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costumes
November 2009 
Frightening Party Invitation....What costume will YOU be wearing?
Posted on Oct 30th, 2008
by 
Centria
Centria
It's a scary time of year here in the US of A.
That's what I'm thinking about these days. Not because of frightening economic news. Not because of the upcoming election next week which may change the direction of the current political climate. Not because of the usual doom-and-gloom prophecies about the way the world is falling apart.
No, none of that! What's really frightening is....the moment of truth has come.....must we really come up with a Halloween costume and wear it to a party this weekend?
The world is divided between two kinds of people. 1) People who like to create, make, figure out, put together or buy Halloween costumes, and 2) People who do not like to do this.
My husband and I are in the second group of humanity. However, due to some weird and unfortunate fate, most of our friends LOVE to celebrate Halloween, and costumes are required. Every year, one set of friends hosts a Halloween Party in which we are eagerly urged to attend in creative costuming. A good time is guaranteed for all.
In our earlier years, we felt a profound desire to socialize, have friends, attend gatherings and, thus, pulled together costumes regularly for the event. We grumbled. We agonized. We bitched. But we did it! And, of course, most of the time it was "worth it". The first party I recall we went as giant raisins, wrapped in purple, singing "I Heard it Through the Grapevine." Everyone wondered why we had grumbled....the costumes were a success....but they didn't understand the emotional cost of coming up with the costuming.
Over the years we've put together all sorts of silly, stupid, funny, wonderful and awful looks. The best costume (according to at least one person who still remembers) was the year we went as "Flotsam and Jetsam". Now this was funny! We wrapped ourselves in things like life preservers and life jackets and covered ourselves with sticks and debris and each wore a ragged sign saying (yes) "Flotsam" and "Jetsam". Right before we went into the party, we threw water at each other, and made our entrance drenched and ship-wrecked. Yes, that one was fun.
The worst costume year occurred when we dressed as "Candles in the Wind". My husband engineered to wrap us in some white foam-like material to approximate a candle. Then we put flashlights sticking straight up over our heads, held in place by nylon. We had a tape recorder singing, "Candles in the Wind." But, in my opinion, and probably in the opinion of several other party-goers, we simply looked like giant penises. It was rather embarrassing.
In later years we began to lose enthusiasm. Although the year my husband went as Teddy Kennedy in boxer shorts was funny.....and one year I went in a bathrobe with a face smeared with Noxzema. My face broke out for a week after that little smart idea! Then there was the year as a scarecrow, a witch, a beautiful woman in prom dress, and so on and so on and so on and so on......
Finally, about five years ago we started making excuses. Oh, you know, excuses like "ummm, I think we have to be somewhere else that night". Or, "Our long-lost relative is showing up on Halloween, sorry we can't attend!"
This year the Big Night is Saturday night. We spent two and a half minutes looking for costumes at Good Will yesterday. It's not gonna happen.....we're not gonna do it....it creates heart palpitations just thinking about it. Far too scary. What's a good excuse? Should we say, "No, we have to sit home and think about who we're going to vote for on Tuesday" or "No, with the economy and everything we couldn't come up with the money to buy a costume"..... No. I swear it. We'll have to be honest.
"We couldn't come up with a costume!"
But then they would say, "but come without a costume" and you'd think, Yes, that's possible. But how dorky is that? There's nothing more dorky than showing up for a Halloween party without a costume.
If anyone is still reading this, do share some of your best (or worst) costumes you've ever worn or created. Or tell if you like costumes (like 99% of our other friends) or if you're in the 1% that despairs. Or what you're wearing this year. There's still time to come up with an idea, you know..... :)
That's what I'm thinking about these days. Not because of frightening economic news. Not because of the upcoming election next week which may change the direction of the current political climate. Not because of the usual doom-and-gloom prophecies about the way the world is falling apart.
