A Chelsea Day

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED!

2011-10-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

That's right, my doves. As of 17 October 2011,

no new content will be added to this blog.

Head on over to

www.chelseadays.com

to experience the wonder

of the new, improved, BEAUTEOUS blog, resplendent with all the existing posts and comments intact.

See you there!

T-1 Month Till Wedding :: It all Falls Into Place

2011-10-11T11:39:00.000-07:00

The big day is a mere month away, and I am enjoying this calm before the storm of wedding-week-aught-11. I truly haven't been this relaxed since we got engaged.

Perhaps it's because my mom and Miles's mom have been so great about helping out in every conceivable way. Perhaps it's because everything has been so micro-organized since the beginning that very little has been left until the last minute. Perhaps it's because I'm not actually living in my parents' house, where all the boxes of gifts and wedding favors and decorations are accumulating. I know it has a lot to do with the fact that I don't have a stressful, grinding 9-5 job anymore.

Whatever the combination of reasons, I find myself cool as a cucumber today.

It's not because nothing went wrong and I got every single thing I asked for without compromise--far from it. And it's not because there's nothing left to do--RSVPs are being counted, favors need assembly, programs still need to be printed and folded. But there comes a point when you're producing a play and you realize that it is what it is, this is the play we have, we can't throw in the whole kitchen sink and there isn't time to explore every idea every person had, so we're going to work with what we made to ensure it's incredible. And I think that this wedding production has reached that point in its gestation. I'm looking at this wedding we made and I'm very happy with it, I can't wait for it to arrive, but I'm not going to try to heap a bunch of extra crap on it at the 11th hour.

Miles and I plan to get to Louisiana five days before the ceremony, to help with the final push, and I hope that we can get everything squared away in a timely enough fashion that the day of the wedding isn't a huge blur. I would hate to remember nothing about the day. That's what pretty much everyone has said will happen, save a few chill friends, and it's my biggest fear. I'm going to experience every moment of this sucker. Watch me. If only to prove that it can be done.

One thing I am still working on is the shot list for Julie, our awesome photographer. Of course being the techno-savvy bride that I am, I created a Pinterest board called "Some Enchanted Evening" to keep all my ideas together. Which has the unintended side effect of causing me to burst into the showtune of the same name every time I add something to it. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, just a regular occurrence. Miles has vetoed the groomsmen undercracker shot.

But we HAVE decided on what the groomsmen, ushers, and Miles will wear! Measurements have been collected and tux rentals arranged. Now, if we can just get them all into the New Orleans airport by noon on the day before the wedding to make certain they have fittings, we should be good to go tux-wise. I sent Miles to the tux shop in Jennings with my dad to try things on and look around, and they came home with loaner tuxes and a hug book of fabric samples. Miles handed me the book and said "Tell me what I like." I love this man. Below you will find what Miles likes.

For vendor and product information, visit the Pinterest board

I originally wanted a darker green color for the vests, but it was decided (after holding some of the bridesmaids dress fabric swatches up to the vests) that the clover would look better with the array of greens present across the dresses. And speaking of those dresses, they are all accounted for but one (and we can't blame the 8-months-preggo bridesmaid for not knowing what will fit her come 11.11.11). Check out the gorgeousness below.

for vendor and product information, visit the Pinterest board

Quite the array of sophistication, is it not? All the dresses are JCrew, and all the shoes will be metallic. The bridesmaids and I will all wear champagne pearls, and the flower girl will wear a white dress with a green sash and carry a pumpkin. I know. I die.

The program is all finished, too. One sheet of heavy recycled paper, folded longways with no inserts. Tall and elegant. Behold the cover. Miles's mom really knocked it out of the park, and didn't call me a brat when I asked that there be absolutely no butterflies.

My mother suggested we wait to print them until the last possible moment, and I have to admit that was a good call. Because I only discovered this Maxence Cyrin piano arrangement of "Where Is My Mind?" by Pixies last week, and I added it to the pre-ceremony music. A little something for the kids, you know. The sheet music was stunningly easy to track down.

I'll leave you with that music. Its easy excitement is pretty much the exact acoustic representation of my state of mind right now.

Oh, Austin! Wither Thy Weirdness?

2011-10-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

I've been in Austin for almost a week.

My big question is -- what's so weird about it, again?

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not being snarky. And I'm not trying to sound pretentious, I'm honestly confused. Austin is supposed to be this hotbed of oddity and bizarro individuals, but I'm not seeing anything like that. Frankly, I don't know what all the bumper-sticker-ness is about.

For example, take a conversation that happened yesterday.

Server: You should have the chorizo breakfast taco. It's the best one.

Me: Well, I don't eat meat, so I'll have the potato taco.

Server: You don't eat meat? At all?

Me: No.

Server: (long pause) Wow. Weird.

He then proceeded to bring me the taco, sit down in my booth, and ask me to explain to him in detail why I'm a non-carnivore. Which is fine, but... how did pescetarianism make me the weirdest person in town?

I admit that part of the problem here may be that I've spent far too much time on and around UT campus for a person who's not in school there. Miles is working on campus, and we have several friends who are UT grad students, so it's been a natural place for me to spend time. You know what's cool about UT campus? Little. You know what's weird about it? Zilch. "The Drag," the area of Guadalupe that borders campus on the west side, which Austin blogs and guidebooks assured me was happenin', isn't so much tattoo parlors and trendy furniture stores as it is Urban Outfitters, Chipotle, and CVS. I've tried to check out the Renaissance Arts Market there on three occasions and found only one or two sad vendors each time, selling very little in the way of "arts." What I have found is an abundance of coeds sporting the fashion-forward combination of lanyards, denim shorty shorts, and Ugg boots, many of whom have honest-to-goodness-non-ironic bows in their hair. Which means they have attained the level of subversion I achieved around age seven.

