Parties and Paneling

Nov 2nd, 2009 by Marilyn

I had a lot of Halloween weekend parties in our wood-paneled basement. Here I am on November 2, 1975, thinking I did a swell job looking like Minnie Mouse.
1975
When did Minnie ever wear a green turtleneck? Also, I’m not trying to hang myself with that necklace. As I recall it’s a Mickey Mouse necklace, of which I was inordinately proud, enough to hold it up for the camera. My friend Karen is a fortune-teller. You can tell because she’s wearing a head scarf and big earrings, universal fortune-teller gear.

One year later, another costume party. My friend Debbie and I went as Elton John and Kiki Dee, who were on all our radios singing “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” Debbie got to be Elton, in a purple satin jacket and glittered glasses, and I was stuck being Kiki, in my everyday culottes and knee socks. During our “performance” Debbie got carried away and sang the whole song, even the Kiki parts. Stuck with dumb stripey knee socks and no solo, I cried at that party and made everyone go home. And that’s a shame, because if you were lucky enough to have a Halloween birthday party in a cool paneled basement, with a dad who brought down pizza boxes and a mom who wasn’t sure about spreading frosting but did it anyway, the least you could do was let your guests (excluding Elton) stay for cake.

Tags: 1975-76, elton john and kiki dee, halloween, wilmette

Posted in birthdays

21 Responses to “Parties and Paneling”

on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:13 am1TexasDeb

So even future hostess with the mostesses can have a few rocky starts in their closets. Amazing how much we may have put on the line for Halloween glory, isn’t it!
on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:27 am2Anastasia

Ms Marilyn, 2 things:

1. I agree, basement parties are the best (and infinitely better when there is wood paneling involved).
2. Being from wintry Massachusetts, I was forced to wear a turtleneck under EVERY costume I ever wore as a child, from witch to mermaid. So it’s shocking to see you willingly wear one here!
on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:43 am3Renovation Therapy

Happy Birthday!!!
on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:47 am4Chef Gwen

Happy birthday Marilyn…. it’s amazing how much Josie looks like you. Beautiful.
on 02 Nov 2009 at 10:11 am5Emma Wallace

I can totally see that you are Minnie- turtleneck and all. Plus, if you got stuck being Kiki Dee, the least you could get was your part. So I understand your righteous indignation.
on 02 Nov 2009 at 11:21 am6Jenni

Minnie should have took note, and wore a green turtleneck.

Have a GREAT BiRtHdAy!
on 02 Nov 2009 at 12:45 pm7Robin

Hello, wood-paneled basement! I remember you with great pleasure.
Maybe you were Minnie Mouse dressed as Peter Pan. That’s it.

Happy birthday!!!!
on 02 Nov 2009 at 1:52 pm8Cathy

I love the picture Mar! We also had the paneled basement as well as a paneled family room. Many parties were held in each room! I hope you have a great birthday today!
on 02 Nov 2009 at 6:35 pm9Carol

Happy Birthday!
on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:44 pm10Michelle

Happy Birthday, my mousey mate! It’s a shame your fortune teller friend didn’t see the unfortunate pear incident in your future. p
on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:56 pm11Marilyn

Thanks sweet friends!
on 02 Nov 2009 at 8:59 pm12Patricia Jinich

Hey Happy birthday Marilyn!! Hope you had a great celebration with lots of pizza and frosting covered cake… My husband also had Halloween birthday parties growing up, b/c his is October 30th.. His not so fond memory is of his mother lighting a witch cake which she had made and decorated with some form of pretend hair, which caught fire as she lit the candles and he saw all of his friends ran away (no witch cakes around here…)
on 02 Nov 2009 at 9:05 pm13dahlila

Good story, but now I have Elton & Kiki stuck in my head. Maybe, I should just crank up the volume.

Happy (belated) Birthday,
dahlila
on 03 Nov 2009 at 7:51 am14April

You sent them away with no cake, maybe that’s what prompted you to feed baked goods to all you know in later years. Happy Birthday.
on 03 Nov 2009 at 8:02 am15Elyse Tager

Late but well intentioned. Happy Birthday!
on 03 Nov 2009 at 1:43 pm16Blond Duck

Popped in to say hi! Here in Texas, I never got the pleasure of a basement party b/c we don’t have basements!
on 03 Nov 2009 at 4:33 pm17Caterina

Whatever. Karen was just plain rude! Attention hog that she was, she’s probably up to no good even as we speak, campaigning for Nader or some other upstager. Good riddance I say. Revel in knowing that there was a once upon a time when you could be filled with righteous indignation and send everyone packing. It must’ve felt so good!
on 03 Nov 2009 at 4:36 pm18Caterina

Sorry. I was filled with righteous indignation on behalf of young Marilyn. I meant to say Debbie, not Karen. Karen was always very well behaved!
on 03 Nov 2009 at 7:22 pm19theresa/ t does wool

Happy Birthday Marilyn!!
brings back some paneled memories of my own )!!
on 09 Nov 2009 at 1:56 am20Valkyrie

Happy Belated Birthday!!!! I still fondly remember my Wizard of Oz birthday party in my parents’ wood-panelled basement and family room . . . We put green tissue paper over the windows so the whole room would have a Emerald City tinge, and all of us dressed up as characters from the movie. So fun!
on 18 Nov 2009 at 8:25 pm21Alejandra

I realize this is a few days old, but I just loved it! I think I once wore that EXACT same fortune tellers costume…