Saturday, June 5, 2010

When it's over so they say / It'll rain on a sunny day

Two weeks is far too long of a break. I apologize! Things got busy and I went through a stretch where I was wearing jeans and t-shirts (in spite of the fact that I hate jeans), and I didn't complete any sewing projects. Basically, I had nothing to post. But I missed blogging! & I have new followers--hello! Thanks for stopping by!

DSC_0370.jpg picture by Addikins

This is a vintage dress I'd picked up at Salvation Army before I finished school, but it was quite a few inches longer so I didn't get around to hemming it until today. I like the color, and it seems like it'll be easy to find new ways to wear it. It's also really light and comfortable--once the weather gets warm again it'll be nice to wear on hot days. But this is disgraceful, guys: I need to do laundry so badly that I've resorted to making/altering new clothes. Haha. But I promise, I'm doing it today!

DSC_0367.jpg picture by Addikins

DSC_0368.jpg picture by Addikins

It was rainy today, so I headed out onto our screen porch (which is currently a little rundown, but we're hoping to fix it up again this summer) and took some photos on the porch swing. I love the grey color of the wood; it feels so serene.

DSC_0371.jpg picture by Addikins

dress / vintage | tights / target | shoes / forever21

DSC_0373.jpg picture by Addikins

Today was commencement for my former classmates in town. I didn't go. I probably could've walked with them, but the truth is, I don't really know any of them anymore. I started homeschooling in 6th grade, and lost contact with most people after that, so I probably would've been uncomfortable if I'd gone. I don't know. Our newspaper published a little booklet thing with info about all of the graduates and their future plans, and I got a little sad when reading it. I realize full well that high school is not the "best years of your life" as some people dreamily reminisce them as, but I kind of missed out on some experiences I wouldn't mind having--Senior Prom, graduation, grad parties... you know. I'm not saying I regret homeschooling, or that I would change anything--I certainly wouldn't. I just didn't get to do the same things everyone else did. But after reading the booklet, I went upstairs to sew, knowing that making clothing was the best thing that came out of my homeschooling.

So, my question is this: How were your high school years? Did you go to your prom? Was commencement boring or sad or joyful? Do you wish you'd been able to skip all the silly traditions or are they the better part of your teenage memories?

9 comments:

  1. i like the color of your dress - and it looks comfy! also, those shoes are amazing.

    to answer your question, my high school years were ok. i was also homeschooled, so i guess i missed out on some traditions, but i've never really regretted it. we had a couple of homeschool "formals," which were just awkward. my commencement was just me and 3 of my friends, and it seemed more trouble than it was worth. but overall, i'm glad i was homeschooled. i have a lot of good memories, and like you, i did a lot more sewing and creating than i would have otherwise.

    ~one of your new followers :)

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  2. Ditto to what Ruth said. I (homeschooler) am not too upset about missing the silly traditions, though I think it would have been fun to get all dolled up for prom. I'm graduating this month and instead of a ceremony, I'm having a party. For me, that is waaay better than a long ceremony for bunches of people (and more personal, too!) but everyone is different... I have not regretted homeschooling one bit and I'm thankful I was given the chance for creativity!

    Cute dress, girl! I love it! And your porch definitely looks serene and cozy.

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  3. Gahh, I need to get to a Forever 21, those shoes are adorable!

    I'm still in high school, and I think all of the "traditions" are a bit over rated. Our winter formal was painful, so my boy and I now make our own anti-formal. I didn't go to another open houses (graduation parties) in all of my high school career, so I'm a bit scared for mine. Football games are only for people to hang out and gossip, not to actually watch the game. Basically, if you don't go somewhere with a group of people you are left out. Quite silly.

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  4. The colour of that dress really is lovely :)

    I don't know much about homeschooling, but I think we don't have quite so many high school traditions in England as you guys do. We had proms and college balls, but it wasn't like there was pressure on everyone to attend. I missed most, and the one college ball I went to didn't seem as amazing as I was expecting it to be. I think these things can be very overrated. You've clearly developed a lot of creative skills from being homeschooled, and you seem unique, interesting and pretty awesome from reading this blog! I think high school tends to turn people into sheep a bit - people follow the crowd just to fit in and make friends. So I don't think you should worry about missing out at all :)

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  5. Ah, traditions. I was homeschooled in 6th grade (only), so I was around for all of the festivities, but I hated getting dressed up (muchly preferring cargo pants, myself) so I made a deal with my friends - I'd go to prom or graduation, but not both. It seemed entirely unfair that the guys got to wear pants but the girls HAD to wear dresses. Since I ended up being set up with a date for prom, I went to prom. Graduation would have been a waste; my graduating class was 750 and only maybe a dozen were friends.

    Still, it'd have been ok to skip both as long as I had friends to dress up with if we wanted - but skipping graduation is the best thing I ever did; ended up going on a roadtrip with [much older] friends and visiting places that helped kick off my biology "career."

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  6. Yazzie - Thanks! :)

    Ruth - I recognized your picture immediately & knew you as Hannah's friend (from your post on Craftster as well as her blog)! Thanks for the follow & the compliment on the dress. :) Yeah, I'm so thankful I decided to homeschool--I hope I didn't come across as otherwise in the post--because of the creative side of things. I'm kind of glad to hear those events aren't all they're cracked up to be. I'm virtually the only homeschooler in my area, so we didn't have groups or meetups, so there wouldn't have been opportunities to graduate with others. It's so good to hear from other homeschoolers!

    Hannah - Exactly, prom would've been fun! (I did go to one a couple years ago, but the only person I knew was my date, so that was kind of hard.) It'd be nice to have an excuse to make a ballgown, you know? Haha. And yeah, a party is way better than listening to speeches in a polyester gown! That's what I'm doing, too! Congratulations on graduating. :) Are you finishing a year early? And, thanks!!

    Kyra - Thank you! I actually haven't ever been to one of their stores; I always shop online!
    An anti-formal always seemed like rebellious fun. :) See, all of these things are so idealized in movies and books: they give out false impressions!

    Claire - Thanks! You made good points all around, particularly the sheep bit. I know, at least in a small town, high school can be pretty vicious and personality-draining. So in that respect, I'm fortunate to have missed out! Thanks for your input!

    Heidi - Out of those two events, you probably chose the more interesting, anyway! I'm glad to hear things worked out so well for you; it's amazing how sometimes missing one thing can make something else spring up that totally changes your life.

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  7. Such a gorgeous dress! :)

    My high school years were nothing exciting, just the usual popular girls being mean and the jocks being annoying. I had great friends but as soon as we all left we seemed to drift apart and now I don't talk to them except on Facebook!
    If I could have been home schooled and taught the skills you have I would have definitely chosen that!
    :D

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  8. I'm not graduating early, really. My birthday is this month so I'm combining my grad party with my birthday too. :)
    Oh yes, making a prom dress would have been loads of fun! I'm sure there will be plenty of other opportunities though...

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