We are treasuring the fact that our daughter still wants to dress up with us. After adopting Oscar, we knew we needed to get him into the holiday spirit and be part of our family Halloween costume. Emerson suggested The Wizard of Oz and we loved the idea. I especially loved the fact that we could make costumes without a ton of money, crafting or face makeup! We wore these to the Greenbelt Annual Costume Parade and Contest which took place last night. Our city goes all in for Halloween. It starts the Friday before Halloween with the beginning of the Greenbelt Pumpkin Festival. In the city center, they set up picnic tables and music and have hundreds of free pumpkins for kids to carve or paint. There is also music, snacks, and entertainment. The pumpkins are then transferred to the nearby woods to line a path. Saturday at dusk, the Pumpkin Walk begins where you can walk through the Jack-O-Lantern-lit path, and may encounter a witch, a ghost, or the famous Goatman of Maryland. At the end of the walk, they offer free hot cider and cocoa. Last night we participated in the Costume Parade. The Mayor and other city VIPs judge costumes and offer awards based on category and age. Then the kids can trunk or treat from the city police and EMT vehicles and then trick or treat the restaurants, shops, and other establishments in the city center. There must have been hundreds who participated this year, it was a blast and so fun to see all of the funny, creepy, and creative costumes!
For my outfit, I found a onesie on Amazon for $14.99 back in September. The one I got is sold out; this looks very similar. On my feet are my Lamos which I've had for a while. I bought this wig/beard combo and medal on Amazon; I bought both before October so they were far cheaper than they are now. I used a brown eyeliner to draw on my nose.
I had the tail from a previous costume from a few years ago; I attached it to the back of the onesie with diaper pins (still have them from a game at my baby shower, they are so useful!); this one looks very similar but has a clip on it. If I knew the medal would be such a piece of crap, I would have made it with some glue and felt; it's totally not worth it. However, the wig and separate beard are TOTALLY worth the money. Really well made, fits well, and the bow and ears are detachable so you can use the wig for other costumes in the future.
For my husband's outfit, he wore his own overalls, plaid shirt, and hat. We bought some raffia at the craft store (essentially this but a smaller package) and he tied it around his wrists and neck. I was running late; my plan was to put rubber bands around his wrists and an elastic headband around his neck and fold the raffia over it so it would be like a bracelet or necklace of raffia. He made do, and it did for about an hour before it started untying. He used the same brown eyeliner to color in his nose.
We got our daughter's Dorothy dress on Amazon as well. It's not anything great, but it's clear that she's Dorothy. If I had more time, I likely could have found as good of a costume with items from the thrift store and an hour or so on my sewing machine. But it's good enough that it was worn for the school Storybook Parade, the city Costume Parade and Contest, trick or treating, and she turned it into a “Creepy Doll” costume for an event Saturday night. The dress came with the hair ribbons.
The socks she had from a previous costume (these are essentially the same), and we splurged on the shoes (though they were still cheaper in September than listed now). This is the second pair we ordered; we ordered a Mary Jane style and they were shedding everywhere and so uncomfortable we returned them same day. These she was able to walk in with minimal discomfort at the end of the evening. She wore my pink blush and red lipstick.
We had such fun; so many asked where was the Tin Man that we should have recruited my mom or sister to join in! I love that most of the pieces of this costume are reusable for future costumes or just everyday. In fact, I'm writing this still snuggled up in the fuzzy brown onesie!
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Love seeing your beautiful, fun-loving family in these fabulous costumes. So great!
I thought of you so much as I watched the World Series the past week. . . You are one of exactly two people I know in the DC area (well, for you, it is virtual, but as long-time reader, I figure I can say that.) I hope you got a kick out of the Nationals spectacular win–we did here, out in Arizona!
Author
We’re so psyched for the Nats! My mom is a HUGE fan and has been beside herself!
I so enjoyed dressing up as a family for Halloween. Sadly, my kids bowed out long before age 10. You looked like you all had such fun!
Author
I have to thank our city for having so many family events to make it “cool” to participate together!
Great costumes. Your family looks amazing!
Author
Thanks Marlene!
You all look great! I’m especially impressed by how nice your lion hair/mane combo looks!
Author
Right? I was so impressed by the wig! Usually they are a major fail!
Again, all of this is fabulous. And your town and all of the activities looks so charming. Happy Halloween!
Author
Thank you Krista!
I once talked my office into coming as the characters from “Wizard of Oz”. I made Dorothy’s costume for a co-worker rather quickly out of blue gingham and I believe she spray painted an old pair of shoes to make the ruby slippers. We had Auntie Em and Toto (the Boss’s Scottie), the tin (wo)man … she commuted by bus wearing silver makeup because her kids wanted to see the full effect. I was the Wicked Witch of the East (house fell on me so I made one of cardboard I wore over my shoulders). A co worker had lots of fancy dresses since she was an opera soprano so all she needed was a wand to be Glinda.
Alas, our cowardly lion backed out (which would be in character). But love your onesie! Your costume is amazing.
Author
That sounds AWESOME Patricia!
So cute and creative! Love all of the costumes and that you are wearing the onesie. It looks really cozy!
Author
Thanks Laurel, it really is! If I didn’t already have it in brown I’d consider one in another color!
Amazing! And thanks for mentioning the Goatman of Maryland … I’m married to a Marylander and somehow had never heard this story. Husband has a lot of explaining to do, as he *knows* how much I love anything creepy.
Author
Oh the goatman! It’s by far the best Maryland creepy story! We have this book, I can’t wait until Emerson’s old enough to share these stories and not have her up all night freaked out! https://amzn.to/2PNIkco
All of you look adorable. Emerson is growing up to be a beautiful young lady like her mom.
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Thank you so much Deborah!
This is everything. Y’all are da bomb! Happy Halloween!
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Thanks so much Linda!
Such fun! This was a great read!
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Thank you!
This is so charming! It’s lovely to see a whole family, including pet, dressed for Halloween. I have very fond memories of October 31 from my childhood in the 50s and early 60s and have felt that over the decades since then, Halloween has almost fallen off the map, other than as an excuse for horror movies, over indulgence in candy and a pervasive fear of tainted, tampered with treats.
Seeing your family celebrating and with such classic costumes quite literally made my day. Thank you!
Author
Halloween is still alive and a lot of fun around here and with a lot of my friends and their families. I think the news likes to focus on the dramatic, but Halloween is still such a fun kid-friendly activity in most places! And thank you, we had a lot of fun!