So last November before we signed the rental contract and moved into this house that we adore, we made sure to clarify the waterproofness and structural security of the house’s foundation with our landlord prior to signing the lease. Our landlord assured us they’d had the house checked out and that, after a heavy rainfall, he paid a visit to the house to make sure the basement and garage didn’t leak – dry as a bone, he said. Perhaps at the time when he took a peek, the basement floor really wasn’t wet yet and water really wasn’t streaming down in streaky splashes from the cracks. Or perhaps he’s a proficient liar. It doesn’t matter. It’s all water over the bridge now (or, you know, over our carpet and into all of our boxes). Whatever the case, the basement is not waterproof. Indeed, during our most recent rainfall this week (and the heavy one we’re experiencing right now), the basement enjoyed a good, thorough soaking.
This is about what our weekend looked like. Two little people, one big mess. Challenge accepted!
You could literally wring out the industrial carpet we put down there and we donated a good majority of our soggy cardboard moving boxes to the recycle bin – after we cautiously emptied them all out, air or towel dried the contents, and found new homes for our narrowly-salvaged possessions in plastic bins, in the lucky remaining cardboard boxes on the shelving system, or on wheels. Everything not on wheels or in a water-tight bin is no longer on the floor. Our de-humidifier, fans, and dry heat torpedo heater are working full-speed to soak up the water blanketing the floor. We’re happy that we got that shelving unit built a few weekends ago when we did and we’re relieved to have noticed the water downstairs when we did as it really could have been a whole lot worse. We actually fared pretty well, and for that we’re thankful. Most things were damp, but not beyond rescue as they surely would have been in a day or two’s time. The garage is literally a pond with about an inch or two of standing water. Surprisingly, neither of us are all that upset – though we suspect our landlord did know. Just as he knew this house was uninsulated and neglected to mention why the previous tenants always complained of such an outrageous energy bill, claiming they just plain used too much heat (um, yes, of course they did. Because the house isn’t insulated.) But this stuff happens, right? It’s all a part of having a home.
In all honestly, this minor little calamity lit the fire under our asses that we needed to get our butts in gear and organize the basement, as we’ve been meaning to find the time to do for the past 3 months. Well, we found the perfect reason and the time to do it. So it really is a good thing. We threw on some good music and made a great deal of progress and the basement looks pretty nice now with all the boxes properly organized, labeled, and stored neatly on the shelves. We still have a few hours more work to go, but the improvement is a big, welcome change. And we both feel better knowing our stuff is not only organized now, but also safe from the future water-damage we now know to expect every time it rains. I’ll be sure to post before & after pictures as soon as we’re done with it next weekend.
We didn’t spend all weekend hard at work though. Oh, no. On Ted’s first weekend off in ages we made sure to enjoy our time together. On Friday night I baked some fully-loaded, hot out of the oven chocolate chip walnut cookies from scratch, which we savored with glasses of milk while laughing through an episode of Big Bang Theory. On Saturday we headed to mass and dined on Chinese at a fantastic new little Chinese joint that is sure to become one of our favorites, then finished the night off with a movie at home. Today we ran errands to check out camping gear at Bass Pro Shop, walked a nearly abandoned mall (yet it was still kept up – it was spooky!) and made our monthly Sam’s run for bulk items. Tomorrow we both work, and Tuesday we’re both off for Ted’s knee surgery that morning and we’ll spend the day together laying low after that. My grandmother also celebrated her 90th birthday this weekend!
How did you fare this weekend relaxing and gearing up for the week ahead?
I really like Thursdays. Almost more than Fridays. It’s just an enjoyable day of the week. It’s that time of the week where I plant myself in the CCM Starbucks with my computer, a good book, and an iced chai and just veg, listing to chill coffee shop music, until Ted is done with work. Tonight we’ll catch dinner somewhere yummy near campus and head to the museum center to walk through the Cleopatra exhibit for an hour or so. Last night I tagged along to invited dress for Rent, which officially opens tonight and, unlike Evita, actually runs for more than one weekend – which is a very good thing. The show was awesome! Truly an excellent, fun, touching performance. They opted for a cast of 24 extremely talented performers and they did such justice to a show that, up until a year and a half ago when the rights were finally released, was only performed on Broadway and professional national tour. Last year MSU (where Ted was in grad school) made sure they were one of the first Universities in the country to secure the newly-available rights and do the show. CCM jumped on board this year. They designed this great minimalist versatile set with moving, spinning, multi-level fire escape-esque platforms and a graffiti apartment exterior backdrop that was painted in perspective to be wider at top and narrower at the bottom. The show was really well cast and the singing was fantastic – right on par with the vocals of the Broadway and movie casts. I’m very familiar with the show’s plot and music, but it was great to finally see it live. I liked the lighting a lot as well because they used a lot of moving lights, colors, patterns, movement effects, and practicals (in this case florescent looking tube lights secured to the beams of the fire escape platforms that changed colors). The lighting was fun and really added something exciting to the show technically. CCM also rented a 12’x12′ square of the Aids Quilt to hang in the theatre, which was a nice touch.
You know what else I love about my afternoons at the coffee shop? People watching and unintentional eavesdropping. There’s a guy and his female friend sitting next to me who are discussing their thoughts on marriage. They are hitting that point in their lives where all their young friends are moving in with their significant others, getting engaged, and getting married and, to them, it’s just weird. They both respect the institution of marriage, happily celebrate and support their friends’ decisions, and want it for themselves too – one day. But not soon. They’re grasping in the dark to understand what everyone’s big rush is to tie the knot and settle down at age 23. They’re in their early 20s and feel like the odd men out because they aren’t ready to take this step with their respective boyfriend and girlfriend of 4+ years, when everyone else around them, apparently, is. I’m sitting here thinking, “I totally get where you’re coming from!”
