Dress Mess

Wow. I didn't think I would get such a response. I guess I first have to say thank you and I appreciate the help! Your opinions make a big difference and I love that everyone was able to make a clear cut decision, well, except for one named Allison Hansen, but that is ok. I think she was leaning towards purple anyway.

So, in conclusion, the official count is as follows:

Total votes: 18
Purple - 6 or 7 (depending on which way Allison is leaning)
Black - 11

Here's the funny thing, on Sunday evening, everyone was clearly all for the purple, as was I. But by early Monday, the tides had shifted and everyone was vehemently black, well except for Allison who just wasn't quite sure. Very odd...

I do like the black, I mean, it's an ok dress, it's just black...but I have worn several LBD's (little black dresses) in the past. In fact, I buy one and I wear it to every event for 2-3 years until I am forced to buy another one, which I can then wear again for another 2-3 years. My mom told me I am not allowed to wear the current LBD I have now, hence the search for a new dress. So, I thought I would change it up and open my eyes (no Asian jokes here please, I've heard them all) a little wider and consider other colors and designs. Hence my dilemma.

While I respect and appreciate everyone's opinion and thoughts and supplemental information, I guess that ultimately, the decision as to which dress I wear really just comes down to one person, and we all know that that person is...Rachel, my sister.

Though Rachel did not respond via blog, she did respond by email and indicated that photos don't give a detailed enough picture and she will need to see them all in person. So, as much as I'd like to say I have come to a decision, I am still on the fence. Although, one conclusion I did come to was to get rid of the designy dress. So, no pirate and no zebra for this party.

Come next weekend, verdict will be in. I'll let you all know what I, uh, Rachel and I, decide. Thanks so much!

Dress nonsense

Once a boss, always a boss. By demand of my former boss, Laura, from KBYU-TV way back in the day, I'm following orders and posting pics of my dresses to let you all help me make my decision. I can't believe I'm actually doing it since 1) pics don't do the dresses justice, 2) I'm the poster child of "not photogenic", 3) I don't to like to pose for pictures and just to throw a fourth reason into the mix, this is dumb and embarrassing.

But seeing as everyone will get a good kick out of this, I'll play along.

So below are my four dresses. Make that three. Kyle already helped me eliminate dress #1. The cheapest of them all. He calls it my pirate dress. 'Nuff said.

Dresses 2-4 are below with respective pros and cons. Kyle and I chose the same one in deciding which one liked the best. What do you think?

Criteria:
Event description: Mom's 70th birthday party in which lots of her friends will be there
Dress purpose: To make Miriam look pretty
Dress parameters: Classy, not slutty. Flattering, not frumpy. Feminine, not masculine.

1) Plum Dress

Pros: slim-fitting, classy, cool wrap around tie and actually is flattering to my chestal region
Cons: gotta wear a shrug, for some obvious reasons















2) Black dress

Pros: Don't have to wear a shrug, slim-fitting, flattering, classy, fun gather on the side
Cons: Weird shoulder pads, boring















3) Designy dress
Pros: Fun design, not plain black, fun style
Cons: Some alterations need to be done in the back, design may be considered "loud", my mom might accuse me of looking like a zebra

When making your decision, please ignore the shoes, those are just for the height.

Additionally, I am taking suggestions for shoes and accessories. The less thinking I have to do, the happier I'll be. When making suggestions, please use simple terms and words to facilitate descriptions.

Thanks everyone. Enjoy.

Fashion woes

My mom turns 70 years old this year on March 3. To celebrate, we are doing what the Oh's do best, throwing her a HUGE party. No, no. We can't just invite a few people over and serve cake and ice cream. No, no. We have to make it an event. Not that I'm complaining, only that when we do these events it means several things, and one thing in particular: Miriam has to buy a new dress. Grrr...

For the event, we are celebrating her amazing voice and humble singing career. She will sing about 7 songs individually and several other songs with the church choir and with musicians from the Korean Music Association. I am making a short biographical video of her life and career and we expect to have anywhere from 100-150 guests. We are serving a full dinner and will be decorating and preparing the church gym. It will be a full on production. And no one is more deserving of such celebration than my mother.

