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Ultimate Prom Was a Dream Come True! June 13, 2008

WOW is all I can say when I think back on prom. I can’t believe it’s over. It was the most exciting and unbelievable night, and it was everything I could have hoped for. I loved my Betsey Johnson dress and the billions of pictures we took. I took black and white photos too, which came out just fabulous.I had a lot of fun with my celebrity date, Lloyd. He was such a gentleman and always looked out for me. We did an interview for E! on the pink carpet, which aired on TV the week after. The pink carpet was so awesome. I felt famous! The performances were amazing and the crowd loved it! I loved all three songs Lloyd performed (”Get It Shawty,” “All Around the World,” “You”). My real date, my boyfriend, was perfect too - I had so much fun with him. After dancing with my friends and singing at the top of our lungs, prom was everything I hoped it would be.

After prom, we went to a club, and–can you believe it?–Lloyd was there too! So that was a lot of fun. We danced all night. When that became boring, we left and headed to Times Square and took pictures with all the lights, which is something I have wanted to do on prom night for as long as I can remember. After that, we went to a small diner and ate so much food! It was definitely a night to remember. I loved it, and I couldn’t have asked for more. I hope you all enjoy watching the videos!

Thank you, MyPromStyle.com, for making our prom experience amazing!

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Last Day of School - and Prom is Friday! May 27, 2008

I can’t believe that high school really ended. It’s insane how fast time really goes by if you sit to think about it. Since I just got a new camera, I took so many pictures of these past few days. I want to remember every bit of it. I love my friends so much, and I’m going to miss every little thing about high school! That’s why I am so exited about prom because we will have spent this week apart, so Friday is a great opportunity to reunite with all our friends again.

I am so excited for prom! I have been cutting out pictures of hairstyles and makeup styles to inspire the person who will be doing mine. I want everything to be perfect!

Although I am having a little “crisis”…I have been obsessed with Sex & the City for years now, and prom’s the night that the movie premieres! I really want to go see it, but my friends are going to a club after prom. I thought it would be so fabulous to go in my dress in Manhattan to see the movie. It would be such an inspiration from the girls on the show! But I don’t think splitting up is the way to go, so I’m just going to go to the club. A few days later, I’ll put my dress on again and go to Manhattan to see the movie!

Permalink: Last Day of School - and Prom is Friday!

10 Days Until the Ultimate Prom! May 19, 2008

Wow, I can’t believe it –10 days ’til prom! I’m just about ready and have almost everything in place. I have the dress, the shoes, my hair and make-up appointments. I’m still so nervous though. I really can’t believe that this is it, the end of my high school years.

There are only three days left of school and I know I am going to miss everything about the place. I love my classes, my teachers, but most of all, my friends. Prom is going to be the most amazing night that brings together the feelings and the memories we all share with each other. I can’t wait until prom, but then again, I just wish it could be September again, and I would have the whole year to still spend with my friends. I have been waiting for this night for four years, and now that it is almost here, it seems like it came too soon.

Prom is going to be amazing, and I’m so excited you’ll get to experience it too through the video series. I can’t wait to find out which celebrity I will be walking the red carpet with!

Permalink: 10 Days Until the Ultimate Prom!

The Ultimate Prom King Guest Blogs May 13, 2008

Hey, it’s Mike! Graziella let me take over her blog this week to let you know what it was like to go tux shopping for the Ultimate Prom with Lloyd, so here goes:

The day we went tuxedo shopping was actually my 18th birthday! At first I was so nervous about the whole experience. I was self-conscious about how I should act and how I would appear on camera. However, I was comforted by the fact that I was able to bring along my sister, Katie, and my best friend, Steven (that’s him on the right in the picture). They were both so excited for me.

On the car ride to the mall, I felt like I was in a reality show. I was setting up the scene on camera in the car, introducing my sister and telling the audience that I would be shopping with Lloyd. When we got there, I thought it was going to be intimidating because I was going to hang out with a celebrity who had body guards walking around him. But when I met Lloyd, he was the nicest person ever. He wished me a happy birthday and we told stories about our childhoods and cracked jokes the whole time. When he found out that I’m a guitarist in my band, we started talking about guitars and jamming.