I didn’t plan to get married young. I didn’t intend to seek someone out during my internship in Michigan, date for only 1 year and 2 months before getting engaged at the age of 23 and then get married at 24. Three or four years ago, that easily could have been me sitting at that table in Starbucks with my friends having that exact conversation and questioning what the big rush is all about. But these things aren’t mapped out or planned. They happen when they happen. And when the right person comes along, no matter how young or old you are, something changes and commitment and marriage doesn’t seem that scary or daunting anymore. You just feel ready, and when that happens, what’s the point in waiting? Right now I feel about babies the way they seem to feel about marriage. Everyone around me is popping out the kids like reproducing is going out of style or something, and I don’t understand it. “What’s the rush?,” I think. You’re 25 – you have plenty of time to have kids….later. Enjoy life without kids now, while you still can. But I’m not these people and I’m not in their shoes. I’m completely freaked out by the idea of bearing and parenting a human being, but to all of my friends, who have apparently reached that point in their lives where they just know they’re ready for this next step, it’s an exciting, not horrifying, thing. I just think it’s interesting to think about the big life milestones and hear other people’s thoughts on them. Sometimes coffee shops can be enlightening in ways you never expected.
*If you haven’t read yesterday’s post, go back and check that one out first! This is Part II.
When we left off yesterday I promised I’d give you a glimpse of the wedding dresses that didn’t make the final cut. True to my word, I’m back with some picture proof, starting with the one I knew would never make it and working my way up to the final two. First, let’s review what I was looking for and what I was hoping to avoid in a wedding dress.
What I wanted: Straps, luxurious material, comfortable and non-restrictive structure, pockets, a button or zip closure (something I could get into and out of by myself), an interesting eye-catching back, one or two unique standout details, under $750
What I didn’t want: Strapless, ruching, lots of lace, beading, sequins, or butt bows, expensive, princess ballgown poofy, a corset back, boning, to look like every bride I’d seen from 2007-2009
Now that you’ve got a pretty specific image in mind of the style I was going for, you can plainly see how difficult this journey was for me in the height of the beaded, strapless, ruched dresses that all look alike era. To be fair, the dresses I had in mind did exist 16 months ago and I knew it. I swooned over them on the pages of high fashion bridal magazine advertisements. However, they were relatively “new” to the 2000’s bridal market so they were crafted by top designers and luxury brands (read: $1,500-$4,000 per dress, and that’s not even factoring in alterations or accessories for something I’d wear for a maximum of 12 hours). Cheap replicas of these styles certainly hadn’t trickled their way down to the likes of David’s Bridal or Alfred Angelo yet. I couldn’t fathom shelling out about at least 2,000 bucks (conservatively) for a Waters & Waters, Vera Wang, Amsale, Rosa Clara, San Patrick, Priscilla of Boston, Melissa Sweet, Jim Hjelm, La Sposa, Jenny Yoo or Modern Trousseau gown. I wasn’t too wild about the David’s Bridal or Alfred Angelo finds (with the exception of a select few) so I focused my efforts on brands like Eden Bridals, Jasmine Collections, Essence of Australia, Venus and Allure – all of which carried quality designs with more of a variety of style options for a moderately thrifty price tag. Enough jabbering. Let’s get started with the pictures of a modest sampling of the nearly 75 dresses I tried on.
The “You’ll never know what you like until you give it a chance” dress
If you’ve ever gone shopping for a formal gown, you know this drill. The saleslady will undoubtedly ask you what style and price range you have in mind, then proceed to blatantly ignore your requests and insist you try on something completely opposite of what you like on the basis of “you’ll never know until you try it on!” Well, that was this unfortunate dress at Alfred Angelo. It boasts every single quality I specifically said I didn’t want. I reluctantly agreed to humor her and schlep this 45 lb. dress into the fitting room and give it a go. I guess it’s not really that bad. I wasn’t utterly horrified. But it was heavy, uncomfortable, could stand on it’s own (I’m not kidding), required at least two people to corset me into it along with a hoop skirt, and was not nearly unique enough for my tastes. Trying this sucker on was my good deed for the day. I gave everyone their entertainment, crawled out of ASAP, and promptly handed it right back to the saleslady who just so, embarrassingly, happened to be a girl I went to high school with.
What I liked: I kind of felt like Belle in Beauty & The Beast
What I didn’t like: Where do I begin!? Pickups. Oh, God. Pickups. UGH. Beading, strapless, ruched, boning, and stiffening corset back. Then there’s the gigantic itchy 12-layered petticoat, the weight of it, and the crispy fabric. No, thank you. NEXT.
The “For the love of pockets” dress
Allow me to clarify my obsession with pockets. It was there and the feeling was strong and undeniable. I think it all started with prom. I hated keeping track of an evening clutch and worrying about its whereabouts all night. Yet, I needed something discreet to hold my car keys, phone, lipstick, ID and credit card. I yearned for pockets in my dress so I could fly solo like the dudes did. I even considered asking my mom to sew pockets into the underside of my junior year prom dress. Fast forward to late 2008 when the first wedding dresses with pockets debuted on the runways. I was in heaven! Finally, my prayers had been answered. I knew that must seek out a wedding dress with pockets of my own. They were incredibly helpful, had a casual flair, and were funky and different. Nevermind that as a bride I most likely wouldn’t need quick access to my car keys, cell phone, ID or cash on the big day. That’s not the point. The point was I needed pockets. And pockets were pretty much the only thing this David’s Bridal frock had going for it. But apparently, that was enough to keep it in my consideration. The dress itself wasn’t that bad, it was simple with extremely minimal beading, loose and comfortable, had straps and, most importantly, came equipped with my beloved pockets. I even liked the criss-cross of the straps in the back. Alas, it showed more cleavage than I was comfortable with and just wasn’t special enough to make the top 5. I bid a sad adieu to my pockets and prayed that I’d find another one with them (no such luck).
