Creature Comforts

I've been poking around looking for a suitable Halloween costume for a work event on Wednesday. My first stop was the "Halloween box" in the basement that contains our stash of things we've used over the years. As I was digging through the box, I realized it was long past time to clean it up a bit.

Over the years, the box has become an collection of costume pieces and accessories. Most of the items have made multiple appearances; it's amazing how you can get a "new" costume from something old just by adding some different accessories or using different makeup. However, there's no more trick-or-treating being done around here, so I felt safe culling our supply.

I kept the his-and-hers gaucho ponchos I made for an outdoor party Tony and I attended a few years ago, and the homemade capes (black polyester and a red felt models) that have been a part of vampire, ghost, devil, and generic monster outfits. The pirate swords and eye patches also made the cut, as did the white and black plastic gangster fedoras. A clown wig fit nicely inside the fedoras for storage.

I also held on to a few things for sentimental reasons. The toddler clown costume that each of the boys wore their first Halloween doesn't take up a lot of space, nor does the hula skirt and plastic-flower lei I wore as a dance costume in college.

However, I decided to get rid of an Old-Testament style robe and beard, and a knight's helmet that was looking a bit mangled. I also removed the last of the M&M costumes I made for the boys more than a decade ago. That year, I sewed the same costume in three different sizes and colors. Each was designed like a sandwich board-- front and back fabric circles each stuffed with fiberfill, with ribbons that went over the shoulders. I'm not sure what happened to the smaller brown and green models, but it was time for the red one to go, too.

I put the pillow-soft costume on the stairs so I could carry it up to the donation box the next time I went up. I turned my back, and next time I checked this is what I saw:


Yep, Jackson's a comfortable creature, all right!

I couldn't bring myself to disturb the scene, so I waited until he decided to move, then took the costume upstairs and put it where he couldn't use it again.