Day One
Mom and I got up and walked down to the bakery where we indulged in hard-won chocolate croissants and made plans. After a walk to the nearby Whole Foods for supplies (including Old Chubb for Dad, arriving by plane that night), we drove down to Santa Monica, ostensibly to buy me flip-flops for the afternoon nail outing.
Now, those who know me know that I'm a practical shopper. I like to stay stocked in the essentials but beyond that I'm more likely to make impulse purchases of books or DVDs than clothes. So when Mom and I walked into Anthropologie I had no expectations beyond perhaps scoping out things that would probably show up on the Princeton Anthro clearance rack in a few months. Imagine my surprise when I glanced over and had Falling In Love With A Dress Moment #3* of my life. This dress was blue. It had an A-line skirt. It...you know what? Why don't I just show it to you. I know, right?
Reader, I bought it. Or to be more accurate, I went and tried it on for form's sake and then Mom bought it with some of her mad money. She was excited and I was even more excited. Thanks, Mom!
From Santa Monica we drove over to B the Awesome's apartment. B the Awesome, in addition to being one of my role models, is Mom's co-curator for the show. We were joined by B´and E, fiancées extraordinaire, and the five of us went to get our nails done. It was Subcontinent who introduced me to pedicures some time before some prom, and not only am I incredibly ticklish on the soles of my feet, I find it kind of weird to hand someone my feet (so to speak) and let them go at it. It's kind of like how you're not allowed to pump your own gas in New Jersey. It's weird. But whatever, communal pedicures are fun, and it's totally worth the weirdness for the time spent sitting in a massage chair with your feet in warm water.
After we were done we returned to B the Awesome's place for champagne, mixed nuts, and wedding talk. We also started trying on dresses and modeling them for each other. It was somewhere around this point that I realized this was the girliest day of my life and it was awesome.
The rest of the day shook out nicely as well. Mom and I grabbed a quick bite to eat before picking Dad up at LAX. It turned out he had had typical de Plume luck running from plane to plane and fighting his way to his seat, so we were especially glad to see him landed in one piece.

[to be continued]




*Moment #1 was at Fashion Tomato in Chicago. It was my junior year prom dress and I yearn for the day when I am invited to the event when wearing it again would be appropriate. Moment #2 was also in Anthropologie, this time in Princeton last spring, and the dress was cacti print. In all three instances the dress was full price. That also never happens.