Marine Corps Ball 2009

This year's Marine Corps Ball was held at Mont Blu in Lake Tahoe. I have never been to Tahoe, and so I was pretty excited to be able to go. I searched high and low to try and find a ball gown that would look elegant, and sexy at the same time. But alas every gown I found either didn't fit, or made me look like a hooker. So I really was feeling desperate as the event was getting closer and closer, and I was still dress less. The Marine Corps Ball is as dressy as you can get. And every year at least one girl shows up in what I call her church clothes. You know the outfit that looks like she took her jean skirt and a t-shirt and threw it on. I have seen girls get asked to leave because they are not dressed up nice enough or dressed to skanky. And since I missed last years ball for work, I really needed to go to this years, and make a good impression for my newly promoted husband. Also me and the 1st. Sgt's wife have been hitting it off at event's, and really like each other. So I needed to look nice. Now my dress didn't turn out sexy like I had wanted, but I ended up looking like a grandma I think. But the good thing is, is that I looked nice at least. I bought a pattern from the fabric store after chuck got me a sewing machine, and I grabbed some fabric, and decided since I couldn't find a dress I was going to have to make my own!! :0) Now since I have never sewn anything, I am sure you along with my husband were very skeptical about my ability to spin some gold out of the straw I had. But I traced the pattern out the best that I could, and I got a lot of help and tips from one of the women in the ward. She walked me through the whole thing making sure I understood the whole time. She was really awesome! So in about 3 almost 4 days we got the dress all made! And I didn't have much time to make a top to go with it, so unfortunately I had to run to Penny's and find a top to go with it. Now I really hated the top I got, but it worked and I didn't really have a choice in the matter anyways. Chuck drove the duty van to Tahoe with some of the reservists who had to come back that night. It was about a 3 hour drive, and it was really pretty the whole way up. We used one of the Marines hotel room to get ready for the ball, and it was awesome. I haven't ever been in such a nice hotel room before. The bathroom was to die for, and the bed was divine! A feather comforter, pillows, and it felt like you were laying in a cloud.
When we were done getting ready, We had to escort one of Chuck's female Marine's to the ball room, because she has a stalker. One of her x's has taken to stalking her. He was told not to come to the ball, and he came anyways. I saw him and he was crazy creepy looking. He has a restraining order against him but it doesn't seem to stop him. He broke into this marines house right after she left to go to Tahoe, and took all her sexy clothes. So he took all her clothing like high heels, shorts, skirts, anything that looks cute on her, and only left her with sweats and baggy clothing. He is really creepy. But he managed to have hotel security kick him out for the night.
The Ball was great. It was the smallest I have ever been to, but it was still really nice. The guest of Honor was pretty cool, and Chuck was even in the ceremony. So even though I had to spend most of the ball alone, it was fun to watch Chuck in the ceremony. The drive home was a little brutal. It was about 4 a.m. I think when we finally got ourselves home. But it was a good night. Chuck's younger brother and his family had come up to dog sit for us so we could go to the ball and enjoy ourselves and not have to worry about a poopy house and poopy dogs when we got home. It was a great night, and we really needed the time away together. Here are a few pics of the night. Sorry the quality isn't very good, but it was the best that I could do.

XoXo-Andrea Carla