Happy Halloween...

As I explored this time last year, I am not much into Halloween. In fact, I hadn't even put on a costume since the Halloween party I hosted with my college roommates back in 2006. So when Brandon invited me to a Halloween bash at his house, I was decidedly reluctant. He, however, was persistent, and eventually I acquiesced to the peer pressure. Besides, for this party I would have a date!

I was flummoxed, however, when it came time to decide on a costume. I couldn't come up with anything that could be thrown together from pieces in my closet, and I had zero desire to go to a costume store and buy some sort of tawdry ensemble. So instead, I turned to the Internet for guidance, googling "easy Halloween costume ideas," and landing on a website full of just that.

I was particularly taken with a section on costumes to be made from cardboard boxes, one of which was a stoplight, which employed Taplights, the infamous infomercial product. Bemused, I mentioned the idea to Mom (this was when I was in the suburbs last weekend), and she replied that we had all those components in the garage. Since assembling the costume would require a great deal of spray-painting, a task for which there was no acceptable place at the condo, Mom ended up making the costume for me, just like she did when I was a little girl. And just as in years past, she more than rose to the occasion -- my costume was a huge success!

Justin put together an impressive Indiana Jones ensemble, complete with a whip fashioned from brown duct tape, and a homemade relic made from floral foam.

I feel confident that I would have won the costume contest at Brandon's party, given the reaction of the other guests to my homemade costume, if it hadn't been for another party-goer who showed up near the end of the festivities in an incredibly elaborate Death costume, complete with articulated puppet arms. Still, it was nice to see a modest, non-risque costume receive such positive attention.

Brandon as a beekeeper, Irene as a burglar, and me.

Justin and I had a fun time at the party, even though we didn't know many of the people there. I think it helped significantly that we were there together, and I was proud to have him there as my date. Brandon and his boyfriend Mark put together some truly impressive decorations, leaving no corner of their home unadorned, and there was enough food to feed a small army. It was nice getting to meet some of his other friends and neighbors as well. Well done Brandon! Thanks for all your hard work!