I Need a Hero

Without further ado, I present the 2016 Walkush Halloween costume choice. This year was a little difficult for the boys to decide. They kicked around a few ideas before finally deciding on Justice League superheroes. 

If you're not familiar with the Justice League, these are the superheroes that are affiliated with DC Comics. The recent Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie that was released in theaters in March 2016 kind of set the stage for the beginning of the Justice League movie, which is scheduled to be released in November 2017.

Ryan made a menacing Batman. 

(Pro Tip: If anyone in your party is going to dress in all black on Halloween night, I always vote for it to be Dad. While they MAKE Batman costumes for kids, they are a little difficult to see at night, and kids are more prone to run into the street than dear old Dad. As always, make sure to wear glow jewelry and carry a flashlight for safety.)

I gave my best portrayal of Wonder Woman (note how tall my boots had to be to make me into anywhere near a convincing Amazon next to my 6' 2" husband).

Aidyn chose Superman, an integral part of the Justice League. We got this photo of him "flying" by having him jump off our deck in the "Superman" pose.

And Jaxon chose his favorite superhero - The Flash. We got this action shot by having Jaxon sprint off the edge of the deck.

Our two pups, Smitty and Chance, were both Krypto (Superman's dog). They're pictured here with Aidyn.

And a few more action shots from the night (because you should really focus on awesome action shots if you're dressed like a superhero):

Do you ever get that feeling of déjà vu? No? Let me help you out a little bit . . . :-)

Long time followers of the blog might think they've seen some of these Halloween costumes before. You'd be right in some instances! Remember our mantra is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle those costumes when you can (which helps when you have boys who are IN LOVE WITH all things superhero).

The Devil's in the Details

• Donna dressed as Wonder Woman on Halloween 2009. 
• Our dog Jasper dressed as Batman that same Halloween, making Donna and Jasper the only two DC superheroes in our mostly Marvel superhero family that year. But this is the first year Ryan has dressed as Batman.
• This is the third time Aidyn has dressed as Superman.The first time was Halloween 2005 (his first Halloween at age 2 months) and the second was for our 2012 Christmas card photo.
• Our dogs Jasper and Randy both dressed as Krypto on Halloween 2005, but this is the first year that Smitty and Chance have dressed as Krypto.
• Our Invisible Jet is clearly pictured in the first photo, but we still do not own a Batmobile.

Happy Halloween from the Walkushes!

Adventures at the Pyrex Swapmeet

I am a Pyrex lover.  But not just any Pyrex,  I like the old stuff.  I think I like it so much because so many of those now vintage pieces were the same pieces that graced our kitchen when we were growing up.  Oh how I remember those casserole dishes, mixing bowls, and serving ware.  Now I am a novice when it comes to Pyrex.  Pyrex comes in all sorts of old patterns and the pieces are actually numbered.  Of course I don't happen to know all the ins and outs, especially off the top of my head. But I do know what I like.

So when I heard that there was a Pyrex Swapmeet about to take place in my own backyard, I was all over it.  Tickets to attend (as a buyer only) were free, and the event was only to last for 3 short hours. But I knew I wanted to be there.  So I made plans to attend (at baby's naptime while my husband was home to be in charge).  Apparently sellers and swappers were allowed in early to sell and swap with one another before the event opened to the general public.  What fun!

But this was my first time at an event such as this.  Actually, our local Pyrex swapmeet is hosted in town twice a year and I missed the spring event.  So not knowing what to expect, I armed myself with some cash, a shopping bag (or two), and my ticket to enter.  

Oh, and I was so pleasantly surprised!  There were vendors galore, and they were all super nice! They were ready to answer questions, and of course, they all knew way more about Pyrex than I do, so that was a plus!  There was so much to see so I did a lap around the whole place once to get an idea of what was available.  And as I had kind of suspected, there was more than just Pyrex available. There were also lots of cool other vintage kitchenware items there too - salt and pepper shakers, tea towels, stripy juice glasses, cool canisters, among so many other wares.  But the focus was definitely all on Pyrex and all the vendors had plenty to choose from. 

Here's a look at some of the action.  (It was a busy afternoon!)

