Presenting the Count and Countess of Kangqiao!

Our school system threw a winter formal with the theme of royalty. We groused a bit because how are you supposed to be creative and formal?? After a bit of back and forth, and scoping out the ideas of colleagues, we settled on "playing along, but staying formal" as our motto.

Then we got to work on our outfits.

I got digging in Tao Bao, the Chinese equivalent to Ebay/Amazon. You want 300 beanies for $0.75 in two days? You got it!  There, I found a tiara set for $10.

And spent the Sunday trying to figure out how to attach it to my head...

When I was supposed to be doing report card comments...

I also had a gown made by Tailor Yang (the lady tailor that all the school ladies use).

Mark's outfit involved a trip to the fake market for a $16 Babe Ruth jersey and a $90 tux from a tailor at the South Bund fabric market. 

Officially, Mark was the Sultan of Swat (like Babe Ruth), and I just wanted to wear a dang tiara.

I did get a lot of comments that I looked like Breakfast at Tiffany's style. That was awfully nice as I'd love to be as chic as Audrey Hepburn someday. Mental note to stop crashing into corners of tables...

We were supposed to take a dramatic picture, but I could hold it.

See??

Some pictures with friends...

Nope, they didn't try to match with the fluffy/shiny pins on their lapels. Those told the waiters that they wanted beef. :o)

Speaking of dinner!

Goodness... They started serving salad around 7... soup around 7:30.... Admin got their main dishes around 8... Then people who were vegetarian got their plates, fish got theirs.... We didn't get our beef until 9:30!!  So hungry!  Mark and I were lucky that ours was cooked, but the lady sitting next to him had a chunk of meat that was still wriggling it was that raw. Yikes.

Other than that, it was a lovely evening, complete with an opera singer that entertained us with a few songs. While many people stayed out to dance with the band, we elected to jump back in our carriage (AKA the bus).  

Something to do with glass slippers and pumpkins. 

At least I still have my tiara.

:o)