My son's school's Halloween party was last night, and weeks ago I had promised him that I'd show up as a "robot mama" for the big event. But how to deliver?
I still had the blue box from last year, so I figured that would make a good robot body base … but I really, really wanted to have flashing lights. What's a robot without flashing lights?
A quick trip to the party store and I had eight flashing lights: three of those newfangled "pumpkin lights
I traced the lenses of the pumpkin lights to make a template, and used the template to space the holes I wanted to cut in the box. I duct-taped the flashers to the inside of the box; the little safety lights had clips, so I hung those on bits of wire that I threaded through the box and twist-tied on the inside.
The whole thing (including the trip to the store, but not including running around trying to find the duct tape) took under an hour. (And it probably looks like a rush job, to grownups, but I have to tell you — this costume KILLED with the under-seven set. I never had so many people ask to take my picture in such a short time, and certainly never with so many ladybugs, fairies, princesses, Batmans, Spidermans, and monsters …)
Here's the end result — my first-ever Dress A Day video (hard to get the effect of the flashing lights in a still image!). The audio (which is NOT essential, so feel free to turn those speakers down) is me giving instructions to my long-suffering cameraman, Mr. DressADay.
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2110048&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1
Erin's Robot Costume 2008 from Erin McKean on Vimeo.
The green deelyboppers on my head? A last-minute addition; I keep them in the trunk of my car, "for emergencies".
A Dress A Day 
Cool costume! I certainly understand why the kids loved it!
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That was some great cheesin’. Nice robot!
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Good grief! That is one SUPER AMAZING Halloween outfit! I can see why everyone wanted to have their picture with you!
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Well done–that’s awesome!
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I keep them in the trunk of my car, for emergencies. That killed me!Awesome costume and thanks for the great video!
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Great gumption, Erin, to wear a costume right along with the kiddies. Too bad so many parents don’t dress up right along with their children. Why is that?
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Great Costume!
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Erin, I think you are SO COOL, and my sons (9 and 6) do too! 😀
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What a killer costume! I can see why everyone wanted to take your picture. And it wouldn’t have been the same without the green deelybobbers.
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Perfect!
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What a good mommy! You are TOO cute! And clever. And now I know what you sound like so I can put your voice to all your posts! 🙂
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OMG you are adorable.
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So awesome! I love it!
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I love that costume! The green deelyboppers definitely make the costume 🙂
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Way to go, Erin! Very cool costume!Though, dare I say, you are about as non-robotic as they come 😉
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awesome! it seems to me that the moms-of-boys tend to be “required” more often to dress up for halloween than the moms-of-girls. am I wrong? i certainly never cared if my mom dressed up, but my boys sure do insist upon it. how we suffer.. 🙂
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Talk about a Mom brightening up her son’s day! You have given him MAJOR bragging rights!Love the concept, the execution, the “emergency deelyboppers”, and the Mom who will dress up. Rosie the Robot had nothing on you!
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Fantastic! Love the flashing lights – thanks for the video.
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Why I read DAD–reason No. 300: Halloween costumes!
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SO COOL.Nuff said
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Not enough glowing comments on the whole concept could capture how truly wonderful this costume is and your happy persona, Erin.. Your son is lucky to have a Mom like you…. You added personality plus to this robot!!!!
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I’ll have to show that to my 8yo. He loves robots.Our little boys certainly do love when we enter their imaginary worlds with them. 🙂
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Oh, Erin, I LOVE this! Great job!
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Erin, you are just too adorable and of course you have green deelyboppers in your trunk. Who doesn’t? What a lucky son. And Mr. Dressaday, no complaints right?
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So cool! You are brilliant.
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So, what kind of dress do you wear with that outfit?Fabulous costume. my son wants one for next year.
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love love love your costume.And ever so glad that there is someone in the universe who may need deelyboppers in an emergency. You rock.
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Being a UK Mamma, I don’t quite get the whole Halloween thing,but your costume is amazing, you really made me smile!
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What a lovely robot you make (and made!) I bet your son is very proud of you… and thank you for making me smile :o)
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AWESOME costume! Thank heavens for creative moms…I always had the BEST costumes thanks to mine.
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Just too cool for school.
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Such a cool costume! Of course everyone wants to take a picture with the Participating Adult in a real costume. So many parents are afraid of having fun WITH the kids, and the kids love those who validate their make-believe ideas. Its Okay to Dress Up in something other than a sweatshirt decorated in a ‘holiday’ theme – which is NOT dressing up.
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That was the cutest blog post ever. What a great mom you are to do that for your son!
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Erin, even your voice is cute. My gosh…….you’re amazing.
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Erin, you are the cutest thing ever. :DI hope Archie McPhee makes an action figure of you someday.
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this is SO COOL, Erin! I love that the costume had actual working flashing lights!
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How funny that Halloween came out of the UK in the first place, but really hit it’s stride here. Is it because carving pumpkins is so much easier than carving turnips? Surely we couldn’t have cornered the market on the whole “trick or treat” concept. I think were slipping on that one, really.What a great costume! I find it incredibly funny that kids under a certain age find boxes so appealing, often more so than whatever object may have arrived in it. A box fuels the imagination like nothing else can.
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Erin, I was wondering why you never show the dresses you sew. It would be so nice to see the work you do.Please? BTW the halloween costume is so cute!
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That costume rocks!juliet xxx
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Maggie — you can see stuff I’ve sewn under this tag: http://www.dressaday.com/labels/erin_sewing.html
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I LOVE IT!! You are adorable! “I’m pretty sure..”
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Love your costume! nice work 🙂 looks really fun.
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you are too cute for words! great costume, thanks for sharing!
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He-hey! Respect, Erin! I spent my first US Halloween (as an adult) this year trailing my kids (one Grim Reaper in borrowed white sheet; one Dementor, also in borrowed costume) in just my regular turtle-neck and a thin overshirt. Chilly! I hadn’t anticipated that we’d be out so long and such generous candy pickings. The UK version is a sad, meagre, begrudging affair in comparison, cf the weather and so much else… [SIGH].
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cool mom you are..i bet you’ve had a great time doing the arrangements and putting all together. it was worth it anyway, cause it turnet out a great original costume!:)
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