Tuesday, April 20, 2010

I Triple Dog Dare Ya'

It’s a lively week around here kiddies as it’s prom week. Great Gertie! There are dinner plans to make, dresses to pick up and transportation to arrange. It’s prom this, prom that, prom, prom, prom. Teen Angel is wearing me out with the prom nonsense. She picked up her dress yesterday and thank goodness the alterations were fine. At ninety bucks they oughta’ be. I felt like asking the clerk if I could get a kiss with that, but I behaved myself. The hair appointment has been made, the shoes are in the closet and the tiny gold purse is ready for its debut as cutest accessory of the year. By the time Saturday has come and gone everyone will have had a large time, and a teenage memory will be recorded and tucked away for safe keeping. And plenty of parents will be broke and worn out. It would be easy to philosophize and criticize at this point with lots of “in my day” and “I never”, but that wouldn’t be completely honest because the proof of my youth sits in my closet at this very moment.

While cleaning out the corners of the old house last week, I came across a hanging bag. It held my high school and college graduation caps and gowns and my eighth grade graduation dress. Oh, prairie dress, I loved you so!



There was the maid of honor dress I wore to E.’s wedding, and can I just say my dark Coppertone tan complemented the yellow nicely that summer.



And the Piece De Resistance: My senior prom dress. Hello 1982!



It was the year of the southern belle dress, worn with a hoop. It was the year most of us girls barely fit into the car with our dates because our hoops took up the whole front seat. Parents liked those dresses because it was hard for a boy to paw their daughter in that contraption. Girls like them because they felt like a princess. Isn’t that the way with all prom and wedding dresses? By the way, my wedding dress is hermetically sealed in a box at Mama J.’s house. I kept it, too.

Anyway, I didn’t think it was fair to show you the dress without showing you the dance picture from 1982, so in honor of all that is puffy and sparkly, I give you An Evening in Paris teen Hula style.

Proof that I indulged in my own share of prom nonsense. And I’m hoping some of you will trudge down memory lane with me. I want to see YOUR prom pictures. Come on, post ‘em. You know you want to. And in case you're wondering I did try on the dress, much to Teen Angel's amusement. I could get it on, but I couldn't quite zip it. (Not that I really thought I could wear a junior size 5 that had been taken up on both sides of the bodice, but we all have to dream right?) It does appear I grew breasts after I graduated.

12 comments:

janjanmom said...

Erika and Kayla would go gaga over that yeller dress. The prairie one though, well that just hasn't come back around now has it? I do know that I and every other mom of girls is hopeful it will.

I will not be posting my prom picture...my kids do still have it though-it is in their dress up box along with my mom's(I would have kept my mom's but the silverfish in Aunt Dola's attic did quite a number on it!)

Jan n Jer said...

I love the prairie dress. And your prom dress is adorable..you wore it well. TA will feel like a princess for one night...hope she has a wonderful magical evening. My prom dresses are long gone..that was many years ago back in the 1960's but my memories of those proms are still ever present in my mind.

Trailboss said...

I never went to a single dance in my life. It just wasn't my thing. Steph is going a week from Saturday to her Senior prom. She and I were just talking about the alterations etc. Who did you use Hula? I don't have anyone I know that does a good job.

Living Life said...

I can't believe you saved those dresses! You got me thinking why I didn't save mine??

You looked simply adorable in your prom photo!

Good luck to you and TA. I can feel the excitement!! I do hope you will share a photo, pretty please?

Mike Golch said...

Sorry,I'm turning down the tripple dog dare ya!

oreneta said...

Up in my part of Canada, we didn't have a prom. What can I say.
Nice dress though...pooofy!

J.G. said...

No prom photos for me, either. I hardly ever attended and if I did it was photo-less. I do have a dance photo around here somewhere, though. How we dressed back then!

Your photo is adorable. Why no powder blue tux on your date, to match your dress? That was all the rage in my school.

Hula Girl at Heart said...

janjanmom/Mike-You are chickens. I demand to see the pictures.

Trailboss-Anne's Bridals did the alterations because that's where we bought the dress. I know Owen's Cleaners does some alterations. Don't know their expertise or cost.

JG-the powder blue tux was indeed very popular at that time. However, my metrosexual date wanted to be Gary Grant to my Audrey Hepburn (he had quite the imagination) and insisted on something "classical", hence the silver tux and the cane.

Debs said...

Oh wow. Very nice dresses. My daughter is already planning for next years prom. She has a huge list of wants and maybe's lol.

I for one was never into the whole dance thing...but I did go to both my proms. I don't know if I have any pictures left.

Allie said...

Okay, trying to remember.....who was your date? That's not GH is it? (2 years ahead of us)

Allie said...

Loved my 8th grade dress, but loaned it to someone a couple years later for homecoming and never got it back:( Sold Jr. prom dress, and yes the blue Sr. prom dress is still lurking around, may have to see how far mine gaps in the back. (I'm guessing a few more sizes than yours!)

dkuroiwa said...

The prairie dress was one part of fashion that i lusted after but never got...my mom said i'd thank her for it later...and i did! ;-)
i've been following the whole prom getting-ready stuff over on facebook with my friends...the fashions may change but the process stays the same. love it!!

and the bridesmaids' dresses? i'm giggling...someday i think there should be a big party where everyone has to wear one...you know...to prove to those brides that why, yeah...we DID wear it again!!!