Words, Words, Words, Words

Since I met her, My Brilliant Friend kirathaune has offered to dress Charlie for Halloween, starting in 2006, when she gave me a costume she'd made for her kid several years prior - it was a knight costume, and it was amazing.

Then in 2008 (2007 I found a Mario costume, saving her the effort of making one, which she totally offered to do) he wanted to be a Cyberman, and she made him a cyberman costume that was probably better than the orignal cybermen costumes from the original series.

2010 she made a Doctor Horrible costume that she gave to Charlie. And it was amazing.

Last year he wanted to be "Albido" from a cartoon he likes; I found a red jacket, and she sewed on the appropriate black strips to make it look right.

This year, he wanted to be Michael Jackson in Thriller. The gods of Halloween, who like me, led me to a faux red leather jacket that was at least the right material and colour to make it work, and Kira, again, said she'd sew the appropriate black stripes.

She not only did that, but she also made stitching in the jacket so it matched the real jacket. It's...well, I keep saying amazing, but it is. See:





Tune in tomorrow, after my equally brilliant friend, rvnshadow2001 who is a fabulous makeup artist turns Charlie into Zombie Michael Jackson

Dracula's Ball was so much fun. I love the effort everyone put into their costumes - so much originality abounding. One of my favourites, ( was this one )

An evil tin man. Zombie Dorothy was with him. He had her on a leash. There were quite a few people on leashes. Some for Halloween, some, I think, because it is how they roll.

As for my friends and me, our costumes were fabulous. My Brilliant Friend kirathaune outdid herself. Our costumes were amazing, and my Other Brilliant Friend Wendie did our makeup and she's a professional make up person so I felt like I was in a movie Halloween party.

( see the costumes of awesomeness )

And there were some Doctor Who fans in the house, which made me happy. I saw this one guy wearing a gas mask so I said to him, 'I have to ask, are you my Mummy?' That wasn't what he was going for, but he was a fan, so got the reference, which was pretty cool. And later I found a guy dressed as Tom baker, the ( 4th Doctor ) Oh...and in one of the dance floors they played this Doctor Who song* and lots of people were singing along. One guy dressed as Jesus was ( rockin' out )

( little asterisk thingy )

Finally, Charlie made an awesome Doctor Horrible. Most people didn't recognize him, but one woman we came across did and gushed over his costume, so it was totally worth it. ( Charlie )

So, Halloween is in just a few days. I'm quite fond of this holiday, and I'm really looking forward to it this year - my friends and I are going to Dracula's Ball at Shampoo in Philadelphia.

My brillant friend kirathaune is, naturally, making our costumes and my equally brilliant friend Wendie is a make-up artist, and so I think we're going to look awesome. We're doing a sort of 'steam punk/vampire' type thing.

I do wonder if the crowd will be light as the World Series is playing that night, but something tells me people who go to things called "Dracula's Ball" may not care that much about baseball.

What are your plans for the day, flist? Are you wearing costumes? If so, what? Do you even enjoy Halloween?

Every Halloween, for varying reasons, I have been able to get Charlie a really great costume. Last year, he wanted to be Mario, and lo and behold I found an actual Mario costume at the Village Thrift. My Halloween costume mojo has always been on.

This year, not so much.

It doesn't help that Charlie is long past the age where I can choose for him.

First he wanted to be "Pit" from Nintendo, which is basically a boy angel in a toga. In the end, he couldn't find wings that matched exactly so he gave up the idea, which was good, because it was kinda girly.

I tried to talk him into being The Empty Child, and then Doctor Horrible, but to no avail. Eventually he decided he wants to be a Cyberman.

Awesome idea except I'm not terribly artistic, and finding an actual Cyberman costume (That isn't going to cost an arm and a leg) is pretty much impossible.

I found some grey sweatpants, and I am hoping to find a grey shirt, and hopefully my artistic friend who IS very talented will have the time to help me make it actually look like a Cyberman costume. I did find a thing that showed how to make a Cyberman mask, but it was a bit time-consuming.

I'm stressing about this for some reason. We actually have a Halloween party to go to, which is next Friday, and I'm running out of time.

Why couldn't he just want to be Batman?

What is your earliest Halloween Memory, Flist?*

My first really vivid one is trick-or-treating with my new dad. I was, four years old, and we'd moved to Landsdowne, where my dad lived. He was excited, my mom told me later, because he loved the idea of being able to peak into all the neighbor's homes! I also think he was pleased to have a child to squire around, which just goes to show what a great step-dad I'd gotten.

