Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Day We Can All Dress Up


Halloween is my favorite Holidays; hands down. Why? Because I can dress up, in whatever I desire, call it a costume, and no one will look at me funny. In fact I suspect envy in some people’s eyes because I was brave enough to do so. I guess we can’t all keep our inner child. Such a shame since I suspect the world would be a better place if we encouraged it.


But back to the topic of Costumes! It’s been a while since I’ve actually made myself one. After all I have two kids and you can’t get them to make up their mind until Halloween is drawing nigh. Take my son for example – for six months he wanted to be Spider man, but then Grammy showed him a costume website and he wanted to be Sonic.  At that same time my daughter decided she wanted to be Cinderella.

No biggie, I went out and snagged two patterns (on sale no less) and started putting together my list of materials. But as I started cleaning out last year’s costumes I gave them one more chance, bringing out what patterns I had. After some back and forth between the two of them, and some discussion with me, they decide; a Prince (he likes costumes with weapons) and a Princess (she doesn’t have to be a specific one).


They love to coordinate – you can easily see that if you look at what they’ve been over the course of the past 3 years
2011: Cheetah and Snake     2010: Batman and Batgirl     2009: Pirate and Mermaid

This year I totally scored though. We were able to find the majority of the fabric in my stash (I used to buy fabric I liked when it was on sale all the time). Still it cost more than I’m willing to admit to get the trim and two small pieces of fabric, even with some coupons. But hey, my kids love them and they get good use out of them. My daughter can still wear the Mermaid costume (after I let out two inches) and my son his batman one (though it’s almost a crop top with shorts now).

For the Hubby, I’ve already made a pair of ‘Ren Fest’ wearable pants (not authentic, having an elastic waist, but much more passable than jeans).  

I’ve started on my son’s costume, which is coming out nicely and I only have the hood and pants to finish his look. Then for my daughter we found we already had a dress in the pattern she wanted in their Costume Closet. Now They’ll be definitely set for Girl Scouts Trunk or Treating on The 19th.

As for me, I’m pulling out a fancy cape I made (just need to hem it) and a Princess dress my mom made. It’s not like I have a Costume Closet of my own to go through *wink*

What about you? What goes through your mind when you see adults dressed up, outside of some sort of fair or conference? Do you dress up? (And do you secretly wish you could do it more of the time like I do?)

:} Cathryn

8 comments:

  1. Waaaaah, I wish the UK was bigger on Halloween! Like you, I love dressing up . . . but over here we're not very big on the trick-or-treating and stuff. Bit depressing, really.

    I do love Halloween though, when I was in Canada we all had a great time, and the Halloween parties at the Officer's Mess in Germany have some of my best memories too. I think it's awesome that grownups are allowed to dress up and have fun too! My mum's not big on it, but Dad'll join in - he went as a fairy once. A very hairy one. Laughed so hard it hurt.

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    1. All the more reason for you to come to University over here *grins*

      I think our dad's would probably get along. *snickers* thought I can't see mine going as a fairy, he does have a sense of humor.

      And I really could care less about trick or treating (like we need more sweets shoved inour faces over here *sigh*) but the dressing up is the fun part, I wear as many costumes as I can in the month. (Cause gong to the Renn Fest counts he he he) :}

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  2. There's quite a lot of trick or treating here, contrary to Charley's comment, though I've noticed less and less the last few years - paranoid parents, perhaps? We used to get about ten kids knocking on our door each year, and given that they mostly knew we wouldn't give them anything, that's quite a lot. But now we often don't get any. Definitely paranoid parents.

    I was never allowed to go trick or treating - my parents see it as too much like begging. Sigh. But I do like dressing up and I think some of my friends are planning stuff for this year - especially since it's in the middle of half term! However, it's the last night before NaNo so I don't want to be up too late... ehehe. Or maybe very late, so that I can get started. Hmm.

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    1. Yes, there is starting to be that sort of trend around here too, with parties replaceing the Trick or Treating, or organized events like Trunk or treating, which place kids in a well lit parking lot with respectable adults and decorated car trunks to go around to. :}

      And that is the quandry isn't it? I'll most likely choose sleep over writing, since I'm needing every bit I can get these days.

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  3. *le gasp!* I would be very sad if I never went trick-or-treating, Miriam. ;) xD

    I love Halloween, not for the candy but for the dressing up. I expect that I'll be spending this October 31st thinking about NaNoWriMo since I'm not sure if my parents will let me go trick-or-treating this year. They think sixteen is too old. :P

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    1. We're very much like minded on that front - so here's what I've done to surrvie the 'you're too old to dress up and trick or treat' thing:

      1) Find kids who aren't young enough to need someone to take them trick-or-treating and then offer to do so for their parents. - I did this one year and it worked out awesome.

      2) Find Haloween parties to go to. Often times bars and clubs will welcome costumes 9though you'll need 2 to 4 year before you can do that)

      3) Once in your own place, hope you have a neighbor hood with kids because then you can at least dress up to answer the door (I always do) :}

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    2. Hmmm, I think I'll ask the parents of the kids I babysit. :P My costume is something I can just throw together anyway if I do dress up. (Clove from The Hunger Games - dark outdoorsy-looking clothes, her weird hair, maybe a fake knife)

      Wow... hahaha, did you think I was 17 to 19 years old? I'm barely 16. :D

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    3. Nope - There are some places that do 18/19+ parties to capatalize on the younger college crowd. :}

      though in reality all I knew is you were in highschool-ish and beyond that I don't put ages on anyone, because, well, I'm younger and yet older than I am *giggles* :}

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