What I liked: Obviously, the pockets. I also liked the criss-cross straps in the back and that it was comfortable. I liked that I could get into and out of it by myself and it wasn’t oozing with beads and other obnoxious distractions.
What I didn’t like: It was an ill-fit. The empire waist packed on the pounds and it showed too much cleavage.
The “Safe backup plan” dress
This taffeta Alfred Angelo dress was a classic. It was figure flattering, timeless, and played it safe – maybe a little too safe. It had alluring off-the-shoulder straps, showed off my figure, and had absolutely no beading – which was great. But it also had a boring back and no fun little details whatsoever. And for something so basic, it was awfully expensive! I didn’t like the crinkle of the taffeta fabric, the boning inside it made bending or dancing highly undesirable, and I don’t like being laced into corset backs. I couldn’t have gotten into or out of it without an army of help. It was pretty, but not nearly unique enough to make the cut.
What I liked: The elegant simplicity, and the classic figure-enhancing cut and drape of the style.
What I didn’t like: There was nothing special about it, no little details to get excited over. It had an uncomfortable corset back and boning, and was unreasonably expensive for something so basic.
The Top Five
The “My first infatuation” dress
From November-January I was outright convinced that I wasn’t going to be able to find what I was looking for at an affordable price. Everything was so covered in lace and beads that it made me sick. I came across this prize at David’s Bridal and fell into a month long on-again off-again infatuation with it because it fit well and had no beading. I wasn’t in love with it, but I did like it and if nothing else came along I would have settled with it. The draping gave it a nice little hint of detailing and shape. It was marked down to $350 because it was a “test dress” that they only produced a few of and decided not to add it to their season’s collection. Therefore, only a handful of them were made for each store, and it was the last one available in my size anywhere in the U.S. and I couldn’t give it up, afraid I’d never find anything without beads ever again (I was crazy, y’all). It was strapless, but these days straps of any style can easily be added to a dress.
What I liked: It was soft and comfortable. The draping was interesting and flattering, and the price was more than right. Straps could be added, and I loved the simplicity of it.
What I didn’t like: It just seemed too plain. There weren’t any funky details and the back looked like the back of any other wedding dress out there. I liked it, and it was a pretty dress, but it just didn’t feel right for me.
The “Dress that led me to my dress” dress
I was obsessed with finding this dress. I came across it in a dinky little Wisconsin town just when I had lost all patience and all hope that I’d ever find the right dress for me. I was about ready to completely throw in the towel and just wear khakis and a white sweater on October 22. This was my saving grace. I’d never heard of the Jasmine Collection brand before. The store had a few of their dresses in stock and I really like the detailing and originality of all of them. I was beside myself with excitement that this one had beautiful straps, a fun back design, awesome fabric, and just enough beading to make it fresh but not be overwhelming. They one I tried on in the store was two sizes too small, but it gave me a good enough of an idea that I was caught – hook, line and sinker. I called stores all over Wisconsin, Illinois and Texas obsessively until I finally found a store in Austin that had just gotten it in (it was a Fall 2009 style) in my size. I immediately made an appointment for a weekend the middle of February. My hopes had been resurrected and I was sure that this was it! I spent the next month dreaming about all the good times this dress and I would have together. I was nervous when we finally did make the trip to Austin to try it on. I was afraid it wouldn’t fit me right…and it didn’t. I was so bummed, but the store had a wide selection of other Jasmine Collection dresses for me to investigate. It wasn’t meant to be, but it did lead me to the Jasmine Collection dress I did choose. I wouldn’t have found it without this dress.
What I liked: Nearly everything – the straps, the fun back, the silky fabric, the light touch of beading around the neckline to keep it interesting, and most importantly, that it restored my faith in dress shopping and gave me the hope to keep looking.
What I didn’t like: It had just been released so it was practically impossible to find it anywhere in my size. And when I finally did, it just didn’t fit my body shape right. Even with alterations, it just wouldn’t have fit me well enough. It’s style F316 if you want to Google it to see what the front looked like.
The “Serious contender – except that nobody else liked it” dress
This is not me in this photo. I can't find the picture of myself wearing it, but this girl's shape gives you a very similar representation of how I looked in this dress.
I was drawn to the glamour of this David’s Bridal dress. It reminded me of the formal fashion of the 1930s with its fit and flare trumpet skirt, hip hugging satin, and a playful row of buttons all the way down the back of the dress and train. It was classy, a little sassy, had just the right amount of detailing, accentuated my figure nicely, and I simply loved the buttons down the back. I think it’s a clear winner of a dress and I’d still be happy to wear it if another occasion that calls for a floor-length ivory dress with a train arises (doubtful). I didn’t even mind that it was strapless because the neckline was modest and there was zero chance of any “oops” moments. And, as with any other dress, straps could have been added. The only problem was that nobody else seemed to like it. I know I shouldn’t have let that get to me, but whenever I took anyone with me to see it in person, I got only lukewarm responses like “it’s okay” or “I like the other one better.” It was discouraging, but after hearing less than enthusiastic praises from people, I couldn’t buy it because what if everyone else thought it was fine, but nothing special too? Nobody wants to look “just okay” on their wedding day. It is a little plain I suppose, and I do like the dress I ended up with better than this one (and a lot of brides recently have chosen this dress, so it wouldn’t have been very unique), so I guess it wasn’t meant to be, but it was a great dress nonetheless.
What I liked: The satin fabric, the fit and flare trumpet skirt, how it flattered curves, the buttons down the back, and the overall glamour of it.
What I didn’t like: That nobody else thought it was a winner. Also, it’s a popular dress so I would have been one of thousands upon thousands of brides who wore it in 2010.
