I have a theory about Halloween.
For most of the year, society expects us to behave ourselves.
Wear sensible clothes. Choose tasteful accessories. Don't be too loud. Don't be too much. And for the love of God, don't draw attention to yourself.
Then October rolls around and suddenly it's perfectly acceptable to hang skeletons out of windows, decorate your house with things that look vaguely medically concerning, and wear earrings featuring ghosts, pumpkins and other creatures that would probably raise questions in a more formal setting.
Apparently, we're allowed to embrace our inner lunatic for one month a year. The other eleven, we're supposed to keep it under wraps.
But I've been preparing for it all year.
The acceptable face of weird
There's something rather lovely about Halloween. For a few weeks, we collectively agree to suspend our usual standards of respectable behaviour. We put fake cobwebs on the furniture, buy sweets for children who may or may not be accompanied by an adult who looks suspiciously like they want some too, and debate whether a plastic skeleton is worth the price of a decent bottle of wine.
People who would normally baulk at anything remotely garish suddenly embrace orange, purple, black glitter and accessories that look as though they've escaped from a haunted charity shop.
And nobody bats an eyelid.
But wear something equally ridiculous on a random Tuesday in March and people start looking at you as though you may need supervision.
Why is that, exactly?
Why are we only allowed to be a bit bonkers on certain dates in the calendar? Who decided that a pumpkin necklace is perfectly acceptable in late October but potentially questionable in April?
And who appointed beige as the official uniform of sensible adulthood?
I have questions.
A perfectly respectable amount of nonsense
I've never been particularly good at the whole understated elegance thing. Give me colour. Give me sparkle. Give me something slightly ridiculous that makes somebody smile when they notice it.
My hair has been henna red for years, so I suspect the neighbours have long since accepted that I'm not going to suddenly turn up looking like a tasteful woman in a catalogue for neutral-coloured knitwear.
And jewellery is much the same. I make things because I like things that are a little bit different. Things with personality. Things that make you look twice.
Sometimes that means taking something old, broken or otherwise destined for the bin and giving it a new lease of life. Sometimes it means making something that is entirely unnecessary in the most wonderful possible way.
Nobody needs ghost earrings.
Nobody needs a pumpkin necklace with attitude.
But then, nobody needs a scented candle shaped like a haunted house either, and yet here we are.
Life is difficult enough without having to justify every single thing that makes us happy. If a pair of ridiculous earrings gives you a little lift on a grey Thursday morning, I reckon that's reason enough.
A few of my Halloween accomplices
Naturally, I've been making a few things for the occasion. It would be rude not to, really.
The Boo Crew Dangles
For anyone who believes ghosts are perfectly acceptable company, particularly when they're dangling from your ears. They're festive without requiring you to dress from head to toe as a woman who lives in a haunted castle.
Although, if that's your look, I'm certainly not going to stop you.
The Pumpkin Patch Punk Necklace
Meet the Pumpkin Patch Punk Necklace
Because pumpkins don't have to be twee, and Halloween jewellery doesn't have to involve cute little witches and orange glitter everywhere.
Sometimes a pumpkin needs a bit of attitude. And frankly, I respect that.
The Púca Mischief Earrings
Meet the Púca Mischief Earrings
A little Irish Halloween mischief for your ears. Because apparently ordinary ghosts weren't quite enough for me.
The Púca has a long association with Irish folklore, and Halloween has roots in the ancient Irish festival of Samhain. So really, wearing a little supernatural nonsense is practically a cultural activity.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
But what if we were a bit weird all year?
Here's the thing. I don't think we should need a special occasion to wear something that makes us happy.
You might love delicate gold jewellery. You might prefer enormous earrings that can be spotted from the other side of the room. You might want to wear a necklace featuring a pumpkin with a punk attitude.
Who am I to judge?
Actually, given that I'm the person making the pumpkin necklace, perhaps I'm not the most impartial person to ask.
But you get my point.
We're surrounded by rules about how we're supposed to look, dress and behave. Be professional. Be polished. Be appropriate. Don't be too loud, too colourful, too old for that, too young for this, or too much of anything.
It's exhausting.
And while I'm not suggesting we all turn up to work dressed as a haunted Victorian doll (although some of you could absolutely pull that off), I do think there's room for a little more nonsense in everyday life.
Wear the earrings.
Put on the ridiculous necklace.
Buy the sparkly thing that makes absolutely no practical sense whatsoever.
You don't have to wait until Halloween to be a little bit weird. You don't even need to explain yourself.
And if anyone asks what the occasion is, tell them it's Tuesday.
Happy Halloween, you lovely lot. Stay safe, eat the sweets, and try not to take yourselves too seriously.
Life's far too short to spend it all being tasteful.
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