This weekend my friends Merritt, Liz and Daphne are coming to visit me.
I’ll pause for a moment so that you have sufficient time for applause.
Daph and I met when we were freshmen in college, and I don’t think there’s anyone on the face of the planet who gets my sense of humor as well as she does. She can essentially say one word – for example, “monitor” – and, because of her unique Daph-esque inflections, make me laugh so hard that I find myself snorting and in desperate need of a disposable adult undergarment.
As you can tell, I am a delicate, Southern flower.
I have been friends with Merritt and Liz since I was twelve years old and had recently experimented with an easy 1-2-3 bang-cutting method that I saw in Seventeen magazine. Unfortunately, I did not achieve the “wispy bang” look that I was after, and instead I ended up with a two-inch tuft of hair that essentially transformed the left side of my head into a neon sign that said “HEY, Y’ALL! I CUT MY OWN BANGS!” in bright orange letters.
But Merritt and Liz wanted to be my friends anyway. I’ve been understandably loyal ever since.
Now because I didn’t meet Daph until college, I don’t have the vast repository of embarrassing photographs that I do for Merritt and Liz. I’ve looked ALL OVER my house for a picture of Daphne and me from our junior year of college, simply because she was going through what we like to call her pseudo-alternative phase – complete with small, round glasses that would have made Michael Stipe very proud indeed – and I was coming out of a Terribly Permed phase and sporting a lovely ‘do that was straight as a board at the top of my head but a mass of ringlets at the bottom.
However, since I couldn’t find that picture, I decided to post this one instead:
We were eating pizza, and while I would love to tell you that such an occurrence was a very rare one when we were in college, that would be a lie. As a matter of fact, the number for Domino’s was 324-2100, and the fact that I still know that critical bit of information almost fifteen years after leaving my beloved alma mater is proof that my daddy’s investment in my college education was worth every. single. dime.
That’s me on the left, by the way. In the sweatshirt that’s both tie-dyed and bedazzled. Because I totally had it goin’ on in college. Oh yeah. Had to beat the fellas away with a stick. Or a Domino’s box, as it were.
After I found the picture of Daph and me, I started to look for pictures of Merritt and Liz, too.
I think you’ll be well-pleased with what I found:
That’s Liz, then Merritt, then me.
As you can tell, I spent most of my time not tanning when I wasn’t teasing my bangs and neglecting to pluck my eyebrows.
I don’t know what made me laugh harder: the fact that Merritt and Liz sported thick, gold chains in their senior portraits (don’t think for one second that my 17 year old self wasn’t green with envy about that, by the way), or the fact that you could have quite easily hung Christmas ornaments from our hair.
I mean, look at those well-defined layers. We could have nestled writing utensils or small snacks or diminutive furry creatures in there for hours on end without disturbing our coiffures in the least. Personally, I’d like to see us recreate those looks this weekend, but I don’t think they make lacquer for hair anymore because of some federally-mandated regulations about stripping away ozone or somesuch nonsense.
Needless to say, we have big fun in store over the next few days. So if you need to find me, I’ll be in my living room or my kitchen, laughing until I lose my breath, collapsing on the nearest piece of furniture, clutching my side, then laughing some more, all the while trying not to wet my pants.
And until I return, indulge me if you dare: leave me a comment with the name(s) of your best friend(s) from high school, the band or singer that you thought was the AWESOMEST when you were 17 or 18, and – if you can bear it - what you would have been wearing if I had run into you on an average high school day (and thanks, Veronica, for this idea).
In closing, I’d like to leave you with these words of wisdom that my friend Brian B. wrote in my high school yearbook:
“May your path always be filled with success (YOU decide SUCCESS). If you do not know where or how to find it, stick to your guns, never surrender. Blood is thicker than water. You cannot get blood from a stone….”
I have no idea what that means, internets, but I have a feeling it’s terribly profound. And deep. And stuff.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:15 pm
am I first?
