Ball dilemma

September 14, 2010. I wrote a post asking for readers' opinions on which dress I should wear to the Ball in Turkey. The consensus was the purple number.

Well, fast forward. We have a Pink Tie Galla here on Base (to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness.) Yesterday, I went to try on my three dresses and see which one fits me post-baby.

The results?

Purple dress. No go. Doesn't fit.

Orange dress. No go. Doesn't fit.

Black dress. Nowhere to be found!

How do you lose a black ball gown? Well, I'll tell you how. You loan it to a friend to try on and you think friend returns it and friend thinks she returns it, but she doesn't. The dress has been found, but it's in America now. With one week until the Gala, that dress is now a "No go" too.

So I have two choices.

And neither of them will work.

Now let me tell you that firstly, I am 6'3". Buying a dress that fits me is nearly impossible in the first place. The purple and black dresses were both purchased at bigger sizes and then lengthened with extra fabric. The orange dress was purchased at a Tall Girl Store.

Secondly, even if I could find a dress that fits, I live on an island that doesn't exactly have a surplus of stores to purchase dresses at. There is no mall for example.

What to do?

Thursday, in a last ditch effort, I went to the tailor on Base and asked her if she could work a miracle in the one week that I had before the ball.

(Don't ask why I waited until Wednesday to try these on and find out that I had nothing that fits!)

But, the tailor can work the aforementioned magic I had prayed for! Because I had bought my dress so much bigger, there was plenty of fabric to let it out and make it fit my still-need-to-lose-fifteen-more-pounds-frame!

So, I'll be wearing the dress pictured below. I first wore it at my brother and his wife's wedding back in 2006.

My niece grace (who is from the Kitsteiner side of the family) was a flower girl in the wedding. She stole the show!

I remember this being an emotional moment for me. I loved my niece to pieces, but we were so grieving no children of our own as she escorted us down the aisle.

 

And then I wore the dress again -- to the Incirlik Base Ball in 2010, a few months after we had arrived in Turkey.

 

My date for the evening.

While we had only been in Turkey for a few months, I had already made two "friends-for-life." Angelica and Stebbs will forever hold an incredibly special place in my heart. Love these ladies.

Stay tuned to see the dress worn for the third time!