Shhh! Here's Sandra's secret for throwing a hauntingly horrifying Halloween party: Dream up a persona (hers is the pirate Queen Anne Revenge), then lavishly center your soiree around the story you've spun. Invite your bravest friends to come...if they dare!
Freaky Chic
Create an eerily elegant look befitting the matriarch of all buccaneers by wearing white contact lenses and a base layer of white makeup; add pronounced eye makeup and peel-and-stick scrapbook pearls to cheeks and lips.
On the table, lend a little polish to your gothic theme - skulls and black glasses provide the dark detail — with fancy rose-hued dishes and gold doubloons.
Tattered & Tarnished
For bedraggled old-world glamour, make orange and pink flowers (like ranunculus and roses) appear to be past their bloom by lightly spraying their edges with metallic paint. Display flowers in tarnished silver vessels that you can find at flea markets and thrift shops.
Lacey Loot
A pirate’s party calls for a slightly sinister and very decadent dessert spread. Dip bakery-bought crispy marshmallow treats in pink melting chocolate and black sprinkles. Display pink cake pops in a piece of florist foam wrapped with pink tissue, then black lace. Fill lace-bedecked apothecary jars with gumballs. Mix in shimmery gold accent dishes.
Flight of Fancy
“Wistfully, I watch as my beloved crew sails away, abandoning me to a solitary eternity among these crumbling ruins. I cannot blame them; they thought I was dead. Now, I can only wish I were. Alone, with no friend but my faithful cockatoo Phoenix, I am the un-dead. Me, who had once been legendary, the greatest marauder of my time! No man could tame me, and my life was never ending, a joyful dance of decadence. But I got greedy. Looting a rival's galleon, I spied a necklace—a mother-of-pearl masterpiece so stunning I had to steal it. How could I know its white magic was poison to pirates, and that the moment I clasped the cameo's chain would be my last on earth?" —Queen Anne Revenge
For this costume, Sandra started with two thrift store finds: a tiered wedding skirt and a bustier. She mixed it with other accessories and costume-store buys, from a gold crinoline and marabou feathers (soaked in tea for an antiqued look) to a blond wig and Indian headdress trimmed with a sequined headband. Browse BuyCostumes.com to fire up your imagination — then start mixing and matching!
