In Which I Got To Be Cinderella

After actively planning prom for six months (and mentally planning for four years...), it actually happened. 

I don't like being told that I don't get to do something. I didn't like answering 'So, what do you do for prom?' whenever anyone found out I was homeschooled (anyone else notice how that's usually the first question? Access to prom does not define an education, people. They can be incredibly fun, though. :) ). When the opportunity to head up the prom committee fell in my lap, I couldn't say no!

1 week before-

Who knew it would take over an hour and a half to add straps to a dress? Not this girl. 

When I was done, though, I stayed in the dress for about an hour because, well, why not?

I found shoes last minute at Goodwill. After a two hour supper, the shoes made it into the prom building, but came off before the first dance. I don't recommend going barefoot at prom. You're feet will get stepped on and will get covered in dirt, but hopefully the adrenaline will cover up any pain until you get home at 1am. 

2 days before-

I tried out my fake nails so I could get used to them by dance day. Probably not the best idea. Two of them disappeared into thin air over the course of prom night and one of them got stuck in my hair -during a dance- -with a boy-  (I don't think he noticed me casually toss my fingernail onto a nearby table...I did pick it up at the end of the song, in case you were wondering.)

Day of-

I woke up at 5am, showered, set things out, and headed out to start decorating. Mom warned me that decorating would take longer than I thought it would. I didn't believe her. 

But I should have.

I was so thankful for my committee. After over three hours of tulle twirling and lantern hanging, everything was done.

One Wal-Mart and Burger King stop later and I got home to curl my hair in ten minutes before dance class. (Going out into the world with curlers is an experience that is not only humbling, but hilarious.)

The after.

To my little sister's dismay and not my own, I didn't have a prom date. However, while taking pictures, mom noticed this iguana/lizard thing. I decided that I should take a picture with him. He was my official date for the five seconds it took to take the picture. He then got tossed in the grass.

I didn't take any pictures during prom itself, so you'll have to trust me when I say that it was one of the best nights of my life. I was definitely biased, but everything turned out just as I hoped it would. Doing the grand march to Through Heaven's Eyes from Prince of Egypt, taking committee pictures in the photo booth, and laughing about obnoxious things made all of the planning and stress absolutely and 100% worth it.

Take down was made less depressing by the fact that we had a bunch of food to eat up. Plus, I got so distracted by talking to wonderful people, that by the time I had changed out of my dress, other wonderful people had taken care of the worst of it. 

Even though it was quarter to 1 by the time I pulled into my driveway, I couldn't sleep until after 2am because of all the adrenaline rushing through my brain.

I ate very little at prom itself. The next morning, however, I had one of the amazing left-over red velvet cupcakes for part of my breakfast. Even though it hurt to move (definitely regretting the 'no-shoe' decision), the cupcakes and boxes of masks, lanterns, beads, and candles made it all better.

My Two Cents on Modesty

I know it's over-talked about (especially in the homeschool circle) but modesty has been on my mind lately. 

By my definition, modesty is a way of respecting yourself and the people around you. It's not a matter of how high or low or tight your clothes are. 

When you respect yourself, you're not only keeping covered the things that should obviously be covered, but you're comfortable. When you respect yourself, you feel confident. Not self-conscious. 

When you respect the people around you, you're aware of how you dress and if the clothes that you have on would offend the group that you'll be interacting with.

I have very little to say about this topic, and anything else I would say has most likely already been said in a more eloquent fashion (see what I did there?). I just wanted to explain to the world why I think it's okay to wear a shirt that goes over only one shoulder, or a swimsuit that shows your belly button. 

I'm not saying I advocate flaunting your body everywhere. I do advocate being comfortable and confident. I advocate respect and I advocate keeping modesty simple.

It Feels Weird

Throughout my whole education, I had this voice at the back of my head telling me that I should be doing schoolwork. I should be catching up or working ahead. This voice didn't drive me crazy. In fact, I was pretty good at ignoring it. I shot down that voice with excuses reasons such as 'I need to reply to these e-mails', 'I'm hungry', 'I'm sick', and the most frequent 'It's just too cold'. If I hadn't been such a procrastinator, I may not have had that voice. Being homeschooled, I (for the most part) was in charge of my own schedule. My poor parents. They should have had t-shirts made with a list of reminders like 'It might be a good idea to switch your laundry', 'how's that Chemistry test coming along?', and 'you should probably do your history reading'.

I killed that voice today. It feels weird. I definitely feel the absence. I finished high school. I finished my home education. 

I survived Driver's Ed (even though I got asked questions about school bus rules and regulations on the second day. Why the instructor picked the awkward homeschool kid in the back row is still a mystery to me. ;) )

I lived through science co-ops complete with organ-less crayfish and smoking blenders.

I managed to get through Pre-Calc; braces; the PSAT, ACT, and SAT; takings tests while sibling sat on my head; and late night paper writing sessions.

I also survived The Haircut of '08...one of the more difficult challenges

I loved doing schoolwork outside until it got too cold/windy/rainy. I loved curling up under millions of blankets and listening to schoolbooks on tape. I loved going into town in the middle of a school day when the store were quiet (I probably could've done without the young mother comments and looks, though).

Now the voice is dead and it's sinking in that I'm done.

I made the decision (after hours of talking and crying and talking and crying) to stay home for a year (Note: the crying wasn't because I didn't want to stay home. The crying was simply from the frustration of not knowing what I wanted to do) and do a bunch of things that will be fun, random, and a little bit scary.

