what is your favorite food?

bacon.

Ask me anything

hello?

Y

It has been two twelve hour days. Thank you, inventory. Up on my feet, away from the internet, counting menorahs, kiddush cups, and alef bet games. You know what? When I come staggering home around 10:30pm, franzia is my only friend. This is my hella sad and tired face. 

BUT. Vacay starts on Friday and then it's a week of sleeping late and hanging out in New York City. We would go somewhere, if we weren't planning a wedding...and could like, afford it.  But, I'm not going to lie: so so so nice to have a week off with my boo!

I was going to say more, but I can't remember. I'm too tired so here is an Elvis for you to enjoy. Don't reproach my absence:

one of those days...

You know? Today has been the total pitts when it comes to my mental stability and train of thought and I think I may be dressed slightly inappropriate for work. Furthermore, why do those bananas own pajamas but no suitable attire for being in public? Happy friday, y'all.

It's Thursday!

Which means it's almost Friday! Does anyone have any awesome weekend plans? Steve and I may register Elvis for a "How Fast Is Your Wiener" Race. A-yup, a dachshund dash.

Tonight we are going to a gallery opening in Chelsea (we're so New York). Steve's childhood friend Emily works for a gallery, so when we're lucky we get privy to the posh 11th avenue art world (and free wine!). Last night I went to Union Pool with my friend Chris to see a secret Rapture show. It was so much fun. They were very successful at keeping it on the down low so the back room wasn't too cramped albeit still packed. They played so many good jams, I boogied completely. While I was watching the show all I could think of was that scene in Nick and Nora's Ultimate Playlist where they go to Union Pool thinking the band is going to be there but its something else entirely...something horrible. There is this one guy getting it on all by himself. You have to wonder: dude, your taste in music sucks but you're having fun at a solo show.

quick iPod project update: I have 45 songs, and have listened to about 600.

hi! I like your blog. My wedding is in a year and I think what you have to say is pretty cool. Are you on a diet? What do you suggest for losing weight before the big day?

Thanks! It's good to know I am not the only person who thinks what I have to say is pretty cool. Haha.

To answer your question: no, I am not on a diet but that doesn't mean that I don't have a diet. I'm gluten intolerant and have been gluten free for two years now. That makes it easy to avoid delicious carb foods and cakes. I try to eat healthily and I'm sure to only eat when I'm hungry, not when I'm bored (ok, sometimes when I'm bored).

The biggest restriction I have on myself is that I only drink soda on the weekends. I am a soda addict and for the sake of my teeth and my waist line, I implemented this system. Trying to limit sugary drinks is probably not a bad step for anyone.

In general, I am not a fan of diets. In my experience, diets make food the enemy. Food is your fuel and your friend, totally not the enemy. Poor choices and lack of self control are you enemy. I do understand the desire to slim down and look the best for your day but a crash diet is never the answer. Think about how stressed and busy you will be in the weeks before your wedding - how are you going to cope with all of that stress and running around if you are going on a half empty tank? Do not want.

Since you have a year, you have plenty of time. Evaluate how much weight you want to lose. Is it a matter of a couple of pounds? This can probably be done by doing something as simple as taking the stairs every day at work instead of the elevator, switching to skim milk in your lattes, or exercising more restraint when it comes to your portions.

Do you want to lose more than that? Maybe you could re-vamp your lifestyle entirely. Analyze your eating habbits and think about why you're eating what you're eating. There are a lot of great programs that can help for this kind of thing. A lot of people I know have had great success with Weight Watchers. The key to their progress was that they didn't expect to just buy a ton of frozen weight watcher meals and snacks and shed the pounds, they applied the system to everything. They learned about what they were putting into their bodies and how much of it they were putting in. The program grows with you (or shrinks with you) as you go on and not only will it help you lose weight in a stable manner, it can give you the tools to maintaining your new shape!

I'm not trying to sound like an advertisement. I've just met a lot of people with a lot of positive feed back. Of course, I am not a doctor or a dietician, so you should probably consult an expert before you make any rash decisions.

The best advice I can give is: eat healthy and exercise. Yay? I hope you still think what I have to say is pretty cool.

