Neena Strichart
Publisher
Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. When I was little, going trick-or-treating was so exciting that I rarely slept the night or two before. Planning the costume was the best part— well, maybe second best to all the free candy. Having little money to spend on such things as a “store-bought” costume each year, Mom, Dad and I would creatively rummage through closets, drawers, garage cabinets and trinket boxes for items to put together to make just the perfect Halloween outfit for me to wear out on my candy-begging venture.
This year Steve and I were invited to a Halloween party hosted by longtime family friends. The invitation proclaimed costumes to be optional, so I figured I’d just wear some bat earrings and call it close enough. While at Disneyland a few days before the party, I couldn’t help but be inspired by all the park’s characters and little kids dressed up as princesses and pirates. Finding and then buying the perfect Minnie Mouse pirate princess hat gave me my inspiration to really dress up for that upcoming party. Putting together the rest of the costume brought me back to those trick-or-treat days.
I went to Dollar Tree and bought temporary pirate tattoos and a little pirate kit that included a small plastic sword and an eye patch along with a big plastic earring. My next stop was Goodwill in search of a blouse or jacket that would be pirate-princess-like. No luck there, so I headed off to another Goodwill location. After a quick walk-through, I decided to try Out of the Closet, a thrift store over on Pacific Coast Highway at Redondo Avenue. BINGO. I found a fabulous Victoria’s Secret sheer black knee-length robe with black flocking in all the right places. The satin-type cuffs were the perfect glamorous touch for a pirate princess. At home I dug out an old hot-pink off-shoulder T-shirt, a pair of nice-fitting black pants, a pair of black flats with big buckles and a blonde hairpiece to wear under my Minnie Mouse ears. I dug out some old Halloween jewelry that I had been collecting for years, threw on the whole kit and kaboodle, applied way too much makeup, and I was ready for the party. What a ball we had. Steve dressed as a cowboy— all items he already owned— so we got away with two costumes for under $25.
My point is to have fun this Halloween. You don’t have to spend a fortune to really dress it up. Hit the thrift stores or local shops that specialize in vintage or vintage-like clothing. Try About U at 4342 Atlantic Ave. or Bixby Exchange just a few doors north of them. They have lots of cute clothing that would be great to use for costume-type wear.
This Saturday evening from 5pm to 8pm, a couple of our staff members, Steve and I will be helping out at the Signal Hill Halloween Harvest Festival located at 1780 Hill St. at the basketball courts. Cost for the event is $3 per child (13 years and under only). Admission for parents or guardians is free. Festivities include a petting zoo, games, contests, candy, music and lots of FUN. See you there! I just might don my pirate outfit for the occasion.
