Tomorrow is Humanities Day at the kids’ school and the students are required to come in some costume to personify a storybook character. Where the heck would we find adult-sized costumes? At this time of the year, the only costumes in the malls are Halloween costumes. So, great, I said, go as Death then. Death? asked the girls, knitting their brows. Yeah, Death is a character in The Picture of Dorian Gray, so why not? That should save everyone the trouble of finding impossible costumes.
So, we went to the mall two days after the Glorietta blast and bought costumes — twin costumes for the girls consisting of hooded capes and masks. I thought that was the end of it.
Then, Sam’s class decided they would all come as punks. I freaked out. So, we wasted over 800 pesos for a costume that would never be worn? No, she said, they were going trick or treating with friends on Halloween. Okay, fine, I told her where the leather jacket was, she bought new black cropped pants, black nail polish, chains… the works.
No costume change for Alex. No need for Speedy to get upset over his share of the expense. Alex bought a more expensive mask and her whole outfit cost over a thousand.
But… BUT… Alex wanted a scythe to complete her “look”. Shit. Where were we going to get a scythe? Or even a make believe one?
Alex did not mention the scythe for a couple of days and I just forgot all about it. Then, at 10 o’clock tonight, she asked me where her scythe was. What the…??!?
I started thinking. FAST. What could we use for the handle? I was already looking at the curtain rods and I told Alex to ask her father where the spare curtain rods were. He couldn’t remember. Before I could think of a substitute, Speedy came up with a brilliant solution. He sawed off the wooden handle of an old floor mop and, presto! Half of the scythe was instantly created. All that I had to think about was the blade itself.
Blade… metal… metallic. Of course! Aluminum foil! When my brother was taking A.B. English in college and they staged Hamlet (or was it Macbeth?), he made a “sword” from the foil of empty cigarette boxes. I have three rolls of aluminum foil in the kitchen, so, that shouldn’t be too hard.
Well, conceptualizing how to execute the blade of the scythe was easy. Even constructing the blade was easy, or so I thought. My problem was how to attach the bloody thing to the floor mop handle which, by the way, was black with grime and I had to wash it with soap and water.
To make a long story short, Speedy attached the blade to the handle. He drew the blade on a box of San Miguel Beer in cans (I didn’t even know how big it was supposed to be although I knew what the shape was) while explaining that we wanted something that looks like the weapon that Brad Pitt used when he destroyed the coffins in the theater basement in Paris in Interview with the Vampire. Okay, I understood. Explain anything in the context of Brad Pitt and I understand clearly. I have memorized all his scenes in that movie and I understood how big a blade we were making.
The cardboard blade having been drawn and cut, I wrapped it in aluminum foil. Shit, I couldn’t even flatten the wrapping. I couldn’t make the foil follow the curves and the blade had creases. What kind of blade has creases, right? But that’s about the extent of my artistic talents. It would have to do.
The blade finally shiny in places and wrinkled in others, Speedy wrapped the wide end around the wooden pole and held it in place with his huge stapler (you know, the kind used to mount posters). Then, we taped it to secure it even more. Finally, it was picture time. I mean, hey, all that trouble and no story to tell? No way!
Okay, so I was about to take a photo of the scythe with the wrinkled blade. I propped it against the wall and it just looked awful. Perhaps, with the proper lighting and someone in costume to hold it…??
Remember the movie E.T., the Extra Terrestrial when the kids wrapped him in a white rag of a blanket and brought him out of the house on Halloween? He was a “ghost” then. Well, he donned the costume of Death this time — black hood, skeletal face and wielding a scythe.
It took the better part of 30 minutes to get the proper lighting (and I’m not even satisfied with the way the lighting came out but that photo is the best among a dozen, so…), dress E.T. up and pose him with the scythe. Sigh. I think he looked better in the ghost costume.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
mommy m 10.26.07 at 8:17 am
may ET kayo sa bahay? Hehehe.
julie 10.26.07 at 9:04 am
Ah, love the photo anyway, scary yet different..
Had some costume problems too with my daughter because of the United Nations Day celebration her school had for this week. Her class got the Mongolia country as their home country so it was a little hard to get a Mongolian costume. Good thing we had a red Chinese long-sleeved one which could pass as a costume with just some accessories. Buti pumayag.