Ask me anything

iPod Project Official Day 1

I promise I won't post daily progress on the project, but this is the first day! I was feeling quite ambitious and decided that instead of filtering through and only listen to wedding appropriate bands, I was going to put my entire iPod...on shuffle!!! Aaaah!! All 8,000 songs! It's lunch time and I have gotten through about 430 of them. I haven't listened to a lot of them all the way through (obviously) and sometimes I'm not even sure what these songs are doing on my iPod! Out of the 430, I have 23 songs I put on the list. But that's not all: check out how organized I am:

Totally color coded! I love color coding. I have a selection for songs that should be played later on in the evening and also songs that I am thinking of for the cocktail hour. I am on this wedding bizniz. What are your favorite songs to boogie to at weddings?

iPod Project

Happy Father's Day, Dad!!!

Did everyone have a nice weekend? I was murderously ill on Friday with a migraine to write home about, no bueno. Even still, we headed down to Philadelphia to kick it with Steve's family for the weekend. It was a great time, we hit up a flea market in Lambertsville and picked up two carved glass bowls for our centerpeices. On Sunday we went to a family picnic on the Susquehana and ate a bunch of delicious food.

The 3 hour ride into the middle of nowhere PA on Sunday, caused quite a stir about our reception music. There are a lot of songs that I don't want anywhere near our wedding, which some people think are a necessity. I won't go all Bravo TV on anyone, but Single Ladies will not be played during my bouquet toss, the chicken dance, macarena and electric slide are in permanent exile and I will not be accepting any bribe to ensure Stairway to Heaven is the last dance. With the exception of those death stare worthy suggestions, I am pretty open to what music is played. I think that the best play lists surprise and delight and I want my guests to have a simply delightful time!  In fact there is an overwhelming amount of music that I want played; however Steve and I have different ideas of what should and shouldn't be played during the reception so we have launched a project into compromise!

THE iPOD PROJECT!

Each of us has a small portable notepad and pen to be kept on us at all times. Over the next 4-5 months we're required to listen to every viable band on our ipod (Iron Maiden, Orchid and Converge need not apply) and write down the songs that we think are a good fit for our reception. Everything that is on the shared list will automatically be included, the others have to be given a fair listen to and a mutual verdict will be handed down. The final list, on top of those songs that are already on a play list at the bequest of our family will then be handed over to the DJ we (finally) hire, then we'll get professional feedback. Sounds good, right?! We'll see.

On a side note, it's Monday and I am already counting down until Friday (insert heavy sigh). All of the traveling just makes the weekend seem like not much of a weekend. Here is what I want to do this weekend: ride my new bike, eat ice cream, go to a park, sun bathe, listen to music (via the ipod project), play some rock band. And did I show you my new bike yet? No! Good heavens, check it pretties:

Isn't it something? The Fuji feather...I love it! I totally shouldn't have purchased it, but I love it. I rationalize the splurge on the fact that Steve adores riding bikes. I never felt safe on the one I bought for $70 off of some guy on the street and not only was it a sketchy ride, but it was waaay too heavy and big for me. Fluffy (my name for the bike) rides like a dream and I get super stoked on riding her all over Brooklyn! So, while I should not have probably spent the dimes, I see her as an investiment in future (free) time spent with Steve and a mutual hobby. Blah, blah, blah....but she also promotes health! Go, Fluffy, go!!

Gowns I love, but could never wear....pt 2

And to be honest, with some of these dresses it's not that I could never wear them; it's that I already have my dress and it's the most perfect thing you will ever see after I get hitched (correction, second most because duh your wedding dress is the most perfect). Here they are: some gorgeous gowns that will run you less than $500:

Let's get right into it.

1. Sue Wong Embroidered V-Neck Gown, $488 at Nordstrom.com. This is great for someone who loves the laced beaded look for less. Antiqued styled dresses can often be exceptionally expensive because lace is costly and beading is labor intensive. This lovely Sue Wong gown offers the same vintage inspired feeling for a lot less than some others will run you.

2. Aidan Mattox Strapless Gown, $370 at Norstrom.com. I love this gown and so do people who have purchased it! It has gotten rave reviews from people who bought it online for both weddings and vow renewal ceremonies. That's always nice to read, right? People were enthused with the quality and loved the way the subtle silver patterning was set against the ivory. What I love about this dress is that the designer remembered my favorite rule: elegance is simplicity. I feel like sometimes less expensive designers go over the top with embellishments trying to create an uber fancy gown and they end up making it look costumey. I think this is a chic feeling dress with a good price tag.

