Catie Conrad: Faith, Friendship and Fashion Disasters

by Angie Spady

  I have no choice but to have faith and hang on to God’s Word. Hopefully everyone won’t look at me tomorrow and run for cover.

  At least Sophie will be at school tomorrow, and we can analyze what went wrong. She’s the one who came up with the whole OPERATION: SPRING DANCE thing in the first place! But it’s not like Sophie forced me to do it.

  Why do I always fall for every crazy thing???

  I decided to work on my très chic dress sketch. I might even sew the multicolored sequins on the top of the real dress I was working on. I had to do SOMETHING to get my mind off things! But it was a lot harder than I’d thought. I first used a tiny bit of fabric glue to place the sequins on the fabric and then sewed them on by hand. It felt like I was working on a mosaic all over again. Luckily I had some experience with tweezers!

  April 1—April Fools’ Day

  . . . UGHHHHH

  How perfectly convenient it is that today is April Fools’ Day! I feel like the BIGGEST JOKE EVER. I can only imagine what it’s going to be like at school today.

  I’m so upset that I’m writing in my diary before school. Yeah, it’s THAT BAD.

  I begged Mom and Dad to let me stay home for a few days until this mustard mistake blows over. But of course they said the usual: “These things build character, Catie. If they’re your real friends, they won’t think twice about that silly mustard incident.”

  Yeah, RIGHT.

  There’s NO WAY I can get near Josh or his friends today, and I CERTAINLY can’t show my face in the cafeteria for the next twenty years. Maybe I’ll just put a few granola bars in my backpack. If I’m lucky, Mrs. Gibson might let me hang out in the art room instead of going to lunch.

  I think I’ll try and block it out by doing a few sketches before school.

  Well, that didn’t work.

  Whenever I draw anything, it usually ends up being an outfit—which is usually a dress. THEN I think of the school dance, and THEN I get upset all over again. NOT GOOD. Time to remember Jeremiah 32:27.

  I’m gonna be late for school, so TTYL!!!!!

  I was RIGHT, and my parents were WRONG. I couldn’t WAIT to get home and write about it. My so-called friends did NOT forget about the “mustard incident.”

  Matt Hutchinson taped a sign to my back that said “I

  MUSTARD.” I walked all the way to my locker on the other side of the building looking like a total loser. It was all I could do to remember what Dad had reminded me last night—to just let God handle it.

  IT WAS HARD.

  Luckily, Sophie found the sign on my back and threw it into the trash. Matt was probably just trying to show off in front of Sophie. I KNOW he has a crush on her.

  At least that’s what I overhead him tell Tyler. But if Matt thinks that putting a sign on my back is a way to look cool in front of Sophie, then he is TOTALLY WRONG. On top of everything else, Sophie is the principal’s kid! What was he thinking?

  Sophie let him have it. “Please don’t do that, Matt. It’s not very funny,” she said. “In fact, it’s terrible! You owe Catie an apology!”

  I’m soooooooo lucky to have a friend like Sophie! I’d do the same thing for her if anyone taped something dumb to her back.

  It seemed like everyone thought that they had to be the class comedian on April Fools’ Day.

  Five minutes before math class, Emily told Miranda we were having a ginormous test. She even said whoever failed it would have to do 95 math problems for homework. LOLOLOLOL. Miranda totally freaked! (I’ll have to admit it was hilarious.) But then Emily felt bad and told Miranda that it was just a joke. SHEESH!

  But the WORST prank happened to Josh.

  SOMEONE put a can of sardines in his locker this morning. By the time our class made it over to that part of the building, the entire hallway REEKED!

  It smelled so bad that I got sick to my stomach. But the boys in our class cracked up. “Hey, Josh, did you wear your deodorant today?” they asked. Or “Hey, Josh, since you loved mustard yesterday, maybe you need some tartar sauce now! You do smell sort of fishy!” They all bent over, laughing their heads off.

  But Josh didn’t.

  I could tell that he wasn’t happy about it. Of course, he tried to act cool and laugh right along with them, but I could tell that he was upset. From drowning in mustard yesterday to having a locker that STUNK today, Josh has the worst luck ever. Even worse than ME!

