I Love Halloween

Halloween has always been my favorite time of year. Costumes, free candy, scary movies, forced social situations where people had no choice but to acknowledge my existence. It was everything a highly imaginative and lonely girl could want. And it's not just a few hours for one night. Oh, no, it is 31 days of glorious indulgence in gratuitous scares, kitschy crafts, wearing too much make-up and accessories, and filling the house with gothic-themed decor until finally awaking from a sugar-induced coma on November 1st to harsh reality.

Costumes were always my favorite part of the season. Halloween (and at least two weeks prior) is the only time of year I can wear whatever I like and not be thought strange. I have a habit of living in a fantasy world, and costumes are a way for me to bring just a little of that fantasy into reality. I could pretend I was important, special, pretty, magical, or whatever I wanted. I have been the usual fare - princess, vampire, witch. But also druid, escaped insane asylum patient (hey, it was 1995), French Maid, Victorian Debutante, a flasher (black jumpsuit with the word Flash on it, and a trenchcoat), a box troll (last year) and other unusual things. Not having a lot of money, my costumes mostly consisted of what I could cobble together out of things I already owned.

I didn't jump on the picture taking train until rather recently, so here's a collection of my most recent costumes:

The first one I called The Blue Queen, and my backstory (yes, I made a backstory for a costume) is that I was the sister of the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland who had been exiled for painting the roses blue. The next is an 80's look inspired by Slash and Joan Jett. My imitation of Columbia from Rocky Horror Picture Show. A Steampunk-style Poison Ivy. A classic zombie (my friend went as a zombie hunter and lead me around by the chain). And my son wanted to be his favorite Doctor Who doctor, Tom Baker's Four, so naturally I had to be the TARDIS.

My husband loved The Great Gatsby (the Leo DiCaprio one), so that's what he picked for our Couple's Costume. He went as Jay, I selected Jordan Baker, because there was no way I could pass as a Daisy. Next Couple's Costume is iconic duo Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. We won a contest for that one. The Steampunk Family, where we all donned our Victorian Fantasy gear. A close-up of my Jordan Baker look, with my son in the background as a zombie surgeon. And last year, my husband finally got to be his hero, Freddy Kruger. The adorable little Stormtrooper is a friend's daughter.

Are our costumes ever accurate? No, that would cost way too much money. But we have fun doing our best imitation. This year hasn't been a great year for planning or accomplishing anything, so I am being super cheap, both financially and imaginatively, on my costume. I will be sitting on my couch watching horror movies dressed as a Deadpool fan. Just a lot of black and red and a shirt with the Deadpool symbol on it. Yep, I'm killing it this year. My son, now fifteen and without a social circle since we moved across the country, will be sharing the couch with me, probably in pajamas.

What has been your favorite costume throughout the years? Has your whole family ever chosen themed costumes before? I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Halloween.