HAPPY HALLOWEEN -HALLOWEENIES!!!!!!!!
It’s that time of year again, when the ghoulish, the scary, and more often than not, the just plain “odd” come out to play. If you’ve been to the Halloween Parade in NYC, you’ll know what I mean. Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays as a child and will continue to be so at a ripe and mature age. Some people enjoy dressing up and the thrill of excitement after being frightened, (or vise versa) while others like to sit back, relax, and enjoy the festivities. So sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Today, I will be sharing ideas, tips, and tricks I’ve picked up along the way as a Sustainable Lifestyle Branding (SLB) expert and avid Halloweenie. I hope to encourage everyone, young and mature alike to get creative and think outside the box. Not only will these ideas lead to fun and exciting costumes it will help to redefine and assist you in living a truly Sustainable Lifestyle. I’m a big fan of Quentin Tarantino movies and a HUGE fan of the show Ugly Betty (ABC fridays at 9/8c or check your local listings). Whether its a book, a movie, or a tv show I’ve always had an appreciation for the Underdog and a Heroine that can kick some ass! With that said, I present 2 costume ideas I think you’ll get a kick out of….
In terms of Sustainability when choosing a costume keep this in mind:
- What’s my Budget?
- What do I already have?
- What can I work with?
- Think outside the Box!
- Get Creative!
My good friend and confidant Manivone not only makes a cute Ugly Betty she’s also an amazing photographer and artist. Check out her work and website at www.elleFANTArt.com. Support your local artists! I of course will be GoGo the serial killer school girl from the 2003 hit movie Kill Bill. These are definatly two great costumes that anyone can recreate, and most importantly they’re Sustainable! With the recession in full effect, I did not want to spend more than $40 or $20 per costume (remember* if it’s not economical, social, and environmental; it’s NOT Sustainable). I began by raiding my closet and around my home and office to see what I already had and could use aka RePurposing or UpCycling! Don’t be afraid to borrow things from a neighbor or friends. With today’s socio-economic-eco-political climate, now would be the best time to help one another and create a sense of community (Great Book same premise: It Takes a Village). After all was said and done, I had everything in my closet for the Ugly Betty costume (except for her iconic red glasses) but I wasn’t so lucky with Gogo. I was missing her school girl skirt, sweater, and ball and chain weapon aka a Meteor Hammer. This is when we start to think outside the box and get creative. So get to it!
I bought Ugly Betty’s glasses for $7 and GoGo’s skirt for $8 and her sweater for $12 (check out the cute surprise on the buttons and patch!) at one of my favorite second hand stores Beacon’s Closet in Williamsburg Brooklyn (beware the Billyburg inhabitants). Buying second hand and keeping it local is a great way to be a Sustainable Fashionista! Coincidentally, Betty’s skirt, and both tops are from Beacon’s Closet as well. I LOVE vintage shopping! For GoGo’s weapon I used a plastic christmas tree ornament and purchased a 6′ metal chain at my neighborhood hardware store for $3 and these cone-like jewelry fasteners for $5 that I found at MJ Trimmings in the Garment District. I simply attached the chain and hot glued the fasteners to the christmas ornament. GoGo’s ribbon is actually a sash I took off one of my dresses. For Betty’s flower broach, I simply took off the head of a faux flower and fastened it with a pin. Fyi* the bag Betty/Manivone is carrying is from Nahui Ollin a Sustainable Fair Trade company that uses discarded candy wrapper remnants and weaves them into super cute purses, bags, and wallets! Since neither of us have bangs, I used a clip on weave* (dont forget to go see Chris Rock’s new film Good Hair) I made years ago styling a model for a photoshoot. I’ve even worn it out several times (Great way to get the bangs look without getting PERMANENT bangs)!
With a little bit of elbow grease and a whole-lotta creativity I was able to create 2 great costumes for under $40; $35 to be exact! With the extra $5, I treated myself to some delicious organic ice cream from the local and Eco-Conscious Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream truck parked daily on Bedford Ave near the L train stop. Support your local Eco-Entrepreneurs!
Like Van Leeuwan’s ice cream, writing Vive Designhaus’ first of many blogs was a treat, I hope you readers enjoyed it as much as I did. And because this was my first attempt as a blogger I would encourage anyone and everyone to provide feed back, questions, comments, good or bad (but always constructive). On that note, I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite singers/musicians and bid you adieu…
“Remember that I’m an Artist…and I’m sensitive about my SH*%!” -E. Badu : )