The “One I didn’t expect to love” dress
This dress is one I never, ever expected to love. It’s just so girly – it even looks ridiculous on the hanger. I mean, look at it! Cascading ruffles, and a big blingy sequins brooch front and center? Absolutely not my typical style, but I loved it. It felt so fine with swish and twirl in it – it gave me little butterflies. It reminded me of Scarlett O’Hara meets cupcake. There were a few downsides. It was strapless (though I would have added a plain, thin halter strap to it), it had structured boning in the bodice and a seat belt strap across the waist that made it awfully uncomfortable, and I didn’t like the weird sequins thing on the chest so I probably would have had it removed. It was also about $200 more than I wanted to pay for it. I adored the way the back looked, I loved how it flowed when I walked in it, and I liked the shape it gave my waist. I really, really liked this dress and I wanted it to be the one, but it just wasn’t. It looked like a cupcake. I wanted a dress that looked like me, that looked like a Lara dress. I also had a gut instinct that Ted wouldn’t like it very much, and I wanted him to be impressed with my dress, not horrified by the overwhelming frillyness of it. But mostly, I needed it to represent me, and it didn’t. Plus it was too uncomfortable and cost more than I was willing to spend.
What I liked: The shape, the cascading ruffles, how it moved when I walked, and the back-view.
What I didn’t like: The sequins brooch, that it was strapless, how structured and movement-restrictive it was, and the price.
The “Runner Up” dress
Here she is, my second choice in all her glory. If I had chosen this knock-out Maggie Sottero dress, I would have done three major alterations to it to really glam it up and make it mine, though she was beautiful as is. It’s funny when you think about it, because this dress has many of the qualities that I blatantly did not want. It was a strapless, sweetheart neckline with ruching and a dropped waist, and had a corset back. In fact, it was exactly the opposite of what I wanted. But the material – oh, the material! The softest, smoothest, grandest, most luxurious fabric I’ve ever worn! The fabric alone instantly sold me on this dress, so much so that I was willing to overlook that it was everything I didn’t want! It was light, slippery and heavenly. It draped so beautifully and moved so effortlessly. And do you know why this dress is so popular? Because it looks good on everyone, regardless of their body type. It slims down all the right trouble spots and accentuates all the right curves. It is universally flattering, and only about $100 more than the limit I’d naively set for myself. It was a close call and the only reason I didn’t choose it is because I swear that I’ve seen a million girls wearing dresses identical to this style in the past two years. If I had chosen this beauty, I would have added a little something (a flower, sash, or brooch perhaps) to the gathering seem near the right hip bone, had them replace the corset back with a zippered back, and added some type of sleeves (maybe sheer off the shoulders sleeves, or a halter strap) just to keep it fresh, spice it up a bit, and make it my own.
What I liked: The stunning material, the softness, the way it moved, and how it reflected light. It was glamorous without being too girly. It gave me a great figure and it was so customizable and versatile.
What I didn’t like: The corset back was my biggest concern, because that would have been a major alteration to convert it to a zipper back. Other than that I loved it!
The Dress that Was
The winner was Jasmine Collection style F319 in ivory. It met all my strict criteria – except for the pockets. She was lightweight, extremely comfortable, easy to get into and out of by myself, had a very similar silky soft and light-reflective fabric to the Maggie Sottero I admired, minimal lace and beading, wasn’t strapless, had an interesting, fun back design, enough details to make it special, it came in about $200 under the $750 limit, was very good quality, and I’d never seen a dress on anyone before or since that looks quite like this dress. She looks 1940s in the front and Grecian in the back. For all the hassle, heartache and hopelessness – she was worth it!
Well, we’ve made it through the first four months of marriage! Crazy, right? It really does feel like much longer, but in a comfortable, peaceful way. Every day I appreciate my husband more and more. He’s working late on Rent again tonight so I just finished making myself a fancy Indian dinner for one: Chicken tiki masala over white jasmine rice cooked in lemongrass ginger tea and sprinkled with green onions and cilantro, and finished off with a cool glass of white wine.
I think I enjoy Indian food as much as I do because the first time I had it was when I was studying abroad in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England during the summer before my junior year of college. A select group of us were over there for a three-week Shakespeare scholarship and performance intensive at the Shakespeare Institute Birthplace Trust and with the Royal Shakespeare Company. We loved England and adored the work we were doing, but by day two we were pretty sick of English food, which is notoriously less than delicious. You can only have so many lamb pastries, egg salad sandwiches, and fish n’ chips platters before you’re just craving something, anything new. That evening we came across a nice Indian restaurant nestled snugly on a cobblestone street in downtown Stratford. Everyone else seemed to love Indian food; I had never tried it. It was phenomenal! England may not be much good at cooking up their own cuisine, but they sure do excel at making other county’s delicacies. I don’t eat Indian food often, but whenever it do it rouses such fond and wonderful memories of that trip with its distinctive flavor.
Eating our first meal of Indian food together in Stratford-Upon-Avon, circa 2007. I'm the second one on the left.Tonight's dinner - my version of the exact same meal I'm eating in the picture above.
Anyhow, in honor of the 4-month mark, I’d like to take this post and the next to focus on an iconic part of a woman’s wedding day (other than the swell gentleman she’s pledging her life to, obviously): her wedding dress.
My dress shopping experience lasted four grueling months and spanned five cities in two states with a minimum of at least 16 different bridal salons. I went alone, I went with Ted, I went with my mom, with my mom and my dad, and with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. I shopped in San Antonio, Austin, Milwaukee, Green Bay and a few other diddly-squat towns I don’t remember the names of. Shopping in San Antonio was a nightmare, an utter disaster because nearly every bridal gown closely resembled either a negligee or a Quinceanera dress – a mix between a sweet 15 and debutant ball for girls in the Latin American culture.
Imagine this in white. Yeah, that's what good ol' San Antone had in the way of wedding dresses. I can think of nothing more opposite to my bridal vision than this epic monstrosity.
