Fashion Forward Fridays: Easy DIY Halloween Costumes

If you're anything like me, you're all about dressing up for Halloween, but don't always decide on a costume until the last minute. And as you know, from Halloween's past, I'm the master of a great last minute costume. For today's Fashion Forward Fridays, here are four last minute costume ideas that I created on Polyvore for you to use with stuff that you can probably find in your closet right now!

The costume of this is easy, the makeup is the part that will take you a while. But paint your face like a candy skull,
wear a black dress and make your accessories pop with color and/or skull jewelry.

Even if you don't have the exact hat Waldo wears, as long as you have the red and white stripes, you're good.

This would be a great costume if you're going to an outdoor event!
And since I'm sure you don't have the goggles that Amelia wore, aviator sunglasses will certainly do.

Great for a rainy Halloween weekend! And you could empty out the salt container to hold your wallet, keys and phone!

Which costume idea would work best for you? I'm not sure about my Halloween plans just yet, but if I do go out the Morton Salt Girl costume is calling my name. So cute and simple! What are you doing for Halloween?

Be safe this weekend & Happy Halloween!

Last Minute Halloween Costume DIY

So after much love given to me because of my lovely Halloween costume from this year, I have decided to share with you how I created it because it was super easy and if you have yet to decide what you're going to be and need something for tonight and/or an outing this weekend, I'd be honored if you'd make your own iPod nano costume.

With beautiful friends, Holly and Heather at Buckheads.

That's right, for those of you who do not stalk my personal Facebook account, I was an iPod Nano. I would have preferred to be a pink one, because that is the one I have, but I was working on limited time and resources. However, I think it turned out to be a success and it lasted through the night of walking in the pre-Frankenstorm drizzle and through sweaty dancing inside of a PACKED Tiki-Lounge. (Which, by the way was a fabulous place to spend the evening. It was like a friend's awesome house party and had fantastic throw-backs and current hits in their music selection. You should check it out.)

On to the DIY...

You will need some kind of base fabric. Keep in mind what colors (pink, white, black, silver, yellow, green, red and blue) the iPod Nano comes in. For this, I found it to be easiest to go to Goodwill and find a skirt that was long enough to work as a dress if worn at tube-top level. This way you don't have to sew anything and elastic or a button is already in place so you know your costume will stay in place and you don't have to worry about pulling anything up all night. Your skirt should be PLAIN and as close to a pencil skirt as possible (or a-line for us curvy girls) so you appear to be a rectangle, like the nano. You will also need a small white t-shirt, Sharpie, blue highlighter, green highlighter, scissors, a large circle to trace and a magazine to trace.

1. Start by cutting the t-shirt in two. Cutting along the seams is the easiest.

2. Trace a circle on one half (I used the top of a hat box) and trace the magazine on the other half.

3. Write in/draw the elements of the Menu on the circle & the screen options on the rectangle.

4. If possible, cut out a square on the left hand side of the screen and staple a CD cover you don't mind using, behind it. This gives a more up-to-date iPod look.

5. Sew, safety pin, tape or glue the pieces onto your skirt or fabric. (I used safety pins and double-sided tape because, like I said, I made this about an hour before I left the house in it, so I didn't have time to sew.)

6. Rock out knowing your costume is BOMB and you paid less than $5 on it.

This picture was taken AFTER being worn all night...proud of it holding up.

 

Hope you all have a fabulous Halloween! 

Love, Chels

Pumpkin-Spiced Post

Hmmm...hello October! I am sure I am not alone when I say that October is quite possibly my favorite month, especially right here in Pennsylvania. The crisp air, the smell of summer fading out, leaves changing colors, sweaters, boots and scarves, the color orange, harvesting (whatever that means), and everything pumpkin flavored! Yum. I could just eat up October.

Photo by: Darrell Sapp / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (10/29/2004)

While I love all of the things I mentioned above, I also love to hate the scary stuff that October likes to bring out too. Halloween is that holiday that I love to celebrate because of the candy and dress-up factor but the haunted houses and scary movies are the little things that I always want to avoid, but just cannot do so because I love October and want to be fully immersed in it all. So just for you beautiful readers, I have compiled a list of must do's in and around Pittsburgh during my favorite month. These events are not the only ones that are going on, but are the ones that most sparked my interest based on what I know you all seem to be drawn to most, and of course things I wouldn't mind going to myself. Enjoy the month, the beautiful, the yummy and the scary...Happy October!

Ongoing – Haunted Pittsburgh Ghost Tours, Various locations

These folks know what they're doing when it comes to the scary. Tours run throughout the year, not just Halloween time, and are taking on the incline, downtown and Oakland. Learn a little Pittsburgh history and take a thrilling tour.

Ongoing – Phantom Fright Nights, at Kennywood

Kennywood is a go-to during any Pittsburgh tour, but during this time Fright Nights continues the summer fun of an amusement park, adds in some haunted houses and allows visitors to roam the park at night, with all the critters and creeps that lurk there in the dark.

Oct 4^th – The Scarehouse Opens, in Etna, Pa

The Travel Channel said that this place is "One of America's Scariest Halloween Attractions." I think that's enough to say about this place.

Oct 5^th – Pumpkin Patch Trolley Starts, in Washington, Pa

These trolley rides are the ultimate fall family fun event. Take the whole gang!

Oct 6^th – Dogtober Fest, at Southside Works

In the spirit of pet adoption, either bring along your own dog or come out to meet with some in need of a good home. Includes music, food and prizes will be given out for the pooches who come out in costume!

Oct 7^th – Fourth Annual Paws for the Cure DogWalk, at Hartwood Acres

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One way to help the cause is to bring your dog out for a one-mile walk, even if you don't have a dog, you are welcome to come out to support the Pittsburgh branch of Komen for the Cure.

Oct 12^th – Beginning of Phipps Conservatory Fall Events

No better way to enjoy the beauty of fall than at a huge flower garden. Hope you don't have allergies!

Oct 13^th – Beginning of Gateway Clipper Fleet Fall Cruises

The GCF loves sailing along the three rivers during the fall. Enjoy the sites on a sightseeing tour, fall foliage tour, Halloween dance cruise, and many others that will make you take a ridiculous amount of pictures of changing leaves.

Oct 13^th – German “Oktoberfest” Celebration, at OldEconomy Village

German beer and traditional food. Enough said! Please take me with you!

Oct 19^th – Make-It-Now Pumpkin, at Pittsburgh GlassCenter

Bonus points to whoever goes with me to this too! Put on your artsy pants and make your own glass pumpkin. Do you know the history of Pittsburgh and glass making? Make your own piece of history this fall!

Oct 20^th – Bowling for Breast Cancer, at Amf BowlingCenter

Again, support the cause, wear your pink and throw some strikes.

Oct 27^th & 28^th – Experimental CostumeDesign, at Children’s Museum Pittsburgh

This one's especially for the kiddos! I know some super loyal readers have little cuties that would love to show off their creativity by "editing" an old Halloween costume and this would be a great way to do it together.

Oct 27th - Big Chemistry Halloween Party, hosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters, at Altar Bar

One of the biggest and best adult Halloween parties in the 'burgh going on their 4th year. This party raises thousands of dollars for the organization, so party on for another good cause.

More than anything...enjoy the month. Enjoy the weather, the smells, tastes and sights, the crunchy leaves. Just enjoy the city and be jealous of this cutie who I get to spend all my months with, but especially my favorite month...and obviously her's too.

Nothing says October like Steelers and cute little black kitten!