But I digress.

Back to the hashtag #FDdietstartstomorrow. While I may not be a huge proponent of dieting for FD (primarily because I’m bad at dieting, not because I wouldn’t like to be five pounds thinner in that aforementioned sequined dress), I’m a huge proponent of TWEETING EARLY, TWEETING OFTEN, AND GETTING FREAKING EXCITED FOR FD.

@Shifalo, I applaud you for thinking of FD and starting to plan for it. I applaud you three cheers more because you did so publicly, and your tweet brigade is now thinking about FD, too.

FD is just one month from Saturday.

It’s time to start thinking seriously about FD (and if it’s your first FD, the importance of March 26 should fall somewhere between senior prom and your wedding day…)

What are some of your favorite FD memories? Feel free to send a picture, too.

I did it. I went shopping for a Valentine’s Present for someone else, and what do I buy but a Fancy Dress dress for myself. I should have known when I wandered in a certain woman’s store that I was NOT going to find anything for that gentleman in my life, but nonetheless I wandered in (I mean, how many “40% off all clearance” signs have you walked by in your life? And I mulled over some work-appropriate cardigans and a boring pair of entirely too grown-up tweed pants, and then I saw it: a rack of shiny gorgeousnesss glistening in the corner. Blush and gold, tarnished silver, and oh so subtle navy blue sequins. Just a few dresses that were holiday holdouts. Strapless, puckered at the waist, and solid, large disk sequins overlapping one another. Cocktail length.

I tried it on forgetting I was a college graduate and had absolutely no reason to own such a dress.

I fell in love with the navy one. The way it glistens when you turn (the perfect lighting didn’t hurt, either). The length just long enough to make the dress subtle rather than junior-rack-from-Macy’s. The sequins large and textured. Perfection.

And I stood there posing (you know how you do it with your head tilted and back straigher than you ever stand in real life, high on your tiptoes to simulate wearing heels?) And I fell in love with the dress. And I pined for it. And I told myself it was wildly impractical and no professional could or would wear it to any work-related cocktail or black-tie affair.

Then I remembered Fancy Dress.

And the mother of all justifications for unnecessary, fabulous dresses struck again: I bought one last fancy Fancy Dress dress.

So I guess this is my way of telling you to get out there, get online, start searching. FD is so much more fun when you’re excited to wear something unnecessarily glamorous.

And if you start now, you’ll be sure to find something that fits those standards by March 26.

And Happy Valentine’s Day to EVERYONE!

I know I’m in the minority on this, but I think Valentine’s Day is the best holiday of all. There’s no pressure. There are no family fights at too-large dinner tables. There are no presents to be wrapped (the florist or the jeweler should be doing that, gentlemen). There are no weird Uncles with creepy comments and there are no Aunts who take their dentures out after coffee. There isn’t a bird to roast or a pie to be filled. There is just chocolate, dorky drinks, maybe some flowers, and a celebration of love or lust or what-have you.

And even people without a Valentine can join in on the fun, because if you’re Valentine-less it’s the easiest holiday of all to criticize. If you make fun of the Fourth of July and call it the firework industry’s biggest scheme, you’re un-American. If you complain about Thanksgiving you’re ungrateful. If you bemoan Martin Luther King Day it’s because you don’t have the day off (ahem, W&L…). But if you criticize Valentine’s Day you’re just hip or cool or blase. You can bash it and have a broken hearts club party. You can have an excessive Sunday Funday in honor of all the kisses you won’t be getting. You can have a heartshaped pinata and beat it mercilessly and nobody will even bat an eye at your aggression against the wonderful Hallmark holiday.

So get out there, do yourselves some loving.

And start eyeballing the date market. In six weeks you might be glad you observed so-and-so being a terrible date, or you could just be patting yourself on the back that you made such witty comments to other so-and-so that he wanted to ask you to Fancy Dress.

And if nothing else, go to the Bistro and ask Mortye for a special Valentine’s Day cocktail. He’ll make some crazy concoction that will be the perfect starter to your FD meal, but if you don’t get it this weekend you’ll never know he can whip it up for you.

XOXO

Okay, maybe it’s only begun in my mind, but my head today is filled with FD concerns and excitement. Perhaps it’s just this old alum getting overly excited about her return back to Lex for the social event of the year, but nonetheless I’m the blogger and I’m declaring it: FD SEASON HAS BEGUN!

I’ve booked my hotel room for FD (something most of you don’t need to care about, but rather than try to crash on the pullout couch in my former home, I’m opting to go all out and stay at the Hampton. I know, BIG. DEAL.

If you’re having people visit and you DON’T want them to be staying on your couch (which is a fine option, but sometimes it gets a little stressful to have visitors and that much makeup laying around your living room), there are plenty of rooms still available and they are el cheapo still. So send them that way and make them get a room. If nothing else, a hotel room is like adding instant festivity. (Is this something you grow out of as you grow up?)

I’ll keep posting about more necessary arrangements for you to make over the coming weeks.

But for right now, just get your engines ready because it’s FD SEASON 2011!!!

There are lots of them, so it’s a great way to waste time!

(And then Lucy-the-dog, my third date, needed to go out so I walked outside with her in the near-freezing temperatures and.. sleep wasn’t ever going to happen).

But don’t worry, those near-freezing temperatures will warm up to a lovely 55 degrees by this evening. The sun will be out, and you’ll look stunning in the natural light of a Lexington spring evening.

I hope none of you kiddies are reading this right now, because you should still be sound asleep in bed getting your rest for tonight. Because I can assure you, the fun won’t stop until well past your bedtime…

But once you get up, go through the checklist again… there’s still time to fix some mistakes (you can still rent a tux from Burris, you can still raid your roommates closet for a dress, you can make plans to get takeout and have a “picnic” for dinner…)

But don’t worry about any of that nonsense right now… just sleep!

But really, it kind of is time (ahem, past time) to get your act together. Some things to consider doing. 

1. Get a date. No, this isn’t necessary as a lot of people go stag or with friends, but if there’s someone special you’re eyeing… ask her now! Otherwise some other lucky sod will and you’ll be stuck alone in a tux at your frat house with two tickets and a drink. 

2. Go out. Well, this is especially important if you’re set on getting a date. If you really want to a date, you should probably be sure to get your work done tonight so you can attend Southern Comfort’s BFD (Before Fancy Dress) party tomorrow night at Pole 2. And so you can go out on Thursday. And on Friday… I mean, you gotta’ take advantage of every possibility for dategetting, right? 

3. Find your dress. If you haven’t bought one or decided on one to wear, figure that out! If you know what you’re wearing already, tick through the following. 

• Do you have accessories to go with it? 
• Do you have the appropriate undergarments? 
• Do you have BOTH shoes you’re going to wear? 
• Does it need to be taken to the cleaners STAT? 
• Does it need to be pressed? 
• Does it definitely fit…

4. What about your tux?

• Have you ordered it? Alvin Dennis can rent you one, but get there fast. 
• Have you located every piece of the one you own? I had a friend once forget to find his cummerbund, and it was already the night of the ball and he actually wore a Gucci shoe bag as a pretend cummerbund. It might have looked okay when his jacket was on, but… it really wasn’t ideal by any stretch of the imagination!
• Do you need your tux pressed? 
• Is your shirt CLEAN and pressed? 
• Where are your cufflinks? 

5. What are your dinner plans? There are probably a few places in town left with reservations available. If that’s a no go, what about having somewhere cater to an off-campus house? 

6. Do you have your tickets? If not, you have until Friday at 4:30 to buy them in the Commons. But don’t delay, go in the morning!