We’re fully into winter now and the cold air has engulfed much of the northern states. I hope you have your mittens handy. Don’t forget to take full advantage of Christmastime lasting until January 6th. There’s still plenty of time for parties, caroling, and revelry. January is Blood Donor Month, Braille Literacy Month, and features Martin Luther King Jr Day (Jan 15).

January 5: National Bird Day. This day we learn about birds and their plight in captivity. You can make and wear fun bird masks of different species. Or perhaps the day would be better spent making bird feeders and birdhouses for the lost birds in your neighborhood.

January 10: Peculiar People Day. What a great day! Can you curl your tongue? Ride a unicycle? Do you have green hair? Be proud of what makes you unique. Wear your favorite piece of clothing or share your secret talent with friends. It might be fun to have all your friends make badges that state their peculiar trait.

January 14: Dress Up Your Pet Day. This could get a little weird. Given the chillier temperatures, I suggest a sweater or booties for you dog. You can choose silly costumes or practical pieces, just make sure you respect your pet and don’t make him or her uncomfortable. Have fun with the day and your pet.

January 15: National Hat Day. We’ve already celebrated a Crazy Hat Day so this one’s for the more subdued of our brethren. Browse through the accessories then choose a beanie, fedora, beret, or top hat. You can keep it simple by stopping by the department store or get fancy with a Milliner. Let’s bring hats back.

January 18: Winnie the Pooh Day. Today is A. A. Milne’s birthday. Most of us know him as the creator of the Hundred Acre Wood. Celebrate the day by reading a story or playing dress up. Encourage your children to write fantastical stories about their own toys.

January 20: Penguin Awareness Day. Take a trip to the nearest zoo to study the penguins. Watch the animated hit Happy Feet or the exciting March of the Penguins. There’s all kinds of interesting facts about penguins. Did you know some male penguins care for the eggs while the mother goes out for food?

January 28: Fun at Work Day. Organize a pot luck for your coworkers. Hang a pinata in the conference room at lunch. As long as your boss won’t mind, try having a marshmallow battle in the hallway.

January 31: Backwards Day. Clear pretty is one this think I. Try saying words backwards or forming sentences from object to verb to subject. We’ll go crazy. You can wear your clothes backwards. Maybe lace your shoes so the bow is at the toe. There are lots of fun ways to note this backward day.

There’s lots of fun to be had this month. I hope you enjoy yourselves. The Carnival season begins with Twelfth Night (Jan 6) and runs through Mardi Gras (Feb 24 2009). Start planning your parties and costumes. Think about what You would wear to a Carnival Ball.

Every now and then we learn a great truth from the Simpsons. One such kernel is in The Fat and the Furriest: the suit closet. Homer has worn a lot of strange suits and costumes over the years. Marge thoughtfully stores his crazy outfits in special closet. There’s the zoot suit, astronaut outfit, southern belle, renaissance dandy, country western octopus, and the bear suit.

It is my opinion that we all need a suit or costume closet. I keep most of my costumes in the office closet. They’re organized by style and era. For instance, all of my 60s costumes are grouped together.

Your costumes should be properly stored when you’re not wearing them. It’s a good idea to have costumes dry cleaned before you store them. Hang them neatly in a closet. Reuse dry cleaner bags to keep the dust off them. However, extra closet space is not always available. Store your outfits in under-bed boxes or a trunk. List the costumes on the outside of the box so they’re easy to find.

Have fun organizing your gear.

Project Rooftop announced the winners of their 2008 Fights, Flights, & Tights contest. The winner is the cutest Robin I’ve ever seen. Lucky for Batman she’s around to take care of the bad guys.

The runners-up were Joker Hefner and a playful Harley Quinn. I like when people have fun with the characters. The Joker even has a more formal suit for the big showdown with Robin and Batman. Head on over to the Project Rooftop site and check out the notable entries. DC characters ruled the list this year. Does that mean their designs are bad or are they just popular characters? Hrm. There’s another Robin and Harley Quinn, as well as a Riddler. Supergirl and a female Blue Beetle round out the honorable mentions. Very cool.

One of the more impressive entries is the Steampunk Justice League group. They’ve made over Superman, Powergirl, Green Arrow, Catwoman, and even the Joker. Check out their flickr page to see all the creative costuming.

New Year’s? It’s only December 8th, you say. True, but you’ll need the rest of the month to mail invitations and make costumes. Begin planning your New Year’s Costume Party today. New Year’s Eve is the perfect stage for costume parties. Plan for general costume frivolity or think of a theme for your extravaganza. Hit the costume shops and thrift stores to find your fun outfits. Here are a few ideas to get your brainstorming session started.

Favorite Decade: Flappers from the 20s, Bobby Soxers from the 50s, and Disco Dancers from the 70s.

