The Awkward Phase

I spent the majority of my high school years wearing sweatpants with panther paw prints on the butt, or mens extra large Carolina basketball shorts that hung to my shins. Sometimes I wore the shorts under the sweatpants, actually quite often I did that.

Paired with slip-on moccasin slippers from Target and a dirty old hooded sweatshirt, comfort was my main priority.

But when my mom got me tickets to see Britney Spears for my 17th birthday I knew without a doubt I wanted to look good for this concert. Like really good. Red Converse sneakers with striped red socks good.

I think the photo speaks for itself.

The year was 2004 and Britney Spears was performing The Onyx Hotel tour in Omaha. She had been going through some shit and I just knew I had to go. She needed me. We all watched Chaotic.

So my mom drove my friend, Jeni, and I to Omaha (on a weeknight, holla!) and we both looked hot AF in our best concert attire. I’d like to say we dressed for ourselves, but I’m pretty sure we both secretly hoped we might meet cute mysterious “big city” Omaha boys that we would instantly start dating and then spend the next several weeks AOLing every night. Although I didn’t have AOL, it was more like MSN messenger.

Anyway. We looked good.

For me this meant:

1. Wearing a trucker hat. OBVI! My beloved Von Dutch hat didn’t match or I would have definitely worn that one. Instead I went with the classic “Teenage Millionaire” hat.

2. Silver hoop earrings. Hoops were everything.

3. A childrens sized I Heart NY shirt. Why? Why not?

4. A fake Kate Spade purse. What did I carry in that purse I wonder? Roll-on glitter? Perhaps some fruity Binaca breath spray? I know it wasn’t a cell phone because I was only allowed a cell phone on weekends… you know, when my mom wasn’t using it. Because once upon a time people only used cell phones for legit emergencies or road trips. And teens like me only got cell permission when their parents were feeling generous.

5. A black zip-up jacket I found in the girls locker room and took home. I don’t know why I remember this fact but I do. I occasionally hunted clothes in the lost and found boxes because I thought it was “fun.”

6. I can’t even with this jean skirt. I just can’t. I know it’s from Wet Seal. And I know I really liked it. However I also know it was only worn for special occasions like concerts in Omaha or dancing at the dirty Depot in the summer. I’m pretty sure it was made out of material better suited for a head band.

I’m also fairly certain my mom had zero problem with me wearing it on account of the fact every other day I dressed like a hungover 30 year old man.

7. And the shoes and the socks. I was going ALL OUT for this occasion. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that just because you have size 9.5 feet you should restrict yourself from wearing bright red, high top, Converse sneakers.

The concert was nothing short of amazing. Brit put on a hell of a show, as usual.

But one of the things I remember most from this night is going to the bathroom and looking in the full length mirror at the Qwest Center (now CentruyLink) and thinking, holy shit this might be the best I’ve ever looked. 

Oh to be a teenager and have zero self awareness.

My friend Claire recently co authored a book called, The Awkward Phase. I just got my copy in the mail yesterday and it’s even better than I expected.

As the cover says, it’s “the uplifting tales of those weird kids you went to school with.” The beauty of this book is that it reminds us that we were ALL the weird kids. Every one of us has our own awkward tale to tell.

The stories shared in this book are from people all over the country. They’re hilarious. Sad. Happy. Uplifting. But the thing that they all have in common is that each one is full of so much emotion and honesty.

I am so honored to have a small piece published in here under the Halloween section. You might also recognize another story by blogging guru herself, Helene In Between.

Here’s just one of the many great photos found inside The Awkward Phase. It’s my friend Claire (she’s the picnic table) standing next to the Sexy Cats and I think Britney Spears.

Thumbs up, Claire. Thumbs way up.

I think every adult should read this book. And more importantly, I’d like to hand it out to every teenager. And probably some kids, too.

