Chapter 1: Fashionista Activities
One chilly third Saturday of March 2020, I met up with my childhood friends Sarah, James, and Henri at Target in Monroeville to shop for essentials for Pittsburgh's Perfect Parties client Alex Bullyun's Fashion Fun Sleepover next Saturday. One of my other best friends, Carly Shay and her parents, Sam and Freddie, also met us at Target. In order to maintain our social life without risking coronavirus disease, we all stayed in the Alcoma on the Green Apartments in Penn Hills, where Sarah, James, and Henri moved earlier than planned. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. Sarah and Carly were looking for butter, salt, vegetable oil, and pink food coloring to make Pink Pizzazz Popcorn, as well as several fashion magazines for the Fashion Magazine Scavenger Hunt and Sarah had her beauty supply kit for makeovers to give to Alex. James and Mrs. Shay were looking for pizza dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings to make Paparazzi Pizza, as well as supplies for the Fashion Pictionary game and supplies and materials for handmade jewelry. Finally, Henri and Mr. Benson were looking for fashion-shaped cookie cutters, cookie dough, frosting, and sprinkles to make Fashion Cookies, as well as pictures for the Name that Era game, Barbie dolls, and various fabrics for dressing up Barbie dolls as supermodels. "Henri, I would much rather use the cookie cutters on finger sandwiches," Mr. Benson pointed out. "Well, I prefer cookies, Mr. Benson," Henri stated. "Especially with cookie cutters shaped in the form of things like shoes and purses!" "Mrs. Shay, I think that we are doing a good deed," James pointed out. "We just have to make sure to always follow the rules and stay in the apartment, so we do not risk catching the virus and giving it to somebody else." "Don't worry, James," Mrs. Shay pointed out. "We never went outside one single day this week- except for outside on the back porch to get some fresh air!" "Good job," James praised. "Pizza is one of our favorite party foods," Mrs. Shay stated. "Uh-huh, and the girls will have lots of different toppings to choose from, like pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and olives," James stated. "Even though we are best friends, since I am a boy and you are a girl, I would like to be in charge of the Fashion Pictionary game and you can be in charge of making jewelry." "I do like some girly things, but for the most part, I am a tomboy," Mrs. Shay stated. "I remember liking my girlfriend, Phillis at first, but then I realized that she was into girly things, and I mainly wasn't," James pointed out. "But at least, we still have each other." I chatted with Sarah and Carly about the coronavirus disease. "Is everybody hanging in there?" Sarah asked. "I am remembering to stay in most of the time, but I have found lots of things to do inside the new apartment," Carly replied. "I am mostly staying in, too, but only going out when necessary," I replied. "This almost reminds me of the 2008 financial crisis, which influenced my Thanksgiving day when I was 14, so I had to be creative and think of some other different traditions," Carly replied. "Apparently, we have another triple P on the table, which is Pink Pizzazz Popcorn," Sarah pointed out. "The girls can borrow my old fashion magazines from middle and high school, as well as my beauty supply kit for makeovers. I am trying to save as much money as possible because this is an emergency, and I am trying to save all of my money that I earned to pay rent for the new apartment, since I plan to live in Penn Hills permanently with my stepbrothers, even after this crisis is over!" Carly smiled. "Thanks for watching out for us, Sarah," Carly praised. "You're welcome, Carly," Sarah replied. After we finished going shopping at Target, we headed over to Alex's hotel room with her best friends at Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Monroeville near the Pittsburgh's Perfect Parties office. We also studied the shout-outs that Alex and her friends sent us for our work session. They were as followed: March 21, 2020
Good luck, Amelia!
To Carly and her parents Mrs. Shay and Mr. Benson: "With you being stuck inside the apartments all week, I bet you spent all day in slippers and arranged your sleeping bags to make a sleeping bag line."
To Amelia and her friends Sarah, James, and Henri: "Good luck with all of the foods, games, and activities at the party, especially to you, Henri: Don't pull pranks on your stepsister and brother while baking cookies."
Sent from room 203 of the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Monroeville-
Alex Bullyun and friends Rena Chrisson, Nadia Ambabwa, Ella Gold, and Kennedy Skyler
We can't wait to see you!
Carly and her parents actually claimed that they used sleeping bags to practice social distancing, while Henri made a birthday wish not to pull pranks on his stepsister and brother while baking cookies or any other food item for a slumber party. The hotel also provided us with traditional slumber party snacks such as pizza, chips and dip, popcorn, cookies, brownies, and candy. Pretty soon, it was time for all of us to head back to our apartment in Penn Hills. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"