Pokiedot: I Got Dressed ... For Halloween

Halloween costume ideas are a pain. I really love dressing up but coming up with a creative concept is not easy.

I'm typically drawn to an idea that falls into one of these categories:

Ridiculously off-beat and tacky (ex: my hubby and I dressed up as Jon and Kate Gosselin back in 2009 during their very public divorce - it's still my favorite costume to date)
Classic with attention to details (ex: the hubby and I went as our nerdy alter-egos, Martha Weinerstraum and Ronald Rickenbacher)
Retro whimsy (see below)

This year I was on my own with no hubby to complete a dynamite duo ensemble (sniff) and I had another minor obstacle ... a five month prego bump. Not a huge bump (yet) but still awkward enough to interfere with a regular costume.

I suppose I could have used my bump as the focal point of my costume but painting my belly orange and wearing a basketball jersey is just not my bag. Instead I tried to think of something I could carry/attach in front of my bump to make it less "center stage" so to speak.

That's when I discovered (after scouring hundreds of images on Pinterest) the Sunmaid Raisin Girl! Being an American product icon fit perfectly into my retro whimsy category and the basket-o-grapes was a bonus. Sold!

(see the original Pinterest pin that inspired me here)

Make It!

red bonnet (got mine here)

long brown curly wig - if needed (got mine here)

white t-shirt (got mine here - maternity)

dark blue rick rack trim (got mine here)

fabric glue (got mine here)

any peasant-y looking skirt in white, black, blue, or red (got mine here - maternity)

flats or sandals (mine are old)

basket (my mom's old Longaberger)

fake grapes (got mine here)

thin wire (from our garage)

a box of Sunmaid raisins of course

Only two things required assembly:

The Shirt: I simply cut the rick rack trim to fit the edges of the neck and sleeves and secured it using the fabric glue. Worked great!
The Basket: My bump actually gave me an advantage here because I could tie the basket around my waist allowing it to literally "sit" on my belly. No hands! I chose a small basket from my mother's beloved 1980's Longaberger collection keeping mind of the weight (lighter is better and less annoying). I took satin ribbon and weaved it through the basket and tied it behind my back. Then I secured the clusters of grapes to the basket with thin crafting wire and taped the box down. An old bandana was placed beneath the items to add more color and detail.

What I would do differently:

Add an apron! I was running short on time and didn't want to pay $20 for an apron or take the time to sew one. But it would have been really cute to have had a red or blue apron against my black skirt. Next time...

And because I knew you'd REALLY want to see these...