Monster Glam Masquerade Ball 2007

One full tube of white face paint and an itchy costume wig later, I was ready for the hottest costume party to date. Beef waited until the last minute (2 hours prior) to find the perfect matching attire, a Japanese Samurai embroidered robe to my Geisha girl silky threads. He transformed his normally blonde gotee to a dusky black shade using my mascara. And I spiced up my wig with tasseled chopsticks and a bright sapphire magnolia. Traditionally, Geisha apprentices wear cherry blossoms in their oiled hair dos, but those were harder to find.

King Larry and Queen Robin from the Lord of the Rings fantasy met us out our home to commute for the almost hour and half drive to Cookeville, the site of the ball. Just picture a carload of fully costumed adults (except for me -- my wig came off when we stopped for a bite at Mickey D's) wedged in a mid-sized sedan.

Upon reaching the event, we attached our final props, mine being a painted paper parasol and matching fan, Beef's being a realistic plastic Samurai sword used to protect his delicate companion from the likes of another Japanese warrior girl, as you'll see in the pictures. Oh ... looks liked she had him surrendered.

Orange and black streaming balloons lined the entrance as we checked ourselves in. Then, we caught site of Mary, our do-eyed sister-in-law draped across an unknown masked figure. Her escort for the evening was Jack, from the Nightmare Before Christmas. We tried to chat him up, but he chose to be the strong, silent-type. Matt's mom ended up being quite a spicy Morticia look-alike with her graying, elegantly long black wig and glittered lashes while his dad parodied as the overworked roadie who toted oversized props all day.

Our hosts for the evening were Beef's two sisters, Beth and Shan, both with delicately painted masks across their already gorgeous faces. And no, the orange above Shan's eyes wasn't paint. That was her lengthy costume lashes that made themselves known every time she blinked. What fun! Her Predator-jerseyed hubby went along for the ride as a battered hockey player, and the fist behind that black eye? His wife, of course! With her artist touch, silly!

We participated in the costume fashion show first with many a gorgeous and frightening gaggle of formal-attired ghouls. I practiced a few traditional geisha moves from the movie Memoirs of a Geisha prior and twirled and fluttered my cherry-blossomed umbrella and fan to the beat of a shamisan, a three-stringed instrument Geisha often play. Indian Jones also made a cameo, leather lasso and all, but he was too quick for the likes of my slow-focusing camera.

We were them entertained by a brilliant pair of eleven year olds who dazzled us with their award-winning illusions followed by a formal dance competition and a very freaky and highly entertaining rendition of the choreographed dance, Thriller. And we don't want to forget a major reason for the two night event. A silent auction was held both nights, where the proceeds will be going to benefit Autism Awareness.

Completely exhausted as the evening was nearing midnight, we excused ourselves to de-costume, make-up and all, before parting with our wonderful hosts while being serenaded by some very talented Scary-aoke competitors. It was an amazing evening, and being privy to the behind-the-scenes planning, what an exceptional job Shan and Beth of Studio Six Limited did pulling this event off.