The Most Important Day...

PROM.

Not what you were expecting, eh?  

Well it's that time of year again;

 time to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress you'll wear once, 

(unless you run cross country at Twin Lakes)

Each year our XC team wore prom dresses with tennis shoes to our annual banquet.

Time to get your nails done, 

hair done, 

car washed, 

flowers bought, 

reservations made.....

You get the point.

And while only one of the three proms I attended was even remotely enjoyable...I sometimes find myself wishing I got to go back to prom this year.  It's fun to get all dolled up, take lots of pictures, eat out with your friends and dance the night away, so in lieu of such an epic time in the lives of high schoolers all around the world here are some tips and tricks I have picked up along the way.

1. Try on dresses you would least expect to see yourself in.

Both sophomore and junior year I went prom dress shopping with my mother, and she would always push me to try on dresses I might not usually.  This is great advice for 2 reasons: one, your dress will be unique & two, it really opens up the amount of options you have.

2. Go with your gut.

No this is not about your plans for after prom.....

Anyway, if you are trying to collaborate with a big group of people to make lavish prom plans but are feeling uneasy, left out, or even just annoyed, DON'T DO IT!!  I can tell you from experience you will have such a better time doing whatever YOU want to do.  Whether that means having mom cook dinner at home (which is super fun and cheap) or just going to dinner alone with your date, your pre-prom plans can make or break your entire night.

3. Do something fun after prom!

I was never allowed to (cough cough) or invited to (cough cough) stay the night with friends after prom, I always wished I could, so I say if you have the opportunity, Go!  So many memories are made during prom, I remember my mom and dad telling stories about going to King's Island or doing something crazy the night after prom and I always wished I could have done something like that.

So, I know it's probably lame for me to blog about prom when I'm in college...but I couldn't resist!  I'll leave you with a few of my favorite prom moments from sophomore, junior, & senior year.

Junior prom was my favorite year! I absolutely loved my dress.

See, the dress you'd least expect...

Senior prom...not my favorite dress...but we needed some variety.