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Image by the fabulous Yvonne Wong
Okay, I’m only half-kidding. See, in writing this book about the whole mother-daughter wedding planning experience, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best way to learn about what a life commitment MEANS is to ask anyone and everyone.
And, OBVIOUSLY, that means you. You guys are my peeps, you know? You’re the reason I’m writing this book in the first place. So…here’s a list of questions. Answer any or all of them in the comment section. And make sure you include the name you’d like me to use if I end up quoting you in the wedding book. If you have anything extra to say that isn’t covered by the questions, let ‘er rip!
For those of you who aren’t married, I STILL want to hear from you – believe it or not, getting married doesn’t magically transform you into this wise woman who understands the core of her being. So tell me what you think, too.
1. If you’ve ever been married, describe the role your mother played (or didn’t play) in planning your wedding. Anecdotes, quotes, and copies of emails/letters are welcome. Interpret this question however you’d like.
2. If you’re a professional in the wedding industry, describe some of the lessons your job has taught you. What have you learned about the meaning of a wedding, both for the couple and for their loved ones?
3. What was unique about your wedding? Alternatively, if you’re a professional in the wedding industry, what non-traditional elements have you seen? What did these quirky touches say to you about the marriage, and what did you learn from this out-of-the-box approach?
4. Tell me your best wedding drama story. I KNOW you’ve all got ‘em.
5. Tell me a mother-of-the-bride story. Professionals, what crazy mother-of-the-bride experiences have you had?
6. Based on your experiences, what are the three pieces of advice you’d give a bride and/or her mother? Feel free to only speak to the bride, or only to the mother, or to both. I’m hoping that you’ll tailor this answer to your specific background – so Jocelyn, who’s a makeup artist, might tell brides to moisturize the HECK outta themselves in the months leading up to the big day. (And if y’all have more than three rules, friggin’ list ‘em!!!)
7. Anything else? Seriously – anything at all? Even if it’s totally unrelated to any of the above. Don’t hold back.
Image also by the fabulous Yvonne Wong who you should book IMMEDIATELY if you're looking for a photographer
I woke up to my favorite sight this morning: freshly fallen snow. I don’t know what it is about that shizz – it’s like Prozac for me. This is the first snow we’ve gotten this season in Chicago so I’m pretty much jumping out of my skin with holiday cheer and optimism, which is a stark contrast from the horrified panic I was in last night over one of the finals I have this week.
That’s what your saying, isn’t it? I know, I know, bad blogger and yadda yadda. My only excuse is that juggling school and book-writing and now it’s finals season and…and…feel sorry for meeeeeee!! Okay, just kidding. Anyway, things will pick up after the holidays.
Oh, and about Aubrey’s faaabulous wedding…I have to hold off on publishing photos of it. It’s very exciting and that’s all I’ll say.
I just wanted to drop in and tell you that Wednesday of this week, December 3, marked the four-year anniversary since Dave and I shared our first kiss. It was the last first kiss with another person either of us would ever experience. I’m hell-bent on still celebrating this little miniversary, since it reminds me of how much we’ve grown and experienced in the last four years…but he says it detracts from our new, cooler anniversary. What do you guys think? Do you still celebrate your old anniversary after you get married? Apprope or inapprope?
Here’s a photo taken of us the day after our first kiss. He came to my dorm room hang out and got in trouble with his friends because it was the first time he had ever ditched them for a girl. I think they forgive him now. Look how happy and giddy we were (and still are):
Who knew that four years later we’d be married? Aw, I love life.
Check back soon for a whole truckload of photos from Aubrey’s wedding. It was, in a word, stunning.
