A "Taylor-Made" and "Swiftly-Made" Halloween in 2022

We usually spend the entire month coming up with our Homemade Halloween, but this year was different. We ran through ideas of book characters, Peloton instructors, or repurposing older costumes, but none of them really stuck. I was also wondering if our high schooler would still want to be part of a family theme or would end up not being with us for Halloween.

But then Taylor Swift dropper her new hit album: “Midnights” in the nick of time! I was practicing Ashtanga on October 26th listening to her album on repeat when, on an inhale, the song titles “Swiftly” glimmered in my head! So many of them could be metaphorically and literally recreated from my and my sister Vinita’s existing closets! The best two were “Bejeweled” and “Midnight Rain” and so Annika and Xander were done. We pondered “Lavender Haze” and “Maroon” for us, but seemed a bit boring. So, Jay and I decided to relive “Folklore + Evermore.” Old “Cardigans” are definitely our thing and Champagne is always a good prop! This year trick-or-treating wasn’t a priority. We all hung out at home with a few neighborhood friends, blasted Taylor Swift, ate well, and bonded with new and old neighbors as we passed out candy! At the end of the night the kids did one quick round around the block (to each other’s homes!)

We didn’t get a chance to carve a pumpkin this year…turns out, another little creature beat us to the punch!

Annika: Bejeweled from the Midnights Album

“Best believe I'm still bejeweled when I walk in the room. I can still make the whole place shimmer…Diamonds in my eyes…I polish up real nice!” - Taylor Swift, Bejeweled

Xander: Midnight Rain from the Midnights Album

“My boy was a montage, a slow-motion, love potion. Jumping off things in the ocean… Chasing that fame, he stayed the same, all of me changed. Like midnight…I was midnight rain.” - Taylor Swift, Midnight Rain

The older “folks” chose Folklore and Cozied up in their tried and true: Cardigans.

“I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired. And you'd be standin' in my front porch light. And I knew you'd come back to me…And when I felt like I was an old cardigan. Under someone's bed. You put me on and said I was your favorite.” - Taylor Swift, Cardigan

Followed up with gratitude for their “Champagne Problems”.

“And hold your hand while dancing. Never leave you standing. Crestfallen on the landing. With champagne problems.” - Taylor Swift, Champagne Problems.

One of those champagne problems being “The Not so Jolly Pumpkin”…Was it a bird? A rat? A chipmunk? I don’t want to find out…off to the green waste bin!

…and when we woke the next morning, Taylor announced her Era’s Tour! And we waited and waited on standby in hopes to register for pre-sale tickets!

Crossing our fingers that we get to go!