I used to love to dress up and pretend to be someone else as a kid, didn’t you?
But then adulthood happened, and with it comes much more responsibility and not quite as many opportunities to play. I don’t remember the last time I played “dress up”… the last time I played pretend. And I personally didn’t realize how much I missed it.
Not until I had the golden opportunity to be reminded.
How It All Began
About two weeks ago, I received an invitation to a friend’s 40th Birthday party:
At first I freaked out a little bit.
The “Costumes Essential” part got me wondering how in the world I would pull this off???
I really freaked out when I received my character packet a few days before the party.
I was assigned to be Miss Evangelina Lavine — A model with a classy, seductive (Ha! I skipped that part), and generally annoyed disposition who makes a living shining in all the latest movies and high fashion photo shoots. She’s always sporting the finest jewelry and most fashionable trends.
Laughable… Right?
Anyone who has been around me for more than a brief two seconds knows this would be soooooo outside of my comfort zone.
I’ve never qualified as the stereotypical “model status”. (Totally ok, not all of us do!) I’ve always been more of the passable, athletic, solid, chunk of female kinda human.
My wardrobe is pretty minimal and simple. I walked into Target recently and was blown away but what’s considered “in.” I had no idea.
I know nothing about hair. Mine generally spends way too much time in a messy bun.
Makeup has NEVER been my thing. Seriously… most days I go without and then throw a little on five minutes before church on Sunday morning or a night out with my husband.
And well… classy is just not exactly a word I would use when describing myself.
Worst of all… I really only knew the couple hosting the party. How was I going to pull this off without humiliating myself in a room full of strangers?
And Yet…
There was one part of this impending scenario that I’ve always enjoyed… something that threw a little excitement into my mounting anxiety…
Acting.
I love to put on a show. I love the change of pace and perspective that comes with a good ole game of pretend. I love to throw myself into a character and make it believable. I just haven’t had all that many opportunities.
Well, this was my chance.
I knew I’d need to be all in, or all out.
I chose the former.
First, Accessories!
So, I began my desperate search to create costumes for my “gambler/bookie” of a party date Marcelo Luciano (aka Derek) and myself. I knew with just a few accessories, we could step up our game and it would give me something to go off of in creating the rest of the costumes.
The only problem was that we received our character assignments on Tuesday night. The party was Saturday night. And Amazon has been a bit slow lately.
Nevertheless, I hopped online Wednesday morning and ordered a vest and a pocket watch for Derek and a set of 1920’s accessories for myself. You know, gloves, pearls, fancy earrings, a feathered head band, and… of course, a Cruella Deville style cigarette holder.
All of these were due in on Saturday… just hours before the party would begin. And I’ve had more than one package run late in the recent months. So, I said a prayer (like, for real) and hoped for the best.
Next, The Dress
I knew Derek could wear a simple pair of slacks and a white shirt with his vest, pocket watch and a stack of fake bills and pull his part off beautifully… but I wasn’t sure that any of the few dresses I own would allow me to pull off a 1920’s fashion model. Still, in an attempt to save a few dollars, I scoured my closet for a dress that might work. I pulled out an old bridesmaids dress from a friends wedding some eight years ago. It was a simple, timeless, knee length black dress.
Black. That’s elegant. That’s classy, right? Black’s always been “in”, hasn’t it?
And The Shoes
What shoes would I wear when I hardly don dresses anymore? My heel collection has always been slightly lacking…
Wait! I suddenly remembered that, just days before, Derek and I had been going through some boxes in our room and I’d tossed a pair of old, closed toed black heels into the thrift bin. Coincidentally, they carried a heavy 20’s vibe and, thankfully, we hadn’t made the drop off yet. They’d be perfect!
Now For The Hard Part…
Aware of my own inabilities when it comes to hair and makeup, I was worried. There was a good chance that, by the time I finished my hair and makeup, they’d have done better to label me as the smeary eyed, messy drunk lady that only attends the party for the drinks. I really didn’t want that to be the case.
So… to my friends who are as lost on hair and makeup as I am, I’m here to tell you that a little confidence, some YouTube videos, and lots of prayer can take you a long way! My look was by no means perfect, but I learned a lot and was surprised at how much fun I had in the process.
And to my friends who are experts in these areas… you can just stop reading here. Or if you insist on continuing… don’t be judgy. Ha!
