08 October 2011


 Happy Halloween!

For me, Halloween has always been the best holiday – goblins, costumes, candy, wandering the streets at night with my friends but not my parents? WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?

Some of my earliest memories are of spreading newspaper on the kitchen floor so that we could carve jack o’lanterns as a family. We’d fling the guts everywhere (hence the newspaper) and Dad helped us carve until we were old enough to use the special kiddie knives.

But the costumes were definitely my favorite part. I still dress up whenever I can – be it at the local Renaissance Festival or in a theatrical production. If there’s a corset involved, I’m so in.

I rarely chose scary costumes, though there was that one time I went as a Spider Queen – when I held out my arms, I was in the center of a huge web.

 (Along with friends E, a mime, and D, Pippy Longstocking. It looks like it rained on us that year!)


My favorite costume of all time was my Robin Hood costume. I wore it twice, I believe, and to volunteer at our parish’s Madrigal Dinner, a fund-raiser. Mom made the jerkin, the hat I bought, and I got to wear my mom’s unbelievably awesome wooden-platform knee-high boots from the 70s. I wish those boots still existed…

(With E and D again, plus K, a gypsy. Side note: I was obsessed with Robin Hood, and wrote 3 “novels” when I was in 5th-6th grade about him. Including one sci-fi. Seriously. Also, that sword was wooden, and my dad carved it for me to be Gonturan from The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. I even painted it blue. Why was I never Harry for Halloween?!?)

And for my nerd cred, as if that sword wasn’t enough, here’s me as a Star Fleet commander, complete with Trill neck-spots and really bad bangs. I’m fairly sure this was the beginning of my obsession with living forever.

 (With little brother. The communicator made beeping noises if I pushed it. Aw, yeah.)

Other costumes I remember, but don’t have pictures of: the Phantom of the Opera, a pirate, a vampire (OF COURSE).

What should I be THIS YEAR?

 
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 Enter to win a SIGNED Hardcover of Blood Magic + some Swag!

Here's the form and how to enter:

You MUST be at least 13 years old to enter.
To enter, please fill out the form provided below.
This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only!
Giveaway ends: October 22nd, 2011




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35 comments:

  1. Ooh awesome!! Loved Blood Magic but a signed copy is always a nice treat!!

    jessica(DOT)agreatread(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the pictures and memories! Please enter me in The Blood Magic contest- it is sn amazing book! Tess is an amazing author!
    kduff@oelwein.k12.ia.us

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your pictures are so cute! I love the star trek outfit, I'm shocked I didn't do that myself. Halloween costume for this year? if you watch Community, maybe some sort of Wild West getup with paintball splotches.

    ReplyDelete
  4. whoops, forgot email for comment contest: melorabrock {at} gmail {dot} com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm reading this right now and it's amazing so far. Perfect for Halloween since it's so creepy!

    daniellesaunders1984(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for the fun post! I haven't had the pleasure of trying this author and I can't wait :)

    efender1(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Other costumes I remember, but don’t have pictures of: the Phantom of the Opera-----that's such a great idea! Too bad there's no picture.

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. You dressed up as The Phantom of the Opera? That's so awesome! :-)

    justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  9. @melora - I love Community! I wish I looked as good in a cowboy hat as Jeff!

    @vivien - I painted the mask on my face, wore a black cloak, and carried around a rose, basically. :D

    Thanks for all the BM love!

    ReplyDelete
  10. ooooooooooooooh, you dressed as the phantom?! that is wicked!!

    lilyflower999 (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a fun post!! :)

    AmethystDaydreams at zoho dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Those were some really great costumes, loved the Robin Hood. I always tended to be a fairy or a witch. Really want to read Blood Magic it has a really pretty cover. Very eye catching.

    spyblue78(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. lol this is so cute!! I wonder if my mom kept my halloween pictures =) I remember dressing like batman when I was i think 7yr and catwoman when I was 10yr... that is so cool, I feel old knowing/remembering who pipee long stockings is hahaha
    Thank you for hosting this giveaway!!