Hay…the things we would do to make them happy.
Dinah 10.26.07 at 9:14 am
he he. necessity is the mother of invention.
Connie Veneracion 10.26.07 at 9:21 am
yes, mommy m, we do. check this out.
julie, ah true, the things we do. and i have to run to school after lunch to watch the program, take photos, videos… LOL Stage mommy time. Costume tip (for young kids only): the public market in Marikina is a gold mine.
Dinah, when they were in pre-school, I sewed their costumes and that was okay. I even made angels’ wings with feathers. But a scythe???
rhodora 10.26.07 at 9:51 am
Naku, naalala ko nung maliit pa ang mga anak ko - all that hassle in making the costumes for halloween.
One time, I dressed my daughter as a witch - complete with props of real broomstick. hehehe. She won in the most realistic costume category.
But the easiest costume I made - was that of a ghost for my eldest. E, puting tela lang naman- lagyan ng holes para sa mata - hehe. Ah, the memories make me nostalgic.
mommy m 10.26.07 at 2:05 pm
Aaaang cuuute! Funny kasi we were just watching ET the other night. They are showing it on cable for Halloween’s. The kids have seen it before pero hindi na nila naaalala, so we’re kinda re-introducing ET to them.
arny 10.26.07 at 3:07 pm
hay naku connie!! u are lucky that Speedy even helped in making the scythe. i have three children i do get an adrenaline rush making their costumes every halloween. my husband doesnt even participate in the creative thinking. he always say thats a mother’s job to do. thats okay but i like the job though. my first child during her pre nursery to prep years she lost during her prep stay. my second child won every single costume during the 4 years prenursery stage.(oh when i say won they are in the top 15 of the best costumes. they dont announce who are the top three kasi some mothers make this tilt a big deal.count me in it!!) my third just turned 2 years old and will go to school next year. excited na ako!! hehehe!!
Em Dy 10.26.07 at 5:16 pm
Where I grew up, di uso ang Halloween and costumes. I’ve never worn a Halloween costume in my life or attended a Halloween party.
Deprived childhood?
Nakakatuwa how kids nowadays can dress up for fun.
kat 10.26.07 at 9:53 pm
Hahah…I’m laughing with you NOT at you for the whole “where/how do I make a scythe” situation! I must say though, it came out really well!
rolly 10.27.07 at 1:30 pm
Actually, the weirder the scythe looks like, the eerier it gets. Imagine having your head chopped off by a supposedly blunt object like your scythe?
re the pic: Kung lumakas pa ng konti ang ilaw, I think the shadow would have made it even spookier.
oca santos 10.28.07 at 12:05 am
pare,mare sana sumama na kayo sa picture para may additional props as the two intended souls to be brought for execution or kayo ang intended victims ni DEATH he he he. pre kumusta na?
Mitch 10.28.07 at 9:08 pm
Nasan ang photos?
Connie Veneracion 10.29.07 at 1:59 pm
Rhodora, you’re right about the ghost costume — easy and effective PLUS comfortable for kids to wear. Bakit ba hindi ko naisip yun…??
mommy m, we’ve been searching for a DVD of E.T. for years, can’t find one. We used to have it on VHS and I really, really miss watching it. When I told the kids that was Drew Barrymore in E.T., they couldn’t believe it having grown up in the Charlie’s Angels era.
arny, Speedy was like that too when the kids were much younger. But he was more helpful when it came to science projects because I’m useless at those things hehehe
Em, pareho lang tayo. Lately na lang naman nauso yang Halloween.
Kat, it was a comedy on hindsight. But those moments of sheer panic, naku… I wanted to tear my hair out hhahahahah
Tito Rolly, torture yun kung mapurol yung blade hahahaha
Uy, Oca, naligaw ka. Sa personal o sa blog, alaskador ha pa rin. Demonyo!
Mitch, di papayag yung kids magpa-post ng photos nila na naka-costume. Pag sa site ng school, may nag-post ili-link ko na lang hehehehe
Mitchteryosa 10.29.07 at 4:28 pm
I thought so. Kahit ako man yun di papayag hahaha!
Thanks!
Connie Veneracion 10.29.07 at 5:07 pm
hahahahaha