Disney Villains as The Reprehensibles

"Never send a hero to do a villain's job." That's the motto that Disney villainesses would live by if they decided to form an elite alliance, like the characters in The Expendables! Of course in this instance there would be crimes committed rather than solved, but isn't it more fun to be bad every so often? In a mash-up we have dubbed "The Reprehensibles," 5 of the most notorious Disney baddies have been given their own Expendables style movie poster!

Maleficent has her own movie premiering this Friday, so she insisted on being in the middle. We thought it wise not to argue with Maleficent.

1. MALEFICENT

Maleficent is the self-proclaimed mistress of all evil. With that attitude and those horns, that sounds about right.

2. CRUELLA DE VIL

Few could stand a chance against a woman that delights in causing the untimely demise of puppies.

3. THE EVIL QUEEN

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who is the baddest of them all?

4. THE QUEEN OF HEARTS

She that liveth by the creed, "off with their heads," pulleth no punches.

5. URSULA 

We pity any poor, unfortunate soul that tangles with this famous sea witch.

This article was reposted by permission from HalloweenCostumes.com where you can find all the gear to make your own villain costume!

Last Minute Halloween: Angry Birds Costumes

My first exposure to the world of advertising came at a very young age. Our neighbor in Maunawili was a Dutch guy who worked for an agency, I think as a creative director. They always had cool stuff at their house, in retrospect perhaps because they had no kids and a great deal of pakalolo. Lots of artsy types, designer furniture and magazines. It was fun to hang out over there and I think they liked having me around for my childlike wonder or some such, which is funny because I was a freakishly intellectual little kid. Don't laugh, I think it wore off as I grew up.

At the time, I was mildly obsessed with the Ed Emberly doodle books and showed them to Nick, who promptly lifted the concept and turned it into the "Zippy Doodles" campaign for a local restaurant chain. I was in the TV ads, drawing on the iconic orange Zippy's square with a marker. My payment was the Donny and Marie TV show playset. Obviously, I was born to be a marketing muse. But I digress…

Why was this relevant? Well, fast-forward a couple of decades, to about this time last year when I was at eBay for their holiday campaign. The entire trip was a whirlwind of awesomeness but I was particularly thrilled to meet Dennis Goedegebuure, who is one of the few people I've ever encountered who can make analytics remotely interesting to me. We ran into each other again at EVO last summer and apparently like to give each other grief. So, yeah, he's a Dutch marketing guy and that's how my train of though works. Now you know, lucky ducks.

Anyhow, Dennis is busy testing a new concept and we're going to help because it involves the ever-popular Angry Birds. Jasper was delighted that they released a Halloween upgrade and word on the streets is that Angry Birds Costumes are among the most coveted this year, for kids and adults alike. To that end, Dennis has agreed to pose for me in a very fetching Yellow Angry Bird Costume:

Cute, right? Well, it gets even better. On Halloween, he will be wandering the streets of San Francisco dressed up in the golden glory of the Yellow Angry Bird Costume, with matching yellow ensemble underneath. I wish I could see that in person!

I kind of think the Black Angry Birds Costume would look great modified into a minidress. Although I'd be afraid someone would try to pick me up and throw me up into the air… Which Angry Birds character would you most likely dress up as?

Being a Foxy Bombshell

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Dinosaur Train Halloween

We're a little PBS-obsessed in this household so when we were offered a Dinosaur Train costume for Jasper, we jumped at the chance. He looks so cute in his Buddy costume! Hopefully he will let me take a photo of him wearing it before the weekend is through but here's the general idea:

If your little one would like to be Buddy (the orange T-Rex) or Tiny (the green Pteranodon), the costumes are available at Spencer Gifts and other independent and regional retailers. SRP $39.99. If you're more of a DIY costume-maker, Jim Henson's Creature Shop — the folks who brought you Elmo and Miss Piggy, among many others — have created step-by-step instructions for a Buddy costume for you to make at home! There are sew and no-sew methods to try, check out this video of the finished project:

Be sure to watch the Dinosaur Train Halloween episode Night Train, airing this weekend on your local PBS affiliate. Check your local listings for airtimes. Here's a sneak peek:



Disclosure: we received a complimentary Buddy costume for spreading the word about the Dinosaur Train Halloween. 

Halloween is for Grownups at Lingerie.com (Discount)

Halloween has taken on a new meaning for me since having kids. Before becoming a parent, Halloween was typically an excuse to go out in a ridiculous costume and act totally irresponsibly. Now it's mostly about trick or treating, Hannah Montana and Darth Vader. Sigh.

After the kids have gone to sleep, it's time for you to bust out the sexy Halloween costumes. Lingerie.com has a huge selection of new costumes for 2010 including everything from naughty schoolgirl costume (reverses to hot teacher costume!) to a sexy Freddy Krueger costume  and a slinky Princess Leia costume, complete with ear-bun braid wig.

I'm a bit of a purist, I guess, so my favorite is the Naughty Red Riding Hood Costume:

I was surprised at how well-made it is. The fabric is a bit stiff but it's hand-washable and softens up. The miniskirt is actually pretty demure, as sexy costumes go, so I could probably even wear this to take the kids trick or treating if I wore opaque tights. It would also be very appropriate at a renaissance fair or Oktoberfest gathering. You know, wherever heaving bosoms are required. I kind of forgot that costumes generally look better with makeup, oops.

Lingerie.com is currently having a Sexy Halloween Sale, with discounts of 25% or more. As an added bonus for Superdumb Supervillain readers, you will get an extra 10% off your costume price by entering the code "SexyVillain" when you place your order.

What are you going to be for Halloween?

