Movie Foodie: Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice was a really fun Movie Foodie to plan. I will say, there weren’t many foodie references in this movie, but I was so excited to plan the party aspect of the event. Me and Jesse had dressed up as the Maitlands several years ago, so I already had some props I could use for the party, like the “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” book.    

The menu: Shrimp cocktail – the only food item taken directly from the movie, the famous Day-O dinner party scene; Shoo-fly Pie – there’s a scene where Beetlejuice eats a fly, so this represented that; Minute Maid orange juice – where Beetlejuice is trying to get Lydia Deetz to say his name; “eyeballs” – the Maitlands seemed to use eyeballs a lot when doing their “scare faces”, eyeballs popping out, and putting eyeballs on fingers; and Sandworm breadsticks – representing the sandworm that likes to eat dead people.

One of my favorite things about Movie Foodie is trying new things, and Shoo-fly Pie is now one of my favorites! I have decided it should be the official Thanksgiving or Holiday pie, due to its ingredients of molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. It was sooo good (and awesome with vanilla ice cream too) and not too sweet or rich, which I really appreciated! You can find the recipe here.

I also made a mini version of one of Delia Deetz’s sculptures. I will do another post where I explain how I made this, and the Sandworm breadsticks – in case there is someone else out there who is also interested. I’m thinking there will be, as I saw lots of inspiration out there, including a Beetlejuice themed wedding! I also saw lots of ladies dressing up as sexy Beetlejuices, which I just don’t understand.    

As an added bonus, I had Jesse agree to dress up as Beetlejuice - he was a really good sport about it:) He already had the costume from two previous Halloween parties, one when we went as the Maitlands, and the other as Beetlejuice (there’s a scene where Beetlejuice appears in the same outfit as Adam Maitland). It was a really fun surprise for most people, and I had my camera set up so everyone could take their photo with him - they seemed to have lots of fun with it!

DIY Zoobilee Zoo Whazzat Kangaroo Costume

I have been meaning to write a more detailed post on how I constructed Whazzat’s costume from Zoobilee Zoo. Hopefully this may help you a bit if you decide to make this costume! I will say, it probably cost around $100 after I purchased everything - probably more. It was a lot of work putting it all together, but it was such a fun costume to wear – and hopefully I’ll have more chances to wear it in the future!

WHAZZAT KANGAROO BODY

I used a pattern to make the basic kangaroo outfit. It is a McCall's Costume Pattern (It says "Easy" on it, and it wasn't too hard to put together), pattern #M6106. I got the adult size Large (for size reference, I usually wear a US size 12/Large in most clothing, and am 5'10"), and I will say this was WAY too big! Thankfully, I started with a muslin, and adjusted that before cutting into the fleece (took in several inches everywhere, and added length in the arms, torso and legs). I should have gone with a Medium, at the most. I think the pattern is going for a looser look, so that may be part of the reason it was so big. Whazzat's outfit is definitely more form fitting.

Tip: After stuffing the large kangaroo tail, it became quite heavy. When I first tried on the costume, the tail was really pulling down the rest of the body, and also creating a weird look on the back. To avoid this, I pinned a long piece of sturdy, thick ribbon onto the inside of the body, where the top of the tail joins the back. I tied this around my body, and that helped counter the weight of the large tail. See photo below:

If you want an easier option, I also looked into getting adult full body pajamas. Here are a few options: Pajama Company; My Party Shirt. I decided not to go with this because of cost, and I still would have had to add a pouch, ears and tail. It would have a saved a bit of time, and if you aren't comfortable with sewing, this would be an easier option.

BIB VEST

I used a very basic vest pattern (an old one my mom had) and altered the front piece by curving the corner. I’m included a basic template (you’ll have to enlarge the vest front and back pieces when printing) of the vest, which also includes templates and layouts for the tail bow and music notes. I also had to make the ruffles for the vest - and I don't know how to do ruffles! They turned out ok, but the ruffles actually took the longest (probably because I didn't know what I was doing!). So, I'm not really much help there. I used Velcro to close the vest – this made it pretty easy to get it off and on. See photo below:

MATERIALS

I purchased most of the material at JoAnn Fabrics. One, they have a wide variety of different materials, and two they have lots of sales! I used many 40% off coupons to help cut costs. I know most people have a love/hate relationship with this store, but for a Halloween costume, I can’t justify spending a lot of money on high quality fabric and materials.

Purchases from JoAnn's: light pink fleece for the main body; ½” wide pink satin ribbon for the ballet shoe "laces" (I think I purchased 2 spools); teal (at least 3 yards, maybe more), yellow (at least a yard) and pink fabric (1/4 yard) for the vest, hair bow and tail bow (I tried to get the best color match, and then went for the cheapest option); fake lace trim for detailing on the vest (I think at least 2 spools); fill/stuffing for the tail; ¾” Velcro for the vest, zipper for the main body; and the McCall's pattern.

The pink tights were purchased on Amazon. The wig was purchased from Ebay, but you could also check Amazon. Pink gloves were purchased in store at Walmart or Target. And the ballet shoes I already had from taking dance in school. I used a light pink face make-up (like from those cheap Halloween kits you find at a big-box store) to finish the look!

This is a rough, quick tutorial, but I hope it helps a bit! It’s nice to know there are so many other Zoobilee Zoo fans out there:)