My dress shopping experience was less of a twirling, squealing, champagne-and-strawberries fairytale and more of a tiresome, frustrating pain in the ass. I tried on my fair share of truly heinous frocks, all of which looked heavenly on the hanger and horrific on my body, I assure you. I also tried on my fair share of glamorous gowns – some of which I liked, and some of which I almost loved.
Before I go any further, let me tell you a story. A few brief months before we got engaged, Ted asked me what kinds of rings I liked. Since I’d never been engaged before, I really had no idea what I liked. I couldn’t even properly identify a diamond’s shape or cut, or any basic ring settings. So off to the jewelry store I went to gather some rudimentary thoughts of what I might like. I tried on everything from solitaries to multi-stones and round to princess to teardrop cuts. My ring size at the time was 5.5 (now a 4.5), but the standard issue engagement ring carried in stores for brides-to-be to try on is a size 7. Now matter how beautiful the ring, when it’s a size and a half too large, the fit makes it seem all wrong. I left the jewelry store more confused than ever and discouraged because not a single ring looked good on me. They were all gorgeous in their own right, but because they were all so ill-fitting, I thought every one of them looked terrible on my finger, though I didn’t realize that this was the problem – I simply thought I just looked stupid in rings. The only one I was convinced I loved was an odd conglomeration of three or four differently shaped diamonds in uniquely-fashioned paisley setting. Looking back I recall that the ring was a return and therefore had been previously re-sized to was a size 6 – much closer to my natural ring size, hence why it looked better on my finger than any of the other rings. Had all those rings been in my size, I’m willing to bet it would have been significantly easier for me to determine which styles I did and did not like. As it turns out, the emerald cut multi-stone staircase setting with channeling that Ted chose for me is perfect. I can’t imagine wearing anything else.
As with ring shopping, I found the biggest issue with dress shopping was that none of the dresses fit. And it’s hard to sell yourself on such a meaningful, expensive purchase when, no matter how much you swoon over a particular dress, it just doesn’t fit you well. Sure, you know it can be hemmed, taken in, let out, and otherwise altered to fit you precisely. But I just couldn’t visualize how awesome any one dress would look once it was altered correctly. It was discouraging and made the decision-making process simply excruciating. I kept thinking after every dress “Do I like it enough?,” “Will I have dress regret?,” “What else is out there?,” “If I buy this one now, what else will I be missing out on that might be on the market in three months?,” and “I’m running out of time. Can I afford to wait that long?”
I think there’s a common misconception that wedding dress shopping is fun. Everyone finds something they love. Everyone has the “Ah ha! This is it! This is the one!” moment. But that just isn’t true. I left stores feeling disheartened and frustrated, not only because nothing fit me right, but because none of the stores carried the style of dress I had envisioned for myself. I had my heart set on some pretty specific criteria and for the most part, I wasn’t willing to compromise and conform to the popular 2010 wedding dress standards. I knew for a fact that I did not want a strapless dress and that I did not want any beading, embroidery, or sequins either. I wanted something timeless, simple, elegant, and comfortable with an interesting back design and one or two standout details. Requiring a gown with straps automatically reduced my selection by 85% and requesting minimal-to-no beading hacked out another 13%. What remained for me to inspect was a mere 2% of the store’s selection. I was lucky to find even one or two dresses in each store that I was interested in. I joked with Ted that if I couldn’t find a dress soon I’d be wearing khakis and a white sweater down the aisle, and I was actually semi-serious because it was a better solution than making myself miserable searching obsessively and unsuccessfully for the perfect dress, which by that time, I believed, was indeed still somewhere out there, being closely guarded by aliens.
When I did finally give up on being stubbornly indecisive and picked a damn dress already, it wasn’t because tears gushed forth from the eyeballs of myself and my mother as we instantly locked eyes and knew it was “the one.” Rather, it was just simply choosing the dress that matched my stringent criteria to a tee, flattered my body the best, came with a price tag that didn’t make me want to scream into a pillow, and was original enough with its cut and details that I knew I wouldn’t have to fear looking like every other 2010 bride out there. I was, and still am, happy with my choice, but arriving at it wasn’t instantaneous or a piece of perfectly coiffed fondant wedding cake. It took some pretty major sweat and tears.
Ironically, now that I’m married, I love nearly every dress out there. All of the sudden the bridal market has exploded with a vast, dazzling array of lovely non-strapless options (one shoulder, sleeveless v-neck, and sheer flutter cap sleeves), fabulously attention-grabbing details (ruffles, pockets, pleating, and rosettes), luxurious fabrics, and plenty of dresses without beading. I’m convinced that, based on my standards, tastes and expectations, were I looking for a wedding dress this season, I’d have a much easier time of it now that all the pretty things I lusted over and desperately searched for 16 months ago are now a hot commodity in the bridal fashion industry. Naturally this would be the case. I have stereotypically poor timing when it comes to coinciding and meshing my style with what the rest of the world has to offer.
How about another story? I remember prom dress shopping like it was yesterday. Seriously. I remember pouring over prom magazines at my friend’s houses and during lunch for months beforehand then excitedly packing into a vehicle early one Saturday morning with a gaggle of girls and racing to bridal & prom shops and department stores to load up on armfuls of brightly colored dresses. We bravely modeled them all, the ugly and the awesome, for one another and boldly gave our honest opinions. It was fun, but it didn’t work. Why? Because there were too many damn cooks in the kitchen and the one opinion that really mattered, your own, got lost among the well-intended advice and suggestions of everyone and their mother (literally).
I know I used to have a gazillion pictures of my friends & I posed in fitting rooms trying on the butt-ugliest prom dresses we could get our hands on, just for a laugh. You'd be rolling in laughter if you saw them. They were ridiculous. Sadly, I can't find them. A real prom picture, circa 2004, will have to do.I had to post this picture for purely narcissistic reasons - like the fact that the back of my dress is amazing! I still adore it to this day. If I had an excuse to wear it, I'd slink right back into it this instant. I found it at a bridal store when just my mom & I were shopping for a dress.