    GFC Follower: SpadesHighReads
    TValeros18 AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've never read the book, but it seems like a treat. A hardcover and signed book is always nice! Thanks gor the giveaway!
    Email: osnapitzAngiex3(AT)aol(DOT) com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Carping pumpkins is always a favorite of mine! My hubby and I got married on Halloween too last year!

    Amanda
    hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Awesome post! I absolutely LOVED Blood Magic and Tess Gratton Rocks! A signed copy would be most awesome:)

    Thanky Thanky and Happy Halloween!

    ReplyDelete
  17. What cute pictures! They definitely bring back memories of MY past Halloweens! Thanks for the memories, sweetheart :)

    jwitt33 at live dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. The sound of the spider queen costume and web sounds so ingenius!!!
    tlabunski **((gmail))**

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love how pictures of the costumes are provided in this post! It's cool that kids got to wear costumes and go out for Halloween. I grew up in a Chinese family so I don't have much of that experience :(. But I did get to go trick or treating when I was younger but with no costume!

    Anyways, thanks for the giveaway!

    jadedlittlegirlx AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Great post. You really know how to have fun with costumes.

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love the Star Fleet costume - I might not like Star Treck but I'm a huge Nerd (Doctor Who for me). I think you should be a Book Worm or a Zombie this year!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Why didn't I ever be Robin Hood or Star Fleet Commander?!?! What is wrong with me lol I need to be more creative. I was always something generic like Belle or a Witch... Great giveaway, too!
    chiri_chan29330@yahoo.com

    -Nichole

    ReplyDelete
  23. You're costumes where so creative! I was almost always a witch of some sorts because my mom didn't really care for Halloween. This year my kids are going as the Mad Hatter and Alice lol We ended up making their costumes and I've realized it's so much cooler to have something you've created yourself rather than spending 20 bucks on a generic costume at a store.

    As for what you should be this year...If I was to dress up I'd go as Sookie Stackhouse! lol It's been at least ten years since I've had the chance to wear a costume but one of these days I'll do it again =)

    Thank you for the entry!

    -Brandi
    bgilvaja87(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Great post! Thanks for sharing.

    minas_1989(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  25. The best part of Halloween is that you can be anybody or anything you want if only one day a year. Great post
    veltara(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Another fun post!

    Ashley Suzanne
    ashleysbookshelf at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. I am still obsessed with Robin Hood. :) We don't "celebrate" Halloween, but we do carve pumpkins before turning all the lights off and sneaking downstairs to hide from trick-or-treaters (not that there were many in our neighborhood way out in the middle of nowhere) and watch old horror movies. (Frankenstein, The Blob, etc.) The next day we make toasted pumpkin seeds. :)

    liedermadchen(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  28. For Halloween we usually just hand out candy and relax around the TV as we watch whatever happens to be on.

    DforDarla(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Mary DeBorde
    zenrei57 (at) hotmail dot com

    Those are really nice costumes!! I think I'll go as a zombie again this year.

    *You're NEVER too old to be a zombie ;D

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh Tessa, you brought back some great memories. I'm excited for the chance to win Blood Magic. Thank you Lisa for all the amazing giveaways!

    Shelley
    therealbellacullen@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. I loved this book! I read it at the library already but I would love to own it. Thanks for the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  32. What a wonderfully fun post with lovely pics and joys of anticipating trick or treats. I have been teasing my hubs that I was going to dye his hair and paint his nails this year and he was looking a little green around the edges not sure if I was serious or not. Well if he does not want to play, I certainly do LOL Thank you for the lovely giveaway opportunity.

    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  33. My costumes were never hugely creative. I had to have been a witch at least 5 times when I was younger because I loved the hat, so I'm thinking a witch is a good costume at any age and for any person.

    Nikki(at)wickedawesomebooks(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  34. Lol! I too went as someone from Star Trek and had the same really bad bangs! Fun post. Thanks for sharing.

    bchild5 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete

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