June 17, 2013: Elementary, My Dear Watson

My all time favorite Halloween costume, Sherlock Holmes

I think I'm a nerd. There, I said it. Since I was a small girl, I've always had interests a bit different from the typical girls. While other teens were reading Harlequin romance novels, I stayed up all hours of the night reading Sherlock Holmes.

I found Agatha Christie novels divine as well. I owned most of her murder mysteries in paperback. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was held in higher regard. I owned his collection in a huge hardback special edition. It took weeks of babysitting money for me to afford this coveted purchase. Sherlock Holmes was the bomb in my eyes. Obviously I never outgrew this obsession.

Halloween 2007 was the year of my favorite costume. It was this year that I splurged and dressed up as Sherlock. While other middle-aged females paraded in their most fantasized sexy costume, I was in old-man smelling heavy tweed. And I was thrilled.

Any non-nerd female would have found a way to make even Sherlock a blonde bombshell. Not me. My goal was to duplicate Sir Conan Doyle's vision as true to character as possible. And I was happy with the result. My diligence toward this goal paid off.

After multiple invitations to costume parties that year, I decided to take the plunge with a visit to Ibsen Costume. This massive store is the known rental center to every playhouse/theater costume worn in Omaha over the last forever years. If it's not disintegrated and still wearable, it's for rent.

As soon as I walked in the door and saw the quality of inventory, I knew there had to have been a Sherlock Holmes portrayed in Omaha at some point in time. And I wasn't let down. The cloak and hat of my favorite sleuth were mine for the renting.

It was apparent, based on the effort in digging out these treasures, that this costume was not a high demand item. The sexy vampire-tress displayed in the front window or fish-netted Frankenstein's bride were the obvious hot sellers that year. With the added purchase of a fake mustache with glue, a pipe and magnifying glass; I was set.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed being Sherlock Holmes that Halloween, I was a bit let down that not everyone quickly recognized my character. I guess they have never bought the hardback edition of the Sherlock Holmes collection. Mystery solved.