A week from today we are holding my annual work Halloween costume contest for the staff. It’s a little different this year. No group costumes and only two categories, but it is our tradition and I’m really happy we’re still doing it!

So today I’m doing what I call a “fake new episode.” I needed a post for today but had no idea what to post. Remote teaching is so much busier now than it was back in March when we first went remote and between that and trying to read BSC books at breakneck speed AND possibly get some sewing done, extra time just doesn’t seem to exist.

And so we’re going to go down the road of Halloween costumes past!

2011: Barbie & Ken

The costume that started it all! I have always liked Halloween because of the costume factor, but this particular year my friend Steve and I decided we wanted to win the contest (well, specifically we wanted to beat one coworker who kept bragging about how good his costume was). The idea for Barbie & Ken came to us one day during lunch, and I set to work almost immediately. We had to be in the boxes of course. They were such a pain to walk around it, but completely and totally worth it. We won Most Creative Costume! (And from what I understand we actually got the most votes for two other categories as well but the winning wealth was spread around.)

2013: Villain & Damsel

In 2012 we planned to defend our title by being pirate themed snow globes. Unfortunately Hurricane Sandy hit and we were unable to do so. As too many people learned about the snow globes, we decided not to bring them back in 2013 and instead went in another direction.

I can’t remember when we first had the villain and damsel idea, but instantly I knew there has to be train tracks involved. Apparently for Halloween I’m willing to wear unwieldy things on my back. We made almost everything for this costume, right down to the dynamite. It was another hit: we remained champions of the Most Creative Costume title!

2014: The Spice Girls

In 2014 I teamed up with my co-worker Dina to be… the Spice Girls! It was a kind of last minute idea so it got quickly put together. I loved the wordplay but this one did not make it into the hall of fame of prize-winning costumes. Other groups took the prizes that year!

2015: Clue (Workplace Edition)

The Clue costume was one my teammates were not sure had legs but I was convinced it was a great idea. We were the six Clue characters… on the cards. It took me so long to draw out all those cards but I loved doing it. I upped the game by making us ourselves, and then taking pictures of rooms in the school where the crime may have taken place. The weapons were all themed to the person as well. The hard work paid off, and the title of Most Creative Costume was mine once again!

2016: Awkward Family Photo

The Awkward Family Photo was a costume I had in the works for a while but I was never sure how to execute it. I finally got it when we were going to throw out this old costume rack. Many saw garbage… I saw a frame! The fact that we couldn’t really fit four people in there made it even more awkward. This one was a hit as well, but in a different way: we won Funniest Costume!

2017: Stick Figure Family

I’m not sure why I was so committed to this Stick Figure Family idea. It was a big flop, and I felt it as I was creating the costumes. Even so, I didn’t trust my gut and we went with it. No prize that year! Perhaps if I had been able to make the fake car, things would’ve been different (we were supposed to be those family stickers on the back of the car).

2018: Inside Out

Inside Out was my friend Michele’s request. She really want to be Sadness and we had enough people to fill out the rest of the parts. I wasn’t sure this one would get us the win but it was still fun – we got really creative with the different costumes. It was a tough year for the competition however and we did not take home a prize.

2019: The Price is Right

The Price is Right was something I had in my idea bank for a loooong time. After two years of losses, I decided it was time to pull it out. I knew with the Plinko board we would have a win, but it got even better when we convinced someone to be the wheel, and then a prize (a car). It was so fun making all the accessories for everyone – and we made that wheel in record time (like in one day). Once again, hard work paid off: we got the Most Creative Costume title back!

What am I going to be this year? Well, for the first time in many years I’ll be going solo… but it will remain Top Secret until the reveal next week!