P365 - 2013 - Day 300 - Halloween save!
I was a clown, a puppy, an angel, a cowgirl, a witch, a cheerleader, a genie, a 50's girl, Dorothy, and a cat....through the years those were some of the costumes that my mom made for me. She sewed them herself and it was never a question when I requested a costume that she would be able to make it. I was blessed with some creativity of my own (if not the sewing skills of my mother - although she tried very hard to impart that knowledge) and over the years, I was an elf, a goddess, a baby, and a witch - all thrown together on a wing and prayer - because along with being a touch creative I am a procrastinator who works best under pressure. Then came my children and Halloween took on a whole new meaning. I now realized that I was the mom and I wanted my children to be able to look back fondly on the costumes that I made for them just like I looked back on the ones my mom made for me. I started slow...there was the skeleton costume that has seen two Halloweens. I learned that you can make almost anything out of sweatpants, felt, fabric paint, and hot glue. Then there was the mummy costume- which also saw two Halloweens - I tried my hand at tea dying fabric and again wielding a hot glue gun like a pro. That was the year that I realized that sometimes it was the accessories that make a costume too... I made a pair of "witch" shoes and a broom that were my crowning glory that year. There was the year of Scooby and the gang when I realized that some costumes can be simple and yet perfect. There was the year of the monsters - Frankenstein and his bride...poster board, boxes, real screws, furry fabric and voila! you have heads and hair and scary monsters! There was the year of characters - I made The Princess into her favorite doll, The Boy into his favorite cartoon character, and The Bear a mad scientist. That year I discovered the benefit of second hand stores - the things you can find are just amazing! Finally, there was the year of the decades - once again, costumes can be so simple sometimes... and yet so perfect. I have taken this very seriously as you can see. So this year, with all of the aforementioned packing and moving... Halloween has taken an unfortunate and unintended backseat. I still have it under control but I felt like I had no great idea..... and the kids were behind schedule coming up with ideas. I have been working on it slowly but surely and I still have a few more days so don't count me out. But yesterday while finishing up the last of the re-moving of boxes, I found one of my old costumes that my mom made for me when I was in 5th grade. The Princess has been unsure of her costume until now but when she tried on this costume, it fit perfect, she loved it, I had a major flashback of me in that costume in 5th grade, and somewhere my mom smiled at the thought of that costume being reused for her granddaughter. I smiled too - even without my mom here to help she came through. Thanks Mom - for always making me great costumes, for sharing your creative gene with me, and for coming through with a great Halloween save!!
*Use your imagination, not to scare yourself to death, but to inspire yourself to life. - Adele Brookman*
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