utter nonsense

And yet, it makes me giggle.

via here.
(Amsterdam is so pretty.)

Besides, it's better than navel-gazing, self-indulgent whinging ... isn't it?

my sphere of influence expands!

I've been chosen to join the Weddzilla team as a guest blogger! I'm going to be reporting on the roller coaster ride that is the final countdown to our big shindig -- 17 days and counting! There will also be recaps & a post-mortem of how all this planning/scrambling/making it up as we went along turned out.

A big shout-out and lots of love to the Weddzilla team for finding my rantings amusing enough to share with their readers.

My plans for world domination are right on schedule. Mwah ha ha ha hah!!!

distraction = relief

I should be calling that caterer that my friend J. recommended. Instead, I'm looking at these:

Attack Bird Chronicles
worth looking at just for the videos ... and the tag line "this bird is pissed"
(note to self: while in SF, avoid Citi National Bank on Front Street)

Design Sponge
I want a house, and I want to make it (and the stuff in it) look this cool.

F*U Penguin
Yes, I'm a child.

Okay, I'm going to work now.

inspiration: the real deal

I stumbled across this during my daily blog-infusion this morning, and it just blew me away.

I've mentioned before how much I love A Practical Wedding -- Meg has such a great sense of style, and really keeps Wedding Insanity in its proper perspective. This morning she did a feature on the lovely New England wedding of Rebecca and Thom. I probably would've swooned over their pics anyway, due to my considerable crush on the city of Boston. And her description of their "open mic" ceremony, during which their loved ones were invited to speak about love & marriage, has been filed away in my brain's Ideas folder.

But what really got to me was this quote from the bride: "I knew ... that I am the only person who can ruin my wedding -- by letting the small stuff get to me -- and as long as Thom and I were married at the end of the day, it was going to be the best day of my life (so far!)."

Could you die? Because I sure as hell could. Instead of having a breakdown over non-"perfect" flowers, a less-adept than advertised organist, or anything else that wasn't straight out of Martha Stewart Weddings, she smiled. And had a good time. And still ended up married at the end of the day ... minus the frown lines.

So all of the fabulous women who are going to be present at my nuptual shindig are hereby on notice: Just in case I begin to behave as though I've forgotten these words, please print them out and bring them to the ceremony. And if necessary, roll up the piece of paper & smack me with it until I get the fuck over myself.

tagged again

The lovely Carol, who blogs at Prima Donna Bride down in South Africa (side note: I'm aching to visit your gorgeous country! I want to go on photo safari & surf) has tagged me. Yes, I'm blushing, and oh-so-pleased to know that there are people who are reading this even though they're not a) in my wedding, b) related to me, or c) being paid by me to raise my readership stats, in some weird attempt to simultaneously inflate my ego and deflate my bank balance. But I digress: Ahem. So these be the rules:

1 Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs who show great ATTITUDE and /or GRATITUDE
(editorial note: guess which one I enjoy more ...)

3. Be sure to link to your nominees in your post

4. Let them know they've received this award by commenting on their blog

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received the award

I nominate these blogs as outstanding for showing great attitude and (one of them, at least) gratitude:

Stupid Wedding Crap

I Hate Planning My Wedding

The Pissed-Off Bride
(ed. note: is anyone else noticing a theme here?)

The Broke-Ass Bride (and yeah, I know that she was named in Carol's post. But I heart her, too.)

One Barefoot Bride

Mr. Un-bride (Because he has to like me back.)

And, just because I'm not only* interested in wedding stuff, *Mostly is not the same as Only. Look it up. I also pick these.

Cake Wrecks (My fiance' is just thrilled when I sing your Unsolicited Jingle. Really. Can I live with you when he throws me out?)

Morphine Life (Trent sings for an amazing NorCal band. Listen & love them, dammit.)

Half-Assed Kitchen (Even I can't screw up their recipes.)

Fuck You, Penguin (Cute animals are awesome. Telling off cute animals is even better.)

Please know that I don't expect any of these people to continue the cyber chain letter of re-posting, etc. I enjoyed it because I'm flattered and I like sharing the love, but I imagine that other people have full & exciting lives, and therefore don't have time for such things.

shopping goodness continues

I have to give props to A $10,000 Wedding for this one: the sale going on right now at Pier One. She tipped me off about it in her blog, and although I had to do some digging, I really did find some great stuff. So much that I went back the next day, when they weren't about to close which made me feel like I had to rush. (By the way, why is it that all the cra-zazies come out to shop just before a store closes? Those poor clerks. Maybe it was because I picked the Hollywood location, but still...) I got a few more of these -- there were already two in the bundle of candle goodness that I got off of Craigslist. Yes, I have something specific in mind for them. Or at least Ania The Coordinator does. Besides, they were $0.08 a piece. I have 12 now.

