Nightmares Come True!

Halloween is around the corner, My Friends...
And this has been a big one for us!

Getting my daughter's costume together this year made me nostalgic and I started to remember fondly all the anticipation of the Big Night.  We'd wait for it to get dark enough, while my Mom would transform us all from ordinary...to otherworldly!
She would sit us down in the kitchen and make us into whatever we decided to be that year.  She wasn't a professional make-up artist or anything....but, in my mind, she was magical in her abilities....
She was up for trying anything....from Rockstars...

My Aunt Shana as a member of KISS

To Vampires....

My Uncle Corey circa 1981 or so

To Hobo Clowns....

 Yep, that's my Mom on the left...you can't see in this picture, but she stuffed her bra like Dolly Parton for this, her "Rhinestone Cowgirl" costume ;P

Me

A Bunch of Balloons.....

My Aunt Nan

...and Skeletons....

Aunt Shana again

...And Japanese Geisha Girls....

That's me :)

My parents made Halloween such a fun holiday...and still do!  They love to dress up, even now, and thrill the grandkids (and big kids, too) with their playfulness and willingness to join in the adventures! 

Dad 2009....

...and Maggie, Me and Mom same year

 Thanks Mom and Dad, I love you!

So, Maggie's previous year's costumes haven't been too demanding...

When your kids are very young, you get to pick their costumes....dressing them up to your whim...

Maybe using a hand-me-down costume or getting a cute idea from somewhere :)

For Maggie's first year Trick or Treating back in 2008 (she was 2 1/2) I found a little leopard costume at the local Thrift Store.  It was lightweight, one piece and had a tail attached.  All she needed was some ears and a bit of make-up...

 For 2009, you saw our matching Witch costumes above.  I found them at the same Thrift Store (it is closed now....and boy, I missed that place this year!) And I knew I might not get away with wearing matching costumes in the future...haha!

Last year she requested to be a puppy....

No other specifics...which made it nice.  I found a bunch of white clothes and painted spots all over them....pretty easy!

....and Daddy was the Dogcatcher...haha!

This year, though....

She wanted to be a specific character....

She asked to be made into Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas...

I started with a black dress from, where else....a Thrift Store....and rummaged in my fabric stash til I found pieces that were close enough...

I dyed a shirt and a pair of tights blue, found stripey socks, put on some blue make-up, stitches and a wig....

Here's my little Sally :D

I had so much trouble finding a straight red wig...this was the best we could do....but she LOVED it!

I was so proud and happy with the way it turned out and how much she enjoyed being transformed!

We went to Disneyland and just had to get her picture in front of the Haunted Mansion, which is a Nightmare Before Christmas attraction this time of year!

It was perfect!

Now I know how my Mom must've felt all those years....

I made her Halloween dreams nightmares come true :D

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AND NOW.....to announce the winner of my Halloween Party Treat!

All your names were written on slips of paper...

...and dropped in the pot....

They were stirred and mixed.....

...then a winner was picked...

...and this is who we got!

Congrats to

Little Miss Hungry!

A certain little crow will be flying to you soon!

Thank you all so much for walking with me down memory lane....and being one of the reasons this year's Halloween is so awesome!

Much love...and sweets to you and your families,

Cam