The rest of you can just catch up by understanding that I was going to be Sandy from Grease.
-Bad Sandy, if we're getting specific about plans that have since been replaced.
Halloween is a holiday that I thoroughly enjoy. It may be my favorite holiday, actually. I loved it when I was little because I got candy. I love it as an adult because I still get to dress up and be whoever I want to be.
I didn't want to be Sandy. I like her and I must admit that, Sandy's good-girl-gone-bad part of Grease was my favorite. Still, I just didn't feel like I really wanted to BE her for Halloween.
To create unforgettable Halloweens, one must never compromise when it comes to costume character selection processes.
At least, that's my theory for a successful Oct. 31.
Anyway, my sister is still going to be good-Sandy. I have a pair of red heels now, along with black leather pants, black jacket and all the other makings for bad-Sandy-ness.
Then, I changed my mind.
Not intentionally was my rebellion against participating in a Sandy-duo costume teaming with my little sister, but my rejection of the entire idea did have a cause.
The Sandy wig looked absolutely ridiculous on me.
I tried all sorts of ways to make that stupid frizzy-haired wig look like Olivia's gorgeous locks in Grease, but my efforts were complete disasters that I'll spare you the enduring of hearing the wig-saga.
I was not meant to be Sandy.
Not for Halloween...
not ever.
Sandy always got on my nerves, anyway, up until she wore those red Candies' mules and sexy ensemble for the last part of Grease. Yeah, I know what shoes she wore in the movie. I also know that no website online nor any store within 300 miles carries those shoes in a size 6 nowadays.
After researching Sandy, Sandy-ness, and Sandy-costume-ness, I bought what things I could that were similar to this blonde foe I'd soon make... when I put on the wig, Sandy became a nightmare of costume-money-spending and horrible hair day-ness that I never want to think of again.
Most people would probably just shrug off the fact that the wig looked like I stuck my finger in an electric socket. After all, costumes don't have to be perfect, right?
WRONG.
So wrong, in fact, that I bet you don't even understand how much your compromise of costume quality contributes to your less-than-fun Halloween festivities, do you?
Pay attention, friend.
Costumes matter.
Costumes must be perfect for Halloween and for you to truly understand the power of becoming the character you presume to imitate in your apparel.
Do that character justice, will you?
Don't settle.
If your sister wants you to be bad-Sandy and you make all efforts to follow through, only to find that you simply can NOT be bad-Sandy, good for you-
Means you've got standards and your Halloween good-time-havingness will not be hindered by any costume obstacle that comes your way.
You'll press on like a soldier. You'll realize who you should've been all along and your trek back to the costume store will be like that of knights' tales in history books and bedtime stories.
At least, that's exactly what it was like for me. If you're thinking it's no big deal to change your costume two days before a Halloween party, you have no loyalty to the gleeful spirit of Halloween that I strive to achieve every year in October.
I'll get to the point...
I'm Scarlett O'Hara.
There, I said it.
I know, I know...
I went back on what I said in my last post about how I couldn't be Mrs. Scarlett because her costume was way beyond my budget. ..The last part of that is still true, but I figured out how to fulfill my costume dreams today at Performance Studios, in Nashville.
I could've gone with the $30.00 'Southern Belle' costume, I suppose. People would've probably figured out that I was dressed as Scarlett, right? Well, those people should raise their standards. Scarlett did NOT wear dresses that were typical of the time period. Her dresses were NOT those common for other 'Southern Belle' maidens... Therefore, $30.00 would not suffice to really BE Scarlett O'Hara.
I stopped for a moment as I stood there again in the costume store for the third time within the past two weeks. I paused to ponder about what my husband would say about my decision to look further than the $30.00 Scarlett (wanna-be) costume... Yes, that lasted for a moment but I concluded this internal conflict with the realization that my husband was not there to stop me.
BWAHAHAHAHA! (evil, wifely-money-spending-laugh)
Worry about spending a little more for more quality was squelched, as my love for holidays justifies excessive expenses- in my little festive brain, anyway.
