Don't rain on my parade!

So it's Saturday, which means it's time for my favorite activity: Walking downtown around Falls Park to scope out the wedding and prom situation. I can't even believe my good fortune last week with all the prom wrecks we saw, and I was hoping to spy even more drama and dress wreckage this week. But apparently, someone didn't get that memo:

In the immortal words of Scooby Doo, I say to you: "Ruh-Roh!"

But wait! Yesterday - Friday - was beautiful! It was sunny and had low humidity and a nice, gentle spring breeze blew as we walked to the park after dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. And there I discovered a thing of beauty: Friday Prom Kids.

So I present to you - TGIFriday Prom!!!

First off is Spiderwoman and Big Pimpin.' Yeah, I know - not much to complain about. At least she isn't poppin' a boob out like Hoochie Mama last week. But it was Friday...I guess kids who have their proms on Friday night are less hoochilicious? But how about that white tux, folks? I really wanted to run around behind him and say, "De Plane! De Plane!"

This picture is here because this is the second time I've seen this dress in two weeks. It's pretty, but it was prettier on the girl who had it on last week. But prints are still king - as is anything backless. But just like last week, when we ran into the super classy wedding party, we ran into a non-prom entity this week that was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I give you GOLD GIRL!

This girl had an entourage following her around the park, videoing and photographing as she stopped and posed and did different things with her giant gold wedding dress and her bouquet of gold spangly things.

Yes, I know this is probably a photo shoot for her Quinceinara, but COME ON! Look at little Lilah, checking out the sea of AU in front of her.

At one point, two men came ALLLLLL the way down the hill to stop the family and talk to them in a nosey fashion about what they were doing. It was almost all I could do not to ask if we could take Lilah's picture with her because she thought she was Belle from Beauty and the Beast (Not at all true, but a good lie to get a crazy photo of my child with a random 15-year-old decked in gold.) All I can say is that with a dress like that, her parents are probably spending as much as a wedding costs on her party, and I wish I could be invited.

Which brings us to today. While I was satisfied with my prom findings of yesterday enough that I didn't feel too badly about the rain on my parade today, I was really, really, really excited when we accidentally stumbled across THE BEST prom entourage EVER.

THEY WERE HAVING PORTRAITS MADE AT OLAN MILLS IN THE MALL!!!!!!

I had to hide in a section of maternity clothes pretending to shop and take this picture with my phone, but there she is, in all her magenta glory, and her equally magenta bedecked date is on the other side getting some single portraits taken. Their entire families were there with them - Mamas and Daddies and maybe some step-parents...all piling up on each other in that little doorway to watch them get their photos taken. I asked Ben if he thought they were engaged, because those families seemed awfully close. Or maybe they're related. And why Olan Mills?! Does the school not have anyone at the proms taking photos anymore??? Are the cheesy backdrops no longer part of the prom experience?? If so, that's too bad. But don't expect to find me up in Olan Mills in 2027 with Lilah, her date and his family watching them take prom photos. Hell to the No.

On the way home from the mall, we ran into a few prom kids going to dinner. I asked Ben to snap the photos because I was driving. These photos are to show not any real prom wrecks, but Ben's inability to take stealthy prom kid photos from a moving vehicle.

This is a beautiful photo of my hands and the Toyota logo, but of the kids in prom wear? Not so much.

This one is the BEST. This is actually two tuxedoed young men heading into the Brazillian restaurant downtown.

I swear!

Last but not least - this couple going into Liberty Taproom. Now, I don't mean to judge, because I made a huge prom dinner blunder my Junior year (I thought eating was about food. Ha!), but notice the guy on the right? Yeah, his attire is totally appropriate for this restaurant. Prom wear is totally odd in this place where most people go eat/drink after a baseball game. It's just not fancy. And in Greenville, we've got enough fancy that they really could've gone somewhere else and honestly not spent too much more money. I know all the fancy restaurants where I grew up (that one) would put together special "Prom" menus that kept the cost minimal but the experience high for us poor high school kids.

So that's it for this week. Next Saturday Ben and I are taking a little anniversary trip, but since it's prom season, I bet I get something then, too...keep your fingers crossed!