I’m excited that Claire’s publisher has given me the opportunity to give away one of these books today. And yes, I’m still super impressed Claire has a publisher and literary agent and all of that cool stuff. But that’s just how she rolls. Some of you might recognize her from her Twitter account @wefoughtabout, or from performing on every stage in Chicago.

So I encourage you to consider buying this awesome book and supporting a fellow female writer.

Anyway, back to the giveaway.

If you want to win a copy for yourself, just comment below and tell me briefly about your awkward phase. Was it a haircut? A love interest? A birthday party? A love interest at a birthday party? Anything goes. I think this could be a fun thread of comments to keep me entertained today so I hope you’ll humor me and play along.

Cheers to being awkward.

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74 Comments

  1. January 26, 2016 / 10:28 am

    Did you notice our stories are back to back?! I thought that was pretty freaking cool. I sincerely love this book, I'm so excited to be part of it!

    • January 26, 2016 / 10:29 am

      haha yes I did! i need to ask claire if she did that on purpose!

  2. January 26, 2016 / 10:35 am

    Since we're the same age and from the Midwest, I'm hoping that you'll remember this trend – layered hair with ends that you curled out with a curling iron. I had that hairstyle in 9th grade or something and thought I looked completely amazing (and one of my best school pictures!). Anyway, I found out a couple of years ago that my grandfather has a copy of that pic and pulls it out when he's having a bad day to laugh at my hair (despite it being 15 years ago). He told me it works every time. Thanks Grandpa.

  3. January 26, 2016 / 10:39 am

    AHAHA I hate looking back at my old photos of myself..I was a trainwreck!

  4. January 26, 2016 / 10:42 am

    Oh I'm pretty sure I was in an "awkward phase" AT LEAST until college. I grew out bangs about 4 times, so either super long bangs curled under that stuck out 4 inches or twisted and pinned back by butterfly clips obviously.

    Also, I specifically remember my first dance with my first 'boyfriend'. I got a new outfit…new GLO jeans (anyone else remember those?) and this zip up red short sleeve sweater thing that was skin tight and had puffy sleeves? Also, short, because you had to show that inch of skin above your jeans. We slow danced to Angel by Shaggy and he put one of those glow necklaces on my head to be my halo. ohmygosh. cringing so hard right now.

  5. January 26, 2016 / 10:44 am

    You need to ask Claire Linic about her Cher concert for her 16th birthday!

  6. January 26, 2016 / 10:46 am

    My awkward years were definitely in middle school… and high school. I wore a lot of flames in middle school, with my AOL screen-name being FlameGurl520. Don't get me started on the jean skirts, glitter, blue eyeshadow and chokers made out of tights. Girl, I was the definition of awkward. Plus, I was super, super tall (think 5'10"), which made it even worse.

    Oh, and my first "kiss" in high school left me cutting the guy's lip open with my braces and him bleeding everywhere. AND he was standing on a step to be as tall as me.

  7. January 26, 2016 / 10:46 am

    I went through a really concerning Avril Lavigne phase in middle school, which fully extended to me wearing a men's tie over a t-shirt (her fan club t-shirt no less) and drawing on a brand new pair of Converse in an effort to make them look worn in and "punk" (cringe level is high right now btw). This phase might have worked for me had I not been rocking some wire framed glasses and a full set of braces, but I was committed to the look. In retrospect I wish 2002 could have been a J.Lo phase. Crushed velvet tracksuits would have been so much more comfortable.

  8. January 26, 2016 / 10:55 am

    I think half of my classmates went to that concert. I remember coming to school and about five of them in one class talking about it. It was all over school by the end of the day.

  9. January 26, 2016 / 10:58 am

    I was awkward in the way that I didn't have older siblings to pass down information from, so I was the uninformed one in my friend group that was too embarrassed to ask questions.