No one wearing one of these is fighting The Man.

I decided yesterday that, apart from a visit to the Harry Ransom Center to see a Gutenberg Bible and some love letters of ee cummings, I won't be going back to campus. There is nothing for me there.

The rest of Austin, by comparison, is treating me great! I can't stress enough that the food is so cheap and soooo good. And there is happy hour! Last night I saw Shakespeare performed on an organic farm, and later this week I have an appointment with some bats. There is so much to do and live music everywhere, and the people are genuinely awesome. But all of those elements make Austin cool, not weird. And I've heard people say "Well, it's weird for Texas," but to that I rejoinder that anywhere this obsessed with football and Rick Perry is firmly in the mainstream.

Now, I know I'm going to get rolled in the street for typing this, but if you want to see weirdness, go to Portland. Citizens of Austin are all up in arms about Portland stealing their "Keep ___ Weird" slogan, but for my money, they've got a right to it. In Portland, there are a slew of ridiculous museums: a velvet paintings museum, a hat museum, a vacuum cleaner museum, etc. There's a donut shop that stays open all night, catacombs under the city, and the most accurate Japanese zen garden outside of Japan. Why? No reason. NONE. These bizarre and alluring things just... exist. That was the kind of weirdsmobile bizarritude I expected when I landed in Texas, but so far I haven't located anything of the kind. I think Austin could take a hint or two from rival PLand. And share your slogan nicely, because they earned it.

It has occurred to me over the last week that there may be far less weird in Austin than there used to be, and the "Keep Austin Weird" campaign may be, in fact, a real campaign. If my 2010 guidebook is any indication, things are changing very rapidly around here, and changing for the corporate. Is the weird hiding to preserve itself? It need not hide from me! I am weirdness's sworn ally! I have seen posters around town that say "Don't Dallas My Austin," and I fear I may be here on the tail-end of some major Dallasization. Which would be an utter shame.

Today, Miles and I headed about 90 minutes west of town to the Texas Hill Country. We managed to hit up a vineyard, a ghost town, a cave, and an artisan's village in one day, and I'm tired. It was rad. And I have this rental car for one more day.

The Cave Without a Name

So tomorrow, Sunday, while Miles is in rehearsal, I have dedicated myself to tracking down the weird that remains in Austin. I have located this blog, which I hope will aid me in my quest. I will not rest until I have found treasures unlike any I have yet encountered here, treasures to rival the food trailer and the breakfast taco, but even more unexpected. Because all those tie-dyed bumper stickers can't be wrong. The weird is out there, I just need to get a little bent to find it.

Austin, Texas -- You are Here

2011-10-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

We're in Austin, y'all.
Messin' with Texas, all October long.

Miles is designing a fabu show at UT Austin this month, and since I am both a freelance part-time website designer (see here, it's legit) and a freelance full-time playwright, I am able to join him in Texas until October 19th! Huzzah! I've always wanted to explore Austin, and I have 15 days to do so (while also logging in some work hours so I can, you know, continue to eat). Luckily for me, the food here is cheap and there's no room in my suitcase for new clothes or souvenirs (you try packing everything you need for 2 weeks in a carry-on and then see how much extra space there is). I get to mosey around with Miles in tow AND on my own, which is the best of both worlds. I'm really good at traveling alone, and I sight-see like a madwoman when left to my own devices.

On the plane ride, I made my traditional travel spreadsheet checklist of Things to Do/See, Places to Eat, and Places to Shop. They are divided by neighborhood, natch. I managed to check three of them off the list already, last night after I got in.

There are also a few day trips on the docket, two of which I'm really excited to take this weekend -- The Cave Without A Name and Wemberley. I rented us a tiny car from the airport, and we're off to explore the Hill Country (and hopefully not run into hostile Hill People) Saturday morning.

Unfortunately, the guidebook from which I made my checklist has already lead me astray. The Frommer's guide I have was published in 2010, but already it seems to be out of date--perhaps things change quickly in Austin. The "hippie vibe" cafe I tried to work at last night has been turned into a sleek singles bar, and I accidently intruded on some speed dating. And "The Drag," the area of Guadalupe Street that borders UT campus, is not so much art and patchouli and talisman-vendors as it is Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, and Potbelly. But there is a Mellow Mushroom established there, and since I haven't partaken of that particular pizza goodness since leaving Baton Rouge, I plan to spend at least one quality evening there.

So we'll be in Austin for two weeks, and then in Chicago for two weeks, and then Louisiana one week, and then wedding. It's a very all-balls-in-the-air kind of time for me, and a super busy time for Miles (who is working on the 3 Steppenwolf First Look shows right now, as well as the UT show we're here for), but the wedding details have managed to fall into place like so much confetti, and I'm feeling very good about where we stand. For instance, we got our favors in the other day, and tiny bottles of Tobasco never looked so sweet.

I've decided to treat this time in Texas as my own personal retreat, to regroup and refocus myself, and develop a new freelance routine. I thrive on routines, and it's been hard to get one going since I quit my 9-5 job and had to manage a lot of my own hours for the first time in five years. It feels odd to not have to run every second, to not feel tired all the time, to not be constantly frantic. It's actually kind of disorienting, like running around full-tilt every day forced me to keep my moorings, and now I have to figure out how to do that for myself. A good problem to have, naturally, of course, and I'm grateful. But there is work to be done.

I can do that work in Texas.

T -42 Days Till Wedding -- Yes, THIS Wedding

2011-09-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Invitations are sent.

Wedding program is settled.
Travel arrangements are in place.
IT'S BACHELORETTE PARTY TIME, PEOPLE.

Okay, since I quit my job, I have had (astoundingly) less time to blog, but all that is about to change, since Miles and I will be in Austin, Texas for most of October and I'll pretty much be bumming around. Far, far from my wedding binder (but closer to the date).