And just a taste of what was available.  (Prices were well marked and vendors were willing to wheel and deal- always a plus!)

It was a little overwhelming.  Especially since I didn't have any idea of what I was looking for.  I just knew I would know once I saw it.  And I was right! 

For my first swapmeet I would say it was a great success!  Here's a look at my little haul.

First up is this gorgeous sunny yellow covered casserole dish.  I take it this one is not super rare as I saw several for sale.  However, I priced them all and think I came up with a good deal.  This one is in near perfect condition, and I paid $23 for it.

But the best part of this dish is that it's divided into two sections!  Wow!  Double wow!!

Next up is a vintage piece that isn't Pyrex but it's just as fabulous!  This set of six stripey juice glasses with spinner was calling my name.  I have a large vintage striped juice pitcher and similar carafe already at home.  So they were meant to be!

Next is this set of pink speckle Pyrex casserole dishes.  It's actually a set of four pieces.  There is the loaf pan and small casserole dish  that you see here...

And then there's the large casserole dish and casserole holder.  As you can see, I've already put those pieces to good use.  All of these were also in near perfect condition.

And then this piece isn't Pyrex either, but it's a goody.  It's Fire King Lusterware in peach.  And this one caught my eye because we had this serving bowl in our kitchen when we were growing up.  I have a feeling it actually belonged to our Grandma, and was handed down to us.  We used it regularly.  I think I remember mashed potatoes mostly being served in this one.  They aren't particularly valuable (or expensive) but I am so glad to add this one to my personal collection.

So there you have it. Pyrex is so functional because not only can you bake in it, it also looks great to serve from too!  I already have several of the mixing bowls that I use on the regular.  And I am just as pleased as punch with these new-to-me finds.  Here's hoping that some fabulous vintage finds make theit way to your kitchen soon too!

Radio Classics on Sirius Radio

Sometimes you just stumble onto something good, and it takes you by surprise.  Such was the case recently when I discovered Sirius Channel 148.  This channel is the Radio Classics channel on Sirius radio and it features classic shows from the Golden Age of Radio, from the 1920s through the 1950s, before television took over in the American household. Occasionally, they also broadcast the original vintage commercials from this era on the air too. 

Oh, and what a treat it is.  Especially if you are going to be listening in long enough to hear an entire episode.  Most episodes they air are about 30 minutes in length, and you can tune in at the next scheduled time to pick up on your favorite radio show where you left off, just like they did it back in the good old days.  

They have all the old familiar classic radio shows.  Not sure which one I was listening in on recently, but it was a mystery, and you could hear all the radio sound effects.  I can just picture all the actors by their microphones with their scripts and the sound guys with all their gadgets chiming in at just the right time.  

Here's the link to the Radio Classics webpage for more info on programming and scheduling.  Check it out.  This is a good one.  I promise. 

Sourcing Halloween Costumes: Your Local Goodwill

Ok, so Halloween is on it's way.  And that means you only have a couple weeks left to put together the perfect costume without breaking the bank.  If you have visited a costume shop recently, you will probably already know that shopping there will likely land you with a very mediocre quality costume (at best) and a hefty bill to boot.  Never fear, the Harris Sisters have all sorts of costuming tips to help fit any budget.   Check out all our costume ideas here.  We have everything from costume ideas and makeup tips, to how to make your own costumes, to where to find the parts and pieces for your perfect costume. 

And maybe you will remember one of my tried and true costuming tips- start by shopping your own closet for the basics.   It's a great place to start.  But if you find yourself still in need of certain items to complete your costume, then your next stop should be your local Goodwill store!

Your local Goodwill is the perfect place to score all the pieces you will need to put a costume together.  My Goodwill store actually also has a rack or two of donated ready-to-wear costumes near the front of the store so you can certainly start there.  But if you already have a specific look in mind, then you will need to start working the racks of clothing and accessories to see what you can come up with to meet your needs.  And I almost guarantee that you can find what you are looking for.  You see, we have done this many times before. :)  Let me show you.  

