Life Lately

I know, I suck. But in my defense I had a crazy deadline last week that had me taking my computer home every night and working over the weekend. But it was all worth it because the client loved the work and had minimal changes. Which never happens. Ever.

So get ready for a whole bunch of "Ooh, I should blog about this!" stuff from the past two weeks.

March Madness
It's that time again! And even though my Heels have been up and down this year, lately they've been more up than down. This was the ladies and I watching the State rematch at B's.

Best. Trial. Ever.
I've become completely obsessed with the Jodi Arias trial. It's just riveting and disturbing and amazing. I can't wait for it to become a Lifetime movie. She's just so clearly guilty and crazy. And, also, a guilty crazy liar! She's changed her story so many times on the stand, in ways I thought only happened on courtroom TV shows. If she isn't convicted, I will go to Arizona and protest outside the courtroom.

Wedding Fever, part 1
Karey and I are just in love with "Parks and Recreation" and the main characters Leslie and Ben. When they got engaged earlier this season I said we were going to throw a party for their wedding. Well, the wedding was a lot sooner than I expected, so no party, but we did have Funfetti cake and ice cream. If you don't celebrate the wedding of two fictional characters with a bestie/roomie, I feel sorry for you.

Jennifer Lawrence is perfection
I'll join the throng of ladies who want to be her best friend. I have 3 best friends already, but I would really love her for a fourth. I think she'd work really well in our group.

"The Book of Mormon" better be good.
The play is coming to the Kennedy Center next year and I was in charge of getting tickets for me and two friends during their member presale. (I got a membership for my birthday, thanks parents!) A full 24 hours after they went on sale, after hours and hours of refreshing the site, and having the entire site crash, I finally procured three tickets for August. Whew.

Wedding Fever, part 2
On our first group trip to David's we settled on a bridesmaid dress. I don't know the rules about revealing wedding details on someone else's wedding, so I won't say which one, just that it's in one of the pictures and we love it.

Audrey, re-incarnated
The sons of my idol, Audrey Hepburn, authorized a digitized Audrey for use in a British chocolate company commercial. I must say, I don't hate it. I actually kind of love it. It makes me wish I could have been alive, even just for a day, when she was at her peak in the 50s or 60s, so I could see her do things new.

Forgetful Fran
I felt the need to name the forgetful side of me. Because when she shows up, she does it epically. Like the day last week I didn't have my wallet. The day that also happened to be "deadline" day. The day that also happened to be when I forgot my lunch. Oh, and also the day where I had no money on my metro card to get home. Thankfully, I have ample people in my life at work I knew I could lean on. One officemate gave me a $20 without hesitation, and another bought me a drink and dinner when I wanted to celebrate my deadline. (I gave him $20 the next day.) So Forgetful Fran became Grateful Gail.

Good and Bad Showers
This weekend I'm very excited to go home to North Carolina for the wedding shower I'm co-hosting with my sister for our future sister-in-law. I'm not excited, however, for the snowstorm (not really a shower) we'll be getting tonite. In fact, I'm quite pissed about it. Please send me all your good travel vibes, if you will.

The End
Hopefully only for a day. 

Things I Learned This Weekend

Nordstrom has very pretty dresses. 
Friday night was our first attempt at finding bridesmaid dresses for B's wedding. Since we'll be wearing black, we're trying out a few national chains in addition to the standard wedding sources. We haven't found "the one" yet, but it was fun to try pretty dresses on. 

It never gets easier to watch your team lose.
Oh, Carolina basketball. I'll love y'all forever, but you're kind of killing me.

Never let your freakishly strong friend handle the wine stopper.
I have the cutest/tackiest wine stopper with a woman's legs coming out of the stopper. Brandie, who you'll recall is an arm wrestling beast, was trying to get it out and ripped her poor legs right off! 

Playing Wii games with friends is a good antidote to bad basketball.
This was our second Wii Game Night and it was another success. I finally got a second remote and we played Wii Sports. And laughed a lot.

We're a little too good at punching.
The boxing game is awesome for pent up aggression. Which we had a lot of apparently.

