Poison Ivy Halloween Costume

I love any excuse to get crafty and dress up, so it goes without saying that Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday. Every year I spend the entire month of October working on my costume, because it feels incredibly dull to buy something pre-packaged. Last year I went as a Splicer from Bioshock and painstakingly made a bloodied masquerade rabbit mask. All things considered, that was a relatively cheap costume. This year, I went a bit more extravagant.

I've wanted to make a Poison Ivy costume for a long time -- she's my favorite villain, after all. However, I've put it off because I wasn't entirely satisfied with my body and didn't think I'd be able to pull it off. After losing 30 pounds, I decided I may as well finally go for it. (Though truth be told, I'm still not entirely satisfied with how I look in it. Oh well, we'll stick to the positives today.)

I didn't have a specific version of Poison Ivy in mind when I started fleshing out the costume. One of the cool things about her character is that the costume is pretty open to interpretation while still being easily recognizable. I knew I really liked the way Kim Kardashian wore it, so my silhouette was heavily inspired by her. I also knew I wanted to add a dash of my own personality, so I decided to go with a burlesque/showgirl inspiration for the details... which of course, meant lots of glitter. 

The skirt portion, admittedly, was thrown together rather quickly. I realized I didn't have the time I needed to make exactly what I had pictured, but I suppose it will do for Halloween purposes.

I would like to wear this costume to a convention at some point though, in which case I will definitely revise the skirt. I think a green bustle skirt in the same kind of fabric paired with a garter belt would look really interesting and add to the burlesque inspiration of the costume. And of course, more leaves!

The pieces that required the most work were the corset and the eye masks.

For the corset, I bought two branches of faux leaves, snipped them off into individual pieces and then used glitter spray paint on them. After they had dried, I hand sewed every single one onto the corset, taking extra special care with placement and to try to keep the colors contrasting against each other as much as I could. I've seen a lot of versions online where the leaves look plastered onto a body suit, and I wanted to avoid that as much as possible and allow for a more organic look.

I practically had a heart attack the first time I sat down with needle in hand ready to attach the first leaf to my brand-new $110 corset. Everything went much better than expected though, and I'm actually extremely satisfied with how that portion of the costume turned out.

For the eye masks, I followed this tutorial via The Deadly Garden. I had initially intended to attach them using spirit gum, but upon considering the possible (and likely) consequences that would have on my eyebrows I decided that eyelash glue would be a safer bet.

Total, I'm estimating that the costume cost me about $250 to complete. Though a large chunk of that was just the corset. The wig is this one from Gothic Lolita Wigs. It was actually my second choice wig, but I like the vintage feel of the one I ended up with a well. I also want to mention that I highly recommend Gothic Lolita Wigs -- this is the third wig I've ordered from them and they always have great service and insanely fast shipping. I got this one in two days!

If there is one thing I've learned from going all-in for Halloween this year, it's that as stressful as it can be sometimes I really love making costumes and I'd like to start being crafty all-year. I'm a cosplay admirer, but rarely ever actually participate outside of Halloween. I've been throwing around the idea of making a Qarth costume for Daenerys from Game of Thrones since I saw the perfect fabric at the store while shopping for this one!

What were you for Halloween this year? Have you ever made your own Halloween costume? Tell me in the comments!

This post was created as a submission for the IFB Project #70: Halloween Costume Challenge. Please take a look and give your support to the other entries! 

Halloween, Part I!

Hey-o lovlies! I hope you had a great Halloween Weekend Part I, because Halloween being on a Wednesday is as good of an excuse as any to take two weekends to celebrate.

I've been working on my costume for at least a month and a half now, and it's just about finished. I went out to see a friend's band on Saturday night, and since I was dancing I didn't think wearing my main costume, which involves a corset, would be a wise decision for my rib cage.

So, I put together the most original last-minute costume ever and went as a cat.

I already had the cat ears laying around. I just picked the dress up at H&M last weekend, it's super flattering and has an adorable bow detail on the front; just a little hint of girlishness that I love in my clothes. I counter-acted some of the innocence with just-barely visible thigh-high stockings with a garter belt.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a great shot of my makeup before I headed out, but here is an Instagram picture of how I did my eyeliner for the cat look.

It was actually pretty easy if you have a steady hand, I may put a tutorial together for it... though I suppose the prime time for costume makeup has passed.

I'm helping to throw a house party at a friend's house next weekend, which is where I will be wearing my "real" costume... but I'll be unveiling it here tomorrow! Though if you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you may already have an idea of what I've been working on.

What was/is your Halloween costume this year? Tell me in the comments!

Crisp Leaves and Chai Tea

My Autumn style board on Pinterest, "Crisp Leaves and Chai Tea" was featured for Independent Fashion Blogger project this week! Go check it out, as well as the other featured boards and entries.

My Favorites 

1. Fifi Tesi's Fall Fest

2. Maya Bogaert's Autumn Arrives Early in the Morning

3. Toronto Shopoholic's Fall Style Inspiration

4. Joanna Suhayda's ~The Autumn Leaves~

5. Simply Kim's It Must Be Fall 

Have a Pinterest account? Leave it in the comments, I'd love to check it out! 

October Activity Ideas

It's a little over a week into October and the romanticism of Fall hasn't worn off for me yet. This is probably one of my favorite months just for the pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween party-planning and the warm fuzzy feeling of a thick sweater. I'd thought I would share some of my ideas for getting into the spirit of the season.