Also, I realized that in the meme that I posted a while back, I had some blonde moments and crossed out a few items I actually haven’t done. I’m surprised none of you commented on it…seriously, people, I’ve never snorted cocaine. I’m too much of a spaz as it is. For the record, I’ve also never smoked cigarettes, cried myself to sleep (actually, I did that over my accounting class last week, but as of that post, I was a cry-myself-to-sleep virg), cheated on anyone, been in a mental hospital, had an online diary (this is NOT my diary) (most of the time), overdosed, or had a drug/alcohol problem. Yeesh. I have no clue why those got crossed out. Anyway, not a big deal but I know some people who would care (hi, Grammy and Pa!) read this blog and I had to clarify. For posterity’s sake.
So, in sum: come back soon for Aubrey’s wedding, and I’m not a skank.
People, I know that the majority of you do your blog-reading from your desk at work. I can tell because so far none of you have revolted against my overly verbose, parenthesis laden posts. Let’s be honest: if you’re reading a blog at work, you’re looking for some grade-A distraction.
All of this is to say that you should probably stop pretending to fiddle with an Excel sheet and read this blog. Right now. (Warning: Meg, the main author, douses each entry in deliciously foul language and offensive humor.) Every time I read a new post, I end up bursting into laughter, which is bad because I’m usually in a study lounge at school trying to look all smart and overworked.
And if on the off-chance any of you have connections with the Jager company, pass along Meg’s blog. I will buy anything she sells me. Anything.
Anyway, it’s midterms week for this little Wiggs, but pretty soon I’m going to share with you the recipe of the best thing I’ve ever made in my kitchen. Ever. The photo at the top of this post is a hint, and that’s all I’m going to say.
What blogs are you totally addicted to (besides mine, OBVIOUSLY)?
So now that I’ve got a job AND I’m in business school, I have zero time for anything unless it starts with “online” and ends with “shopping.” Obviously this has started to take its toll on my eating habits – a month ago I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I consumed a fresh vegetable. I’m sure some of you were crying yourselves to sleep at night over my sad lack of cooking posts. It’s okay. This is a safe place. You can admit it.
I realized something had to change, so I went online and found my new best friends: Irv and Shelly. They run Fresh Picks, a family-owned business here in Chicago that works with 60 local farms to deliver fresh produce to our doorsteps. They have a weekly Fresh Picks box featuring whatever is in-season, or you can pick and choose the items you’d like to have delivered. Fresh Picks can also organic non-local products, like avocados and pineapples, so if you absolutely MUST MAKE GUACAMOLE RIGHT NOW OR YOU’LL DIE, you can count on them. AND they’re no more expensive than my local grocery store. AND they send a weekly newsletter with seasonal recipes in it! So booyah. I’m a changed woman. Here’s a little slice of this week’s delivery:
And that’s not even a third of it! We got fresh basil, homemade strawberry yogurt, a pumpkin, green onions, cranberry & pepper crackers, grape tomatoes, green beans, honey crisp apples…I’m getting a lump in my throat just writing about it. Seriously, folks, if you’re in Chicago you must try them – especially if you do most of your shopping at Trader Joe’s, where the produce is vomitously tasteless and pale. Oh, and by the way – I did something incredible with the veggies you see above. See, I sorta went overboard on this week’s order…everything looked so good!…and we ended up with about 10 pounds of root vegetables and no clue what to do with them.
I actually made up my own recipe! It was divine, if I do say so myself. Without further ado, I give you…..
Wiggs’s Roasted Freak-Out!
Welp, I only managed to get one picture of myself in my H-ween costume. I guess that’s what you get for being the photographer. Still, I wouldn’t want to build you up (build you up) build you up, baby, just to let you down (let you down) and mess you around…annnd you’re welcome. You’ll have that song in your head all day. And what a beautiful day it is – here are the leaves outside my window this morning:
Anyway. Last night I went roving about town as…
Christina suggested that I do a smoky-eye look for H-ween. Well, ask and ye shall receive. It’ll be up on Friday. I might just do some trollop-style lipstick, too. You know, cover all of the bases.
