Thirsty Thursday: Early Halloween Edition.

Have you noticed that the Holiday Influx is already upon us?  On Pinterest, in the retail stores, on the radio…  I can understand the Halloween costumes…I mean, kids just went back to school with crabby teachers and neverending piles of homework—they NEED something to look forward to.  When you’re back to hitting the books, daydreaming about whether Bane or Batman would yield better results for purloining your neighbors’ candy stashes is just a given.

But apparently the retailers are also already getting geared up for HoHoSeason.  Just. Too.  Soon.  I believe in giving every holiday its due.  And I do love me some Halloween.  So back off, Christmas.  After we gorge ourselves on turducken in November, you can have your turn.

Back to the holiday at hand. Halloween can be as much for adults as kids…and usually is.  You get to dress up like whatever you want, and no one says a thing?   Normally you have to pay a fortune for Comic-Con to get that privilege.  Living in a college town, I see my share of, “why yes, this lingerie IS a Halloween costume—can’t you see my animal ears?”

Frankly, I’ve never quite prescribed to that school of thought, because, well, I like to be comfortable, and not freeze my butt off.  (Sidenote: Okay, except that one time when I was a bartender in college. But when you’re working for tips & not candy, it’s a slightly different ball game.  And for the record, I did TRY to be nerdy about it…)

 

Drunk customer #1: Nice outfit…are you the devil?

Me: Actually, I’m a succubus.

Drunk customer #1: *blank stare*

Me: …female demon that visits men in their sleep to steal their soul?

Drunk customer #1: *raises an eyebrow*

Me: …was the Medieval medical explanation for why men had wet dreams?

Drunk customer #1: …thanks for the drink.

Drunk customer #2:  Nice costume.  You the devil?

Me: *sighs*  Yes.  Yes, I’m the devil.

 

ANYWAY, a couple years back, I decided to hit up a friend’s All Hallow’s Eve party as a mad scientist.  I borrowed a lab coat from a friend who didn’t care if I singed it a bit, wore a nerdy tee & jeans (again: COMFORT is key), an official looking badge (my TWIC card, which is expired and has never ACTUALLY been used for any official purpose, but it’s got a microchip, so it looks cool), gunked up some rubber gloves, snagged some safety goggles from work, and after a bit of magic with some black eyeshadow:

(note: to get the “something just blew up in my face” look, put the goggles on, then use a large powder brush to apply black eyeshadow around the edges of the mask.  Remove the glasses, and voila!)

I was pretty proud of this entirely-free, thrown-together costume.  But I was doubly-enamored with my drink holder, and the concoction within.

Okay.  So that’s only SOMEWHAT impressive.  Just kinda funny, right?  Haha, she found some labels & made some green juice and wrote “TGRI” on her bottle. Meh.

 

…Did I mention it glowed?

I know, I know.  Your mind is blown.  I’ll wait while you recover.

This is SUPER easy AND pretty cheap for you to replicate on your own.

Step 1: Find a container.  I wanted something with a lid & a straw that could look SOMEWHAT like a scientific container, but that the labels would stick to easily.  The answer was this 29 cent water bottle from a thrift store (after being thoroughly cleaned & replacing the straw). FYI—I still use this bottle when I’m out riding my bike, and the looks I get are priceless.

Step 2: Labels.  Since I work for an emergency spill response company, I have easy access to them, but I’m guessing YOU do not.  Not to worry!  You can print your own for free, and then use clear laminating sheets or clear packing tape to secure them to your container.

Step 3: The glowing.  This can be achieved a couple different ways.  A: You could use 2-3 glowsticks.  But that made me a little nervous, and I was afraid the glow wouldn’t be bright enough.  So instead, I searched and waited and searched and waited & got a good deal (less than $10) for a set of 4 light-up ice cubes on Ebay.  They only light up when in liquid, and can be set to either blink or stay on constantly.

Step 4: The concoction.  I wanted green and oozey and toxic-looking…but still tasty.

 

Here is my recipe for: The Ooze.

1 part orange juice (adds some opaqueness)

1 part green apple Sour Pucker

1 part blue curacao

2 parts Diet Mt. Dew

2 parts white liquor (whichever is your favorite: rum, vodka, gin, etc.)*

 

*If you’re a non-drinker, you can omit the booze and still use this as an accessory for your costume.  The glow will still look super-wicked-awesome.

 

Mix well, as much as you’ll need. (I filled my bottle before heading to the shin-dig, and brought a 20 oz water bottle filled with refill).  This can be a little sweet, so if you have some sour mix or lime juice in your house, feel free to add it. 

Fill your HazWaste container, drop in your light-cubes, and then find yourself a dark corner to lurk in, where you can look mysterious and dangerous, drinking your toxic waste with a crazed look in your eye…

(My hubs/chauffeur.  Cuz that’s how this scientist rolls, yo.)