4. Open Back Pleated Gown, $398 at BCBG.com. The Grecian revival is not my style at all, but this gown embodies the trend of the times in a classic way. Without the over done drapery that, in my humble opinion, has some wedding gowns looking like a toga hybrid, this gown has a flowing elegance and simplicity that makes it wonderful for an intimate wedding or beach setting affair.

5. Silk Avery Dress, $450 at JCrew.com. You didn't think I would leave J Crew out of this, did ya?! I have spied so many brides wearing J Crew in the last year and (bahda-da-da) I'm loving it! The clean cut, irresistible lines and natural cling of the fabric just make this dress my choice; and it has also gotten rave reviews!

I wanted to say something about wedding dresses in general again, inspired by a post on Sane Bride about picking the dress. Everyone has their dream dress and what they think they want and what they end up with. My advice is pure and simple: go with your gut and never be discouraged in your choice. Sometimes it's painful to be looking at these weddings online and seeing these ravishingly expensive gowns. No matter what your budget, as long as you carry yourself with grace and sophistication and allow all of your joy radiate out, you will be the most gorgeous bride on the face of the planet. Trust me! Every bride I have seen has been the most beautiful girl in the world (except for one bride, but I h8 her so she doesn't count). The main function of the gown is to enhance your shine, your energy and your confidence.

I knew that my dress was the dress because when I looked in the mirror I started to cry uncontrollably. How did you know?

I am so tired!

I am feeling more Red Bull inspired than I am wedding inspired. In spite of all of my elation that I get to start planning, I'm all like "...what up?" I found a new great blog though! Sane Bride Advice. I read the articles on picking your colors and I  thought I would just pay homage to my own:

Dear Navy Blue and Orange,

Seriously, you're the best. Orange: you come in so many shades and varieties and you lend yourself to the natural nuances of my venue, what could I do without you? And Navy, you! You embrace the greens and brown accents that autumnal New England offers. So, thank you for adding your richness to nature. My dear colors, I cannot wait to see you in all of your glory. (which will be my wedding day, because I am not a Mets fan)

XOXO,
B

I told you I was tired. On the flip side, I think there is some sound reasoning to my love letter. It is the same sound reasoning that goes into what the ladies at Sane were saying: your colors should enhance your environment, not fight it. I am kind of a purist when it comes to the need to respect seasonal colors. I will tell anyone as much as well. Just ask me what I think about black, red and silver for an outdoor wedding set in the middle of July.

I also don't think you should be inflexible with your colors as long as you keep with the same base. I plan on having multiple shades of blue - sans anything crossing the line into the aqua or Tiffany blue region. We won't wage ware on that, royal blues, natural blues and anything with that kind of purple base. For the orange, I am going to steer clear of anything that doesn't look like a natural orange. I am thinking more of a burnt fall-ish color.

That's all I got. Inventory is in a few days and I have a pile of work on my desk. I do have some well reviewed wedding dresses under $500 to share. Soon! In other news, I think I am buying a bike tonight!

Make it your own...

I was reading my color coordinating Martha Stewart rag in bed last night and there a very interesting section about ceremonies and how brides tend to overlook them. No, that's not the word I want. It isn't that as brides we overlook the importance of the ceremony or what it means to us to proclaim our unyielding devotion to our misters, it's that commercialism and stylizing all seems to center around the reception.

While the reception is beau coup important, the focal point of the planning and the most important people to keep in mind while planning the awesome party are your guests. (Yes, your guests) Remember, the reception is a place to receive and interact with the people you love as a general celebration and thank you for coming to witness your ceremony. The ceremony? Well, honeys - that is all about you and your honey.

I have to confess, I can play the guilty bride when it comes to neglecting my ceremony. When Jane asked me about ceremony decor, I offered her a blank stare and sweet smile in return. I want to step up and say: never again and thank you Martha! More importantly, thank you for smacking me across the face while I still have a year. Here are some things I know about my ceremony: it will be outside and I don't want any biblical readings. Hopefully, Steve's grandfather will be marrying us and we will have written our own vows.