The main thing we talked about was our prom experiences. Lloyd expressed his excitement for going to my prom since he was never able to attend his own. As we both picked out our tuxedos, we found out that we are exactly the same size.

Walking around the store with Lloyd was crazy, since everywhere we turned people would stop and stare. Lloyd would get the occasional fan coming up to him exclaiming, “Excuse me, are YOU Lloyd?!” Some even came up to him hysterically crying with their cell phones out saying, “My mother’s never gonna believe this!” Lloyd was so nice to his fans, asking their names and how they were doing. I felt like I was a celebrity, it was great!

As we went through the store, we encountered my sister who was trying on dresses and she was able to keep the dress! As we left the store with my new tux, I couldn’t contain myself. This whole experience gets more amazing by the minute. Lloyd is the man!

Permalink: The Ultimate Prom King Guest Blogs

My Prom Dress Video [Graziella] April 28, 2008

Prom dress shopping is tons of fun, but it can be super stressful. You have to search through hundreds of dresses to find “the one” — a dress that will make you feel gorgeous on prom night and that you’ll still love when you look back at your prom pictures someday. For me, all the stress over the price, designer, or availability was taken away. As you saw in the Ultimate Prom video series, I went prom dress shopping with JoJo at the Betsey Johnson store in SoHo!! It was crazy!

When I got to the store and met JoJo, we started the looking through all the dresses. This season Betsey has a line called “Prom Queen,” so it worked out perfectly. All the dresses resembled prom dresses from previous generations (there’s a runway picture to the right). The store was filled with dresses: poofy, short, long, pink, black, sparkly, shiny. It was like a prom dress wonderland! I tried on so many dresses with JoJo. We were in and out of the dressing room. Every time we came out of the room, the salesgirls put different jewelry on us and handed us shoes. It was like playing dress up. The camera crew filmed the whole experience. I felt like I was in a movie!

When I tried on one particular dress, I knew it was the one. It’s so beautiful and so different from anything else I have worn before. Since I’ll get to walk the red carpet with a celebrity at prom, there was a little more pressure to dress to impress. JoJo made my choice a lot easier. She encouraged me to try on things I would have never even thought of looking at. She kept telling me, “It’s not the dress you wear, but how you wear it.” She told me to be confident in whatever I choose.

The whole day was amazing and it was one day that I will always remember and want to relive. JoJo was the sweetest person in the whole world to me that day. Make sure to check out the video. It takes you on my prom dress shopping experience. BUT, I can’t tell yet which of the dresses I picked — it’s a surprise for prom night!

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A Prom Party! [Graziella] April 14, 2008

The Ultimate Prom is officially a huge deal!

It all started last Tuesday night, when there was a huge launch party for the Ultimate Prom at the Hearst Magazines office building. JoJo and Lloyd would be there, and Suai and Jada — the new artists performing at prom — would sing. I was so excited and nervous. I knew there would be lots of famous and important people attending, including press.

After school, my friend Breena curled my hair and helped me get ready. Then, a car came to pick up me and Mike, the guy student chosen to be in the video series. Mike and I talked about how this was going to be the most amazing night and that this whole experience was surreal.

When we arrived to the Hearst building, we changed into formal attire. I wore a gold sequined dress by David’s Bridal (I loved it!). Mike wore a Calvin Klein tux from Jim’s Formal Wear. By 6pm, we went downstairs to the party, before the cocktail hour started (we drank soda), and hung out with JoJo. She is so sweet and calmed down Mike and I. The New York Daily News reporter interviewed us too. It was so cool!

So when the party started, people began arriving and cameras were flashing. I felt famous! It was a dream come true for anyone, especially me — I am obsessed with celebrity entertainment.