I call my husband the Grinch for not celebrating Halloween in the over-the-top manner in which I see fit. He says it's one of the charming things he loves about me- how much I get into the holidays, I mean.
We'll see if he feels the same way when he gets home today and I must stay true to my honest-wife-li-ness about obscene expenses.
Text message sent to warn husband that I've rented a costume? Check. I'm covered, right?
I am realizing that this post contradicts everything I said in the last post about costume plans. At least I notice when I'm going against what I said I'd do, though, so give a Halloween-lovin'-girl some credit and candy corn. :)
So, I rented a magnificent costume from Performance Studios. I'm not big on making advertisements on this blog, but that place is freakin' incredible! Seriously... I got the Cat Woman costume there last year and today, I was introduced to the ridiculous selection they have of costumes to rent.
I knew I was getting that green dress, from the moment the nice guy at the store walked me over to the Scarlett O'Hara wardrobe of rental costumes. I need look no further. That dress was the one.
I tried it on and confirmed what I already knew, but denied because my sister made me go on a self-convincing and deceiving thought track of being bad-Sandy. For shame, little sister... for shaaaame.
I called Tracie as soon as I'd tried the horrible Sandy wig on, prior to the green-curtain-dress discovery that occurred later...
"What's up?"
"I have a crisis. It's bad."
"Oh, my GOD...Are you okay? What's going on, Regina?" (My sister worries too much, mind you.)
"No, I'm not okay!!" (and I'm overly dramatic, by the way.)
"Okay...slow down. Tell me what's wrong."
"Tracie, it's awful. I.... I, I... well, I just CAN'T be bad-Sandy. I tried so hard, Tracie. I swear it. I don't wanna let you down and I even got all the stuff for the costume. It's just-"
"Yeah? It's just what?"
"The wig. The wig looks terrible and so do the pants and I just can't pull it off like I thought I could. I mean, I can't even express to you how ugly I look in this blonde 'fro. I don't look like Sandy. I look like a prostitute. I can't look like a prostitute for Halloween, Tracie."
"No, you're right. You can't look like a ho-bag."
"So, you're not going to be mad at me for not being bad-Sandy?"
"Of course I'm not. What are you going to do, though. I mean, the party's in three days."
"That's WHY I'm freaking out! Can you go to the costume store with me. It's just weird me going by myself there all the time."
"Sorry, no can do."
"Well, (bad word that my mom will call me about if I insert what I really said to my sister here...you get the idea.)
"Yeah, _____." (she said it too, mom.)
And so went the disclosure to my sister that she must be good-Sandy without a transformed partner at the Halloween party this weekend.
Meanwhile, back at the costume rental store...
http://www.performancestudiosinc.com/
Some clever and plan-ahead-kind-of-girl had already checked out the real Scarlett O'Hara dress and hat that looked near exact to the wardrobe selection she wore in the movie. Why the clerk told me that, I have no idea. Until that point, I'd been perfectly ecstatic about my green dress costume find. Still am, and he was nice. Makes up for telling me I'd arrived too late for a better dress that I can't have, I guess.
I have the dress. The green one. I have a hat that looks enough like Scarlett's to know that I am Scarlett when you see me this Halloween. I have this costume for one week. If I damage, misplace, lose, or destroy that costume, I will be paying $550.00 to Performance Studios.
I'd been nervous about the liability of a rental costume. This is the first time I've rented- not bought an outfit for Halloween. I said I wouldn't rent. I rented. I said I'd be Sandy. I'm not. I said I wanted to be Scarlett O'Hara all along. I AM. After all, "tomorrow is another day!"
And I have 7 days to be Mrs. O'Hara. I will enjoy every minute of this rental costume-ness and you should probably stay-tuned to see me follow through with this year's costume commitment. I swear, it's the final one for Halloween. See you at the party this weekend and for those of you who aren't invited or who aren't coming...here's what I have to say...don't feel sad because...
"After all, tomorrow is another day!"
Stay tuned for posts from this weekends' Halloween Costume Party. Mrs. O'Hara would never miss it! :)
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