actually been proud of and didn’t feel like I was just totally copping out.  Growing up my family always borrowed costumes from Jo Who’s Insane.  She makes the coolest costumes and does such a great job on them.  They’re really works of art.  I won a costume contest in 9th grade wearing an elephant costume she made.  It was freaking amazing.  Since high school, though, I just haven’t really done much or put much effort into it.  It’s kind of strange because I love Halloween but I could never come up with a costume.  I’m so proud of myself for making this one actually work out!

I’ve been trying to convince ODD he should be Bert but I’m not sure if he’ll really do it.  Every time I’ve talked to him about it he first thinks I’m talking about Bert from Sesame Street and is all confused until I talk about making a chimney sweeper for him.  We’ll see if I can talk him into it.