What a fun weekend!

Friday was Pizza Night with some movie time thrown in. On Sunday, BB played chimes at church, and we went out to lunch.

But Saturday was Three Party Day! First a birthday party for one of BB’s classmates at a park here in town. Then we had a fun Holiday Pop-in at Molly’s house. I hadn’t seen her new place yet, and it is adorable. She is so creative, so while the kids watched Frozen, Husband and I wandered around the house, admiring all the handiwork. (She placed her TV in the fireplace, tuned into the Yulelog – it’s pretty fantastic.)

After that, we headed home to get the kids ready for a sitter and headed out to our “Fancy Dress” party. When I first got the Evite, I only skimmed the title, thinking it was just a party to dress up a little, but when finally opened it, I learned that the idea was to wear fancy clothes from your past – old tuxedos, prom dresses, bridesmaids’ dresses, even wedding gowns. There would be prizes for attire ranging from Elegant to Tacky, and there was even the opportunity for costume changes throughout the night. YES!

First, I told Husband that this was a perfect opportunity for him to wear the tuxedo he had from the wedding he was in last year. He just laughed at me. “I don’t have that tuxedo – I returned it – it was just a rental.” I was certain that he owned that tuxedo, and he was certain he did not. So certain, in fact, that I was beginning to wonder about my memory. Now, I know that my brain just doesn’t work the way it did before kids, but I’ve always prided myself on having pretty stellar recall. But maybe I just made the whole thing up? Stranger things have happened.

I told Husband that, if in fact he did not own a tuxedo, he could easily wear one of his suits. “I don’t have a suit,” he said. This I knew to be false, but I assured him that if there was nothing to be found in his closet, I could definitely pull something together. He gave me a look. “Who do you think you are you talking to?” I asked. I am the queen of thrifted costumes. This is my element.

So, on Monday of last week, I went to his closet. And I found this:

The tuxedo from the wedding. I messaged him, “I don’t like to say ‘I told you so’ but….”

He replied, “I can’t believe you would stoop so low as to go buy a tuxedo, just to be right.” Funny guy.

Now for mine. When I went home for my 10 year high school reunion, my mom and I cleaned out my closets and donated some of my dresses, and I knew I didn’t have room in my suitcase to bring the rest back with me, so they are still there. I do, however, have one sparkly prom dress that made the move to California with me. I always thought I would use it for a refashion project, turning it into a skirt, but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

I got the dress when I was a sophomore in high school. I had been dating this boy, and we broke up, but I had agreed to still go to prom with him. It was about a week prior to prom, and we were talking on the phone, making arrangements, when he asked if I could pay for my own dinner. And his. That’s when I said I wouldn’t be going to prom with him, and my dress would stay hanging in my closet.

Luckily, in classic form, my dad had somehow found the dress in a classified ad. The girl who was selling it lived down the street from us.

She had made the dress herself, adding beading detail around the top and down the middle and was selling it for $10. I hadn’t fully embraced my thriftiness yet, but I really liked the dress at the time, so I got it. At $10, I felt no guilt for buying a dress for a prom I didn’t end up attending. (I have, however, worn the dress as part of a Halloween Bunco costume. I added a red satin sash with the words “Miss Cellaneous” – was feeling pretty clever that year.)

The “Fancy Dress” party was fantastic, complete with a photo booth reminiscent of Olan Mills prom photography and, not one, but two chocolate fountains. We had a blast but forgot to take photos.

So imagine this photo taken with Husband in his tux in front of draped fabric beside a poinsettia. It would have been just like our actual Christmas Dance and Prom photos, except for different dresses and, of course, color-coordinated bow ties.