COSTUMES AND HALLOWEEN: CREATIVE IS THE NEW SLUT

(Editors note: The dogs have nothing much to do with my story. But they are funny.)

Halloween is only four days away and I can't decide what to dress as. A costume can be something people either remember you by or it can be something you forever regret. I've had all year to think about it and I am still costumeless.

The best line from Mean Girls is when Cady says, "Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it."

Perhaps that used to be true but slutty is not cute. Plus, you can't stand out when you're just one of 100 other scandalously dressed females. I'm taking a stand and declaring that creativity is the new slutty.

But with thousands of decorated and detailed costumes online, it's almost impossible to come up with something that hasn't been thought of before. I refuse to be a nurse, a policewoman, a firefighter, a devil or an angel. No cliche costume will ever be considered creative.

For anyone who though that being the Joker from Dark Knight or Sarah Palin was a genius idea, think again. You're one of at least a dozen people I know who also think they came up with the unique costume idea as well.



For dress up Friday at work I am going to be Louis Lane and my co-worker Oli will be Clark Kent ... I know, I know, It's almost like if Britney Spears wanted to dress as a pop singer. It isn't much of a stretch considering we are both reporters (not to mention that my name is Laura Lane) but at least we won't feel like idiots on the subway.

In the past I've been a fairy, Lady Lucky, a pirate, a hippie, a devil, a nurse and various other cliches.

I'm not proud of my choices. They aren't creative except for Lady Luck. I'm a writer - so I should be flowing with ingenious creativity, but my friends are stumping me with their fantastic ideas.

One friend just texted me to say she stayed up all last night making her costume - a rotten tooth fairy. Another friend told me she is going to be a circus ringmaster and is dressing her dog up as a lion. I love it! It's fabulous. It's unique. And I should have though of it first.



In case you were wondering what your favorite athletes are doing for Halloween, I just got word that Chris Paul and LeBron James are throwing a huge bash in New Orleans and inviting all their Cleveland Cavalier and Hornet teammates. The party is also for a good cause - they're selling tix for $250 and using the money to benefit the children of New Orleans and Paul’s CP3 Foundation and help restore playgrounds on the Lower Ninth Ward.

LeBron is known for taking his costume very, very serious. Last year he got the help of a film studio to re-create his authentic Batman costume. Hmmm, not a bad idea ...