I knew right from the start that I didn’t want to bring along a zoo of cheerleaders or a parade of loud and opinionated friends and family for that very reason. I wanted to go with only one or two people at most. I wanted the opinions only of those who mattered most to me and whose styles closely mirrored mine. I have never, for even a second, regretted this decision. I was confused enough with just my own jumbled thoughts tossing about inside my aching brain. I certainly would not have benefited from numerous other opinions. In fact, I sometimes felt that even the one or two opinions of my beloved family who were with me were just too much. I couldn’t see straight or think clearly when I happily cooed over a dress I liked and someone else told me they didn’t think it was very flattering, or when they gushed over a dress I couldn’t wait to scramble out of. I liked going alone and forming my own judgments that weren’t subject to anybody else’s review. Both my mom and my dad were nothing but encouraging and gave excellent advice – they nudged me along gently, giving me just the little push I needed to make a final decision without crowding me. I’d suggest this method to any future-bride out there. Please, please bring just that one special person (or two at most) with you instead of your bridal party of 15. If I’d had it my way (and if it weren’t such an apparent taboo), I’d have had Ted go dress shopping with me. His opinion was the one I wanted the most!
Now that I’ve gotten my long-winded philosophy on the art and reality of dress hunting out of the way, in tomorrow’s post I’ll show you “the dresses that weren’t.” You’ll see my top contenders, the runner-up, and why they didn’t make the cut.
There exists a little something in the world of hourly-employees who work holidays called “time-and-a-half,” and it is a beautiful thing that instantly brightens an insanely busy, cold, rainy Monday. I, for one, am grateful for the extra cash to boost my otherwise meager paycheck from shrimpy to beefy. Yum. You know what else brightens a Monday? House and Mike & Molly. Mondays and Thursdays are, by a landslide, the best nights for humorous television. Ted’s working late again (but Rent opens soon, which means I’ll get him back starting Thursday night!) so my evening plans include a fully-stuffed omelet (breakfast for dinner is one of life’s greatest pleasures), a few episodes of the good stuff, and devouring the rest of a delicious memoir I’m finishing up. Hope your Monday night is just as gratifying.
He’s a chinchilla! And much to my extreme delight, I got to pet one today! I was working at the museum when one of the Natural History & Science employees walked by me. He’s a friendly guy and he didn’t recognize me, so he sweetly introduced himself, and the museum’s chinchilla that he was toting across the museum in a little plastic tub that bulk candy comes in. He asked if I wanted to pet him. OF COURSE I WANT TO take him home PET HIM. Was that even a serious question? He was so incredibly soft! Softer than you can possibly imagine – I’ve never felt anything so soft! I about up and left with him (and the remainder of my dignity) right then and there. Alas, I had to get back to work and Mr. Chinchilla had a birthday party to attend. One of the girl’s I work with came over and I told her I was petting the chinchilla. Her eyes widened and she said “Hey! That guy didn’t let me pet the chinchilla when I asked!” That’s when I realized that I either have “DESPERATE ANIMAL LOVER” stamped so clearly across my entire being that the dude felt bad for me and couldn’t resist letting me pet him (likely) or, he missed the ring on my finger and was flirting via chinchilla – which, for the record, is an excellent way to win a single gal. On his way back through at the end of the day, I inquired about the chinchilla’s birthday party appearance (I was secretly praying he’d bring the chinchilla back so I could hold him) and he asked how I found myself in Cincinnati. I explained that I’d just gotten married and we’d relocated to Cincy for my husband’s job. I sincerely hope people do not stop offering me adorable animals just because I’m not single – otherwise I’ll be missing out on some lovely chinchilla nuzzles. It was definitely a highlight of my day!
You know what else is exciting?
A bag of my favorite Valentine’s heart lollipops for only $1! Yep, cheap candy. I was pretty pumped to see them and they’re so delicious that I just couldn’t resist. Happy Sunday!
I slacked on posting a blog yesterday – a rarity apparently when your parents call to check in on you because its been a day and a half since your last post. However, it was Friday and I wasn’t about to intrude on an impromptu date night with my husband to type a blog about Chinese food and ribbon cutting ceremonies that could easily wait until today. It was well worth my absence.
Thursday night’s fried rice and crab rangoon experiment turned out to be pretty pleasing! I have a few minor tweaks in mind for the next time I make homemade Chinese takeout, mostly to enhance texture, but for a first-time attempt it was surprisingly delicious.
The fried rice was simple. I used brown minute rice, bits of sliced pork, scrambled egg, chicken broth, soy sauce, and diced veggies (carrots, red and green bell peppers, broccoli, green onion, and bamboo). In the future I’ll add in peas and baby corn as well. The rangoons were slightly more work, but still easy enough. I combined low fat cream cheese, crab meat, minced onion, a tiny bit of milk and light mayo, garlic salt, and green onions in a small bowl. I dropped a small scoop of the filling into square wonton wrappers, sealed them with water and threw them in the oven on 350 for 15 minutes. Aside from being baked instead of fried, they tasted quite similar to the ones you get at Chinese restaurants!
On Friday morning I got to watch a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Cincinnati mayor, an obnoxious pair of massive gold scissors, every media & television outlet in a 100 mile radius, and the lead researcher/archeologist/underwater explorer for the recent Cleopatra findings yesterday morning at work to usher in the grand opening of Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt. Cincinnati is the 2nd of only 5 U.S. cities to have this National Geographic special exhibit, so it’s a big deal and it was pretty sweet. After work I headed over to the CCM Starbucks on the UC campus to enjoy my relaxing weekly treat of a chai latte while I immersed myself in an enjoyable memoir for several hours and waited for Ted to finish work for the day. Ted introduced me to a member of the theatre faculty who hails from San Antonio. We had a great conversation about the area and it was so nice to talk to someone from home and have them understand all the streets, highways, traffic patterns, surrounding cities and weather! After that Ted & I went out for a beer and dinner at a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. We finished off the night at home, cuddled up on the couch watching an action movie. It was an excellent night of talking, hanging out and enjoying each other’s company – especially since Ted’s work schedule has been so crazy lately.
