Rossella Rago CookingWithNonna

Throwing it back to Prom 2005 💛

Prom season always makes me think of my Nonna Romana.

I remember going to Loehmann’s with my mom and falling in love with this dress.

The only problem was that it was a size 8... and I definitely wasn’t.

“Don’t worry, a’ mamma. Nonna will fix it.”

So we hopped in a cab and headed to the Garment District to find the most beautiful yellow lace.

Nonna had been a seamstress since her teen years.

She painstakingly took this dress apart,
shrunk it down to fit me,
added lace appliqué all over,
removed one strap because we wanted it to be different,
and added a slit for a little va va voom.

Working on this dress with her is one of my most precious memories.

I remember coming downstairs after doing my own makeup. Crazy, right?
But it was 2005 and getting your makeup professionally done for every occasion wasn’t really a thing yet. 😂

She took one look at me and said,

“Sei la mia principessa, a’ Nonna.”

“You’re my princess, my darling.”

Then she kissed me and sent me off in my limo.

At seventeen,
I thought the magic was prom.

Now, at thirty-eight,
I know the magic was her. ✨

When we’re young,
we think the important part is the event.

The prom.
The graduation.
The birthday.
The wedding.

But after losing someone you love,
you realize the real treasure was never the event itself.

It was the person helping you get ready for it.

The older I get,
the more I understand that love isn’t always spoken.

Sometimes it’s sewn into a hem.

Sometimes it’s a grandmother sitting under a lamp late at night, making sure her granddaughter feels beautiful.

And if you’re wondering about my date, we had the best time! And twenty years later, we’re still good friends. ❤️ @possiblysuspect

I’d give anything to sit beside her and work on this dress one more time. 🤍

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