graduation, part one

Yes... Loopy bucked the high-heel trend and went with pink high-top Converse sneakers, or "Chucks" as she calls them. Scroll down to see her outfit in its entirety.

First, this is what my stairs looked like for the past week or so:

This is what 200 pieces of curl ribbon cut for balloons looks like.

This is what the graduation banner looks like. Loopy and I strung up and decorated a 5x7 photo of each of the 33 students. We embellished them individually... we now have no blue or yellow buttons, pom poms, pipe cleaners, yarn, ribbon or brads left in the craft room.

This is what a tired Saucy and Pepper look like! We got everything done just.in.time.

This is what forty bags of Loopy's crack corn looks like...

... tied with ribbons and stuffed into paper bags along with face tattoos, pencils and note pads.

This is what Loopy's memory board looked like... we found out that we needed a memory board on Monday morning. Gha. These are the things that stress a mother out. Thank Gawd for the craft room, and the fact that I raided the memory board in her bedroom. Since we had no blue or yellow stuff left, it was pink and black.

This is what the podium that was made as a gift to the school on behalf of the graduating class looks like. It is oak, crafted by my buddy Rory at Oakland Supply. Rory did quite a bit of the woodwork and finishing at our house when we renovated. He did a beautiful job on this podium.

This is what the graduate looks like! She channeled Avril Lavigne, Harajuku girls and Lucky Star anime characters. She carried a Hello Kitty handbag. We found her dress in Chicago at Nordstrom in December... remember when she had her photo taken with the cute sailors on Michigan Avenue? Then.

Everyone looked fabulous! This is what Loopy's pal Bree looked like. What was fantastic about this group, every girl picked a dress that perfectly suited their personality to a "tee."

This is what purple streaks and pink bits courtesy of Aunty Andrew look like! Sarah gave her a manicure with black nail polish and rhinestones. Loopy layered necklaces from our collection, including her special necklace from Pam, in the perfect colours for her outfit. It's all about the accessorizing.

This is what funky bows on the back of her lacy shorts looked like! Can you see them? I'll try to get you a better shot tomorrow. It's a good idea to wear little shorts if your skirt is really short and it is windy out. Trust me.

This is what Pepper's daughter Macy looked like! Her hair was also just lovely, all curly like that.

This is what Delane and Quinn looked like! They had adorable dresses.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't remember elementary school graduation to be quite this glamorous in my day... we saw strapless dresses, high heels and false eyelashes!

This is what Loopy wearing her sweater over her dress looks like! She wore the sweater for the entire event. The evening air was chilly and the door was open right behind where she sat.

Tomorrow, party highlights!