A lot has been happening logistically in this last, final push toward weddinghood. We wrangled the middle names of all our attendants and readers and I put the program together, with a big assist from Miles's mom. Favors were ordered and have arrived, looking awesome. We've made our reservation at the Hotel St. Pierre in the French Quarter for our mini-moon the night after the wedding. We have almost everyone's tux measurements, and all but one of the bridesmaids (all but the most pregnant one) have ordered their dresses. Music, readings, flowers, food are all picked out and I've had a dress fitting and a dry run of my hairstyle with the stylist. We still need to order our wedding rings, which drives me up the wall, but even that should fall into place in the coming days.

I have had two incredible bridal showers. One in Chicago, hosted by family friend Ms. Joy LeBleu at her amazing Lake Shore Drive Condo.

And one in Jennings, at the art museum, hosted by... the town of Jennings (those are just some of the hostesses, below).

Everything is coming together to make a reality out of this fever-dream I've been having since Christmas, but reality, as I have said, is not always wondrous. Chicago friends who have thought that they would attend since the day we got engaged are now realizing that due to work or shows or money, in reality it's not possible. And that sucks. People we don't really know in Louisiana see announcements like the one above or hear people talking, and straight-up ask my parents or me if the will be getting an invitation. And that's awkward. But even these bumps in the road can be taken in stride, KMids-style, as we roll toward the altar.

AND THE INVITATIONS ARE SENT!
People, I can't tell you what a weight off my shoulders THAT is.

It took me 5 days and 24 episodes of LOST, plus some sweet-talking of my fiancé to spend his limited free time working with stickers, but the 300 invitation suites are STAMPED AND OUT OF MY LIFE. And aren't they gorgeous? Again, I credit Miles's mother entirely.

The invitations have been a sticking point on a couple of issues from the very beginning. First of all, I wanted something that wasn't traditional or fussy, hence the design you see above. Secondly, I wanted something that didn't include a lot of extra pieces of paper or vellum; let's face it, 99% of these things are going to get thrown away. That's literally money in the trash can, and so much paper waste. And third, I wanted to hand-address all 300 of them myself.

When I started looking into unique, non-traditional invitation suites in person (Chicago has a lot of letterpress artists) and online, I found an abundance of options--for an abundance of dollars. There was no way I wanted to spend $2000-$3000 on stationary (to go in the trash, remember?) before postage. So I worked with my future mother-in-law from examples I found and liked online, and we were able to come up with at design that I think fits Miles and me, and the aesthetic of our wedding, perfectly. We were able to get everything printed on paper that is 10% recycled, Rainforest Alliance and Forest Stewardship Council Certified, and made by a company that donates $350,000 annually to the World Wildlife Fund. There is no inner envelope (a phenomenon I have never understood) and only three pieces of paper in the suite--the envelope liner, the reply card (which is a postcard without a separate envelope), and the invitation itself, printed with a map (designed by bridesmaid Claudia) on the back.

Now, to the matter of addressing them.
Claudia volunteered to do it, in her elegant hand, but as she has 1.75 children and a full-time job, I thought it best to gratefully decline her offer. Calligraphers are to be had around Chicago, but they can charge upwards of $2 an envelope (to go in the trash, again). And printing labels at home might be an option, if we had an awesome monogram or something to put on them, and if the addresses for the labels existed in a label-friendly document instead of the spreadsheet they're currently in. But I always liked the idea of addressing them in my own handwriting. I know people who have had parties where lots of friends or relatives came over to knock out the envelope stuffing and addressing in one night, but there is something genuinely touching to me about the fact that I will have written the name and address of each and every person who comes to my wedding, and in those few moments it took me to do so, I will have thought about that person and what s/he means to me and Miles. And that makes the act of dropping it in the mailbox so much more personal. If you get an invitation from me, you can rest assured that I actually, actively invite you to share the day.

But I sentimentalize. It took a lot of time. There were a lot of mistakes and discarded paper. The envelope liners had to be glued into the envelopes one at a time, and many good glue sticks lost their lives. We realized after everything was printed that we'd forgotten to put a place on the reply card to indicate "number in your party," so I had to spend an extra $60 on stickers, print out an indication of what should be written on them, and then affix one to every reply card. There was assemblage and stuffing and postage-affixing. We are STILL hunting down half a dozen addresses, and there were a few 11th-hour additions. But we are DONE. They are IN THE MAIL.

And this bride-to-be's bag is packed to check into the brand-new-not-even-officially-open-yet Public Hotel at 3pm with two of her awesome bridesmaids, and take to the streets of downtown Chicago tonight for drinking, dancing, dining, and a bachelorette scavenger hunt. I've made goodie bags for the 10 or so ladies who will attend. I'll wear a silly little veil and a big button. And I'll delight in the fact that these wonderful women, all of whom I love and admire so much, have helped me make a home 1,000 miles from where I grew up.

It's nice to need two bridal showers, in reality.

IN PROGRESS #93--Watch "LOST" from start to finish (72/121 episodes)

2011-09-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

I know I'm late to this party.
This is still culturally relevant, right?

The new (and final? is it final?) season of LOST just kicked off this week, and people lost their dang minds, and Andy predicts that if I don't start watching the show soon, there won't be a rock I can hide under to avoid all of the spoilers that will be floating around once this season ends.

I've always wanted to get into the show, but it's hard to watch anything with any regularity when you're a theatre-maker. Rehearsals, performances, etc. I have seen two episodes of LOST before, and I enjoyed both of them, but the groups of people I watched them with both insisted that I was only invited if I didn't ask any questions. So it was apparent that I was going to have to start from the very genesis of the series if I were going to be able to keep up. Due to the magic of Netflix Watch Instantly, I recently discovered that I have easy access to the first five seasons of LOST, and they're free. My list of reasons to continue ignoring the show has been dwindling.

