Thursday, November 01, 2007

Halloween: Thrift Shoppe Style

The first costume for Halloween 2007 was inspired by the local thrift store and its Going-Out-of-Business sale. This black dress was purchased for a mere quarter, and Miss Clavel -from Ludwig Bemelmens Madeline - came to life once I made her little headdress veil. (Miss Clavel was the costume worn at library storytime.)
At work, we had a staff luncheon with lots of fun folks in fun costumes! It was a hoot to finally put this blue and purple polyester front-zipping dress on after finding it years ago in a thrift store in the UP. It was liberating to "let it all hang out" in two...no THREE specific areas!
Later, when Anne and Jed came "home" to spend the evening with us, we headed upstairs to the thrift shop clothing/costume bin and Anne chose this groovy flower child dress, and we coaxed Jed into being a cowboy. Wes decided to go with "Fitness Man" and I was Thrift Shop Bag Lady. Amidst the doorbell ringing, Jed and Anne carved one of the front porch pumpkins, and roasted some seeds. (Jed had a great idea of rubbing the underside of the pumpkin lid with pumpkin pie spice, so that when the lighted candle burned inside, it would smell like pie baking!)
Costumed children climbed the front porch steps, rang the bell and waited for the people with the candy to come. They shouted out, "Trick or Treat!" and held out their plastic containers in anticipation of what would be placed inside. Many said their thank you's on their way back down the steps...especially after being prompted by the waiting adult at the end of the driveway. Free, colorful, sugary treats. Now THIS is a holiday! And it is still quite fun for us oldsters to celebrate, too.

10 comments:

Melissa said...

i'm going to have to steal that idea from jed next year! and hey - it is NEVER too late for you to come over for a cidertini. i say they're perfect all the way through fall, until i start trying my hand at peppermintinis in the wintertime. :) love the photo of you guys in your costumes. glad you had a fun night with family!

Lindahl News 2 said...

It WAS fun...thanks for commenting, Melissa. As for the cidertini, yum!

Linnea said...

I am amazed that Anne had the energy for that after teaching (or attempting to) all day! I was wiped out!

Lindahl News 2 said...

Linnea, I bet you WERE worn out with those younger kids you teach. Now that Anne is teaching in middle school, they had no real Halloween hoo-hah, just a little party during the last period with optional costumes and no parents allowed...so that would make it definitely calmer. She wanted more hoo-hah, so she and Jed came out here to see the kids in costumes, carve a pumpkin, dress up, and even catch up with doing their laundry!

simplicity said...

That picture of the four of you would make a GREAT Christmas card. I wish John had been in it too!

I love that you all celebrated in such creative and fun style.

I can't get over the pic of all four of you though, I keep coming back for more! :) I love it!

Spirit Bear said...

I love Miss Clavel; I might have to send it to Aimee; she loved those books SO MUCH. (something is not right!) I saved the pic of pumpkin carving to put in our photo story to Ecuador on the strange American custom of Halloween. I don't know if I dare include the Lindahl costumes!

Katherine Nicole Therese said...

Haha I like Patricia's comment but I also love the costumes. For some reason I was never one to get into dressing up for Halloween but you sure did a great job! We got a total of 15 trick or treaters here...oh Peoria, haha.

Lindahl News 2 said...

You don't think Ecquador is ready for the Lindahl family photo?????

You can't be serious!!

The Witty Librarian said...

Your costumes were great! Miss Clavel was a delight nd the thrift shop bag lady ROCKED! :)

Kristin said...

You are hilarious, ever since I was little you have been dressing up in the best costumes!