Halloween 2007 came less than two weeks after we brought Annalyn home from the hospital. Those days are pretty blurry, but I’m pretty sure I spent that evening ignoring the knocks on the door (Hello, neighborhood kids. If the light’s off, keep on moving.) and checking on the teeny tiny baby sleeping in her crib.
Last year was much more exciting. My mom and I took Annalyn – in her ghetto kitty costume – to visit a couple people and then headed to their house for dinner and a movie (“It’s a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”).
This year, I’ve been so excited that Halloween falls on a Saturday. That means we can take Annalyn to more than two houses for trick or treating and, more importantly, Mark can come with us.
I’ve bought a ladybug costume, borrowed an antenna headband, found some black tights and mapped out all the stops we want to make before going to my parents’ house for chili and the annual Charlie Brown movie. It’s going to be great.
At least . . . it’s supposed to be great. Mark told me yesterday that he might have to work on Saturday. And so I got a lesson in my own philosophy – give up on a perfect Halloween, Mary!
Seriously, do the holidays ever turn out like we hope? Like we plan? Like we expect?
Back in the day when I could show a little leg. (Also known as college.)
Ah, the memories of hand-me-down clown costumes and face paint made of Mom’s makeup.
Carving a pumpkin with my dad. I think something went awry between picture #1 and picture #2!
Take the Halloween Slumber Party of 1990. From the black hair dye that started on my friend Elizabeth’s hair and ended up staining my mother’s sparkling clean bathtub to my insensitive friends who insisted on watching “Carrie,” even though some girls (read: me) were too scared to even look at the television, that night did not go as planned.
But nothing beats the Big Halloween Party of 8th Grade.
My friend Mindy and I got all dressed up, stopped by my Granny’s house to get some candy and snap a picture, and then headed out to the country for a good ol’ barn dance.
Okay, so it wasn’t so much a barn dance as a real, live boy and girl party in a . . . barn. But the boys and girls mostly stayed on opposite sides of that barn, honest. And as it turns out, Mindy was the only one who showed up wearing flannel and overalls.
She was dressed as a hobo. I was dressed as a gypsy. And everyone else was dressed as awkward adolescents who did not dress up for Halloween.
We were mortified. We ran into our friend’s house and called Mindy’s mom. We begged her to bring us clothes to change into, and she was more than willing. Unfortunately, Mindy lived on Trick or Treating Central, so there was no getting out of the driveway.
Eventually, one of her neighbors took pity on us and drove out with two normal outfits. Finally, we could head back to the barn and stand next to the rest of the girls who were staring at the boys.
Have you ever had a costume catastrophe? A holiday mishap? A less than perfect Halloween? Tell us all about it – link up in the MckLinky, and leave a comment!
Need more motivation to comment? How about a giveaway? What’s that? You want more than that? Okay, how about three giveaways?
Click over to my new review/giveaway page for the details!
Link up your posts, check out the giveaway and comment! And remember – give up on a perfect Halloween. The results might just be spooktacular. Or, ah, bootiful?
Darn it. I went nearly 800 words without a cheesy Halloween pun. Sorry, friends. I just couldn’t help it. Happy Halloween!
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Um, I don't believe I gave you permission to put that pic up…
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SO-HO much fun and hilarious story!!
I love that you got new clothes so you could stare like the other girls. That's adolescence at it's finest.
SUPER DUPER thrilled about the giveaways. I'm all over it like white on rice.
Or guts in a pumpkin. Whatever analogy works for you.
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haha. i love your cheesy halloween puns!
and yea for giveaways. i LOVE #3—those are so cool!
i hope you guys have a wonderful halloween… and i hope mark doesn't have to work!
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Boy oh boy…Halloween always seems to be that one holiday where nothing ever goes like I'd have hoped. I know that when I was about 9 or 10 years old I went as a die. As in I had no one else dressed with me to pake a pair of dice. My Mom covered a big box with white paper and put black polka-dots on it, and cut holes for my arms and head.
Worst.costume.EVA. I could not sit or even reach my mouth to eat a piece of candy. And no one knew what I was supposed to be!
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my worst halloween was when i was about 12… i was sick but determined to go out… got to about the 3rd house, rang the doorbell, and promptly puked in their front bushes!!! it happened so fast and i ran down their driveway as they opened the door. Talk about a trick!!
love your blog… love the mounted prints! :)
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What a fun contest … I am all linked up!
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By the end of this day, I WILL post something! And link back here. :)
Love your story/ies. Hilarious!
and, um, i resist Twitter, so don't take it personally that I won't tweet it. :)
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And I am now a fan on facebook.
