Halloween 2007

Going to Salem tonight. There is over 100,000 people expected to take part in the festivities there. Should be fun...bringing camera. But not dressing up this year...watching others instead.

I don't know if this is the right thread for this. I heard a group of adults discuss what they will be wearing to a Halloween party. One man said he would be wearing a toilet stall and going as Senator Larry Craig.

Oh, wait. Dag just posted. This is the right thread.

It is, yep! I intended it to be pretty much anything Halloween-costume-related.

Dag, I bet those will be some great pics.

Boomer, I'm not intending to pout but I didn't think Zombie princesses smiled. (unless they just won some Bling!)

Soz,
after finding the dress at the thrift, we had to come up with an idea for him. After deciding Prince! it was easy to find women's purple silk pj bottoms. (and he didn't split any seams all night! Amazing!)
We had to go to another thrift to find the boots, which he painted purple and silver. Funny enough, the soles started disadhering before we got there. So in the car, he wrapped a bit of black gaffers tape around them and managed to wear them through the party!
The shirt was an old tux shirt, I hotglued the ruffles I had cut from an old dustruffle.
His wig was an old Elvis wig, that I added some curls in the front.
And he made the guitar from blue foam, spray paint and odd bits of sticky paper we had.
Oh and that's a little red corvette around his neck...

It's fun. Haven't done anything like that in years, ago, I can't remember when...

Happy Halloween, everyone! I'm off to his house to pass out candy!
Would love to see costume pictures here...
Have a great night!

I got a hot glue gun (or whatever the heck they are) for this occasion, and I am in love. So fun!

I did do plain old-fashioned sewing too though.

I love the creativity you guys displayed! Women's silk pajama bottoms, never woulda thunk it.

I took nearly a whole roll of film, hopefully something on it will turn out. If so I might PM some pics. Oh I took some pics of just the costume (no sozlet in it) too, because I wasn't sure if I'd have time later, so I can post those here once they get developed. (Have I mentioned I want a digital camera?)

Happy Halloween, everyone!

G'night...

The beggars finally tapered off--i suspect everything ran later because it was light out for a longer time than is usual.

I saw very few completely commercial outfits, but plenty of imaginative home work. One slim little girl (probably the size Sozlet is by now) was dressed up as a witch. She was wearing the pointed felt hat, which i suspect was purchased. The rest of the outfit, though, was straight out of the 16th century. She was wearing a white (linen? cotton?) chemise, with a gathered neck ruff, and a black (wool?) skirt. Over that was a gauzy black surtout, then a buff fustian stomacher, and a short-sleeved vest of the same color and material. Over all was a dark green (wool?) cape with a high collar. Either her parents made it for her, which is what i suspect, because it fit like a glove, or they spent a small fortune at a theatrical costumer.

Another little girl was made up as a fairy princess, and was out with two women (mom and grandma, i suspect), as well as her dog--the dog was made up as a ballerina in pink tights and a pink tutu. Both of the those outfits looked like thrift store work.

One charming little girl was wear a black leotard, with a red skirt with white polka-dots, and a matching vest. On her head was the only part of the costume which looked commercial--round black sequined "mouse ears." Her face was painted with the tip of her nose in black, and "whiskers" painted on her cheeks. I asked if she were Minnie Mouse, and she nodded vigorously and smiled. After i had put the loot in her bag, she leaned over and whispered, in a confidential tone: "I'm not really Minnie Mouse--I'm just made up to look like her."

There was a little boy in a tri-corner hat, who was wearing white duck bell-bottoms, a close-fitting shirt in red and white horizontal stripes, and a black vest, cut to look ragged at the bottom. At his belt was an obviously home-made cardboard cutlass painted with silver spray paint. I asked if he was in the pirate business, and his father laughed and said he had been looting every house on the street.

All in all, i was impressed by the imaginative outfits i saw, and as most children were accompanied (except for the oldest ones), i saw quite a few moms and dads in costume, as well.

I live in a neighborhood that cozies up to an upscale one. Naturally, the parents and kids know a real handout from a pittance. None ever trick or treats here. Consequently, it's mighty quiet.

I had one trick-or-treater and he asked me for the entire bag of Butterfingers (I said no). That's it -- just the one kid. I think he had on a costume but I couldn't really tell because I was blinded by the headlights of his mother's car as she waited to drive him to the next house.

We moved here from three miles away a number of years ago. One of the big differences between the two neighborhoods is the level of Halloween activity. I used to get 200-250 kids in the old 'hood. Here it's almost none.

We had a fair turnout. We had heard that a busload of burb kids were dropped off cause they heard halloween was good in this neighborhood... I don't think they made it back to K's house though. We got the regulars who know that K's house is a good place for a scare.

It was fun, but most of the costumes were storebought.

Next year, I'm not listening to K say that he's not decorating. He can't help himself, he HAS to decorate. And he always does it the day of, not before. This set up was done in a day and we took it all back into the house when we called it quits...

The tombstones are from a movie, of course. And yes, he has a fog machine. I'll have to see tomorrow if I can come up with a better photo...

Soz, love the hot glue gun, but be careful! I usually swear while using it. For my costume I only basted. Lost a couple of stitches in the black sheer when K sat too close to my large skirt, but no harm done.

I love my digital camera! Only had it a year, but have taken loads more pics now than I ever did!

Lucky Setanta with the homemade costumes. Much more fun.

We did have quite a few Ninjas and spidermans. One spiderman was so tiny!

We had a gazillion trick-or-treaters. And we knew almost all of them! I love that part. There were some people we'd never seen before, and we had the impression that our neighborhood is a bit of a destination -- it's definitely an area that goes all-out, pretty much every house decorated and pretty much every porch light on (signal for "trick or treaters welcome"). Lots of grown-ups handing out treats in costume.

We did one round, and got a full bag of candy, while E.G. stayed at home and fielded trick-or-treaters -- then when we got back from that round, E.G. said that one of sozlet's best friends had just come by, there they are over there, so we ran to catch up, and went on another round with them. (Next year I'm going to schedule trick-or-treating with a friend I think, she had so much more fun on that round.) She had fun the whole time, though, and loved all the attention her costume got. (Several times we passed people -- especially little kids -- who stopped in their tracks and watched her go by. She developed an airy/spooky/royal wave for these occasions.)

Forgot to say I enjoyed Setanta's account -- especially little Minnie. :-)

And cool pumpkins, Caribou! I like that K of yours. I did my decorating last-minute, too (October 30th).

A friend of mine lives in Salem and as a result cannot stand this holiday - makes it difficult getting around for the entire month. And of course for every 100 people simply having fun, there is the one idiot causing trouble.

One of my favorite costumes (seemed to be hand-assembled but hard to tell) was a dad dressed as The Man in the Yellow Hat holding a baby (~1) dressed as Curious George. CUTE!!

we didn't have any trick-or-treaters and i didn't buy any candy.

Funny - I was thinking about doing that next year! Dress myself as the man with the yellow hat and the youngest as Curious George.

absolutely. it's a twice in a lifetime thing to do - the first and the last time. there were idiots indeed, constant running of ambulances and police. apparently it ended in two stabbings and one shooting, luckily after we left. mostly it was thousands of drunk college kids. but i was with a bunch of foreigners (colleagues at the political science department) from all over the world and we had a good time studying this phenomenon, especially the jesus freaks and the anti-jesus freaks.