Costume Shop Rant

It's October. You knew it was coming, didn't you?

This is a note to prospective clients, customers, and others wanting to accouter themselves for Halloween:

~We are not a retail establishment. We do not sell packaged costumes. What we do is put together real clothes to make up the look you want. This takes time, so it does you no good to come in fifteen minutes before we close and tell us you don't know what you want.

~Not only are we not a retail establishment of any sort, we are a warehouse and a workshop, and not at all childproof. We have ironing boards, steamers, irons; we have tall racks of shoes, we have low bins and bags of all manner of accessories, such as feathered head pieces, beads, aprons and purses; we have sewing implements such as scissors, seam rippers and sewing machines. And ladders.

~Not only that, we are not a toy shop or a day care. If you MUST bring your toddler, your two preschoolers, or your five children under eight, when you come to spend forty-five minutes agonizing over your Halloween costume, bring a friend or spouse or sister whose only duty is to ride herd on your kids. Better yet, leave your friend, sister, spouse or babysitter at home with the little darlings. Watching your children is not my job. I am paid to sew, and I can't do my job when your children are hanging off my chair asking, "What's that?" and, "Can I try the machine?" Not to mention when the whole flock of them gets into the barrel of walking sticks, the tub of swords or the bin of parasols and commences to wage war.

~Oh...and our hours are on the sign on the door. If you arrive within those hours, and the door is open, sticking your head in and asking, "Are you open?" is going to irritate me before we even start.

Have a little consideration, please!