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Okay, Kim and Meredith were my best friends and you could find us all sporting ‘The Limited’ type clothing. Well, KIM WAS always sporting ACTUAL Limited clothing, whereas Mere and I were usually sporting the TYPE…(knock offs)….or sporting Kim’s clothing that she generously shared…. For the life of me I cannot recall the music we listened to. Amy Grant was big with us I recall. I’ve never ever ever been a music person so I was never obsessed with a group or singer.
Lovely photos! Merrit and Liz have matching freckles on their cheek! Did you used to feel left out?? ;o)
Enjoy your weekend and be sure to write all about it! Complete with updated photos, of course. :o)
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Well, my best friend in high school was Nancy Skupowski, and we were like Mutt and Jeff, Abbott and Costello, peanut butter and jelly, ham and…you get the idea.
We were in love with the Eagles, Styx, Journey, and we enjoyed the music of Queen, but thought Freddie Mercury was a “little” odd…
I had no fashion sense whatsoever…probably would have found me in jeans, a t-shirt, and tennies…or jeans, a white blouse, and a sweater vest with gold chains if I was trying to impress that guy…
My hair couldn’t hide small animals nor snacks…I had a retro feathered hairdo that harkened back to Farrah days…never was up with trends…always a decade or two behind…
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:16 pm
First? I feel like I won the BooMama lottery. Oh I feel faint.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Judging by the gold chains, we may have graduated roughly the same time — and wow, your hair DID have it goin’ on! (Try some Got 2B Glued for your hair this weekend — the name does NOT lie — it’s what the Ty Pennington wannabe’s are waxing their hair with).
My best friend FROM high school is Roxanne, who will later today leave a lengthy diatribe in these comments about precise hair height and apparel. I think at the time, my best friends would have been Amy O., Kristen, and Terral — and we spent HOURS “cruising” to the Breakfast Club soundtrack. Amy was a bit of a rebel and introduced us to some whacky Irish guys –U2!
Wearing? I have no idea. Something Esprit, if it were a fashionable day. And shoulder pads! Big shoulder pads. And sweaters with HUGE ugly patterns on them. WHAT were we thinking with the sweaters? And the earrings — basically what is coming back in right now. Sadly, we learned nothing from the disaster that was ’80′s fashion.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:23 pm
LOL!! Let’s see, I can help you out.
My best friend was Sherry, and she had naturally curly hair, upon which you could hang Christmas ornaments for two families!
Band/singer, gosh I can honestly not even tell you. That just goes too far back. Wait. I’ll say Bryan Adams, mainly b/c his song in Robinhood Prince of Thieves (my favorite movie at the time) just made me want to swoon.
And I would have been wearing black stirrup pants, an over-sized button-down fuscia blouse with the collar turned up, oh yes ma’am, gotta turn that collar up! and an enormous belt, sitting low on the hip. And of course, my black Enzo flats would have completed the picture. Does anyone remember those flats? EVERYONE had at least two pairs.
Oh, I was a hottie, yes I was. Bwaaaahaahaaaa! I think I just popped a button laughing so hard.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Oh My! We had the same hair (only mine was a little longer). My favorite band was U2. I would have been wearing acid washed jeans (pegged of course), scrunchy socks, either white boots with fringe on the back or Tretorn tennis shoes. I should dig up a picture and post it. It’s so scary. My best friends names were Barb, Heather and Beth. My hair was highlighted, permed, fried, and large. And I sported a lovely shade of blue eyeshadow. I’m painting quite the lovely picture of myself aren’t I?
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Oh, and I’m laughing my butt off at Jess right now, who, while she is reveling in being first, is now gonna now be about 10th. ;-)
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Tretorns!!!! Oh, the memories…
Sorry for serial posting. I clearly have no life.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Highschool was only 8 years ago for me, so the wounds are still very fresh. I laughed when I saw your quote from “Brain B.” because I still remember my Dad saying “you should write down all their last names on them there quotes in yer yearbook, you’ll forget them all” (okay I added the southern drawl in that quote) but I was completely aghast at the thought that I could possibly forget Fred’s or any one of my chemisty-class-counterpart’s last names! funny shiz. Anyway! You would have seen me with a “FEAR THIS” shirt on kickin it with my home girls Erica, Steffani, Kellie, Abby, Nichole and Michelle, all of which I kicked it with last weekend. Yay for friends who have known you since you were 12!
