Halloween 2013: Katherine made me do it

A few weeks ago my friend Katherine called and confessed, "I just sold my soul to the Devil...." 

"I bought my kids Halloween costumes.
(Gasp)
We were at TJ Maxx and they had these really cool princess/renaissance/gown dresses and they were really beautiful!  For only $30!  And I caved."

"Oh man.  I need to cave too."

And I totally did.

This year we did a storebought Halloween!
And everyone seems happy.
And I'm not saying I'm swearing off homemade costumes forever.  It really is rewarding to see a unique creation come together.  And I'm so happy to have previous posts to remember the kids throughout the years:
2009: Sam I Am and Cat in the Hat
2010: Alice in Wonderland and Mad Hatter
2011: Austin Bats
2012: Indecisive Princess and Mace Windu

But you just can't do everything.  And at the moment, the new home project, and the current home project (prepping it to sell) have taken over my life.  So I swung by TJ Maxx and came home with this pretty purple gown for Lucy.   She had mentioned at one point wanting to be Padme from Star Wars (Queen Amidala) or Rose Petal (a childhood toy I recently shared with her).  So I told her that if she really wanted me to make her a costume, I still would....but that she should just take a look at this purple dress and tell me what she thinks....

Annnnnd, yep.  She loved it!  The velvet, the fur collar, the flowy sleeves.  She thought it was the prettiest thing she'd ever seen (and she's come into my closet every day to just gaze at the gown and touch the sleeves.

These pretty gold sandals from GAP matched perfectly.  And then Lucy exclaimed, "Mom!  This dress is exactly like Padme's senate dress!"
(we know the various wardrobe changes for Natalie Portman?  Definitely gone to the dark side)

Wow.  Whatdaya know??  Pretty close!
SO....Mom did good.  Lucy is Padme afterall, just as she had planned.

With a slightly different but royal headpiece.

And for Owen?  It was even easier.
"What do you want to be this year?"

"Luke Skywalker."

"Okay.  But which version?!  Tatooine Luke?  Or Jedi Luke?"
(Cause we know he's got last year's moves down pretty well)

"Luke from Return of the Jedi....from the part at the end, right before he fights Darth Vader, and the Emperor does storms on him."

("Storms" = crazy bolts of electricity from wrinkly hands.  Makes me laugh every time he says it)

"Okay, so what do we need to be Jedi Luke?"
"It's easy.  We have everything!"
And here's what he put together:

The important item being The Glove (or the animatronic droid hand).

And we did throw in a piece of homemade costumery....the capes I made for the kids two years ago!
It was the perfect piece for a pensive Luke, contemplating the task before him....to fight his own father.

"I will never turn to the Dark Side!"

And there you have it.
Honorable Luke and Happy Padme.

But....if you want to know what they REALLY look like?
I'd say they're going as Buttercup and Wesley.  Cause it wasn't long before this was happening....

Oh these two.
There are the best of friends.

Lost without the other one.

Happy Halloween!

(Oh and yes, I have one more child.  And I really took the easy route there....she's dressing up as a 20 month old Toddler!  Sorry Clara.  We'll dress you up next year)