Costumes

As Halloween approached, the kids began their 'quest' for costumes.

I honestly think our kiddos enjoy the 'dressing up' WAY more than the actual act of trick-or-treating and getting candy.

The girls had expressed some of their plans.

A lady bug character from a Netflix cartoon they all watch; lego people from another show they occasionally view.

The older kids -- they were still discussing what they could be together -- a 'group costume', if you will.

Then...

.....we went to the consignment store.

Trinity found a 'goddess' type dress and decided she was going to be a 'Fall/Winter Princess'.

The cream and blue, long, flowy dress with a gold leafed headband cinched her plans.

Once she made this decision, the other two quickly changed courses on their costume choices.

Lady Bug and lego people were out - Spring/Summer Princess was in for Selah and a 'Royal Peacock' was the plan for Charity.  With how quickly they changed and with such precise costume ideas, I can't help but think they had a back-up plan in the works all along.  LOL!

<<Glad I hadn't started purchasing supplies for the OHTER costume choices they had mentioned.  :-)>>

Meandering through the same consignment shop we found a formal dress in a teal satin w/a teal blue and green mesh overlay covering the same teal satin skirt along with teal blue and black feathers adorning the chest area.  It was appropriately labeled 'Peacock Prom Dress'.  Originally I balked at the price -- this is a COSTUME after all, but an employee walked up as we were admiring the dress and informed us it was 50% off.  THAT made it worthwhile.  If I were to buy material to make a peacock costume, it would easily come to the cost of this dress or more -- at least at it's sale price.

We purchased both the 'Goddess' dress and the Peacock Prom Dress on the spot.

My work had just decreased exponentially with these purchases.

All I had to do was take Trinity's dress up a bit at the shoulder so it wasn't too low cut and the length was a bit shorter so she wouldn't trip.  Purchasing an off-white shirt to go under it to give modesty and warmth completed the package.

Taking in the side of the prom dress, cutting off a little length of the 'underskirt' and 'bunching' up the mesh and satin overlay in various spots, resulted in a nice, elegant start to a 'peacock' costume.  Adding a few 'sparkly peacock feathers' to the back of the dress, a headband with more feathers on her head, along with a black shirt under the whole shibang, and Charity'll be quite the 'royal peacock' for her dress-up debut.

A few days later - browsing through the costume section at Walmart - Bethany found a 'Goddess' outfit in a child's size colored pink and white that mimicked Trinity's dress.  PERFECT!  The two princesses were set.  A simple white long sleeved shirt will make Selah's dress warm and modest as well.

Pretty Princesses and a Perky Peacock.

Of course, they did want sparkly princess capes to 'complete' the look, but... that's not hard to accomplish.

A bit of mesh material, ribbon, some elastic and a few seams later - voila - princess capes were done.

Glittery cloaks and shimmering feathers to complete the look.

While at the Goodwill some days later, Bethany found a white and gold 'Goddess' dress that mirrored the girls' dresses.

The little girls BEGGED her to get it.  To have a costume that matched theirs.

It was rather inexpensive so we went ahead and got it.  Since the boys hadn't made any decisions about 'matching costumes', we were making it for them. They'd have to come up with something to go with HER costume. LOL!

Girls rule that way.

After some discussion, debate, and disagreement -- a compromise was made.

The older three are being 3 of the elements - fire, earth, and air.  Who needs water, right?  LOL!  The girls determined they are the princes and princess of said elements - the wind princess, the earth prince, and the fire prince.  Appropriate, I guess. Royal costumes abound.

Bethany, in her white flowing dress w/gold accents will be 'wind'.  A gold shirt and white leggings added under the dress and she'll be toasty warm not to mention her modesty will be in check.  A headband adorned w/gold 'gems' and ribbons and voila -- the WIND PRINCESS!

The Princesses with their Royal Peacock.

Jacob will wear red and orange to exemplify 'fire' - drawing flames on his shirt with fabric paint; coloring his hair to embody the 'flame idea -- and -- is having me make a grey and red cloak.  <<How does a cloak make one think of fire, you ask??  I'm not entirely sure, I think it's more because he simply likes cloaks. :-)>>  Edited after the costume debut -- he chose to wear black and grey with some red hair spray in his spiked hair along with the cloak I put together.  He didn't have time to make his 'flame shirt'.  (Not sure I'd say he pulled off 'fire', but... fun was had by all, none-the-less.)

The Princes and Princess of the elements - Earth, Fire, Wind!

Elijah will wear brown pants, a green shirt with leaves and moss sewn on by yours truly to represent 'earth'.  Bethany thought plants, leaves, vines - that would be a good way to express earth easily.  I agreed.  Since I'm the one making said costume -- that's how it shook out.

Earth Prince and Wind Princess.

Dressing up is such a fun event in our house.  I wouldn't be surprised if many of our kiddos get involved with Cosplay as they age.

How else can grown adults get away with elaborate dress-up costumes on a regular basis?

I guess they'll also have the chance as they have their own kids and dress up with them on Halloween and various costume parties.

The 5 kids at home all dressed up in their costumes for the day.
We even went to the girls' endocrinology appointments in these get-ups.

It's usually a fair amount of work, (often resulting in a bit of stress for the one MAKING the costumes) but it's fun to do - creativity flows - not to mention watching the joy on our kiddos faces as they ALL tromp around wearing their new imaginative dress-up clothes.  Giggling, smiling, pretending.  Living out their imaginations - together - as they 'become' whatever their costume represents -- a princess, a peacock, a fictional character enacting an element.

The memories alone make it all worth it.