i went to target and there was not a single fake crow in sight

It's in the high 70s- low 80s this week, and I'm not happy about it. Summer needs to die already. No one wants you here!

Fall is in full swing elsewhere, by which I mean Spirit stores are open for business. Halloween is 33 days away... and I'm having a costume crisis. I've started with my Jazz Bat costume, have planned it, have spent some money on it, have pretty much finished the top- then Pizza Rat happened.  I don't know how to explain it, but Pizza Rat is the truest essence of my soul. I'm a trash animal who loves cast off pizza and hustles for said pizza. Pizza Rat is me!

My age old Halloween struggle between historical costume and funny costume continues this year.

On the Jazz Bat costume front, I found a really ugly modern tunic pattern, Butterick 6173, that totally works for this two-piece look:  

x

I didn't want it to be plain, and in black I think smaller details would be lost, so I ended up doing the hem in mock vandyke points, which are basically pointy scallops. I had originally intended to just hem the points up, but the fabric frays terribly, so I had to butcher together a lining/facing  type thing.

 The neckline is a little deeper than I wanted, so I found a trim at Joanns that is supposed to look like hair, I guess (???) but is really just a fine fringe. It made me think of the fuzzy ruff that some bats have at the neck. I'm refraining from doing anything dramatic with the sleeves, since I have a cape to function as the wings.  I'm not quite sure what to do for the skirt portion. At this point, with Pizza Rat looming on the horizon, I may just use the black velvet skirt I wore last year.  It's not as column-y as I would like, but it would work in a  pinch.

What the hell do you know about surfing, Major? You're from goddamned New Jersey!

I watched Apocalypse Now for the first time last night (where have I been), then dreamed that Hannibal got a re-boot on FX, but with Kevin Spacey playing every part, Nutty Professor-style. It was weird.


At the request of a co-worker, I've taken pictures of my brooch collection! A few years ago, I decided I needed a "thing", like how some people's thing is red lipstick, or whatever. I guess I decided that thing would be pins... but only because I can't wear floor length furs and chain-smoke Benson & Hedges.  For photo taking purposes, I grouped them to themes.  I guess theme-ing things could also be one of my "things".

Nautical

 The top two were recent gifts from my friend Michelle, the flags were from ebay (99 cents!) and the bottom whale I got several years ago as part of a craft swap on Craftster.org.

 Birds

I was originally going to say, 'the top owl with red eyes', but then realized they both have red eyes. Anyway, the top left was from a flea market, the top right was on a hat from Red Light that turned out to actually be a hat with a whimsy pinned to it with this owl. Three for one! The seagull was from an estate sale and the sparrow is from Naked City probably seven years ago.

 Victory Pins

All are from Ebay, though the ribbon was a birthday gift. The bottom V has the opening line from Beethoven's 5th, which rhythmically matched the Morse Code signal for "V".  Eagle-eyed readers may remember I have another victory brooch, but I'm so leery of breaking it (again), I didn't want to take it outside. 

 Music?

I got the George Harrison button off Ebay for a Beatle-maniac Halloween costume a few years ago when I worked for JC Penney and couldn't wear my Drunk Uncle costume to work. It was the first thing I ever bought off Ebay!  The Bruce pin was my mom's (Bruce Springsteen, of course), and I got the bicentennial Lafayette pin for my birthday, though also from Ebay. Ok, so Lafayette wasn't a musician, but whatever. He didn't fit in anywhere else. Also, it was his birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday!

 Grandma-centric

 I got all of these indirectly from my grandmother via my grandpa after he passed away a few years ago. I got the blue and white rhinestone one first a while back, and the other three recently after we got a few more things from my uncle. The top right is mother of pearl, and I think the top left is celluloid.  In actuality, I'm not sure if the ones other than the blue and white were my grandma's or my great-grandma's, as the box I got them in was mostly of my great-grandmother's stuff.

Miscellaneous Shapes with Fake Pearls

Art Deco style bar pin was from a flea market, the round pin was from a friend's junk bag I think... and I have no idea where the bottom one is from. Maybe my mom. I do know that it's old Avon.

 Large and Rhinestone-y

The top one was from the demi-parure I got for the wedding I attended a few months ago, from ebay. The bottom sword was a gift... and I just noticed there's a rhinestone missing! Damn! I'll have to get a replacement!

 things with four legs

Archibald the shoulder tiger, from ebay and the previously mentioned wedding, red scottie dog was a gift several years ago, and the rat was made by the bride from the aforementioned wedding! I got it from Found on Fremont in Portland, but she has an etsy shop as well!

 Running out of Themes

Banjo was from a flea market (damn, I miss going to those! Working on Sundays is the worst!), the "R" was from Antique Alley in Portland several years ago, and the DEM Donkey was from my friend's space at Found on Fremont (she also has an etsy)

Cameos and other Round Things

Cameo on the right came from the same craft swap as the whale in the very first photo, the second cameo came from my dad, I think. The Louis XVI cameo was from an etsy shop years ago that I can't remember the name of.