When we woke up this morning, we didn't know how we were going to wear Allison out so that she would have an early nap (so that we could go to Brookside for Halloween). We decided that it was better late than never to carve our pumpkin, so I gutted it, then my mom put the face on. Allison was hesitant to touch the orange goo and had to be coaxed to participate.
I roasted the pumpkin seeds (something I haven't done in decades) and they were amazing! There were so many delicious recipes online for different flavors but I just used a little bit of salt and olive oil for mine.
In January I found a really cute jacket at a thrift store for $3. It was a little big but as soon as I saw it I was inspired for a Halloween costume. It sat in my miscellaneous craft bin until August when I pulled it out and started to build the rest of my outfit.
I found a green floor length skirt for $2 and cut it at the calf (and trimmed it down from a size 16) and used the excess material to make a garrison cap. I found two identical tan shirts at the last big thrift sale I went to, so I bought both, wore one shirt, and made a matching tie with the other. I bought the belt at a garage sale for 50 cents, and I found the leather gloves at the church rummage sale I went to a couple weeks back. I added a war medal style pin that my mom had and my poppy, and I was set!
Once I knew what I wanted to be, it was easy to pick a costume for Allison. When I was a teenager, my mom helped to organize an event at the local hospital to honor the nurses of the past. It was a dedication party for a Nurses Garden. I was only 15 but I was recruited to wear one of the old nurses uniforms (there were three of us in different period looks) and walk around the party. My outfit was very similar to the one I made for Allison. I remember one of the nurses at the party coming up to me and saying that when she needed to study or didn't know much about a procedure, she would hide her notes it the space between her apron and her dress so the doctor couldn't see it.
For Allison's costume, I used 3 yards of blue broadcloth, 2 yards of white, and felt for the dress, apron and cap (the cap is attached to a headband to make it easier to wear). I used an old navy pillowcase for the cap, then lined it with felt. I made the costume a size too big so that she could wear her sweats/pajamas underneath it.
Nathan was home today (the last three years, Halloween has been during the week and Nathan didn't have the time off) so we were all able to head to the church at 2:30pm to meet up with our friends and prepare to walk around Brookside.
April's daughter, Greer, was a peacock, and when April told me that she was having a hard time finding inexpensive feathers, I called my Dad. He rents a farm that has peacocks and I asked if he could get some for April. My mom brought them down in her suitcase and it really set Greer apart. Her costume was gorgeous!
The Brookside trick or treat is where kids from the surrounding neighborhoods, come to walk through the small shops and get candy from local shopkeepers who stand outside their stores. Allison has never paid much attention to the process of trick or treating before, and I didn't know how she would do, but after she watch Griffin and Levi do it a few times, a light went on. She was so brave and confident. She nearly filled her entire pail with sweet treats. Thankfully the weather was mild an dry so we weren't as cold as we were last year.
Maybe next year we'll convince Nathan to join our costume group! I've already started thinking of a few ideas!
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