I will try and post a pic on my blog sometime: http://www.fullyoperationalbattlestation.blogspot.com
I love this site! :)
Jamie
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Oh my. I shake my head when I look back at those years. My hair was bobbed, which has been the story of my life.
As for clothes? Oh, we were too cool to care. It was usually a black skirt with black tights and some sort of band t-shirt. Shoes were either those 8 dollar “china flats” or Doc Martens. The Docs required socks, though, as my feet were too narrow.
My best friends were Mariel, Carissa, and Jessica. Mariel and I knew that The Housemartins were the best band, but we also liked Billy Bragg.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:40 pm
My best friends in school were Lori and Shelly and a whole gang of drama ‘geeks’! You would have found me in acid-washed jeans cinched tight at the ankle with a long sweater and a wide belt–and my polo collar turned up, of course! I was a big Journey, REO Speedwagon, and Air Supply fan. “I’m all out of love, I’m so lost without you…”
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Oh my – we catch a glimpse of Boo herself! Lovin’ Merritt’s hair….I can see that I would have been green with envy. I too had the thick gold chain, the thicker the better. I got a nice fat tan line from mine one weekend but I digress.
My best friend in highschool was Suzanne. I came to this small school for my Jr and Senior year…so I was glad to have a friend – A friend – singular – any friend. But she was the best and we still keep in touch.
Clothes – anyone remember Multiples or Units? Or the really faded, painted on Bongo’s?
Music – I loved Prince, the old Prince not “that sign”. My how things change – I had to tell my daughter during the superbowl that he was a freak and not admit I used to love him all the while singing every word to Purple Rain.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:46 pm
My best friends were Melissa, Becky & Mary, and we spent high school wearing California Super Straight Levi’s, IZOD Polos with coordinating oxfords over them. Or a concert T. And Nikes! EVERYONE wore Nikes!
And we would do this while listening to most awesome band EVER – Def Leppard. Or maybe some Billy Squier.
Aw – memories…..
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:47 pm
First of all, I love – LOVE – the photos. I just bet the Daphne, Liz and Merritt do too! (Better sleep with one eye open this weekend!) YOU ARE ADORABLE!! And the four of you look like an ad for a Lane Hope Chest or Lenox China, or well, Final Net. : )
My verrrrrrry, verrrry, verrry BEST friend (that is the exact way we would write it to each other in yearbooks)from 7th grade until now is Kari. She is the girl best friend books were written about. She was funny, smart and sweet. She was also beautiful (Homecoming Queen at a school of 2000) but she didn’t know it. She was the kindest, most humble person you could ever meet. She and I spent every.waking.moment together. And the non-waking moments were spent at the weekly sleepovers at each others’ houses. At these sleepovers, we would: “streak” our hair/take every single quiz offered in “Glamour” magazine/make midnight cinnamon toast feasts/and talk until we were hoarse. Our musical tastes? Well, they ran to the verrrry sophisticated level of one Mr. Barry Manilow. We would listen for hours to RECORDS on the turntable, and even once re-wrote the lyrics (on paper – still have it) where we changed the words from “Mandy” to “Michael” for a boy we liked (“Oh Michael, well you came and you gave without taking…but I sent you away, oh Michael”). Oh, and we were (unfortunately) cutting edge fashionistas – meaning gauchos with pleather boots and Dorothy Hamill and later, Farrah hair. We also owned every “Twist-A-Bead” combo made. The photos are cringe-worthy.
I LOVE this post as much as any post you’ve ever done. I will be thinking of you and your friends this weekend. And, I think I’ll pick up the phone and make a call that will travel 1,200 miles away, just so I can hear my verrrrrrry, verrrrry best friend’s laugh.
