A DREAM is a Wish Your Heart Makes

My Fairy Godmother aka my Momma

“Bippity-boppity-boo” …or something like that!

 

You should find it as NO shock that by the age of two, I was demanding a very distinct wardrobe. At the age of five, when I was about to go to kindergarten, my mom bought me my first pair of pants. I, of course, proceeded to cry uncontrollably for a week. My mom still insists that not throwing me a Quinceañera was a horrible mistake. And I agree! I’m sorry, but is it a crime to LOVE big sparkly dresses?!?!

By the time high school dances rolled around, my obsession with perfect dresses paired with my Type A personality, was leading me to make some pretty strong wardrobe demands.

 

For prom, I spent weeks drafting my perfect look. I used Pronovias Bridal as my inspiration for patterns. I became obsessed with Pronovias at 18 and I’m still in love with Spanish influenced gowns today. I am not going to bore you with every single detail, but dying lace is not an exact science and the custom construction of a dress is an evolution of stages rather than a straight forward solution. So, I had a meltdown the week of prom and told my mom that the dress was not presentable enough to wear! I know, I know–Overly dramatic teen party of EVERYONE! (You know you’ve had teenage wardrobe meltdowns too). But, my mom can literally transform unrefined, dirty high school kid, Mia Thermopolis, into a QUEEN! – The kind that run a country… So I was left with countless options.

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The moment I died and went to heaven, circa 1998. Why did my brother have to photobomb?!?!

 

So after I let the fabric mold to my body how it needed to, the results were beyond anything I could have ever wanted! The gown hugged every curve right where it needed to — however, I did enter the limo sideways since tight dresses make bending over difficult… Beauty is pain my friend! My mom, my Fairy Godmother, stitched me a dress even Cinderella would have been jealous of. All I had to do was let go and let my mom make all of my prom dress dreams come true! (I know it sounds like a total cliché, but my dress was absolutely perfect in every way, at least to me).

 

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I was TOTALLY boho chic before it was a thing. All of my friends were still obsessed with trying to duplicate Kate Hudson’s yellow dress from “How to Lose a Guy in 10 days.”

 

The Adventures of Ally Cat and Wiley Coyote

“A life without love, is no life at all.” –A Cinderella Story

 

In the spirit of bippity-boppity-boo, I need to introduce you to our next bride Ally, or Ally Cat. The first and only time I ever got in trouble with a teacher was because of Ally in 1st grade, and we’ve been friends ever since. (My mother refuses to let me tell the whole story, but you can Facebook message me if you really want to know. I’ve already written it all down!!) Ally and I have also endured MANY fatal wardrobe phases of life together, including this one…

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Ally Cat & Wiley Coyote circa 2001

 

When Ally got engaged our senior year of college (my first senior year because there may or may not have been two…), I was SO EXCITED! She was my first childhood friend to walk down the aisle, so my mom and I were ecstatic to be able to take part in her bridal experience.

 

She said “YES” to the dress, but NOT to that?!?!

“Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner” – Dirty Dancing

 

When Ally’s wedding dress finally arrived she could not have been more excited! She immediately drove all the way down from Lubbock to try it on. (Shout out: GUNS UP! … never gets old!) She placed the beautifully made gown onto her body and as she was zipping it up she thought, “What is THAT?!” When Ally purchased her gown she didn’t recall there being a large and in charge flower on the bodice of it. Needless to say, she didn’t like it at all! In her defense, it’s really difficult to remember every detail of the gown you ordered six months earlier, especially if those months included your senior year of college and a bachelorette trip… But luckily for Ally, the Fairy Godmother was there to save the day!

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Busy forgetting what the dress looked like.

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 Removing the unnecessary flower.

 

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Serious Bling deliberation

 

We quickly went to work making the gown Ally had envisioned become a reality. First, we ditched the flower for some sparkle! Ruth created a custom embellishment to adorn the top of Ally’s gown.

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The beginning construction of a custom applique piece.

 

When the gown was done Ally was more than relieved– she was ecstatic! The gown had turned out even better than she had dreamed. ‘Nobody puts baby in the corner’ and we make sure nobody walks down the aisle in a dress that isn’t the stuff of fairy tales.

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Ally And David’s Engagement photos… Yes, they pulled off the “Dirty Dancing” move. **Cue Life-long Jealousy**

 

A Dreamy Reality

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” –Dr. Seuss

On the day of Ally’s wedding, we were so excited to watch her walk down the aisle. And Ally did NOT disappoint; she was an absolute show stopper! The gown hugged all the right places, and once again, we were able to create a look that was unique to its owner and that truly characterized Ally.

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This is my FAVORITE picture from Ally’s portraits. 

(Photo credit: Tara Hobgood)

 

It is always so exciting to be a part of someone’s big day! And it’s even more amazing getting to share this moment with lifelong friends. It is our goal to always keep the clients best interest in mind when altering and customizing a gown. Whether we have known you for 20 years or 20 minutes, we treat everyone around here like family! And as family, we will make sure the gown you wear down the aisle is better than your wildest dreams!

mom and i at allys wedding

Mom and I at Ally and David’s FABULOUS Reception!

 

Adios,

Niña Esclava

#ConfessionsofNiñaEsclava