Halloween Part II

Let it snow let it snow let it snow!  I cannot believe my title says Halloween and it's hard core snowing outside!  Without further adieu, I give to you, after much anticipation....drumroll please...CINDY'S HALOWEEN COSTUME FOR 2011!!!

It's a PINATA!!!  (Crowd roars!)  To complete this fabulous and Oh So Sexy look, I dropped pieces of candy wherever I walked.  This costume cost about $10, which includes masking tape and 99 cents store packages of party streamers in pink, yellow and white.  About $2.00 went towards the birthday hats on my head which were then decorated with streamers.  That's over 40 yards of masking tape and over 300 feet of streamers people. 
Since I have been so busy with work, I asked my sister Mandy to make the costume for me since I thought about it on Thursday.  It took her about 7 hours to create it.  God bless her.  Mandy literally had to help me into the costume because every time I moved or bent down the tape would stretch or fall off.  Some of the activities I enjoyed during the night as a pinata were:  eating standing up, walking sideways upstairs, dodging people trying to hit me with various stick-like instruments and sweating my brains out.  Ladies, you would appreciate this, you know how your bra straps can occasionally slip off your shoulders and drive you nuts?  Well the whole night I had both straps down, which drove me CRAZY, since I could not squeeze my hand in to fix them.  Ugh.
I got into the costume at my work Halloween party, (which is for children and families) and immediately my Mexican janitor laughed and picked up her broom ready to swing.  The next woman who saw my costume was a well to do, rich white lady who asked me what I was.  Haha! 
My job allows me to decorate my building for special events, which I do with relish because honestly who wouldn't want a change of scenery in their workplace from time to time?  Plus it's an excuse for me to go out shopping!!
As you can see, I like to go a bit overboard....

Here's a picture of the Flintstones...

For my work fiesta we had facepainting, cupcake decorating, a moonbounce for the kiddies, a DJ and Halloween theme arts & crafts.  All the kids went home with a trick or treat bag and a balloon.  Every year I love prepping for this party, because it's so much fun to be a part of.  So after my 9:30pm family party had ended and once all the kids that chased me asking for candy had gone, it was time for me to attend the next Halloween event.

For my costume Mandy made me a tail as well, (because this get-up without a tail would just look RIDICULOUS).  When I finally arrived at my adult costume party last night, at Hillside Swim Club, I was greeted by some overenthusiastic peers.

This next picture is of me and my Ace Ventura.

Next is Wilma, myself and Little Red Riding Hood, (incidentally Little Red has her own kick ass blog called great explanations, you should check it out!).    I wish I had a picture of Riding Hood's counterpart, the Big Bad Wolf dressed up like grandma, but I do not and I am so upset because his costume was AMAZING!

So, that was my Friday night.  I think Halloween is my favorite holiday.  There is nothing more creative and outrageous than this holiday.  Two parties in one night though killed me.  I will leave off with a few pictures from the Staten Island Zoo's Spooktacular event I attended last week with my family....

                                                             HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Paws and Claws

Today I volunteered at the 2011 Woof Walk Fun Run at Silver Lake Park.  Vendors were offered free veterinarian screenings as well as face painting, arts and crafts, and a bouncehouse for the kids.  My favorite was the doggie obstacle course. 

Of course I tried to get my dog, a 7 year old dachshund named Jub Jub, to complete the course to no avail.  When I dragged him over to the hurdle to jump, he ran on the opposite side.  When I tried to push Jub Jub into an accordion blue running tunnel obstacle, he would not budge.  So much for cultivating a show dog.  Then the pure breeds came.  The eccentric handlers of these dogs remind me of those depicted in the movie "Best In Show".  If you have never seen this movie, it parodies show dog owners and their dogs that look like them while they compete at a national competition.  Sounds ridiculous, but this movie is hysterical.  The gllistening golden retreivers that dodged in and out of each obstacle on the course were so fast and well trained I was immediately embarrassed by my little 13 lb dog who was standing idly by scratching himself. 

