Before delving into the fun, here’s a good place to find out about the history of Halloween and other related articles about the night of fright.
At Office del T-Bone, several people transform themselves from mundane office robots into all sorts of things for Halloween. They often decorate their rows of cubicles in a theme, and dress up to match it. There’s also an officewide costume contest, and at 4 p.m. there’s a trick-or-treat time for employees’ children. It’s all in fun and makes for a light and fluffy day here at work.
Halloween being on a Friday this year, the chance that you’ll wake up tomorrow morning with a monster hangover wearing something bizarre are higher (I mean, over the usual odds of that happening on any given Friday).
Still wondering about your costume? As a public service, I’ve compiled a few brainstorm ideas that may help you slip into something more frightening, funny or just plain bizarre:
1. Costumes that use your face along with some sort of prop.
Driver’s license, office ID badge, your favorite coin, Elvis on velvet, a calendar all about you. Just cut a hole for your face and become part of the prop. Wah-lah: Halloween fun.
2. Mixing pieces of your normal wardrobe with a prop.
Got a camera? Paparazzi! Got waiter/waitress clothes? Get a serving tray and throw weird stuff on it. Got a tux? Paint your face green as Frankenstein and search endlessly for your bride. Got some Chicago Cubs attire? Go as that beleaguered out-fouling fan, but attach beer cans, popcorn boxes and hot dogs to your jacket to represent the angry aftermath of his gaffe.
For reality TV buffs: dress like your favorite character from one of the many current shows. I was thinking of dressing as a generic Survivor castaway just so I could wear shorts to work (was going to carry around a fish or something, too). I also have a dress-blues Navy uniform that was my grandfather’s. I considered putting it on, grabbing a toilet brush and being “The Tidy Bowl Man.”
3. Assemble some bizarre props to fit these themes.
Go as your favorite sandwich or salad, the punchline of your favorite joke or as your favorite year (it helps if major events can be visually represented). Go as your favorite horror movie, but be more than one character. Or go as a line from your favorite movie. One example of excellent prop use was a co-worker who became a bag of groceries. Hilarious!
4. Become something obscure.
This works well if you can explain who you are in a few words. Wear some hideous ‘70s clothes, stagger around drunk and say: “I’m my Uncle Bill.” The possibilities are limitless, because you're not relying on instant recognition with this category.
5. Roll the dice at your local discount department store or costume shop.
Chances are there’s something left, and it’s gonna be real cheap. Take pieces from several different outfits and go as a “Halloween Clearance Sale.” If that fails, costume shops are sure to have at least one Santa Claus or Easter Bunny outfit you can snag for the evening (“I’m Christmas in October!” or “I’m Easter in October!”). There might even be a premium costume just waiting for you!
The possibilities are only limited by your budget, imagination and the dwindling amount of time you have before Halloween 2003 is but a crazy memory. If you’re venturing out tonight, be safe. Have fun. Watch out for kiddos in the dark. Try your best not to consume too many things that will haunt you later.
Have a splendid weekend!
Great suggestions, T-Bone! I especially like the Halloween Clearance Sale...
It is amazing what some people will wear to work... some of these outfits might raise an eyebrow even at a strip club! And trust me... NOBODY wants to see THESE people strip...
I love transforming old stuff. One year I wore my old candystriping uniform, painted a ghoulish face on, and went as the "Candystriper From Hell." I came in 2nd in a costume contest.
Happy Halloween T. have a good weekend.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Guess what I am going as??
The CUTLET!!
HAHAHAHAHAHA
Yeah, that's grounds for a restraining order.
Have a great time tonight!
I love the driver's license idea! Happy Halloween!
No frolicking Gil this evening. Been one hell of a work week, I shall find myself relaxing at home and downloading "shared" music. Add to that one bottle of Cabernet and that sums it up for me. Feeling tired.
No frolicking Gil this evening. Been one hell of a work week, I shall find myself relaxing at home and downloading "shared" music. Add to that one bottle of Cabernet and that sums it up for me. Feeling tired.
Not quite sure what is going on tonight. Maybe wandering around State Street waiting for the riots, maybe handing out food for the cops preventing the riots, maybe a victim in a haunted house...the possibilities are endless!
Have a wonderful (and safe) time tonight!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Halloween seems to be bigger in America than Christmas...
will you be dressing up the cutlet?
How nice of you to provide daily public service announcements on topic.... your final paragraph is good advice.
Oh, hey, it really IS the weekend? Yes.
i'm into year 18 of halloween-costume abstinence..here's a little shout-out to all the boring people like me!
wooo!
*twirls thumbs in the air*
;)
Hoping and begging to see pictures of the Cutlet!!!
Sorry, it's the wanna-be mommy in me.
Totally unrelated to your post...I've mentioned your posts a couple of times recently on my blog and now the ad at the top of my blog says "Related Search: tbone" Ha!