This Winifred Sanderson Makeup Tutorial Is Spelltacular

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Halloween is just around the corner, but there's still time to find a costume. Perhaps this makeup tutorial from Disney and makeup artist Kay-lani will be the perfect look.

Jack Skellington Makeup Tutorial

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Are you looking for a last minute idea for a Halloween costume? Perhaps you love the Nightmare Before Christmas. If so, then this makeup tutorial from Disney and makeup artist Kay-lani is just for you.

Madame Leota Makeup Tutorial

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Are you still looking for a costume for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party or perhaps Halloween itself? This tutorial from makeup artist Kay-lani (@viva_glam_kay) and Disney may be just the ticket. Her transformation into Madame Leota from the Haunted Mansion is spellbinding.

Bewitching Props from Hocus Pocus

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A spellbinding collection of costumes and props from Hocus Pocus is currently on display at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the film. Here are a few of my favorite pieces. The Sanderson Sisters' dresses, designed by Mary Vogt, were created to reflect the personality of each sister: medieval velvet for Winifred, homespun for Mary, and ethereal for Sarah.

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 Winifred's spellbook had three different versions: eye open, eye closed, and an eye that could be moved by remote control. The books have human fingers along the spine, metal serpents, a claw clasp, and stitching that make it look like it's pieced from skin.

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The inside of the book is equally detailed. And contains many ornate pages of evil spells.

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At the end of the film, Winifred came in contact with hallowed ground, which turned her into a statue. The statue then turned to dust, much like this display will when the sun comes up on November 1.

Photo of the Week

Summer Magic is one of my favorite classic Disney films, so I love seeing the posters and Hayley Mills' dress on display in One Man's Dream.

Beauty and the Beast Merchandise

We may have to wait a few more months before seeing Beauty and the Beast in theaters, but there is a lot of merchandise celebrating the film in stores now. I found a rather large collection of toys and accessories at Toys R Us yesterday.

There are quite a few dolls representing Emma Watson as Belle. There are large baby and toddler dolls as well as several fashion dolls. There are two different fashion dolls in Belle’s yellow ballgown, and one comes with the Beast. There's also a Belle in her country dress and a set with Belle and Prince Adam in their wedding finery.

A set of Castle Friends, sized to play with the fashion dolls, includes five characters: Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs Potts, Chip, and the Plumette, the feather duster.

A tea set featuring a blinking Mrs Potts and Chip, who wobbles on his saucer are sure to be popular with little princesses. I also found a child sized ballgown and hair accessories, perfect for dressing up.

One of my favorites is the Enchanted Rose Jewelry Box. Not only does the rose bloom and light up when you open the drawer, it also plays the theme from Beauty and the Beast.

Haunted Mansion Butler Costume

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Are you looking for a last minute costume for Halloween? Well, the Disney Parks Blog has a great tutorial for creating a Haunted Mansion butler's costume with ready made clothing you may be able to find at a thrift store.

Ghost Bride Makeup Tutorial

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Here's another fun Disney makeup tutorial for Halloween. This week's makeup was inspired by the Ghost Bride of the Haunted Mansion. She'd make a perfect companion for the Hitchhiking Ghost.

Hitchhiking Ghost Makeup Tutorial

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Disney has been sharing a lot of fun makeup tutorials to help everyone get ready early for Halloween. This week's makeup was inspired by the Haunted Mansion's Hitchhiking Ghosts. It's too spooky and adorable.

Force Friday

It's Force Friday today, so I thought I'd share a photo of one of my latest costume creations. I knitted a hat and sewed a beard for a friend's Stormtrooper helmet. He was going for a lumberjack look to wear to Dragon Con this weekend. What do you think of the end result? Funny, right? (And Bean makes a fantastic model.)

Marvel and Her Universe

Have you seen the Her Universe clothing line by Ashley Eckstein? Ashley is the voice of Ahsoka Tano in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. Originally, she started designing feminine, Star Wars clothing for women who wanted to show off their fandom without looking like a guy. Recently, she expanded Her Universe to include an Avengers: Age of Ultron inspired line. This new collection arrives exclusively in Hot Topic stores in mid May.

I love the new 50s style dresses. They are dramatic without being over the top. There are two halter dresses and one sailor dress in the Avengers collection.

First up is a dress inspired by Captain America. This navy blue dress features Cap's shield and a red waistband. This dress will be available on May 19 for $60.

Next up is a dress inspired by Thor. This navy dress features Mjolnir, a red sailor collar, and silver button decoration. It will be available on May 12 for $60.

My favorite is this dress inspired by Loki. This green and black dress features Loki's helmet all the way around the skirt, and will be available on May 19 for $60.