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:47 pm
My word…..the comment didn’t look that long in the box. Oh well, I love this topic!
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Well high school wasn’t AS long ago for me (graduated in 01), but my best friends were Brianna and Andrea. Bri moved away after my sophomore year, as did pretty much all of my other friends. (Life at an international school.) Andrea was French Canadian, and most of the time we wore our school uniforms, but when we didn’t have to you could find us in wide-legged jeans and simple, plain tops. I especially liked my black, wide-legged carpenter’s jeans with white stitching up the side. Neither of us wore much jewelry or makeup; actually come to think of it, we must of looked pretty boring. We were totally into boy bands and r&b music – Backstreet Boys, NSync, Destiny’s Child, All Saints…
February 23rd, 2007 at 12:56 pm
My best friends were Twyla and Tammy – together we were “T-to-the-third-power” (written with a capital T and a tiny 3 at the top.) We thought we were so cool. We hung out in third-hour show choir, and boy did we have fun. My hair was styled after Princess Di, short and feathered to within an inch of it’s life – because of the Princess influence, I also wore a lot of hats. It’s embarrassing to look back now and see pictures. I still remember the sound of slamming lockers and hallway buzz between classes. I don’t miss those days, but I often wonder what happened to those girls. How is it that you can spend up to twelve years with the same people, and then never see them again after graduation. It’s a strange phenomenon. I wish I’d kept in touch. Enjoy your weekend fun!
~TaunaLen
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:03 pm
My best friend in high school was Laura. I was desperately trying to figure who I was, so my clothes were too. Most of the time, jeans, t-shirt, flannel shirt, and Teva’s were my ensemble. Oh, freshly washed hair (I probably used a hair dryer five times in high school), and no make-up completed the ensem. Laura was a hippie, no doubt. She always looked adorable and had a boyfriend in tow. We were salivating over Axel Rose (it’s pathetic, I KNOW), or Green Day. I got lucky and ran across The Goo Goo Dolls before they got huge, and am still an adoring fan today. My high school quote said “Love is like the five loaves and two fish. It only begins to multiply when you give it away.” I actually took credit it for it, because I have no idea at all where it came from. ooh… my Mama still buys RAVE hairspray. That’s the glue that holds it all together.
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Did you get your Rave in pump or aerosol? Or was it Stiff Stuff?
Jeri Ann
Bon Jovi, babay. And also Def Lepard, Skid Row, Poison…oh the memories.
I remember tight-rolling my pants, always, and also rolling up the short sleeves. Scrunchie socks and scrunchies in the hair, on a low-Rave day. Flats always, my mom and I wore the same size so between us we had a pair in every color (Payless, of course)and also short suede boots and jazz shoes (one pair of jazz shoes were black patent–a guy at school said they looked like what a drill sergeant would wear and he saluted me every time I wore them.)OH and slacks with PLEATS EVERYWHERE. And acid washed stuff, and patches and holes that came in the pants.
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Hilarious. My best friends were Samantha, MT, Regan, and Julie. I would have been listening to REM, 10,000 Maniacs, Counting Crows, and Indigo Girls. If I was super melancholy, I’d throw in some Cowboy Junkies. Now for my fashion: I found a picture of Samantha and I at my house junior year, and what am I wearing? A purple and black striped tunic (with shoulder pads, natch) and purple leggings with black ankle boots. People, I was kickin’ it. Ah, 1993. Naturally, I did NOT embrace the legging look this go round. :)
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Had to check out the phone number for Domino’s–you are so right!!
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:19 pm
oh goodness…the horror.
BFF – Karen
Crankin’ – Ace of Bass or Green Day
Sportin’ – Flannel and anything khaki, navy, marroon or hunter green…sad sad 90′s.
