I've always loved Halloween. The smell of leaves turning, the adventure of going out with friends to beg for candy as night overtakes the world, the joy and creativity involved in creating/choosing a costume. It has always seemed like a huge community party where we give gifts of candy in celebration of creativity to those who show up at our door armed with bags to carry away their loot.
Of course it always seems like that night is colder and darker than any other one of the year. The moon is bigger, the stars brighter, the space between an endless black that defies the light it holds. The air is full of dampness and chill . ..leaving breath hanging in the air and giving life to eerie fantasies that lie dormant the rest of the year. I can completely understand why so many cultures celebrate the day as magical.
Now, for me Halloween has always been about the costume. Candy was just a fantastic bonus. .. it was like I was being rewarded for dressing up.
I lucked out with my parents. My dad was endlessly patient and would stay out with us as long as we could stand to be out. As an eagle scout he was also prepared for things like rain (umbrellas and rain ponchos), tired child legs (strollers or the car depending on the chill rate of the weather), bad lighting (individual flashlights and/or headlamps and emergency glow sticks/bracelets for all of us), extra bags, drinks (thermos full of hot cider! Yum), and many other surprises.
And my mom! Creative, artistic, and skilled with a sewing machine. She was brilliant. She made us costumes from scratch, modified store bought costumes, and created amazing props and accessories! She also had major chops in the makeup department. I could be anything i could imagine. She helped me become the famous opera gypsy Carmen, a coal minor, a cheerleader, a clown, a vampire, a horse trainer, and my favorite childhood costume...a cat. I was a black cat in a black body suit, black tights, black boots, a modified headband, black gloves and a red collar. She drew whiskers on my face and gave me red lips and a pink nose...and then dusted me head to toe in glitter. I was the cutest 7 year old you ever saw!
Over the years I have learned some important lessons however. One: I am severely allergic to makeup...expecially grease paint. Two: I am preternaturally clumsy. ..so any costume item that impedes movement is not safe. Three: while my eye sight during the day is dismal...I am practically night blind so anything that requires the removal of my glasses is also out of the question. Four: If inside my costume must me light. ..otherwise I will overheat and find myself trying to strip my costume off...but if I am going to be outside then I need layers...or my costume must be large enough to go over my coat so that I don't freeze to death in the damp northwest night. Six: it cannot be something that is high maintenance. Anything that has to be constantly fixed, reattached, straightened, etc. will find its way to the trash and I won't even feel bad. Seven: I like noise and action in my costumes. (One year I went as Blitzen. ..I had a headnand with horns, wore brown clothes, black boots, black gloves, and a harness I created of light-up Christmas light necklaces and bells...lots of very loud bells...I not only jingled, I glowed! !)
All of this knowledge has led to some interesting costumes. One of my favorites was the time I went as a Japanese ghost (in a yukata my friend, Alicia, custom made for me). But this year I have been invited to a Halloween bowling party. I have decided that I don't want a bulky costume and I want to also have complete freedom of movement as my clumsiness makes bowling dangerous at the best of times. My plan: cat ears...possibly a collar and tail as well. I saw a headband with cat ears...and I loved it...but, I really don't like headbands. ..they drive me crazy--and they give me a headache. So, I decided to modify some hair barrettes. I think they have turned out very well...and they are extremely comfortable! Here are the results (I made two pair):
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