  10. January 26, 2016 / 11:05 am

    Junior high was definitely my most awkward stage. I didn't like jeans so I wore swishy baby blue track pants every day. Needless to say, I hated exercise and was way overweight, had a unibrow to die for, and a killer frizzy bob. Then I over plucked my eyebrows and wore a Powerpuff Girls hat for all of grade nine to cover them up.

  11. January 26, 2016 / 11:05 am

    Junior high was definitely my most awkward stage. I didn't like jeans so I wore swishy baby blue track pants every day. Needless to say, I hated exercise and was way overweight, had a unibrow to die for, and a killer frizzy bob. Then I over plucked my eyebrows and wore a Powerpuff Girls hat for all of grade nine to cover them up.

  12. January 26, 2016 / 11:06 am

    I dressed like Jennie Garth/Kelly Taylor from 90210 in high school (1996). Babydoll dresses and Doc Martens, which i of course kept should my own daughters want to wear harsh British footwear as well.

  13. January 26, 2016 / 11:22 am

    This one is different from the others, but oh well. Here goes. The one that sticks out the most is the awkward stage that every girl goes through: the 'growing boobies stage'. It was Thanksgiving, 1981. I am half Irish, half Mexican. I don't know why I feel the need to write that, but whatever. We were at the 'Mexican' side of the family for this particular holiday, all sitting at one, long ass table. Must have been 30 of us crammed together around the table, fighting over the chicken mole to put over our turkey and mashed potatoes. I stood up, reached across the table to, no doubt, get the cranberries-out-of-a-can, when my grandma Betty says 'Ooooh look! Mi hita ('little lady' – what she always called us girls because she could never remember our names since there was so many of us) is getting her chi chi's!" I turned seven shades of red and died right there, thinking I would never make it to Christmas. Shorty after that, my 'boyfriend' of 3 weeks made comments to me as well, equally mortifying. Us girls – when getting our 'little buds' has got to be my most 'awkward stage'. Hope I didn't waste 2 minutes of your life, Denise.

  14. January 26, 2016 / 11:26 am

    Oh lord, I remember my awkward phase all too well. It was right after I graduated and I was super into being super tan. I hit up Old Navy and got this khaki green corduroy mini skirt with a white razor back tank and a white velour sweatshirt. I thought I looked so freaking hot, truth was, I was sweating balls off in that dumb sweatshirt. Oh to go back and be that unaware again!

  15. January 26, 2016 / 11:32 am

    I'm in the middle of a massive project of getting rid of unnecessary things in my house. I came across SO MANY child-sized tshirts that I wore in high school. Whyyyyy was that so cool back then? I just don't get it.

  16. January 26, 2016 / 11:40 am

    I was all about band tees. Every day. With a music-patterned belt turned to the side and buckled over my hip (verses at the front like a normal human). Also, my shirt had to be black because I thought I had a sweating problem. I think I just thought about my sweating which made me sweat more… but either way, I never wore colorful shirt because I sweat a lot. I was really cool in high school. Obvi.

  17. January 26, 2016 / 12:06 pm

    Glasses, braces and 2 broken arms at the same time. Oh, and I've been 5'8 since I was in 5th grade. Oh and did I mention the rolled bangs that split right down the middle so people called me butt bangs. Those were the good ole days đŸ™‚

  18. January 26, 2016 / 12:16 pm

    My awkward phase sounds like the rest. The early 00's were rough years. I had a young mom who was in her mid 30s when I was in high school and together we would shop wet seal and gadzooks for the hottest clothing. When I was 15, liquid denim was the coolest thing to wear since wearing your bf's gold bike chain necklace. I had a pair of bright blue bubblegum brand (from wet seal) liquid denim polyester pants that I wore with a paisley blue and white baby doll shirt that was backless and clung to my body with cross cross strings down the back. I wore my hair up in Bobby pins similar to Bianca's in '10 things I hate about you' and topped the whole look off with velvet platform tenns shoes. I was hot stuff. Despite how cute I looked, my clothing never seemed to be school appropriate and I wound up in the principals office a few times. I didn't care though because when the principal called my mom to inform her how scandalous I was, she gave him an earful about not knowing fashion trends. I had a COOL mom. So embarrassing looking back on it now. I should also mention, that same year I was an Austin Powers Fembot for Halloween. The one in the silver bra top and boy shorts with white platform boots- made by mother of course. #classy

