Lady Liberty

Ever since we announced to Olivia that we were going to visit New York City and The Statue of Liberty while on vacation--she was SO excited! She just could not wait to see the statue. It was one of the major highlights of our trip for her and for us as well!

We had decided while on the Liberty Island Ferry that she was going to dress as The Statue of Liberty this year for Halloween. Of course, there are no creepy costumes allowed in this house...so The Statue of Liberty was a perfect choice.

Last week, I thought it high time that I get busy and make her costume. I left the house with the intention of stopping at my very favorite store - The Good Shepherd Center - our local "mission" store. What perfect timing - they were having a bag sale that day....everything you could put in a bag for only $2.00. Anyone who knows me knows that I am an expert at packing and boy, can I stuff lots of things that I probably don't need into a bag! However, right in front of me sat the prize! An old curtain --in precisely the color of the patinaed copper of The Statue of Liberty. Quick! Stuff it in the bag! Then over to another shelf...and there were patterns - Simplicity pattern size 6-8 for costumes....and on the front was a little girl with a witch costume....guess what, the witch just became the statue!

I was blessed to get the fabric and the pattern and a WHOLE BUNCH of other stuff that I probably didn't need for only $2.00. Now to dash home and start working! The crown was easy - just some old oaktag file folders - cut and glued and taped and colored - Wha-la! A Crown!

My plans to construct this really cool torch were thwarted, however, when Olivia came home from school crying that they were not allowed to carry anything in their hands during the parade - no wands, no swords....no Liberty Torches. She was so disappointed. "But Mom, how can I be The Statue of Liberty if I don't even have my book and my torch?!" I told her that I would come up with plan 'B'. Plan 'B' turned out to be a fabric and felt 'torch' sewn onto a glove which she could wear on her hand. Technically, she's not carrying anything and Lady Liberty gets to keep her torch!

This afternoon at the Halloween Parade at school her teacher, Mrs. Redfoot, told Brillo Man and I that Olivia was receiving a lot of compliments on her costume. When Olivia came home from school she told me that she received "at least probably 900" compliments on her outfit! Wow - that's a lot!


Olivia and some classmates in the Halloween Parade.

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Lady Liberty with her torch raised high!

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Lady Liberty and Brillo Man - about to leave to go trick or treating.
Brillo Man wondered if we should have built her a pedestal.
The old rusty stool worked well!

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"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
-Emma Lazarus

graven on a tablet
within the pedestal
on which the statue stands.

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