Friday, October 25, 2013

Vicki Batman ~ #Halloween and the not-so frightful costume


Halloween Dress Up!

Since my family didn't have money to spend on store-bought costumes, Mom told us to use our creativity. I didn't feel like I had any creativity since my sissie had been deemed the artsy one. And did it really matter since Halloween was mostly about candy, and I adored chocolate? 

One year, someone held a yard sale on a huge corner lot. Line had been strung between two big oak trees, and clothing hung on wire hangers dangled from the string. I'd never been to a yard sale before and talked my best friend into going to see what one was like. We walked around, looking at all the stuff. Finally, I stepped over to the clothing on the clothesline and flipped through it. A fancy, midnight blue lace dress with short sleeves, lined in a matching satin caught my eye. A net petticoat had been sewn in to create the bell shape popular in another decade.
 
 
I was entranced. Possessed. I would look awesome in it. I. Had. To. Have. It.

Attached to the garment was a price tag which said the dress cost forty cents. I knew without asking I'd have to use my sparse savings to pay for it. My fifty cent allowance didn't go far with it cut into thirds: savings, church, and the rest for me. I hadn't begun babysitting and had a difficult time saving up.

Somehow, I convinced the yard sale person to hold the dress, ran the four blocks home, emptied the savings from my paper-maché mushroom bank, ran back to the sale, and paid for the dress. Clutching it to my chest, I was so ecstatic, I thought my heart would burst. I felt positive I'd look like a fairy princess when wearing this creation.

When Halloween rolled around a couple of weeks later, I knew what my costume would be--my new dress. Never mind it wasn't the least bit scary. Never mind I had to wear my white Keds with it. I would be beautiful. I put it on, and for the final touch, added a wedding veil from our dress-up box.

Unfortunately, with weather doing what weather does, it turned cold, and I had to wear a coat when we went door-to-door for Trick or Treat. No one could see how special I looked because my coat covered my dress.

But I knew.

In the long run, it didn't matter 'cause I reached my biggest goal: a grocery sack full of candy!

 
 
When I had my boys, everyone knew what they wanted to be--Batman. Naturally.

 
It's in the family genes. LOL. We had plenty of capes, masks, and gadgets to outfit them out at a moment's notice.

 

Trick or Treat! 

What was your favorite Halloween costume?   

 

Vicki Batman now sports a Batman mask when opening the door for trick or treat-ers. Her new romantic comedy from MuseItUp Publishing is "The Great Fruitcake Bake-off," a holiday short story guaranteed to make you crave fruitcake. Find Bake-off on December 1 at: http://museituppublishing.com  .

8 comments:

Patricia said...

What a cute story, Vicki, and the dress sounds so gorgeous. I remember one year spray painting my hair black and being Morticia from the Addams Family. That's about it.
Patti

Rose Anderson said...

Very cute story. :)
My favorite when I was a little girl was my Greek Goddess costume. My older sister made it for me out of a white pillow case and a yard of blue satin ribbon from the five and dime store. The weather was bad so I wore my coat over mine too. But you're right. I knew what was under that coat.

My favorite a few years ago was Medusa. I wore a headband with a dozen stuffed snakes. I walked around the party tossing small rubber snakes in the air. Fun. This year I have two parties with two themes. Off to scrounge now...

Sandy said...

Vicki, I don't remember any of my costumes, but I'm sure my grandmother made them. We were deep into snow by Halloween, so we had to wear heavy socks, galoshes, coats and hats to keep warm. Usually, we were driven around in a warm car because the houses were so far apart.

We loved getting candy and bubble gum. lol

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Patti! How funny you sprayed your hair, but you picked a good one, the real glamour goth gal. I loved that show.

Hi, Rose! I love how creative your sister was. But tossing snakes as Medusa is priceless. I know you had fun.

Hi, Sandy! Isn't it crazy that we dressed up and then had to cover up with warm stuff. Occasionally, our weather will turn warm and we can see all the kids' outfits. Or maybe they have on longjohns. LOL

Thanks for posting.

Angela Adams said...

I took ballet lessons, and every year we had a dance recital. Whatever my ballerina outfit was for the recital also became my Halloween costume. I have to admit, when I was five, I looked adorable in a tutu.

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi, Angela! I am so jealous. I always wanted to take ballet and be a ballerina. You got to do both. Thank you for posting today. Hugs.

Melissa Keir said...

What a wonderful story. I'm sure the dress was beautiful. Like you I had to wear a winter coat on the day of my favorite halloween. I was 10 years old and used an old bedsheet to make a Native American dress. It was fringed on the bottom. I know Natives didn't wear tiedyed dresses but I loved mine!

Vicki Batman, sassy writer said...

Hi Melissa! I think you were so creative with the bedsheet. Gee it's fun to hear about everyone costumes. Thanks for stopping.