I'm not a fancy person.
Like, at all.
I like being at home. I like wearing comfy clothes. I like pulling my hair back in a pony-tail. I like when Jim picks up dinner at a restaurant...and we eat it at home.
Like, tonight, he picked up an order from Wendy's...and it was glorious. Not the food...just the fact that I got to eat it at home...IN MY FLANNEL PAJAMMIES that I've had on since we got in from church.
But I digress...
We got invited to go to a "gala" from our alma mater. Actually, it was a work-thing for Jim. His company was the largest sponsor of this event, and so they bought a "table." And we were asked to attend.
In the town where we went to college, there are two universities...and they are right across the street from each other. I went to the private college for my first 2 years, and then transferred to the state university after we got married. Jim went to the state university for all 4 years...and we both graduated from there at the same time.
The state university was celebrating it's 125 year history last week. Hence, the gala.
Hahahaha...I said, "hence." Maybe I AM fancy!
I had no idea what to wear. The dress attire was "black tie optional." If you look that up on The Internets, you'll see that you can wear a long, formal gown...or a longer cocktail-ish dress. You are NOT supposed to wear a short and sassy cocktail dress.
Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about? Because I don't. I don't know even know what all of that means. I have an above-the-knee black dress that has very little embellishment...but that's about it in the "dressy" section of my closet.
So we went shopping, Holly and me...and it was role-reversal. I don't really like to shop for myself, but I LOVE to shop for her, for my soon-to-be-here grand-baby, for my boys. This trip was all for me, and it felt weird.
Holly chose a few things for me, and sent me to the dressing room. And then, just like I do with her...she insisted on seeing me in everything I tried on, AND she continued to bring me things to try on once I was in the dressing room. I always figure that if I can just get Holly into a dressing room, she will be more likely to try on the things I bring her...because she's already in there.
Do you know what I bought that day? NO gala-wear, but I got a cute dress for church.
Productive, right?
But I went back the next day, and tried on the same dresses from the day before, plus a couple more. I took pictures of myself in each one, and sent them to Holly...and to our youngest son. I brought home a dress. Later that night, that son texted me back and said, "those dresses are all great, but I really like THIS one," and he had highlighted it.
It was the exact dress that Holly had said was her favorite...and NOT the dress I had brought home.
So, BACK to the store I went to get the other dress. And I tried it on again...for the 4th time. I loved it the first time I tried it on...I just wasn't sure if it was "right." But I bought it and brought it home.
I'm kind of a weird shopper. I don't usually have something in mind that I'm looking for...I just know it when I see it...or when I try it on and it feels "right." So when I went to get shoes for this dress, I had 4 people asking to help me, but I just wanted to look. And when I found the shoes...I knew they were right. And when I found the little clutch, I knew it was right. And when we went into two different formal-wear stores, looking for earrings, and Holly asked me what I was looking for...I said, "I don't know...but I'll know it when I see it." And I did.
I just wanted to look nice. Not over-the-top, not under-dressed, not flashy, not plain. I just wanted to be...right. We were going to be sitting with the president of Jim's company, and other people Jim works with...and seeing lots of people we knew from our past. It was really frustrating me that I was worried about it, but I just wanted to make a good impression...and for Jim to think it was perfect.
This gala was being held in the town where my in-laws live, so Jim, Joshua and I headed down to the lake-house on Saturday afternoon. I had to pack alllllll of my stuff: dress, shoes, jewelry, make-up, hair products, etc. Goodness!
I don't ever curl my hair...I blow-dry it, and then use a flat iron. Kayla-the-hair-girl told me how I should fix my hair. I told her that Holly had plans and wouldn't be able to help me, so I needed to be able to fix it myself. She told me to curl it before I put it up...so Holly let me borrow her hot curlers. It was all 1985 up in the howwwwse!
We had to go to a reception before the actual dinner started, so we got there early. We sat in the car and watched people walk in. Even tho I was pretty confident with my dress choice, I just wanted to see ONE OTHER PERSON dressed similarly. We never did. But we got out of the car, and walked through that big parking lot, and into the building. We went up the stairs and down the long hall and into the reception room...where I gave a big, ol' sigh of relief. Lots of beautiful ladies wearing beautiful dresses of all lengths and colors...and I was dressed.just.right.
The dinner was really nice. We got to see a ton of people we knew...and we met a ton of new people. We went back to the lake-house when it was over, and spent the night there.
Side note: Jim had said we were NOT spending the night at the lake-house, but it ended up being so late...we did. And so, guess what Marty did NOT pack? ALLTHESTUFF needed to spend the night. And, even tho there were tons of "handy" clothes left in our room from who-knows-who...I slept IN MY CLOTHES. In the jeans and shirt I wore down there.
Good times.
And then I rolled out of bed, and went to The Cracker Barrel IN THOSE SAME CLOTHES. So, if you want to see the dress I wore to the gala, you can look at the picture of us on my IG: martythemoose. But you'll know what they all don't know...that I slept in my jeans and a denim shirt...AND went to Cracker Barrel in them. Yes, yes, I did.
Let's just keep that between us.
Side note: Jim's parents had plans to attend a dinner at their church on Saturday night. They took Joshua with them, and left before we got ready in our fancy clothes. So when we walked in after the banquet, it was their first time to see us...and they went nuts! Joshua looked at me and said, "ME-OWWWW."
Which, I'm sure it is every mother's dream for her 30 year old son to make a cat-call to her...but, hey...I'll take what I can get! HA! Just kidding! :)
Jim woke me up at 6:15 this morning, and said, "do you want to go with my parents to Cracker Barrel?"
UGH.
I mean, OF COURSE I do!
So we headed to CB and ate breakfast...and then we headed home. We got home about 9:30 this morning, I jumped in the shower, and then put on my flannel pajammies that have the colorful mustaches on them. I came into the living room, all ready to snuggle up in my chair. Jim looked up and said, "what are you doing? Let's get ready for church...I think we can make it if we hurry!"
We missed Sunday School, but we made it to church...and we were so happy we did! We came home and have had a very relaxing day, because that is absolutely all the excitement I can handle for a long, long, long time.
"...not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Hebrews 10:25
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