  But then I don’t know what happened—without even thinking twice about it, I went over and SPOKE TO JOSH. Yes, that’s what I said. I simply walked over and started talking! After all, he is my friend, and I felt sorry for him. God must have given me strength and heard my prayers this morning!

  Me: Hey, Josh, sorry about what they did to your locker. That totally STINKS. . . . Oh, what I MEANT to say was it wasn’t very nice. (Why did I use the word stink—what was I thinking!)

  Josh: Oh, it’s no big deal. I don’t know why people want to do stuff that’s so dumb. It wasn’t even funny.

  Me: You got that right! Some of our friends act like total first graders. I’m sorry about yesterday. You know, about the whole mustard thing. . . .

  Josh: No prob, Catie. No big deal . . . it was an old shirt anyway.

  Our little talk was awesome! I actually felt like a NORMAL person having a NORMAL conversation with a friend!

  I WENT HOME IN THE BEST MOOD OF ALL TIME!

  And of course, SINCE it is April Fools’ Day, and SINCE the Germ is such an easy target, I couldn’t resist playing a harmless joke. While he was in front of the TV watching one of his goofy animal shows, I tiptoed ever so quietly into his bedroom and picked up Rosey. I quickly rushed to my bedroom, hid her in my closet, and closed the door. Actually, I put Rosey in a box and then put her in my closet—just in case she decided to go wild and eat the buttons off a sweater or something. I never trust that ticking stink bomb.

  I then flopped down onto the couch and put my plan into action. . . .

  Me: Hey, Germ, what’s up with you? I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you watch TV without that rotten creature.

  Germ: Whatever, Catie. For your information, Rosey likes to rest this time of the day. Even skunks need some time to relax.

  Me: Whatever. But I walked by your room just now, and I didn’t see her.

  My brother immediately jumped up from the sofa and ran to his room—just long enough for me to grab the remote and put it on the Fashion Channel.

  He suddenly flew back into the living room looking like he was about to faint. “SOMEONE HAS STOLEN ROSEY! CALL 9-1-1 ! SHE’S DISAPPEARED! SHE’S PROBABLY BEEN SKUNK-NAPPED BY A PET STORE! THEY’LL FEED HER NOTHING BUT HAMSTER FOOD!” he screamed at the top of his lungs.

  LOLOLOLOL!!!! This was the best April Fools’ joke in the history of April Fools’ jokes! I had to cover my face with a pillow so the Germ wouldn’t see me crack up.

  But then the Germ totally blew it. He called Mom at work and cried like a big baby. I had no choice but to grab the phone and explain to her that it was just a little joke. Luckily Mom understood and didn’t get too upset. She did remind me of the golden rule, though, and that I should tell the Germ that I was sorry. SHEESH! He was SUCH a big baby!

  I couldn’t help but think about the pranks pulled on Josh today though. I guess I should have thought about that BEFORE I hid Rosey in the closet!

  Friday, April 2

  SHOPPPINGGGGG DAYYYYYY!!!!!!

  I couldn’t wait to write in my diary about what an AWESOME day it’s been!

  Even though I still wondered if I’d even go to the dance, what girl EVER turns down a trip to the mall?

  I even broke down and told Mom all about the drama at school: about Mr. Martin’s thoughts about ladies and gentlemen, about Miranda being a typical pain, and even about me speaking to Josh after the sardine nightmare.

  Of course,
Mom went on and on. “Catie, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t go to that dance with Josh. You can go with Sophie. And maybe Miranda isn’t as bad as you think. Just be patient.”

  UGH.

  WHO COULD BE PATIENT AT A TIME LIKE THIS??

  We finally made it to the mall, and I could hardly wait to start looking. First we went to Fashion Frenzy.

  zERO LUCK.

  Most of the dresses were so short that Mom instantly said, “NO WAY.” Some looked tiny enough to fit an eight-year-old. Anyway, we have a dress code rule that says a dress can’t be more than three inches above the knee.

  But some of the girls in my class SOOOO IGNORE that rule. When they sit down, you can almost see everything . . . and I do mean everything.