  19. January 26, 2016 / 12:22 pm

    LOL this book looks awesome! I think the first thing I think of is in the summer before 6th grade, I decided I wanted a bob of some kind. I asked the hairdresser I wanted my hair cut to my chin. She ended up ANGLING IT DOWN to my chin, so the back puffed out and was so short, halfway up my head.

  20. January 26, 2016 / 12:27 pm

    This took me back! My goodness. I'm pretty sure I had shiny purple pants, not unlike the hot pink one that "Britney" above has on, with the fuzzy sweater to match. Didn't everyone have to have one of those sweaters when we were young? What about the little stretchy ones that were the size of a doll's shirt until you stretched them and put them on? Remember those? Oh, my awkward phase was a back and forth of dressing like you did above and trying to be Avril Lavigne. Let's just throw this dog collar necklace on with my baggy black skate pants and Etnies and top it all off with an Ashton Kutcher-style hot pink trucker hat. (Bonus points when I wore the legit John Deere one I picked up at the local hardware store.)

  21. January 26, 2016 / 12:36 pm

    Well we already know about the time I pooped on my barbies….but all through middle school I went through a phase where I thought it was cool to wear baggy overalls with one strap undone. Or baggy jeans with tight fitting tee shirts. In high school I transitioned to sweats and basketball shorts but was never able to pull off the jean mini skirt.

  22. January 26, 2016 / 12:36 pm

    Well we already know about the time I pooped on my barbies….but all through middle school I went through a phase where I thought it was cool to wear baggy overalls with one strap undone. Or baggy jeans with tight fitting tee shirts. In high school I transitioned to sweats and basketball shorts but was never able to pull off the jean mini skirt.

  23. January 26, 2016 / 12:46 pm

    Awkward Phase: Sophomore year of high school when I decided it was a good idea to wear black eye shadow every single day for the whole year. I thought I looked so cool. My mom was an Avon sales woman and she never taught me how eye shadow should be used.

  24. January 26, 2016 / 1:20 pm

    puhlease, what teen of the 2000's didn't have an awkward phase. Were we twins, my phone had 100min a month ha that was IT. I think my must awful phase was actually middle school. I never washed my hair (not the cool way I don't wash it now you know with dry shampoo you know.) always rocked a pony tail, braces, the same nike gray sweatshirt with a red check (i believe its still at my parents) over the oval old navy mens t-shirt with some jnco's. let us not forget the sliver eyeshadow, may it rest in peace. Thank the fashion and hygiene gods I managed to survive that phase.

  25. January 26, 2016 / 1:43 pm

    How do I pair down a solid 20 some years of awkwardness into a comment? I'll just go with my hair. You see it's a very bright red, and curly, but for the better half of my life I didn't know how to deal with curls, so there are a million pictures where I look like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket. On a particularly humid day where my curls puffed out a very sweet little girl asked if she could touch my dreads. I had no hope.

  26. January 26, 2016 / 2:12 pm

    I'm being perfectly serious when I say that I'm pretty sure I never actually LEFT my awkward phase.

    But, seriously. In high school I was too scared to talk to the boy I liked in my English class, so I would "powder my nose" with a Cover Girl compact before class started, and I always would situate myself so that I could look at him in the mirror. Wait…is that awkward or creepy??

  27. January 26, 2016 / 2:16 pm

    Just one awkward phase? I mean I have so many! LOL.