Dozens of dogs (and their owners) in all shapes and sizes came for the event.  The walk, (or run, whichever you prefered) was just about a mile. There were tons of free giveaways, including bone shaped doggie poo bag dispensers, (grabbed 3), t-shirts, and travel foldable doggie water bowls, which were adorable.  Greyhounds, bulldogs, poodles and many more interesting breeds peppered the parade.  Some were even in their Halloween costumes. 

Congressman Michael Grimm gave an opening speech before the walk began.  He was accompanied by a little teacup Yorkie Terrier.  He gave a nice little speech on how dogs are man's best friends.  This is a picture of him below.

  When we started on the course Jub Jub was joined by his friends Zeus, a pug, and Lily, a Jack-A-Poo.  Lily's in the first picture, Zeus is by himself below.

Halfway through the course we saw Michael Grimm RUNNING with his little Yorkie.  I kid you not when I tell you that he was looking at his dog offering words of encouragement, "we're almost there, YOU CAN DO IT!"  I literally died laughing.  He seems like a nice guy and I do not care much for politics but that was a bit too much for show.

Frank, my boyfriend, came for the event as well as my sister Mandy and her boyfriend Justin with Kaylee, my niece.  Ths next picture is Kayle,, myself and Frank.

Kaylee enjoyed running around like a lunatic oblivious to her surroundings.  Just like a Bayioki.

All in all this was a nice community event.  Family and pet lover friendly; I am glad I went.  I am among my people there.  Unfortunately they are a tad odd and crazy but that's just my style.

Gamblers Anonymous

Happy Tuesday readers!

This weekend I allowed myself to be duped again into gambling at the casinos in Atlantic City.  Every time I pull that shiny black lever or  bet on lucky number 19 at the roulette table, (which by the way was ridiculously UNlucky) visions of quitting my job, traveling the world and starting my own puppy farm start materializing in my head only to be smashed to bits when I lose my last dollar.

I am on sensory overload as I walk down the intentionally intricate and colorful carpeting at the Hilton Casino.  Casinos are purposely mazelike without any type of time keeping whatsoever.  It’s like time stands still when your in there, I half expect a Langolier  to come and gobble me up whole when I lose sense of day and time like that.

I wanted to play the Star Trek slots soo bad but a 90 something year old woman would just NOT abscond her seat. Disappointed, I left my geriatric gambling companions and William Shatner to find the quarter Wheel of Fortune slots, which my good friend Maureen won $100 on once.  So why wouldn’t I? WRONG!  $60 later I leave frustrated, not even ONE spin. 

Next is the Zeus penny slots.  Why wouldn’t I get a little lucky, I am Greek after all.  Wrong again!  The darn machines start buzzing and glowing like you’ve just won a million bucks when in reality it was more like 5 cents. 

Blackjack and I are no longer on speaking terms.

Roulette was kind once; I hit one number, and then consecutively lost every number drawn.  A 60 year old Asian man came and sat right next to me with some sort of written notebook chart detailing all the odds of every number hitting.  Hmmmm.  I followed him for a few rounds until I lost my last minimum bet of $5.00.  Note to self: Never assume that ANYONE knows how to cheat or figure out the system.  If that was possible, there would be a lot more millionaires and a lot less casinos.

I always leave casinos with a headache.  Not too sure whether it’s because I am completely stressed out over losing all of my money or the fact that the place makes me so absolutely dizzy that I get the spins.

Then as I am in the bathroom practically retching, a cheery voice comes on over the PA system encouraging people to call 1-800-Gamblers if they think they have a problem.  I instantly hate this place all the more.

You won this round AC.  Which is pretty ironic since the odds are against you when you gamble, but AC manages to win every time.   

Trick or Treat!

BOO!  For anyone interested, this year's Village Halloween Parade will be on Monday, October, 31st, 2011.  The parade route begins on 6th Avenue from Spring Street to 16th Street  from 7:00pm - 10:30pm.  For all you armchair extraordinaires, you can watch the festivities on TV, WPIX CHANNEL 11: 7:30pm - 10:00pm, and on NY 1: 8:00pm - 9:30pm.

