Halloweek: Friday

What's that you say? I skipped Thursday? Well yeah, I wanted to honor the ancient Druid tradition of resting on the Thursday during Halloweek, in order to save up strength for the weekend's blood feast. DUH.

Speaking of this weekend's festivities, don't forget to post your entry in The Big Wicked Online Pageant! I'll accept late entries (all posts were supposed to go up by this evening), but try to get yours in by Saturday night so that you get a fair shake at winning.

Now, getting back to a few of my favorite things about Halloween...

I love how this holiday, more than any other, brings out the creativity in people. While I appreciate those who opt to dress as one of the classic Halloween characters—witch, zombie, devil, ghost, etc.—I get a kick out of how much thought some people put into their costumes. I remember seeing a couple at a party years ago dressed as Siamese twins joined at the boob. I had a friend who once dressed as a porn director. And, because I love punny things, I thought it was great when my Dad painted his face like a skeleton and donned a leisure suit and gold chains for his "Tom Bones" costume. Or when my brother wore his Fred Flintstone costume and made a giant necklace out of an old (fake) Zeppelin album to be "Fred Zeppelin." And I have to pat myself on the back for going to a party one year as "Devil With a Blue Dress On."

Of course, coming up with the costume idea is only half the fun; actually making it is really the best part. I have more respect for the person who cuts two eye holes out of a sheet to be a ghost than the person who drops $20 - $40 on a bagged costume. Imagination and resourcefulness are always appreciated. I'd rather have a creative costume that's shoddily executed than a professional-looking one that 100 other people are wearing.

To warm up for tomorrow's Big Wicked Online Pageant, here are few of my costumes over the years. These aren't all necessarily my favorites; they just happen to be the ones I actually have pictures of.

OK, so a couple of times in my life, I caved and got a costume-in-a-bag at the last minute. I'm not proud of it. Normally, I wouldn't have even posted pictorial evidence of such a cop out, but I had to post this one of me as a gypsy because I can't believe that was MY REAL HAIR. How did I get it to do that?? I don't ever remember it looking quite that BIG. I'm not sure what year this is from, but I must have been in my very early 20s.

I've posted this one before, but it was one of my favorite costumes. I can't remember what year this is from either, but I know it's old. Newer than the gypsy one, but I was still probably in my mid-20s. Back when I actually drank wussy beer like Miller Lite. (That's the BFF by my side, who still hasn't grown out of her love for Gene Simmons.) I had to dust this costume off today for my work party (thank God it still fit), because my idea to go as Samara from The Ring fell through. (Can you believe that no store anywhere sells a plain white nightgown? What's with all the stupid prints, pajama designers??)

The year was 1997, and I was a '50s/'60s waitress named "Bunny." I first came up with this costume idea in college. Back then, the dress was blue and white striped and my name was "Ruby." I was never wild about the dress, so when I found this awesome pink and white checkered number at a vintage store, I reimagined myself as Bunny. I really wanted to wear roller skates with it, but figured drinking and skating didn't mix. (That's the BFF again, this time as a classic witch.)

NYC, 2007. I had absolutely no money for a costume, so I just decided to wear all black and speak in a Russian accent, and tell people that I was a KGB agent. (I've been known to speak in a Russian accent on days that aren't Halloween—usually because I'm completely hammered and think it's funny for some reason.) I had an eyepatch, too, but I took it off and gave it to my costume-less friend (making him my evil boss, I suppose) because it was effing with my depth perception. And before someone gives me a speech, no I'm not a smoker. Yeah that cigarette was real, and yeah I smoked it but I don't think I enjoyed it. I smoked occasionally in college and then became one of those "smoke when I drink" girls, but at some point (even before this pic was taken), I lost interest. Just thinking about cigarettes now makes me want to barf.

This was last year in New York, when my roommates, some friends and I went as the Peanuts gang. That's me as Lucy, 2nd from the left. We all sort of half-assed it, but it was still fun. When we went to the parade, Charlie Brown got a ton of shout-outs but it seemed like no one knew who the rest of us were.

Finally, here is my favorite costume from my youth: Cyndi Lauper! Ah, 1984. How I miss thee. You may have seen the pic on the left before, as it was my entry in the First Annual Big Wicked Online Pageant. I just added the pic on the right to give a better view of the costume, but the scan didn't come out as well.

Remember, kids: This Halloween, be safe out there. But don't play it safe with your costumes. Stay out of Halloween Adventure.