The Easter Dress

HUGE deal for me as a child. I had a great aunt (who was technically my Grandma's cousin) who was like a third grandmother to me. She wasn't maternal and fun like my grandma, or domestic and loving like my Oma, but she played a pivotal role in my upbringing.

 She took me to fancy hotels and taught me the importance of real silver. We went on trips together and she bought me my first Coach purse when I was 11. She was very stern with me when it came to acting appropriately in restaurants and speaking properly to adults. In fact, everytime I read Suri's Burn Book, I can hear my Aunt Jean telling me the same things, that is part of the reason I find it so funny.

One thing she loved to do was take me shopping for my Easter dress. We would go to Lord & Taylor at Tyson's Corner Mall in Northern VA (before it was chaos) and spend the day picking out just the right dress, hat, gloves, shoes and purse.

Exhibit A:

My brother Joey, my cousins Matt and Amanda, and me

 Exhibit B:

Me, Joey and my brother Andy (Bummy).
Cullen looked at this picture and said 'Look Mommy, I was little when you were little!' and pointed to his Uncle Bummy

 Exhibit C

You put your hair in sponge curlers too, right? Anyone?

My Aunt Jean died just a few shorts weeks before our wedding and I was so sad that she wasn't going to be able to see me in my ultimate girly dress, marrying 'that Academy fellow' (as she so called Kev). So much of what I picked out for my wedding was done due to my tastes that developed from all her lessons. 

A few days ago, my mom and I were on the phone talking about Aunt Jean, as we often do. My mom said that she saw a dress in a store window and wanted to 'pull an Aunt Jean' and send it to me. Sadly, the price tag was a bit out of our range, but she said if I could sneak away one night, I could pick out a new Easter dress on her. So I did. Turns out that minus the white gloves, plus my own kitchen, my taste has not changed much.

Thanks Mom.

Thanks Aunt Jean.