Halloween Should be my Favorite

I like to sew costumes.  I did it for two years in college as a job, and I almost majored in Costume Designing.  You’d think Halloween was my favorite holiday, but it’s not.  Mainly because I like to eat food too much (on Thanksgiving and that wintery holiday), and because I never have the time or inclination to make an awesome costume.  Here’s what I would have liked to make:

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That’s a Tia Dalma costume from Pirates of the Caribbean.  In fact, I think that’s THE Tia Dalma Costume, the official one.  It would have been neat to get some kind of wig and do the makeup and everything.

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Of course, something like that would’ve taken me six months — which is why I was thinking about it in March.  But alas, these things never come to fruition, and here I am on the day of Halloween without a costume.  Not that I’m going anywhere.

A few years ago, Seth and I went to a Halloween party dressed as an old couple, and it was the best costume idea ever.  Here’s why:

• Old people dress warmly.  While all the other women were dressed in something sexy (read: showing too much skin for October in New England) or uncomfortable, I was wearing loafers, argyle knee socks, a plaid wool skirt, a frilly old blouse and a cardigan, and Seth had on ridiculous light blue pants, a pinky-red button down shirt and the world’s largest gray sweater.  And it was a cold, rainy Halloween night.  It was great!
• It’s super easy to put together.  We went to the Salvation Army store the day before Halloween and found everything there in one go.
• It was cheap.  We spent $20 for everything.
• Bonus!  Seth’s mom loaned me a big old purse, and I just shoved everything of mine in there (except for the tissues, which I stuffed up my sleeves).  I had enough space to carry around everything, and the purse was part of the look.

To complete the outfits, we purchased a can of spray-on hair dye to make our hair gray.  Hurray!

One last tidbit from my days as a costume designer: if you’re wondering why your costume never looks as good as the ones in the movies, it’s because of layers.  People in movies get lots and lots of layers, and when you see that at home, your brain subconsciously thinks that the character’s personality must have lots of layers.  It’s the little details that make a character.

A Wedding I Can Get Behind

I’ve been absorbed in Little Women over the past two days.  Imagine my surprise when I came across this description:

Neither silk, lace, nor orange flowers would she have. “I don’t want a fashionable wedding, but only those about me whom I love, and to them I wish to look and be my familiar self.”

So she made her wedding gown herself, sewing into it the tender hopes and innocent romances of a girlish heart.

…

There were to be no ceremonious performances, everything was to be as natural and homelike as possible, so when Aunt March arrived, she was scandalized to see the bride come running to welcome and lead her in, to find the bridegroom fastening up a garland that had fallen down, and to catch a glimpse of the paternal minister marching upstairs with a grave countenance and a wine bottle under each arm.

“Upon my word, here’s a state of things!” cried the old lady, taking the seat of honor prepared for her, and settling the folds of her lavender moire with a great rustle. “You oughtn’t to be seen till the last minute, child.”

“I’m not a show, Aunty, and no one is coming to stare at me, to criticize my dress, or count the cost of my luncheon. I’m too happy to care what anyone says or thinks, and I’m going to have my little wedding just as I like it.”

What a great book!  Now I really want to get married in Concord, near Louisa May Alcott’s house.

Failed Wedding Ideas

Here are some wedding ideas that we’re probably not going to use.  It’s too bad, because they’re awesome.

• Invite all our guests to whistle the same song as I walk down the aisle instead of having a classical guitarist or harp or something.  Possibly a song like this?
• Have our good friend and professor, who is also our Justice of the Peace (JP), start off the ceremony by saying, “Mawage! Mawage is wot bwings us togeva tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangement, that dweam wifin a dweam…”  and end the ceremony by saying, “And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva…”  (from the Princess Bride movie.  If you didn’t know that, we can’t be friends anymore.)
• Have our JP say, “If there are any objections to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace.”  Then we’ll turn around slowly and stare down our guests.

OR

• Have our JP say, “If there are any objections to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace.” And then get one of our friends to dress in rags and hobble up the aisle saying, “BOO!” à la Princess Bride.

That’s all we’ve got so far.  It’s nice to joke about the wedding.  Or are we being serious….?

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Holy Allergic Reaction, Batman!

Yesterday, I decided it would be a really awesome idea to take some Advil for the cramping in my back about six hours after I took some aspirin for the same cramping.  It was decidedly not an awesome idea.

I felt okay at first.  Then I started sweating.  Then my ears started ringing and my eyes teared up.  Then my stomach clenched and I probably would have thrown up if I didn’t have the super ability to hold it in except in the most dire of circumstances.  So I stood up with the intention of telling my boss I had to leave.  In fact, I’m pretty sure I tried to say, “I have to go home now.”  What came out was something more like this: “…I …. halfve to goholmes … neow.”

According to my boss, I was white as a sheet.  She thought I was going to lose it on the carpet, or faint, or both, and she very quickly escorted me outside.  I think I tried to make a joke, but failed; my tongue wasn’t working the way it was supposed to.  I know I forgot my glasses at my desk.

Seth drove me home.  It wasn’t pretty.  But I survived!  And I rested for the rest of the day and got to work making Christmas presents.  And then I thought I should share with you just exactly how gross I felt yesterday.  Aren’t you glad you read my blog?

I’m okay now, by the way.  A little smarter about mixing aspirin and Advil, but better.  Woot!

Dino

I’ve got nothing today but Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra on my mind.  My favorites!