So I have a funny little story to share with you all today. I was recently told by my husband that we were going out to a social event that was work related. “Sweet!” , I thought. “A date night with my husband!” Well, my excitement had a momentery spurt when he told me it was a “ball.” (Insert record screech sound here) Huh? We were going to attend City Year‘s Annual Red Jacket Ball. I had never heard of this event before so I had to do my research and figure out what this event was and what kind of attire I was supposed to wear. For those of you as unfamiliar with City Year as I was, it is education-focused nonprofit organization that partners with high need public schools that places 17 to 24 year young old AmeriCorps members in the school to aide in tutoring and mentoring young children. It is a pretty awesome organization!
Now I have to admit something here. While I try to come across as “in style”, style is something I’ve always had to work at. I have never been the type to walk into the store and just “know” what is in fashion, or trendy. I tend to gravitate toward the plain solid t-shirts and want to get one of each color. Jeans and shorts, a few sweatpants for around the house…I’m good. If it weren’t for the style sense of my dear Best Friend, Chrissy, I’d be screwed. She was the one who made me realize, back in high school, that a cute outfit could really make the day. She has ever so gently talked me into trying new styles or outfits countless times over the years. (Don’t even get me started on the time she convinced me it was okay to cut my super, duper LONG hair!) Once, in high school, she talked me into buying a $60 lace blouse!!!!!! This was a big deal and I think she coerced me for 30 minutes in the dressing room. “You have to buy it!” she says “But it is SIXTY dollars!!!” I ended up buying the damn thing and ended up loving it and wearing it for years!
So, back to this ball….
Because of my lack of style confidence, I felt a bit daunted at the task to go and buy a dress for this event. Did they mean this was a literal “ball” with big ball gowns or are we talking cocktail attire? I did NOT want to show up in some red carpet styled outfit (like I could afford it or even pull it off) and have everyone else wearing cocktail dresses! Embarrassing! I googled the event hoping to find pictures. I asked neighbors what they knew of it. FINALLY I read in very small print on the invitation the words “cocktail attire”. Thank you! Relief. Now I could shop.
So I found myself in the department stores browsing the endless racks trying to decide what to wear. I’m an indecisive person so trying to decide on a dress for an event ALONE is not a good situation for me to be in. So I did what any gal in this century would do. I started taking pictures of myself in the dressing room, wearing each dress, and messaging them to Chrissy. Thank goodness she has access to her phone at work otherwise I would have been screwed for her opinion. I can only imagine what the people in the next dressing room were thinking I was doing as my phone kept making that shutter sound it makes when you take a picture. Ha ha ha!
So, I began sending her two pictures of me in two different dresses. We exchanged some words, “So cute” “That’s…nice.” lol At one point I realized she hadn’t gotten the picture of the dress I was really liking. Huh. Weird. So I re-sent it to her. She loved it and that was the one I ended up getting. I made my purchase and marched out of that store so dang satisfied!!
About an hour later I got a text. It was from one of my cousins out of town. Wow. We don’t talk often so I was really surprised to get a text from him. This is what it read: “I think you sent your pic to the wrong “Chris”, but yes it is dressy.” Pause. Pause. Realization. Oh. My. Word. I had sent a picture of myself in the dressing room, changing into dresses, to my cousin Chris (who is a guy)!!!!!!!
And yes, I am going to go all out here and even show you the photo I sent my cousin!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! That’s all I could do in a situation like that!! Ha ha ha!! All I can say is thank goodness I was dressed in the picture and not in a bra with a skirt or something. And the other positive is that he liked the dress! Ha ha!!! Oh I was so embarrassed. But oh so glad it was a family member I sent it to and not some work contact! Sooooo many things could have gone wrong with this situation. But they didn’t. Thank goodness!
So, the lessons I have learned from this experience:
1. Pay attention to what name I am selecting on my android phone when I send a picture
2. Try to avoid dressing room photos
3. Keep my sense of humor
So that’s my funny little story to share with you. For the record, we had a fabulous night out at the event and I felt like a million bucks. I had a super handsome man by my side to boot so the night was wonderful. Here’s a GOOD picture of me in the dress with Scott at the actual event and I think we look pretty cute! 🙂
~ Alicia