The Hair
I watched countless video tutorials over the next three days to inspire myself and gather a few tips. I quickly realized that I would not be attempting the popular “finger waves” of that time. Waaaaaay too complicated. I found another, much easier option and felt satisfied that I could pull it off.
I’m often a procrastinator… and being a busy mama doesn’t help. Still, I knew I didn’t want to be flustered in the getting ready process, so, though the party wasn’t till 5:00 PM, I went ahead and curled my hair when I found a moment of free time at 10:00 Saturday morning.
For the finishing touches, I would need my head band (who’s arrival I was still anxiously awaiting), so the completed look would have to wait.
Oh, and as a side note, I never paint my finger nails these days since they chip in about five minutes chasing after little boys… but I slapped on some classy, shimmery nail polish anyway. I felt like the small details mattered too.
The Makeup
Now, I’d watched quite a few 1920’s makeup tutorials as well. I honestly got kind of overwhelmed by them. I didn’t have HALF of the products or experience these “influencers” said I would need for this classic face of makeup.
I wondered if I could cheat here by skipping a few steps… I certainly wasn’t about to go drop a ton of money on makeup I’d never use again. Though I did splurge on some bold red lipstick which I might never wear again… I didn’t feel it was optional. (Oh, and by splurge I mean I paid $4 at Dollar General.)
Now, another moment of calm opened up around 2:30 in the afternoon, so I decided to go ahead and start fixing up my face.
Step One: Foundation (Gotta aim for that doll face, right?)
No concealer. No powder. Just foundation. It’s all I had. This is the one makeup product I’m willing to splurge on. I use LimeLife by Alcone’s Perfect Foundation. It’s all natural and lasts ALL day. I buy it every six months or so from my friend Kacie. It’s the only product I’ll drop a link for, simply cause it’s awesome sauce.
https://www.limelifebyalcone.com/corporphan/product/AAHBFM
Step Two: Dramatic eyebrows
One tutorial I watched said eyebrows of the 1920s were dramatically drawn out. So I did my best.
Step Three: Blush… of course!
I’ll confess… I cheated and used pink eye shadow because I already had it and didn’t feel like spending more money.
Step Four: Mascara
Most tutorials called for fake lashes. Forget that craziness, I curled mine and layered on the mascara.
Step Five: The Smoky Eye
Taking advice from a mish mash of various tutorials… I did my first low key smoky eye basically ever. Not perfect, but not too bad, either.
Step Six: The Lips!
I took the advice from the tutorials and created something of a heart shape with my bright red lipstick without going all the way to the corners of my lips and I actually didn’t hate the end result.
Just as I had finished with this part, my oldest knocked on the bathroom door. The look of shock, then excitement, then a big smile as he said, “Wow, mom, you look… different!” was actually pretty encouraging and rewarding.
Putting It All Together
Our costume accessories arrived only a few hours before the party. I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked God (all kidding aside) that they’d come in time.
Now I could don my dress and accessories and finish my hair. (I simply twisted my hair back and tucked it into the head piece.)
By about 3:45, I was ready and wanted to grab a few photos before we left. Ryan stood on the couch and played photographer for a few minutes.
My “gambling/bookie” party partner had gotten pretty spiffed up himself.
And off we went!
The boys were excited to see their friends. The couple throwing the party also have three little boys and many couples in attendance had young children, so there was a separate room for them to play and eat treats while the couples spent the evening finding out “who done it???”
I didn’t get tons of pictures of the night, as I was too busy sleuthing, but believe me, it was a blast!
Everyone showed up and showed out and it was an absolute ball!
To fill out my character, I decided to take on a British accent, called everyone “darling” and found taking a few puffs on my empty cigarette holder now and again to be the perfect nervous habit to fill any awkward silences. (Yes, yes I did… but don’t worry, the evening was very PG ;))
So, all in all, I began this process anxious and uncertain and ended it feeling like a million bucks. It was a ton more fun than I ever anticipated! I started off with my daily messy haired, jeans and t-shirt, mama look (not a thing wrong with that, mind you) but ended the day feeling exhilarated for the chance to step back in time, be someone else for a night, and party like it was 1920!
Moral Of The Story
It’s ok to step outside your comfort zone.
Trying new things means learning and growing.
YTU (Youtube University) and lots of prayer can get you farther than you might think.
Being experienced at anything always starts with that first try.
Oh… and make time for the fun stuff. It’s worth it!
My Family Freedom 