Our two year old daughter is IN LOVE with Scrooge McDuck.  She has the plush version that she carries with her everywhere.  She watches his Ducktales cartoon on video like they are going out of style.  She talks about him nonstop.  He is just her best buddy.  And a few months ago, she declared that my husband would be dressing up like Uncle Scrooge for Halloween.  Oh dear.  Now, that's not a costume you can just go out and buy.  I'm not sure that was EVER a widely available costume.  In any case, my husband is a good sport and there's nothing he wouldn't do for our dear daughter.  So we knew that a trip to Goodwill was in order to find the key components for this outfit.  

For reference, here's a look at what Scrooge McDuck looks like. 

So we knew roughly what we were looking for.  I always start with the main pieces of the outfit first. We needed a bright blue coat, a red under shirt, and white pants.  Technically, Uncle Scrooge doesn't wear pants, but since that's not a practical solution, I thought white pants would work best since he is a white duck.  And I pulled up the reference picture of Scrooge on my phone as we searched the racks.  After a quick look, here's what we ended up with.  Not bad, if you ask me.  

The pants are actually white band pants!  They were a whopping $5!  And I actually loved that they had a blue pin stripe down the side of the leg.  It matches the blue top really well.  The blue "overcoat" that we ended up with was actually a bright blue sweater vest- again ringing in at $5.  And we added a red long sleeved button up shirt to achieve Scrooge's signature red collar and cuffs.  That shirt was only $2.   So we had the basics and the main components of the outfit squared away for only $12.  And let's face it.  This is the largest, most important, and usually most expensive part of your costume. 

But I have always said that it's the accessories that make any costume.  So we purchased the necessary accessories from a costume shop to complete the look.  If you are lucky,  you might actually be able to find some of your accessories at the Goodwill as well.  In any case, buying accessories at full retail price is still a lot better than buying a full costume at full retail price. We actually found the top hat and glasses in a costume shop in Canada over the summer.  I don't recall the prices on those, but since the US Dollar is strong in Canada right now (yay us!), we ended up saving close to 30% off whatever we paid.  :) And then I recently added the cane and spats from a local costume store.  The cane was only $3 and the spats were $5.  Costume shop accessories are usually pretty inexpensive. 

So with the addition of the accessories, here's the final look.  I would say we nailed this one.  AND it was fun to find all the pieces and put them together!  Did I mention my husband is a good sport?

Yep, I can barely tell the difference between these two.  When putting together a costume, I like to replicate the look without making it look identical.  It's fun to put your own spin on things too.  And trust me, this look is close enough to the original that our daughter knew EXACTLY who her Daddy was dressed up as.  :)

When putting together your own costume, I will recommend that you try everything on beforehand to ensure fit of all the pieces and also that you have all the important components before heading out on Halloween night.  Here's hoping you have a fun costume in the works too.  Or at least that you are inspired to create your own.  There's just something extra fun about putting your own Halloween costume together!

One Man's Trash: How to Host a Clothing Swap Party

If you've never heard of a clothing swap party, then you're missing out. The idea is that you clean out your closet, pull any gently used (and sometimes new with tags/never used) items that you no longer want, and then get together with a bunch of your girlfriends to swap till you drop!

Not only is this a fun get-together with your friends, it's an opportunity for you to clean out your closet while also scoring some new-to-you clothes, shoes, and accessories for free! It really does not get any better than this.

We Harris Sisters have been doing this among ourselves for many years.

Tips for Hosting a Clothing Swap Party

1. Guests: Decide how large of a party you'd like to host. Remember, the more people you invite, the more items you're group will have to choose from. But, the larger the group, the longer the party will last. Then invite family and friends of all shapes and sizes. Make sure that for each size person you invite, that person has at least one or two other people to be matched with size-wise. For example, do not invite only one size 2 person to your party because she will not have any clothing items to swap with anyone.
   
2. Space: Find a space. If you’re hosting a small event, your living room will probably suffice. If you're hosting a larger party, check to see if your local community center or church has a large room available.
   
3. Theme: Will your swap have a theme? If you want to limit the types of items that people bring, make sure to include the theme on your invitations. Some types of themes you might want to consider are formal dress (including clothing, shoes, purses), kids clothes and toys, seasonal (specify the season), accessories only, the list goes on.
   
4. Announcements: Give people a few weeks' notice before a clothing swap. This will give them time to clean out their closets and make sure they are available for the date you've chosen.
   