So last night, Ashley and Kevin and I decided we'd watch the pilot to kick this thing off...
And then we had to watch five more episodes.
I can't say that I'm rabid for the show the way quite a few of my friends are, but I most definitely see the appeal. Let's order in thai food and stay out of the freezing weather, because I've cracked a bottle of champers on the side of the ship of LOST, and that puppy is launched.

Now, in order to make sure that I do my duty and watch EVERY SINGLE episode, I am going to hold myself accountable by keeping track of my short reactions to every episode, below. I gotta say, I've been pretty good so far at identifying character and plot reveals before they happen, but I'm hoping the show will up the ante and get further away from me as time goes on. I'm confident that it will.

106 episodes have aired so far since 2004.
By the end of this season (and the show, right?), the total count will be 115.

Now, without further ado...

Chelsea's Lost Endeavor

Season 1 -- Original Air Dates 2004 thru 2005

Pilot Part 1

Aaaahh Holy Crow these schmucks are in for it now.

Pilot Part 2

Okay, okay, I do enjoy the flashbacks. I hope that at some point we stop flashing back to the plane crash, though.

Tabula Rasa

I think I'd be pretty good in a desert island situation. Yeah. I'm feeling fairly confident that if I didn't have to stitch anyone up, and provided I had enclosed shoes, I'd make it okay, like Kate here (who I keep wanting to call Meg).

Walkabout

Dammit. There will be crying. I have a feeling that anytime anything significant happens to Creed here, I'm going to dissolve into a puddle. Also, I'm predicting here and now that if there's ever a chance to get off this island, homeboy here is going to stay. No way he's going back to doing TPS reports in wheelchair.

White Rabbit

Aw, shit. The island can bring people back to life. That's not gonna go well. Also, it's getting very Lord of the Flies up in here right now with that one actor who's from Louisiana and had the same agent as all my friends in college. How are his cheeks so rosy?

House of the Rising Sun

After spending a few minutes discussing with Ashley how refreshing it is that there are two characters on this show that don't speak our language, and what interesting plot points are sure to develop therefrom, and how presumptuous of Americans it is to assume that everyone in Korea speaks English, it turns out everyone in Korea speaks English. Great.

The Moth

Thank goodness we brought a hobbit along.

Confidence Man

I have never trusted Han Solo-Sawyer's hair. And, whoa, Sayid. Shit's gettin' pretty real for you, huh?

Solitary

Even when stranded on an island for over 16 years, the French retain their uncanny ability to be unpleasant and unhelpful.

Raised by Another

Oooh, it's getting really The Seventh Sign up in here now with this pregnancy. I like where this is going.

All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues

I had to hold Ashley down at the end of this episode because she was getting pretty shouty and I was afraid The Others would hear us.

Whatever the Case May Be

I would like to point out that I called "La Mer" WHILE princess was translating, and started humming it before the end credits. How that helps, I don't know.

Hearts and Minds

The Cruel Intentions episode. I like it.

Special

I know more than I should about Walt at this point, because I'll admit to having cheated and looked him up on Lostpedia. I was so worried for him, though! Every episode I was waiting for him to die! I can't deal with a dead kid. I had to know for sure. That said, this episode still broke my heart a little.

Homecoming

Claire's back! And she has no answers to anything! This is going to be typical, isn't it?

Outlaws

Oh man. I hope that Sawyer holds the secret of Jack's dad's forgiveness over Jack's head for like 3 seasons. Is that cruel?

... In Translation

Um, Princess? Sayid has some pictures of a dead woman you should probably see before this goes any further. Also, I'm feeling pretty attached to the gang now. That's probably a signal that someone's about to bite it.

Numbers

SO GOOD! SO GOOD! It's all coming together! MATH is so EVIL! And finally, some backstory on Hurley. Goooood backstory.

Deus Ex Machina

Locke's evil dad is the evil child-warden from Newsies! Aghhh! Also, I hope Charlie never runs across this treasure-trove of heroin deep in the jungle. That would be bad news bears.

Do No Harm

Oh crap. This one was really hard to watch. I can't believe Jack can do a blood transfusion using a sea urchin. I mean... if Jack ever bites it, I give the rest of these people 3 days.

The Greater Good

Jack's pissed, Princess is pissed, and Locke's in trouble. I have to say, though, that seeing the romance fizzle between the most useless and one of the most useful people on the island doesn't really bother me. Sayid, keep your head in the game.

Born to Run

Aw Kate. That boy was nice to you. Why'd you do that?

Exodus Part 1

Knowing that there are five more seasons of this show doesn't fill me with a great deal of hope for the success of this raft mission.

Exodus Part 2

NO WAY! WAAAAAALT! Also, WHAT'S IN THE HAAAAAATCH?

Season 2 -- Original Air Dates 2005 thru 2006

Man of Science, Man of Faith

Oh my God yessssssss!

Adrift

Wait, did we just spend this entire episode getting back to the same point we left off at the end of of the last episode? Dislike!

Orientation

Oh good. They have a hobby now, in case just making through the night grows boring. Also, how many LOST dorks out there have those numbers tattooed on their bodies? I bet the number is in the hundreds.

Everybody Hates Hugo

Jin is SUPER HOT when he speaks English. Is that racist to say? Also, I don't think Michelle Rodriquez is going to like it back at the other camp. They aren't going to let her be in charge and also their booze is under lock and key.

... And Found

Man, I love the Jin and Sun backstory. Remember in Season 1 when we were all so sure she was better off without him? Also, I miss Desmond.

Abandoned

At the beginning of the episode, I said "she's gonna die soon." Five seconds before the shot was fired, I said "she's gonna die right now." Also, I herewith call it that Shannon's dad was killed in that accident by Jack's wife.

