back to senior prom

Happy one week count-down to our "cruise-a-birth-a-versary". (Bobby's word to describe the "cruise" we're taking to celebrate Marty's 30th "birth"-day, but that happens to fall on our anni-"versary").

Explanation of our weirdness aside, that's right folks, a week from now, Marty and I will be sailing the high seas, sans baby. And I can't freakin' wait. Who cares if we're only going to San Diego, Catalina Island, and Ensenada? Who cares if it was the cheapest cruise we could find and apparently the oldest ship that Royal Carribean will still put in water? We've never cruised before, so it'll all be magical to us, cheesey 80's cruise ship decor included.

And being the outfit planner that I am--whether or not this is the only area in my life that I bother thinking ahead about--I've been wrestling for weeks over what to wear for our one formal dinner. I have to look fabulous. Without spending a dime.

Last week I decided to get creative and pull my old prom dresses out of the guestroom closet. I dusted them off and thought I'd see if I could squeeze into one. My "senior in high school" body is long gone, so I prepared myself for the worst. Shock and awe, after a couple minutes of fighting with a zipper or two, I did it! Expanded post-pregnancy rib cage and all! Maybe I HAVE been losing weight recently. Wouldn't know. I hid our bathroom scale a long time ago.

Now how to update the "senior in high school" beaded halter-top look to something a little more current? Here's where my Project Runway-ish-ness came into play. I folded down the halter straps to make it a strapless evening gown. And it doesn't look too stupid! I'm my own little Vera Wang in the making. Proof of my designer intellect:

So I get to recycle a great dress, save money in the process, but still sport a totally new look! That's heaven to a penniless shopoholic like myself.

I should start a little fashion disaster hotline, for those women like myself whose budgets don't allow for a shopping spree every time another formal event comes up, but who still like to feel pretty in something new. Maybe fashion.crisis.aversion.com? Or 1-800-SENIOR-PROM?

Thanks to my prowess during this particular tale, I'll be rockin' the boat.