I had a great, busy day at work again today while Ted got a lot done on his first day off in a long time! We had coupons to use up before the end of February, so after I finished work we met for Skyline Chili (a local Cincinnati favorite – Greek chili with spices like nutmeg and cinnamon) and Baskin Robbins ice cream this afternoon (another great date! Reminds me so much of our life in Lansing when we were dating!). Then Ted ran off to work for the night and I went home to fetch more memoirs from the library (I’m addicted), grab a few basics from Kroger, and read myself to sleep.
I took this picture of an amazing sunset we had the other night. I’m adoring the glorious warm, breezy weather and the great sunsets that come with it!
Also, my wonderful mother sent me pictures of Sancho. Lest you think this blog is really about anything other than my handsome fur-angel (silly you), let me set the record straight: my blog is subject to constant Sancho appearances, simply because there is no such thing as too much Sancho.
(If you have no earthly inkling what I’m talking about there may be a lapse in your Gilmore Girls language & skills set. This is cause for serious concern and should be remedied immediately. I would strongly advise you to visit www.gilmore-ism.com or watch season 2, episode 22 to catch up at your earliest possible convenience. While you’re at it, please view all 5 seasons of Remington Steele too. You’ll be a better person for it. Also of note, you’ll have access to a vast mental database of stylish episode titles such as “In the Steele of the Night,” “Steele Your Heart Away,” and “Steeled with a Kiss” at your speedy disposal. I am the proud owner of the complete series DVD collection of these two fine shows and, together, they constructed the base of my high school and college television viewing entertainment. Scott Patterson and Pierce Brosnan are two handsome devils and you should be so lucky to be fluent in both Gilmorian and Steelish.)
Anyhow, back to Thursday. These two sweet chirpers were stationed so picturesquely, snoozing on our front porch, that I had to share them with you:
Fat and adorable. Spring’s a’comin’! I can feel it. They can feel it. It is fabulous outside and I want nothing more than to curl up with them on our porch under the sun and take a nap…now. This weather simply demands Texas BBQ, sweet tea, and Blue Bell ice cream. Last night we took a walk through a nearby neighborhood for a half hour or so before dinner and it was just perfect outside with a light sweater on. My hopes are up for this fine weather to stay a while and I fear my delicate Texas psyche will be gruesomely crushed if it snows again before November.
Perhaps because the chain of life goes something like cat > bird (yum yum), those little cuties above, whom I have absolutely no intention of dangling in front of Sancho, definitely reminded me of my dear Sancho (um, as does everything) and I realized I haven’t posted a Sancho-of-the-month picture yet. I’m well aware that you’re likely just as disappointed by this as I am. Lucky you, though! That’s about to change:
How I miss this little fellow! Just look at that tiny sandpaper tongue peeking out! This was taken on my 21st birthday - the day I adopted him. I'd be lying if I said he's not one of the main reasons I'm aching for a Texas visit.
Today, unfortunately, the iPad 2 was not released as recent rumors had been hinting at. Looks like we may have to wait until April for Ted to get his hands on one. The musical Rent will be opening soon at CCM and I’m really looking forward to seeing it! Great music and I’m excited to see their interpretation of it – I’m ready to be impressed! And just in case you’ve forgotten (though I trust you haven’t), Big Bang Theory will be on tonight, so be sure to tune in! On the subject of Big Bangs, there’s supposed to be a neat solar flare tonight that might be visible via a red glow to the northern U.S., if it doesn’t knock our power, satellite communications or GPS grids, that is. We may not be far enough north, but I’ll probably take a peek outside anyway, just in case. I’ll also be attempting to make fried rice and baked crab rangoons for the first time tonight for dinner. I’d like to try making Chinese dumplings and beef with broccoli to go with the crowd-pleasing lemon chicken I make, but those can wait for another night. I won’t tempt fate with too many new entrees all at once.
Let’s take a second to discuss my hatred of the “hit” TV show Glee. I may be the lone voice of reason dissent in a world that has been oddly brainwashed by its phenomenal stupidity, but I loathe that show. Possibly because the characters are so ungodly annoying that I want to hide under the couch for fear that their unfortunate personalities are contagious, or maybe because it is a complete and utter falsification of the world of glee clubs and musical theatre – allowing gullible middle and high schoolers everywhere to believe that throwing together unique, quality vocals and entertaining, precise choreography is a snap and happens justlikethat without an ounce of hard work or long-trained and meticulously-nurtured talent. Any goon in the school can just waltz into the classroom and burst into song and hey, whatdayaknow!? They all just so happen to be exceptionally talented without any effort or training whatsoever – every. single. last. one of them. And the costumes? Oh yes, killer. Because every high school out there can afford a wide array of matching, snazzy costumes as well as up-to-date audio and lighting equipment. Let’s get real – our costumes in high school were made of trash bags and scrap fabric – if we were lucky. In high school when I spent two weeks every summer at a university theatre intensive camp with like 30 other theatre kids, we were all pretty talented (if I do say so myself), but it took work for us to pop out our rockin’ grand finale song & dance numbers at the end of the two weeks. Hard work.
