Now that you have been convinced you need a vintage costume, I'm here to tell you that you're in luck. I am showcasing four different vintage pieces from my own shop and showing you how to create your own unique vintage Halloween costume. See more vintage costume pieces in my shop.

If you are a fan of Mad Men like me, you probably like at least one of three female characters on the show: Joan, Betty or Peggy! Peggy as a character develops dramatically in the later seasons. Dress as her in a classy long-sleeve blouse, pleated skirt and snazzy silk scarf. Add a belt or bracelet as a few finishing touches. How do you create Peggy's simple and classic hair-do?

• Do not wash your hair for up to 24 hours before styling. You want your hair to have some oil in it to withstand this style. Begin by putting a mousse or thickening spray through your hair. Don't use too much!
• Flip your head upside down and add a bit of the mousse and thickening spray from your roots to the end of your hair.
• If you have bangs, separate them at your forehead where you want them.
• Everything behind the bangs, begin to tease! Not sure how? Take a comb or bristle brush and lift up a section of your hair approx. 3" in width. Now brush backwards. Do this a few times to create a "rats nest". It's okay-- it will look horrible at first! Do this to every section of your hair around your crown.
• Now brush the hair back, smoothing the hair over the rats nest. This nest is what creates the "bouffant" look and illusion of volume. Finish this with a little hairspray.
• Curl your bangs just slightly (don't over-do it!) and then spray the ends of your hair with hairspray. Curl the ends of your hair up. You will most likely have to hold the curling iron at the ends of your hair for a bit longer than usual. The hairspray sprayed before curling should help keep the hair-do longer. 
  
• You can add a headband if you like for a more finished look!

Does your guy still need a costume? I think most men would love the idea as dressing up as a WWII army soldier. Your basic army soldier costume consists of a green army jacket (pictured right above), a helmet, fake gun (if desired), khaki or green pants and brown combat boots.

Want an even more authentic look? Add some shoe polish or grown charcoal to any places with exposed skin. Add some purple eyes hadow in places to create bruises. Even use red liquid makeup or lipl iner for small "cuts" and "scrapes".

Ever wanted to be Scarlett O' Hara from Gone with the Wind? A southern belle costume is always a fun standby. The basis of this costume is a fabulous satin or taffeta ball gown style dress. Be sure to use a crinoline or hoop skirt beneath the skirt of the dress to create that bell-shaped look. Use a wide-brimmed hat to tie in the look. Add red lip-stick and dark shadowed eyes for an even sultrier look.

What other accessories?

• Consider a parasol (for protecting a southern belle's fair skin).
  
• Bows to place in the hair
• A tight waist belt or sash that ties in the back.
• A hair snood for an easy hair-do.

If you like to run on the brink of the final frontier, maybe give Star Trek a try! I always admired the character of Uhura from the original Star Trek series. Short red gogo-style dresses, black tights and tall black boots. Sexy in a treky way!

All you need is a Star Trek communicator pin and you're set!

Winter in Minnesota tends to begin in November (although snow has fallen much earlier!). Temperatures begin to dip into the 40s and upper 30s. The skies turn a light gray and the sun begins to go down closer to 4:30pm versus 9:30pm during the summer. My car lacks traction control, so digging at my tires with a neon kid's shovel is a regular occurrence. Plus, the blower motor I thought I fixed in my car is now no longer working-- no heat in an ice box of a wilderness...oh joy.

A few weekends ago, I went garage salin' with my mom. It was like old times-- digging through boxes, commenting on old hippie things from the 60s and 70s. I found quite a few vintage clothing pieces which I feel are harder and harder to find since vintage fashion has hugely come back in style. At one sale, I happened upon a 1960s dress suit for $3 (what a steal!). As I walked up to the lady, I noticed a jagged pointy-looking piece of hardware. I uncovered it from beneath some rubbish and realized it was an old mid century modern clock (like the one pictured above)....with a tag marked FREE! The lady's husband commented that it was mine if I could get it to work. That was just the challenge I needed.

I took the dress suit & clock home with me...but then I realized something: I've never fixed or rebuilt a clock in my life! So I did some research and found just what I needed. Only this DIY clock is made using recycled plastic flatware. That's right--courtesy of Samuel Bernier at Instructables.com, for just around $15, you could build this clock tonight. 

PLASTIC FLATWARE CLOCK

Perusing the Etsy pages recently, I found a drop-dead gorgeous dress from Israel. When I think of Israel, I don't think of fashion, but that got me thinking: How much are we missing when we only pay attention to American & European designer labels? Let's take a look at some beautiful and original fashion designs from lovely Etsy sellers around the world. I've chosen eight beautiful items from fantastic sellers from California, Brazil, Israel, Norway, Toronto, South Africa, New Zealand and Ukraine.

A great dessert to include in your vintage-inspired Halloween party could be cake pops! There are lots of options for these handy little munchies-- make them into zombies, pumpkins, bats, eyeballs, etc. Buy them online on etsy or make your own.

Halloween party decorations don't have to be just black and orange. Add some purple, teal or lime green for an extra retro kick! Atmosphere is everything if you're looking to create a "spooky" haunted house feeling. Don't forget the music & sound effects...just make sure to hide the boombox from guests.

A great activity for your vintage Halloween party might include playing an old-fashioned "Mystery game". These are great ice breaker games for guests who might not know many people and can provide many laughs & memories. Even better-- provide "props" for your guests so they can become more in character (think monocle, feather boa, 1950s hat, lots of jewelry, mens ties, etc.)

Going over a list of style trends for Fall 2012, I definitely noticed a trend that stood out-- hot neon colors! Lemon yellows, lime greens and tangerine all top the list, but hot pink is the go-to color for Fall! The two dresses featured below were chosen as pieces that would work well in the workplace but transfer to happy hour or a dinner date later. And with a vintage 1960s hot pink dress, you really can't go wrong...

I have had weddings on the brain lately. Not that I'm even engaged yet (Brent--wink, wink). My boyfriend and I have been happily sharing an apartment for the last two years and every once in a while, I tag another "wedding idea" on my "dream wedding" pinterest board. Knowing myself, I will want to do as much on my own as possible--partly because I believe if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself and also because it can be a heck of a lot cheaper. I think I'd even bake/decorate my own wedding cake if I gave it some practice.


So this post is in honor of those budget-minded brides out there. We all want a fabulous and memorable wedding---just minus the $30,000 price tag. Am I right? And once again, I will be featuring a host of Etsy sellers with budget-minded brides in mind. Enjoy lovelies!

This week's "Get the Look" feature focuses on the classic ballet flat. This flat features a two-tone look with polished low-profile heel and black cap-toe. For a touch of European chic, this flat is for you. Comfortable yet stylish for everyday wear or a cocktail party: the ever versatile cap toe ballet flat.