Freedom Fashion

Let’s face it, with the economy going the way it is, more and more families are searching for ways to save a few dollars here and there. And now, with the fall season upon us, we are approaching three main festivals that require the spending of money - Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get a few ideas to help us save some money during these times, instead of spending more?

Well, I’ve got great news for you! Why not take some time to make your own homemade Halloween costume. This will not only save you some money, but it can be a great family activity for you and your children. And in this day and age, we could always use a little more quality family time.

Most of us aren’t very creative, so here are four ideas to get you started in making your own homemade Halloween costume:

1. Clothes from Your Closet

Old prom dresses or bridesmaid dresses can turn into a bride’s gown or a beauty pageant costume for a little girl. Or raid dad’s closet and dress like a Nerd or Businessman. If you dig deep enough into your closet, you might even be able to pull off a last-minute Punk Rocker or Hippie costume.

2. Headbands

Many costumes require little more than a headband and a hot glue gun. If you have those two items at home, look around your house for items to start gluing on. If you have some tulle, a doily, lace, or any piece of fabric, you can make a veil. Add flowers to really ‘fancy it up’. Cut some felt pieces and glue them on to make ears (bunny ears, cat ears, dog ears, or any other animal you can imagine). You can even quickly make antennae to be an alien or bug by simply gluing some pipe cleaners onto a headband.

3. Sweatsuits

A white sweatsuit can easily become a cow or Dalmatian. Simply take a Black Sharpie and draw spots onto the fabric. Then put a little black on your child’s nose. (Add ears if you have time, using a headband and felt - see above.)

4. Cardboard Boxes

Got a large cardboard box laying around? Cut holes for your head and arms, and then create any number of costumes in minutes. For example, your child can be a TV - just take a black marker and draw a screen and some buttons onto the front. You can even take an old cord and glue it to the back of the box. How about a computer? Same idea — draw a screen on the front, and then glue a computer mouse (or even a furry mouse as a joke) to the side of the box. Or my favorite — a washing machine. Make an opening on top of the box (in front of the child’s head), or on the front of the box. Inside this opening you can glue a smaller box or bag, and this can be where everyone places the child’s candy when he goes trick or treating.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a fun, inexpensive homemade Halloween costume. Just look around the house and use a little imagination, and your child will soon be wearing one of the best costumes in the neighborhood!

Do you remember the good times when you had during the 50’s? The decade when Rock and Roll was born? The decade that meant good times is just starting? The fly, the twist, the mambo jambo, the rhumba, the La Bamba, the Boogie and those other wild crazy dancing? What about the fashion? Do you remember what it’s like during those times? During this decade, the raw materials of Scottish tweeds and English worsted suit materials were renowned as being of exceptional quality.

The wools were also used by the French and the British did everything they could to promote the fine materials with fine designs. The result would be 1950s glamour. But before that, 18-year-old girls used to dress up as if they are older than their mothers and with the revolutionary style of the late 1950’s, out-of-style fashion and elaborate designs came out with a rampage. Wouldn’t it be fun to relive those 1950’s fashion even just once every year? How about this coming Halloween? You can even opt to celebrate it wearing the Fifties Halloween costumes.

If you’re thinking about 50’s-styel Halloween costumes, perhaps, the closest thing that you’re going to get is an Elvis Presley costume. The King of Rock n Roll was famous not only for his cornerstone fusion of rock n rolls, country, rhythm and blues and gospel music, but he was also famous for the clothes that he wore.

Even up to now, you can still see some traces of Elvis influence wherever you go. Why, even making the collar of your sports shirt stand from one shoulder to another reaching both of your ears is a sure sign of Elvis-style clothing. Costumes of the King of Rock and Roll are always in high demand and this has been further fueled by both Stag Night parties and, more lately, cricket fans where you commonly see a whole group of Elvis running around either swaying their pelvis or just walking cat-style.

Elvis has always had a distinctive style and any age group will surely be fascinated by his guts of being different from the rest. And even in any different occasion or just on ordinary days, people find themselves fancy a clothing style influenced by Elvis.

