Are you Kidding ME???

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I can't believe it's already the middle of OCTOBER!!!

The FUNNEST month of the year...!

Where has the time gone? Why is it flying by so fast?

I grew up in a family, with mostly my mother at the helm, celebrating Halloween with much exuberance.

I have fond memories of my childhood dressed in the BEST homemade costumes; winning many a contest as a witch or a princess. Mom was always SO creative with the limited budget she had. We never could afford those printed plastic masks and "silky" costumes, like Wonder Woman - remember her?

Instead, mom would think outside-the-box. Creepy press-on fingernails were created using layers and layers of clear tape applied over our little nails, then cut into pointy shapes and coated in paint. The proverbial hairy cheek wart made from a rolled up piece of rubber cement with a cat hair inserted in it. Pasty wrinkled hands imagined from Elmer's white glue applied and left to dry and crackle and peel.

Or, the rolled up paper cone-shaped hat - 2 feet tall - coated in glitter and cheap string pearls from Ben Franklin. The flowing gowns she sewed from all sorts of left-overs from the thrift store. My costumes were one-of-a-kind. THANKS, Mom, for all the great memories and instilling a sense of repurposing. Who knew you were a trend setter 30+ years ago? Repurposing is really a HOT thing now!!! and you don't even have to be a struggling single mom...

*****

Fast forward to my own motherhood, as a young mom, with three little boys, and a fledgling business, money was always tight. My boys grew up with second-hand duds too! Halloween costumes were no different. Off to the thrifts we would go. Culling all sorts of bits and pieces to create werewolves, vampires, super heros, pirates, ghosts, etc...

I have never been the best seamstress in the world, but for a Halloween costume, worn in the dark, one day a year, I could muddle through. My trusty little $99 Brother sewing machine and I have sewn a number of delights.

I have many fond memories....sewing Kyle's first little Dopey costume. Complete with an old knitted ski hat sheathed in a lavender bed sheet, a clunky pair of shoes mocked up with yellow fabric to look like boots with felt buckles, and a green crushed velvet throw cut and sewn into a tunic over the stretchy light blue pajama bottoms.

Sewing Ty's Hunchback of Notre Dame costume into the wee hours of the night listening to a Loverboy Greatest Hits CD - over and over and over again, because I just couldn't bring myself to stopping to change it.

Driving all over town trying to find the ideal elements for his pirate costume - even GIRL'S clothes!!! Well, most pirates are a bit flamboyant, right? And he was just a skinny little guy so he looked good in the emerald green corduroy dress with GREAT brass buttons we used a a vest over the tight black velvet leggings. Who knew my boy would want to go jewelry shopping with mom? Lots of rings, necklaces and even a clip-on earring...

FUN TIMES, I tell you.

Halloween....One of my favorite holidays for so many reasons.....