Halloween Costume

So far, I’ve managed to stick to my pregnancy project plan. It helps me feel like there’s plenty of time to get everything done.

One of the things I have to accomplish this month is my Halloween costume. I know it seems early, but the fall holidays come really fast (in my humble opinion), and I don’t usually give myself adequate time to prepare for them without stressing myself out.

Based on your feedback, I’ve decided to pursue the “crystal ball reader” idea, since I will probably have a nice round belly ball by October 31. (For the record, I almost went with the gumball idea.) And, even now, I’m starting to have second thoughts. Should I be a disco ball, like the photo pictured above?

I guess not. After looking at the picture again, I think the oversized ball is much more dramatic and fun. Maybe I’ll table this idea for next year. Perhaps the baby could be a go-go dancer for its first Halloween?

So, back to my crystal ball reader concept. I brainstormed these ideas in my notebook:

Basically, I’ll make my own turban, make some sort of pendant to put on the turban (probably with feathers and a vintage pin), wear fake eyelashes, alter some sort of short top from the Goodwill, wrap my belly in some sort of fabric that looks like I think a crystal ball might look (um, I have no idea!), sport lots of bangle bracelets, and then make a maternity skirt out of some kind of moon/star fabric or something.

And I need to make fortunes. The last time I made fortunes was for a Teach For America holiday party when I was teaching in rural Louisiana several years ago. I made fortune cookies from scratch and filled them with Teach For America fortunes (I basically copied common TFA phrases–like “Relentless Pursuit”–and added “in bed” to them). When I ran out of those, I started quoting my favorite poetry. I love this poem from William Carlos Williams and quoted this line on a fortune: “I am lonely, lonely. I was born to be lonely, I am best so!”

A woman at the party opened the cookie, read her fortune, and burst into tears.

Perhaps I need to be a little more careful this time…

Any ideas?