Haunted Humpday - Costume Drama

Happy Haunted Humpday!

The skeleton crew is joining Marfi at Incipient Wings for some spooky fun leading up to Halloween.  

This week Ivy and Burt are frantically searching for the perfect costumes for this year's festivities while I look back at some of my past attempts to follow a pattern and operate a sewing machine.  

With All Hallow's Eve less than a week away, it's time to get serious about what to wear for this year's hauntings and Ivy has been looking everywhere for ideas. Little bits and pieces of ephemera that are too interesting to toss or recycle usually end up on the "inspiration" board. Originally the plan was to change it monthly with pictures and quotes that would magically motivate us to improve ourselves. Ha! Failing at that, a few attempts were made to switch it out seasonally but finally it was just easier to give up and leave it permanently dedicated to Halloween. It looks best that way.  

Now here is some inspiration for a Halloween costume! Isn't that a cute little handbag and how about the peplum detail of her jacket, who knew the Wicked Witch of the West was so stylish? 

Awhile ago an exhibition came to town of costumes from famous movies and one of the original hats from the Wicked Witch of the West's costume was on display. It was stunning in it's simplicity. There is a whisper of black chiffon hugging the elegant curves of the brim. It's probably too subtle to be even noticeable in the photo above much less in the movie itself but it is a beautiful detail. That exhibit is definitely worth checking out if it happens to show up near you.

Ok, so that's an option. Burt doesn't look very scared though.

  

Today Burt likes zombies. Tomorrow it will be something else.

Finding just the right fancy outfit isn't easy and for a few years it was quite an issue in our household, but then what would Halloween be without a little costume drama?

For three years, when my son Andy was in grade school, I was desperate to gain the approval of the elite members of the PTO crowd. They were a group of moms who seemed to have everything going for them. Not only were their children brilliant and well behaved but the teachers treated them with a respect that bordered on fawning. I would run into them (as they were getting out of their squeaky clean cars, spotlessly dressed with a plate of homemade cookies for the teacher's lounge) when I was on my way to the principal's office to discuss Andy's latest transgression. At that time it appeared that these so-called, "good moms" sewed elaborate Halloween costumes for their little monsters. Now this was something I thought I could handle, plus it would be fun to do! So I dove in thinking it was a win-win situation all around. Andy was going to love having a great costume and in turn it would show his teachers that I really wasn't such a bad mom after all.

One day while I was frantically searching for some fake fur on my lunch break - for my third attempt at impressing the teachers - I found myself standing in line at the fabric store with several of the grandmothers of Andy's classmates. We had a nice chat about which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume each of us was making and who was baking what kind of treats for the classroom and teachers lounge. That was a real eye opener. So that was how those "good moms" got so much done! Back at work I decided that if I could be so mistaken about them, maybe the teachers would come to realise they had formed the wrong impression of me. Ha, ha, ha! Like that was ever going to happen!

At least it proved I could follow directions, not that it helped our relationship with the school. As with most unpleasant experiences, time healed the wounds and both of us survived the horrors of grade school. In his defense, I have to say that Andy never got into trouble for fighting or being mean, he was just very opinionated about a certain temporary principal. Unfortunately, he chose to write his views on the washroom wall, using four-letter words. Without any spelling errors though. 

He obviously wasn't traumatised for life since he and Kristin clearly enjoy Halloween. So which Scottish wrestler is he supposed to be? I also keep meaning to ask him what his issues were with the principal. Maybe, if he can remember, he could let us know what it was in the comments?

Ok, so what's this? Has Ivy come up with an new plan? Guess we will find out soon enough.

I wonder what Andy and Kristin will be wearing this year.

A belated Happy Haunted Humpday!

Thanks for stopping by. Do your have your costumes picked out yet?