If you are fortunate enough to live in the Big Easy, then you know what time it is.  It’s Mardi Gras time in New Orleans.  That means parades, parties, and costumes!

Parades are cool.  Decorated floats ride in succession with marching bands and dancers in between.  The riders on the floats are wearing costumes that correlate to the theme of their float and the parade.  The riders’ costumes are quite elaborate: there are lots of sequins and masks.  And don’t forget the throws, which range from a variety of beads, toys, stuffed animals, dabloons, t-shirts, and even panties.  Everybody and anybody can enjoy a parade.

The parties are wild and unforgetable.  Many people who live on parade routes or near parade routes have parade parties, where people get together to enjoy the parade, food, King Cake, and just hanging out.  And then there are the Mardi Gras balls.   Each Krewe has their own ball, with King and Queen and Court.  The costumes are fit for true royalty.  The food is New Orleans delicious.  And the revelry continues on into the morning.  You don’t want to miss an authentic Mardi Gras party!

Costumes are a welcome part of Mardi Gras.  Parade goers can wear any kind of costume they choose: they may go along with the theme of the parade, they may opt for something more unique, or maybe just wear wild make-up, a wig, a mask, or something of that sort.  There really are no rules.  Of course, all float riders wear costumes.  Costumes are a tradition that really make Mardi Gras what it is.

Mardi Gras is a time to party and have fun.  There are so many enjoyable facets and people of any age can experience what Mardi Gras has to offer.

Halloween is upon us- finally! Time to start getting ready for all the fall festivities. Not only is it time to look for a costume for yourself and to deck out your house in scary decorations that make the neighborhood kids think twice about passing by, BUT it’s also time to pick out costumes for your pets!

Yes, your pets. It’s 2008 and many pet owners these days include Fido or Tiger in their Halloween celebrations. It all starts with the right costume. Some of the the most popular pet costumes of the 2008 season are:

1. Clown Pet!! So cute and simple, too. Adorable costume with conicla clown hat and ruffle collar. Perfect for the pet who won’t tolerate elaborate costumes.

2. “Big Daddy” Pimp costume. Vest-style jacket with leopard accenting. Matching hat included. For the pet with big personality!

3. Raggedy Ann costume. For size Large. Dress/apron with hat. For the big, lovable, sweetie.

4. Zorro Pet. Size Small. Zorro cape, hat and two spurs. For the little guy with spunk!

5. Power Ranger Pet. Includes body top and tie on mask. Perfect for the family pet with super-hero qualities. The kids are sure to love this one!

Don’t leave your pet out of the party! Halloween is fun time of year for everyone, including “other” members of the family. Besides having fun with your pet this Halloween, remember to keep them safe and comfortable for the ultimate time!

Please read these useful tips on Halloween Pet Safety and Costumes:

1. Buy the right size costume! There are size charts on the tags to guide you to the right size. This is important for comfort as well as safety. Watch out for costumes that use rubberbands, as they can burrow into fur and dig into your pet’s skin.

2. As with any pet toy or device, it is recommended to not leave your pet unattended in any costume. They could become entangled and hurt themselves.

3. Don’t put the costume on right away and expect your dog to go along with it. A few weeks before you expect him to wear the costume, use treat training to get him motivated. Drape the costume over his back for a few seconds, and then give him a little treat. Do this for a few seconds several times, then daily, longer each time, treating and praising all the while. Put the costume on loosely, and follow the above instructions, for a few seconds, then a few minutes, with praise and treats galore.

4. Make sure that no matter how you include your pets in your Halloween Celebrations, their safety should be of first concern. For example, if your bring them trick-or-treating, use a short leash make sure he is not going to get overly excited or scared by the many strangers. If your pet is going to stay home with you while you answer the door to trick-or-treaters, keep him away from the front door to prevent over-excitement, bites, and to keep him from slipping out. And remember to make sure all your pets have their ID TAGS on their collar; if your pet is lost, he’s 10 times more likely to be returned to you if he is wearing a proper tag.

5. Take extra precautions of you own a black cat. Unfortunately, there are misguided people who would harm a black cat due to the age-old myth that black cats are evil. Confine your pet indoors for a few days prior to HAlloween to keep him safe.

6. And remember, NO CHOCOLATE!!! It’s a good idea to NOT share any candy with your pet, but especiialy chocolate. Chocolate is toxic for animals and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart distubances, and even death.

So have fun with all the Fall prep work and the coming festivities, and don’t be afraid to include your beloved “best friend.”

I usually have a dilemma on Halloween day. It happens each year, and it’s silly: I usually have two costumes and can’t decide which of the two I want to commit to. And in case you’re thinking, “that ain’t nothing to worry ’bout. Ain’t no commitment.” then you’re incorrect. It is a commitment because for only one night I get to be whatever it is I choose to be, and then I have to wait a whole year before I can be anything different. So my choice has to be one which is awesome.

