Here’s a fun fact: my Mom is a scrapbooker. She’s a serious scrapbooker. She’s got the paper cutters, the corner choppers, the fancy albums and colorful background paper… there are stickers…. so so many stickers. She’s for real. Scrapbooking is the new rubber stamping. Remember the rubber stamp craze!? Yea, we’ve moved on. Scrapbooking.
I went to my parents’ house a few days ago to find these envelopes gracing the brick fireplace. The envelope in front had my name on it. I was hoping for an early Christmas stocking. Boy oh boy did I get it. Among other darling and embarrassing photos of myself, I found a chronological history of my school days. From preschool to high school. Every cute, awkward and downright horrifying picture.
Now. Because I don’t know any better. Because I’m certifiably batty… allow me to share with you preschool through seventh grade. The later, more awkward years will follow, and we’ll all cry.
Though she will deny it, my Mom gave me this haircut herself. I remember very well. Even at four, I knew how ridiculous I looked.
First grade. Somehow I think I rise above this bowl haircut.
Second grade. That tiny headband is failing…. big time. Nice frock. I would totally rock that these days. Is that weird? That’s weird.
Nice corner fading third grade! I feel like there are some serious adult teeth hiding out in that mouth.
Oooh yes. Full of teeth. You have to grow into your teeth. It’s true. It’s like puppies with big paws. Should I tell you how much I loved this Cinco de Mayo dress with matching hair ribbon? Yes. A lot.
Mixed girl hair is a hard thing. It wants to be curly. It wants to be straight. It wants to ruin your life. What are you going to do? Button your shirt all the way up and hope for the best.
a) Why do the school photographers make you look in the ceiling corner. It’s awkward.
b) I thought this shirt was so clever. I was right.
Oooh Joy . Triangle hair. So short. So much volume. I wish I could have gone back in time to tell you everything would work out ok… but the truth is that you’ve got some seriously awkward years ahead of you. Yeesh.
Enjoy the kitchen intermission. Laugh at me. Please… go on… laugh. If your Mom is a scrapbooker, you might not want to laugh as hard. Your time for an embarrassing envelope will come.
Jesse
I too suffered through a bad case of triangle hair! There’s a reason I currently wear my hair up 99% of the time. Just yesterday, I was pondering a haircut. Thank you for reminding me why this is a TERRIBLE idea!
Shauna
Is it scary that I think I had the same shirt you did in sixth grade? I remember thinking how incredibly hip and in fashion I was. I also think that was the year I had The Perm. Took me years to grow out, and I’m so glad it did. Trust me, a perm and that shirt just should not go together in this universe. Maybe in another space-time continuum, but definitely NOT this one.
Thank you for sharing all of that awesomeness – I can’t wait for the next set of pictures!! :)
Jo
I love them! And I distinctly remember having one of those half and half shirts when I was in junior high :)
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
Ohmigosh these are so funny and cute. I love the first one with your frilly dress…lol!
linda
what fun for us joy!
these photos are great…thanks for sharing!
Chanina
you are so cute!!!
I don’t think I have an envelope, wish I did though, wait, maybe I don’t!
Those embarrassing pictures mean the world to me today, it shows me, in a very strange way, how my personality really molded. It was so easy for me to walk out of the house in the most hideous outfit and think I looked beautiful, and was told so!
Being an adult is hard, I miss the embarrassing little me.
Karin
:D I think we all have pictures like that. Funny how you can see what decade the picture was taken just by looking at the clothing and hair. Oh, and I think you looked very sweet :-)
Evan
Oh I already have an embarrassing envelope…it was used for the picture slideshow at our rehearsal dinner. WHY is that the new craze???? EMBARRASSING!
Also, I may not be mixed, but I definitely got “mixed-girl hair.” I know how you’ve felt all your life, and probably still feel that way today. I do. My hair is a curse.
But where would we be without these things that have stitched us together and made us who we are today?
fried blue
Joy, you have the most gorgeous eyes ever. They pop out in every photo. Beautiful.
Jocelyn from Dubai
You know what, your Mom is just like mine. She has shoeboxes of old photos and documents. I even found the hospital receipt from when I was born stuck between pages of a baby name book!
I’m the same now with my 4 kids (I feel old just saying that!). I’ve been storing printed photos in the hope of getting around to scrapbooking the heck out of them. However since I acquired a digital camera 4 years ago, all the photos are stored in the PC and I pray to God all the time that the PC does not crash!
You think you had it bad? My sister and I were dressed identically by our dressmaker mother up until the age of 11. Oh the shame!
Andrew
Are you wearing 3 polo shirts in the 6th picture!!
marina mott
It’s so nice!
I would love to have a envelope! My mum lost all my pics … :(
Candice
That polka-dot shirt with the flower fantasia… totally rocked the same shirt in my 2nd grade picture!
Petit Filoux
Thanks for sharing!! I’ve got plenty of those embarrassing photos too. For me it wasn’t the hair but the glasses. Oh my. ;-)
Rina
This is so radical. Seriously, ranks up there as one of your best posts ever, in my opinion. :) I just got my own envelope a month or so ago – I think I might share mine, too!!