rock761
enthusiast
Posts: 340
Loc: Allen, TX USA
Reg: 03-14-00
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09-08-08 08:37 AM - Post#60756
Ok, being raised on the east coast we did not have this tradition so I'm not quite sure what to do now that I have a freshman. Do I, the parent, buy/make a mum for my daughter? Do the different grades have different "rules" about color, lengths, # of mums, etc? I see the webmaster has posted a number for Mums R Us so I may call them. Anyone made one that can pass on any tips? Thanks for any advice!
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MizK
enthusiast
Posts: 304
Loc: East Allen, TX. USA
Reg: 11-12-05
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09-08-08 10:29 AM - Post#60787
In response to rock761
You think you're confused now, wait till you start pricing them out. Having grown up here I've always assumed that the Mum tradition was standard across the country. It wasn't till our daughter was a freshman, and my husband hit the roof regarding price, opulence, length, etc that I realized that it seems to be a Southern (maybe even Texan) tradition. So, to answer your questions:
Traditionally, the mum is given to the girl by her date. However, some girls are happy to make, provide their own if they don't have a date or if they're going to the game with a group of other girls then sometimes they'll give each other mums or get together and make the mums themselves. This is strictly up to your daughter. My daughter did not have a date as a freshman and was mortified at the thought of mommy making her a mum, so she just didn't have one her freshman year.
The color is very important. Senior mums are always white & silver, junior mums blue & white, sophomore mums red, white & blue, and I believe freshman mums are red & white. (somebody help me out here... my memory may be a little fuzzy on the sophomore and freshman mums). Your daughter will get a ton of grief from the other kids if she wears the wrong color for her grade. Length is not based upon grade, they always should be as long, gaudy, big and loud as possible. (ok, insert a touch of sarcasm here, but those of you who have seen and/or paid for the mums know what I mean).
It might be a good idea to call the business posted here to get some ideas. If you're in the least bit crafty you can make them yourself. They're fairly easy to make.
Good Luck!
| We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. -- Aristotle
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MsAlyce
enthusiast
Posts: 4392
Loc: Allen,Texas,USA
Reg: 04-03-04
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09-08-08 11:47 AM - Post#60803
In response to MizK
Are those colors the same for different schools? If so BOY did I make my granddaughter the WRONG color last year.
"Mom" to 80+ children @
Exclusively Before & After, Inc.
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workingmom
enthusiast
Posts: 1052
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 06-03-04
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09-08-08 12:15 PM - Post#60809
In response to MizK
Freshman mums can have some blue - really not much difference in Fresh and Soph except a little more red in Fresh and a little more blue in soph. Fresh, Soph and Junior mums can have some silver as well. I, too, came from the East Coast but LOVE this tradition despite the $$$. After flipping out at the cost of buying a pre-made mum, I've been making mums for girls since my oldest son was a Soph and my middle son is now a Soph. I've always teased my sons that I do most or all of the work and THEY get the hug upon delivery! =) You can get supplies online much more cheaply than you can buy supplies from local craft shops. Since I have 3 sons and years of mum-making ahead of me this is the way I've chosen to go. Have a "mum" box with lots of ribbon, trinkets, etc. so the additional cost each year isn't quite as scary as the first couple of years when I bought supplies from local craft shops.
Ms.Alyce - the color scheme above is for Allen. Other schools (Plano, PESH, West, etc.) have different color schemes.
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workingmom
enthusiast
Posts: 1052
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 06-03-04
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09-08-08 12:20 PM - Post#60811
In response to rock761
I'd be happy to share tips - or maybe some of us AllenOnliners can have a mum making party!
One more thing - the ribbon length for girls' mums is 36" so it's huge when finished esp. if you use a double or triple mum. I think the garters for boys are 18" but I've never made a garter before so I'm not positive. Garters are a little less expensive, though, since the aren't as long/big overall. The boys wear these on their arms to school the day of homecoming and to the game that night. They DO NOT wear mums/garters to the actual homecoming dance.
ALSO -- I noticed Kroger has their mum supplies out. And last year they had finished mums for sale on display. I found looking at these was a great way to get ideas the first year I made a mum.