No, none of that! What's really frightening is....the moment of truth has come.....must we really come up with a Halloween costume and wear it to a party this weekend?
The world is divided between two kinds of people. 1) People who like to create, make, figure out, put together or buy Halloween costumes, and 2) People who do not like to do this.
My husband and I are in the second group of humanity. However, due to some weird and unfortunate fate, most of our friends LOVE to celebrate Halloween, and costumes are required. Every year, one set of friends hosts a Halloween Party in which we are eagerly urged to attend in creative costuming. A good time is guaranteed for all.
In our earlier years, we felt a profound desire to socialize, have friends, attend gatherings and, thus, pulled together costumes regularly for the event. We grumbled. We agonized. We bitched. But we did it! And, of course, most of the time it was "worth it". The first party I recall we went as giant raisins, wrapped in purple, singing "I Heard it Through the Grapevine." Everyone wondered why we had grumbled....the costumes were a success....but they didn't understand the emotional cost of coming up with the costuming.
Over the years we've put together all sorts of silly, stupid, funny, wonderful and awful looks. The best costume (according to at least one person who still remembers) was the year we went as "Flotsam and Jetsam". Now this was funny! We wrapped ourselves in things like life preservers and life jackets and covered ourselves with sticks and debris and each wore a ragged sign saying (yes) "Flotsam" and "Jetsam". Right before we went into the party, we threw water at each other, and made our entrance drenched and ship-wrecked. Yes, that one was fun.
The worst costume year occurred when we dressed as "Candles in the Wind". My husband engineered to wrap us in some white foam-like material to approximate a candle. Then we put flashlights sticking straight up over our heads, held in place by nylon. We had a tape recorder singing, "Candles in the Wind." But, in my opinion, and probably in the opinion of several other party-goers, we simply looked like giant penises. It was rather embarrassing.
In later years we began to lose enthusiasm. Although the year my husband went as Teddy Kennedy in boxer shorts was funny.....and one year I went in a bathrobe with a face smeared with Noxzema. My face broke out for a week after that little smart idea! Then there was the year as a scarecrow, a witch, a beautiful woman in prom dress, and so on and so on and so on and so on......
Finally, about five years ago we started making excuses. Oh, you know, excuses like "ummm, I think we have to be somewhere else that night". Or, "Our long-lost relative is showing up on Halloween, sorry we can't attend!"
This year the Big Night is Saturday night. We spent two and a half minutes looking for costumes at Good Will yesterday. It's not gonna happen.....we're not gonna do it....it creates heart palpitations just thinking about it. Far too scary. What's a good excuse? Should we say, "No, we have to sit home and think about who we're going to vote for on Tuesday" or "No, with the economy and everything we couldn't come up with the money to buy a costume"..... No. I swear it. We'll have to be honest.
"We couldn't come up with a costume!"
But then they would say, "but come without a costume" and you'd think, Yes, that's possible. But how dorky is that? There's nothing more dorky than showing up for a Halloween party without a costume.
If anyone is still reading this, do share some of your best (or worst) costumes you've ever worn or created. Or tell if you like costumes (like 99% of our other friends) or if you're in the 1% that despairs. Or what you're wearing this year. There's still time to come up with an idea, you know..... :)
Access: Public
wear pants a skirt…plain shirts….ties maybe
make a badge for each that says COSTUME INSPECTOR
take clipboards
you could even put a nice hair net on yourself
and a pocket protector for hubby
:D
oooo you could go in normal clothes with a sign that says you are Palins uninvited children to the event there to help uhmm hold the door open
Dear Elisa, funny! And good ideas….both the Costume Inspector & the Palin's univited children. Perhaps you're for hire on an annual basis? :)
I think Elisa has come up with the way to go there! It's easy, comfortable, and funny!
Another thing you can always do that's easy is dress up as each other.
I haven't worn a costume in many years, sadly. I'd like to do it again.
But if you don't feel like going - don't! A party is not fun if you don't want to be there.
