I shared my photos on Facebook last night, but I thought I’d post them here, too, to complete the story from last night’s post.

Will took the pictures, he did a pretty good job!

I tried to talk Mark into a pink tie, but I never got around to actually buying one, I think he would have worn it if I had presented it to him. He also learned that he maybe needs to get some solid colored shirts, apparently stripes are out.

The necklace is a bejeweled butterfly. While I was waiting for the chemicals to do their trick on my hair on Friday, I wandered around looking at jewelry, and fell in love with several pieces. I decided on this one for a couple of reasons, not least of which was that it was significantly less expensive than the other options. I figured it went with the dress, with the flowers/butterflies/etc…plus, it made me think of my Grandma, who collected all things butterfly.

It was funny getting dressed thinking about how the girl in the green dress from yesterday’s post didn’t need the extra special undergarments that her future self requires. Spanx (or their generic equivalents…) are a Godsend.

Prom itself was fun. The food was good, and the company was fun (we got to sit at the special teachers table in the corner). We were as far away from the music as you could get, and we were right next to the Sunken Ship, which was the site of the photography station. The decorations were impressive: the walls of the entire room had been covered with dark blue paper (sort of like the stuff you use to cover banquet tables…). Lots of twinkle lots and cardboard fish and many tiny clever touches, like the Goldfish crackers on the salad, instead of croutons…

The dresses, of course, were beautiful, although there were a few that left me wondering things like (a) who would have actually designed that and (b) what does it say about the taste of the person that chose to wear it…not that any of them were, inappropriate, but I did think of Barbie several times, and little girl fantasies about what a fancy dress should look like.

I was also surprised by the amount of orange. Now, don’t get me wrong, orange is a nice color, but a little bit of orange goes a long way, and there were several girls who were wearing an awful lot of orange. Or rather Orange, with a capital O.

I saw one hoop skirt (how did she sit to eat? did she crowd out the rest of her companions?), and only one girl that made me worry she was going to fall out the top of her dress. Two girls in cowboy boots and one wearing a tux.

The boys were all handsome in their tuxes — mostly black, a few white and at least one that I’m pretty sure was brown. Lots of them with their sunglasses pushed up on their heads, even for the pictures, which I thought was weird. I would have made my date pull his glasses off. One young man caught our eye, but only because we noticed his orange tie. The rest of his tux (and cowboy hat!) was a camo print, so he kinda blended in.

So, that’s my prom report. I hope the kids all had a good time, and made good choices. Prom itself lasted until about 11:30, and then they all headed home to change, so they could come back for the After Prom party — I think there was more food, a hypnotist and I don’t know what else…maybe more dancing?

I was in bed by 10:30, and I was so lazy, I didn’t get up until nearly 10 this morning…feeling pretty smug that I didn’t have to be back the dance site this morning to help tear down…like the juniors did…I bet they were pretty bleary-eyed…

Tonight is the North Tama Junior-Senior Prom. In fact, it’s nearly time for me to start getting beautiful, my date will be here in a little while to get himself cleaned up, and then we can head downtown for the big fesitvities. We are skipping the Grand March, which happens at school, so that parents and community members can see the lovely young things parade in their finery. The meal and dance itself is down at the Memorial Building, which has been turned in to an sea themed fantasy. Or so I’ve been told. I’ve only seen bits and pieces of the decorations, which the Juniors have been working on for several months…

We’ve been talking about prom at school, one of the teachers was wearing her prom shoes the other day, and we decided we all needed to pull out our prom pictures. I felt really old when one of the young teachers said something about being able to just go on Facebook and find his.

Mark Zuckerberg was 6 years old when my Senior Prom took place….

I remembered having seen my prom picture “recently” — for values of “recently” that include “some time in the last 10 years…”

It took me an extremely long time to search the suspected piles and boxes…only to have this growing memory of actually having scanned it at some point. But I couldn’t remember why, where I would have saved the scan, or where the originals had gone.

And then I got smart. I searched my blog and sure enough, I had posted here in 2010, when I was reminiscing about my graduation.

May 26, 1990

Mom made the dress. I still have it. It’s actually hanging upstairs next to the dress I’m wearing tonight. I don’t remember a lot of details about prom. I know that my friend Michelle braided my hair, but I had misremembered the location (I was thinking it was in Mystic, but it was actually at the Port ‘n Starboard in New London). The theme was “All of My Love,” but I only know that because I found the program pasted in a scrapbook.

That same young teacher that can find his prom picture on FB asked me if I was going to wear my old prom dress. I laughed and laughed and laughed.

I had to explain that I’m almost 40 and carried twin boys. Ain’t never gonna fit back in that dress….

But I’d better end my trip down memory lane and get dressed in my new prom dress and put on my new butterfly necklace and fix my newly cut and colored hair.

I also need to go slather on some makeup, including concealer, because you know what? I may be nearly 40 but I’ve got freaking breakout happening on my CHEEK. Just like old times.