An impromptu invitation to a neighborhood Halloween party was cause for minor panic as I searched through my closet to find the makings of a costume. The obvious choice seemed, well, a bit of a cop out. A French spy perhaps, with a tight black skirt, stiletto heels, a trench coat and beret? I have a cute Pierrot cap, complete with pom-poms, but where was I going to get a billowing white jumpsuit at the last minute? Remembering the delightful atmosphere of Claire Garvey's workshop in Dublin, I decided I would wear the jacket I bought there and go as a fairy. I would need glitter - lots of glitter - and some cheap hairspray to give myself a proper fairy updo. I was off to CVS.

Unfortunately, the paucity in the glitter department was disappointing. Perusing the Halloween section for alternatives, I found something both hilarious and surprisingly inspiring: Halloween Hip Barbie. Thing is, I have the duds to pull this off, including a particularly witchy pair of pointy-toed suede boots and a baby doll t-shirt with a glow-in-the-dark pumpkin on the front. I picked up a pair of orange and black striped tights and various and sundry hair decorations et voila! A costume was born.

Okay, so I'm not blond, but yes folks, I am going to the party as a Barbie doll. Hahahahahahahahaha!

Interestingly enough, Halloween Hip Barbie isn't the first witchy Barbie to appear on toy store shelves everywhere. She has a predecessor: Secret Spells Barbie. Was she to be Barbie The Hot Pagan Witch, asked Mark Morford, my favorite columnist in the universe, about this time three years ago. He thought, alas, the answer was no. I'm not quite as offended by these pseudo-Wiccan dolls as Mark seemed to be at the time, but could it be that Halloween Hip Barbie confirms what Mark himself said then:

Hey, witches are cool. Everyone knows witches are cool. Way, way cool.

Yes we are Mark!

Every word of Mark Morford's column is brilliant - do read it. His closing question: "Oh, Barbie. When, oh when, will you strip down and writhe in the woods and howl at the moon?" My response: Tonight, baby, tonight!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 4:13 PM