Halloween is a wicked good time. Candy, role playing, and costumes. All things that I love and that can also get out of hand. But for one night, how much harm can really be done, right? You’d have to ask my dentist.

Holiday preparations have consumed most of the people in my life. I realize not everyone starts as early as I do so I must be kind. There are presents, parties, wrapping, dinners, drinks, and festivities galore. Ho ho ho holy moly it is sensory overload.

With any field of work, there may come many questions. “How do you spend your days? Whom do you work with? How do you get paid?” These are all questions I’ve fielded. One of my most frequently asked questions – on set, with a client, my family, friends, and people I meet outside of the industry – is, “But, like, what do you actually do, do?”

Throw your hands up in the air if you devoured Ocean’s 8? Ah yeah. There’s something about a fast paced, heist movie that gets me going. Add a nearly all female cast in the mix and I am besotted. I have been playing Beyonce’s, “Who Run the World: Girls” in my head nonstop since walking out the theatre.

Throughout my advertising and styling career, I’ve spent many days on set. My experience included commercials for TV, product videos for online content, or short PSAs. Mostly shorter format - five minutes or less – to convey the desired story. Being invited to join a Costume Department for a film production was new to me yet something I delightfully accepted.

Yes. Suspense spared and full disclosure: I may be biased. We all seem to have that one thing about us that doesn’t make sense. It’s one of those outliers in our “typical” personality. There’s something about us all that loves a certain thing not because it’s rational but because we just do. Others may think it’s silly. For me that thing is a dog. I am head over heels for hot diggity dogs.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I am a binger. A full on Netflix binger that is. There’s something quite delicious – or perhaps just indulgent – about seeing every episode for a series at your fingertips. It's like having the keys to the kingdom. It’s just you, the couch, and a whole schwack of time hitting “play next episode” until you’ve wrapped the season. Ahhhhh.

Monday night was THE night in haute couture. For my fashion friends out there you know the importance of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s Gala annual benefit event in New York City for the fashion world. This year’s theme - China: Through The Looking Glass - was on maximum display on those daunting, red-carpeted steps. 

Halloween is one of my favourite times of year. It combines a lot of naughty sins that are frowned upon in society for all the other 364 days: dressing solely for attention, eating ridiculous amounts of sugar filled candy, and children roaming the streets at night. It gives willing participants the opportunity to, for a night, become someone totally different. It should be no surprise that I love dressing up. I also find it fascinating as a discussion about society and the silly norms associated with costumes.

Tight, bright and exposed skin was the M.O. The usual “no shoes, no shirt, no service” certainly did not apply. Faux fur space-esk boots and fanny packs were aplenty. Purposely weird and tacky outfits, along with the adorner’s body, are celebrated, not judged here. I came to realize that music festivals seem to come with unspoken dress codes. Some call it festival fashion while others take a firmer side calling it just costumes. Regardless of where you are on that spectrum it’s interesting to take a closer look.