I Heart Halloween

As a holiday, Halloween is very much either a trick or a treat. Those who aren't fans get turned off by the level of stress presented when trying to find a costume. Although holidays that demand locating the perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for person or involve extended-family interrogation sessions about why you're still single can be stressful too, getting dressed seems to really take it out of some people.

For me, though, I always look forward to Halloween - I love it. My mom, in addition to her unparalleled matchmaking skills, is very creative and was always more than willing to help create inventive costumes. Like the time we dreamed up a homemade gumball machine costume when I was in elementary school. A sheet of clear, pliable plastic sewed into a sort of intertube fitted around my body and filled with small balloons wasn't something every other kid on the block was wearing, that's for sure.

So basically I've been breed to spend far too much time and effort dreaming up costumes. "Oh it's Labor Day? Now I can get to work." Yeah, I might should get a hobby or two?

When you love Halloween and themey get-ups as much as me, what's better than having a boyfriend to dress up too (especially one who cooperates with all of my hilarious ideas)? Nothing. Double treat.

So it was fairly awesome the College BF and I had our first official date at a Halloween party. Less awesome was that I ended up drinking far too much during the pre-party and lasted 30 minutes at the bar before I had to be taken home. Classy. But even though I was a hot mess, he still liked me.

Halloween became "our thing," a marker of how long we'd been together. The following year was one of my favorite couples costumes ever - Fred & Wilma Flintstone. He borrowed his costume from a friend, but with my aversion to most costumes you get out of a plastic bag, I bought a few things from thrift stores and threw together this little number.


We also didn't make it at the bar more than an hour. Seriously, what is my deal? I'm like the little kid who gets too excited, eats all their candy in five minutes and then is sick the rest of the night. Except my candy is booze.

The following year was one of the worst nights of my life - let's just say when the devil throws a tantrum it is NOT pretty. Trick.

Somehow our relationship survived that rough patch, and our final Halloween together he agreed to let me be in charge once again. Since I was sporting my blonde hair and already owned a periwinkle blue dress, I decided that it was time to get back to my Disney roots - I was going to be Cinderella.

Now, a normal girl would make her boyfriend Prince Charming. But clearly I'm not normal. So he was Gus Gus the Mouse. Let that sink in how awesome it was that he agreed to not only go as a rodent, but a fat rodent. He even wore a pillow under his shirt to the bar. What a guy.

And, apparently fourth time's a charm. We were both on good behavior. There was no drama, no going home after 30 minutes. Success. Victory. Treat.

Last year, Ol' Year of the (Slutty) Lobster - my all-time best costume that I spent far too much effort concoting - had not been in vain.
A guy I had talked to at the bar had tracked down my number. And a year later, he's still in my life. Which is more than I can say about any other guy I've dated in the city. Who knows, maybe he'll be around for next year too. We'll see what happens, but at least he's made it this far. Treat.

So even though I'm not getting to plan two costumes this year, I'm holding out hope this Halloween is a great night. And I'm pretty pleased with the costume I've thrown together for myself.

Sexy Julia Child. The legendary author of the book "Mastering the Art of French Kissing." And I just found some hilarious toy plastic cookwear to complete the ensemble. Bon Appétit.

PS - One of my new fav blogs - Do You Fancy Us? - has two adorable costume ideas too! Eloise (my absolute fav book from childhood) and the Lucky Charm's Leprechaun! Love it!

PSx2 - I am obsessed with having a dog. Especially one that will wear hilarious costumes like this:


... or these.
OK I'm done now ...