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Today is October 29. In two days, it will be Halloween. I love Halloween.
Decorations & Candy
On October 1, I decorated the front windows with Halloween window posters and orange lights. I spent nearly $30 on candy for the trick or treaters, which mostly has been eaten by my boyfriend Marshall and me over the past month. Mostly by him, a little by me. Saturday, the trick or treaters will come. I think we need to make one more trip to the store for just a bit more candy, because all we have left is Tootsie Rolls, which are actually my personal favorite, but we don’t want anyone egging the house or toilet papering the tree because we didn’t have any chocolate left to give away.
Pumpkin Carving
We have a large pumpkin, grown in Ohio courtesy of Marshall’s mom, sitting on the kitchen counter waiting to be carved. The dog’s faces have been traced on the front from black and white transfers I made in Adobe PhotoShop, and it is ready to be carved tomorrow (Friday) night. On the Eve of Halloween, known to many as “Devil’s Night” or “Mischief Night”, we will be carving our pumpkin.
Halloween as a Kid
Some of my favorite memories are from Halloween. I remember the excitement of getting all dressed up to go out and go trick or treating with my friends. Growing up in a small town, we got to go trick or treating without our parents at that time. One year, I went as a witch and wore some homemade green goop on my face that could also make warts. I don’t know what the recipe was, but I certainly remember how much it made my face itch. Regardless, I still got lots of candy!
I remember coming home from trick or treating and dumping all of my candy onto the floor. We didn’t have green and pink and purple and yellow pumpkin buckets back then, just the standard pumpkin orange. Everyone’s bucket was the same.
Anyway, I remember coming home and dumping my orange bucket out in the middle of the living room floor. Then, my Dad would come “see what I got.” He and my mom would make me pick some candy to keep out that I could eat. The rest of it had to be put into Ziploc Storage Bags and put in the freezer, so I could save it for later. Funny thing is I never remember taking candy back out of the freezer to eat it. I am quite sure that my freezer loot was always eaten by my parents. No wonder all the Snickers Bars had to go in the freezer – a perfect midnight snack with ice cream, right Dad?
Halloween as an Adult
When I was in college, there were some fun fraternity house Halloween parties that involved costumes and kegs. Once I turned 21, we discovered bars with costume parties, which are also pretty cool. When I lived in Galveston, Texas, my friends and I all went to the bar one year in our costumes. I went as a rock star and sprayed hot pink spray in my hair. I think what everyone loves about Halloween is that for one night, you get to dress like someone you aren’t, act like someone you aren’t, and just have fun!
When I moved to the Outer Banks, our local bar there, the Sandbar & Grille in Frisco, had an awesome Halloween party each year. One year I was a hippie chick, complete with an authentic 70s dress and a long blonde wig … the next year I was a saloon girl, complete with a dress that I paid way too much for on Ebay because I HAD to beat the girl who was bidding against me.
Still Dressing Up
Since I have moved to Wilmington, I have gone out to a costume party at the bar one year. Turns out here in Wilmington, no one really wears “costumes” on Halloween night. Last year, I put my costume on and answered the door for my trick or treaters and gave them candy. This year, I plan to do the same. I have accumulated several costumes throughout the past few years. I am not sure yet which one I am going to put on Saturday night before the kids come. The dogs have Halloween necklaces to wear, which they don’t know yet but I’m sure they will be very excited about.
Halloween is still one of my favorite days. An excuse to dress up, not look like yourself, not act like yourself, eat lots of candy, listen to Halloween music, put goofy necklaces on your dogs, and just have a good time.
You might enjoy my other fall holiday post too – Halloween is my Favorite!
