A Major Award

Mr. Parker: It's a Major Award!
Swede : Shucks, I wouldn't know that. It looks like a lamp.
Mr. Parker : What is a lamp, you nincompoop? It's a Major Award. I won it!
Swede : Damn, hell, you say won it?
Mr. Parker : Yeah, mind power, Swede; mind power.

On Saturday night we went to a friend's Second Annual Ugly Sweater party. Last year, I helped her host and these were our awesome entries:

This year, a different friend helped host the party and they chose the holiday classic movie "A Christmas Story" as the theme. Watching that movie on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day is one of my favorite Christmas traditions, and I couldn't help think of these funny costumes I ran across at Halloween:

I decided that if I could find a yellow dress or skirt at the thrift store, I'd go as the leg lamp instead of wearing an ugly sweater, as much as I love me a heinous sweater. I got lucky and on one of my regular vintage-Christmas-seeking thrift runs, I found a large mustardy-gold knit skirt. Two coat hangers, two yards of black fringe and a hot glue gun later, and I had this:

I wore black fishnet stockings and black patent pumps, of course! It wasn't an exact match to the other costume, but you definitely got the effect and everyone at the party knew exactly what I was supposed to be! If I'd had more time last week, I would have thrifted a cardigan so that The Mister could have dressed as Ralphie's Old Man and he could have legitimately rubbed his hands up and down my leg all night. :D

I even won a Major Award for Most Creative costume. And in a funny fluke, Quin won a random drawing for the big door prize: an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle and a box of BBs!

It was such a fun party--we had an "Oh, Fuuuuuddddggge" fudge-making contest (my entry was fudge with bacon on top), darts in the basement (the "you'll shoot your eye out" activity) and a game called "I triple-dog dare you" involving sticking your tongue to pieces of frozen metal tubing. I love a theme party, and this one was no exception. I hope I can talk them into hosting it next year too! I think I'll hang onto my lamp costume, just in case. ;)