Tennis is really really hard.
For me. B and K did great. We may have to credit B's commitment to the game, as she's seen here pretending to bounce the tennis ball, just like the pros.

Rameses makes a good bowling partner.
At least according to Brandie.

Vindication can be found in Wii bowling. 
For years, my family's made fun of the way I leap a little when I Wii bowl. My friends were making fun of me too, until I had 2 strikes and about 6 spares, all because of the leap. How do I know it was the leap? Because as soon as K and B tried the leap, they too, scored higher. It's all in the leap, people! 

 
I can quote the vast majority of "Clueless." 
And not just sporadically. 

Justin Bieber needs to stay away from my "Saturday Night Live."
I've seen every episode of SNL since 1997. Even the ones where Eminem was the musical guest. So I feel confident in saying that Bieber seriously needs to leave my show alone. 

Every Sunday should start with "Sabrina" on the big screen. 
My friend Sasha alerted me to the fact that a D.C. theatre was showing Audrey's "Sabrina." I, of course, leapt at the chance to see it and to introduce Sasha to another Audrey film—it's only her second one! (Her first being BAT outside a few summers ago.)

I could listen to "The Weight" on repeat forever. 
I found myself really enjoying the Grammy's this year, no part more so than the collaborative tribute to The Band's "The Weight." I seriously love that song

Things I Learned This Weekend

A really bad Friday can be made so much better after a drink with friends.
And maybe a little crying. And some food. And a free shot from the bartender. But mostly after the friends.

Sometimes there is just nothing quite like lying on the couch all day and reading.
Which is what I did on Saturday. All day.

Grace Coddington really is extraordinary.
I spent the day reading her memoir that I got for Christmas. It was witty, funny, and full of information about the fashion and magazine industry and her role in it. 

A butcher block from the father makes a great, but very heavy, cheeseboard.
Thanks, Daddy. Doesn't it look good? That's after 5 coats of the oil and then I got bored.

George Mason University is really far.
So that's good to know.

Wedding showcases are fun.
And full of information. And people. Mainly women. Karey and I went with Brandie and her mom to a wedding showcase event with tons of vendors at Mason. Brandie got lots of information and we all got to taste a bunch of cake. Win win. Oh, and Brandie tried on a crown. So win win win.

Identifying stickers really help minimize the number of times you have to say "I'm just a bridesmaid."
Thank goodness.

If you're sitting in seats for a basketball court, you really have the fight urge to cheer.
We sat in the seats to watch a wedding fashion show. Thankfully, there were several opportunities to cheer: for the cute kids hamming it up and the guys dancing to that sexy and you know it song.

There's something beautiful about eating nachos while watching a fashion show.
One of my favorite things ever are nachos with processed cheese. Seriously, I just love them. The second worst part about Nationals games -- the first worst part being the baseball part of course -- is that their nachos are made with fresh cheese, no processed. Absurd! So I was thrilled that they had concession stands open where I could get this very large tray of processed goodness.

Losing to George Mason in the 2006 NCAA tournament still hurts.
And it hurts more when you have it constantly rubbed in your face everywhere you go in their arena.

The inauguration brings out the really big flags.
Like this one at Union Station.

Every day should include a Lifetime movie.
Like "The Surrogate Trap." Which was the perfect combination of crazy, dramatic music, and Canadians. Though, on second thought, most of my days already include Lifetime movies.

Being on the mall for the Inauguration is awesome, but so is sitting at home in my pajamas, on the couch, eating cinnamon rolls.
It was just so warm. So, so warm.

Things I Learned This Weekend

It's absolutely shameful the amount of clothes I have. 
I switched out my summer and winter clothes. Clothes have always been my love. But, really, how many black sweaters does a woman need? 

Organizing my tights is going to change my life. 
With a $7.99 organizer and my already-owned label marker, I've just made my life, particularly my already frantic mornings, about 100 times less stressful. 

Hot pumpkin bread is a great accompaniment to reading in bed on a Saturday morning. 
Even if the bread did take twice as long to cook because something is wrong with our oven. And even though I was too impatient to wait for it too cool and ended up with pumpkin breadcrumbs. 

