Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Spooky Season

Are you a fan of Halloween? I always HAVE been. I dont know..there's just something fun and whimsical about the whole thing and, as a little kid, I loved dressing up and trick or treating with my friends. It wasn't about the candy! For me, it was about the costume and walking through the streets when the night was dark and spooky, seeing how others had transformed themselves, and gathering adult reactions to what we were wearing.

Later, when I had kids of my own, I loved going through catalogues and finding just the perfect costume for my little ones. I can't remember HOW many times my daughter was a witch! Several. Orange taffeta with black lace, lace-up black boots and velvet and satin pointy hats. Yes, um, I went overboard. Always. My son liked doing the whole BOY thing. He was a vampire with a cape and fake blood dripping from his mouth. He was a ninja, too. The cutest costume he ever had was a black spider. It was a 'cute' black spider though. At the time he was about four and I'll never forget that one. It was a suit with a colorful padded belly. Many 'spider legs' were attached and when he held out his arms those legs spread out. The outfit came with a black top hat that featured a big orange and yellow band. So cute. I later sent the costume across country to my sister in Florida and her two boys used the costume.


I honestly felt a little guilty getting very pricey costumes. BAAAAD Regina! But I worked out a way to deal with the guilt by finding other 'like minded' moms. We began with trade costumes every year. This way the child had something new and fun but it didn't cost mom the moon and the stars to do it! We began a nice little sharing network with this stuff. In October, the calls would start...what do you have this year? A funny spider? A witch? Perfect.

I know there are lots of cute 'make em yourself' costume ideas but I never leaned toward the crafty. I envy those who can whip up something fantastic with a little bit of felt and a huge imagination! What are some of the best costume ideas you've come up with? Do you make them up at home or do you whip out the credit card?

12 comments:

Laurann Dohner said...

Great post. I am handy with a sewing machine but not that good. LOL. I can make awesome baby blankets but as for clothes...no. I buy. My favorite costume one of my kids picked was Raggedy Ann. I had 2 kids wear it (one is again this year) and man do they look cute!

Anonymous said...

I love fall, love Halloween, and Thanksgiving. It's probably my favorite time of the year.

I loved dressing up as a kid. We never had the most expensive costumes, but my sister and I always dressed up and went to my aunt J's house. She lived in one of those 'fancy' neighborhoods. My mom and aunts would walk us around, and we carried a flashlight and sometimes had the greatest candy imaginable.

Those are the best memories, I think. The ones you always remember.

Happy Halloween!

Regina Carlysle said...

This year my daughter is going to be SOOKIE STACKHOUSE from TrueBlood. Of course, she's in college so I think she's going to a party. The Merlotte's Tee shirt and Merlotte's Waitress apron with shorts. She's blonde so I figure she'll do the whole ponytail thing. lol

Regina Carlysle said...

I love the idea of passing down costumes, Laurann. These days it's just smart. I swear, having a network of other moms was great with switching out.

Regina Carlysle said...

Yeah, Taylor, this is my favorite time of year too. I'm already anticipating Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday)

Fran Lee said...

I bought a pair of black lace "spiderweb" curtains and created witch capes by running a black ribbon through the open curtain rod slot. The curtains cost about $10.00 for a pair. Then the kids wore their regular warm clothes and tied a cape on. With a cheap witch hat and great witch makeup, the costumes cost about $12.50 each.

Word Actress said...

I am fun and whimsical in life but I've never gotten into Halloween. If I had kids I'd have to, so it's fun to see what my friend's kids are wearing. It did frustrate me to see a 3 year old's ballgown in the Disney store cost $89 however! I have a friend who never liked Halloween. She'd leave a bag of candy on her doorstep for kids to take but that was it - she'd retreat to the back of her house, lights out. Now this year, at forty something, she's coming into her own Halloween wise. She's decorated her house and yard as if it were Christmas and she's planning to wear a costume as she happily greets trick-or-treaters at her door, So, never say never!
Mary Kennedy Eastham, Author, The Shadow of a Dog I Can't Forget and the upcoming novel Night Surfing which she hopes to finish at this year's NaNo contest. Yay!

Anne Rainey said...

Glad I'm not the only mother who can't do the crafty thing. I always felt like a looser because I never could work a sewing machine!

We've done a few homemade costumes, but mostly we buy them.

Madison Scott said...

I don't ever remember having really cool costumes as a kid. LOL. For my girls, I just bring them to the halloween store and let them pick. This year I have a doctor and a nurse which should be cute.

Kelley

Regina Carlysle said...

Normally, I'm a LOT better about decorating the house but this year, I'm behind. Must go TODAY and gather my little things to put out. HA.

Awww Kell...a dr. and a nurse sounds so cute!

Bekki Lynn said...

The very few costumes I've bought, we actually still have and have been reused as mix 'n match outfits.

While I'm not handy with a sewing machine, my boys are creative. For the most part, they put together costumes using things we already have or borrow from friends.

I don't know what it is about the age of 14/15, but my two youngest and their friends went as girls. Hookers, really -- lol

This year, Jeff is going as a trans -- OMG LMAO at the outfit he's chosen -- I'm hoping to get photos of this.

Bronwyn Green said...

I think one of the best costumes I've ever seen was when my little brother made a costume and went as a barrel of toxic waste (yeah...he was a weird little kid - lol) but it was such an awesome costume everyone gave him extra candy. It seemed to work well for him. :)