I was a witch, but I wouldn't wear the mask. Horrible papery thing that they've since condemed as Dangerous For Children. I never liked masks. I also never liked the costumes that were basically a pantsuit and a mask, and just said who you were on the shirt. I wanted to Get Into Character.

Anyway, there was one house I remember quite distinctly. I remember walking up the long walkway to the porch where there was a figure dressed as a mummy. It wasn't fake. It was the homeowner who leapt up and shouted as I got to the door, causing me to scream and run away and my dad had to go up and get me the candy, as there was NO WAY I was doing that again.

So, what's your memory?


*Assuming you live in a part of the world that celebrates it

Halloween Picspam



Super Mario Charlie

( In the Parade )

( Charlie and me )

Overall I've been pretty lucky with Halloween costumes for Charlie - I've found some really nice things in yard sales, and only rarely have had to buy a new costume full price. When he's wanted something unusual I've managed to find that as well. For example, one year he really wanted to be a clown, and my mom found a bunch of costumes at a yard sale that she bought for practically nothing, and among them was a jester's costume. So not only was he a clown, but he was a high-class clown.

For months now, Charlie has been saying he wants to be Mario from the Super Mario Brothers for Halloween. This I figured would be impossible to buy, because Mario's kinda old school an any costumes that might have been created are no more. Fortunately I have a friend who is a genius and had said she'd help me make one.

However, just today I was in the Village Thrift and wandered through their little rack of Halloween costumes just for fun and what do I behold but a Mario costume. In Charlie's size. For $2.00.

Another Halloween miracle.

Did the reading of the Poe play yesterday evening. It was fun. I think I did rather well, if I may forgo modesty at the moment. I was doing several different parts, and I feel like I did a decent job of differentating them. Especially since one of them was Virginia, Poe's cousin/child bride and another was Louisa, his sort of step-mother.

I admit I was rather hoping someone there would say, 'gosh, you are perfect for this play I am putting on. Please say you will join the cast!' but, alas, it didn't happen. Hopefully, that door is open though, and maybe something will come up in the future.

Prior to that, of course, was the Halloween celebrations with Charlie. ( pic spam under cut )

Then my camera crapped out, so I wasn't able to take any more photos which I'm sure is a relief to everyone looking at this post.

The downside was, it was a very long day for Charlie, and on our way home he started to cry because he was sad that Halloween was almost over. It didn't help that the boots he was wearing were clearly hurting his feet by that point, and I'm such a crap mom I didn't bring sneakers for him.

He did get tons of candy though, so I'm sure it was all worth it.

Got this on one of the NaNo forum - True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.-Kurt Vonnegut

Which I find amusing mostly because a member of my high school class is actually running for Assembly right now. Lou Greenwald.

He was in my English class one year. I vaguely remember him as a typical 'jock' type. Nice enough. Slightly pompus, as his mom was mayor or something at the time, but still a good guy.

I'm quite pleased with the new 'insert image' feature, er, featured on ElJay. Am posting this photo just because I can.



How's this for a headline? Cruise liner fends off pirate attack. Sure grabs the attention.

I was going to save this icon for when I'm mentioning something about Bush, but I like it and want to show it off. Thanks to a user called hyel

Yesterday we wound up doing two rounds of trick or treating - I took Charlie and his friend into town around 4, then we went again after 6 when Devon's other mother came home from work. She wanted to be a part of the whole experience, which is fair, right? Our mutual friends, who have a 3 year old, weren't home until almost 6, either, and they wanted to take their daughter trick-or-treating, and we all went together. Seems fine, right?

A little after 7am we got spotlighted by a cop car and were told, via megaphone, that there was a 6pm curfew for minors. Which, let's face it, is just stupid. We, the parents, were with the children, so it isn't like they were going to come to harm/damage property. And it doesn't seem right to deny people the chance to take their kids trick-or-treating if they don't have the time/luxury of taking the day off so they can do it before 6. I appreciate the need for a curfew, but what's wrong with 8pm?

Prior to the whole 'cheese it, it's the fuzz' moment, we passed this one house that had this huge sign on their front door that said, baldly, "We do not celebrate Halloween. Do not knock. We have no candy." A simple 'no candy here' would have been fine, and would have avoided the whole judgemental tone, I think. Why not just put up a sign that says "We're uptight. Please egg our house"?

Nonetheless, Charlie came home with quite a haul. He counted, and is pleased to report he has 133 pieces of candy. Some of them are 'testamints', little packets of mints with bible verses on them, which goes to prove you can be religious and still enjoy Halloween.