I have an entire year ahead of me to push myself. To get out of my introvert shell and become more me. I closed my schoolbooks for the last time today and I also ended this chapter of my life (How's that for cheesy?). 

I'm really excited to start the next one. 

Here's a picture of me almost falling off of a camel. Just because. 

The Do's & Don't's of Planning Your Homeschool Group's First Prom

Source

Do rely on your committee members because without them you are nothing. Sorry if that hurts your ego, but it's true. It's impossible to plan a prom by yourself. Well, maybe not impossible. It is impossible to plan an *amazing* prom by yourself. Different ideas, talents, strengths, and resources are crucial. I've been incredibly blessed with the committee I get to work with. It also helps to have a mom who's willing to paint for hours and contact the venue after you've given up hope. :)

Don't try to do the music list in one sitting. Attempting to do so may result in losing all motivation for months at a time. Having Spotify on in the background while doing more productive things will work wonders. Plus, you're being super efficient. ;)

Do scour Pinterest for hours on end.

Don't spend so much time on Pinterest that you end up in the weird part of the internet (taco cake pops, anyone?)

Do walk up and down the party aisles of Wal-Mart and the Dollar Store. Spend as much time as necessarily going through any GoodWill you happen to drive past. Not only will you find some awesome deals (five pounds of Mardi Gras beads and a wooden birdcage for 50 cents, for instance), but you burn all the calories you consumed appetizer taste-testing.

Don't spam your friend's Facebook feeds with prom updates/questions. Especially if the majority of your friends won't be attending prom or aren't even homeschooled.

Do be prepared for concerned parents and students. I promise that they aren't mad at you or what you're trying to do. 'Prom' tends to have negative associations, and it's important to take into account everyone's concerns. A homeschool prom isn't (and shouldn't be) a public or even a private school prom. Homeschoolers already do things a little differently, prom will be the same way. (And that's seriously fantastic! Where else would you find a prom during which there will be rocking out to Cotton Eyed Joe, Disney, and Broadway? That's what I thought ;) )

Don't take your committee members for granted. This is pretty much the same as what I mentioned before, but it's important, so I'm saying it again.

Do research places that sell reasonably-priced, modest (or easily alterable) dresses or dress patterns. This is one of the most difficult parts of the whole prom experience. Unfortunately, it's not very easy to find modest dresses, but it is possible, and when people ask you for dress shopping recommendations, you'll have someone to direct them.

Don't wait until last minute to alter your dress. Even though everything will turn out fine, the fact that you have a dress-code-breaking dress in your closet will gnaw at you. ;) This should probably go for buying your shoes, purse, jewelry, etc. Things will get hectic and in the whirlwind of planning the actual prom, you may forget that this is also your prom.

Do relax. Everything will be fine.

Don't freak out at any point. Everything will be fine.

It's actually really fun to plan a prom. Especially with the right committee and attendees.

The Aftermath

Putting on a musical is a lot of work. Every year I forget and then re-learn just how many elements need to be put together to put on a show. Advertising & fundraising; costumes, make-up, and hair for the cast (in this case, 74); mic co-ordination, sound effects, music, and lights; and trying to get into a locked theater make for a crazy-amazing experience.

I can't gush enough about how amazing the casts that I've gotten to work with over the past six years are. Some of my peers have become family. Getting dandelion/random weed bouquets from younger kids on the last day is one of the best feelings in the world. I really, really love my fellow cast members.

Theatre itself has taught me so much about myself and what my limits are. I've grown more through the past six years than I ever thought possible. Being onstage with the group for the last time was strange. I was feeling so many things it felt like I was feeling nothing at some points and everything at others. Okay, enough mushiness.

As a high school senior, I'm told every other day to really take in and savor every moment. I came to the conclusion a while ago that I can't really savor moments any more than I do when I just 'live' in the moments. In an attempt to 'savor' my last homeschool musical, I decided to put together a backstage, all-access pass, behind-the-scenes video. Enjoy ;)

Every Girl Needs a Tiara

Because sometimes everything goes wrong. And when that happens, a tiara has the magical power to make problems go away. 

Princesses don't have time for problems. They're too busy being a princess.

I'm Thankful For...

...a theatre family that puts up with me spinning into them, petting a stuffed skunk for half an hour like a crazy person, or nearly ripping their face off instead of their ski-mask/helmet. Fellow cast members that go on adventures to the post office with me to pick up a stage manager's car keys (even if they did plot something sinister with bobby pins and mud holes...).

...a dad who helps me figure out how to fix the program for the musical. Before I could even go into full-on freakout mode...You just needed to save it in 'landscape' instead of 'portrait'...*facepalm*

In case you're wondering, this is what 123 business cards look like. 

...friends who will drive to a friend's wedding to see you for an hour between the ceremony and the reception. And stuff you so full of chicken nuggets and fries that you're barely able to eat any of your 'actual' supper.

...a job at a candy shop. I'll stop talking about it someday, but that day is not today. Last week, for the first time, I got to be the only person working. The first customer I had all by myself said he'd never been in the shop before, but ended up buy five pounds of fudge. He told me his father had esophageal cancer (something I learned about this summer) and that because fudge practically melted in his mouth, he was able to eat it without any pain. This customer also told me how lucky I was to have my first job in a candy shop instead of hauling boxes into trucks. It is pretty cool. Even if kids spit out jelly beans wherever they feel like. 

...the ability to stay in bed most of the day. When it hurts to move and you can't talk, it's a relief to not have to call in sick. All I have to do is tell my mom (in a super-attractive husky voice, that is).

What are some things you're thankful for? :)