holiday prepping

as i noted on my facebook status yesterday, "we're fast approaching the time of year where i become obsessed with martha stewart."

i admit it, i'm a domestic, girly-girl. i love the holidays, and i love decorating for them. i love halloween especially, because i love dressing up. luckily i married an artistic, theatrical man who enjoys it as much as i do. a few weekends ago, we were invited to a costume party for the graduate film school. the theme was "superheros." i fretted and fussed about it for the week prior, gentling prodding Cole with suggestions. friday night, the eve before party time, we're shopping in Target, when he goes, "i've got it, Megan. homeless super heros."

and that's what we did. we gathered our costume materials: superman t-shirts from hollywood blvd., red heels from the stripper/transvestite store, makeshift capes from baby blankets found at beverly hills goodwill. the beverly hills goodwill is the best goodwill in the world. the most ritzy, glamorous people on the planet naturally have the best cast-offs. (thank you, celebrities, for thinking of us less wealthy people, especially when we need to go to costume parties.) a white collared t-shirt, a red teddy ripped up and dusted with dirt make-up completed the clothing. cardboard boxes from the recent move were in abundance, as were political undertones of poverty and homelessness, 2010 edition. now just to spray-paint Cole's hair black and make my hair a ratted mess. ta da!!

 we really enjoyed the party. people in los angeles are naturally theatrical, to say nothing of filmies. the graduate students really got into their costumes. these fellows above us had been planning their costumes for weeks. the only place to get such a costume was a store in England, and they both ordered it. another lady had been carefully gluing individual leafs to herself in preparation for her debut as poison ivy. i was impressed with the efforts, and grateful that i'm married and mormon and boring and not expected to show up in the skin-tight leather catsuit some girl was walking around in.

but the holidays are just beginning. i've got a line of halloween decoration projects i'm coveting, a halloween costume to put together, houseguests to look forward to. my brother austin is coming to visit next month. we want to take him to knott's berry farm. there are options: the general park, or the best halloween event on the planet? after taking a look at knott's "scary farm" website, i'm not so sure i can handle it.

i'm squeamish when it comes to horror movies. last year at universal studios, i clung to Cole throughout most the evening. i am easy prey for actors in freaky makeup with an imposing posture. do you know what i mean? google knott's scary farm and you'll get an idea of my hesitancy. the website was enough to make my skin crawl.

en addition, i ventured into the halloween club store close to work today. i couldn't keep away. i had to see the decorations, the lines of glittery accessories, and smirk at the selection of sex outfits for grown women that will pass as costumes in thousands of bars this year. and yet, though i was there at 4:30 in the afternoon, the afternoon bright and inviting, no sinister music playing in the background, i still get a little freaked by the mechanical jason that shifts as i exit the store.

let's hope i survive saturday's showing of "night of the living dead" in a cemetery.

much love,

mr cole & mrs megs