I have a spare two-point-eight seconds to do a blog post. Don’t worry, photos from Aubrey’s wedding are right around the corner, AND I did some impulse produce shopping so expect a couple of good recipes just in time for fall, AND I’m going to give you an update on my working out/health routine soon…but for now, you’ll have to settle for this li’l meme that’s been going around the blog world. Also, just for grins, here are the hands of my three best friends and me. We should be a friggin’ diamond ad.
Scratch out the items on the list that you’ve done in your life…
Graduated High School.
Kissed someone.
Smoked cigarettes.
Rode every ride at an amusement park.
Collected something really stupid.
Gone to a rock concert.
Gone fishing.
Watched four movies in one night.
Gone long periods of time with out sleep.
Lied to someone.
Been dumped.
Snorted cocaine.
Failed a class.
Dealt drugs.
Taken a college level course.
Been in a car accident.
Been in a tornado. {from Wiggs: on my playground when I was in second grade…it was awesome.}
Done hard drugs (i.e. ecstasy, heroin, crack, meth, acid).
Watched someone die.
Been to a funeral.
Burned yourself.
Ran a marathon.
Your parents got divorced.
Cried yourself to sleep. {from Wiggs: crying is WAY too energizing to put me to sleep.}
Spent over $200 in one day. {from Wiggs: how about spending LESS than $200 in a day? Here’s my most recent $200+ purchase:}
A rug!!!!
Flown on a plane.
Cheated on someone.
Been cheated on. {from Wiggs: by two guys with the same name, no less}
Written a 10 page letter. {from Wiggs: Millennium Digital Media in Seattle can go straight to hell}
Gone skiing.
Been sailing.
Cut yourself.
Had a best friend.
Lost someone you loved.
Shoplifted something.
Been to jail.
Had detention.
Skipped school.
Got in trouble for something you didn’t do. {from Wiggs: I got in trouble for plagiarizing when I was little, but it turned out that I was just a good writer. WHO’S AN AUTHOR NOW, MRS. CARSON?!?}
Stolen books from the library.
Gone to a different country.
Dropped out of school.
Been in a mental hospital.
Watched the “Harry Potter” movies.
Had an online diary.
Fired a gun.
Gambled in a casino.
Had a yard sale.
And a lemonade stand.
Actually made money at the lemonade stand.
Been in a school play.
Been fired from a job.
Taken a lie detector test.
Swam with dolphins.
Gone to sea world.
Attempted suicide.
Voted for American Idol.
Written poetry.
Read more than 20 books a year.
Gone to Europe.
Loved someone you couldn’t have.
Wondered about your sexuality. {from Wiggs: no, but in middle school I pretended to question it because my best friend came out. I’m sure that was a BARREL of laughs for my parents.}
Used a coloring book over age 12.
Had surgery.
Had stitches.
Taken a taxi.
Seen the Washington Monument.
Had more than 5 IM’s/online conversations going at once.
Overdosed.
Had a drug or alcohol problem.
Been in a fist fight.
Suffered any form of abuse.
Had a hamster. {from Wiggs: I had Brownie and Whitey when I was eight (REAL creative on the names – I’ll bet you can’t guess what color they were). But then Brownie ate Whitey one night. So…}
Petted a wild animal.
Used a credit card.
Gone surfing in California.
Did “spirit day” at school.
Dyed your hair.
Got a tattoo.
Had something pierced.
Got straight A’s.
Been on the Honor Roll.
Known someone with HIV or AIDS.
Taken pictures with a webcam.
Started a fire.
Had a party while your parents weren’t home.
Gotten caught having a party while they were gone.
…Hm, moral of the story is that I haven’t really done much bad stuff. I don’t know how I feel about this “crossing out” stuff…it makes me feel like I should be working on crossing the rest of this shizz off the list. So…I guess I’m going to go pet the rats that live across the street from me and then start a fist fight. I’ll let you know how that goes.
People, you HAVE to click here and watch the 1-minute, 37-second video. It combines one of my fave photographers, one of my fave singers, and my fave animal.