All weddings should be accessible by metro. 
One of my book club friends got married at a lovely hotel in D.C. It's very convenient to be able to take the metro there and back after a night of revelry.

Baby's breath is stunning when in bulk.
The modified chuppah was a ring of baby's breath. It was just gorgeous. 

The chair dance seems fun. And terrifying. 
This was my first Jewish wedding and it was so much fun. While I'd be terrified to be in the chair, it does look like fun.

The wedding of a book club member should ALWAYS feature book-related decor.
Seating cards in pockets, programs in card catalog drawers, and books on the tables. Brilliant.

Not everyone knows the "Jump On It" dance from Fresh Prince. 
Or, at least, my date, Sasha, didn't. But now she does!

A wedding with a live band playing the most popular songs from your high school years is a great way to ensure fun. 
I don't remember the last time I had heard "Getting Jiggy With It" or "My Own Worst Enemy." I forgot how much fine they were. Not to mention the entire room singing along to Oasis' "Wonderwall."

A highlight of the feminist era: Co-ed bouquet toss with lottery tickets attached to the bouquet. 
If a traditional bouquet toss is supposed to mean the catcher is the next to be married, I can only assume that catching a lottery ticket bouquet means the catcher will be the next to win the lottery. Damn, I wish I had of caught it!

Everyone should, at least once in their life, dance to "Let's Get It On" with a gay guy. 
Hate that song. But funnest dance ever.

Weddings are so much fun when your date is a girl and your seeing one of you close friends get married.
All in all it was just a fun night with one good friend and seeing another get married. I'm excited for my friend to embark on this next phase of her life.

Taking a nap at 7:30 on a Sunday is not a good idea. 
Especially when you wake up to a dog wanting to be walked and don't have the energy to change out of your PJs. But at least I threw a jacket on. (I was dog sitting for my friend on Sunday night. Her building has mirrors all over the lobby.)

Things I Learned This (Last) Weekend

This is a long one. But since it took me so long to get it up here, I think that should be ok.

I really should join a country club.
They're just so pretty.

Nothing is better than a day off from work with mimosas and family.
Especially when you add in the amazing food, location, company, laughs, craziness, etc.

 
Slightly better than mimosas with family: Lounging on a piano.
Yep, this happened. Cross it off the list.

My aunts and mom throw a great luncheon.
Something I already learned, but worth repeating.

It is possible to spend less than 10 minutes in Ikea.
When all you have to get is a wedding centerpiece. (But it's not very fun.)

Little cousins make the best trampoline jumping companions.
"Tell Bonnie to meet me on the trampoline." (Mason)
Gosh, I love trampolines. And my little cousins.

Shopping at Belk during the back-to-school sales can yield some amazing deals.
A $50 Fossil wallet for $12? Yes, please!

Sitting on legs for half an hour while transporting wedding soup is more than worth it.
Not that there was ever any question that there is anything I wouldn't do for wedding soup.

 
My family throws one heck of a beautiful wedding.
And my cousin makes a beautiful and happy bride.

I suck at cornhole.
And the 7-year-old cousin took great pleasure in beating me. As he should.

Every wedding, no every day, should have a photo booth.
Yes, I went through 4 times. No, that was not the record. (coughgraycough)

If you start dancing (to the truly horrible "Single Ladies") during the bouquet toss, you will "lose focus" and have lots of family members (fake) yelling at you.
To be fair, I did lose focus. And also to be fair, it's not my fault a darn 10-year-old caught it.

It's a miracle anyone in my family ever gets married. In 7 steps.
1. Young man asks cousin how old I am. She tells him I wouldn't be interested.
2. Aunt 1 asks young man to ask me to dance. (I may have also played a role in this.)
3. Whilst dancing with young man, Aunt 1 comes and takes our picture. (To be fair, she was the wedding photographer.)
4. Whilst dancing, Aunt 2 comes and takes our drink because Mom said we looked awkward.
5. Whilst dancing, Uncle comes and threatens young man.
6. Still whilst dancing, cousin's new husband threatens young man. With some sort of army knife. (To be fair, he is in the military.)
7. Still whilst dancing, I warn young man that the people gathered in the back are all my family and that they're all watching. Closely.
But I also re-learned that my family is hilarious and it's nice to have people looking out for me. For now.

