Help Me Pull It Together! A Contest...

I don't understand how I could have forgotten about this cocktail party we're going to tomorrow night. Forget the fact that the invitation is there in plain sight on the board in the kitchen that I pass by umpteen times every day. Forget the fact that it is also written down on our calendar that I also pass by umpteen times every day. The worst of this is that it's a party celebrating the upcoming wedding of the son of my best friend Susan, who died two years ago on April 26, 2006, from complications from her diabetes Her death was unexpected & totally out of the blue. She was one of the funniest, wittiest & smartest women I've ever known. This picture is (L to R) of my daughter, me, my son, "C" and Sus... a long time ago.

I'm not going to go into what a miserable day, week, month, or year that was; just know that it sucked, BIG TIME. Anyway, her son is getting married to the girl of his dreams on April 26, 2008, which they are doing to honor his Mom. He & my kids grew up together. His mother was my best friend. How could I have possibly forgotten that this big cocktail party was coming up?

Susan's son *C* joined the Marine Reserves about 3 months before the events of 9/11 tried to tear our our world apart; much to the misery of his parents. While he was in Iraq his girlfriend *A* finished college & started on her masters. *C* finally came home for the last time and he joined *A* @ TxTech and finished the college he'd started before going w/ the reserves. Since graduating he has begun work on his masters degree as well, and they are at last getting married. So, how the hell could my brain have forgotten this special cocktail party? It's almost like forgetting my own child's party & it just makes me feel as if I've fallen down & bumped my pumpkin too hard on the ground, at some point that I'm not aware of. Oh Wait! That's called aging, isn't it? Well crap! I never thought it would start this soon.

Since noticing that this is happening far too often to me lately, I've taken up doing crossword puzzles (shit, I thought only old people & nerdy types did that) and playing word games & puzzles online, in a panicked effort to try & save whatever brain cells I have left. I suppose it's going to take a bit more time that I'd anticipated. Bummer there.

ANYWAY... here is my big dilemma. I can't decide what to wear. (Shut Up! It is too important!) Now, mind you, my poor feet are almost healed from the L.A. trip, but still vulnerable to newly inflicted pain. (In other words, the scab on my toe hasn't been rubbed long & hard enough to become a callous, thank gawd.) If I had remembered that I had an important cocktail party to go to tomorrow night, I would have been planning what I'm going to wear for the last week. Yes, I suppose you might say I'm anal retentive that way, but now I'm freaking out because I'm not sure I have the appropriate thing to wear. The invitation looks like this and is at the home of a friend (a very nice home).

Sooooooo.... I thought I'd do a little contest of sorts. I'm going to show you pictures of the choices of outfits I have to wear, depending on what I can put together, because I still haven't hit the cleaners since back from L.A. & I don't do one-day cleaners. Period. I'll number each outfit 1,2,3,4 and so on. You choose which one you like the best and leave a comment with your number choice for each different. The contest will end tomorrow at exactly 5:00 p.m., which will still give me around two hours to get dressed.

Now, here's the tricky part. It's going to be kind of like playing with paper dolls, in that you can switch the jewelry, the tops, the skirts, the footwear and the belts in order to come up with your final approved outfit. Or maybe you like them exactly as I show them. Whatever, so when you say what number outfit you're voting for (which should be the closest to your final choice) you then say what those changes are, if any.

I'll make the final decision by 5:00 p.m., wear the winning outfit and announce the winner when we return home after 9:00 p.m. I'll also let you know if it was a bust or a smash. But to tell you the truth, I think I look great in every one of them & feel even better when I wear them. So, they are all on even ground in my eyes. Same with accessories. Love them! Same with shoes! Oh Wait! Nevermind. But they are all on even ground, since they all hurt, lol. Unfortunately, you never quite know what cocktail means in this town.

So, I'm sure you're all like salivating to jump on this one, huh? Don't get too excited until you hear what the prize is. Well, how's this? A ride in the car with my hubby's 90+year old grandad as he whirls around town @ centrifugal speed, terrifying the young & old alike, straddling (and then some) that faithful old yellow line. What? That doesn't tweak your interest? Okay, fine and probably a good thing since he passed away back in 1988. That might be a scary ride indeed.

Ok. So the only other items I have of value (that I'm willing to give away) are my collegiate floorcloths & collegiate trinket boxes. I'll even make three Place Winners, being 1st Place, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place. The 1st winner may have their choice of any collegiate floorcloth & trinket box. The 2nd may have a choice of any collegiate floorcloth. The 3rd may have their choice of any collegiate trinket box. (This is assuming that I have three or more entries, lol.) You can click on the pictures to see the larger image & details. And hey, even if you don't want one of my freebies, just tell me what you think. I NEED HELP!

This is #1

This is #2









This is #3









This is #4

This #5

This is the jewelry I'll be using.