I dropped a bunch of stuff off at Goodwill last night. I'm trying to get the basement organized. You see, I'd like to have control over a larger portion of my house. The on-going battle of Me vs. The House is currently a little one-sided. Now, with the kitchen project stalled until the electrical contractor arrives, the basement seems the next logical territory to conquer.

At any rate, since I was dropping stuff off at Goodwill, I decided to stop inside and check for Halloween costume ideas. You see, every year Goodwill stores set out racks of new and used costumes. These racks also contain a selection of regular clothing that someone has deemed more appropriate for costume fare, than for everyday wear in polite company. A little scary when you consider some of the stuff left on the normal racks.

Anyway, this is the stuff I love! One year I found a brown velour "track suit," that I used to make a bat costume. Another year I found a blue graduation gown that was the base of a wizard costume I made. One other time I found a purple velour dress that was perfect for the witch hat, cape and tights I had. Need a costume? -- Think velour!

The funny thing is, I'm always a little worried that I'll find some of the stuff I donated on the costume rack. I mean, the velour track suit was in excellent condition, and I doubt the original owner turned it over thinking that someone would take it home, duct tape brown satin wings to it and use as a costume. She probably thought someone would buy it and . . . I don't know, wear it to a job interview or something. Okay, maybe not. But you know what I mean. For instance, I can certainly imagine that a woman might be horrified to find all of the bridesmaids dresses from her wedding-party on the costume rack. Everyone knows you can wear those somewhere else!

Yeah, right.

Personally, I only donate things that I think someone might reasonably, and somewhat fashionably, be able to wear and enjoy. With that in mind, I would feel sort of bad if my stuff was exiled to the costume rack. I know it would just be stuff that I was getting rid of anyway, but still.

It's kind of like having your garbage left at the curb on pick-up day. Oh the rejection! I always wonder what I did wrong. My TV dinner boxes weren't flattened appropriately, or folded into origami swans? The absence of milk jugs brands me as non-supporter of the dairy-industry, and a traitor to the state? What? Show me the error of my ways!

Oh well, with any luck I won't see any of my stuff during my secondhand costume search. Meanwhile I'm hoping that velour was fabric-of-choice for bridesmaids dresses last year.
:-)