In search of Fantastic Beasts

We're in search of Fantastic Beasts this Halloween! Alex and I are fans of the spin-off to the Harry Potter series, with much anticipation for the second installment in a couple of weeks. Thankful the kids are such willing participants in our family costume this year. Alex is introverted British wizard and magizoologist Newt Scamander. I am down-to-earth, demoted Auror Tina Goldstein. Serene is sweet Legilimens Queenie Goldstein. Valor is friendly, No-Maj baker Jacob Kowalski. Reverie is head of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) Seraphina Picquery.

When brainstorming costumes, I used these photos for inspiration. We seem to be drawn to costumes from eras gone by as evidenced by family costumes from past Halloweens. This year was no exception, as 1920s New York was the setting of choice. Alex had nearly everything for his Newt costume in his closet already, except for a long wool coat, which took us longest to nab while thrifting for the past couple of months. I made a skinny navy bow tie reminiscent of Newt's. Alex wore the vest he wore for our wedding, pants, and a white dress shirt he already had. He carried a vintage suitcase we normally use to store Christmas decor, and brandished the pastor-elder wand he made during our Harry Potter wand-making party a couple of years ago. I scored a gray trench coat and black cloche hat while thrifting for my Tina Goldstein costume. I procured black pants a couple of days before Halloween to ensure they fit. Thankful my costume accommodates my 7 month pregnant belly well. I carried the wand I made during our wand-making party as well. Serene was thrilled to be Queenie because she wears a pink coat, which was a velvet holiday dress I thrifted and altered to look like Queenie's coat. Serene wore a navy dress underneath her coat, also thrifted. She carried a chopstick as a wand. Valor wore a gray shirt, vest, and pants similar to Jacob's. I made a toddler-friendly maroon bow tie to pin onto his shirt. I wanted to paint Jacob's moustache on Valor, but he refused, so I stuck a felt moustache on a stick for him to carry instead, which he found amusing and agreeable. We thought it funny to make the baby the head of MACUSA. Reverie wore a thrifted navy dress with metallic accents which reminded me of Seraphina's. I made a Seraphina headpiece out of navy, gold, and rose gold cardstock by embellishing the navy paper crown with gold 3D flowers and other accents. That piece took the longest to make; thank the Lord Reverie wasn't opposed to wearing it. It helped to give her a chopstick wand to hold during photos. Hopefully the kids will entertain family costumes for a few more years. Excited to trick-or-treat with church family tonight!

See our past Halloween costumes:
Halloween 2017: A wild, timeless trek
Halloween 2016: It's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Halloween 2015: The sun will come out tomorrow
Halloween 2014: In Wonderland
Halloween 2013: The sailor man with a spinach can and his fam
Halloween 2012: I dreamed a dream of time gone by