Edited by workingmom on 09-08-08 12:24 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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rock761
enthusiast
Posts: 340
Loc: Allen, TX USA
Reg: 03-14-00
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09-08-08 01:22 PM - Post#60817
In response to workingmom
Thanks for the info! I'm afraid to even start pricing them. I too saw them at Kroger and that's what made me start thinking about them. We've been going to the varsity games for a couple years now and it seems that every girl has one on and they even have a day to wear them to school, correct? I'll ask my freshman if she even wants one. No boyfriend yet in the picture (and that's fine by me!)as she's been too busy with athletics but didn't want her to feel left out.
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allenmom
enthusiast
Posts: 488
Loc: allen
Reg: 07-02-03
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09-08-08 02:45 PM - Post#60823
In response to MizK
I think it might just be a Texas tradition. I went to school K - soph in texas and never knew that everyone didn't do the mum thing for homecoming. My Jr and Sr year were spent in Oklahoma and no one did the mums. As a matter of fact, only football players mom's wore tiny mums to the homecoming game. My parents purchased a mum for me and I was nearly laughed out of the football game by my new friends. I remember taking it off and stuffing it in my pocket.
I'm glad to be back in Texas. Let the tradition of the mum live on!
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Lisatexmom
enthusiast
Posts: 757
Reg: 01-19-05
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09-08-08 03:16 PM - Post#60828
In response to allenmom
What about the garters mums for the boys? I never heard of these until my girlfriends son was in AHS. It was really cute and was given to him by the girlfriend.
Is that still a big deal? or are there rules for that as well?
| Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend. - Albert Camus |
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allenmom
enthusiast
Posts: 488
Loc: allen
Reg: 07-02-03
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09-08-08 03:46 PM - Post#60832
In response to Lisatexmom
I don't know the rules, but I remember giving a garter to my date. The guys wore it on their arm and later hung it from the rear view mirror in their car.
They sale all of the mum stuff at Hobby Lobby. Maybe someone there knows the rules?
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workingmom
enthusiast
Posts: 1052
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 06-03-04
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09-08-08 04:40 PM - Post#60842
In response to Lisatexmom
Garters follow the same color scheme as for Mum. You make a MuM/Garter for your date based on your date's school and class (fresh/soph/jr/sr)and the trinkets should reflect activities/interest - like band or orchestra or drama or talenettes or myrian interests at the high school. So even if you are a Senior you make the mum/garter for the class of your date and they make the garter/mum for your class.
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drmomma
member
Posts: 33
Reg: 08-20-08
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09-08-08 04:45 PM - Post#60844
In response to rock761
Hey all - I am from the East Coast too, and did not understand the whole mum thing either. But I found this awesome lady in Allen who makes mums and garters for Allen and Lovejoy ISD. She and her sister custom make the mums with the appropriate special stuff for each student. They used to advertise on the Allen TV at AHS.
My son was in band and played trumpet, and she used cute band stuff, trumpet accessories, and was specific for his grade. She did his dates' mums every year too and they blew the other girls' mums away. The one she made for drill team was sooo cute - with a little bear wearing the drill team hat...
Cathy is great about working within a budget too. She made my daughter (4 yr old) a mum to wear to the homecoming game for $10. I tried to make my own for Matt's date, but by the time I bought everything and made it myself, it cost me a fortune and his date would have broken up with him because it did not look that great. We ordered one from Cathy instead.
It is a HUGE deal here, and I know they can be expensive, but the kids did dinner at a friend's house instead of going out to help with the cost of things. And garter aren't nearly as expensive as mums (usually).
Mums R Us is the name of the company - I think she is an advertiser on this site...
Hope this helps!!
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denisew
Community Expert
Posts: 8753
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-18-02
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09-08-08 05:22 PM - Post#60849
In response to drmomma
I have a freshman son this year and after reading this thread asked him if he was planning on asking a girl to the homecoming dance. He informed me that he didn't know there was a dance! Ha! I thought I'd have to put on my crafty hat and make one of these mums, but maybe not. However, I will know where to go for information on how to make them if at the last minute I need to do that! 
