crafting for all of those hallows

Pic wants to be a 'marmaid' (that's how she pronounces it) for Halloween this year. While I'm fully behind this decision, I'm not sure how to go about the costume. I got the idea from a Family Fun e-mail (most of which I don't even open, but I'm glad I opened this one). It's a crafty kind of costume, much more so than last year's. Also, the materials? Most of them, we don't normally have on hand (paper plates, fishing line, double-sided tape, cupcake liners), so we had to go buy all of them. However, last night, as we were making our purchases, I found some aqua-ish-colored sequined material that would make a perfect mermaid tail, and I wanted to buy it. But, alas and alack, I don't sew. I try, sometimes, I really do, but that won't exactly be helpful here. I'm still tempted to buy the material and still try to make the tail on my own.

I just don't like the idea that the crafted tail is so much, well, disposable garbage, basically (or so it seems when I think about it). And, yes, we have already bought the stuff, but I could use some of it for other things. We are planning on making Halloween decorations with the paper plates and maybe I'll actually make some cupcakes at some point. I just don't want to end up with a crappy Halloween costume that won't even last through pictures.

All in all, though, we already have the materials to make the costume, as shown here, so I'll just go ahead and do it and work on my sewing skills in the meantime. I really want Pic to have a stash of really fun dress up clothes (capes, anyone?), although she does love to dress up in her very own clothes thirty times a day, especially if those clothes are dirty (I actually said to her tonight, 'Okay, that's enough dirty clothing from the hamper for now, no more.'). Let's just hope the costume holds up under my four-year-old's vim and vigor.

And, while we're at it, I'm happy to say that I have managed to steer Pic away from all things trademarked so far, as far as costumes go (and, yes, I do know that the site for her costume is DISNEY Family Fun). Here's what the line-up has been so far: pumpkin, lion, witch (she wore the witch dress for a good two years, no matter the place or occasion), monkey princess. I doubt this trend will last much longer after she's in school full-time with the influence of so many little peers, but here's hoping.