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Oh my 2 best friends where Roberta (now a blogger herself) and my preacher’s son Joel. In my best dressed moments I was a cross between Molly Ringwald and Helen Hunt in Girls Just Wanna Have fun. Unfortunately this made me roughly 10 years behind the rest of the world. My mother insisted that my hair have a style, which meant I went through a bad hair decade which was a series of bad perms, followed by bad “growing out” stages, followed by bad “long shag” layers. Ick. I was in love with the Nelson twins, and actually made a 90 minute tape that contained nothing but “Love and Affection” on one side and “After the Rain” on the other, over and over, and over, and over. And I am not embarrassed to admit that I owned the Milli Vanilli album, enjoyed the music, and much to my father’s chagrin, wanted dread locks for 6 months or so.
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:24 pm
There were about 4 or 5 of us girls that ran around together, so to say one was more of a friend than another, I’m not sure. But there names were Mary, Ruth, Betty, and Ann.
I liked Three Dog Night, The Association, Jackson 5, The Carpenters.
I would have been wearing bell-bottoms and maybe a tie-dyed shirt.
Although this may sound like just a few years ago (except for the music) I actually graduated in 1972.
Have a great fun-filled weekend! Can’t wait to read about it.
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:29 pm
My best friends in high school were Alison, Heather and Krista.
My uniform on most days: Gap khakis, Gap polo shirts or oxfords, the requisite brown braided leather belt, Cole Haan loafers–a different style for each day.
And of course…the barrel-style drawstring Dooney. Whichever one matched on that particular day.
My uniform on Wednesdays and Fridays really was a uniform…the awe-inspiring dance team frocks.
Music? The Cure, Depeche Mode, miscellaneous rap, and bootleg techno mix tapes from friends…
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:37 pm
OH MY WORD! Too much fun. Okay, let’s see –
Non-Christian artists: Wham!, Dire Straits, Foreigner, Tears for Fears, Phil Collins, Duran Duran, Modanna
Christian artists: Petra, Imperials, Rez Band, Alias, Amy Grant
Clothing & Shoe brands: Camp Beverly Hills, Banana Republic, Candies, stirrup pants, oversized shirts, leg warmers, scrunchie socks, headbands, flash dance looking clothes, big shoulder pads, Preppy look, Jellies, acid washed jeans that were tight around the ankles, prairie shirts (plaid, of course, with ruffles — lots of them), Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, chinos, Capezio flats, big, BIG earings.
Hair: we went almost overnight from the Farrah Fawcett look to the Madonna look. We went through a period where we used peroxide in our hair. A lot of it. Our hair was orange and we glowed in the dark! We used banana clips one minute, then we did our hair all crazy and frizzy and moused out like Modonna, and then we cut our hair to our chins and had the severe stacked bob.
Did I mention the bright, RED lipstick?
Yeah. We were hot.
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Oops–forgot my girlfriend’s names — Tammy, Leigh, and Loula Antonopoulos. What a mouthful!
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Ummm, BM. Is it a prerequisite that your friends have to be blonde to be friends? Because I’ve got to find some Coastal Dune stuff to take care of this problem if that’s the case…
And I was one of those that-girl-has-89-best-friends type people, but if I had to pick one name, it would be Ken Pettit. He wanted to date, we did… once and we turned out that we were better best friends than the dating kind. When someone wanted to find me, they looked for Ken because that was the most likely place to find me. Yes, having a male best friend was just one of the many ways that I was unique… (At our 10 year class reunion, we considered going together and pretending to have married after all, but I don’t think either of us could have kept a straight face.)
The band to adore was either U2 (Rattle and Hum) or INXS or Bon Jovi or Van Halen (the first version with David Lee Roth). Of course there were The Bangles, Bryan Adams, George Michael, Madonna (she’s been around FOREVER!), Bobby McFerrin, Debbie Gibson, Richard Marx, the B-52s and Don Henley… just to name way to many.
And depending on the day that you met me would determine my attire for the day. Choir was often performing so it could have been my green sequin top with a black satin skirt… or if it was a “I have to prove I’m still a girl” moment it was a skirt and shirt, but most likely it was my skinny jeans (might as well hate me now) with my black sweatshirt and black high-top boots. My hair was often seen teased on top and pulled back in a barrette at the top back of my skull. However I was known to grab all my long and permed hair in class and tie it in a knot to get it out of my way. Think Edie Brickell and you’ve got it down.
