The Heat is On!

For those of you not so familiar with military life, we occasionally have formal events we must attend. The ol' Army Ball is something we all endure from time to time.

Tomorrow night I will attend my first ball in two years. My husband was deployed for a year so I was able to skip the events that occured while he was away.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy dressing up once in a while and being a princess. Even more than that, I LOVE seeing my husband in his version of a tux. He's a handsome devil! BUT, in case you've missed it in previous posts, I'm less than happy with my weight right now and I feel that I just don't look good in anything, much less a dress I paid too much for. I have a closet full of ballgowns. I keep them all because when you move every few years, each dress is like new again!

So, this week, I go shopping for a new dress...in size wow-wow. Not fun. I hit Ross and the cheapie stores hoping for a bargain..no bueno. In a desperate attempt, I went to David's Bridal because a friend raves about this store. I dragged my 19 year old with me and she pulled dress after dress into the dressing room while I squeezed my Spanx-clad butt into each of them.
I found this dress:

It's a lovely dress, but I don't look like that in it. I rushed right over to the shoe store, bought cute strappy silver sandals and headed home. Guess what I forgot to do? Try on the dress with the shoes, until today, the day before the ball. How bad can it be? I'm 5'2..it can be bad. I tried it on thinking if it's brushing the floor, no big deal. It was puddling on the floor! Like..3 inches. No way could I walk through a receiving line, dance or anything else in this dress.

I fly to the on post alterations shop and beg them to hem it for me by tomorrow afternoon. No problem.. try it on and let us take a look.

It was a hot day in Hawaii, the AC was not on in the shop. I'm in a tiny room changing and then stand on a platform for the nice lady to pin up my dress. I swear I was having a hot flash. I was thinking oh my gosh, they'll have to clean the dress when I'm done, I'm going to sweat through it! Then I remembered where the ball is...OUTSIDE at a downtown hotel. If I don't sweat to death, I'll get rained on.

$40.00 and a 2:00 pick up promise later, I'm out the door to pick up handsome Soldier's pants and shirt. Take a look at this guy in his suit. Yes, that's me with him on our wedding day...about 10 pounds ago.

I will post updates and more photos over the weekend!  I see LOTS of wine in my future.