DIY (Dancing) Corn on the Cob Costume

I was finally able to live out my life long dream of dressing as an ear of corn! Admittedly, I do have a bit of a corn obsession (even my Etsy shop is named after the stuff!) but this was my first time truly embodying my mother vegetable and I'd call it a success. Without further ado, I present...

BROADWAY DANCING CORN ON THE COB

Just giving them the ol' razzle dazzle...

My tiny top hat and vintage bow tie

The "butter" on my shoulder was melting down my arm

My cuffs had buttons made from corn holders with the metal prongs cut off! Please note my corn colored manicure.

Dress: DIY by me

Cuffs: DIY by me

Bow Tie: Vintage

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Thrifted from Savers

I've entered a few costume contests on Craftster, the We Love Colors Facebook page and the Savers Facebook page so feel free to vote for me if you like my costume!

What were you this year?

ROUNDUP: Weekly Links 10/30/11

Here's what I'm rounding up this week - Halloween edition:
DIY False Eyelashes

Here's a great way to save some scratch this Halloween (or any time) by making your own DIY false lashes from a few strands of a makeup brush and some other basic elements that you likely have on hand.
Spooky Party Snacks

What Halloween party is complete without eating something that looks totally disgusting? To keep your guests gagging check out these bloody brain cupcakes or their melting head cake. Yes, it looks as creepy as it sounds.
50 Best Dog Costumes

Halloween is great for a lot of reasons, but not least among them is the wonderful world of pet costumes. Check out this collection of canine costumes that are sure to get your tail wagging.
Last Minute Halloween Costumes

I know that not everyone has it together when it comes to costumes, even if that means always beating the clock to get something assembled at the last minute. Real Simple brings us a quick list of cute costume ideas that are actually doable last minute.
Creepy & True Urband Legends

I love a good urban legend and I love it even more when there's a legitimate story to back up the creep fest. This collection of terrifying but true tales reminds us that not every scary story is complete folklore.


xoxo,
Michelle

ETC: Halloween Party Playlist

This is THE night for Halloween parties this year so if you’re still looking for some spooky tunes to pump up the volume at your shindig then look no further! Here’s a carefully curated collection of Halloween inspired jams that will get any party started.

xoxo,
Michelle

OOTD Farm Style!

Taking advantage of an October weekend, I headed to a local farm to take part in free hayrides (so what if we were the only people over 8 years old), apple cider donuts, pumpkins, fresh veggies, apples and an overall New England-y good time.

Cardigan: Kohl's

V-Neck: Old Navy

Tank Top: Forever 21

Skirt: Target

Knee Socks: Marshall's

Shoes: Lane Bryant Outlet

Collar: DIY by me

Apple Ring: DIY by me

Here's a closer view of the collar, ring and milkmaid braids (well, my not-quite-long-enough-hair version anyway). Clearly the plaid collar makes me farm ready!

BONUS: Check out some shots of the adorable farm I went to, including some "spooky" hayride displays that were meant to scare the kids but were pretty much the cutest thing of all time!

Plus, PURPLE CAULIFLOWER! WHAAAAT?!

Are you making the most of this most precious of seasons?

DIY Octopus Costume

After several years of large costumes that I could never actually drive to a party in (hello, changing on the side of the road!), I decided to cool it one year with a wearable, but still crafty, octopus costume. You can buy or DIY many elements of this one depending on your skill level or budget. The bendable legs will be the major focal point of this costume – just think of the amazing hugs you can give with all of those arms!

What You Need

Aqua/Blue dress with sleeves

Blue sequined fabric

White felt

Wire & wire cutters

Stuffing

Hot glue gun

Sewing machine or needle & thread

How to Make It

1. Start with a blue or aqua dress (or whatever color you want your octopus to be!). I made mine from scratch from a pattern I drafted and included several shades of ocean-inspired colors as well as satin, sequins and sparkle. On the underside of the 2 sleeves cut out and hot glue or sew circles of white felt about the diameter of a quarter. Your arms will serve as 2 of the octopus legs.

2. To make the skirt of octopus legs, cut out 6 semi-V shaped pieces of the blue sequined fabric. Mine were about 9” wide on the top and 3” wide at the tip and 17” in length. Hot glue a length of wire vertically down the center of each piece.

3. You have 2 options here: I folded the V-shaped pieces in half with the “right” sides touching and then stitched the entire side edge and bottom tip. I then inverted the cone shaped piece to have a clean seam, but inverting them was tough with the wire inside so you could also hand sew the seam with a hidden stitch instead. Your call.

4. When the shapes are sewn with just an open top, fill them with the stuffing until they are completely full except for a 1” section left empty at the top. Fold this 1” section over twice and stitch, closing off the leg.

5. Cut out and glue more white felt circles to the underside of each leg. Cut a length of the blue sequined fabric long enough to tie around your waist. Stitch each leg onto the belt by the top “tab” hem, making sure they are evenly spaced out down the length of the belt. Bend each leg in a different curled position to look extra octopus-y.

6. Tie the belt over the dress and wear with black tights, aqua shoes and blue eye makeup.

Done – you’re the prettiest thing under the sea!

ROUNDUP: Weekly Links 10/23/11

Here's what I'm rounding up this week:

Cyclops Shark

Check out this freaky albino fetal cyclops shark caught by a fisherman in California! With a description like that I know it should freak me out, but I can't help but think it looks like an adorable baby whale straight outta a Raffi song.

DIY Upcycled Lanterns

These chic and simple lanterns are made from metal radiator covers - inventive and attractive!

Long-Married Couple Passes Away Holding Hands

Married 72 years, this couple died in a hospital last week while holding hands within one hour of each other. At one point, though the husband had passed, his heart monitor continued to register a beat because her heart was literally beating through him!