Have such a grand time reminiscing and laughing Diet Coke out of your nose. And be sure to tell us AAAAALL about it!
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
This post and comments brings back soooo many memories of the fabulous 80′s! My best friends were Martie, Carey, and Angie – together we were the “Fab 4″. Just typing that makes me laugh out loud! We could sing every word to every Madonna song off of her first album. No, I am not proud. But who didn’t love a little “Holiday”. I have a great pic of us at a dance of some sort our senior year – it’s hard to believe we could get all of that hair in one pic! We are sporting “Coca-Cola” rugby shirts, about 3 Swatch watches each (on one wrist), and our jeans are pegged….like we liked ‘em! If nothing else, fashion was fun in the 80′s….if you can call it fashion!
Have fun with your friends!!
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Not only did I enjoy your blog entry but the comments from others! SO MUCH FUN to read! You have quite a diverse group of readers ~ in age and taste! Well…here’s my 2 cents: My bestest friend was Jan. She was 4 years older than I and I visited her at college every weekend (she was quite the influence). The friends my age were Jane and Amy and the 3 of us just started getting together again after 25 years! It’s so much fun to pick up where we left off. And our fashion rocked! We wore Osh Kosh B’Gosh painter’s pants (usually off-white or blue denim), Asics Tigers, t-shirts, cowl necks and hospital scrubs. Yea, weird, I know. We LOVED Reo Speedwagon, Journey, Loverboy and AC/DC. Thanks for this ~ it was fun! :) Enjoy your weekend!!!
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Cheryl, Bel, Anne and Diana. Hair was layered waves. Clothes were jeans and t- shirts or summery dresses with matching hotpants,(this was 1971) and music was The Eagles, and Beatles. Hey Jude was the best to dance to with someone you really liked…. it went on for ages!
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Best friend, Randi…we became friends after I had a nosebleed that ruined her textbook in Algebra II. Indigo Girls were my band and the outfits were always GAP jeans with the tight ankle roll(remember when you folded the cuff in then rolled them up), Tretorns and some sort of solid colored shirt from the Limited. I also had POOFY permed hair.(Friends called it–yes, my hair had its own moniker–FiFi)
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I’m reading this at work and trying not to laugh out loud!
My best friend was Betsy…she had a hot pink bedroom and I was sooo jealous! I mostly wore jeans or khaki’s and polo shirts. Usually boy shirts…I ran into an old boyfriend recently and he said “it used to drive me crazy that you wore shirts better than me. I always wanted to tell you to wear something for girls!” That was back when big, baggy shirts were cool (I sure hope they were cool!). I didn’t perm or color my hair because I was a chicken but I did sport a bob every now and then!
Music??? It’s only been 10 years so Blues Travelers, Dave Matthews, for non-christian. Christian music- Michael W Smith, Stephen Curtis Chapman, Amy Grant (all those classics!)
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:51 pm
My best friend was Wendy. She had sea green eyes BEFORE everyone got those contacts that looked that color but were fake. : ) We loved Duran Duran. And I had a neon sweatshirt like one that Boy George wore. (gag!!!) Hearing Paul sing that George Michael song on AI brought back memories.
These days of raising children and serving the Lord are WAY more fun!!!!!!
February 23rd, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Best friends from High School: girls: Melanie (same name and even same initials as me), Leigh, Sharon, Angie, Ajaye (pronounced A.J), Lisa (who I met the first day of 2nd grade and am still friends with to this day), and Jenny. Though Melanie was by far my best-est friend, from 9th – 12th grade. We were 2 peas in a pod.
guys: Roland, Chris, Justin, Rusty (though he goes by Russell now, go figure!), and Jim.
My most favorite band in high school: hard to choose. Bon Jovi was pretty hard to beat back then. I was also a big ‘oldies’ fan, I’ve always loved the Stones, the Beatles, etc.
