Halloween.

Last year, Alexandra was about six months old when Halloween rolled around. We never dressed her up and took her for a photo shoot and we just stayed home. It was boring. This year, however, we completely redeemed ourselves. We got a babysitter (no toddler costume though, Alex is still too young to get into it), we got costumes, and we got our party on.

I went as the Black Swan. The costume took me some time as far as hunting down a suitable, affordable corset/tutu combo, then more time and labor adjusting it to meet Black Swan/Jil standards (feathers for swan standards, covering my ass for my standards). But I'll be honest, it was the makeup that gave me the most anxiety. I really wanted to do it myself, but I also didn't want to mess it up, get frustrated and cry. Which could happen. But I persevered:

I'm a lefty so the right eye was the easiest for me. I started with that one, obviously.

The (vodka) pause that refreshes! Notice how pale I am? Baby powder. Loads and loads of baby powder. My bronzer brush will never be quite the same.

Presto! This is after I applied lavender powder to set the eyeliner, and just before I re-did my black lines for some definition. Notice the lack of uniformity when it comes to the application of baby powder to the face.

Goofballs.

My bestie Kendra went as Joan from Mad Men and was already costumed up when it came time to powder my chest, back and arms with more baby powder. So I was draped in a sheet and she put my bathrobe on backwards which kept reminding me of Van Helsing's autopsy scene in Dracula: Dead and Loving It. In a good way!

All right, we're ready to go!

Oh God, I contemplated posting one of these super lame pose shots. I somehow forgot that I weight more than 90lbs and won't look as ballerina-ish as Natalie Portman did. Anyways, here is my costume in full. It took a lot of time and money but I am very proud of how it turned out. I was the best Black Swan out there!

Ah, here we go! Black Swan, Santa's Cutie, Naked Chef, Joan and Peg Bundy!

Now for the men, because we're all 8th graders deep down and immediately segregate according to gender identification whenever we hang out: Sherlock, Al Bundy (four touchdowns in a single game!), WWII soldier and Alex DeLarge from Clockwork Orange. You gotta hand it to Pete, who went as Alex: for a last minute costume, he sure is creepy as hell.

Look at that dapper dad! We made his cravat from an old bed sheet. Poor thing left his Sherlock hat at home so he just looked like himself but from the past, because he's sophisticated that way.


And, for your viewing pleasure, I have a final shot of my makeup, at 2am, lipstick half gone, sobriety and good thinking completely out the window:

I just didn't want the night to end. We had so much fun. It was such a joy getting out with our friends. We spend a LOT of time at home because we're always so tired and because parenting is a full time job, so it was such a blast getting out of the house, out on the town for an evening with our dearest friends.

Happy Halloween to all!