Writing with Wine: On Being A Black Cat, or all the costumes I'm dying to wear instead

I have always loved Halloween. Not really sure why, as it's a rather creepy "holiday", but there's something about getting dressed up and having a reason to party that resonates well with me.

Should you be lucky enough to take a trip to my sleepy suburban hometown, my mother will sit down with you and show you albums upon albums of me in the little outfits. First-day-of-school outfits, first-school-dance outfits, first-date-to-the-mall outfits, first-field-hockey-game outfits, and of course, the Halloween outfits.

For as long as I can remember, I dressed as a witch. In fact, I wore my witch hat from mid-September through to Thanksgiving, when my parents told me it was no longer acceptable and I had to wear my Christmas socks instead (which I did, duh). As soon as I got to middle school, I started to care more about what I looked like and decided right then and there that I would be a black cat for every Halloween thereafter.

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I'm 25 now, and I have tried 1.5 times to wear something other than my uniform of cat ears and a tail. Last year, I tried to be Madonna, but told people I was an 80's baby instead because my girl, who also went as Madonna, actually LOOKED like her, and I looked like a jumble of the sale section at H&M.

This year, I decided I was going to be a captain. I went all out and purchased the captain's hat and everything. Last night, I tried to test my roommate and her boyfriend. I opened my bedroom door and stepped out in my costume:

"Do I look like a captain?"
"Um..." their eyes flickered to each other briefly as they tried to find the best way to let me down gently. I held my hand up in a salute, to help the cause.
"I like your hat?" My roommate said.
"Maybe if you had some of those shoulder things, that would help :/" her boyfriend suggested.

I went into my room and threw on my faithful cat eats in defeat.

That said, there are so many AWESOME Halloween ideas I would love to give a try. My first stems from my new obsession with Nicki Minaj.

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I want the hair, I want the "Barbie" necklace, I want the ridiculous jewelery and the booty. I want to walk around mugging for cameras with that extra cheese, and the occasional growl. I want the British accents and the 5 personalities... just for one night.

I blame Claire of The Fashion Bomb for my black cat restlessness. Every Halloween she highlights great costume ideas, make up tricks, and outfit inspiration - all of which I am eager to try out now. Check out her series here, and additional costume photos below for some inspiration.