You could argue that the show is making being a singing, dancing, theatre kid “cool” again – though, let’s not be mistaken, being a theatre kid isn’t “cool.” It never was to begin with – it’s passion and it’s hard work. It brings some classic songs to the spotlight in a new, interesting way – which is a creative way to expose today’s generation of youth to a variety of tunes from all genres. Sure, on occasion it has done some socially redeeming things like promoting the acceptance and love of all people regardless of their gender, race, weight, sexual orientation, past, etc. Glee actually sets a fairly promising example when it comes to that issues and it should be applauded for that, but it doesn’t change the fact that, overall, the show is just plain ridiculous. The asinine plot, the outrageous weekly story lines, the scenarios, the totally unreal and unacceptable teacher/student interactions, the student/student situations – all a royal bunch of B.S. Nothing infuriates me more than the weird lip twitch, head bob, and nasal-tone of that obnoxious brunette girl (was anyone else cringing in pain as she butchered, and outright made up, every note in America the Beautiful during the Superbowl?), except maybe the way Glee degrades the real life effort and talent of people who work hard to be musical performers.
I realize that to some extent, every show on the air does this. They have to – that’s TV for you and how they make it work and it probably wouldn’t be as entertaining otherwise. I love Big Bang Theory and House, but I’m sure someone, somewhere out there is just as horrified by my choices as I am by Glee. Everyone has their pet peeves – this is mine. I’m a little shocked that I was able to construct an entire post about it, actually. Apparently I felt extra passionate about this today. Maybe I’ll sing about it to release my pent up anger. Oh well, onward and upward.
Today I’ll be trying my hand at slow cooker chicken cacciatore for dinner for the first time – Mmmm! I’m also still musing over potential vacation ideas and flights (I think I have cabin fever) but flight prices aren’t impressing me lately. It seems like only a year ago I was getting $99/each way flights back when I was flying to Michigan once a month. I can’t seem to find a domestic round trip ticket for less than $300 anymore (or an international for less than $800), if I’m that lucky at all. Bummer :-( Between fighting for matching days off, needing to use our rare days off to get a handle on our basement, and expensive travel options, it’ll make our dreamed-of travels much harder to achieve. I feel bad looking up all the things I think would be fun to do/see without even knowing if we’ll be able to make it happen. But it brightens my spirits just to see the incredible pictures and to write down all the fabulous excursion, activities, accommodations, and restaurants that would be fun to visit.
This morning I also toured the brand spakin’ new, not yet opened, exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center. Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt. Pretty cool my friends. It’s a National Geographic exhibit and Cincy is one of only 5 cities in the U.S. to be receiving it for six months. It’s going to be a hit seller. There’s a nifty audio tour narrated by Cleo herself, lots of background and history on prominent gods and goddesses, Egypt, Rome, Greece, family ties, her lovers and political allies, war, and most of the many artifacts in the exhibit were just recently discovered and yanked out of their liquidy ocean home where they’ve been since the ancient cities were covered by a tidal wave after Cleo’s death. I learned a lot of very interesting things I didn’t know before. I honestly could have stayed there for at least another hour. The most cutting-edge tidbit is that the ancient underwater cities are still quite the hotspot right this very minute. They’re currently continuing to map how it might have looked back then, pulling artifacts and 16 ft. statues from the depths of the water, piecing together clues, and they think they’re pretty darn close to discovering Cleopatra’s tomb in a hidden temple. It’s rockin’ to see history in the making, right?
One of my friends I met and worked with a few summers ago just got engaged to her boyfriend as well. Happy news for her! She was wearing a duck costume at the time – which immediately makes the story about 10x more adorable. This will be the first night in a long time that Ted should be home at a normal hour – I’m pretty excited that we can hang out tonight! :-) Have a happy Wednesday!
George Clooney is in Cincinnati. EVERYBODY FREAK OUT.
He’s in town to film his latest flick, The Ides of March. Apparently, this gives everyone a free pass to act like idiots. Or at least it gives 17 semi trucks the right to park on a narrow two-lane inner-city road and block traffic in Mt. Lookout all day while people rubber-neck. Same thing.
I awoke to a sweet surprise – an adorable card from my dear husband on our dining room table yesterday morning for Valentine’s Day. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I’d be happy with a good hug and I certainly didn’t expect him to buy me anything since we don’t typically buy into the commercialism of Valentine’s Day, so I was happily surprised to receive a card! Ted was gone from 7:15 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. yesterday for work, so I made him a tasty cheesy Italian sausage pasta casserole and fresh berry cheesecake and brought it to him over his dinner break. We sat in his office, ate, and watched an episode of Big Bang Theory on Hulu. After parking for 30 minutes in George Clooney traffic, I came home and unwrapped this…
….from my awesome brother, Brent! He’s stationed in Germany for the year and he sent us a huge box of Germany candy, which arrived on our doorstep this morning (perfect timing!) – Haribo gummy bears, Toblerone, Milka, and Ritter. I’m in heaven! After surveying the candy scene and deciding where to start, I plopped on the couch and debated between watching Up or The Notebook for the 4 millionth time. Fun fact: The Notebook was released at midnight on Valentine’s Day 2oo5. It was in my dorm room by 7 a.m. that very morning (and I had watched it twice by midnight that evening) thanks to my Valentine that year who knew that it was quite possibly going to be my favorite movie of all time. The poor, unsuspecting dude saw it in theatres with me where I burst into ugly, uncontrollable sobs and bawled for a good 45 minutes post-showing before I was able to get enough of a grip on my life that we could leave the theatre without causing a scene. Conversely, my friend Emily had quite the opposite reaction. The first time she saw it she laughed so hard that she turned 8 shades of red and practically spit out her mouth full of malted milk balls onto the carpet in my bedroom. I guess it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Anyhow, that’s all beside the point. I settled for Up because it’s funny, original, romantic and I don’t have it completely memorized. Ted and I saw it in theatres when we were living in Lansing and loved the animation and the story. We knew immediately that it was a “must own.” It’s likely to become another favorite, especially since I sniffled through the first 15 minutes of this one too. Apparently a movie has to summon tears in order to meet my stiff criteria.
