A couple months ago Dr. Hembree at Ferris Orthodontics started me on rubber bands to compliment my progress with adult braces. This new layer of responsibility has meant toting around little bags of spare orthodontic bands and a handy little tool for applying them to the appropriate brackets. Whereas just wearing braces was a challenge for eating during business meetings, bands have meant deciding if a particular client meeting or fashion event warrants taking them off beforehand, or if I can leave them on throughout.
It’s almost always awkward to arrive at an event with them on and then try to find a moment to steal away to the bathroom to take them out. And NOBODY wants to see someone take out their bands in public. I actually had to do that briefly at FGI’s 30th Anniversary before doing our 360 photo booth (courtesy of MBP Photo Booth – thanks Marco!), and smeared my red lipstick all over my cheeks! Thank goodness I was going to do the photo booth WITH my makeup artist Olivia of Liv Beautified and she saved me!
Since the goal is to wear the bands for upwards of 20-22 hours a day for the most rapid progress, a 4 hour business meeting or even 2 hour business lunch event can push me over the limit! It’s important that I think through my day, decide when I’ll be eating in front of people, and then plan my bands time around that. I actually tried eating with them on at a breakfast meeting once, when I couldn’t find the right time to excuse myself and take them off, and I was enjoying some warm oatmeal mid-bite when I heard a “Pop!” and the band literally snapped off! Talk about awkward.
For the Pearls at Pearl: FGI San Antonio’s 30th Anniversary, I decided to keep the bands off for the entirety of the evening. I knew I would be speaking quite a bit, and I didn’t want the bands to affect my speech at all. On the other hand, I decided at the San Antonio Fashion Awards this past weekend that I could keep them on through the entirety of the event. I had a great time mingling and mixing with the fashion community without worrying about my time out of bands. It’s really just a matter of figuring out the best fit for each individual event, and your responsibilities that will go along with it.
Congratulations to all the winners at the Fashion Awards, and a huge thank you to my makeup artist Olivia Villa of Liv Beautified for helping execute our vision for big voluminous curls and a bold blue eye. Gautier Dresses once again came through with the Sherri Hill gown of my dreams, including a beaded sleeve/cape that felt so glamorous. And I LOVED how easy it was to maneuver without a large ball gown this year!
As for FGI San Antonio, the 30th Anniversary was a night to remember, celebrating our chapter’s history and our founding members with a Gatsby and Pearls bash. So many sponsors came on board to make the evening happen, and we were so honored to have San Antonio’s First Lady Erika Prosper Nirenberg as our Keynote Speaker. It warms my heart to see so many fashionable events taking place in San Antonio, and bringing our community together.
Now if my smile can continue coming together in the same fashion, even better! Braces are the new black, of course. 😉
XO,
A
P.S. This post is sponsored by Ferris Orthodontics. Don’t worry though, all opinions are my own!