Space Invaders (Fictional or Real): Star Trek, Old-school Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon, Firefly, Aliens, and NASA.

Future Life: Plastic Dress, Aluminum Jacket, Spacesuits, and Purple Jumpsuits.

Great Lovers: Cleopatra and Antony, Romeo and Juliet, Porky and Petunia Pig, Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

Gods and Goddesses: Greek Zeus, Roman Apollo, Nordic Freya, and Egyptian Osiris and Isis.

Pick invitations with a clock or hour glass on them to let your guests know there is a theme for the evening. For a Time Travel party, put an era or decade on each invitation so no two invites are the same. Give the Smiths the Renaissance, the Joneses the Roman Expansion, the Browns the Old West, and the Williams the year 2525. The costumes can be as general as a Roman citizen or as specific as Caesar. One of the first party games can be guessing everyone’s costumes. Throughout the evening play games like identify the quote or charades about time movies.

The menu on New Year’s should be light and varied. Finger foods and hors’dourve are best for mingling. If a plated dinner is more your style, serve no more than three courses. Pick two special cocktails that match your theme, like a Sidecar or Mead. Set aside Champagne or Sparkling Cider for the midnight countdown and toast. Make sure you have at least one noise maker for each guest. If your city ordinances allow it, plan a small firework display to wow your friends and neighbors.

New Year’s isn’t just for the grownups. A children’s party can be a lot of fun. Fill a trunk or box with play clothes. As the children arrive, let them select one costume from the trunk to wear during the party. If cost is a prohibitive, set up a craft table to allow the children to make their own era accessories. They can make cardboard knight’s shields and newspaper hats. Perhaps have supplies to create noise makers: rice maracas and milk jug cymbals. Lead them through the neighborhood in a New Year’s parade. Add some whimsy with sparklers.

Please party smart by limiting alcohol, taking car keys, or calling taxis for your guests. I hope you New Year’s celebration is fun and fantastic.

Costumes pictured from Costume Craze: Robin Hood, Lady in Waiting, Jitterbug Girl, Disco Fever, Gangster.

Christmas and Hanukkah shopping lists get harder to create every year. It can be even more difficult when someone has interests that you know nothing about. Do you have a budding costumer? A loved one that loves to dress up? This is the list you’ve been waiting for. Here are ten great costume related gift ideas for your friends and family.

10. Gift cards. Normally I’m against gift cards as they show a lack of thought about the recipient, but I’ll allow it here. Costumers don’t always know exactly what they need until they get into the store. I suggest getting small amounts for fabric stores like Hancock, craft stores like Joann’s, and hardware stores like Home Depot.

9. Sequined surprises. Look for outrageous items that can add spice to their daily or special occasion wardrobe. Sequined bow ties and beaded scarves add some nice flash to any look.

8. Stuffed Stockings. Fill the Christmas stocking with accessories. Stock up on the season’s big sale item: costume jewelry. Add hair clips, pins, and falls to the stocking. Don’t forget belts, ties, scarves, glasses, and tights.

7. Sewing How-to. Eventually all costumers need to sew something. Give them a beginner book like The Complete Book of Sewing.

6. Gift Set. Drugstores and department stores stock makeup gift sets this time of year. They range in price from $5 - $50. The diverse colors lend themselves to experimentation. Pair a makeup gift set with a travel case or tackle box for makeup storage.

5. Makeup How-to. There are lots of great make up books on the shelves. I like Kevyn Aucoin’s Face Forward. It begins with basic makeup technique and evolves into to trick makeup and extreme looks. Face Forward is written for the beginner and the advanced makeup user.

4. Wig. Pick out a fun crazy wig or classic cut and color. If you know your costumer is working on a specific design, try to find a wig that matches. You don’t have to bust the bank shopping for a real hair wig. Shoot for something in the $30-40 range and it will be fine.

3. DVDs. Pick out a DVD that has great costumes. The Dr. Horrible Sing-Along Blog is in pre-order right now. Or the very vivid Pushing Daisies season one. The old Hollywood spectacle musicals had great costumes. Don’t forget to buy wide screen.

2. Convention tickets. Is your costumer into a particular genre? If so, give him or her passes to Wizard Con, Dragon Con, or Anime Expo.

1. Rockin’ New Year’s Costume. Give the gift of fun. Surprise your friend with an Elvis jumpsuit and glasses. Share the girl power with a Madonna costume. Think exciting. Rock idols and movie stars are perfect for big nights like New Year’s Eve parties.

There you have it. Ten gifts any costumer would love. You can personalize your gifts buy adding a little pizazz to the packaging. Use remnant fabric for the wrapping. Tie some bobbins to the bow. And top it all off with a small pot of body glitter.