I’ve been on again, off again with a Halloween costume this year. My foot surgery was tentatively scheduled for October 9th. That would have put the kibosh on the whole month. I eventually landed on a November 4th surgery date, so the costume was back on.
We’re invited to a few parties each year and we always have a blast. The first party was last Saturday so I needed something quick and easy. I like to put together a costume that’s topical and usually make something up.
For the third time in six years, I started with this lettuce-green slip.
Thrift store find: lettuce green slip
I bought it at a thrift store several years ago for my Lady Gaga inspired vegetable dress (the year she wore real meat (GAG) to the VMAs.
2010: Lady Gaga inspired vegetable dress
A few years later I used the slip again in my Year of Trash costume. I collected things throughout the year that couldn’t otherwise be recycled and made it into a costume. It really makes you think.
2011: My Year of Trash Costume (That’s my sister Sharon as a gruesome witch)
Lindy loved the raffia. She played in it, on it and around it all week
This year, the green slip is the foundation for Ms. California Drought. I found six-foot bundles of raffia on sale at a local craft store and used it to form the dress. I hand stitched the narrow ends to the bodice, then machine stitched the lengths around the waist. I used a few single strands of raffia to sew the loose ends to the dress and to attach my bra the night of the party. I used a length of wide ribbon for the waist and called it a dress.
2015: Ms. California Drought and her Minion for the night
I used a length of burlap and my rubber stamp letters to print Ms. California Drought on the sash. I gathered a bunch of dried flowers into a bouquet, used a burlap plant cover for a purse, and within a few hours, my costume was party-ready
Do you celebrate Halloween? Are you dressing up this year?
Gardening Nirvana 
Alys, your costume is a hoot! As always, very clever and very creative use of materials!
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Thank you, Mary Elizabeth! I’m glad it made you smile. Thanks for your kind words of support, too. I love this creative outlet.
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You are hereby crowned Ms.California Drought of 2015! Brilliant costume, Alys! All of your costuming skills, creativity, love of gardening, and the opportunity to make a statement on the current state of affairs came together just beautifully! A party date with a handsome Minion, too! I’m sure that together, you were the hit of the party! Perhaps your costume brought a shower of good luck, too, with your recent rain!
I’m more of a Christmas person than a Halloween person. Over the years, I’ve been to many costume parties. Although I always dread wearing a costume, those parties are always so much fun!! We will have a quiet Halloween this year ~ raking leaves, passing out candy, and visiting with the neighbors. Hope the weather will be nice for outdoor fun that day! Happy Halloween, Alys!
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Thank you for the coronation, Dawn. Was it the dead flowers that did the trick?
We all get to have a favorite season. I’m glad to hear that Christmas is yours, and I’m not the least bit surprised either. I bet you have a great time decorating and making it all special.
Your quiet Halloween sounds perfect to me: handing out candy, visiting with neighbors, and even raking leaves. I’ve missed that activity with my bum foot, but hope to be back at it this time next year.
Thanks for all your good wishes. I hope you’re off to a good week.
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Brilliant costume!! Very topical and surely worthy of a ”best in show’ award. You get so creative with your Halloween costumes and it has become my measure for creativity here in the land that is trying to induce the young to celebrate Halloween purely for the revenue it engenders……….
I’m glad to hear you were able to attend the parties and gatherings this year – for a while I thought you were being forced to pass on Halloween this year on account of the foot. The countdown continues and soon it will all be fixed and next year you can dance yourself silly and attend all gatherings dressed as Roadrunner 🙂
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What a brilliant idea!!!! I would never have thought of such a thing. I’m glad you didn’t have to miss Halloween this year. I think I’ve only had one costume and that was when we had a party for our teenagers with the last husband. We figured it was better to keep an eye on them at home than have 3 wandering. We dressed in overalls like your hubby with flannel shirts to embarrass the kids. It worked but they had a good time anyway. 🙂 I’ve never been anywhere that Halloween was done big. It could have been fun. My daughter does a costume for work and loves it. I’m so happy you are getting to play.
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Thank you, Marlene!
I’m smiling at the idea of you and your husband embarrassing the teens. My boys are so used to seeing me don wigs, hats and fake eyelashes, not only for Halloween but for the occasional sing a long movie feature, that they don’t even bat an eye. Don’t worry, though, I manage to embarrass them in other ways. 😉
What will your daughter dress up as this year? Sharon’s office is dressing up in Disney costumes with a side of spooky. I’ll post pics.
Thanks for cheering me on.
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I don’t know what my favorite daughter is going to be but it’s starting with a kimono. 🙂 The last husband had a sense of humor at least. Our 3 teenagers gave us a run for our money so they deserved embarrassing. :)) We will decorate next Saturday. 🙂
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Hurray for decorating. Sounds like fun. I hope your favorite daughter lets you take pictures.
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She won’t have a choice. :))))
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My last Halloween costume involved greasepaint and a black and white harlequin costume. Haven’t done it since, though I have many fond memories of trick or treating as a child. Your costume is ingenious! The veggie costume was great and the wig, wow, makes you look not like yourself, like Lady GAGA. I like your costume this year and I like the way your minion looks as well!
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Lisa, I can picture that costume! Are costume parties a thing in DC or is that a west coast thing? We loved trick or treating as well. It already seems like forever since our boys dressed up (they’re 18 and 15 now), but my younger so still likes setting up his Halloween inflatables. It’s his tradition.
Thanks for your kind words on the Gaga costume (that blond wig convinced me to NEVER dye my hair blond). It sure worked with the costume though.
Mike had great fun being a Minion. We have one more party to attend on Halloween. Meanwhile I’ve hidden the costume from Lindy. 😉
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People are crazy for Halloween here. Georgetown is insane on Halloween. It’s become a night to stay in for me (like new year’s eve, St. Patrick’s Day…) because it’s crazed. I have fond memories of it and still like it, though, the idea that the seasons are changing and there’s a thin space…
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Oh, I had no idea.
I stay in on New Year’s and St. Patrick’s Day too. I’m not a fan of chaos and crowds. We have been invited to a party down the street on New Year’s a time or two and that was nice. My son could attend and the party was walking distance and mellow.
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Yeah, I like to have people over New Year’s eve–small group, mellow, convivial…
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Perfect!
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What great ideas you have. Especially love this year’s “Miss” costume – very topical and quite clever. (Love the Lady Gaga look too!) You are making me wish for an occasion to dress up! 😉
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Thank you, Cathy!
Perhaps you could host a costume party. They’re fun any time of year. I’ve heard of roaring twenties parties, TV show themes, the grand 40’s, really anything goes. They’re so much fun.
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I’m not very good about dressing up – somehow my imagination send to fail me – but clearly you’ve got it in abundance!
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