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LOVE and adore your costume photos! I need to round mine up, too. The best was when I was probably 16 and my bro and I decided to be Aladdin and Jasmine. My mom made the costuems for us. They were so cute. Until I got to church (where we were doing a big show and carnival type thing) and I realized I was half naked! HELLO JASMINE wears like NO CLOTHES.
I wore a sweatshirt all night. Totally embarrassing.
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I just became a fan on facebook today! :)
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Tweeted? Like 14 times. (ok, twice.)
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Totally giving up on perfect Halloween!
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I became a fan on Facebook today!!
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I love your gypsy costume, Mary. Very authentic. :)
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But I still don't like that you have my picture on here… :P
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OK. I'm already a facebook fan!
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And I'm on my way to tweetle deet this very second!
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I'm a facebook fan now… and about a minute after i posted a friend saw i had joined and signed up too- they loved the title and wanted to read the blog! Spreading the joy of imperfection one fan at a time! :)
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Oooo, ME, ME – I want the red letter words print SOOOOOO bad!! I would totally get a personalized one with favorite Scripture!
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Oh the angst of an 8th grade dance. I'm so glad those days are far, far behind me. I am going to do my darndest to get a post up before the deadline to link up! love all your halloween pictures!
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i tweeted.
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and does it count if i'm already a fan on facebook?
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Wow, just like Colleen, I was in 6th grade and went as a die. Yes, worst costume ever. Not only could I not sit or eat any candy but I tripped and fell and because my arms were in cut out holes when I fell, the box hit the ground but my arms kept going. It was awful and I injured both arms. I took the box off and walked home about 6 blocks crying and in pain. Lorizimbardi@yahoo.com
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Yeah. Now I'm a fan too!
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I am now a FB fan.
Love, love, love #2!
We do the CB movie every year, too.
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So Halloween is pretty much the one holiday where I don't have a ton of traumatic stories. Every other day of my life is one ridiculous moment after another, but Halloweens have always gone pretty smoothly! :-) I linked with the only costume catastrophe I could remember, but I put up a great pics of my hubby and kids!
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I'm a fan on Facebook!
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The story about being the only one dressed up is so something that would happen to me. I am the queen of embarrassing moments.
April
guy015 (at) gmail (dot) com
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Hi! I love the story! Mostly, I could just picture the "awkward 8th graders" at the party!
Really, though, the title of your blog was what intrigued me so much to stop over (found you at Oh Amanda). I am currently trying to give up the perfectionism thing, too and it really creeps into everything! Yikes!
I subscribed!
jenniferkimbaker(at)gmail(dot)com
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I'm a FB fan now!
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that last one was me! oops.
I'm a facebook fan!!
I tweeted!!
jenniferkimbaker(at)gmail(dot)com
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Hilarious Halloween memories. I'm afraid I don't have anything quite as good, though I'd sure like to win a giveaway! (Sadly, though, I have no facebook or twitter account. One day I'll give in, but for now, I've none.)
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I love your post. I have some great pictures of me from halloween past. In college I dressed up in my pj's, put pigtails in my hair, lipstick on my cheeks and teddy bear in hand, I was a little girl. My roommate had a robe on, mask on face, rollers in hair: she was my "Mom". Those were the days………
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I honestly don't have any embarrassing Halloween pictures to share, although I can see them in my head–me as Minnie Mouse, me as a witch and my sister as a princess (typical). I have a zillion stories I wanted to share, but wrote what was on my heart right now!
Jessie
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How fun! I just became a fan, and as soon as I can get my husband to help me I've got some old Halloween pics to scan that are embarassing. :) Blessings!
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I just wrote my cute and funny story and it wouldn't post it! :( It gave me some error. :(
Melanie
actg95@yahoo.com
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not to be nit-picky, but it's 'it's THE great pumpkin charlie brown.' it makes a difference.
hm…i can't think of any halloween horror stories. i never went to parties, just trick-or-treating, and no one cares what you wear door-to-door. i think my favorite halloween costume was my indian princess one, though. i'd post a pic, but i have no idea where one is (plus i don't have a scanner). so instead you'll just have to imagine how cute 6-year-old me was. :)
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oh, and as for the great pumpkin, that's what covinced me that linus and sally do indeed one day end up together, happily ever after :D
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A fun contest! I'm linked up & now I'm also a FB fan, too! Thanks for the Halloween Fun!
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Ah! I forgot to leave a comment when I posted my link late last night – oops! Hope I'm not too late, and that you had a fun night. :)
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