5. Collect Donations: Have guests drop off their donations a few days in advance if possible so that you can sort clothing before the party. Alternately, you can extend the hours of your party to accommodate time for each guest to help sort her clothes as she arrives.
   
6. Sort Donations: Sort clothes, accessories, and shoes into based on type. This will make it easier for people to find what they're looking for and will also make it easier to sort the donations as they come in.
   
7. Rules of Play: Make sure people know what they should bring and what should go straight in the Goodwill donation bin. Here are some guidelines:

• No holey, ripped, stained, pilled, scuffed, or otherwise shabby clothes or accessories. All clothing, shoes, and accessories to be swapped must be in good clean condition similar to what you would find in an upscale consignment store. If someone wouldn't pay you money for it, don't bring it.
  
• Unmentionables are called that for a reason. If you have any underthings that are unworn and new with tags, you may bring them to swap with the understanding that you may be openly mocked for doing so. Mocking will be allowed and encouraged. Your NWT drawers may be modeled for others' amusement purposes.
  
• When scouring your closet, please follow the Frozen rule. If you haven't worn it in a year, it's time to "Let it go!"

Make Sure Your Party Goes Off Without a Hitch

1. Designate one area for guests to leave their personal shoes, coats, and purses so they don’t accidentally become part of the swap. You don't want anyone driving home barefoot!
   
2. If you want to let guests try on clothes before taking them home, then make sure to have a separate changing area or room with mirrors. Let guests know that you will have this area so that they can choose to wear leggings and/or camisoles to make changing in a large group of ladies more comfortable. The benefits of providing a changing area is that guests won't leave with a piece that doesn't fit and that they may also need to get rid of at the next swap (one that might have been right for someone else). To up the "fun quotient", if a guest tries on an item and looks awesome in it, make sure you give her the opportunity to "stomp the runway" and show it off to the other guests. You better work!
   
3. Make sure each guest brings a large empty tote bag or shopping bag to store the clothes she arrived wearing as she tries on new items (and to also hold swap items she will go home with).
   
4. Play fair. If you know that you can't squeeze your feet into those killer shoes, don't be tempted to take them just because they're gorgeous. You won't be able to hobble around in them anyway. Let the lady next to you (who actually fits them) take them home. There will be plenty of swap items that will actually be the perfect fit and style for you and if everybody plays by these rules, it will be a much more enjoyable experience.

Little Extras to Make the Party Super-Special

Have your guests bring an appetizer or wine along with their donations. Then you've got a real party on your hands! If you're hosting your party in the morning, consider serving mimosas instead of wine. If you're hosting a seasonal party, consider serving a champagne punch or wassail. Or mix up a batch of margaritas, sangria, or Caribbean rum punch for a summer themed swap. Give your guests a chance to mix and mingle a bit after they've sorted their clothes and then get down to the business of swapping. You'll have a blast!

You may want to have hanging racks handy so that you can hang clothes as they come in. This method is optimal if you're inviting a large group of people because they can browse the racks by themselves. If you're inviting a small group of people, it's fun to have each person go through the items that she brought, model it, and "sell" it to the other shoppers.

For example, if you know the designer, you would mention that, the size of the item, and any additional features. This is the method that The Harris Sisters use. However, we are very silly about it and often mention things like "this is a pair of shoes; there are TWO of them." Maybe we drink too much wine at these parties?

Here's Harris Sister Deanna modeling a dress and showing off that it has pockets, which is an actual feature that you would want to highlight. (I assume that it has TWO pockets).

If you use the method of each person modeling and "selling" her own clothes, it's also fun to "vote" on them. You can either make paddles that say 1-10 to be very professional about this. But, since we Harris Sisters are silly (have you caught on to this by now?), we use the good old-fashioned thumbs-up and thumbs-down.

This part of the party will only work if you have invited a very close-knit group of people who will not be offended if people dislike/thumbs-down something that they brought.

Here are Harris Sister Misty and Niece Charlotte giving a big thumbs-down to something they both disliked.

