help!

I'm normally a spot-on embodiment of a type A person. I plan and organize the daylights out of things, much to the annoyance, I'm sure, of my more laid back friends. Somehow, though, that has fallen by the wayside in one very important area this week: the planning of a Halloween costume. 

By and large, I'm a little "eh" about Halloween. It's right up there with Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve in my book. They're "holidays" that make you feel compelled to do something cooler than anyone else is doing and/or to do something more amazing than any prior year, when really they're just average days.  I kinda resent them for that, and tend to participate halfheartedly, if at all. 

But this year, I'm going all in. A coworker of mine is throwing a party, and another colleague threw down the gauntlet, announcing that he would have the best costume ever. In a haze of competitiveness, I said something along the lines of "that's cute, but MINE is going to be the best ever." 

Now let's back up to the time (a few paragraphs ago) that I explained how I haven't given an iota of thought or planning to my costume this year. NOT ONE BIT, PEOPLE. This party is mere hours away, and I got nothing (other than a bold, unsupported statement). Well, that's not entirely true, as I have a crappy Forever 21 version of the Marilyn Monroe white dress, some red lipstick, and a curling iron, but, I'm just not sure that has what it takes to beat my coworker (whose costume, I should point out, is a mystery to all but him right now).

So, I'm going to finish my coffee and pray that the creative ideas suddenly flow in to my newly caffeinated brain, because I hate losing even more than I hate not having a plan. If you have any ideas, by all means, help a girl out. Past costumes include...

Unfortunate looking, but not half as bad as the clown outfit the parents put me in 

a few years prior. (Family, that picture stays in the albums when my future husband meets you for the first time, got it?)

Shout out to my Mom, who made this one happen after my crazy

ten year old self just had to have it

When I was living in Venice, a housemate and I found these hilariously large Santa

suits at the Italian version of Wal-Mart. We ditched the pants and went as twin Mrs. Claus

Last year's last-minute Pottery Barn Kids acquisition. Love it still, but don't think 

it's going to help me win today.

PS-I know, I know. I'm supposed to write about cooking. Maybe one of these days I'll actually come straight home from work and prepare a meal. Maybe. Until then, you're stuck with other random chatter.