The Other 48 Days

Most frustrating! I want to see the Sun/Jin and Rose/Bernard beach reunions in slow-mo with weepy soundtrack! I hate when we spend an episode spinning our wheels and not moving forward in time.

Collision

Anna Lucia is a cold bitch. But I can understand why.

What Kate Did

Aw, man. Way to be crazy, Kate. Also, way to kiss Jack and then basically tell Sawyer you love him like 90 seconds later, and then nobody ever refer to either of those things ever again. As though this is "A Doll's House" and not "Lord of the Flies."

The 23rd Psalm

Anybody miss Shannon? Show of hands? No one? Yeah, me either.

About ten months passed here without me watching an episode.

Today I had some righteous (read: traumatizing) dental surgery, so I am taking my recovery time as an opportunity to get back into the swing of things.

Amazingly, these people are still on this island.

The Hunting Party

Jack backstory is kinda boring at this point. And it seems to me that the obvious response to "this is not your island" is "we KNOW! we don't want to BE HERE."

Fire + Water

With all the brother conflicts, baby-napping, and trust issues, it's like they wrote this episode specially to air on Lifetime.

The Long Con

Nothing quite so alluring as the self-aware villain. Also, don't cross a hobbit.

One of Them

I'm inclined to think the new guy IS one of them. But that's mostly me hoping I don't have to learn anyone new's backstory. Especially since we haven't gotten to Rose and Bernard's yet, and I'm really interested in that one.

Maternity Leave

So there are clean Others and dirty Others?

The Whole Truth

Oh, Jin. You and I go back and forth. Sounds like your wife feels the same way. We should spend more time with the Hatch Hostage. Him I'm interested in all the time.

So another large chunk of time passed here, about 8 months, during which I tried to plan a wedding a not lose my damn mind. It's kind of like being lost on an island of your own frustrating self-absorption. But Miles has been out of town for a week now, and it'll be three more days till he gets back, and I have cooked everything I can think of, cleaned the entire apartment, and taught myself to can preserves. I need MORE TASKS. So I return here, to LOST. You guessed it--they are still on this island.

Lockdown

Has a safety deposit box ever EVER in the history of banks NOT been used for a nefarious purpose? Also, the executive producer's name is Ra'uf. What, did they let the family dog name him? Bwahahahaha! (Miles needs to get home pronto.)

Dave

Hey, Dave. Get less creepy, take off the bathrobe, and go back to Charlotte in Manhattan. Also, Libby, way to not be normal and in fact, be also creepy. Buncha creepers.

S.O.S.

Okay, I knew that they would have to be older for this to be plausible, but I still had hope that Bernard and Rose had met as activists during the Civil Rights Movement. But late-in-life romance is nice, in its way. I had a moment during this episode when I could hear years back through time, hear all the LOST fans crying out, "WHY are Kate and Jack not making out in that NET?!"

Two for the Road

Man, if we held the funeral for Jack's dad on this island, every-freakin-body could say a few words. Also, if you fall in love with someone on this island, and they offer to take you on a picnic, you don't have much time left.

Can no one in this place stay dead? Jeebus.

Three Minutes

There is nothing I love quite like Sayid stepping in to save the day. There hasn't been nearly enough of this in Season 2. Also, I totes called Michael working for the others and laying a trap. Anytime anyone on this show is lying, they get all crazy around the eyes.

Live Together, Die Alone pt. 1

I'm glad Desmond is back. I have missed him. Also, if The Others don't kill Michael, I predict that guy taking a long walk off a short pier in the near future. Homeslice is already cracking under his guilt.

Live Together, Die Alone pt. 2

DAMN! Well, I'm glad that Walt got his dad back, after all that. Though Michael is clearly shattered and will probably be a horrible father now. Also, Claire and Charlie kissed, so one of them will be dead soon. Let's get more of Desmond and Penny in the mix, shall we? I have a feeling I will like where this is going.

Alright, I'm through Season 2 now, and LOTS of people have told me that Season 3 is the slowest and most frustrating. I'm mentally prepping for that. Also, my friends who were big LOST fans when it was happening are asking me what I think about this, that, and the other thing having seen what I've seen up to this point. Mostly they want to know what I think the island IS. And all I can really say at this point, is that I think it's a place where people work out their baggage. It obviously draws people to itself and then gives them everything they need to bring up all their unresolved issues, and then get to work on them. And then sometimes they die. That's about all I got.

When I asked Miles if he wanted to watch LOST with me, he said no. He'd seen a few episodes and it's too melodramatic for his taste. I can understand that criticism, especially since I started noticing that everyone on this show says one line more than they need to say in dramatic moments. It always seems to go like this:

Character: "Dramatic revelation."

{beat}

Character: (more slowly) "Repeat dramatic revelation."

As though the writers are sticking to a formula of:

"Drop a bomb."

{let that sink in for a second}

"That's right, we dropped that bomb."

It's not annoying yet, but it is noticeable.

Season 3 -- Original Air Dates 2006 thru 2007

A Tale of Two Cities

Oooh! Welcome to the Aquarium of Unresolved Issues! With all the screaming "Jack" and flooding and grasping hands, it got real Titanic for a moment here.

The Glass Ballerina

So The Others obviously have Google. I'm already sick to death of Juliet's sickly smirk, and I've only known her two episodes.

I herewith begin addressing wedding invitations.

Further Instructions

It's like no one can die on this island. Except the people who die. Also, I get instantly bored when we flash back to Locke's life. You know whose backstory I'm tired of at this point? John Locke's backstory, is whose. How many does he get, anyway?

Every Man for Himself

This show really clips along with they let Jack doctor people.

