Arpita and Kate go to the sample sale.

I posted this story in my "real" blog - my live journal, but I wanted it here for posterity. Monkey and Rose should feel free to skip. I tried on some dresses with my mom when I was first engaged - about a year ago. It was just goofy fun, I wasn't looking to buy AT ALL. Today was different - I had fantasies of getting my dress for cheap and having it all tailored up and looking nice. I knew what i wanted this time and when I tried on the dresses... I really liked them. I am getting closer. None of them were "the one", but some were close.

Arpita came into our hometown at 12:30am last night, stayed up with me until 2am talking about MY WEDDING - a subject that is inexhaustible for me right now and I know is very boring - and then woke up 3.5 hours later at 5:30, took a cold, low-pressure shower in my parents' infuriating bathroom, and set out with me to the sample sale. Determined to get there early and be at the head of the line. We psyched ourselves up to fight. To pry the lace dresses out of these other dames hands, to snatch, to tear, to do whatever it took.

We pulled up to Priscilla of Boston - Shorthills - at 6:45am... and we were the only people there. Whoops. We headed out to "Bagels-4-U", had egg sanwhiches, returned after 7, and parked in an empty parking lot. We sat on the steps and laughed at my insanity, until brides saw us and started coming out of cars. We still only numbered about 7 when the store opened, and there was no wailing or gnashing of teeth. We were each permitted three dresses, and we were then led into little rooms to try the gowns on. I found one that was perfect - but it was $ 950, the high end for the sample sale (marked down from $4,200) and it had quite a few tearings in the lace. I wasn't going for it. I found another (pictured) where the lace was in PERFECT condition, but the seamstress in attendance said the dress could not be made strapless, and it was already not a mermaid cut. It was only $300! I almost did it. But then I reminded myself that it wasn't what I wanted, and that I was just getting "discount-fever". My wedding is over a year away, there will be many other sample sales.

I highly recommend a sample sale. You get to try on dress after dress without a sales staff trying to pressure you into anything - which is really invaluable. I didn't come away with a dress, but I came away feeling VERY good about the kind of dress I want, even the kind of lace.

The number one thing I came away with, though, is so much love and admiration for Arpita, who was genuinely excited for the whole experience and for me. When I think about it I get a little emotional (I'm tired, shut up), but she really is the greatest and I love her so much.