HAPPY HALLOWEEN, readers, peepers, and creepers!
Today's post comes to you from over 20 years back. Below are some (the ones I could dig up) of my Halloween costumes from Halloweens past. I've always loved 'pretending' so Halloween was the one day a year I could make 'who I wanted to be' public and relish in it.
Of course, the first person I ever wanted to be was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Let's go there:
The ruby slippers at the bottom of my chubby Miss Piggy legs still crack me up. This is most likely Halloween 1988. My sister was not born yet, and I was about to turn 4. So here I was at 3, thinking 'who I was'. I have this whole Halloween on home video (one day I'll post) of me walking up and down my Nana's block, clicking my heals, trying to hit the pinata and slipping...completely ridiculous.
Cowgirl, circa 1989, probably
This was actually a dance recital outfit from earlier that year and my ingenious mom recycled it for Halloween. I don't think I minded because it was quite adorable. I probably liked the fringe and sequins trim. The night I wore this, we went to Halloween party, and I remember being terrified of the fake dead man whose fake blood I was forced to touch.
Devil me; Clown sister, circa or 1991
This year, I believe, started the Halloween parties at school. I remember wantng to be a devil. I think I thought it was cool because it was the first costume of my life being edgy, not a character or a girly thing. After my mom did my devil 'brows and goatee, I remember thinking what an AWESOME job she did, like in my little girl mind, she was a make-up artist on a Hollywood movie set...and catch my dangling skeleton earrings? Obviously, I thought her a costume designer too.
Scarecrow, circa 1992
Okay, so confession: this was NOT a Halloween costume. This was a costume for a play I was in in 3rd grade, but is a testiment to my love of dressing up and 'playing/looking the part". In 3rd grade my teacher, Ms. Corsi (rest in peace), announced that we were going to put on the play The Wizard of Oz. When my best friend, Karen, got the part of Dorothy, I so desperately wanted to be a major part too. I remember -- so hysterically vividly -- going up to Ms. Corsi's desk and saying, "Ms. Corsi, I really want to play the scarecrow. I'll do anything, and I don't care that I have to dress like a boy." I must have won her over, because there I was, and again, Mom, nice work.
Catwoman me & my sister as Belle, circa 1992 or 1993
This was my favorite costume of all time, and my mother's peak of creative Halloween awesomeness. Batman Returns had come out that year or the year before, and I remember thinking how friggin' cool Michelle Pheifer's rendition of Catwoman was. Danny DeVito as the Penguin scared the bejeezus out of me, but Michelle Pheifer - so FAB! That year, that was my request, and from pieces of black spandex material my mother sat at the sewing machine and crafted me my very own Catwoman outfit. It felt so authentic because Michelle Pheifer sews it in the movie, and I was like Dayyyymm, I'm CATWOMAN. Ironic now, isn't it?
The stitches were done with a white paint pen, she informs me this morning. Uh! All kinds of awesome!
Of course, some years passed (they always do). Middle school brings with it insecurities and acne. I remember a year of being Tinkerbell. I think I was a 'nerd' once with big glasses and geeky clothes. I remember the Halloween I felt too old to Trick-or-Treat, but too young NOT to dress up. That year I was a 'sleepyhead' and wore pajamas and pigtails, and awkwardly knocked on doors with my friend, Liana. I think we were 13.
I was a flower in high school, wearing all green sweats, and a pink and purple felt petal thing I sewed together and stuffed with cotton. Then, I felt commercialized Halloween exploded (or I just never noticed it before) and as we know, now you can be generic sexy 'anything'. Not what I'm or Halloween's about for me.
I still liked conjuring up ideas on my own, usually thinking of potential costume ideas all year long. Below was what I wore to a college Halloween party that I knew my crush was going to be at:
Hooters Girl, circa 2005
I wanted to get noticed and noticed I did. (He asked me on a date less than a week later. Haa!) I realized with my Hooters Girl costume that I will use any excuse to wear huge, fake boobs. So fun to be busty!
me as a Jellyfish, Halloween 2010
I didn't dress up for Halloween after that epic Hooters costume until the year of my Jellyfish costume. I saw the idea in a Martha Stewart catalogue, and that's what I wanted to be. Bubble wrap, twisty white ribbon, American Apparel shiny white pants, and a see-through umbrella. Done. Felt fierce. I made Tomas's goldfish costume using a cheap orange Old Navy hoodie, cupcake foil wrappers, a cut-in-half ping pong ball (the eyes) and hot glue.
Miss Zam-Smelly, 2011
For my first year as a teacher, and with a classroom of mostly boys, I wanted to be something orgininal and homemade (very important to me in a Halloween costume), and I thought each year as a teacher (laughing now, knowing I hit my MAX at two) I would be a costume that played on my name: Miss Zampelli. So I was ' Miss Zam-Smelly' that year, equipped with name tag and everything. I created a felt smelly rotting fish carcas, a felt banana peel; I bought a skunk beanie baby and whipped it out and passer-bys...I wanted to look like a spilled-out garbage bag. It was a hit.
Miss JamJelli - the costume that never happened - 2012
Last year Hurricane Sandy cancelled Halloween on most of the northeast coast. Of course, that's the least of the damage Hurricane, or excuse me, "Superstorm" Sandy did to our region of the country, but I was pretty disappointed because my para and I were going to be Peanut Butter and Jelly, and I had even made us nametags playing, again, on our names. She is Ms. DeLaCruz, so her nametag was going to be Ms. PB-Cruz. I'm Miss Zampelli, so I was going to be Miss JamJelli. I was so excited to execute this costume couple idea, but it never happened. ...and who knew it would never happen because I wouldn't be returning? (Well, I knew.) I seriously considered going back to teach one more year just to get to execute this idea today. Haa haa! NOT KIDDING. Imagine?
Anyway, thanks so much for coming on this trip down Halloween memory lane with me today.
I AM dressing up this year, and YES, my costume is homemade, and was thought up last week. You can probably get a sneak peak of it at some point today on my instagram feed @amanda_r0se, before I post it in detail here. Hint: I get to wear my electric blue wig again! Yes! ...and I will be wearing it ALL. DAY. LONG....getting on the bus, all throughout school, and later on back on the bus.
Happy Halloween!
