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Halloween Costumes
Published October 25, 2009
Charlie Brown’s forlorn ghost costume — an ungainly sheet full of seemingly random scissor holes — might have made for moments of cherished television watching in the Peanuts’ holiday special, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” But Facts readers’ memories about their favorite Halloween costumes and memories certainly leave it holding the bag.
Facts readers were quick to pull away the mask of Halloweens past and present, as they sent in some of their favorite stories — and luckily — pictures.
Halloween is Saturday night, so read on. Hopefully this will help get you in the mood to greet those ghosts, goblins and ninja spaceman pirate wrestlers — or go for the gusto in making your own Halloween memories.
Pulling out all the stops
A Halloween birthday gives one license to pull out all the stops. In 1962, on my daughter Tharon’s fourth birthday, she was a colonial lady, with wig, fan and a cake, an identical replica of the honoree.
Expecting our second child, Troy, and teaching, I spent every spare moment creating costumes and wigs for Tharon and doll cake centerpiece. Our Lake Jackson neighborhood was child central. Besides invited guests, there were more than a hundred “trick or treaters” singing “Happy Birthday.” Big sister felt special!
If you wonder if the tedious things you do are justified, the answer is a resounding “yes.” My heart swells every time my children, or adults with children and grandchildren, say something like a Halloween party in our home was the “most beautiful” or “the most fun” or “the most exciting.”
— Emma Jean and David Tanner
The birthday girl
I have a Halloween birthday. It’s wonderful having a Halloween birthday. When I was little, I thought all the hoopla involved with that day — decorations, parties, trick-or-treating — were all in celebration of my birthday.
For what must have been my fifth birthday, a long time ago, anyway, my folks said I could have a birthday party. We decided on a Hawaiian luau theme. I drew the invitations. A Hawaiian girl in a hula skirt, with a coconut tree in the background.
My mother got them copied, no mean feat in 1963, and I was to paint in the colors with watercolor. That in itself was a chore, to color the same picture over and over again. I don’t recall if I got them all colored in time to mail them out or not. We must have sent out 60 invitations.
I remember on the evening of the party, the house was full of Supermen and clowns and princesses. After refreshments and opening of gifts, the whole party went out and trick-or-treated up and down my street. This was in a time when everybody left their porch light on, and everybody gave out neat stuff like popcorn balls and homemade cookies and you didn’t have to worry about what might be lurking inside.
And at every house, they would sing “Happy Birthday” to me. How could I not think the whole thing was about me?
— Tharon Tanner
Ghostbusters in stitches
For my 10-month-old grandson, Zachariah Delahoussaye’s completely HAND SEWN costume, “Slimer” from “Ghostbusters,” I designed/ sewed without a pattern. The slickness of the material and intricate, minute detail warranted me hand-sewing the entire costume.
Big brother Skylar Delahoussaye, 4, wanted to be “Ghostbusters'” Egon for his birthday party Oct. 22 and Halloween. We ordered his costume online and I fitted it to him. Now the whole family is going as a character in “Ghostbusters” and entering a contest in Nederland, where they live.
I took a picture of “Slimer” off the Internet and chose lime green slick material to represent “slime.” Then black netting over the face hole so the grandson could breath and so I could sew the tonsils, tongue, etc. into Slimer’s mouth. With the measurements for my grandson’s head and hands, I then proceeded to make the mask and gloves. The body of the costume is made like an infant’s sleeper with a hands sewn in zipper the length of the sleeper and a snap at the neckline.
It took me all of six weeks designing/hand sewing the costume to complete it. I hope he will pass this on to his child when he gets older.
— Linda Vinas, Lake Jackson
‘Washable markers’ a little too permanent
Several moms and kids decided to have a Halloween costume party, so I decided to don my Cleopatra costume. Decked out in fuchsia and gold lame authentic costume, I decided to wear makeup, so there was no doubt who I was supposed to be on that Sunday afternoon.
I put on my makeup and then decided I needed eyeliner to round off my new face. Since I did not usually wear eyeliner, I decided to use my son’s “washable markers.” They’re supposed to wash right off, right? In addition to lining my eyes, I even gave myself a sexy mole on my cheek.
We go to the party and have a great time, including bobbing for apples. My makeup stayed through that event and we got some great pictures. My costume was a real hit.
When we got home that night, I showered to wash off my Cleopatra face only to find out that “washable markers” do not wash off of your face. I did not have any makeup remover so I tried soap, face cream, rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide all without success. I rubbed and scrubbed removing several layers of skin but not the BLACK washable marker. Since there was not much I could do at that point, I just laughed it off and had a really funny story to share with everyone at work the next few days until my “washable markers” wore off.
Next time, I’ll buy real eyeliner!
— Janie Schwartz-Shaw, Angleton
Halloween in San Antonio
My daughter Nanette, her husband Chef Marc, their toddler Madyson, and I traveled to San Antonio Halloween morning. When we arrived at the Hilton, a valet whisked away our pickup to an unknown place. At any rate, he made it disappear. Was this the beginning of a magical weekend or an omen of things to come?
We carried our suitcases to the elevator since we didn’t know the exact concierge protocol. The elevator stopped at the 14th floor. Even though it wasn’t labeled 13, the floor after 12 is 13, no matter what they labeled it. They weren’t fooling me. There didn’t appear to be guests on that floor. Maybe there wasn’t another soul in the hotel; maybe it was a ghost hotel. (In the morning) we ventured to the roof to view the skyline. Madyson, fascinated by ponds, pools and bubbles, inspected the hot tub. Her scan took her too far. She fell in the swirling caldron. Nanny to the rescue — I swept her from the bubbling depths.
After Madyson and I changed clothes, we all strolled on San Antonio sidewalks and observed the city awakening. Small crowds waited for shops and malls to open their doors. Locals hurried to work. Guides stood by bus and trolley stops to assist tourists.
A trolley dropped us at the Alamo. I glanced through the gates at manicured lawns, shrubs and colorful flowers. No sign of the 1836 battle remained. I imagined Santa Anna’s army running away, Jim Bowie leading the charge. I heard the song, “Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier.” A ghostly vapor, dressed in buckskin and coonskin hat, leaned against a wall. He smiled at me before he melted away.
Monsters, vampires and ghouls haunted the river walk Halloween night. In the distance, lightning streaked the ghostly sky. We jumped into a boat for a river ride. Our captain, a pirate, waved to other captains who were impersonating devils, monsters and other strange apparitions.
A witch served us at a Mexican restaurant. Spooks drifted by carrying trays. A few strawberry margaritas later, we ambled down the boardwalk.
Suddenly, we imagined we saw Michael Myers! Michael Myers from the film “Halloween,” with Jamie Lee Curtis, sported a large white knife that reflected the gaslights.
If I hadn’t had the margaritas, I thought.
— Nancy Bertoncelj, Angleton
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