    Probably the puddle perm/haircut I had in the 80s. Or the sausage roll bangs in the 90s. I use to just get perms in my bangs. Because ya know………that was cool…………

  28. January 26, 2016 / 2:24 pm

    I'm 99.9% sure my awkward stage is still going strong at age 28 but it really hit the ground running at 12. Full on frizzy "triangle hair" from the shitty straighteners and products available for crazy curly hair at the turn of the millennium. A face fit for a kindergartner when all the other girls somehow already passed for 21. A whopping 4'10 height with an obnoxiously booming yet squeaky voice better suited for an NBA player sucking helium. All together im sure no one would be surprised to hear I was perpetually friend zoned by all middle school boys.
    Le sigh.

  29. January 26, 2016 / 3:13 pm

    Ahhh the Halloween costumes remind me of Mean Girls when everyone is sexy animals and Cady shows up as a zombie ex bride. *Insert laughing emoji here.* My awkward phase started when I began to grow triangle boobs and has yet to end. Thankfully my boobs are no longer in triangular form. I rocked a shag hair cut in the 7th grade and always wore it in a pony tail because a) it was a horrible hair cut and b) I didn't own a straightener and refused to wear it down if there was one random wave in the back (there was.) I didn't smile with my mouth open because of braces and remember the punk rock bangs that cover the eye? That was me. Pair that with acne and a fashion sense of a JC Penney's 4 year old model and you had middle school me who was socially unaware of what was ok and what was "not cool" to say.

  30. January 26, 2016 / 3:22 pm

    Hahaha this brings me back! I'm pretty sure I wore shorts under sweatpants (both rolled as many times as possible) almost every day senior year. Add on my dog tag necklace with a picture of me and my boyfriend on it and I thought I was the coolest! Oh to have that confidence again…

  31. January 26, 2016 / 3:53 pm

    My most awkward phase was in middle school. I didn't fit in with the cheerleaders so I decided to be a "bad" girl. I wore baggy pants and shirts with the big hoop earrings. I tried but I just couldn't be a bad girl. My black combat boots with the names of Michael Jackson songs written on them in silver Sharpie were probably the biggest giveaway–to everyone but me. I'm still certain I am going through an awkward phase.

  32. January 26, 2016 / 4:41 pm

    Oh this brought me back to my infamous trucker hat days. For me my most awkward phase had to be middle school. I lived in the Limited Too athletic pants that zip off to shorts, and my hair crimped with butterfly clips. Along with wearing foundation two shades darker than my skin tone that I failed to blend down my neck. I just looked like an awkward version of Lizzie McGuire + Sporty Spice. Which yes, my Mother let me walk out of the house looking like this. Her reasons later would be, "I didn't want to crush your confidence and we all have to have an awkward stage, it makes us better people." She was right and it's so much fun to get a good laugh from the photos from then.

  33. January 26, 2016 / 5:00 pm

    Around my sophomore year in high school (early 90s) I decided to be really cool you had to look like you just didn't care about any of it. Most days I wore men's boxers as shorts (that had the fly sewn up by my mom so no flashing anyone), a sloppy large men’s undershirt, and my white Keds. Most importantly my hair was always still dripping wet from my shower when I arrived to school. Looking back it was completely awkward, made even more awkward in winter when I still wore the same thing but with white long johns underneath. Why or how I was even allowed to get away with that is unimaginable…but yep, you guessed it that is still my go to outfit when bumming around the house.

  34. January 26, 2016 / 5:09 pm

    bahahah I had a fake Kate Spade purse, too. I got it at a "Purse Party" at a friend's house. Looking back, those purses were definitely stolen and that's how we got them at a low price.

  35. January 26, 2016 / 5:34 pm

    As a teenage I had zero fashion sense, when I got to around the aqe of 20 things started to change and I fond I like to look nice when I went out

  36. January 26, 2016 / 5:48 pm

    My dad allowed me to get a pixie cut when I was in the 6th grade and for months afterward people thought I was a boy (hadn't hit the booboe growing part of puberty and I dressed like a tomboy).