What would I have been wearing: depends on the year. Freshman year: desperately trying to fit in with everyone else… big hair, tapered jeans, converse or bass shoes, over-sized, button down shirt or maybe a T shirt. Sophomore and Junior years were sort of a morph from that to a more comfortable-with-me-style, which became “hippie” looking my Senior year (when I had long, straight hair, old leather bomber jacket, sandals most days and scraggly-bottomed jeans. Sounds attractive, right? ;)
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Like I’ve said before, I look way too forward to reading your blog everyday. BUT these posts that make me look back to the high school days are THE BEST!!!!
My best friend was Mary. I remember being allowed to go to Myrtle Beach for a week after graduation without a chaperone…what in the world were our parents thinking?!
We looked so cool in our long oversized shirts with matching flip flops and the 3 inch wide leather belt sitting low on the hips…the same hips that are about 5 times that size now! I probably couldn’t get that belt around a thigh now! I also remember tight jeans, t-shirts and high top converse tennis shoes in pink and red. Black concert t-shirts were also big. And the best music was by Foreigner, Loverboy, Journey, Night Ranger….I think I’ll head over to itunes and make a ‘flashback’ playlist!
Have a good weekend and I’ll be anxiously looking forward to a post about it Monday!
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Julie, Nancy, Jana and Mary were my best friends in high school. Our hair was straight but with feathered bangs “schalacked” into place. We wore everything layered: dickie, shirt, sweater or vest, cowl-neck sweaters with high waisted pants that flared and our shoes were wedgies (Bass) or Candies! Our jeans were sergios or gloria vb. Our skirts were midis. In the summer were hot pants and tank tops. We finished it all off with Love’s Baby Soft or Babe or if we had money Chole’ or Halston! YIKES
We listened to Styx, Hall & Oats, Bread, Rod Stewart, Barry Manilow, Chicago, Dallas Holm & Praise and Amy Grant
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Oh my. I had forgotten about so much of this stuff until reading through the comments. My hair – well, it was just bad. Short one year, long the next. Permed. 6 inch tall bangs that sloped down one side. I think it’s my sophomore year pic that I have a really short permed bob with the bangs. And huge silver triangle earrings.
Music – I can’t believe I forgot about the Nelson brothers! I loved the hair. I don’t remember which one I liked most…Gunnar maybe? Bon Jovi, Poison, and um, New Kids on the Block. Amy Grant and Petra when my parents were around. Yes, I am admitting in to the world. My walls were covered with NKOTB posters. I had a hot pink NKOTB shirt. (More on them in a minute…)
My BFF’s were Carolyn and Shelly. We all live within 30 minutes of each other now, but Karo-(said like the syrup)Line doesn’t have much contact with us. Shelly and I still talk on the phone a few times a month (12 years after graduation). We’ve been friends since elementary school.
Shelly and I wanted to be writers, and were hopeless romantics. She was in LOVE with George Michael and I was, of course, in LOVE with NKOTB. All of them. We would write these long elaborate stories (imagine 5 subject notebooks here…notebooks as in plural.) where we would meet our dream rock star, fall in love, get married, have babies, you know, the whole glamorous rock star life. I have a vague repressed-because-it’s-traumatic memory of my MOTHER finding my story. Oh the horror.
I lived in my pegged jeans or my black stirrup pants (complete with long sweater or long tee-shirt tied at the hip!) I had a long dark green cardigan that had lime green HUGE polka dots on it. It stayed in my closet all these years. About 3 years ago, I wore it to a “High school dress up” Halloween party. I felt so proud! Then they asked me if it was really mine or if I had bought it at the thrift store just for the party! Oh the sadness. I loved that sweater!
I am anxiously awaiting a report of the weekend!
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:38 pm
BFF – Janine, Cathy and Kristin
Clothes – pegged jeans and multiple layered Izods with the collar up
Band – Duran Duran, Journey, The Police, Adam Ant
By the way, I, too, was inconsolable when they discontinured making Aqua Net in the Super Hold…my friends and I called it the “Industrial Hold”!!