  Talk about a FASHION DISASTER!!! But, of course, they get all KINDS of looks from some of the guys.

  I don’t want attention THAT bad and from THOSE kind of boys. Mom says the boys will change their ways one of these days, but who knows.

  I’d MUCH rather be decent and fashionable all at the same time. But I don’t want clothes that look like something my great-grandmother would wear either. That would be just WEIRD.

  Even though I didn’t find anything at Fashion Frenzy, Mom urged me to keep looking.

  THEN.

  I.

  HIT.

  THE.

  JACKPOT!!!!!!!!!

  We went to my all-time favorite store: Unique Boutique.

  LOVE!!! LOVE!!! LOVE!!!

  FIVE REASONS WHY UNIQUE BOUTIQUE IS THE COOLEST STORE EVER:

  1. Girls that look like fashion models shop here.

  2.They have accessories to match ANY and EVERY kind of outfit.

  3.It always smells good in the store. (Dad says it’s some kind of sales gimmick, but who cares! It’s better than smelling like Rosey!)

  4.It’s FASHION HEAVEN! Everything in the store is color coordinated. Pink dresses, pink shoes, pink jewelry. Turquoise dresses, turquoise hair bands, turquoise everything. You get the picture.

  5.THEY CARRY CLAIRE HUNTER DESIGNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  After looking for only a few minutes, I FINALLY FOUND IT:

  It’s the PERFECT length, the PERFECT color, the PERFECT BRAND, the PERFECT EVERYTHING!!!!!

  But it was also very expensive, since it was the Claire Hunter brand.

  “The only way I can afford this is if you put in some of your own money, Catie,” Mom said. “You’re going to have to make a choice. I know you’re saving up for a cell phone, but if you want this dress, you’re gonna have to pitch in.”

  I didn’t think twice about my decision and agreed that I’d give Mom part of my savings. She then put it on layaway and told the sales lady she’d pick it up when she got paid next week.

  YES!!! YES!!! YES!!

  I AM GOING TO BE THE PROUD OWNER

  OF A CLAIRE HUNTER DRESS!!!!

  I hoped it was returnable though. After all, if no one asks me to the dance, I don’t need the most GORGEOUS DRESS in the history of gorgeous dresses. I’ve decided that if no one asks me to the dance, then I’m not going anyway.

  Hopefully I won’t have to worry about it since I’m praying that Josh asks me to the dance!

  Our last stop on the way home was the craft store. Unfortunately, I knew it was because of the Germ, who was working on a house for Rosey. Yes, that’s what I said.

  The Germ has finally gone over the edge. He has paint, fake plants, and craft junk all over his room. He even used a red crayon and wrote “Rosey’s Place” on the cardboard roof.

  Seriously . . . the GERM HAS LOST IT.

  He’s been decorating the crazy thing for weeks and is always asking mom to pick up stuff. “Rosey needs a home that looks like her natural habitat!” he’d say over and over. “Skunks are very territorial, according to the animal channel, and so we need to make her feel as comfortable as possible.”

  If he REALLY wanted to put it in its natural habitat, he’d kick it out of the house and send it on its way—SOMEWHERE ELSE!

  But when we went to the Hobby House this time, Mom didn’t go to the artificial plant section. We went to the sewing section. Maybe she was gonna let me pick out a few yards of fabric. I was getting a little low.

  But when Mom loaded a BRAND NEW Singer sewing machine into the shopping cart, I almost passed out!!! I assumed that she was getting herself one since I constantly use hers.

  “I know I work a lot,” she said, “and I wish I didn’t have to. But sometimes I have to work so that I can provide extra things for you and your brother. And today, I want to buy you something that I think you’ll really use. It has all kinds of new stitch choices, and it’s a far cry from my old machine. This one should be more reliable and not tear up as easily.”

  I. WAS. SPEECHLESS.

  I could hardly wait to call Sophie!!!!

  “It might take a while to figure out every knob on this new machine, but we will. Technology sure has changed!” Mom said. “You’re very creative, Catherine. I think it’s about time you even wear one of your creations to school. They’re good enough, you know.”