  37. January 26, 2016 / 6:42 pm

    Um, I wore JNCO jeans, airwalk sneakers, and had a unibrow until like 10th grade…literally mortifying

  38. January 26, 2016 / 6:51 pm

    I think the mullet haircut and naff naff jacket were my early 90's nightmare. Although i'm forgetting the global hypercolour heat colour changing tshirt!

  39. January 26, 2016 / 6:51 pm

    I think the mullet haircut and naff naff jacket were my early 90's nightmare. Although i'm forgetting the global hypercolour heat colour changing tshirt!

  40. January 26, 2016 / 7:54 pm

    I remember growing up seeing girls on the bus dressed like that and thinking they were SO COOL, and wanting to be just like them, but my mom still picked out all of my clothes. I really wanted a Von Dutch hat in the 6th grade! I don't recall Britney ever coming to the DC area when I was a kid, but I doubt I would have been allowed to go anyway. Kinda jealous even now. I'd kill to see her show in Vegas!
    This post was great. My high-school days were during the "emo" era. Those yearbook photos are classic!
    PS- High school girls still do the sweatpants with shorts thing!

  41. January 26, 2016 / 10:58 pm

    I'm 28 years old and am still going through my "awkward phase". that sounds like a winning comment to me =D

  42. January 27, 2016 / 12:03 am

    Oh so many stories to pick from. Maybe the phase where I loved horses so I wore a blue shirt with black fringe paired with a pair of jeans and a belt with my grandpa's buckle AND my name on the back?
    OR there was the time that I was obsessed with those 50's inspired saddle oxford shoes (the black and white ones) from a Halloween costume so I wore them ALL.THE.TIME.
    Then there was the time I thought I was an "artist" and "creative" so I stapled candy bar wrappers to my wall as wallpaper…the list could go on.

  43. January 27, 2016 / 12:28 am

    Oh shit…reading the comments has almost been as good as the post! Looks like a great book either way.

    For me…soooooo many years of awkwardness—a teen in the early/middle 1990s. The bangs, uni-brow to overplucked brow, grunge/flannel/doc martens was considered being dressed up—not to mention the OVERALLS (WTF) with tanks or midriff tees. Was reminiscing/laughing with some friends the other day—remember being obsessed with burning incense during high school. (WHERE did I even buy it in small town Alabama?) I wonder if my parents thought I was doing drugs or just accepted that it was hopelessly awkward and could only hope the phase would pass!

  44. January 27, 2016 / 1:44 am

    After being in relationship with him for 3 years, he broke up with me, I did everything possible to bring him back but all was in vain, I wanted him back so much because of the love I have for him, I begged him with everything, I made promises but he refused. I explained my problem to someone online and she suggested that I should rather contact a spell caster that could help me cast a spell to bring him back but I am the type that never believed in spell, I had no choice than to try it, I mailed the spell caster, and he told me there was no problem that everything will be okay before three days, that my ex will return to me before three days, he cast the spell and surprisingly in the second day, it was around 4pm. My ex called me, I was so surprised, I answered the call and all he said was that he was so sorry for everything that happened, that he wanted me to return to him, that he loves me so much. I was so happy and went to him, that was how we started living together happily again. Since then, I have made promise that anybody I know that have a relationship problem, I would be of help to such person by referring him or her to the only real and powerful spell caster who helped me with my own problem and who is different from all the other ones out there. Anybody could need the help of the spell caster, lotto, his email is [email protected] you can email him if you need his help in your relationship or any other problem like wining lottery your problem can never remain the same again, it will turn a thing of the past in your life.

  45. January 27, 2016 / 2:14 am

    My best friend, and now roommate, and I met in junior high. She likes to remind me that on the day we met, I was wearing a pink trucker hat and press-on nails. I'm not sure what persona I was going for in 7th grade, but I'm sure the rest of my outfit only made it more confusing. Why must we all struggle with self awareness in the day and age of cameras and the internet??