I have known these things for a while but I haven't done an inch of legwork. Well, let's change that. I am going to start looking into readings. Right now, I have a few authors (Marquez, Tolstoy, Mann, Rilke) that I have always imagined could be read on my wedding day, but now it is time to start to hone in on quotes that are not only about love but can serve as a reflection on who Steve and I are and what we're about not as individuals but as a whole. There are so many wise poets out there and I have such a love for words that although this is a wonderful and reflective task, it is going to be overwhelming. Oh, well, ich suche mit den Hoffnung.

Then there are the processional and recessional, I'm at a loss for this as well. The only thing I do know about this, is that Cannon in D is not coming anywhere near my ceremony. Back in grad school I did a dance to this song and every time I hear it, I can't think of anything else besides the choreography. Anyway I want more contemporary music during the ceremony. Maybe something off of Sufjan Stevens' Seven Swans or Jimmy Eat World's Clarity. While Steve is the music guru and he has insisted on having an electric guitars over a string quartet (I condeded) I don't really want Built to Spill to be played during the ceremony. While typing this, I just realized that somehow, the music is going to be more complex than trying to perfect the readings. Isn't that a little backwards?

here is some eye candy.

I'm working on it!

'it' being another "Dresses I Love but am not Wearing" (by request love mail - that makes me so happy!). I wanted to give myself a challenge and I set the budget to be under $500. I want it to be comprehensive and I'm busy watching 90's television and reading about Lisbeth Salander's impending trial in The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. I just needed to give a thumbs up and total word to your mom, to my friend Jessica. She writes a much better blog than this one: One Girl No Diet.

It's been on my stalk list and I read it always, but I must, reiterate her earlier statements today about anchovies. You guys, have you ever had anchovy pizza? Pasta Puttanesca made (right) with these delicious fishes? A correct Cesar Salad? No? Then go try it. "Bacon of Fish" - Jessica, the wise.

Why did you leave the knot?

I left the message boards for a few of my own reasons. Those reasons have nothing to do with the amazing women I was lucky enough to connect with on the boards. It was a quick decision that came at the right time for me and while I miss a lot about the community, I know it was the right choice. If you want to get more personal about it you can email me at: xoxobblog@gmail.com.

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Happy Wedding Magazine Day!

I'm super late to snagging this issue but I had kind of forgotten (?!?) about it. I have been consumed with trying to pace myself, my enthusiam lapped my person. I remembered this morning and asked Stevie B to pick me up one at the SoHo rack shop, but Duane Reade gave me two lovely surprises this morning: one being 2/$5 12oz Red Bulls and the other being Martha. Also, I think Ms. Stewart would be proud because my nail polish against that cover is totally copasetic, it's a good thing.

ps. on page 22, they announce they are also in love with Etsy.

It's almost a year!!!

Seriously! Almost a year! Everybody clap your hands!

When Steve convinced me that a longer engagement was more sensible, I never thought it would be this difficult. We had a plethora of reasons: two of my cousins had already set dates within a month of eachother, my mother's divorce proceedings with my stepfather, our ever wise friend Amanda telling Steve if she could do it all over again she would have had more time (thanks, Amanda. Jk, I love you!), and a few other things that seemed to be stacked high on our plates. I also have to say that in our area (NY/CT/NJ) it makes sense to have a longer engagement just so you can take your time with vendor selection. If I had waited on a few of our vendors, I would have lost them - like my beautiful venue The Wadsworth and had I not gotten penned into Brian's calander a less happy bride I would be. Regardless! All of that is in the past right now because, OH MY GOD YOU GUYS, IT'S ALMOST A YEAR AWAY!

Squee!! Now, the reason why I am getting all jabberwoky on you is because now: it's beginning. Steve and I have selected a restaurant to have our "engagement dinner" (I hate calling it an engagement dinner because we've been engaged for so long that we're not announcing anything new here). Yummy mexican food at Mesa Coyocan - walking distance from our house. Homeboy has to start working on invitations because they have to be sent!  This dinner is where we're going to formally ask our nearest and dearest to take a stand next to us on the big day. Bestie Elise is flying in from LA, and we're going to have some amazing out of town guests to host. I am not usually one for ceremony when it comes to these matters (really, a phone call will suffice) but who doesn't love a party? I am excited to be able to do something nice for these wonderful people in our lives. Especially since so many will be coming from out of town if they can make it, the potential for fun is unending.

So now comes the real deal: we're working on invitations to be sent out the first week in July to give everyone a heads up. Once we're all on board, Steve and I get to really start honing in on details without looking like insane people. 