Take candid photos at your party! You might not think that this is the optimal party for photos (after all, people will be digging through clothing racks, trying things on, trying to sell you items, and evidently liking or disliking what you're selling), but just like any other party with your girlfriends, this will be an opportunity to snap some candid shots. Don't focus on photos the whole night, but do make a point to snap a few pics to commemorate the occasion. You'll be glad that you did.

Don't Forget to Look for Halloween Costumes!

Before everyone heads home with their finds, make sure that everyone takes one last pass at the "No Pile" for any possible items that could easily be repurposed into Halloween costumes. These are some items that we set aside for the Halloween closet this year.

This is a Free People beaded Bohemian style dress.

When it was passed up, we added it to the Halloween closet because we thought it would make the perfect Hippie/Flower Child costume if paired with some long beaded necklaces and some wide legged jeans.

This is a black 3/4 length sleeve Old Navy maxi dress.

When accessorized with a pair of square toed boots (also from the "No Pile"), some owl jewelry, and a cape and witch's hat from the Halloween closet, you've got the perfect Witch's costume.

This is a short-sleeved, knee-length red dress with white trim.

Harris Sister Misty was quick to make this costume connection, and I'm so glad she did. This would make the perfect Little Orphan Annie costume if paired with some black flats, a red wig, and a heart pendant. I've also shown it here with my original 1982 Little Orphan Annie necklace. I think I would have a hard time deciding whether to wear that one or the heart pendant! Update: you can see the whole outfit styled here in our 2021 Broadway's Back Group Halloween Costumes.

Bonus points if you have a scruffy little dog named Smitty that could be your Sandy for the night:

When It's All Said and Done

When you've filled your bags and scoured the "No Pile" for Halloween costumes, make sure you collect all of the leftovers and donate them to a local charity.

This post contains affiliate links.

Product Review: e.l.f. Tone Adjusting Face Primer

I bought this e.l.f. Tone Adjusting Face Primer on a whim recently. I have used other makeup primers here and there.  And I always think the same thing every time.  I should really use makeup primers more often.  I mean I use makeup almost every day of my life.

And a makeup primer prepares your skin to receive the makeup.  It creates a silky soft smooth layer over your skin so your makeup just glides right on over top.  It really does make an incredible difference.

But this one has an added little bonus feature to it.  It does some skin tone correcting too! I have a slight red/ pinky undertone to my skin, so I chose the green primer.

The green tint helps to neutralize your skin's natural redness, making you look all fresh faced and evened out.  Wow, who knew $6 could do all that?!?!

In the bottle, this one looks the color of pistachio green, but once you pump it out onto your hand, it looks more the color of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Fear not, it actually goes on clear, but that green tint works it's magic and leaves you looking more like Glenda, my pretties!

The smart folks at e.l.f. also created this primer in a brightening lavender, a radiant glow, and a clear, in addition to the tone adjusting green that I show here, :)  Not all good things have to be super expensive.  This one sure isn't and it's a winner!

This post contains affiliate links.

Sourcing Halloween Costumes: Your Local Theater Company

On our most recent family weekend with all the Harris Sisters together, Harris Sister Donna mentioned that her local theater group recently had a sale to the public to sell off many of their extra costumes.  Unfortunately, she wasn't able to go.  But it got me remembering that our local theater group did the same thing last year.  Hmmm...  I wondered if they would be doing that again anytime soon.  And then as if they were reading my mind, I got an email that very week that they were indeed hosting another costume and prop sale- just in time for Halloween!  I marked my calendar and made it a priority to get down there as soon as the doors opened.  Oh, I am so glad that I did!  With Halloween coming, it's the perfect time (and way) to find a cool costume, or add to your costume closet for later use.  

Here's a look at some the inventory they were selling.  Lots of holiday costumes donated by none other than the Grand Ole Opry.  WHAT?!?!?!  You better believe I shopped this rack!

Shoes of every color and size you could imagine. 

Children's costumes and adult costumes

Racks and racks and racks of clothes in all sizes for men, women, and children.  All of it was either used in their theater productions, or was donated by other entertainment groups for their use.  But they use it and turn it over quickly because they don't have the room to store tons of costumes, year over year. 

