The event of the weekend is over! Phew! I took hundreds of photos…..so this post is photo-laden. This post will not be so much a commentary on homecoming. I think I’ll save that for another post. (I have a before and after photo of Annie’s “up do” – that I had to “re do”.) (And, you know, I have opinions about these things being ALL about the girl….poor boys….)

But I am thrilled to share Annie’s dress! It began with a post-it scribble and, then, a sketch. For those of you who don’t know, Annie, of Pink In Mind, is 16.

The ideas brewed in her head and she looked at some dresses in person for inspiration. But the idea was to have corkscrews in various, sparkling, colors cascading around the dress.

Easier said than done!  Oh yes, accessories.  Her dear sister purchased these shoes online. They are higher than high, but the contrast blue underneath was an interesting feature, considering the multiple colors of the dress. And, it’s ok because they were $400 shoes, originally, on sale for $30!  (That always justifies a show purchase in her mind….)

So the day before homecoming, I took a bunch of photos of Annie’s dress so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it on the day of homecoming. I wanted to be sure to capture all her creativity and hard work.

Yep, she made the bag, too. I think it’s adorable.

She had the day off of school. She went to Patterson’s fruit farm in the morning and had a football game that night. But I thought it would be fun to take my “princess” to a castle for photos. It was a little chilly and muddy, so here’s an outtake…..

I’m learning how to use my other daughter’s new camera…everything is on auto – and obviously, I have a lot to learn!

The castle is called Squire’s Castle.  Follow the link for an interesting urban legend about the place. It was built in 1890s, intended as a gate house for a country estate that was to be built by Feargus Spire. His wife died young, however, and he never built it. The castle is part of our amazing metroparks and is a shell of the building. It was a fun place to go as a child or even as a teen. It was bustling with people on this gorgeous  but chilly fall day, including several photographers, just married couples and engaged couples.

No “up-do’s” – just a quick brush of her hair and a couple mini braids to pull it away from her face.

We love how this photo captures the colors of the swirls.

I’m really proud of her!