The place was packed by 8pm and so many influential people were there, including the editor-in-chief of CosmoGIRL!, Teyana, and O’Neil McKnight. Toward the end of the event, even Denzel Washington showed up!! I know, INSANE.

When cocktail hour ended, we went into the theater, where the president of Universal Motown, the vice president of Hearst Digital Media, and our Director of Student Activities at St. Francis Prep all said how excited they were for the Ultimate Prom (catch up on the video series here). Then, we went on stage and signed the Students for Safe Prom promise. That was my favorite part of the night. It was such an honor to sign it first with JoJo and Lloyd. You too can sign it by clicking here.

Finally, Mike and I watched Suai and Jada perform on stage, from the front row! They were sooo good. I loved watching them. They are going to be amazing at prom.

This event made me so thrilled, and I am counting down the days until we are going to be walking the red carpet at prom! This event has been the most exciting thing I have ever done. Being able to watch a video about Prep and hanging out with Lloyd and JoJo is something I would have never believed if you told me that last year. So for everyone out there, you never know — this could be you next year!!

Permalink: A Prom Party! [Graziella]

We Modeled Prom Dresses and Met Rooney! [Graziella] April 2, 2008

Starring in the Ultimate Prom series has given me so many great opportunities. The latest adventure was doing a fashion segment for Extra, the entertainment TV show!! When I found out that I was going to model a prom dress on TV, I freaked out.

Four classmates of mine also modeled– Angelica, who is one of my best friends, Erica, Gabby, and Lisa. When we arrived at the Hearst Magazines building in Manhattan and went up to the CosmoGIRL! floor, all of us were so excited.

We had our hair and makeup done (I got a glamorous updo!). The fashion editors selected jewelry and shoes to match the prom dresses we were modeling. It was a dream come true for any girl. Being in the fashion closet of one of the most inspiring teen magazines was so awesome. Just about everything in there I wanted. Seeing the shelves of shoes, drawers of jewelry, and racks of the most fashionable clothes was amazing!! I loved every minute I was there.

For the Extra segment, we had to twirl in front of the camera in our dresses, pose, and walk like models on a runway. We felt like we were famous. Then Susan, the editor of CosmoGIRL!, came to the shoot and she described our looks and why they were trendy. She is truly an inspiration for me. She has such a wonderful personality and she was so sweet to us.

After the shoot was over, we had a pizza party, and we got to meet the band Rooney, because they just happened to be visiting the entertainment editor! I was flipping out because I totally love them. My sisters and I have been following their music since their first album. The guys were so nice and down-to-earth. They took pictures and talked with us. (That’s me in the blue ballgown, sitting next to Robert Schwartzman — do you recognize him from The Princess Diaries?)

All in all, it was an amazing day! I will remember it forever. Make sure to tune into Extra this week to catch the segment. As soon as I find out which day, I’ll let you know!

Permalink: We Modeled Prom Dresses and Met Rooney! [Graziella]

My Birthday is on Easter! [Graziella] March 21, 2008

My birthday is in two days, on Easter Sunday! The downside is that all my friends, except for Angelica and Dominick, will be gone–they are in Hawaii for the senior class’ spring break trip. Sevi (who is in the silly tiara picture with me on my profile page) is my best friend, and it’s so weird to spend a week without him. But I know that our after prom will make up for some of what I’m missing out on this week of spring break.

Because I couldn’t go to Hawaii, my parents made a deal with me. At first, they wouldn’t allow me to go to after-prom with my friends. My friends had all planned to go to a theme park the day after prom (at Wildwood or Six Flags, in New Jersey). I was really upset that I wasn’t going to be able to go, so now I’m so happy with my parents’ decision!

I’m so excited for the theme park, because I love my friends. They’re so much fun to be with. And since we’re all going in different directions for college, it’s nice to be able to spend a lot of time together. Prom is going to be so much fun!

Well, off to my birthday celebrations. I’m turning the big 1-8!!! Talk to you soon.

