A Trip Down Memory Lane

It seems like awhile since I've blogged so here goes. Clutter, clutter that is all I see around me sometimes, so last week we had a donation organization come and pick up a bunch of stuff we didn't need. Every since our leak in the basement (well long before that but the leak hastened the sudden springing to action) we realized we have way too much stuff. Believe it or not I had all my binders with every single course I took at university and boy there were a lot, also had papers from my first degree in California, plus high school papers (okay I kept some of those and some special university ones). So my sister sat with me going through this all when the leak happened on January 1st so it got put off. She called to have these people come by and pick up our stuff at the end of the month.

Needless to say I've been going down memory lane quite a bit lately. I like to keep things and so it is hard for me to part with anything that I think I may want someday. The thing is I keep watching all these organizational shows and there is this gnawing that I have to pair down what I have and become clutter free. I'm not there yet but I'm closer. There were a few bridesmaid dresses I had and also the dress from my high school prom and several from Junior/Senior banquets (that was big at our univesity). So here are some photos for you to look at, okay don't laugh now, some are dated and keep in mind they came out of a bag so are very creased but you get the idea.Now this dress I wore as a bridesmaid for one of my best friends in California. We were roommates at the time and it was three weeks after university ended for the year. The seamstress took measurements but I was so bored not doing a lot waiting for the wedding that I kept eating and had to go on Slim Fast to get into this number for the wedding. As you can see we all had matching shoes. This dress and the shoes got donated so this is my memory of it. Plus I have it all on tape (the wedding that is and me in the dress).
The red dress was for another wedding I was in for a best friend. I was a bridesmaid in this one also and it was in Kentucky. We all flew to her hometown and helped her sew on pearls on the top bodice of her wedding outfit (it was made for her by a friend), we literally were gluing them on and some fell off the day of the wedding. This one also had matching shoes and got donated. The black and white one was for a junior/senior banquet I went to and it is a Gunne Sax. It has a crinoline under it and is so cute but sad to say it had a rust stain on it so it is no longer with us. At least I have this photo of it and some others somewhere.

This is another Gunne Sax dress that I still love and kept this one for the future. If memory serves correct I wore this one my Freshman year to a Junior/Senior banquet and I was asked by a Junior so it was pretty exciting to say the least. It doesn't fit now but may someday and it was in good condition still so why not keep it?
This is another fancy dress I wore to a banquet or party (can't remember exactly). It's the only strapless dress I have ever worn and I kept this one too. It has a big crinoline under it as well and I felt like a princess when I wore it.
This is a really bad picture and it really looks great on. It's an off the shoulder dress that I made while in university. I remember staying with my friend in Arizona and her mom was a seamstress (my mom couldn't help although she sews as I was far away from home) and was helping me out here and there. The inside doesn't look professional but I was so proud wearing it to a fancy event. What I remember from that night is I was crazy about this guy and didn't get to go with him (can't remember why to be honest, probably because he didn't ask or some other reason). Anywho I went with this other guy who ignored me all night and I kept wishing I was with said someone. This one I kept as it has special meaning for me and I made it.
Last but not least is my high school graduation dress that I wore. I helped my mom sew it but she helped me a lot. It too has a crinoline but isn't in the photo. I kept this dress as well. I remember this night so vividly as I was getting ready to move to Hawaii a few days later to be a missionary along with my family and was emotional about leaving all my friends. I bid everyone farewell for now.

S. out