The final dress in the Avengers collection seems to be more 1960s in style. Inspired by Black Widow, this black and red, sleeveless dress will be available May 12 for $45.

If you're not really into dresses, don't worry: Her Universe has a couple of Avengers jackets as well. First up is a red bomber jacket with the Stark Industries logo on the back and "Tony" on the front. The jacket will be available May 12 for $55.

The final item in the collection is a Black Widow jacket. This black, faux leather jacket features a belt with Widow's logo and a lining with a "My past is my own" design. The jacket will be available May 12 for $65.

Unfortunately, none of these items will be available for the premiere of Avengers: Age of Ultron. However, they would still be fun to wear for a night on the town. All photos courtesy of Hot Topic.

Halloween Costumes at the Disney Store

Are you still looking for a Halloween costume for your kids? Most of our favorite costumes have been either inspired by Disney or Disney made. Bean especially loves her princess costumes. After Halloween, they become a part of her everyday dress-up collection, which is ever expanding. We don't generally mind the expense, but we alway look for a good sale. This weekend, the Disney Store is having a sale on Halloween costumes and accessories. Select styles are 25% off, so it's definitely a money saver. If you haven't found a costume yet, be sure to check it out.

Sofia the First Halloween

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Do your little ones watch Sofia the First? It's a hit in my house and we always look forward to seeing new episodes. Today, Sofia and her stepsister Amber get ready for a Halloween Ball and costume contest. I just love Halloween episodes! Sofia the First will be on the Disney Channel at 9:30am Eastern time and 8:30 Central time. Be sure to watch, because you're in for a treat!

Brave merchandise

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The Disney Store released several new Brave items today. My personal favorite is the Merida toddler doll. I just love the little smirk and gorgeous red hair! And at $24. 50, she's not even a bad deal for a 16 inch doll. They also have a Merida fashion doll, a soft doll, and a 10 figure play set.

Disney has also released several costume options for little girls. They have an adventure costume, like the one Merida wears on her adventure, as well as a formal costume, similar to the dress Merida wears during the archery tournament. There's even a wild and fiery red wig, full of tangled curls! To complete the look, Disney has created golden gladiator sandals, a golden knot-work tiara, and an archery set with a bow and quiver full of suction cup tipped arrows. (I know Bean would love the archery set because she has been begging for a bow every day since we went to the Georgia Renaissance Festival.) Disney has also created several t-shirts and pajama sets sure to delight little girls.

Devonshire shoes from American Duchess

I love finding appropriate accessories for re-enactors, and these shoes look gorgeous! They would be perfect for an Elizabeth Swann costume.

The Devonshires are a leather 18th century shoe based on museum examples from the 1760s through 1780s.  They're made of top-grade dyable leather, with a beautiful, smooth Italian leather sole for dancing, and are hard-wearing, water- and mud-proof, for even the toughest of outdoor re-enactments.

Pre-Order the Devonshires through August 10, and get the special $100 price.  We're only making 200 of these shoes, so don't miss the chance to own one of only a couple hundred pair on the planet!  Visit www.american-duchess.com to order.

Ren Faire Dress

So, I've been working on a new dress for the Ren Faire this past week. I'm getting through the sewing rather quickly, although I have taken frequent trips on the internet to make sure that I am making it as authentic as possible. It's interesting to see descriptions and recreations of what we think they wore during Tudor and Elizabethan times. My dress is Elizabethan. It is similar to the pattern for the Shakespeare in Love dress, but that was just a jumping off point. I have changed more of the pattern than I have kept, but it's really starting to look good. I have finished a full length chemise that I designed myself, an overskirt, an underskirt, and a forepart (the pretty part that shows under the front of the skirt.) I'm still working on the bodice and bumroll, which will help to hold up all of those skirts. I must say, this costume has gone the smoothest of any I've made, especially considering all of the alterations I have made. I still enjoy making costumes, even though I've made dozens and really enjoy getting into the history of each one. Anyway, I'll be posting pictures of the finished product soon, as well as pictures of the remaining 5 costumes that I have to complete before the 17th of April. I'm going to be very busy!

Ren Faire fun

Bean with Titania, Queen of the Fairies, and her Court

My family enjoys going to Renaissance Faires. We dress up in costume and spend a day among the Lords and Ladies of the Kings court. It's a lot of fun and a unique experience. As purchasing costumes can be very expensive, I make all of my own, my family's and most of our friends. It's a lot of work to make sure that they are authentic, but it's well worth the effort. We all look great and it's a much richer experience to go to the Faire planning to play along instead of looking in as an outsider. For the next several weeks leading up to the Georgia Renaissance Festival, I will be working on half a dozen new costumes, so I'm going to be rather busy. As I spend a lot of time researching each costume, I'll try to share any interesting information I find. Enjoy!!