Is it October yet? I’m going “mad!”

It’s no secret… I LOVE Halloween.  I didn’t so much love growing up in Maine and having to configure my costumes around cold-weather clothes (yes, there were often flurries on Oct. 31st).  My favorite Halloween costume as a kid was the year I dressed up as a bright pink present, complete with 80′s style hair bow (worn regularly in my perfectly crimped hair, not just as a costume accessory).

 

Exactly like this… except mine was hot pink, the official color of the 80′s.  And I’d like to note that these are listed as “vintage” on the site they were being sold on.  For money.  Uh huh!

Unfortunately, when you grow up on dirt roads with neighbors few and far between, it’s not super easy to go door to door.  I had to take the present on and off every time I got in and out of the car to go to the next house.  Not wholly effective when the Treaters see you putting your costume on as you walk to their door.  Halloween in Maine = FAIL.

 

Yeah… the candy wasn’t really worth it.

 

I don’t remember EVER dressing up as a ghost.  Princess?  Of course.  Genie?  Yep!  Complete with authentic costume from some exotic place my aunt visited.  Lame sheet thrown over my head and called a costume?  Never.

 

Although I’m sure it would have been MUCH easier to get in and out of the car in THIS costume.

 

Of course I went through the college Halloween phase where the costumes were a little smaller (I certainly wasn’t hiding in a box) but they were ALWAYS creative.  And I was never the one to pick out a costume specifically for the sexiness.  I was a farmer one year for goodness sake.  And not a sexy farmer but one complete with bandanna, denim overalls and a button-up flannel.  However, I was particularly proud of the Britney/Madonna creation a la the MTV video awards circa 2003.  Legendary.

 

 

Post academia, my Halloween social life plummeted and I lived in a costume-less drought complete with nights in handing out candy to ZERO trick-or-treaters.  I even stopped buying candy.  Ok that’s a lie… I still bought the candy but we knew we were just going to eat it ourselves.

 

Then came 2010.

 

My cousin and her man had bought an inn in upstate NY and had thrown a pretty banging Halloween party the year before.  We had a wedding that weekend (a fantastic family affair I might add) so we weren’t able to attend but when they scheduled the 2nd annual End of the Season Halloween Bash we were so there!  My husband and I kept brainstorming ideas for pair-costumes but we just couldn’t get the creative juices flowin’.  Then the moment happened.  I was out shopping with my mom, found an ah-mazing prop and decided the boy was totally on his own.  Because I was going to be rocking the Mad Hatter.

 

How does Johnny Depp look hot no matter what character he’s playing?

 

Back to reminiscing of my childhood Halloween get-ups… I don’t remember a year that we actually purchased a pre-made costume (ok maybe one – there was a plastic Pound Puppy mask complete with matching “outfit” which I’m sure were ridden with PCBs… try fitting a snowsuit under THAT!) and I pride myself on piecing together my own articles of clothing with some purchased items to create something unique that no one else could just go out an buy.  Don’t worry… for those that aren’t creative don’t want to go through the hassle of putting the whole look together, there are plenty of Mad Hatter costumes to choose from:

 

 

$75?  Ummm… no.

This one is $150.  And terrifying.

 

 

 

Yep, they have this version too… the sexy Mad Hatter.

 

Now don’t get me wrong… these are all great costumes!  Just not necessarily MY kind of costume.  So that’s brings me to “The Hat.”  This was the crown jewel of my inspiration.  And the only “official” piece of my Mad Hatter costume.  I found it in my local gift shop and I had.to.have.it.  My mom totally pushed the idea (again, listening to my mom?  I must be getting old).

 

Best $24.99 I ever spent.

 

Now even though I never bought costumes growing up, my mom wasn’t the kind of mom who could just whip together some pieces of colorful felt/fabric/etc. to create some elaborate look.  But she is a bargain shopper and when you’re trying to look like a “mad hatter,” she was shopping gold.  She’d call me from random Goodwills, craft stores or yard sales with possible gloves/socks/vest ideas and when I asked her to help me with the thread spool bandoleer, she jumped in head first and even broke out her lime green thread from 7th grade Home Economics class – talk about vintage!

 

The finished product?  Nothing short of FABULOUS.  I think Johnny himself would be proud.

 

Pants, jacket, boots, socks (2 different argyle patterns), pocket watch and scarf… already owned: $0.00

Lace and ribbons… a collection from craft supplies:  $0.00

Gloves: $0.99 at Goodwill.  Cut the fingers off to complete the look.

Vest: $3.00 at Savers.

Makeup and hairspray (yes, that’s my hair): ~$6.00

Lace fly-away tank top: $9.99 at Marshalls.

Official licensed Mad Hat: $24.99

Total Costume Cost:  $44.97 (+tax)

(second) Best Costume of the Night: Priceless.

 

A little bit of the prep (which took no less than 2 hours) – after a little persuasion from a comb, some hairspray and my ridiculously talented cousin, my hair cooperated.

2 cans of orange hairspray (still not enough) and I was ready for some makeup.

 

Amazing makeup courtesy of aforementioned ridiculously talented cousin who also ripped out teased my hair.

 

The photo I texted my mom so she could see all her hard work/shopping skills come together.

 

24.  Top my Halloween costume from last year. Doesn’t sound so easy anymore does it?

 

It is my mission to win the costume contest at the inn this year.  I didn’t win with the Mad Hatter.  I know… I was shocked too.  I lost to a pile of poo.  You heard me.  Someone dressed up as poop and had really loud friends.  And the judge was put in a tough position – claim his family member as the winner and risk a riot from paying customers who thought I only won because the Mad Hatter “knows people” or play it safe and go with the poop.  Let’s just say there was a riot when I DIDN’T win (and not just from me).  But… no hard feelings.  It’s just going to make me try that much harder this year.  And I’ll have my dancing shoes on in case it comes down to a dance-off again (I thought these things only happened in movies?).

 

Trust me, I’m already brainstorming and I’m 95% sure I know what I am going to be but I’m up for any suggestions you might have.  What do you think?  Another Alice in Wonderland character?  Keep with a Johnny Depp theme?  Something completely different? Let me know in the comments!

 

And if anyone has any connection with Johnny and wants to pass these along, I’d love to hear HIS thoughts on the costume.  If he likes it then it will make up for losing the contest.  Big time.

 

The more fun you have, the greater your value to yourself and to your society.  The more fun you share with others, the more fun you have. ~Oaqui