Today, a lot of costume retailers have a wide selection of Elvis and other 50’s, late 50’s and early 60’s costumes that will surely make heads turn during the Halloween event. There are even some available elaborate Elvis costumes that would tickle the fancy of show performers and impersonators anywhere.

But always remember, you don’t have to be expensive to be genuine and a stand-out. You can just dress up an early-Elvis costume that’s made up of skinny fit jeans, white tee, black jacket, a gel-style combed-back hair and a pair of stick-on sideburns and you is done.

But what if you don’t want to be like Elvis? Well, you don’t have to miss out the Halloween fun just because you don’t want to look like The King. Cats can wear jeans with turn-ups, the same white tee and swept-back "greased" hair and the chicks can go around with clam digger trousers, tight jumper and a chiffon scarf worn in the hair and if you think that the sun still shines on you even if it’s night time already, go and get some 50’s-style dark sunglasses.

So, whether you want to be like Elvis, Fats Domino, Ritchie Valens or The Platters, for sure, you can find these Fifties Halloween costumes to be a stand-out in the crowd, whether you bought it offline or online or you might have made one for your own by yourself.

A natural healthy lifestyle is made from natural habits that help to eliminate discomfort and disease and regulate your body’s functions with no chemical use.

Speaking about natural habits we refer these that work in full harmony with your immune system, providing it with all the support it will need to perform as its best.

The western society is known as a world depending on its long list of chemical health medicines. Synthetic drugs may have a positive action, but very often their side effects create many complications.

With a natural healthy lifestyle things are crystal clear, they maintain and improve the body function and they have hardly a side effect.

But what is a natural healthy lifestyle?

As we said before, it is a system of natural habits targeting body healing by using healthy nutrition (diets), complementary and alternative medicine, exercise and fitness, mental and spiritual practices and more. The natural healthy lifestyle goal is to improve the immune system functions, so that your body can continue to maintain its daily functions.

There are still some question marks regarding whether some of these habits are safe and whether some have a positive result for the diseases or medical conditions for which they are designed. But the good thing is that scientific studies reveals more and more evidences related to efficiency of natural healthy lifestyle.

The word is out-wide belts are the hottest fashion accessory for spring-the perfect compliment for the gorgeous dresses slated for spring and summer. Belts look great with many different styles of dresses hitting stores, from free-flowing sundresses to shirt dresses to tunics. Really wide belts (3 inches or wider) are a hot ticket item, as are leather sashes, leather or cloth wraps and stretchy cinch belts. Get one in grey, black, brown, red, white, metallic, and pretty much any vibrant color.

Wide belts add the right feminine touch to shirt dresses, and a more tailored, modern look to shift and tunic dresses-a flirty girl-next-door flair to full skirted dresses for evening.

How to wear wide belts

The key to wearing wide belts is to wear them high, as in right under the breast bone. These belts are meant to accentuate the upper body and cinch the waist, unlike the "old" kind that went through your belt loops to either a) hold up your pants and/or b) accentuate your fanny. If you’re curvier, a wide belt is extremely flattering if worn correctly. A wider belt worn high can melt off pounds-no trips to the gym required.

Now that I’ve touted the benefits of wide belts, it’s time to talk about wide belt no-no’s. A belt seems like it’s a simple enough concept for most to figure out. But we’ve all seen the Don’t section in Glamour. Don’t be a don’t: avoid cheap looking belt made of synthetic material, or one that’s too big. If it gaps in the back, it’s not the right belt for you. Likewise, if you feel like you’re about to pass out because the belt is too tight, chances are you’re suffering for beauty. Get the hint, and find a belt that fits. Don’t wear a wide belt too low, the look is less than flattering. And lastly, don’t over-accessorize. The belt is the centerpiece of your outfit. Think twice about loud jewelry and overly embellished shoes.

What do you think about the wide belt trend? Think they’ll make it a couple more seasons? Personally I love this trend. I was too young to really take advantage of it the first time around, and now being petite, I just love the slimming effect of wide belts.