Here's an idea: Wear all orange and glue pumpkin seeds all over yourself. You're an inside-out pumpkin!
Kind of along those lines, you can glue leaves to yourself and be a pile of leaves.
My ideas are all pretty silly, I guess! But they get the job done. ;)
The part about the giant penises cracked me up. =D
Well, I will let you know what I will not dress up as - a Witch! Do that every day lol! Hugs, dear one!
You could come in your pajamas and wear a sign saying “Time to Retire.” Then, if you don't want to stay at the party too late, you have a ready-made excuse (LOL).
Wow, you guys are GREAT!! Such good ideas. Emma, your ideas are NOT silly; they're inspiring. Isn't it funny how a person can be creative in certain ways….and duds in other ways? The penis year entertained us, as well. lol!
Phoenix, giggling….so if you're not gonna be a witch, what will you be? :)
Lenore! Excellent one! How simple. “Time to Retire.” Of course we're probably two of the youngest folks at the gathering…..so that might create a stir! Are you costuming this year?
I love dressing up as someone else. Some of my costumes:
-Easy one, wear a men's suit and put a brown paper back over your head (holes for the eyes.)
-My favorite was a priestess-wacko. I put on all the ethnic clothing I had, made a headpiece with baseball cap, a rubber lizard and a wig, painted my face white with a red stripe across my eyes, carried a turtle-shell rattle. When my mother-in-law saw me, her comment, “You're never going to live this down.”
-Another was super mom. Huge cupsize leopard skin bra worn over a leotard, gaudy jewelry and carried a toilet plunger for a weapon.
-This year we are going to a homeschool party. I have a rastafarian wig with a crow fastened to the top. I'll paint my face, wear stripped socks, and be another version of the wacko. (I seem to like her because she is my real self that I can't show any other day of the year.)
-Another idea is to be a dead person. Just get black and white face paint and paint your face. Wear whatever else you like. This is the celebration of death and depicting it is brave and directly to the point.
-Daughter Lauren usually likes to be a character out a book.
How we celebrate Halloween or Samhain is retated in a blog here.
The idea is to have fun. Soooo HAVE FUN!
I am so excited for Halloween. This year, I am going to be a Barrel of Monkeys. Karl made the barrel out of 4 hula hoops and then created a frame using small PVC pipes. I made the monkey hood. I found a “fur” shirt at the Goodwill and dressed it up with a little “monkey fur”. LOL! I had a lot of fun just planning and making my costume. The best fun is still waiting to be experienced! I have a feeling that I'm going to cause quite a stir. The train conductors have already threatened that they are going to charge me double because I am going to be taking up the room of two people. The morning train is full of “suits” heading to NYC. NO creativity, no costumes… no fun. Lucia (one of my train friends and I) WILL be dressed… she's going to be a witch, which is sometimes not too much of a stretch. LOL! Last year, we only saw one person dressed up in the AM, and that was Tinkerbell. She caused quite a stir because she was wearing very little in the way of clothes, and it was freezing out. Once I get off the train, I have to walk a mile to work… I know my costume is going to cause quite a stir, but what fun WOULD it be if it didn't?!?
You could always get out the old sheets and go in togas…
I love Halloween! I especially love seeing the kid's faces when I'm all dressed up… they love it, and so do I.
I will post pictures, and I hope you do the same. Don't avoid the party just because you don't have a costume. There are plenty of things you could go as!
Hugs!
-Susan
Janine….the #1 costume idea award of the day so far goes to YOU! Those are a LOT of great ideas. You are obviously in the top ten percent of the top 99% of those people in the country who love to costume. (is “costume” a verb?)
You would fit in really well at the party, especially in your wacko theme. I think a lot of our friends really like wacko…. :)
The super mom with the toilet plunger weapon really is a great image. ….And if anyone in the party mis-behaves you could go at 'em with that plunger…..