Permalink: My Birthday is on Easter! [Graziella]

I Asked Him! [Graziella] March 10, 2008

This weekend was pretty exciting for me! Even though I’ll walk the red carpet with a celebrity date at prom, I asked my boyfriend Dominick to be my “real” date. When he came to see me this weekend, I asked him. I was so nervous because not only was I the girl asking the guy to prom–reversing the roles–but I was also afraid he would say no. Despite all my doubts, he said yes! I am very excited that I got the courage to ask him, because I know that I will have so much fun with him.

Don’t let any fears of rejection stop you from doing something you really want to do. If there is someone you have always dreamed about taking, then just ask him! And girls, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask guys to be your date. Sometimes they are more afraid than we will ever be!

There are many creative ways to ask someone. Before Dominick came to see me this weekend, I took a picture on my phone of a sign that I made that read “PROM?”, and I sent it to him. Well, he never replied, which made everything worse. I was really nervous because I knew when he picked me up, it would be awkward if he said no. But when he came over, he said yes! He said he didn’t want to say yes over a text, which is why he never replied. I was so excited! I mean, it’s not the best way, but since we always send each other silly picture messages, it seemed adorable to ask him that way. Don’t hesitate to do something even if it seems corny. Prom gives you an excuse to be corny.

I know that asking him was the right thing to do because we are like best friends, and we always have fun when we’re together. I think he is very excited to go too. He had his prom last year, but I still think he will have so much fun since he is friends with my friends. I can’t wait!! I know that he will make every moment perfect!

Permalink: I Asked Him! [Graziella]

I am Taking You to The Ultimate Prom! [Graziella] March 7, 2008

I am going to take you on my exciting journey to THE ULTIMATE PROM! I am 18 and a senior at St. Francis Prep in Queens, New York. My senior year started like any other senior year would: College applications, SAT stress, and filling out endless scholarship applications.

Then, one day I realized it’s already the second semester of my senior year! I decided I needed to do something to make my senior year the most awesome year ever, and since I am not going on the senior trip to Hawaii (I know, bummer), it had to be perfect. So when my school announced they were looking for “the face of SFP,” someone to represent them in a video series for MyPromStyle.com, I knew it was such a great opportunity. Winning this would give me the chance to go shopping with JoJo for a prom dress, get a makeover for prom, blog on MyPromStyle.com, and–can you believe this?–go to prom with a CELEBRITY!!!! You had to be nominated, so my best friend submitted an essay for me. I was so nervous. I wanted this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so badly!

Well, at the winter pep rally, which is a huge deal at my school, the winners were going to be announced (a girl and a boy). After the cheerleaders, color guard, dance team, and the step squad performed, the editors of MyPromStyle.com and CosmoGIRL! magazine announced there was REALLY BIG NEWS! That’s when Lloyd and JoJo came out onto the gym floor! I couldn’t believe it. Everyone was screaming and jumping. I think some girls were even crying for Lloyd. I literally felt like I was at a crazy concert. But I wasn’t. I was in school, and I couldn’t even believe my eyes. I never thought the day would come when celebrities would be at my school. But it happened!

JoJo and Lloyd introduced themselves and revealed that they would be guests at our prom, and that there are even more surprises to come for prom! This in itself was amazing; I couldn’t believe that our school was going to be a part of such a fantastic prom! Then the greatest part of all was the announcement of the winners. JoJo announced Mike, our student body president, as the male student starring in the video series.

When Lloyd started talking, he said there is one special girl in the crowd, and he was holding a tiara. And then, drum roll please, he called my name! I stood up with my best friend and we jumped and screamed so loudly. That was one of the most exciting moments of my whole life! He placed the crown on my head and I got to take tons of pictures with Lloyd and JoJo. It was seriously a dream come true. I will remember that moment for the rest of my life. I think I speak not only for myself and Mike when I say that this was the BEST pep rally EVER!

This is where it all began, so now you will be able to follow me on this amazing prom adventure. It will definitely be “an affair to remember”!

Photo credit: Shareif Ziyadat

Permalink: I am Taking You to The Ultimate Prom! [Graziella]