So with all of this preparation, effort and work, what is my mom worried about most? The fact that she has to practice for so many songs in a short period of time? Making sure all event preparations are taken care of? Making sure there will be enough food? Making sure everyone can find the church? Nope. Here's the conversation I had with my mom about her biggest concern:

(Reminder, no typos here. Just relaying the conversation exactly as it occurred.)

Mom: So, Miliam. Mommy turning 70 this year.
Me: Yes, I know.
Mom: So, we have BIG party.
Me: I know.
Mom: Many of mommy friends be there.
Me: I know.
Mom: So, what is mommy cares most?
Me: Your song preparation?
Mom: No. Mommy can handle.
Me: Oh. Ok.
Mom: No, what mommy cares most is Miliam look pretty.
Me: Oh. Right.
Mom: You very pretty. You tall, skinny, white, very pretty. But, your dress not pretty.
Me: Ugh.
Mom: Every time mommy give you money for nice skirt or coat or dress, you don't buy. You buy ugly other things. This time I give you money and you buy nice, pretty dress. Ok?
Me: Ok.
Mom: Really? Can you buy?
Me: Yes. I'll buy a pretty dress.
Mom: Ok good. You so tall, white and pretty girl. All I want is you wear pretty dress. Mommy help you find?
Me: No. I can do it.
Mom: Maybe Rachel come and you buy together?
Me: Mom, I can buy my dress. I'm fine.

To her credit, it's her big day and she has right to be concerned. I have a track record of being a fashion slob and usually when she gives me money to buy pretty clothes, I usually end up with a t-shirt and work out shorts. But to MY credit, I HAVE delivered for past events and I am capable of looking pretty. They are just so few and far between, she probably just doesn't remember.

To fulfill my mother's request, I shopped all day today to find a stupid dress that's pretty. Unfortunately, unless I'm shopping at REI, I hate shopping. And just in general in regard to women's clothing these days, could style be any more complicated?! There is so much going on now with scarfs and thin fabric-y stuff and sheen-y stuff that you layer all together so you end up wearing four barely-there shirts and crap. Gosh, it's annoying! I miss the GAP days when it was just a cotton shirt and pants and layering meant your brother's flannel or a sweatshirt. The fabric designs today are all freaky and confusing and the cuts are all over the place. I saw a shirt today that looked like someone in the factory bumped the machine and threw the cutter off and cut the shirt at a wrong angle and they were selling it anyway! There is something wrong with fashion. It's too hard and it gives me a headache.

But, after four hours searching in Portland for a dress, between Nordstrom Rack and Macy's I did find four and I bought all of them. I can't afford to keep them all, but in order to fulfill my mother's wishes, I'll be taking pictures of me in the dresses and sending them to my sister to determine which one I look the prettiest, the tallest, the skinniest and the whitest in. For my mother's sake and the sake of her 70 years on this earth, let's hope that I don't disappoint.

Smoking Smarties?

I saw this story about "Smoking Smarties" on the local evening news tonight. Come to find out, the issue has actually been around for quite a while now.



Apparently, kids are crushing up candy Smarties then inhaling the power and blowing out the residue to mimic smoking a cigarette. Parents and doctors are concerned that this act will lead to smoking habits later on and also, the residue inhaled can supposedly be harmful to the throat and lungs (not sure about that one).

Anyway, kids do weird things. How do they come up with this stuff? Although, I will say that pretending to smoke was something I enjoyed doing when I was a kid. Those candy cigarettes were so awesome! Talk about a terrible idea but a kid's wish come true! Candy that looked like cigarettes and even blew out sugar to replicate smoke. Ingenuous!


Candy cigarettes. They look just like the real thing. And...they also look just like chalk.

Seeing the Smarties story made me think of a time when I was probably 6 or 7 years old. I came back from a friend's birthday part with a bagful of party favors. Included with those favors was a box of chalk, or candy cigarettes to an unknowing kid. I can still remember my mom watching me as I opened the box of chalk, pulled out a piece, then her face in shock as I put it in my mouth and blew and blew and blew. But when no smoke came out, her surprise as I chomped down hard on the stick, just like it was candy. I can also still feel the terrible dry and gritty feeling of chalk in my mouth.

Boy, was I stupid. Pretty much like the kids smoking Smarties. Stupid.