Even if it’s not your favorite channel, everyone at some point or another has flipped to Animal Planet, Discovery, or the Travel Channel and watched a program or two. On these channels are some very enigmatic explorer/wildlife enthusiast types that draw you in with their excitement for nature and (sometimes) funny accents. They travel all over the planet and pick up wild animals with their bare hands so that viewers can get a better view and can learn something about these creatures that they might never see up close in their lifetimes. Why not be one of these explorers for Halloween? The costume is actually pretty simple -even if you choose not to buy it from a store or website- because a stereotype has emerged as to how these people dress.

steve irwin costume

First you should start with some heavy duty work boots, the kind that would provide the most protection against creatures of the wild should they decide to chomp down on your feet. Then a pair of thick socks to… absorb your foot sweat I imagine. Next in line are a pair of kaki or green cargo shorts. Cargo meaning pockets, lots of pockets for your nature adventures. A button down kaki shirt should also include pockets, as well as the logo for your television show, should you decide on a specific one. Last but not least you should have a big smile on your face and/or an amazing hat to keep that unforgiving sun out of your eyes. Almost like magic, your costume is complete!

No wildlife enthusiast is at home without a bit of nature however, so if you wanted to go that extra mile for your costume you could take with you a blow up crocodile pool toy, or a plush/rubber snake. You could put a bunch of plastic scorpions in a clear box and carry them around, or perhaps have a toy monkey sit on your shoulder. The most important thing is to have fun, and (if you want) to put on the weirdest accent you can possibly manage and narrate your observations on fellow party goers as if they were creatures in their natural habitat.

Happy exploring!

A favorite childhood fairytale for many is Alice in Wonderland. Though most of us only know the 1951 Walt Disney version movie, the book was written in 1865 and is a slightly darker adventure. It’s also slightly less known that some of the characters featured in the Disney version actually first appeared in ‘Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There’ which was published in 1871 as a sequel to Alice in Wonderland, and were not present or mentioned in the first book at all.

Alice in Wonderland

In Alice in Wonderland, Alice is reading under a tree in the park when she becomes distracted by a rabbit. After following the white rabbit down the rabbit hole Alice embarked on a journey that mainly consisted of strange creatures and Alice’s amazing ability to offend most of them. The story was so creative and intriguing though, that it has lasted for generations and generations. A new film is currently in the works where Tim Burton will put his spin on the tale. As per usual, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter will be part of the cast.

This upcoming Halloween, or any anniversary of the work (It will be one hundred and forty-five years old next November 26th I believe) would be a great time to celebrate one of Lewis Carroll’s most popular works. It’s a very good excuse to throw a party, right?

Write down each character’s name and throw all the possibilities into a hat, then have your friends draw out who they will be. You could have them dress in Alice in Wonderland costumes or simply give them nametags. Either way, book themed activities or foods would be a lot of fun. You could have your own mad tea party (spiking the tea, if you were so inclined) or invent your own game. Perhaps have the queen “behead” the losers? If you’re a parent though, and wanted to do an Alice themed party for your children you could have a ‘find the white rabbit’ clue hunt, where at the end of the game someone wins an actual stuffed bunny.

May we reconvene under the blood red moon,
-Black Widow

The roaring twenties was a time when the skirts and hair on women suddenly got shorter, alcohol was outlawed, and organized mafia crime really took off and changed into what we know it as today. But possibly the fact that will be most useful to you this Halloween is that everyone dressed really sharply.

Gangsters and Flappers

If you wanted to be a 1920’s gangster for Halloween, then buying the costume would probably be cheaper than being custom fitted for your own pinstripe suit (that is, unless you were going to need the suit for a wedding/prom/fancy event anyway). There are versions available for both men and women with only small differences. The womens costumes come with skirts instead of pants (usually) and you have the option of pink, or your midriff showing, etc. The mens are pretty straightforward normal pinstripe suits. For both though, the accessories can really make or break the costume. For example, what gangster is complete with out his/her badass fedora hat or Tommy gun? In the interest of not getting arrested for bringing a real gun to the party, there are properly sized toy guns that even make that ratta-tat-tat noise when you pull the trigger. There are also fake cigarettes and cigars that have some kind of powder in them so that when you blow out onto them it appears that the cigarette is really producing smoke.

Additionally -and in the event that you’re just not that into crime- there are tons of flapper costumes too. They range from very elaborate, with draping beading all down the front and back, to more straightforward dresses with fringe decoration on the bottom and around the neckline. You could impress your friends if you managed to learn a few steps to the popular dances from back then as well. I’m sure there are instructions on the internet or demonstrations on you tube that could help you at least get down the general movement of it.

As always, have fun!