  46. January 27, 2016 / 3:27 am

    I love this post! I had a legit Jenny from the Block phase, with denim tube dresses, velour track suits, and pleather pageboys (yeah, those are real things). I even wore lace-up fingerless gloves to my very conservative grandpa's birthday party on the hottest of summer days. No one accused me of being practical, but girls did threaten to fight me often for "thinking you're on TRL or something." Also, I had to start high school in a full back brace that I couldn't take off for months. I could only wear elastic waist pants and had a special key to the faculty elevator because I wasn't allowed to walk up stairs. I should probably get a book just for that. đŸ˜‰

  47. January 27, 2016 / 6:09 am

    Oh man my life was nothing but awkward phase from age 8-18! I was never popular or cool in high school but I was probably best known for constantly having a cold and a runny nose (I must pick up germs super easily ha) which probably doesn't sound that bad. However, my mum decided that it would be cheaper to just use toilet paper instead of tissues to blow my nose and INSISTED that I take a full roll of toilet paper to school with me every day. This was made 10000 times worse by the fact that I had one of those blow up backpacks that was see through meaning everyone saw this giant roll of toilet paper in my bag every day (I should also mention that the same backpack had wheels and a pull up handle just in case my school books got just a bit too heavy to carry – nobody else had this so I was also the weirdo that essentially took a suitcase to school!) needless to say I was the butt of endless toilet jokes for a long long time.

  48. January 27, 2016 / 10:11 am

    Yikes, ow do I pick one awkward moment? I once dressed as a "goth" and had my mom drop my off at the 99. My "goth" outfit was a sequin comic book top, black leggings with white polka dots, slip on vans with skulls, black eyeliner and a spongebob watch. To think, I actually thought I looked like a "goth".

    I also dressed up as a lamb for Halloween in 4th grade. I remember being at recess and having a bunch if kids chase me around the yard yelling "Lamb Chop's Play along" and trying to catch me so they could eat me. Fun times.

  49. January 27, 2016 / 10:45 am

    Let's go with the giant glasses, mouth full of braces, and bangs teased so high that you could actually see through them (yay mall bangs!) Oh, and "tight rolled" jeans every day. I remember in high school when bootcut jeans became a thing and I was so confused. I was going to wear tight rolled jeans FOREVER!

  50. January 27, 2016 / 11:33 am

    My best friend from grade school and high school and I used to wear almost identical outfits everywhere. We both had the same short short shirt from Hollister with graphic tees from American Eagle. I think between the two of us we owned every graphic tee American Eagle made. The most embarrassing part was when we both went to a rock concert (age 16 maybe) wearing our short skirts and white shirts and the guys we were trying to impress called us our for looking the same and looking way too preppy to be at a rock concert.

  51. January 27, 2016 / 12:12 pm

    Um, I wore a beret to a junior high dance. And I thought it was cool. It was not. Although honestly I was not the most confident kid so I'm actually pretty proud of my 13 year old self to wear something I just genuinely loved. But yeah, it was awkward.

  52. January 27, 2016 / 12:36 pm

    I think it's hilarious to revisit photos of myself in the 80's a 90's! Those flare leg jeans, though!

  53. January 27, 2016 / 1:47 pm

    Hahaha my cousin and I used to go "shopping" in the lost and found. Good times.

    When I was in middle school I had a huge crush on this kid named Ben T. The feelings were not reciprocated but that didn't stop me from trying. Every day I would write BenT on my hand but try to play it off as I just wrote the word bent. Cool I know.

  54. January 27, 2016 / 2:53 pm

    GAWD, we all had that skirt, didn't we??

  55. January 27, 2016 / 11:16 pm

    My awkward phase got my sister and I on the Ellen show!

  56. January 27, 2016 / 11:19 pm

    I think all junior high and high school was one complete awkward stage. Perms, then the mushroom cut with a tail, crochet vests…what?!