The Cost of Living

Who are these European Sawyer and Smarter Princess all of a sudden? I demand to know more about Desmond before we get into new people. Also, I'm kind of glad to see Echo die, because his backstory was the only one that made me cry.

I Do

Kate used to be married to Captain Hammer!

Not in Portland

When the ladies on this show straighten their hair, they mean business. Also, MAC! Where are your glamour muscles now, eh? No better at defending that prison than you ever were at keeping riff-raff outta the bar.

Flashes Before Your Eyes

Didn't get a whole lot of envelopes addressed during this episode. Damn Desmond's engrossing backstory that is also somehow lateral.

Stranger in a Strange Land

Oh, Jack. I could have told you that things only go from bad to CRAZYFACE when you get involved with Bai Ling in any capacity.

Tricia Tanaka is Dead

Sweet! We haven't had a slow-mo reunion in a good while, and this episode we get two! Also, isn't Sun pregnant? Why isn't she gaining any weight, and why is Hurley still not losing any? For a place where everyone's supposed to be working out their shit, this island doesn't really allow for too much evolution.

Enter 77

The man with the eye patch is a menacing dairy farmer! And if Dharma Initiative are not the others, then WHO ARE THE OTHERS?! Oh, they're "hostiles"? Tell me something I don't know.

Par Avion

Claire + Jack = siblings! Hooray! I'm 100% on board with this completely implausible twist! Also, that last little bit of Jack playing football with the enemy? Second genius twist.

The Man from Tallahassee

Oh my G, Locke's dad is THE WORST PERSON IN HISTORY. If he doesn't end up killing that guy, I will.

Exposé

Nicely done, with the backstory of Nikki and Paolo weaving throughout the first three seasons. Well played. Also, burial alive is like, one of my top fears. So good luck sleeping tonight, me.

Left Behind

Excuse me if I am right, but isn't this prime real estate once occupied by The Others, complete with running water and tea, now totally up for grabs? WHY are you going back to the beach, again? Move your people over to THIS side of the island. Also, did Kate used to cry this much?

One of Us

I really want to trust Juliet, but I can't decide if she's better as a double or triple agent. I mean, she seems all heartless about everything but her sick sister. Gasp! Does she kill Charlie? Because I remember he's supposed to die, though it seems he forgot.

Catch-22

This whole Desmond-the-Monk backstory? Superfluous. Move it along. I also have an idea for next season--get off the island. My patience wears thin with the foliage. I know at some point there are flash-forwards, and I'm ready for that.

D.O.C.

Jin knows karate? Sexy. Mikhail knows medicine? ...Creepy. Also... ARE they all dead? Is this, like, purgatory? Then... how did The Others get here? Also... is Kate knocked up, too? I saw a Lifetime movie like this once.

The Brig

I'm glad the characters are finally starting to realize how they're connected. That's a nice payoff for me. Also, I've been wanting Locke's dad dead since he chased teenage Christian Bale all over Newsies. I hate this fighting. Live together, die alone, assholes. Remember?

The Man Behind the Curtain

Ben's dad is Uncle Rico, so that's gotta be tough. ...God Richard is just preternaturally good-looking, isn't he? Does he wear guyliner? Does he sleep in it? ... Unrelated thought--John Locke as modern Oedipus? Killed his father and will probably die of insatiable curiosity. I mean, I know he appears to be dying right, Ben shot him, but I think we're still in the feet-bound-left-on-a-mountaintop-to-die-but-save-by-shepherd phase of the story. ...I should probably sleep.

Greatest Hits

I have a feeling Charlie's gonna bite it this episode. If he dies without kissing Claire, I will have a shit fit. ... HOORAY! Also, if anyone kills Jin they will have ME to answer to.

Through the Looking Glass (pt1 and pt2)

I knew from the looks of Jack's psychotic depression beard at the top of this episode that things were not going to go well. And I'm really not okay with Jack and Juliet kissing. Not at all. I haven't figured out if I like her yet. And was that a "friend" I love you or a "lover" I love you, to Kate? I am... as the title would indicate... lost.
Okay, weird. This is one of the few episodes I saw when it aired live. I'mma watch it again, though. ...Ugh! Can we just SLAP Ben? Can we just? I'm over his simpering and I don't care about him or have any sympathy that he was raised by Uncle Rico. ... thanks, Jack. Also, Rousseau is my favorite.

Season 4 -- Original Air Dates Jan-May 2008

A short season due to the Writer's Strike, I hope it won't take me so long to buzz through this one. Everyone said if I stuck with it through Season 3, I'd make it till the end. I would like to thank the Polaskcantel Wedding Bonanza and its 300+ wedding invitations for that, because Season 3 was really convoluted and I might not have survived it on my own. By the way, I'm still working on them.

The Beginning of the End

Oceanic six? SIX??!! Aaron better be included in that number.

Confirmed Dead

Ooooh there is a medium/ghostbuster named Miles! I live with a guy named Miles! And medium/ghostbuster seems to be the career path that Hurley is on as well. And is it just me, or is Dan the most awkward helicopter rescue person ever? I do love how new people show up on this island now all the time and nobody bats an eye.

The Economist

I'm sick of the barracks, I'm sick of the island, and I'm sick of Ben. I would like to move forward in time, please? In fact, I would like LOST to now transition into a series exclusively about Sayid loving and killing beautiful spies, except not working for Ben. Of whom I am sick.

So the invitations are FINALLY finished, and it's time for me and LOST to take a little break from each other. I've watched 24 episodes in five days.

Eggtown

No one has ever looked as elegant going into federal custody as Kate does. Seriously, where can I get that blouse? And... wait... did she steal Claire's baby? WHAT?!?! I would watch the next episode right away to find out, but I'm sure they won't refer back to this plot point for at least three or four weeks.

