So with Halloween around the corner, I've literally spent every free moment brainstorming costume ideas. Yes, I am aware it is a month an a half away but to me that is right around the corner. I prefer to make my own costumes so I need the prep time.

No hints as to what I am being (or going to attempt to be) this year, but the prep starts NOW! So pumped, you all have no idea. I love Halloween and dressing up and wearing things I've always wanted to wear but it's not socially acceptable. i.e. Wearing a tutu last year since I was a ballerina or dressing up like a dinosaur.

 So like I said last year I was a ballerina one night. I made my own tutu, wore my ballet slippers from elementary school ballet, bought cheap-o tights from the drugstore and wore a black tank top. Such a cheap costume! To make the tutu I bought a few yards of light pink and hot pink tulle and cut them into strips. Then I just knotted them around a ribbon. The more tulle I used, the fluffier/more perfect it got! I seriously love the way it turned out so much I am trying to think of costumes that revolve around a tutu. So much fun.

As for the other night I went out... yes.. I was a dinosaur. Okay let me back up, so for those of you that don't know me that well, I love dinosaurs. Not afraid to admit it. Growing up I had dinosaur figurines, knew different types of dinosaurs, and just generally think they're pretty darn awesome. After a making fun of my friend's failed Thriller dance attempt and calling him a dinosaur, my obsession with dinosaurs resurfaced. We kept joking that we were going to be dinosaurs for Halloween, except I was completely serious about it. However, how does one even make a dinosaur costume? No idea. Luckily for me I happened to be home one weekend going thrifting (surprise surprise) and stumbled upon this homemade child's dinosaur costume for $7. Since I am basically a midget, it fit me and I found my best costume in years. (It's a shame you can't see the pieces over my feet that made it look like I had huge claws). The only additions/alterations I made was to buy green fabric to make a stomach and cutting the arms so I didn't lose circulation. Voila! I am a dinosaur. (Not Yoshi or a lizard that you very much.)

Now for a few throwback halloween moments that I just happen to have on my computer for all your enjoyment..

(Sorry for not rotating it.. Not too sure how to do that.) Preschool. I was a princess. I had a boy haircut.

Sophomore year in college. Tom Cruise form Risky Business. (With Lil' Wayne. Crazy that HE came to my party, right?) Easiest costume ever.

I made my boyfriend in high school dress up as Peter Pan to my tinkerbell, senior year. 

Freshman year in college.. Not sure what to label this as.. Jazzercise? I just threw together a bunch of things mainly cause I wanted to wear blue spandex pants really bad.

I wish I had some pictures of my costumes from elementary school and middle school but alas I am at school and don't have access to old photo albums. I'll leave the costumes to your imagination but I've been... Madonna in the 80's, a superhero, butterfly, Miss America, a tiger, a 50's girl, pink power ranger, baby, Grim Reaper (I was too scared to wear this to school since all the boys are always the grim reaper so I was a baby for school but grim reaper trick or treating.. but the mask got too hot so I basically wore a black robe..), a hippie, and a few others that I am forgetting about.

Hope everyone's getting their costume ideas together and if you need any inspiration, use pinterest.com that's where I got mine for this year.. hint hint.

xoxo

Finally a Free Moment

I have literally not had a second to sit down and write on this, let alone do fun crafty things that I basically spent my summer doing. Since I do finally have a free moment I wanted to share all the little personal touch/homemade things that I've put around my room to make it my own.

Earlier in the summer I posted about how I had an idea to make my own chalkboard. Well ladies and gentlemen, this is the finished product and I love it. It's not perfect looking and a little rough since I didn't sand it enough but hey homemade things never turn out perfect. I do love it though. Originally I bought chalk but I found that I couldn't really write super legibly so I had to buy chalk markers which are definitely a better option since they don't rub off and it's really bright. So yay! One project from this summer successfully completed!

This is a project I did 2 summers one night when I was incredibly bored (clearly) and it's probably one of my favorite things that  I've ever made. ( I apologize for the glare from my window) I used cut up ads from magazines and grouped them based on color. I saw a painting that was kinda similar to this.. circles and squares and stuff.. so I put my own spin on it. I love the colors and how when you look at it up close you suddenly see all of the magazines. The best compliment I think I ever got on my stuff that I've made was someone asking me where I bought this piece :)

One of the things I get every Christmas is a calendar and I always insist that it be "weird and artsy" so I usually get whatever Whole Foods is selling. Love their stuff. But anyways each month always has really great pictures and quotes and I've saved the past few calendars I've gotten. I like to use the pictures and hang them around my room, not only are there great quotes but the pictures are really unique. The top picture is hanging on my wardrobe and I have a few others from that calendar around my room. I used black electrical tape as a 'frame'. Super cheap. The bottom picture is above my desk and I love how the 4 are placed so it's like individual pictures but also one big piece.

This year my windows have really deep windowsills (love it) but I'm on the first floor so I have bars on them. Boo North Philly! I did luck out though and get these pretty bars rather than typical jail looking ones. I also lucked out because the bars are spaced just wide enough so I could fit some things on them to decorate it and add a pop of color. I'm obsessed with Arizona Green tea and also fake flowers so I've got 3 vases, photos of my parents and old dog Lacey (rip <3), candles (LOVE candles!), a card my mom gave me a few years ago, and other odds and ends.

One little last touch in my apartment. I dabbled in grayscale painting this summer cause I was bored and I practiced on this little 4x4 canvas. Such a baby canvas I love it. Thermostats are kind of ugly and boring so I threw this little painting on top of it and bam, it's more interesting.

Hopefully my schedule will continue to give me a day now and again so I can keep updating everyone on all the fun things going on during my senior year at Temple!

xoxo