October's already here and I haven't decided on a costume yet.  I always tell myself this year will be different, that I will put a lot of thought into a creative and totally outrageous costume that would wow even the bedazzled, fabulous drag queens that march in New York City's Halloween parade.  Realistically though, I usually procrastinate till the eleventh hour till finally settling on a borderline "R" rated costume.

Store bought adult costumes come in children's sizes; I'm convinced.  I usually end up wearing what is supposed to be a dress as a shirt with black stretch pants underneath.  Store bought costumes are also so generic, if Lady Gaga costumes are in this year your sure to see 100 of them walking the streets the night of.

I need inspiration!  So in order to get the creative juices flowing, I've decided to put together a small montage of all the costumes I've worn in the last few years.  Some I remember fondly, others make me shudder.  What was I thinking?!

For your enjoyment, I will post the good, the bad and the ugly.

This costume was, you guessed it, 80's themed.  I loved mixing and matching this outfit; it's basically a time in fashion history that says "wear anything you please and it will go, the brighter the color the better you look". 

This Alice throwback was my Halloween costume in 2005.  Wow writing that makes me feel old.  I look so innocent! 

Ahoy maties!  This is Halloween 2006 in my dorm room at NJIT.  I am on the left, my dad in the middle and my first mate Amanda on the right.  I actually found that perfect billowy white shirt from a Salvation Army store.  Hot tip:  If you have no idea what to be this Halloween, browse your local Salvation Army or hand me down thrift shop for some cool ideas.  The completely dated and vintage clothing these stores sell are bound to pique an idea for you, and its price friendly as well.  Arrr!! 

2008 Halloween all wrong.  I went from an adorably sweet Alice in 2005 to this Gothic looking grotesque misconception of Lewis Carroll's claim to fame.  I'm not saying anymore this picture says it all.

This next picture is a pretty, but generic, store bought candy corn witch costume from Halloween 2009.  Frank is, SURPRISE!  A football player.  We epitomize monotonous costumes here. 

2009 Halloween party at work.  It is what it is.

I usually try to steer clear of costumes that are indicative of other holidays.  This is a picture of my sister and I from 2008, doing our thing and acting weird.  Easter bunnies, leprechauns, cupids, and Santa costumes need to stay in their respective holiday arenas.  

In the same year as my Alice monstrosity, Mandy decided on Elvira, or as the Simpson's call her, Boob-arella.

My ultimate favorite costume is next.  Mandy created flamingo costumes for Halloween 2007.  Here, you see Mandy, my girlfriend Katie from Ohio and myself posing like actual flamingos.  We went to the parade in the city and we were stopped every block to take pictures with admiring partygoers.  The feather boas created a great finishing touch and the beaks were made out of hot pink Michael's Crafts hat visors.  We cut black felt and hot glued it to the visor to give it that curved appearance.

Here's work Gypsy Cindy from Halloween 2010.  Work parties are tough to find costumes for.  You don't want to be that co-worker that shows up to sexy, and you don't want to be seen by your supervisors as boring or uncreative.

Jazzercise Halloween 2006!  This costume cost me zero dollars.  Kudos to mom for her time capsule boudoir drawers.  The back of this onesie was actually a thong, which makes total comfort sense when your exercising.  Haha!

The Lollipop kids, Frank and Moe in 2010.  The idea was mine, and the costumes were also my creation.  I went to TJ Max, picked out those hideous checkered shirts and shorts on the sale rack, cut V's into the bottoms of the shirts and shorts, glued lollies in the pockets and VOILA! You have the best Wizard of Oz costumes ever.  They won best costume that night.  I try. :)

Peggy and Al Bundy from the TV show "Love and Marriage" in 2010.  Awesome costumes, Mandy looked exactly like Peggy.

Sailor Cindy from a 2010 Halloween party.  This costume was actually a one piece dress.  Clearly, not a dress.  It was my sailor shirt.  Thank the Lord for stretch pants.  I borrowed this costume from a friend 30 minutes before the party.  Talk about last minute.

So, whether you buy, create, borrow or reuse, there's no excuse for remaining costume-less on Halloween.  I hope I sparked a bit of inspiration for you on your quest for the perfect costume this year.  As for me, I am still thinking of mine and will let you know in due time. 

Happy Halloween!