Now, there are a few things which are perennially awesome (for Halloween, that is).  I have my own list so yours might differ but you simply will have a hard time convincing me that the following don’t rule:

1. Mummies
2. Vampires (classic Dracula-type)
3. The Wolfman
4. Michael Myers
5. Zombies

Yeah, I love all the above. They’re each either cool, scary, or both. But one of them has an advantage over all the others because it’s also easy. When you need a quick costume on short notice or on a tight budget you can always be a ZOMBIE.

A zombie is one of the easiest things to be - at minimum, a zombie costume requires some old clothes and some black makeup. You simply make dark rings around the eyes and lines extending around the lips (think of the way Michael Jackson’s eyes looked in Thriller).

For a higher-budget zombie, you can do a quality makeup job with more FX or you can simply get a zombie mask for Halloween. There are many different styles out there, but this is one I think looks cool:

Glom Zombie Mask

It’s not too too over-the-top, but it definitely is scary and observers undoubtedly will know that you, as the mask wearer, are attempting to portray a scary dead person.

This Halloween, I’m probably not gonna end up being a zombie. I’m leaning more towards a Wolfman.

But then again…

Yes, I like Fall and Halloween. The changing of the seasons, with the vibrant Autumn colors and the crisp mornings, is my favorite time of year. Something about it all intensifies all my emotions, including melancholy and happiness. Is that weird or does this happen to you, too?

And yesterday while I was out shopping and came upon some Halloween costumes, my first reaction was an intense “Awww… How cute!” The costumes were for babies and toddlers and I could not pass them up without a long look!!!! How can a parent decide which is the cutest, or most scary, for a toddler?

There are so many options. when it comes to children’s costumes.  Have a tiny infant?  Bunting-type costumes are perfect; they are cute and keep the child nice and warm.  Have a toddler?  Then the possibilities are endless.  There are the tried-and-true favorites, like witches and lions.  Or your child might choose to be a super-hero or popular TV character.  And if you have a pre-schooler, then most likely they will be choosing the costume.

Some of the things to consider when buying a costume for a small child are comfort and practicality.   One year I bought the cutest costume for my toddler, but it ended up being too hot for him to wear and we had to change at the last minute.  Another time the costume I chose had facial accessories he refused to wear, and believe me, there is no way to make some kids wear some things!  And yet another year it was so cold that everyone’s costume was covered with coats, but I guess there was no way around that.  Last year, my 3 year old wanted only a certain costume, which I could only find on-line and bought the last one available.  When it arrived it was really too small, but he did not care.  Remember that aside from how cute your child would look in a certain costume, there are other real life things to consider, such as the weather and your child’s comfort.

And do not, absolutely do not, wait until the last minute.  Selection will be limited and you will be more stressed.

Start shopping around now.  Bring your kids when necessary, to help choose and also to try on the costumes.  And remember to enjoy this part of Halloween.  It won’t be long before your kids are grown and you will only be able to “ooh” and “awww” those adorable costumes while they are on the hangers.

No, I’m not talking (in some sick way) about “making babies” - even though some parents obviously have made monsters and the rest of us have to deal with the little hellspawns running through the aisle at Target when we’re trying to make our way to the checkout with our basket of cheaply-made Chinese lead-coated merchandise. But I digress.

I am speaking here of the act of horror makeup/costume-making/dressing up. As a monster.

Or, an alien. One of the very best costumes I ever fabricated (at least, in my memory) was that of a classic 1950’s-style space alien. The costume consisted of the following items: a pair of thick silver-spray-painted rubber boots (the kind fishermen and serial killers typically wear), a gray sweatshirt and gray sweatpants (like your Diet-Coke-guzzling eternally-on-a-futile-diet co-worker wears), a genuine vintage fifities tin toy ray gun, a space helmet with antennae (fashioned out of Reynolds™ Wrap - only the best!), and green food coloring.

Yes, the super-realistic touch to my costume was the fact that I dyed my skin a rich, dark hue of green. My mom either didn’t mind or wasn’t aware of this ahead of time, but I certainly did it. And it worked well. (DId you know? Food coloring is semi-permanent!) It was a great costume though. And what did I get for my efforts? The accolades of my peers? Scream of terror from unprepared trick-or-treaters? Actual space aliens contacting me, thinking I was one of their kind? No.

All I got was a bunch of Tootsie Rolls. Damn.

But if you yourself want to learn how to dress up in cool costumes (sans food coloring), I found a spiffy website devoted to this craft: Max and Courtney Make Monsters. (Again: Max and Courtney are making costumes.) It appears that they aren’t in the monster-making business these days (last post is from 2006), but they have left a fine collection of costumes with full instructions, pictures, and even vids. Go there! And make some monsters!