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:07 pm
How fun! Back in ’98 my bffs were Jen and Sab. A couple of our theme songs were This is How We Do It and Strawberry Wine. I know, real nice. I would have been workin my CK jeans with Sketcher boots and some kind of probably too-tight shirt from the Limited or a sweater from Abercrombie. A&F was just starting to get popular that year. Have so much fun this weekend! I’m jealous!
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Oh how fun Boo I love the pictures! I took one look at the first little one you posted looks just like alex!!!! I loved this post. Best friends are awesome!
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Let’s see… my BFF’s were Nikki, Erin & Megan. Should you have seen us back then, you would probably catch us all wearing overalls and platform flip flops- you know the the ones that are really just like sytrafoam. Hair probably straight and parted down the middle! :)
Fav band of all high school was probably Fountains of Wayne or Ben Folds Five.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Love the hair!!
In high school my best friends were Melanie and Jenny. Well, really they were my BFFs in 8th and 9th grade until I changed schools. After that I can’t really remember who my best girlfriends were because I was so into the boys :-) tsk tsk.
The band or singer that I thought was the AWESOMEST when I was 17 or 18 was Mary J. Blige (still do), SWB, Nas, Notorious B.I.G. and Aaliyah (may they rest in peace).
If you had run into me on an average high school day I would have been wearing some horrid pair of colored jeans tightly-rolled at the cuff with an oversized GAP sweater (off-the-shoulder)and clogs. Don’t forget the big fluffy socks and Swatch watches. Yes, I wore 2. Also, a different earring in each ear. Yikes!
Have a fabulous time this weekend.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:21 pm
OH I MISS 80′S HAIR!!!!
Such great pictures. My best friend was Darcy. I always wanted to be friends with Tanya Smigelski.
She had great hair.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I am laughing so hard reading this! My best friend was Shana and we both sported some bad permed highlighted hair that looks very similar to the ones in your pictures. We must be very close in age! Oh, and don’t forget the blue eyeshadow and bright lipstick. We listened to Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Chicago, The Bangles, Richard Marx, too many to remember. We did wear a lot of Limited and anything with those gigantic shoulder pads. Did you ever have the kind that came in the can? All the pants were very pleated and peg legged.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Awwww…a walk down memory lane. I’m actually posting tomorrow about some good ol’ 80′s music. My best friends were Kelly and Jennifer, and you would’ve found me wearing electric blue…(yes, that’s ELECTRIC BLUE) mascara (yes, that’s MASCARA).
Have fun with your friends.
February 23rd, 2007 at 3:59 pm
BFF Lizzie :)
MUSIC New Kids, Wayne’s World Theme (rofl) Bon Jovi, lots of country etc
CLOTHES we were slobs, not clothes conscious at all. sweats and a tee, jeans and a tee etc.
I moved a TON so that was just BFF from my sr. yr. but we’ve stayed friends.
xoxo melzie
February 23rd, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Oh…here’s where I let the cat out of the bag. See, I was a bit different back then. I don’t remember much of anything as it was well…kinda foggy. In my head at least. Remember that movie, Dazed and Confused? Yeah…that was were I was at.
Hair? I was just lucky to not catch it on fire.
{…sigh…}
February 23rd, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Cyndi, Stacey and Jenny were my best friends in highschool. They were each so very different and made me laugh as much as your friends do for you. I don’t get much of a chance to talk to any of them anymore. We are all far apart. The only band I can even recall listening to (more than just on the radio) is nine inch nails…yeah, I’ve changed a lot. I can’t even remember that me anymore. One thing that hasn’t changed is my attire. You would and still will find me in flared jeans, that are cut off around the bottom since I’m so petite, and a fitted shirt (I guess I wear less of those now after 2 babies:) Or you might have found me in my cheerleading warm up suit if we had a game or pep rally that day!
Thanks for the fun post and the memories!