Kitchen Knife Set

This set of knives seems more fun to use than your typical butcher block fare.

Favorite Fall Recipes from Bust Magazine

Fall foods are my favorite, and this list is full of sweet treats with pumpkin, apples, chocolate and more. Check out the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate from A Beautiful Mess.


xoxo,
Michelle

STYLE: I Met Betsey Johnson!!

It's a long, weird story that starts in a car dealership and ends in a mall several towns away, but the moral of the story is that...

I MET BETSEY JOHNSON!!!!

Ok, now that we've all calmed down I can recall a brief version of my tale. Last Saturday I was innocently driving on a busy road when I saw it: a fluorescent sign at a Fiat dealership proclaiming "Betsey Johnson: Live Appearance Sunday!" I did not know how to process this information; even though the message was clear, I couldn't fathom that THE Betsey Johnson was going to be right there - right where I was! On Sunday I headed to the dealership expecting to battle the crowds for a glimpse at my favorite fashion designer. What I saw when I headed in was a beautiful mod table full of Sharpies, bottles of water, a stack of Betsey postcards ready to be made out to yours truly and a crowd of two teenage girls waiting in "line." That was it - I was definitely going to meet her and, apparently, have plenty of time to do so due to the minuscule line. 

Time crept by until a man who seemed to be in charge formally announced that Betsey was not going to make it due to traffic, time, a flight to catch...I had to admit I was disappointed, but truthfully it had seemed a little too good to be true. I was heading out when I (and my 2 line mates) were informed that Betsey was actually making another appearance at one of her stores in a nearby mall and if we wanted to go we'd be whisked to the front of the line and given the VIP treatment as long as we informed organizers that Patrick from Fiat talked to Petra who talked to...it was a series of information that seemed doomed to fail in application. Being hopeful, I hopped on the highway and headed over to the mall and straight for the event. Luckily I said enough important sounding words to a mall cop that he got someone from the store for me to repeat them to and she got one of Betsey's assistants (!) and before I knew it I was walked to the front of the crowd and let behind a literal velvet rope and presented to one miss Betsey Johnson! 

She was adorable in a calf-length pink and black striped dress with a worn in leather belt that had a pink rabbit's foot dangling from it. She asked if I'd been at Fiat and immediately apologized about her missed appearance and thanked me for making the trek all the way to the next appearance. Before I knew it she was embracing me for a picture perfect hug and I was hugging her back! Photos were snapped and I proclaimed my love before heading out and going home. It was a chance meeting on an odd Sunday morning, but I'm glad I went with the flow (it's so hard sometimes!) just to see what would happen - it really paid off! 

In honor, please enjoy this collage of some of my favorite Betsey pieces:

STYLE: Fall Wardrobe Wish List

DIY: Sandwich Costume

When I said that my DIY Cupcake Costume was only for hardcore Halloween-ers, I may have spoken too soon. This DIY Sandwich Costume takes the cake (!) in that department since it can be a little difficult to wear at a crowded party, but the attention and friendly “bites” make up for the fact that you might be having a conversation with your friends from several feet away. You can always scale this bad boy down a bit, and in fact I’d recommend it. This is one of the few costumes I’ve made that can stand the test of time (and storage) so even though it takes some time to construct, you might be able to dress one of your little finger sandwiches in it one day!

What You Need

• 2-3 foam boards (depending on the size of your costume)

• Light brown 
• Dark brown felt

• Light green felt

• Dark green felt

• Red felt

• Yellow felt

• White felt

• 1 yd. material for straps & side ties

• ¼” wide elastic

• 6” of a wooden dowel

• 1” wide shiny ribbon

• Hot glue gun

• Knife or scissors

• Oatmeal (optional)

How to Make It

1. For the bread: Cut a “bread-shaped” piece from each foam board (or from each half of a foam board, depending on the size you want your costume). Hot glue the light brown felt to one side of each slice, making sure to wrap the felt over the edges and glue it onto the back of the slice for a nice finished edge (use this technique on all pieces).

2. For the crust: Cut even strips of the foam board (about 2.5” wide) until you have enough length to cover the outer edge of each slice of bread. Cover each of those strips in the dark brown felt. Hot glue these strips around the edge of each slice, curving the strips as you go where needed. OPTIONAL: I didn’t do this, but later wished I did – glue pieces of oatmeal to the top of the crust for added realism (and cuteness!)

3. For the fillings: Cut various veggie, cheese and other shapes out of the foam board (I did lettuce, tomato and cheese-my fave) and cover each with the appropriate colored felt. I layered some light and dark colors for added emphasis and included smaller details like tomato seeds and Swiss cheese holes, but a general shape works too. Hot glue the fillings to the front slice of bread (you’ll be gluing to the edge of the crust) in a pattern that you like.

4. For the straps: Hot glue even lengths of the strap material to the inside of each slice so that the finished product rests over your shoulders like a sandwich board (hey-o!). I also added straps/ties on the sides to avoid the slices flapping around.

5. For the pickle hat: Cut 2 pickle slice-shaped pieces from the foam board and cover them in the light green felt. Cut a hole in the middle of one pickle slice (this will be the top) large enough to fit the dowel inside. Cut a strip of the foam board long enough to wrap around the outer edge of the pickle shape. Cover this strip in dark green felt and hot glue it around the outer edge of both pickles shapes at the same time. Cut seed-shaped pieces of white felt and glue them to the top pickle shape. Stick the dowel into the hole you cut earlier and hot glue around the edges of the hole to secure. Glue strips of the ribbon around the top of the dowel to look like those fancy restaurant toothpicks. Glue elastic to the underside of the pickle hat so that it will stay on your head.

That’s it – you look delish!