The Constant

Military flashback? Snore. Wait... time-jumping... constant in both future and past... am I being Incepted? Also, you cannot cold-cock and headbutt people over and over again like this without some lasting repercussions. Some of these people will leave the island with brain damage for sure.

The Other Woman

If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say "If you don't stop them, everyone on this island is going to die," I would quit my job again. Also, Penny's dad? WHAT? Seriously more than surly. Twist!!

Ji Yeon
Meet Kevin Johnson
The Shape of Things to Come
Something Nice Back Home
Cabin Fever
There's No Place Like Home (Part 1)
There's No Place Like Home (Part 2)

Recipe :: Mexican Tortilla Lasagna

2011-09-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

Last week, Miles and I were in Abingdon, VA on a little mountain getaway, and I happened to stumble upon something magnificent at a coffee shop. Here is my own delectable recreation.

The most utterly delightful thing about this "lasagna" is that it's fairly easy to make, but it's one of those stick-to-your-ribs kind of meals that doesn't really need a side dish or any other courses alongside it. The idea is that you use tortillas instead of noodles to create the layers, and then stuff the thing with beans and cheese and peppers and whatever else floats your boat. There is a lot of room to invent with this one. For instance, I have discovered that if every time a recipe calls for cumin, I throw in a dash of cinnamon, the results are incredible. So you'll find cinnamon here. Next time I might use some mushrooms or spinach as well.

Last night Andy came over to watch Toddlers and Tiaras and we just kept eating this stuff and murmuring about how on earth anything so simple could be so delicious. And the atrocious behavior of the toddlers and their parents.

I have to thank Zazzy'Z coffeeshop for the inspiration, though my version has a little more going on. But next time I'm in Abingdon, you better bet I'm making a beeline for that counter.

Mexican Tortilla Lasagna

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef  or beef substitute (I use Boca Burgers Ground Crumbles)
½ onion, finely chopped 
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (or you can use 2, if you like the heat)
½ bellpepper, finely chopped
1 tbsp chili powder 
1 tsp cumin 
dash sea salt 
dash black Pepper 
dash cinnamon
1 can (14.5 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can (15oz) ounces fresh corn 
1 can (15oz) black beans
1 can (15oz) refried pinto beans
4 ounces mild enchilada sauce 
4-5 8″ flour tortillas 
2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded 
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp olive oil or spray olive oil (virgin or extra-virgin)

Directions

Heat oven to 400˚ F. Lightly coat a 8x12" (or similar) pan with olive oil. Don't use nonstick "cooking spray"--seriously, do you know what's in that? Just don't.
Brown beef in a large nonstick skilled over medium heat with a little more olive oil. Stir in onions, jalapenos, and bell pepper and cook until tender (onions are clear). 
Stir in chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Stir in tomatoes and enchilada sauce; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
Drain cans of black beans and corn. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together corn and black beans.
Tear up tortillas and line bottom of pan. Spread refried beans on tortilla strips and top with corn and black bean mixture and cheese. Layer on more tortilla strips and top with beef/veggie mixture and cheese. Alternate layers until you run out of ingredients or reach the top of the dish. Make sure there is ample cheese on top of the final layer. Nom nom.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve hot and keep the leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
Watch crap TV with your friends while eating.
Reheats like a dream.

Sources

Just Drop Off the Key, Lee. And Set Yourself Free.

2011-08-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

So, you might have noticed some things are different around here.
Like the web address. And unemployment.
In order to make more of an effort at cohesion in my digital life, I have updated the URL of this blog to www.achelseaday.com. Spiffy, no?
It matches my twitters, @AChelseaDay. And if I've learned anything from my personal role models Rachel Zoe and Bethenny Frankel (besides 'wait a long time to have a kid'), it's that branding yourself well is the key to all happiness.

see how happy?

The name is taken from that grand old Joni Mitchell song, "Chelsea Morning," which by the time I decided to see what the kids were up to and join Twitter, was no longer available. Natch. But I like what I ended up with as well. A Chelsea Day. Well, I guess all of mine are.

On to other news. Big news.

I was nominated for and accepted into the Dramatists Guild Chicago Intensive at Northwestern University, September 12th-15th. This is kind of an insane opportunity for me, and it's one I truly thought I didn't have much of a shot at. That's why the fact that it would be completely impossible for me to attend didn't really deter me from applying. But then, when I found out that I was one of only five playwrights selected, I had to do some hard considering. All of my vacation days for the year are tied up with my wedding and honeymoon, both of which are non-negotiable date-wise. At my office, sick days must be accompanied by doctor's notes, so calling in four days in a row with a "cough" wasn't an option, either. I asked for unpaid leave, and was denied it. So. That.

On the one hand, I have a great-paying job with people I really like, at a company that does good work, and gives me fantastic benefits (that Miles is more than a little interested in marrying me for). On the other hand, I have an unpaid four-day intensive professional development workshop with leaders of the American Theatre. It is clear that I can't have them both, and it's also clear what the pragmatic choice would be. And yet... and yet... crazy as it sounds, choosing the job over the workshop would indicate a firm shift in priorities that I am just not ready to make yet. I consider myself a playwright, it's part of my identity, it's party of my relationships. Playwrighting is what I went to school for, why I moved to Chicago, why I haven't gotten enough sleep or eaten as well as I should for the last five years. It's why I have rushed to newsstands to search for my name. It's why I have spent so much money in coffee shops and why I used to date actors and ended up engaged to a sound designer. Playwrighting is, in no insignificant way, my life.

So I gave three weeks notice at my day job.

