Say Yes to the Dress!

 The date of the Formal is closing in. My dear friend Emily happened to have 5 dresses fall into her lap from a lady in her ward. She, as the fairy godmother that she is, wanted to make sure that I tried them on. The surprising thing is... they fit me. Really well. This makes a girl feel good. The thing is, having a lot of choices... makes it really hard to choose. So, dear bloggers, I will show you all of the pictures of the dresses to consider, and you can comment on your favorite. Feel free to do so... but I think I have my mind set. Maybe....

I don't think I am actually considering this one, but since I was trying stuff on, here it is. This is the dress that my Grandmother wore for a "Gold and Green Ball" (like the Formal) when she was a teenager.  A LONG time ago.

This is a fun and shimmery dress that will enable me to wear high heels!

Oh. And it has an Orange zipper. You never would have known unless I showed you this picture. Which I did.

This dress seems to hide all kinds of fun colors in the weirdest places....

This is Eliza's favorite picture. She caught me unawares.

                   

Just for kicks and giggles. This is how I will dance, you guys...

My dear friend Emily and I. The blue dress was the one she was going to wear, but she had to have it taken in, so she went to the dress-swap and found a better one. Now, my friend who had 5 dresses donated to her...doesn't end up wearing any of them to the Formal. Ironic. ;)

I can wear heels with this dress too. Eliza's room kind of makes the picture look yellow.

Having a lot of options can make it rather hard to choose...
And yet choose I must. Soon I will have to "Say Yes to the Dress."
But... which one?

Real Paint

It was Ari's second "re-birthday party." We had Funeral Potatoes and ate lots of green jello, rolls, and ham... all of the notoriously mormon foods... you know. We played games and had tons of fun. But before this event... I was commissioned. Ari is a great source of moral support for my "Work of the Week" project this year.... mainly because she likes watching me paint at the absolute last moment on Sunday night. So, Ari asked me if I could paint her some flowers for her re-birthday. How could I refuse? But this did provide an extra challenge. 

One: It actually had to be pretty (thanks for that one, Eliza.) 

Two: I didn't want Ari to know that I was actually going to do it. It was more fun that way. 

Three: The party was on Friday, so there was no procrastinating it until Sunday night.

Challenges were accepted and met. Results are as follows.

I decided to do some of the flowers from Temple Square because it brings in a whole spiritual aspect that is kind of nice for a "re-birthday" thing. Also, they are always the prettiest and remarkably easy to find in a Google search. 

P.S I painted this whole thing while staring at a computer screen. Fun stuff. Looks kind of lame next to the real picture...

.... but it sure made someone happy!!!

SO.... Happy re-birthday Ari, and thanks for being my friend, confidante, fellow artist, reality checker, and Sunday Sister. I am glad to have you around.

Ari will be taking the painting home now, so I decided to do a "snapshot" of my success so far. 

Not too shaby. ;)

Not a water color

This is my work of the week. It is not a water-color. Restrain your surprise. I doodled it during Art. I think it is fine, but let it be known that Ari does not approve. (She just likes watching me paint. I'm going to start 

selling tickets.)

I have no other pictures for this drawing. It came from my mind.

The Answer

I was asked to "The Formal." (insert applause. fireworks. wipe the perspiration off of your forehead, etc.) It was actually really cute. Devin created a CD-Rom game where I went through two levels of block/stairs to get to a treasure chest that, when opened set off fireworks and the phrase "Will you go to Formal with me, Alayna?" 

The box. you can't read the instructions so I'll write them out. "I found the question in a treasure chest, and wondered how to answer it best. Piece together the fortunes in this box to find the answer it unlocks."

I don't know why it doesn't turn, so if you can't read it I'll tell you. It says "The formal is on March 17th, so save the date. Get all dressed up, and don't be late. As to your question well, can you guess? Of course, the answer I give is... yes!"
Just a lame rhyme I wrote in Spanish class a few days ago.

Yay! Official fortune making equipment.

I actually got around to doing some of them myself.

Ummm.... whatever.

Oh dear. Something went wrong.

Yay! All better! 

I made a happy face with the extra circle!

He is supposed to take the fortunes from the cookies and piece them together to get "the answer."

Our shredder made a Harry Potter scar. Genius.

The box.

The side project. I think it was actually a little bit more fun.

Oh dear. She didn't think it was very funny.

David did think it was funny. He just put on a ..... Actually, I don't know  WHAT kind of face that is.

Awe. She hates me... but it won't last. I hope.

A favorite of mine. It was an inspiration.... if you can call it that ... ;) 

Melissa got that one, and was pretty upset about it. I guess I should have gotten it, because THAT was MY fate today.

Always a favorite for cootie catchers.

Ouch.

 So... that was fun. If I can, later, I will try to upload the game. It really is cute.
And it is good to know at least one more thing about the formal, and how it is going to work for me. So far, here is what I know. I am going with Devin, and Ari is doing my hair and make-up. My group? My dress? The Dance itself. Whoever said ignorance it bliss is an idiot.

Yesterday Was Valentines Day.

 Love was in the air... and so was rain. And wind. And other such "unVegas-like" phenomenon. It was a special yet peculiar day. I love holidays. I wear, and do crazy things. May I now present Exhibit A:

sans flash. If anyone knows how to rotate pictures... I would appreciate knowing....

Eliza said, " Oh, a Snow White picture..."

Adjusting the amazing Valentines Day socks. I shouldn't have given Eliza the camera. She takes advantage of awkward poses.

Attempt at a smile

Ya. I am WAY better at making funny faces than, you know... pretty ones.

Eliza is a real jerk and dropped the sign just as I snapped the picture...

but I prevailed.

I guess funny faces run in the family. ;)

Oh. And I got asked to "The Formal." Which was a sigh of relief. But... I think that deserves its own post...