Halloween Costume Part 1

Ok, so I've been working on my Halloween costume for about a month now and I'm still not finished.  By "finished" I mean, I can't stop adding more crap to it.

If you've been keeping up with my blog, you already know I'm a reality TV junkie.  Love the shit.  Makes me feel really good about my life.  Jersey Shore makes me feel classy...Bachelorette reminds me that I'm not that desperate...Big Brother teaches me about social strategy...and Toddlers and Tiaras teaches me what NOT to do to my children.

So, I've committed to being a pageant child for Halloween.

The artsy fartsy in me came up with this sketch back in the beginning of September:

as if it's going to look like this...

First Task: find dress that can be bedazzled.  Found it at Ross for $16 on the clearance rack...SOLD:

wonder why it was on clearance?

Next: clear a canvas for beading and bedazzling.  The dress had tulle on the bodice that would be impossible to sew over...so I cut it off and ended up with a satin top:

looking back at this makes me laugh...

Then I went crazy...I bought sequin edging (already threaded), loose sequins, and loose beads at Hobby Lobby.

sparkles...

Then I really went crazy...because I realized I had to string all the damn beads before I could sew them to the dress.  I had to take 20lb test fishing line off my reel, which ended in half the spool coming off in my livingroom.  Then I started threading...

WTF was I thinking?

4 strands total...about 8' of threaded beads

After threading about 9,000 beads, I decided to use the sequin strands to outline the top and sides of the dress (mostly to cover up where I ripped off the tulle).  Then I just started tacking down pieces of the strands in whatever pattern it would cooperate with me.

thankfully it came with a sweet jewel

oh dear...I have to copy this on the other side

After successfully getting the same design sewn on the opposite side, I decided to use up the ridiculous amounts of threaded sequins to highlight the beading:

now we're talkin!

Onto the back...at this point, I just let the bead strands do their own thing and it ended up looking like a flower...kinda.

definitely needs more sparkle...

Ok, so for the most part, the dress has all the beading it can take...but I had all these loose sequins with beads to use.  So I did what every pageant mom would do...I bedazzled the shit out of it...

that's better...

why the hell not...

 Back to the front...

hell yes.

Ok, so that's all the pictures I have of the dress so far.  I'm working on cap sleeves and shoulder straps tonight and will share the final product tomorrow.

I've got socks from Kmart with lace on them for $4, but cannot find white shoes for the life of me.  I may end up spray painting some black ones...

My mom found a crown at a Halloween store in West Ashley for $3.99...it's a little snug on my head, but I'm planning on having hair so large it will just sit on top of it.

I bought a custom sash online for $15, that reads "Ultimate Grand Supreme".

I'm still pissed that I spent $27 on the petticoat, but it pushes out the existing crinoline in the dress to give it that extreme cupcake design.

Still working on Jewelry...not sure how over the top I want to go.

I borrowed some little girl purses from my friend Cathy's twin girls...not sure which one I want to use though.

I'm making an appointment for a spray tan on Thursday...I'm going to look ridiculous for a good week.

Last and of course not least, I have fake eyelashes and purple eyeshadow with bright pink lip gloss.

I can't wait to see how it all comes together!  It's been the most involved I've ever been in a Halloween costume...

...however, I will probably not be picking up guys that night dressed as a 5 year old.