"When I was little I, like, worshipped Halloween. And truthfully, part of me still does. 'Cause it's your one chance all year to be someone else."

One of the best holidays has crept up on us quickly this year. Halloween! While I'm usually way ahead of schedule in my Halloween preparations, this year I apparently dropped the ball and I'm just starting to think about it now. The past few years I already knew what I wanted to be next year before that year's Halloween even happened! I guess that's pretty standard for 2010, though. Everything seems to be going by SO quickly.

So due to the fact that up until about noon today I had no clue what I wanted to be for Halloween, I've been doing a lot of research on the subject. As a huge fan of the 90s I have been doing a lot of Google image searches on many of my favorite TV shows and movies from that decade. Since I'm pretty sure I already know what I'm going to be (and no, it's not from the 90s...but the 80s!) I figured I'd go ahead and share my findings. Plus, I've already been a few of these so I can attest to their success!

My So-Called Life

Not only did MSCL have an amazing Halloween episode, which inspired my 2007 vampire/Rayanne Graff costume, Angela and Rayanne had such distinct style that it would be easy to tell the Angela Chase's from a simple grunge costume. So much so that they even had Danielle Chase, her little sister, dress up as her in their Halloween episode.

Empire Records

This movie really was the epitome of 90s style. Each character had such distinctive fashion choices and anyone who has seen the movie, or the poster for that matter, would know immediately who you were being. Again, my 2008 costume was inspired by Renee Zellweger's daring Music Town "uniform".

Dazed and Confused

Now, I realize that Dazed and Confused is supposed to take place in the 70s, but it was MADE in the 90s so it counts! This movie introduced me to something I've wanted to be since I was in high school, and tried to make happen my senior year of high school, and maybe will have an opportunity to be one day. I mean, let's be honest. What girl doesn't want to be in the in-crowd, hazing the younger girls into their group? Plus, even the guys in this movie had great style. They would totally fit in now, based on what we saw during fashion month.

Baywatch

Baywatch was one of the most quintessential shows of the 90s, and probably one of the easiest to make a costume out of. Whether you're a man or a woman, throw on a red swimsuit and jacket and you're ready for Halloween. Ladies, maybe throw some balloons in there just to make it a bit more authentic.

Wayne's World

A simple costume choice for the guys out there, and one a few friends pulled off quite well Halloween 2008: Wayne and Garth. Most guys probably have all the elements for these costumes already. May just mean a trip to a silkscreen shop to get the Wayne's World hat made.

Spice Girls

Another costume I've wanted to be since high school is any of the Spice Girls, ideally Posh. Talk about a fun, colorful costume for a group of girlfriends! Plus, any reason to listen to Spice Girls all night is a reason for me. Yes, I'm admitting I'm a Spice Girls fan. Yes, I was there at Staples Center rocking out and singing every song during their reunion tour in 2007.

Pulp Fiction

Ladies. Do you have black pants and a white button up? Guys. Do you have a black suit? Then you can easily be Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace. Yet again, another costume I've always wanted to be, and hopefully someday will. My dear friend Mandy does keep hinting at a Tarantino themed party, so maybe I'll have my chance. And, how cute is Uma's banged bob?

Britney Spears
The one and only Miss Britney Spears has been a joke costume over the past few years, but back in the 90s, let's call this pre-K Fed, she had a little video that changed the easy Halloween costume for everyone. I'm going to be bold and say the Baby One More Time video brought the slutty schoolgirl costume to the masses, and I have to admit, won me over Halloween 2002. But not only that outfit, but every other in that same video ALMOST inspired my costume for this year, but alas, that may have to wait.

I could go on and on and on about pop culture Halloween costumes, but I'll leave it at that. I can't wait to see what people come up with this year. I'm sure there will be a lot of Jersey Shore, maybe some Glee, maybe some Gaga...guess I'll just have to wait.

As Britney would say, Have a Happy Halloween, y'all!!

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Angela Chase, "My So-Called Life"

"Who ever said 'the more things change the more things stay the same' definitely had the right POV."

While spending time over the past two weeks watching Disney's favorite party girl Hannah Montana with my 9 year old cousin, I got to thinking about the shows I used to watch as a kid/tween in the late 80s and early 90s. Back then, Disney Channel didn't come with normal cable, so kids spent their time on Nickelodeon, home of the green slime (don't say "I don't know"!!). While Friday nights were spent over on ABC watching TGIF classics Full House, Step by Step, Family Matters and Boy Meets World (among others), Saturday nights were spent over on Nick watching SNICK, featuring Clarissa Explains It All, The Secret World of Alex Mack and sketch comedy shows Roundhouse and All That.

Continuing with my theme from the past few posts, I'll break down my favorite Nick shows as a kid. I always forget that some of the actors that are still around today go their start on these shows. Maybe there is hope for some of the Disney kids, who weren't in High School Musical, Hannah Montana or a Jonas brother.

Clarissa Explains It All. Before Melissa Joan Hart was Sabrina, the teenage witch, she starred as the girl every girl my age I knew, including myself, wanted to be. She had a snazzy sense of style, was funny and smart and had a boy best friend who would climb in through her window. Plus, she made you feel like you were her friend too by talking directly to the audience. And who wasn't trying to find ways to get rid of their siblings when you were younger?

Hey Dude. Another Nick show starring now somewhat famous actors back when they were teenagers. Hey Dude made every kid want to go to the wild west and hang out at a dude ranch for the summer. And what girl didn't have a crush on Ted, played by David Lascher (who coincidentally starred in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch with Melissa Joan Hart) and what boy didn't love Melody, played by the always hilarious Christine Taylor?

Salute Your Shorts. Speaking of the way we wanted to spend our summers, how much fun did it look like to go to summer camp at Camp Anawanna? Every episode we saw the crazy kids harassing counselor Ug and rich girl Dina showing us that even at camp, you can still find a way to stay glamorous. I can still hear Donkeylips playing the trumpet and Bobby Budnick screaming "it makes me want to fart!" in the opening credits.

The Secret World of Alex Mack. Most kids dream about something extraordinary happening to them and having super powers. For Alex Mack, that dream came true! Only able to share her secret with best friend Ray and brainiac big sister Annie, Alex is able to navigate the rough streets of middle school (mean girls and cute boys).

You Can't Do That on Television. The show that first introduce us to getting slimed! The comedy sketch show taught us that if you say "I don't know" you get slimed and if you say "water" you get drenched. Plus, it was one of the first shows that us kids were allowed to watch that actually had a little bit of indecent content. With regular sketches like the locker room, detention/dungeon, firing squad and the questionable diner, we learned a lot about what those crazy Canadians find funny. And we found it funny, too!

The Adventures of Pete & Pete. This is randomly one of the shows from my childhood that I find myself referencing sort of often. From the daylight savings/Halloween/time travel episode to the introduction of Dawn Summers/Georgina Sparks/Michelle Tratchenberg to the television radar, ginger brothers Pete and Pete provided me with hours of entertainment in the early 90s. Maybe (little) Pete's dancing tattoo "Pentunia" is what inspired me to get tattoos when I was older.

Wow. I feel like I really must be getting old. As I sit here remembering all of my favorite shows growing up, I'm feeling a mega sense of nostalgia! Someday, decades from now, my little cousin will probably be feeling the same things for Hannah Montana, Suite Life of Zack and Cody and all the other Disney series on now.

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Clarissa Darling, "Clarissa Explains It All"