Halloween Countdown #1

In 2008 and 2009 we did a Halloween countdown on this blog that was quite fun, and I figured it was time to do something similar again. Each day for the next ten days I'll post a haiku from our 2010 family night activity, a costume idea, and something from Pinterest that caught my attention (some tried by us, some not). I hope you enjoy the ideas!

Halloween Haiku:
This one is first, because not only was it one of the family favorites, but it also gives you an idea of some of the costumes our family used over the years. See if I cover all of them over the next several days.

25 Years of Trick-or-Treating

A cowboy or dog,

Charizard, turtle or cat,

Knight or astronaut,

Pirate or princess,

Mario, wolf or wizard,

5 headed monster,

Darth Vadar, ninja,

Don’t forget Dad’s googly eyes -

Fun costumes galore.

Costume Idea: Princess Anna
This costume isn't in the haiku, because it's a recent one. Last year Alicia asked if I could make a Princess Anna costume for her. All of her students were really into the movie Frozen, and she has the naturally gorgeous hair to be a great Anna. It was a fun project, but I never did write about it. So, it gets to be first this year.

First up (after googling to find pictures and inspiration) was a trip to the fabric store. Fortunately, the patterns were on sale for a dollar or two, because I needed three: one for the bodice, one for the skirt, and one for the cape. (Alicia bought her own long-sleeved t-shirt to wear under the bodice.)

Then it was time to sew! I took a great deal of creative license in adapting the patterns and was particularly pleased with how the back of the bodice turned out, but you won't see that in any regular picture. (It also means that getting into this costume is a two person job!)

Rather than using embroidery or appliqué for the flowers and designs, I decided fabric paint would be the easiest and quickest, and that part also turned out beautifully.

I felt quite fortunate to find the perfect little clasp for the cloak. And I was also grateful we have a large dining room table, because this took a lot of fabric!

Alicia wasn't the only Princess Anna last year. This cute little girl in our Primary, who doesn't have long red hair, had a friend crochet a cap complete with braids for her. Isn't that ingenious?

Pinterest Idea: Tangerine Pumpkins and Banana Ghosts

Since most of the food ideas I pinned are high-calorie, let's at least start with a healthy one. This one would be an easy treat, since you have to peel fruit before you eat it anyway. After peeling the tangerines, stick a little piece of celery in the center so they look like pumpkins. If you add a couple of chocolate chip eyes to a banana half, you can call it a ghost.

Happy Halloween!