           Since my birthday is the day before Halloween, it has been my favorite holiday for as long as I can remember. I have always taken costumes very seriously. When I was little, my mom used to put a ban on talking about Halloween costumes for most of the year because I was so obsessed. Because of this, I have definitely had some pretty awesome dress-ups over the years. Here are just a few of my favorites:
- Zombie
- While a zombie seems stereotypical, this costume was anything but. I grew up in the same town as one of the most haunted abandoned asylums in America that puts on a pretty serious haunt every year. One year, I had my make up done by the makeup artists from the haunt. I had fake blood, scars, and even a gash on my cheek. It was pretty gnarly.
- Harry Potter
- I was definitely breaking gender norms before it was cool because I did not want to be Hermione. I was Harry potter. I had everything from the Gryffindor drip to Hogwarts robes to broken glasses and a scar. The best part of this costume was by far the Elder Wand I carried around that was from Harry Potter World at Universal. I was casting spells all night.
- Lab Rat
- This was one of more punny costumes. My senior year of high school, I hosted a social-distancing trick or treat for the kids in my town. My booth was the lab of a mad scientist. I decided I would be a failed experiment. I wore all grey, did mouse makeup, and had ears and a tail. But, to make it better, I wore a ripped lab coat and made it look like I had been used for experiments. It was a last-minute costume that actually turned out pretty cool.
- Thing One and Thing Two
- My first college Hallo-weekend was epic. I think my favorite costume had been with a friend whose name was also Ally T. We had red body suits, blue skirts, socks, and decals. We looked adorable.
- Black Angel
- This is another stereotypical costume for college girls, but it works. I usually do black angel just to make it a little more unique. There’s so many looks you can do with this by wearing all black and having a halo headband. I have worn it with black mini dresses, skirts and shirts, and even just an oversized t-shirt and shorts. It’s comfortable and reliable, a great last-minute costume.
Something about being able to dress up and be someone else for a night has always been exciting and fun for me. As I’ve grown up, my costumes have become more intricate and complex.  I have some honorable mentions of doing group costumes of DC Villains, Blues Clues and Steve, and Thing One and Thing Two. I have even more lined up for this year.