I also got 5 of these. They didn't match my decor ... ... but now they do. $0.28 each, plus paint I already had = about $1. Lastly, take a look at this:
It's a flower blossom candle holder, in crystal. It's beautiful, and it costs about $88 in the store on La Brea where I spotted it. I did not buy it. I bought this instead: It's a really crappy angle, and my floor is filthy (sorry) so allow me to explain. It's a double-layered star-shaped candle holder. In glass. On sale for $0.18 each. I bought 12. That's $2.16 if you're keeping score. (Which I am, believe me. Ask me about my Excel files. On second thought -- don't. Spare yourselves.)

I also spotted what might be a lovely paper to line our invite envelopes with. I can't get the picture off of my cell phone's online "album", so you'll just have to take my word for it -- it's very pretty. Pale cream with teal blue swirly lines. But I'm leaning heavily against spending $3.50 per piece of 20" x 30" paper. I think I can only get about 10 envelopes per page out of that. Too expensive. Where's all the pretty wrapping paper you can buy by the roll, dammit?! (Seriously, if you know please tell me.)

I've been tagged!

So the very lovely, recently "graduated" London Bride has tagged me to tell you 10 random facts about me. Oh where, oh where to begin ... so much of my life is eminently random ... well, here goes:

1. I was a minor celebrity in Italy for a week, several years ago.
2. My two half-sisters, who are not from the same "half", have never met. (I plan to amend this at my wedding.)
3. I am irresistably drawn to anything with 4 feet and fur.
4. I speak 3 languages well to fluently, and can function in 3 others. (And I'm an American!)
5. I was in the marching band in high school. I played clarinet.
6. As a kid I wore braces for 2 weeks -- my orthodontist took them off, quit & moved to Spain.
7. I'm 5'9", but since I was a model that means I consider myself short.
8. I am terrified of needles.
9. I love being in my 30's (but if my agent is reading this, I'm 27.)
10. I teach pole dancing.

By the way, for evidence of why I'm green with envy that London Bride lives where she does, go here immediately to check out Jason Hawkes' gorgeous photographs. And I'm supposed to tag five more people. So here's a few of the people whom I enjoy reading:

Broke-Ass Bride
The Pissed Off Bride
A Practical Wedding
$10,000 Wedding
Mr. Un-bride (hi, babe!)

Thanks so much for the tag, London!

it's definitely not nothing ... *

In what can only be interpreted as a reasonable (re)action, Mr. UB has started a blog. He says it's intended as a "companion piece" to my ramblings here. I'm pretty sure that means he's going to offer his point of view on all things Wedding, and correct my interpretation of his thoughts/motives/etc. I suspect there will also be a healthy dose of mocking me right back. (Cue "Dueling Banjos," please.)

Pop quiz: this makes us a) adorable, b) well-matched, c) deserving of each other, or d) comfortable with announcing to the world that we both have way too much free time. Feel free to check his blog here before you decide.

* title reference explained here.

spreading the love

I am in love. First and foremost, with Mr. UB, but also with two ladies in particular whom I've discovered out there in Blog Land. I've been doing "a bit" of cruising around on the internet, attempting to 1) discover exactly how one plans a wedding, by 2) looking for ideas to emulate *coughstealcough*. And while a lot of what's out there is just plain scary to me, or looks like the Wedding Fairy threw up on it right before she exploded, there have been a few truly amazing discoveries:

1) A Practical Wedding: I stumbled across this blog one night when I was having trouble sleeping, up in Snow Prison. I think I devoured almost the entire thing in one sitting -- although I keep cruising back over it looking for tidbits I might have missed. Things I love about her: her book-themed bridal shower; her take on the many-layered horrors of attempting to dance the night away with your beloved in 15 lbs. of dress that costs as much as a used Toyota; the fact that she literally registered for goats.

But mostly, it's for her overall point of view. Which is a lot like mine, except more eloquently put: "If you have the time and energy, by all means, think about the details. If you can make your wedding more of a personal reflection of you and your partner, that's awesome. But lets be honest. I have been to countless weddings, big expensive weddings, small DIY weddings, and everything in between. And I can't remember a single centerpiece. Not one.

If you want to focus on something, focus on making the day a accurate reflection of you and your partner. Do things because you want to do them, not because the wedding industry is telling you they are the done thing. Your guests do not care about the fancy calligraphy on your escort cards. And they are not going to remember your wedding because it was the third one they went to this year with parasols and pashminas for all the guests. They are going to remember the wedding that was vibrant and joyful, not the wedding that felt like a (very detailed) photoshoot."

... yeah -- what she said.

2) Peonies and Polaroids: Where do I even begin? She lives in Scotland, she loves rabbits, and she has exquisite taste. She's also delightfully prone to swearing, in that British way that still manages to sound posh. She's unconventional in the best possible way -- you get a sense of a woman being herself, however on- or off- the beaten path that may be, who describes her flaws & mistakes with a humor & grace I can only aspire to. She takes the loveliest photographs. And I am seriously considering copying her bracelet.

To both of you lovely women, and all the others out there who supply me with my daily dose(s) of "wedding porn" -- thank you for your inspiration, and for the reassurance that I am not alone.