And thus goes my life

Every time I try to save money it ends up costing me money.

Seriously.

Like the time I wanted to re-do the kids' bedrooms and thought I'd save money by buying Ikea quilt covers to put over their existing comforters. The patterns on the old ones could be seen through the new covers, clashing terribly. Plus the old comforters shifted around so terribly in the new ones that I eventually ended up buying quilt batting, stuffing it inside thee quilt covers and typing them like quilts which, in the end, cost me just as much money plus lots more of my time then if I had just bought what I wanted in the first place.

Or the time I wanted new curtains for my family room. I found the ones I liked. But feeling like they were not in the budget I found a really cool blanket at Ikea (again at Ikea....maybe Ikea is my problem) that I cut up and hemmed up to make the curtains. Only problem was that the first time I washed them they shrunk and were now smaller then the windows. After a few weeks I was so frustrated with the too tiny curtains that ended up back at Target and just bought the ones I had wanted in the first place.

This is how I do things apparently.

See-every year I think that it will be cheaper if I make the kids' Halloween costumes. Now, I've heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I have been a mom for 6 1/2 years now. You would think I would learn that making Halloween costumes is ALWAYS a nightmare. But somehow I always seem to forget.

So this year was no different. (And now you already know how this story is going to end.)

Zoey wanted to be a witch so I found some black and orange tights for $3 and thought it would be really cute to make her a black tutu. I went to 4 different Wal-marts only find they were ALL out of black tulle already (even though it wasn't even October yet) so I ended up at JoAnn. I had a 40% coupon so I decided to splurge and get the glittery black tulle only to find out that I couldn't actually use my coupon because it was already 20% off. Which means sticker shock at the cash register when my 2 yards rang up the almost $8.

I then found an orange sheer curtain at Walmart on the clearance aisle for $2 and bought it, too.

Then I walked into Target and found an already made black tutu (complete with silver stars) for 10 bucks. Yea, you do the math!

But since I can't return cut fabric I already felt committed to making it. So I grumbled all the way home to my sewing machine.

I had no idea what I was going to do with my $10 worth of fabric but in the end this is what I ended up with.





I'd like to give you a tutorial on how I made the skirt but I really was making it up as I went and I have no idea what I did. This also might be a good time to mention that the glittery tulle was not such a great idea, cost aside. I forget that glitter goes everywhere and sticks to everything!

For her top I took a spool or orange ribbon from the dollar store and hand stitched in a criss-cross pattern onto a cheap black shirt from Walmart.



And the hat was from the dollar section at Target with some orange tulle hot glued to it.



I was going to hot glue some more ribbon around where I hot glued it but ran out of oompf.

And so now I guess you're expecting a picture of the little witch.

Well, ask and ye shall receive. Ask nicely.....

Well, okay, since you did say please.



So, in the end it cost me money and LOTS more time to make it myself. But the consolation prize is that next year she can wear an orange shirt and be a pumpkin using the same skirt.