Happy Halloween Hot Chocolate

For some reason in high school, I thought that sewing would be more spectacular than something as practical as typing, so I signed up. The most important thing that I learned that year had nothing to do with needles and thread. I learned that Mrs. Mitchell did not like anyone to sit on the tables, under any circumstance. "Get your buns off the table," is what I gleaned from my first year of sewing instructions.
Years later, in college, having not sewn a single blessed thing since high school (but for the most part keeping my buns off of tables), my little sister signed up for sewing 101. Somehow, she got the notion that I should sign up for sewing too. I had zero interest, since my high school sewing class was anything but riveting.
She told me that college sewing would be Fun! and that sewing is a very Practical! and Useful! Skill, but I wasn't convinced. And then she dropped the bomb: "If you don't learn how to sew, then your kids will have to wear plastic costumes for Halloween."

I didn't have any kids. I wasn't sure if or when I would have kids, but I knew one thing for certain. One day, if and when I did have kids, I sure as heck didn't want them wandering around town in plastic costumes one night a year.

It was a real possibility. Plastic costumes were all that were available when I was growing up; if your mother didn't make your costume or you didn't forage for one through the family closets, then you were left with a slick and flimsy grocery store costume, much like a disposable party tablecloth. Had I known then that by the time I finally had children that Disney was going to be making Practical, Useful and Gorgeous costumes, AND selling them at Target for ridiculously affordable prices, I never would have signed up for that sewing class.

And by the way, sewing 101 was not a success. My sister and I, anxious for A grades, did extra credit, completed all our sewing projects neatly (kind of) and on time. We even went to our instructor's house for an optional project, just for brownie points. Imagine our dismay when we both-BOTH of us got C pluses in sewing! Mrs. Rosen claimed that we did a terrible job on our final, and deep down I knew she was right. We had to sew a puny shirt with buttons and zipper that would only fit on a Ken Barbie. Criminy-I wasn't trying to sew Barbie clothes-just Halloween costumes! C plus! Grumble, grumble!Yes, my undergrad GPA suffered, but it turned out all right in the end. My two little charges have never ever had to wear a plastic tablecloth costume.

C-plus crooked seams and lopsided sleeves, yes. But plastic, no. Phew. Happy Halloween! Keep safe tonight everybody! My Halloween hot chocolate is more of an "idea" than a recipe. Toss a couple of pieces of Halloween candy in the bottom of your mug to make an extra special cup of hot chocolate.My favorites are Reese's peanut butter cups, Butterfingers, Whoppers or Hershey Bars. A bit of whipped cream and orange and black sprinkles make it extra pretty.

Here're a few pics of my Obi Wan and Belle at the Spooktacular concert....

See you after the weekend !