Disclosure: I received the Naughty Red Riding Hood Costume shown above in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are my own.

ValHalla-ween

So I mentioned Chasing Fireflies has dog costumes. Did I mention their unbelievably gorgeous and vast selection of costumes for humans, Wishcraft? No? They have really detailed (and accordingly pricey) costumes that can make your kid into Marie Antoinette, Robin Hood, the Statue of Liberty, you name it. And they have adult costumes, too. Bestill, my heart. My hands-down favorite: the complete Viking family. If I had a couple hundred dollars to allocate for our Halloween attire, I would totally go for that. I think we'd look charming, don't you?



I can see Roo and Jasper garnering tons of treats as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, too…



I love Halloween.

Awesome or Awful?

I am torn. Thoughts?

Princess Leia dog costume, $18 at Chasing Fireflies the boutique that sends out catalogs that make me salivate. Like a dog. (But a royal, Alderonian dog, at least.)

Portrait of a Lady. Or Kiddo.

Hightail it over to Grosgrain's Commissioned Watercolor Portrait Giveaway and you could win a custom painting by Susannah Rodgers of Sitting Pretty Studios.
While you're at it, you should probably enter to win the Nordic Bo Peep and Long Lost Sheep Costume Giveaway. As I say with each successive Grosgrain contest, "this one is my favorite!" I do have a special place in my heart for fluffy sheep and the little ladies who herd them, though.

Hop To It

You must witness the fabulosity of the new Grosgrain giveaway:



Jasper needs it for next year, right?! Not as pretty as Grosgrain's usual stuff but definitely a lot of fun!

Let Roo Wear Grosgrain!

I know, I know. Every Grosgrain Giveaway is my favorite. But seriously, look at the Marie-Therese Gown and just try to dispel its gorgeousness. You can't, can you? I didn't think so. If Roo wins this one, I will make her wear it every single day, just so I can look at her…

Gonna Dress You Up in My Love…

***WINNER PICKED 12/22 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, #24: Three Ps in a Pod!!!***

Roo loves dressing up. No matter how hard you try to imbue your daughter with a tomboy spirit and feminist manifesto, it seems like they all want to be a princess, at least on the outside. Unfortunately, unwashable crunchy poly satin and stretch sequin foiled fabric with glued on maribou trim seems to be the hallmark of the Princess costume monopoly. Most of these things are itchy and uncomfortable, with stiff elastic and scratchy trim that belies their sparkly countenance. It makes absolutely no sense in my world to market a garment for toddlers and young kids to play in more than once when it can only be "wiped clean with a damp cloth."

We have a couple of leftover Halloween costumes that are woefully frayed and, impressively, a ballet costume my obaasan made for my mom when she was little that Roo has worn literally to death. But nothing has come remotely close to the sighs of ecstasy I witnessed when Roo opened her dress up costume (Pink Pauper Princess) from Little Adventures. I swear, she swooned! Then she snatched it and ran to change, yelling "privacy!" She emerged in kind of a spastic frenzy, whirling and twirling around, reminiscent of Kirsten Dunst in Interview With A Vampire:



Then she mellowed out a little, re-accessorized, and did some curtseys.



And then she felt regal enough to bust out the Hot Wheels because Little Adventures dress up wear is actually comfortable enough to move around and PLAY in:


If you don't have daughters (or if your daughters aren't into all things Princess!), Little Adventures also has a super selection of boy dress ups, including this fantastic armor set that I wish came in 6 month size for Jasper…



I also love the matching Little Adventures doll dress ups, although I am slightly embarrassed to admit it. I never played with dolls much as a child but Roo sure loves them. I haven't plunked down the money for a big ticket dolly yet (I am coveting a Karito Kids doll) but it's nice to know she could play dress up with one… Check out this adorable Winter Beauty dress for 15"-20" dolls or plush animals:



Would your little girl like to be a Winter Beauty, too? Enter to win this luxe red velvet and white satin gown (a $25 value, which I find more than reasonable for such a quality garment… the sucky ones from the big box stores cost just as much, if not more), currently available in small (2T-4T) or large (6-8) . To enter, simply leave a comment on this post with your favorite item from the Little Adventures website.



Entries will be accepted through December 21st. US/Canada readers only, please. Make sure you leave an email address or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win! If I can't find your email, I will pick a new winner. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR BLOG PROFILE IS SET TO PUBLIC AND THAT THERE IS AN EMAIL AVAILABLE ON YOUR BLOG OR LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS ALONG WITH YOUR COMMENT!!! Only one entry/comment per person, please. Delivery is not guaranteed for Christmas.

Little Adventures products are only available through licensed vendors.
Visit their retail index for a location near you.

Dress-up Time!

The costumes from Aeromax's Get Real Gear line are pretty cool. No princessy fluff or glitter here, just sturdy, hard-working dress up gear– pilots, fireman, doctors, GIs, etc. Perfect for kids who already know what they want to be when they grow up! Or whose relatives want to gently, uh, prod them in a certain direction. I am surprised my mom didn't go out and buy the Jr. Armed Forces Pilot costume as soon as she found out I was expecting a boy…


My personal favorites are the Jr. Ninja (of course) and the Jr. S.W.A.T., which comes complete with helmet and police baton.




Aeromax also has Get Real Gear in adult sizes for several of the costume styles, so you can coordinate a family crew. No adult sizes in the furry Kid's Safari costume division, thankfully. I think I saw a CSI episode about that once. I'm still sad there's no adult Ninja outfit, though! What a stealthy family that would be…

Roo, of course, still wants to be She-Ra, but we're about 20 years late for that costume opportunity. Anybody have a spare She-Ra costume in size 2-4 laying around ?