Thursday, October 30, 2008

Ha-Ha-Halloween!


Yes, LaCootina loves a costume party! Let's go back 20+ years, to my brief stint as a corporate drone. I came as a Black Widow Spider to the company Halloween party, and was so impressed with a co-worker's crayon get-up that I made my own version a few years later. (The spider costume was homemade: extra arms were sewn into the sideseam of the leotard and strung to my wrists on each side with clear thread.) And at least once, cousin #1 took two of her children trick-or-treating, in adorable crayon costumes made by yours truly.

A few years later at a thrift shop, I found this large pink chiffon strapless number with rhinestones, and my next costume was inspired. With sparkly pink cats-eye glasses, my cardboard tiara and a bunch of silk roses, I became Miss South Dakota. (I don't know why I picked on South Dakota.) I wore this dress for many years, including the year that Becky G was a sexy Neanderthal.



Eventually I moved on to dressing my nieces instead of myself. Here are Supergirls 3 and 4 as Mary Poppins and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

I can't resist adding this one. Yes, I finally found my prom pic WITH my goofball date, Steve. It only LOOKS like Halloween; remember, it was the 70s!



















I wonder why I don't have any pics of me as a kid on Halloween? Probably because it usually looked like this (below) in South Bend on Halloween. It would be sleeting or snowing and we'd argue with mom about wearing a coat. "Mommmmm, then they can't see my costume!" But mom always won: either wear a coat or stay home.

And now I guess we've all moved past dressing up for Halloween. (Sigh.) But I still have the spider costumer and Miss South Dakota, in case I get invited to a costume party. And hell freezes over and and I'm that size again.

4 comments:

Karen said...

I am an actual graduate of the University of South Dakota. (This is a real university. I am not making it up. Tom Brokaw went there.) I can verify that Miss South Dakota never looked so good.

La Cootina said...

I'm sure that's not true (about Miss S.D.)... but thanks for the laugh!

josh williams said...

Your prom date has earth shoes and Weird Al hair, but this was the seventies. At least I think they are earth shoes... I am fixated on earth shoes because when I was in sixth grade I walked twenty miles in some sort of walk-a-thon for some sort of charity.
I wore earth shoes for this walk,included in the ensemble were, bib-overalls and a derby which I borrowed from my brother.
After the event I had to climb a tree to avoid some of the bigger kids who did not appreciate my sarcasm.I was a wee lad and yet for some reason my wee size did not stop me from picking on bullies, I figured I could out run them, hide well or in this case climb a tree. My friend Tim Garland actually negotiated with the thugs and I was able to climb down from the tree and then Tim told me I should not be so mouthy with the big kids, I agreed and then my folks showed up and me da pointed out that I had my earth shoes on the wrong feet.
A wee smart ass who walks twenty miles with earth shoes on the wrong feet and must climb a tree gathers wisdom. I came to gather wisdom by paying the stupid tax, and boy am I way behind on my payments, so please tolerate my tangentialisms.(new word)
Enough about me I love the photos and of course your writing. Both obviously inspired me,as does your blog...Keep on posting JW

La Cootina said...

Actually, they were not Earth Shoes, but that doesn't diminish the hilarity of your tale. I love that wee Josh was standing up to bullies... and then wisely hiding from them!

(I'm sure you'd be surprised to learn that I was a bit of a dragon-slayer wannabe, also mouthy and often in need of someone to help negotiate and extricate me.)

Your tangentialisms are delightful... tangentialicious. I have a book for you, and I need some details about "will build to suit." Maybe we will cross paths this weekend.

P.S. BOO!