BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Creativity What are you doing for Halloween?

Are you dressing up? Throwing a party? Or drawing the curtains, dimming the lights, and pretending no one's home? Unfortunately Halloween's not that big here in my neighbourhood - but I'll have the candy ready for the trick-or-treaters (usually three kids, all related), and then probably have a nice, romantic dinner with my hubby.

This week's articles are on ideas for pirate costumes and accessories.

We are theming a party around Alice-in-Wonderland. This resulted from my purchase of a Hookah this summer and a resultant quip about how it would make one terrific accessory for 'The Caterpillar'.

I'm now trying to decide which Alice in Wonderland character I'll be (kind of sounds like a Quizzilla test, doesn't it?). I'm tied between the Cheshire Cat, The Red Queen and a bottle that says "Drink Me'.

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Ooh, that sounds fabulous!

How about going as the Caterpillar...

We are attending a Halloween Party that our friends are having. It is a costume party and our friends really do neat stuff for parties. My husband is going as a Priest, I will be a Num, My daughter will be a Queen, and My son-in-law is going as a Ninja.

Lisbeth, with your hair, do the Red Queen!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/queen.gif" alt="" /> Gorgeous!

My hubby will be out of town on a business trip for Halloween. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I am so bummed. But we always have a "Hallow-Him" festival at our church the Sunday before Halloween, and then on Halloween night we all gather at my aunt's house and take ALL the grandkids trick-or-treating together! It's a blast - my uncle does his truck up in the back like a hayride and we all sit back there, we have 10 (WOW!) little ones now that go! Well they range in age from my 15 year old to the 1 year old - so not all of them are little, LOL. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I don't usually dress up, but my hair and my nails are always funky, of course now that I'm bald I'll have to figure out what to do, hmmmmm... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The major benefit of being the Red Queen, of course, is spending the night demanding "Off with his head!" and (to paraphrase) "Dessert first, maincourse afterwards!"

Michelle, you could always arrange another costume party for New Year's, or any other time. How about going as GI Jane?

I still don't know what we are doing. I definately want to check out your pirate costume ideas, Elle. We will probably take the kids trick-or-treating. During the day we may have a party with some of our homeschooling friends.

And Michelle, do you know how absolutely HOT you look in your new picture!!! I can totally see you as a GI Jane!

I have another question for those of you living in countries where Halloween is a big thing:

Do you have an "opt-in" (or out) sign to let Trick-or-treaters know they can come to your house? There's talk in our neighbourhood of tying a balloon to our letterboxes if we are happy for the kids to come knocking - if they don't see the balloons they won't bother us.

I think the reasoning is there are many new people moving into the neighbourhood who won't be expecting the knock and may not have, or want to give anything to the kids. Or there may be people who just don't like it.

We have the house decorated inside and out and will pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters for an hour or so.

The church here has a "Trunk or Treat" and a fall festival with live music and games. If weather permits, we will attend.

Hi Elle,

Growing up in the states, it was always kind of assumed that if the porch light was on, the house was fair game. If you turn the lights out though, people know to move on. When I was pregnant with my first, my hubby and I just hid out a couple of years --- all the lights were out and we just watched tv in the bedroom. Very cozy <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />