SuperMe!!

Happy Halloween!!

Just wanted to pop in and show you my costume creation. A friend and I decided to dress as superheros for a party and she went as Batgirl and I went as Supergirl.

It's a bird... It's a plane... it's Helen Slater!

Try as I might, I knew I couldn't pull off a leotard and super short skirt, so I did a bit of modification.

I know that I look best in empire waists and v-necks so here's my spin-off on the costume.

I bought fleecebacked red satin for the skirt, trim and cape. The skirt is a modified circle skirt. I bought a blue long sleeved shirt from the SalVal and cut a v-neck into it and lined it with the satin. Since that didn't leave much room for the "S" emblem, I put that on the yellow belt, made with red and yellow felt and velcro. The cape, which you can't see since it's behind me (cause I'm a shatty picture-thinker-abouter) fastened to the inside of the shirt with velcro.

I'd say this costume cost me around $25 and took around 2 hours to make. It was SUPER SIMPLE (as per Sandra Lee) and would have been done much faster if I didn't suck at sewing.

Here we are in all of our superhero glory!

Criminals don't stand a chance!! 

Loser Lesson: Don't be cheap.

I have decided to do all of you a favor. (You're welcome.) I want to educate you on the really ridiculous things that I occasionally do, just in case you find yourself in a similar situation. You will know to do the exact opposite of what whatever I did. 

This is a story about what happens when you go past thrifty and start being cheap... and really stupid. 

One day last year I was my local flea market when I peeped these crocheted pumpkins. 

Freaking adorable, right? I know. But the price tag said 3 for $10. (I knew I wanted at least 3.) 

Really? I don't pay $10 for anything at a flea market unless I can eat it. My first thought - "I definitely can make those for way cheaper." 

Immediately the tiny part of my brain which is capable of rational thinking chimed in. 

SuperSmart BrainPart: "Hey there, Lor... do you really think that's a good idea?"

SuperSmart BrainPart was countered by SuperStupid.

SuperStupid: "What? OF COURSE IT IS! I can do aaaaaaanything!" 

SuperSmart: "Remember when you tried to crochet a purse?" 

SuperStupid: "Um, no." 

SuperSmart: "Sure you do. Remember you went out and bought a bunch of crochet stuff?"

SuperStupid: "I have no idea what you are talking about." 

SuperSmart: "You tried to crochet for about 10 minutes and then got frustrated and threw the project at the wall?" 

SuperStupid: "Hmm... not ringing any bells."

SuperSmart: "There is still a mark in the wall from the crochet hook!!!" 

SuperStupid: "I think you might have me confused with someone else."

SuperSmart: "Ok, I give up. I'm sure you'd be an excellent crocheter. You can probably make those pumpkins in 10 minutes for 17 cents." 

SuperStupid: "I know, right??? I'm amazing!" 

SuperSmart: "I need a strong drink... or a hotdog." 

So, after SuperStupid brain part defeated SuperSmart brain part (and I consoled SuperSmart with some fudge and an orangeade,) I sent a picture of the pumpkins to my bestie, Faith, who happens to be a rockstar at crocheting. (Not joking - She makes kickass stuff that people WANT to wear. Awe-Some!) 

My text probably said something like this: "Hey, let's make these!" And she was probably like, "Sure!" 

So, I figured out what I need and went to the store. My crochet hook was still lodged in the wall, so that probably wasn't going to work. (New hook - $5.) I needed some yarn, of course. (Green and orange yarn - $6.) And I needed batting to fill the little bad boys up. ($3)

So, I'm up to an investment of $14, BUT it's ok, because I'm pretty sure I can make like 198 pumpkins with my purchases, which works out to like half a cent per pumpkin. I am, obviously, a genius. I can't believe someone else would have the nerve to charge $3.33 for a pumpkin at a flea market. What a chump. 

So, Faith finds a pattern online and the following Saturday, we met up at her place to make some pumpkins. 

I will spare you the details of what happened next, but the end result was that seven (7!!!) hours later I had one lopsided pumpkin the size of a tennis ball. And it had a hole in the bottom. And the top. And the side. 

After we were done, I donated the yarn and batting to Faith and vowed to never again pick up a crochet hook. I took my decrepit pumpkin home and threw it in the closet. It was never seen again. 

LESSON: Don't be cheap, be thrifty. Because I didn't want to spend $10 on three pumpkins that someone had LOVINGLY made, I wasted $14 on supplies and 7 hours of my life on a creation that I'm too embarrassed to even admit that I made. 

PS - I went back the next Saturday to the flea market to purchase the pumpkins and there were no more. Apparently smart people had bought them all. 

Brain Cupcakes

After swiping this idea from Martha, I decided to put a spin on the brain cupcakes and bring them to a costume party I attended on Saturday.

I made the frosting pink, because everyone knows that brains are the color of bubblegum.

Boyfriend: "Those look gross."

Me: "Your face looks gross!" (Side note: I am the most mature person I know.)

Boyfriend (with an eyebrow raise): "Why are you being defensive? Wasn't that the point?"

I hate it when he is right.

They tasted amazing though.

Does eating brains make you a zombie? Or is it one of those brain teaser/SAT question things?

"All zombies eat brains. All brains are not eaten by zombies. John eats a brain - is he a zombie?"

Ha ha ha! I just referred to SAT questions as brain teasers. This casual attitude towards standardized testing may have affected my score.

And could also be indirectly responsible for my attendance at a State University where the most popular major was Physical Education and the most popular game was "Guess Your Blood Alcohol Level!"

Pretty sure all the zombies in that college town would starve to death.

Fugly to Fabulous: Gold Mirror

I feel like a real winner when I post something on here that I have done absolutely nothing to
except spray paint. But, sometimes, that's all something needs to go from fugly to fabulous.

Take this mirror for example.

It's big. And gold.

The horror... the horror!

But, I can see its potential. See the yellow sticker? Thrift store - $6, baby.

Cleopatra called looking for her mirror... I let her call go to voicemail.

So, I take it apart. Spray paint the frame. And suddenly, it's something adorbs to hang in the living room.

Spray painted with my fav: Oil Rubbed Bronze

Heart!!

With my sexy new chair!

Simple, but true: Spray paint can make anything better.