DIY last minute Halloween costumes

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love to dress up and for the past two years, have thrown Halloween parties. This year for Halloween weekend, I am very excited to say I am going to be at Drew's sister's wedding. So since I won't be able to go out or host a party, I haven't put much thought into my costume.

Amie and I at the Halloween party.

I choose you!

Last Halloween I was Pikachu. I just wore a yellow sweater I found at Goodwill over a dress. To make the ears I bought rabbit ears, painted the headband yellow and sewed yellow and black fabric over the ears. Then I painted my face.

This Sunday my sorority is having a Halloween part with Delta Lambda Phi, a frat on campus, and I am scrambling to put together a quick and cheap costume. Here are some fun DIY costumes and links to instructions I've found.

.....OK some, or most, of these costumes are for children. But what's the fun in dressing up if you don't get to act like a kid on Halloween?

Last year, Travis (left) was a black-eyed pea. He just painted on a black eye and attached a "P" to his shirt. Funny and uncomplicated!

click the gray text under the picture for instructions

Don't get defriended for forgoing a costume!

When my mom was in college she used balloons to make a grape costume. Here's a new spin on dressing up with balloon.

This paper doll costume and this sheep costume are simple and easy to make. And not to mention ADORABLE.

I an in love with this owl costume, which is a little more time consuming, but come on! You've got more than a week.

Here are the grapes!

For more ideas, check out this Glamour post of 5 minute costumes.

A Perfect Little Party!

I am in college, therefore I am poor!

This is my, and many of my friends, mantra, which is why we find that although we LOVE the holidays, the amount of spending can be a little scary. But we also live by another mantra:

I am in college, therefore, I LOVE to party!

So we had to get creative and to something fab on the cheap.

The evening started with an amazing thrifting experience with MB and AJ at Savers, which is like a Goodwill, but 100 times trendier and cheaper, with 100 times more stuff. We all had great successes and highly suggest it. My highlight pieces? An crazy printed electric blue blouse with gold buttons, a cream beaded, super soft granny sweater, a fab golden feathers pin and some
adorable vintage knick-nacks! Everything is SO affordable! Not a thing I bought was over $10!




MB and AJ bought blazers, and I was wearing one already (vintage JCrew, to be exact!) so we made it a blazer party! LOVE.

Next we went home to decorate the yule log AJ had prepared, recipie from The Joy of Cooking!



We used this DELISH cream cheese and coco frosting, cranberries and some pine tree clippings.
There are tons of traditions attached to the Yule log. My favorite is that the hosts of the holliday parties put together a bundle of sticks and twing bound with greens. They place it on the fire and when it burst, the unburnt twigs from the center are given to next year's hosts to put in their Yule log.

Instead of spending money on gifts for each other, we did a traditonal white elephant gift exchange, where we all found things around our houses to give. I scored a Disney Princess I Spy book. Be jealous!

We ended the evening ejoying the delicious Yule log with AJ's homemade Chex Mix and this amazing cranberry punch from the Junior League cookbook, Beyond Parsley.


Our friends had a fabulous time. Not only did we provide decadent holiday treats, but we also we were surrounded by our best friends, who we hadn't seen since Thanksgiving Break. What a night!


Enjoy the low quality IPhone pic of the hosts! (R to L: Me, AJ and MB)

Weather in Kansas is gray and rainy, but WORTH IT, because, we're supposed to have a white Christmas! Fingers crossed!

Love, AE

P.S. I PROMISE I will post the details, recipies and photos of Drew and I's gift making experience. Finals CONSUMED my life that week! I just need to get the pics from my roomie!

Fa La La La La

In the spirit of Christmas, and being poor college students, Drew and I are making our friends and families holiday treats instead of buying gifts.

On the Menu? White and milk chocolate covered twizzlers, chocolate covered pretzel rods, peanut butter balls and oreo balls. We'll also be making salt dough cookie ornaments! Recipes and pictures to follow!