These were the first things I saw as soon as I arrived.  Incidentally, I was the first person there- arriving about 30 minutes before their advertised start time.  Everything was already set up and ready to go and they gave me the green light to go ahead and start shopping.  I literally had first pick of the entire lot!!!  I also brought my father-in-law with me to help hunt out the deals since this is right up his alley.

Since I had never shopped this kind of sale before, I had no idea what sort of pricing to expect, so I just quickly looked at a tag or two to see what I was in for, and it turned out to be the most pleasant of surprises.  The green harem costume pictured in the center above was only $5.  So was the purple fairy dress to the left and the red belly dancing costume on the right.  WOW!  At those prices, I knew I would be taking home some good finds!  

Racks and racks of cowboy costumes.  We are in Tennessee, after all!  This one came home with me!

Look at this lovely!  I wish I had snapped it up now, but I did not.  I wasn't 100% sure what I would do with it, but isn't she lovely?

So there's a look at what they were selling, but let me show you just what I bought, because it's good- really good!

First up- the handmade Raggedy Ann and Andy costumes.  These are both a child's size 7/8 so no one in our family will fit them (yet).  These are going straight in the costume closet for future use.  They were $5 each!

Next up is the only men's costume I scored on this shopping trip.  There weren't very many men's costumes available in this sale, but I'm sure that's subject to change from year to year. It's a sailor suit from their production of Anything Goes.  It came complete with the sailor hat you see here as well as the jacket and pants.  All of that for $10!

Just look at the detail.  I was impressed!

Next up is my find of the day.  This was the holiday costume I scored that was donated from Opryland!  It is completely custom made and it fits me like it was made just for me!  I rather think it looks like Mrs. Claus.  It's priceless to me, although I still can't believe I only paid $10 for the set- custom made jacket and skirt. 

Here's a look at the back of the jacket and the volume on that skirt!

This one is my close second in terms of favorites.  It's a 1950's poodle skirt- only this one features a record instead of a poodle.  It's made of shiny satin and completely lined with a built in tulle crinoline. That much I knew when I bought it.  

What I didn't know is that it's also completely reversible to this gorgeous solid red satin on the other side.  This skirt was $10!  If you are so inclined, you can certainly try your hand at making one of these for yourself.  The Harris Sisters have and here's how it's done. 

Here's another sweet donation that was made to my local theater company by the Country Music Tour Company.  It is clearly handmade, and even has the name of the performer who this costume was assigned to written on the inside of each piece.  Again, only $10 for the set!

And then I couldn't leave this sale without bringing home my very own cowgirl costume.  This one came with the beaded and fringed shirt you see here, as well as the chaps and red cowboy hat too! All for $10!

The shirt has pearl snaps on it, and check out the fringe on the chaps too!

And last but not least were a few vintage accessories that I couldn't leave behind.  This muff and hat set were calling to me.  

And just as we were leaving, we spotted one more set.  So I added it to my pile, and was on my way!

This is the first time I have shopped such a sale.  Oh, but it won't be the last.  So here are a few tips for you if you happen to shop a similar sale. 

• Make sure you know when your sale starts and try to be there as soon as the doors open.  You will get the best selection, and won't see the good stuff walking out the door as you are walking in.  :)  I arrived about 30 minutes early to this sale and they let me start immediately. By the time the sale started (and other people started showing up) I was already finished shopping and checking out. 
• Ask to try things on if you need to.  This sale had a close by area for people to do just that. 
• Browse the online photos your sale provides before you go so you know what you are most interested in.  My sale had advertised the Opry costumes specifically and I knew I wanted that Christmas dress so I made a b-line there first. 
• Ask for a deal.  It never hurts to ask, especially if you are buying several items.  In this case, I did not because all the costumes ranged between an unbelievable $5-$10 to begin with!  But usually I do. 
• Sign up for your local theater company's mailing list.  That's how I knew about this sale.  They also advertised it on Facebook.  If you aren't sure if your group has this sort of sale, just give them a call at their offices.  I'm sure they would be happy to talk with you.   Speaking of which, my group told me that they planned to donate any unsold items to our local Goodwill at the end of their sale.  Hmmm, I wonder if that orange feathery number made it there?  

And finally, I will leave you with a link to some of the Harris Sisters costume ideas for even more inspiration.  Happy costuming to you all!