Something Patrick and I do quite often, but doesn’t get talked about here on the blog, is participate in monthly neighborhood clean-ups through Green Bird. While we usually wear jerseys featuring the Green Bird logo on them, for October costumes were encouraged. As I’ve said before, I love to dress up as obscure characters, and I wanted a quick, no frills costume as we would be going around picking up trash, so I went as a gal simply credited “Swan’s Entourage” from the 1970s cult film Phantom of the Paradise.

This costume started simply because I wanted her Death Records shirt as a regular shirt to wear, and then I realized I could make it into a costume with stuff I already had! Although I did bedazzle the shirt and make the snake brooch myself. While she is sitting at a desk in this outfit, and her lower half isn’t seen, I opted for some black flares and boots. Additionally I am convinced she’s actually wearing a red mock turtle neck, and not a scarf, but I really wasn’t up for three layers. I’m still on the hunt for the perfect silver bangles too.

If you haven’t seen Phantom of the Paradise, well, I would say you’re missing out, as it is one of my favorite movies. But I also realize it is quite bizarre, and certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s best described as a delightfully eccentric mix of Phantom of the Opera, Faust, and Rocky Horror Picture Show.

It may sound odd, but I do love getting together with fellow Anaheim residents and picking up trash. I first heard about Green Bird around this time of year a few years back, when I attended a Halloween party that artist Kevin Kidney was also at, and he told me about a visit to Japan where he observed a group of people wearing green shirts cleaning up, and when he returned home he Googled it, found out it was called Green Bird. After some back and fourth with Green Bird, he created an Anaheim team, one of several Green Bird teams around the world. These monthly clean-ups were something I truly missed in the early days of the pandemic. It wasn’t that I missed picking up trash, but the clean-ups are a great way to meet new people, while also doing good for our city.

It’s hard to believe Halloween is less than a week away! Over the last month Patrick and I have been hard at work creating and fixing floats, games and photo opts for the Anaheim Fall Festival and Parade that is this weekend, which has finally returned after two altered methods the last two years, including a drive-thru version and a scavenger hunt version. I’m very excited, although I’m unsure if it will get a blog post this year, as we are slated to be in the parade! What are you current Halloween season plans?