I also have to start mapping out our honeymoon. My mom has been kind enough to bank two weeks of her timeshares for our picks in Hawaii. I need to look over all of our options to figure out where we want to stay, if we want to stay on one island for two weeks or change it up. Has anyone ever been to Hawaii? Any suggestions?

Ithaca is Gorges

Check out that amazing view. That's Kevin, Matt, myself and Dan (Go Red Sox!) looking at probably one of the coolest things I have seen to date. We headed up to Ithaca after work on Friday. Kevin is getting his masters at Cornell and he was amazing enough to organize everything for us, from renting the camp sites to the van. There were a total of seven of us and we camped at a state park. Steve, Bridget, Dan, Matt, Meghan and I got to our campsite after midnight on Friday. Kevin had set up two tents but it was too dark to pitch another so five of us slept in one. It was my first time sleeping in a tent! I had never been camping before so this whole trip was an adventure for me. On Saturday we took an early stroll to see that waterfall. Nature is so impressive.

After being totally awe inspired we trouped off in our  van to begin our wine tasting tour (with Kevin as a truly wonderful and responsible DD). The finger lake area has a ton of wineries and vineyards, there is something about the weather coming off of the lake that stabilizes the climate and makes it great for growing grapes. The area is known especially for its white wines, but my favorite ended up being a Cabernet Franc. Although there are dozens of them we only ended up at six of seven. It's such a good deal, anywhere from $2 to $5 will get you a taste of 2-8 different wines. Some places pour miniature sips, other places pour you half of a glass. It's the good life.
We were all pleasantly tipsy come the end of the day. Here Dan and Steve stroll arm in arm by some growing grapes.

                                                                                     To be perfectly honest, by the time we reached the last winery, I was too boozed to even sample.
The whole experience was slightly overwhelming. The majority of the wines we tasted were absolutely delicious. Some of them? Not so much. There was one winery (I can't recall the name) where the tasting actually happened in the owner's living room. It was a slightly sketchified feel and the whole decor needed an overhaul (as well as a decent dusting). The couple gave a presentation before passing out each sample, while that part was interesting and enjoyable the wine itself was acrid. I'm serious, none of us could enjoy a sip of that garbage! One of the samples had a distinctive ham taste to it. Forever known to me as "Ham Wine" and for the record, I hate ham wine. To add to the wretched flavor, the man who was pouring the samples managed to make lascivious comments toward me and Steve (awkward much?). For all consideration, that was the only poor experience we had. Most of the wineries were delightful. One of them had a goat that we were able to feed treats to. It was a very fat, piggy goat but sweet none the less.

We got back to our camp around 5pm and we all relished in a much deserved nap. After that, we headed into town for dinner and a sneak peek at what Ithaca was like. I have to say, that place has some pretty weird art scattered around (like a bronze statue of a man with a vagabond hat and fairy wings). It's a really wonderful town: super cute and friendly with a great variety of restaurants. I do love a good college town. Saturday night ended with some good ole fashioned campfire fun and a rousing game of "Would You Rather...".

Sunday we got to a slower start. Kevin took us to a bell tower concert on the Cornell campus in honor of the graduating classes. I never thought that bell ringing would be such a rigorous endeavor. The women who were making the bells chime at some points were on one leg, reaching the levers with both hands and a foot. They played an awesome array of classical song and both of them were sweating by the time it was over.

Then we got a delicious lunch and walked the bridges to look over some of the gorges. It was so hot we decided that we should go swimming in one of the quarries. Steve and I hadn't brought bathing suits so we went to wal-mart in order to procure some inexpensive ones. For a grand total of $15, here is what we came up with:

Pretty rich, right? We got a whole lot of looks for that one. Some people genuinely complimented our patriotic attire.

I can't even begin to explain how much fun it was to swim along these rocks. It was pretty incredible. There were rocks to climb on, ledges to jump off. I even swam under a waterfall, that was so cool. Dan said it had been something he'd always wanted to do - Kevin made sure it happened. We stayed there for a good amount of time then grabbed food at a grocery store and headed back to camp.

Sunday night was another great time around the campfire, making s'mores and playing drinking games. For someone who had never been around a real campfire like that with a bunch of friends it was a great experience. It was such a good time, it was bananas. Here is a final montage of experiences: