Lately, I have noticed a Facebook post being shared over and over.  The basic gist of the post cautions about teenagers coming to your home Trick-or-Treating.

Before I go any farther, let’s get one thing straight.  If Halloween isn’t your thing, that is okay.  We all have our things and I won’t judge you for yours, and please don’t judge me for mine. And if you must know, I don’t do ketchup on hot dogs. Miracle Whip is like my Kryptonite. And when I ask for extra, extra ice in my drink in the drive-thru, I am expecting the straw to hit a cube on the way in. Like, I said, we’ve all got our thing.

Okay, back to the point. On Halloween, some teens are greeted with a “Aren’t you a little old to be doing this?” The author of that post, whomever you are, I applaud you, because I agree what else would you rather they be doing?  I love when teens dress up and stop by for three reasons:

• They still have a sense of imagination and wonder. If they aren’t “too cool” to Trick-or-Treat, then they are just about perfect in my book, especially if they are bringing younger children out and about.
• Like the author purports, there are about a million other things that they could be doing in the dark and they aren’t. We should celebrate this. They are choosing to dress up and still participate in childhood (which I seriously think is becoming an endangered species in this country).  And for this choice – Good. For. Them.
• And maybe I am a bit selfish on this last reason, but it is always some quiet teenager that pulls me aside and whispers, “I really like what you did with the shoes”.

That last one melts my heart every time.  I am much older than the costumed guest, but a secret little corner of my heart screams, “You get me!  You are my kind of people.  Thank you for noticing.”  Only the last line of that ever gets uttered aloud.

The shoes.  Oh, the shoes! They are so much fun and a very quick and easy DIY.

Here is what you need to wow the teenagers in your neighborhood and transport your heart back to Kansas teenage-dom.

Supplies needed:

1 pair of ladies pumps (I purchased these for $3 at the thrift store.  They were originally tan and I didn’t think to take a before picture. Haven’t quite released my inner Martha Stewart yet.)

1 bottle of Modge Podge

1 paint brush

1 jar of red glitter (I am warning you I have a love-hate relationship with glitter.  I love all things bling, but that stuff is the bane of my existence.  I once did a glitter project with my 2^nd graders and I swear that Pompeii’s eruption was less painful.  Every day for a month after that, I looked like I had a nose piercing.  Bane. Of. My. Existence, unless of course, you need a little shimmer. Not nose ring shimmer, but you get the point.)

1 pair of striped socks (Tights would work well here too. I used long socks.)

Some newspaper.

Creation Station:  (Okay, I took a little liberty there.  I used the center island in my kitchen but dubbed it a fancy name for the moment. Hey some days it is a science center because the people around here do not know how to rinse oatmeal out of a bowl.  Yeah. Oatmeal sticks to your ribs and I have proof because it becomes like cement in your unrinsed bowl.)

The steps to this DIY are considerably simpler than removing that oatmeal.

Use the paint brush to brush on liberal amounts of Modge Podge in small sections of the shoes.  I placed the shoes in a rimmed cookie sheet to contain some of that glitter eruption.  Sprinkle glitter over the areas coated with Modge Podge and continue until all the areas are covered.  The shoes I mean.  Yes, I know this will also mean the counter and you, but try, for the love of all zucchini, try to keep it contained.

Allow the blinged shoes dry.  While they are drying, stuff newspaper into the striped socks.  Oh who am I kidding?  Take this time to check your e-mails or social media and enjoy a nice beverage.  Mine was sweet tea until I discovered . . . oh yes, you got it, GLITTER.

Now the last step is fairly easy but does require a little finesse.  Stuff your newspaper filled socks into your shoes and situate the socks and shoes so that your garage door (when shut) appears to have fallen on the Wicked Witch.

DIY – done.  Simply.

Now if teenagers show up to your house, be kind and remember they are still kids.  And just give them the candy, unless of course, you are stocking up for a Netflix binge.  No judgment here – we’ve all got our thing.