He loves me.

Bracken stopped Trick or Treating when he was about 7. He wouldn't have gone that year, but his parents made him. They put him in an old angel costume, slapped a thick layer of Noxema on his face, called him a ghost and shoved him out the door. He's said that he didn't like dressing up, and didn't like begging for candy from strangers. In the seven years we've been married, he's often reminded me that he doesn't like dressing up. And then I remind him that he married a costume designer.

I've coaxed him into a costume a few times. He's been Captain Kirk (a costume he actually owned before we met), a nerd, an odd artist (for a murder mystery dinner). This year, though. This year was full of indignity. I made him dress up 4 different times in no less than three different costumes.

First we went to a fun Halloween party. We raided the dress up bags and went as funky seventies couple. Bracken wore one of my favorite retro finds. His shirt features workers in blue hard hats climbing into manholes. I once saw Fez on That Seventies Show wearing the same print. My dress is from The Vested Gentress and is sprinkled with geese and strawberries. And the costume nerd in me tried to determine online the exact year my dress was made to make sure it coordinated appropriately with Bracken's.
Next we went to a fun Murder Mystery dinner. Our hosts, the Jacksons, went all out. As in repainting the house and changing the art "all out." It was amazing. My character was the grieving widow, and Bracken was the pool boy I was having an affair with. Which of course meant that I put him in the shower and gave him a spray tan before we went. Oh, bronzing tint. Your odor calls up such memories for me. He was a really good sport about it, though not a good enough sport to wear little pool boy short shorts. You can see more pictures here.

And then there was his Prince Charming costume. I made him a pair of pantaloons, stuck him in tights, a vest and a cape. But look at the lovely ladies he got to spend the evening with. He put on the costume to go to Trunk or Treat . . .
then wore it again the next night when we all went out together. See, I knew deep down he was excited.
Thanks for being such a good sport, honey. I think you're pretty cute, you know, no matter what you're wearing.