Sonic claims they stay open until 1 a.m., but I believe they sense when tipsy ladies pull in and turn off their lights.
Not that this happened to me or any family member I know.

If you're going to drink too much, it's nice to have a mom and aunts to help you. And laugh at you.
Again, not that this happened to anyone I know.

Fire ants are straight from hell.
Again, something I knew before but just had it driven home yet again. Whilst running around the grounds barefoot, I got bit. It really, really sucks. (They didn't start hurting until the next day but wow, once they did, I had to work from home for two days because the itching made sleep and shoes nearly impossible.)

Airplanes sometimes suck.
I have had many issues on flights over the years with the air pressure messing with my head so I get all foggy and then feel like I'm going to pass out or vomit. This happened coming home, which combined with a slight hangover and the solid half hour of turbulence, meant I nearly cried once we landed. And spent the rest of Sunday trying to regain my equilibrium.

I love my family more than anything. (ALL my family, even though pictures below are just immediate.)
Again, I learned this years ago, but it's worth repeating. Again and again.

Day 285: Going to the chapel (more or less)

And that's that. My big sister is now a Mrs., Joey finally has a brother, and our family gained three new members in the end. Melissa was the prettiest bride I've ever seen, and one of the happiest too. And Mike wasn't too shabby, either. :-)



It was a beautiful ceremony and great reception with the much-loved wedding soup and full of lots of fun and laughing. And full of lots of new too. Obviously my new doesn't compare to Melissa and Mike's, but...



It was my first wedding of a sibling, my first time in a wedding, and first time catching a bouquet. (Which only took two threats of bodily harm and minimal elbow action.) I also helped a bride go to the bathroom and gave a speech only about five minutes after writing it. But we'll leave those last two out of the official compendium of new things.



I am so happy and proud of my sister, and my new brother-in-law, and my new nieces. That's all.



Pictures from the amazing family and wedding photographer, Aunt Shannon. (Let me know if you would prefer I not post them.)

Day 284: One more day

As the title reflects, only one more day to the Big Day! And today was full of lots of pre-wedding preparations, including decorating and a trip to a scary Wal Mart for last minute supplies. But before all of that there was the bridesmaid's luncheon at a country club, my first country club lunch. And then the wedding rehearsal and dinner, my first wedding rehearsal.

The country club was very nice, good food, great familial company, and of course, mimosas aplenty. The rehearsal was short and sweet, but served its purpose. Not long now...

A blurry shot of the soon to be Mr. and Mrs.
Another blurry, and cropped, shot of me and the best man.

Day 283: Perfection

Let the wedding festivities begin! What is the best way to recover from weeks of hard work and late nights, getting in at midnite on the train, and most importantly, celebrate the impending wedding of a sister? Spa day! My first trip to a spa, complete with my first ever manicure, massage, and facial. (Had a pedicure too, but I've had those before.) It was a wonderful gift from the bride-to-be, complete with mimosas and too much talking in the "quiet room." Like we could have it any other way.

Day 258: Here comes the bride

I truly do love traditions. Christmas family ones, UNC ones, even traditions I never get a chance to take part in, like wedding ones. As preparation for a tradition for my sister’s wedding, today I made a bouquet out of tissue paper and ribbon from her shower, for her wedding rehearsal. No picture, but trust me, it's awesome. And it gives me a chance to practice catching one before the big day. Because I will be catching that one, even if I have to take out a neighbor or relative or waiter, or three.

Day 257: I still say it's Milos

If only I had not have gone to the wedding shower for a co-worker a few months ago, this would have been new new. But it's still new, as I went to a wedding shower for someone I'm related to - i.e. my sister - and played wedding shower games, which is new new.

We ate and played silly games and I of course did not win anything in the Chinese auction, but I did get to put my degree to use by taking notes on the gifts and givers. And I got to see all the awesome support my sister has. Which goes nicely with all her new china and towels.