  Is this how the big New York designers got started? Maybe their moms taught them how to sew too? I’d have to google that for sure!

  So tonight I’m not going to think about that dumb dance! I have more important things to do:

  1. Call Sophie and tell her everything!

  2.Get out my sketchbook and design more CATIE CONRAD ORIGINALS!

  ADD TO PRAYER LIST:

  Thank God for having a Mom that understands how much I LOVE TO DESIGN FASHIONS!

  Saturday, April 3

  My luck was starting to turn around. Having two days in a row that were drama free was NICE!

  I can hardly believe it myself, but Mom and I figured out how to use EVERY knob on my new sewing machine. I also had a new shirt design to try. I figure if I’m ever going to have the nerve to wear one of my designs to school, I’d rather start out small with just a simple shirt.

  Some pink fabric from the Hobby House was the PERFECT choice. I even found some cool buttons from the old craft box in the closet. Just as soon as I’d laid out the pieces, I could hardly wait to stitch the whole thing together using one of the new stitch settings. Of course, Mom made me practice sewing on old fabric scraps first.

  I didn’t know that a sewing machine could zoom so fast! Mom’s old machine is pokey compared to this one. My lines were a little wavy in the beginning, but soon I sewed like a pro!

  My new shirt design ended up being WAY more amazing than I’d thought! It might not show up on a runway anytime soon, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

  I can hardly wait to do two things:

  1.TRY ON MY SHIRT with my favorite jeans. Mom said it should fit fine, but I’m not so sure. One arm sleeve is a little longer than the other, but . . . I can always roll up the one weird sleeve. Maybe I’ll start a new fashion trend.

  2.I can’t wait to TAKE A PIC and e-mail it to Sophie. She will FREAK and want one just like it!

  GTG!!!!!

  I was right, Sophie freaked.

  I mean, TOTALLY freaked! She loved my shirt (which, BTW, fit perfectly) and said it was the most beautiful shirt she’d ever seen. She probably only said that because she’s my best friend, but it was still nice. She also said she wants one exactly like it. (Told ya! I know her like a book!)

  Since it was Saturday and since my room looked semi-decent, Mom said Sophie could come over and hang out.

  I HAVE THE MOST

  AWESOME DAY PLANNED:

  First, I’ll design a shirt for Sophie and get her thoughts on it. A designer HAS to please the customer, after all. I’m a little nervous about sewing in front of Sophie, but I don’t know why. She’s seen me squirt mustard on Josh, has taken dumb notes off my back, and
was the ONLY one to point out the green junk between my teeth! Why should I be nervous in front of my BFF?

  After we make her shirt (fingers crossed that it will fit!), I’m thinking we could stir up a few facial creams? Or body lotions? I’ll wait and see what Sophie thinks about it since she’s the pro on that kind of stuff.

  Sophie came over, and we were having the BEST day ever. She brought over a few yards of sparkly blue fabric and could hardly wait to see me in action!

  I took my time cutting out the pieces and double-checked everything with Mom. After an hour or two of HARD WORK at the sewing machine, it was finally finished! Sophie actually squealed out loud when she tried it on, and it fit perfectly. We took a zillion pics of it with her iPhone. (In my opinion, it looked as cool as the shirts at Unique Boutique AND was a whole lot cheaper. )

  THEN a DISASTER HAPPENED . . .

  Sophie found a cool recipe for a face scrub that promised to make our skin “as soft as a baby” and “oil free.” That sounded great since my skin is always like a grease pit.

  Sophie usually knows what she’s doing, but these ingredients sounded GROSS. Especially mixed together!

  I should have known better than to think this could actually work. I didn’t even like to DRINK coffee, so rubbing coffee grounds on my face sounded INSANE!

  We put on our bathrobes (you MUST wear a robe for the real spa effect), pulled our hair back with headbands, and rubbed the coffee goop all over our faces. We looked like we’d done a face plant into a Starbucks trashcan. At least we scared Rosey and the Germ to pieces when we hid behind his bedroom door wearing the face goop. LOLOLOL!!!!