Get Creative With Pumpkins

If you're more of a traditionalist you could certainly go with the tried and true carving, but there are tons of other awesome things you can do with pumpkins to decorate for October. I bought a couple of mini-pumpkins for $1 each at the grocery store and painted them to match my room's color scheme. Check out Pinterest for more ideas. Here are a couple boards I like to get you started: {1, 2, 3, 4}

{Pcture of my pumpkins via Instagram}

Visit a Haunted House

Halloween is obviously the best holiday (if you think otherwise, you're dong it wrong) and half the fun of Halloween is getting scared. I went to The Burial Chamber in Neenah with my friends last weekend. Keep in mind that it's more fun if you get into it, no one likes the guy who tries to act all cool by not being scared! 

Make a DIY Halloween Costume

It's always way more impressive to make your own costume than to buy a prepackaged sexy what-have-you to toss on the night of. That isn't to say you can't be sexy on Halloween, go for it! Just that it's even sexier when you made it on your own, plus it's a great conversation topic at parties. 

Fill Holes in Your Fall/Winter Wardrobe  

Every year I inevitably find myself missing  something that would have made the transition to cooler (and eventually freezing) weather much easier. This morning for example, I realized how much I would like to own a nice pair of thick knit socks. Now is the time to start shopping for those missing pieces (think scarves, boots, leggings, mittens, etc.) so that you're not without when the weather starts to really get cold.

Decorate with Candles

Candles no longer being considered contraband is one of my favorite things about escaping dorm life and I've gone a little bit crazy with them in my apartment. I usually unwind at night by lighting a few pumpkin spice candles and sipping a cup of chai tea, very cozy!

{Pumpkin spice candles via Instagram}

Read a Book Under a Tree

Enjoy the outdoors for a little while before it becomes too cold (I live in Wisconsin, this will be any day now.) On a warmer day, go outside and curl up under a tree on a pile of leaves, maybe even drink some tea. Take in the gorgeous colors and crisp feeling of Fall while you still can!

Do you have any other ideas for fun things to do in October? Tell me in the comments! 

Autumn Style Wishlist

Silk Pussybow Blouse

I used to avoid blouses like the plague, I thought that billowy look tended to make me appear shapeless and bigger than I actually am. I've since discovered ways to style them that don't hide my curves, and pairing them with a full skirt is both romantic and classy. Still missing from my wardrobe however, is a pretty and versatile silk blouse like this Vivienne Westwood piece. 

Oxblood Skirt

Oxblood is understandably a popular color for Fall this year, I like the dark vamp-y vibe it gives off. I could see it being understated paired with a cream colored top (like the blouse) or made edgier with some leopard print. 

Tweed Pants

For those days when I don't feel like wearing a skirt, it would be great to have something to fall back on outside of the basic dark wash skinny jeans. Playing with texture is one of my favorite aspects of Fall fashion, and tweed really stands out around this time of year. 

Black Riding Boots

Bane of my existence. I have wide-calves, so for the last two years I have failed to find the perfect pair of riding boots. Even if they do manage to close all the way I either won't like the heel height or the hardware or something will prevent me from purchasing them. Not this year I tell you, I am a girl on a mission and I will scour every inch of every store that may even have the slightest chance of carrying boots to find a pair that works for me. 

Baroque Earrings

Baroque details are another trend that I love this season -- but unfortunately a lot of the pieces available tend to be a bit pricier. I think some jewelry inspired by the trend would be a great way to incorporate it into an outfit without breaking the bank. 

Fur Scarf

I already bought a fur infinity scarf from Target and I love it. It's a brownish color though, so it only matches one of my fall coats. I'd like to get a black one as well for more versatility. 

Felt Brimmed Hat

Cute and functional for adding just a tiny bit of warmth on crisp Fall days. I have a love-hate relationship with brimmed hats, I've noticed that they tend to cast weird shadows on my face but I'd like to be able to find a nice one in a dark hue. 

Dark Bow Belt

Emphasizing my waist is one of my number one goals when I put together an outfit, so it never hurts to have as many belts as possible. I could definitely use a few more in Fall appropriate colors, and of course bows are always adorable. 

Houndstooth Bag

This exact bag is actually at my local T.J Maxx and for some reason I keep not buying it when I very clearly have a strong desire to own it. In fact, I'm probably going to have to take a trip over there today and keep my fingers crossed that it's still there. 

Cozy Socks and Gloves

October is one of those weird months where you're not quite sure how many layers you're going to need. You could be perfectly comfortable with a cardigan or you might need to break out the winter coat. Having a few small but cozy knit accessories like socks and gloves to break out in a pinch definitely helps to keep yourself at a comfortable temperature, and I'm unfortunately lacking in this department. 

I'm going to go shopping this weekend to try to pick up some of my essentials and shall report back with my findings! 

What are you in dire need of this season? Tell me in the comments! 

October! Also, updates.

 Hello everyone!

Things have been slow going on this end. Though post ideas were flowing all through out September, I was hesitant to actually post anything because I've noticed my idea for where I would like my blog to go is slowly changing. As of right now, I feel pretty limited to fashion and beauty related topics. I definitely pigeon-holed myself, but I'm trying to break away from that. Not that I'm going to do a complete one-eighty -- I'm more looking to expand to a broader range of subjects. Think "lifestyle blog," many of which still focus on style of course, and that will be something I will still write about often. I plan to include more recipes, DIY projects, musings and sometimes just photography. I thought the start of a new month was a good time to give a heads-up on the slight change in direction.

More exciting news is that October is going to be a very busy month for me project-wise and I can't wait to post about all of them. Many of them are Halloween related (because if Halloween isn't your favorite Holiday, you're doing it wrong) and I have a few interior design projects I'm undertaking. I'm also planning on revamping the layout with my own code instead of a modified default Blogger layout, which is icky. I hope you'll stick with me through out the transition!

On that note, I'll be posting about my DIY Halloween costume as soon as some of my supplies come in. What are you planning to be for Halloween? Tell me in the comments!