Mommy goes out on the town: before and after photos

I’m always unsure how to feel when my six-year-old daughter exclaims, “Oooh, you look pretty, Mommy!” when she sees me dressed up nicely to go out for some function or other. I simply choose to be flattered and cover her face with lipstick kisses rather than consider the implications of the surprise in her voice.

Most days I’m lucky if I remember to brush my hair. I don’t put on make-up, and I pretty much wear the same comfort clothes day after day until wash day. Yea, I’m a pretty sight. In fact, take a look. We’ll call this picture “before”:

Comfortable, loose-fitting clothes, black so you can’t tell when they’re dirty. Looks like I haven’t washed my face and hands in a while. Pretty typical. Wait. Wait. Is that a broom? This can’t be me after all. I wouldn’t even know what to do with that thing.

I can’t remember what we were talking about today when my six-year-old said, “Is it just for the cute ones?”

“Cute ones?” I asked.

“Just your cute girls.”

“Excuse me?! All my girls are cute.”

“Ohhh,” she said.

Now, rather curious, I asked her which of my girls she considers cute. She chose herself (naturally) and her younger sister. I conceded that they were both cute and that in fact the older sister was not really so much cute any more but was now pretty, as is what happens as you get older.

Then she said to me, “Mom, I would say you look beautiful when you are wearing a dress and maybe some lipstick or something.”

I was wise enough not to ask how she thinks I look right now.

Below is not  a picture of me at the moment. We’ll call this one “after.”

This is me when I get dolled up. Notice the more natural skin tone? But I couldn’t resist keeping my black wrap on. Also, that little flash sparkle missed the mark. It’s supposed to be on my teeth.

And since I’m sharing pictures of myself, here’s one of my favorites:

I went to a Ladies Tea at a super rich woman’s house. She had an actual library IN HER HOUSE–like something you only see in the movies! Ladder that swirled around on a track and everything! I could not resist harnessing my inner-Belle and taking this photo. A passerby even stated, “It’s Belle!” Yep, she gets it.

And now because I’ve gotten picture happy, a gratuitous photo of my youngest:

As you can plainly see, she is one of “the cute ones.”