Halloween Costumes - A Walk Down Memory Lane

My mom made all of my Halloween costumes growing up.  Looking back, the memories I cherish from Halloween, are those of my mom lovingly creating and transforming me into whatever I requested.

Two years ago, I attempted to start creating these same memories for Grace and I made her a Martha Stewart inspired chicken costume. 

And, I set the bar HIGH with this chicken costume. 

Last year, the pressure was on.  Again, I turned to Martha Stewart for inspiration and transformed Grace into a sheep.   

This year, I'm not relying on Martha for inspiration.  This year, I am hoping this beautiful material will be inspiration enough.  

Any guesses what Grace will be transformed into this year?

Reformed Halloween Grinch

I may have the tendency to lean towards being a Halloween Grinch. Of course, when you have a child of your own, for their sake, the excitement about Halloween becomes necessary.

Last year, in an attempt to get in the spirit of Halloween, I decided to make a costume for Grace. Thanks to Martha Stewart and her spring chicken costume, my Halloween Grinchy heart grew 3 sizes last year.

When I saw that the body of this adorable chicken costume was made out of white feather boas, I was won over completely. Martha used 2 onesies, stuffing the inside one with some fluff and the pinning down the boas to the outside one to make her chicken plump. I only used 1 onesies, she seemed plump enough.

Martha used yellow rubber gloves for the feet of her spring chicken, so clever...BUT I didn't want Grace to stumble over them SO I made her feet out of orange fleece. I traced the shape I wanted over a pair of white sneakers, to get the size right. Then used the tracing as a pattern, also adding ankle straps. I sewed each chicken foot and attached Velcro to the straps to adjust and secure them.

Martha used a pilot's cap for the top of the chicken. I couldn't find one and didn't want to go to the trouble of making one SO I decided to make mine in headband form. Being able to put Grace's hair in pig tails was still a novelty so I liked the idea of being able to show those off as well.

Nearly everyone we passed stopped and admired her costume. I strutted behind her like a proud mama chicken.

With the bar now set high, I am struggling for inspiration for this year's costume. Grace's vote an owl, sheep or a puppy dog. Now, to figure out how to make any of those!

P.S. Riley also wore a costume. There aren't many costumes geared towards the portly dog, so {even though she is a girl doggie} she went trick or treating in formal attire.