Also, anyone reading this should definitely check out the blog you wrote about Samhain and the celebration of the Day of the Dead. It is such an appropriate time of year to remember our loved ones who have passed on. Thank you SO much for sharing all of this….
Susan, you snuck in under the wire. Under the costume comment, you could say. Actually, if you didn't comment on this blog I was gonna go find you. YOU were part of the inspiration for this blog, you know. You have been so enthusiastic and creative and excited about your Halloween costume…..I have been quite envious and despairing and wanting to hire you from the East Coast to make me (us) something, anything!
What a fun thought of seeing you on the train in your barrel of monkeys suit. You will make the day of many commuters….. You MUST post pictures. We will be waiting with baited breath.
You are also in my “awesome” list for today……and your excitement is almost catching! Almost….maybe…… :)
One year I went to a party dressed as a hangover. I hadn't shaved for a couple of days, put this green tinted make up on my face, threw on an old pair of pajamas and lugged around an old toilet that was about to be put out for the garbage. And another year I was dressed as a bombadeer ….in full air force uniform and the name Cpt. Naplam embroidered on it. I never win any awards for my costumes.
I have another suggestion for you. Pin lots of little stuffed animals/beanie babies all over your clothes and go as Animal Magnetism.
Maze….I beg to differ….anyone lugging an old toilet or wearing a “Capt. Napalm” tag probably WOULD win a costume award. Very creative indeed!
Emma, you might be on to something there. We have a bag full of old beanie babies down there in the basement. Now I could do that. My husband, however, wrinkled his nose at this suggestion. He apparently doesn't think that's HIS kind of Animal Magnetism, ha ha! lol…..
Hahaha! =D
Okay, the last costume I made for myself was about four years ago when I went as Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. I'll have to dig up some photos, only if you insist. I went to Denver clubs that night and one girl actually guessed who I was supposed to be.
I love strong women in the movies! I had to emulate one.
Hey Centria!
I posted a picture of my costume on my Halloween Costume 2008 blog cuz I can't figure out how to do it in a comment very easily and then I linked everybody back over here to you! I was very pleased with the outcome of this years costume as I had an unwilling 'partner' in the equation! He loves the parties, not the costuming… sigh. That was the third scenerio you hadn't added to your types of people list. When two people heading out the door to that Halloween party are from the two different catagories… Sheesh is all I can say about it!
Hugz!
amber
I think the worst costume I ever wore was a ghost. I had to dress up for kid's night when i used to work at the race track. It was a store bought costume and it looked like a ghost to me on the picture on the package. I thought this was a costume that nobody would know who was in it because it even covered your whole face. That is why I chose it. All day though people kept asking me if I was supposed to be a member of the KKK! The only good part about that was that nobody recognized me!
Emma, well it was something based on one of your ideas that eventually became a last-minute costume. I hesitate to even write it here. About an hour before party time we were still carrying on about whether we were going to go or not. Barry pulled together some costume that made him look like a hard-ass (although why that would be with his tie and vest and cowboy boots, is beyond me.) Finally I wore a long skirt, sweater and lipstick & high heels and then….here's the embarrassing part….pinned on a mink that belonged to Barry's mom in the 50's over the right shoulder. It had tiny feet, face and everything. God knows why we still have it. We're vegetarians & everything! However, the group decided I was Eleanor Roosevelt, so it worked. Arggghhhh!
Jessica, I can just picture you as one of those strong women in the movies. You'd be a great super-hero. (and maybe you even ARE in real life, doncha think?)
Amber, I loved your blog, your costume, everything! You and your honey look adorable. And you are so right….there ARE more than two scenarios. Luckily you guys made it with big smiles on your faces. Thanks for the link & thanks for all your beautiful enthusiasm here on Gaia.
Tammy, new friend, you make me laugh! Did it really look like you were a member of the KKK? Well, like you said, nobody knew who you were….. Thanks for stopping by.