Prom Finale!

Sorry, sorry, sorry. I got a little distracted by my "other" prom project, and then my in-laws came to town and it's not like I have a lot of "spare" time with this whole baby thing and all.

Anyway!

I am happy to announce that in the Prom Contest below, Amanda, #26, Mullet-Dress, "Howling At The Moon" is the clear winner. She gets a $50 gift card (from me) to the store of her choosing.

The randomly selected winner (thanks, Random.org!), is #7, Kate, The Incredible Shrinking Prom-Bride! Kate gets a $25 gift card (also from me, but which she can feel free to redeem in wine, seeing as she lives nearby).

Thanks for all your support, and I can't wait to announce the OTHER prom goodness coming soon.

In the meantime, here's yet another sampling of my own prom history...

This would be my Junior Year of high school, our winter formal:

This dance elicited the most intense high-schoolish drama EVER, since (I think?) it was the kind of dance where the girls were supposed to invite the boys. Oh, the ridiculousness that ensued, and the threethousandteen phone calls.

By the time the dance came around, I was a little over it. I decided just to wear the same dress I'd worn to my junior high school graduation (but pair it with black stuff so it would be winter-y). I honestly didn't think anyone would remember or recognize it from three years prior, but EVERYONE DID. So, score one for convenience, but I get a big ole FAIL for fashion. (It would not be the last time in my life I'd fail on the fashion front.)

The guy, by the way, was a friend-of-a-friend who lived several towns over and went to an entirely different high school. For how exotic that made him, he may as well have been from a different planet. I believe we "dated" for a grand total of about a month, which included maaaaaybe three real-life meetings. One of which was this dance.

Following the dance, we and another few couples went rollerblading at night in a newly constructed parking lot.

Because that's how wild and crazy I was at 16.

Later that year, I started dating the aforementioned, afore-photoed Jim. (Who commented -- did you see?)

I believe we can ascertain a few things from this photo:

• I was a fan of floral prints.
• I was a fan of chokers (although this one was constructed from purple pantyhose, since I couldn't find a purple choker anywhere else).
• Speaking of chokers? This one matched the scrunchie. Sigh.
• Jim could rock a purple jacket.

I thought this photo (for which I was faux-posing) was SCANDALOUS and kept it hidden. Again, because I was so wild and crazy.

Ahhh, yes. This last photo is amazing. I was a freshman, and my date, Jamie, was a senior at a high school in New York City. He was super nerdy, and super smart. (And a Catholic. And a Republican.) He was my first real teenaged love, though, and what can you do?

His prom was at The Plaza Hotel in 1990. I found this dress sort-of by accident, and almost didn't try it on because it was so huge and so pink. But I did try it on, and then I had to have it.

Hot pink sequins, satin, bow and all.

Of special note in this photo:

• Jamie broke out on his chin JUST IN TIME FOR HIS PROM.
• You can't see it here, but I had no idea how to put a boutonniere on a guy, so my mom did it. In the process, she jabbed him with the pin, causing him to bleed ever-so-slightly. The dots of blood were only visible when he took his jacket off, but still. Blood.

Upon closer inspection, I also realized that this is the EXACT SAME DRESS that Swistle wore in the contest below, except hers is in blue. (She's the one under the umbrella.) Amazing, no?

No?