macabre mascarades

I am rather proud to say that this year I managed to celebrate Halloween in style. Although, I'll admit I was thrown a little off-guard when I looked at the Halloween dinner invitation and realized that required dress was "black tie fancy dress." "Fancy" here has an entirely different connotation from that back home. It means "in costume," and not like you are going to the ball with Marie Antoinette (unless, of course, you wish to go as a member of the sixteenth century French nobility). As I very quickly learned, it is not altogether easy to look dashing and ghoulish all at the same time. This is especially difficult for boys, since they are the ones ostensibly wearing the black ties. I was disappointed, however, that I didn't see a single one of them go as a penguin. Adorable was completely displaced by the macabre, and there were far more devils and demons than their more huggable alternatives. Personally, I'd rather sit next to a bunny during my three course meal than a man with a knife through his head, but whatever.

I made the rather classy choice of going as a fairy. No pictures seem to exist of this elegant costume, but I rather like to think that I made an entrance not unlike Drew Barrymore in Ever After. To make the moment complete there was even someone wearing my secret favorite costume from that illustrious ball--that of the horse. Unfortunately, I did not win the prince's heart (alas, alas).

In fact, upon reflection I seem to have failed as an even mildly responsible documenter of the night's events. Upon entering the hall, we were greeted by lines of tables lit by jack-o-lanterns, black streamers on the walls, and silver tinsel bedecking the room. Did I capture this moment of Gothic wonder filled with the lurking monsters, saucy imps, and not just one charismatic Mephistopheles? No. My one photograph of the night seems to be of the choux spider I ate for dessert.
NOMNOMNOMNOM. I really have nothing else to say for myself here. If you require a more tangible visual of the night than that of my eloquent description above, I revert to my oft-made comparison. Just think Harry Potter.