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drmomma
member
Posts: 33
Reg: 08-20-08
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09-08-08 07:02 PM - Post#60854
In response to denisew
If I remember right, only Juniors and Seniors go to Homecoming. (?) But if you are dating someone, they can wear their mum or garter to school on the Friday of the homecoming game and to the game that night. They don't actually wear the mums/garters to the dances (too big - would ruin the dresses).
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workingmom
enthusiast
Posts: 1052
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 06-03-04
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09-08-08 07:03 PM - Post#60855
In response to drmomma
No - everyone goes to Homecoming now. Last year Freshman had a separate dance at the Freshman center which was more casual than the High School dance.
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drmomma
member
Posts: 33
Reg: 08-20-08
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09-08-08 07:05 PM - Post#60856
In response to MsAlyce
There are different colors not only for each school, but also for each grade in each school. At AHS (i think) Freshmen mums are mostly white, while Seniors are mostly silver . . . don't quote me on that. . .
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drmomma
member
Posts: 33
Reg: 08-20-08
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09-08-08 07:06 PM - Post#60857
In response to workingmom
Ohh... I seems like ages since Matt was at Lowery. He only graduated last year, but 9th grade seems like ages ago.. Thanks!
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Robin L
enthusiast
Posts: 826
Reg: 12-19-07
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09-08-08 10:00 PM - Post#60884
In response to drmomma
Wow, Allen is so much more complicated than my high school was (or maybe it is because it was so long ago?? hehehe!) I went to high school in San Antonio '89-'93. Our school colors - maroon and white - were all that was needed. No special color combos for different grades. How confusing! And in our case, it didn't matter how you got your mum - friend, date, mother, etc. In fact, in the pep squad/drill teams, we were always expected in give one to our "little/big sister" (a newcomer to the squad was a little sis, to one who had already been in was a big sis).
I have a soph stepson; he's not involved in all this, so I hadn't heard of the complicated procedures. I better take note, though - my daughter started K this year!!
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TRBell
enthusiast
Posts: 384
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 03-15-04
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09-08-08 11:36 PM - Post#60891
In response to Robin L
Isn't it crazy???!! I still have elementary age kids but one of my girlfriends has a Sophomore and a Senior. They called one of the local Allen florist and were quoted $200 for a senior mum!!!
I graduated in 1985 from Lake Highlands and back then a mum was a mum. They all looked the same between grades and guys didn't get mums at all!
I love the homecoming mum tradition especially since it is very much a southern tradition but I do believe it has gotten a little out of control.
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denisew
Community Expert
Posts: 8753
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 02-18-02
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09-09-08 07:54 AM - Post#60897
In response to workingmom
Yes, I heard about the freshman version of the dance from a friend last year whose son took his girlfriend. She also had to make a mum corsage.
I graduated from Allen in '82 and very few girls wore the big obnoxious mums to the homecoming dances. And, it was usually because their parents had bought it for them. I always thought they looked a bit lop-sided with all that stuff hanging from it.
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ckapka
newbie
Posts: 5
Reg: 10-01-07
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09-09-08 10:12 AM - Post#60916
In response to denisew
Hi, everyone. I am Cathy, co-owner with my sister of Mums R Us. I have been reading the responses about mums and I would like to tell you the color schemes for the mums and garters. The guys buy the girls their mums unless the girls parents want to buy it and the girls buy the guys a garter. The freshman and sophomores are red,navy,white with silver, the juniors are navy, white with silver and the seniors are silver and white. The kids wear the mums to school on Homecoming day and then to the game. The freshman the last 2 years have had their own dance which was casual. Their game is on Thursday and they have been able to wear mums and garters to school on Thursday and Friday unless they change it. The high school, 10-12 th grades, have a homecoming dance on Saturday after the big game. They dress up big time and wear corsages (wrist) and boutonnieres.
This is my phone number, 972-727-3845, if you need more information. We have it set up, like a mini store, by appointments at night time and weekends. We do not use all standard ribbons and you get to choose the speciality ribbons and trinkets and this becomes your custom mum or garter.
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