  57. January 27, 2016 / 11:46 pm

    I wore a plaid zip up jacket and a silver headband with a bow almost every day of my freshman year of high school. I also had braces and was 5'0, if that makes the picture any clearer.

  58. January 28, 2016 / 12:47 am

    Definitely was still wearing an oversized Winnie the Pooh t-shirt (tucked into my flare jeans, no belt) in junior high. And when I had braces and could pick the color of the rubber bands each month, I wore orange and black bands ALL SUMMER for the SF Giants. Then red, blue, and green the rest of the year for Hanson. God, I'm ashamed of myself just for remembering that.

    Also, my denim skirt was from American Eagle, I wasn't cool enough to start wearing it until senior year/college, and I still have it in my closet somewhere. I just can't handle the thought of giving up on it for some reason.

  59. January 28, 2016 / 2:19 pm

    One of my many awkward stages was when I wanted to "rebel" against the cool kids and starting dressing "emo." Which really meant i had this one black and pink bracelet that i wore that had small spikes on it. Cringe worthy!

  60. January 28, 2016 / 5:40 pm

    Wait, awkward is supposed to be a phase?? I definitely didn't get them memo. Owning my awkward to this day! Although I have moved away from the middle school punk look of eye liner with no mascara and parachute pants… Yea, those were some pretty bad days.

  61. January 28, 2016 / 10:17 pm

    This book looks hysterical! Bring on the awkward!

  62. January 28, 2016 / 11:52 pm

    I was naturally awkward in middle and high school, although there's little photographic evidence–I was rarely a subject in photos.

    However, some of the photos that I do have are less-than-flattering, like my junior prom pictures where I was badly broken out in acne and the pimples take over the focus of the picture frame. Ha!

  63. February 3, 2016 / 10:42 pm

    "I knew she needed me. We all watched Chaotic" hahahaha. I wish I could explain how much I love that picture. It perfectly captures the mid 2000s. I would have thought you were cool as hell. LOVE the book, too. I really want to read it! shoot, I could write a whole one myself. My awkward phase was definitely having braces. My mouth is soo small braces just did not suit me at all. On top of that, I never knew how to dress my chubby body. It was either oversized stretchy pants and tshirts or too-tight tube tops and mini skirts. There was no in between.

  64. February 3, 2016 / 10:44 pm

    oh also, why is it so fun to dress up for concerts? A few days before my freshman year of high school started, my mom took my best friend and I to see Eminem. I already described my way of dress to you, so my friend had a ball dressing me up to "fit in". This meant tight halter top, jeans with no back pockets (??? why), and scrunched hair with the front part gelled down. Oh god. So embarrassing.

  65. February 18, 2016 / 6:59 pm

    How i got my husband back.I contacted Dr ATILA during the period my husband left me in February 1st of 2016 because i wanted my husband to be home with me and we could be together on valentine's day. I skeptically called to see if he can be of help in making my husband love me and return his love and emotions back to me again. So when we had the first conversation he reassured and i quote "This spell is going to take a bit longer than my previous spells, due to his reluctance and a controlling spell laid on him, but no worries I'm going to bring him back to you and make him fall in love with you again''. I can now bear out to the whole world that I moved in with my Husband in just 24 hours after his spell casting for me,we both celebrate valentine's day together and he has committed to the relationship and I can't thank Dr ATILA enough for changing my life for good..I am totally amazed and so happy that you have been able to do this for me. I am so amazed today because IT WORKS and I am living proof. I can't show appreciation to you adequately for bringing my man back, and will be forever appreciative for that. Thank you, thank you, Lord I will keep you informed, you have worked tirelessly for me continue your good work.Email Him: [email protected]

  66. March 1, 2016 / 1:49 am
  67. July 19, 2016 / 11:27 pm
  68. September 5, 2016 / 11:17 pm

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