Which I had to put back into perspective as just that--my day job. Yes, I like it and yes, it pays well. Yes, I will miss free doctor's appointments and cheap prescriptions. But if I compromise who I am as an artist now, before I have kids or a mortgage or loans to repay, if I can't take a leap of faith now that this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life... well, there is no coming back. And I can't get stuck here. Not when everything else is going so well. And truth be told, I'm tired of devoting the dregs of my time and energy to that which really sustains me. I'm twenty-eight years old, about to be married--I need to either find a way to make writing my living, or find a way to make a living that I love as much as writing. The time of divided attentions, two-hour commutes, frumpy business-casual clothes that smother my naturally awesome style, and fighting my way through the Chicago Loop at 5pm to arrive home to the one I love cranky and exhausted are behind me. Or they will be, as of 9.9.11.

I have never before quit a job without having another lined up. But there is no point in trying to get hired at another 9-5 in September, and then asking off for a week to get married and 10 days for my honeymoon before the new year. Besides, if I don't have a job in October, I can travel with Miles to Austin, TX where he's sound designing a show at UT for a few weeks. (Though it does skeeve me out to be so close to Rick Perry). I can write, and try to figure out how to make a living at it. I can teach a Dabble class about wedding planning. I can figure out if I actually have a book in me (I think I do). I can hang out with Miles, and finish planning my wedding without feeling like ONE MORE DECISION IS GOING TO BE THE LAST STRAW. And I want to do those things. For the first time in my life, I truly understand that time = money, and at this point, I would rather have much more of the former at the expense of the latter. I'm sick of trading the good hours of every day for a paycheck. I don't think it's a natural way to live. And if I do need to get another 9-5 in January 2012, then I will at least have the knowledge that I gave freelance writing my best shot. And I will get a full-time job I absolutely love, and dedicate myself to it happily.

There are things that we have to do not because they are, in and of themselves, things that MUST get done. We do these things because to leave them undone would make us less ourselves. So this is where I am, Miles has got my back, and for the first time in a long time I have some of my old swagger. I might be coming out of a soul-coma. Colors are brighter. All of it.

Expect many updates.
Hey-o, I've got plenty of time.
Hey-o, I've got light in my eyes.

What Would Kate Middleton do?

2011-08-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

KMids, in times of adversity, I turn to your unfaltering glory.

Remember when I said that this is no longer a dream wedding, but a real, honest-to-god, happening-in-two-months wedding? Well, with reality comes compromise. And with compromise, a few pangs of resignation.

Two or three weeks ago, my pal (and bridesmaid) Becca told our other friend Kate (also bridesmaid) that I am "The Kate Middleton of Jennings." I can't tell you how pleased I am when stuff like this gets back to me. Of COURSE I am. Yes. Excellent comparison. Sincere, brunette, savvy--someone has to hold that down below the Mason-Dixon line. All one has to do is consider the fact that my Jennings bridal shower next weekend is being given by THIRTY (30) hostesses, and you can see exactly how much of the village it took to raise this child. The royal wedding even took place on my parents' anniversary.

Accordingly, I have tried to keep the Duchess of Cambridge in mind when I encounter pre-wedding hiccups. Which are usually delivered to me by my mother, the woman who has a somewhat nonsensical yet bewilderingly firm answer for every argument of mine.

Chelsea: She told you the flowers are HOW much? No. Outrageous.

Mom: Chelsea, weddings have flowers.

Chelsea: That's much more than we discussed for the cakes.

Mom: Chelsea, your cake budget was totally unreasonable.

I tell you this for free, you don't really know your mother until she tells you your cake budget is unreasonable.
Did you see the royal wedding cake? That's the kind of pastry that could tear a family to shreds.

But did it? No. That is precisely my point. KMids would never let anything so small as a roughly $32 million wedding ruffle her feathers. When whichever minion it was told her on the morning of 29 April 2011 that it was expected to rain throughout her wedding day, what did she say? Probably something along the lines of "No probs. We'll take the covered carriage." She is grace, poise, and perfect hair at all times. And what is my wedding to hers, I ask you? Small potatoes. So much less to live up to. Only televised in a handful of countries. Way fewer nutball hats.

So in the style of Her Maj--who, after all, made off with my biggest junior high crush and his fortune--I am going to take all future mishaps and compromises in royal style. The florist can't get three of the flowers I asked for, but she has substitutes that are just as good? We'll go with those. Everyone I know decided to play 1-2-3-Get-Pregnant! several months ago and so quite a few friends can't come because they'll be brand new parents in November? I benevolently wish them well. Weddings have flowers and my cake budget is unreasonable? Smile and wave, smile and wave. Flash the ring, giggle with your sister, and look adoringly at your husband-to-be.

Though I am not officially one of your subjects, Kate Middleton, I salute you.

both of these photos from the totes hilar katemiddletonftw

T-3 Months Till Wedding -- Time to Get Real

2011-08-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

Aw, hell.

The time is now upon us, my friends.
There are 86 measly days left between now and the wedding, and a cold, hard morning is dawning. It is the morning of reality. And its revelations are merciless.

Forgive my bleak and somber mood, I know it is not very pre-nuptial. However, I'm feeling rather grim of late, because it seems that the closer we get to the wedding, the more decisions we make and plans we solidify, the more people have their hands out. I know people have to make a living, but I'm not sure why everyone from the Roman Catholic Church down to the little old lady who's baking the cakes suddenly thinks that because I'm in love and ready to make a lifetime commitment, I should also be able to afford a party that's going to cost more than I make in a year. AN ENTIRE YEAR. I honestly don't know how people do this without their parents' help. Luckily, we have four very supportive and financially stable parents on our side. Even so, I can't help but think that if the six of us had gotten on a plane to Fiji a few months ago and done the whole "intimate wedding in the sand" scenario, we might all have been a lot happier and saved ourselves some money and wrinkles.

But then again, this woman I met the other day did the "intimate wedding in the sand" scenario a few months ago, and right before they were set to fly off her photographer backed out of his contract and her dress had to be entirely remade. So I'm guessing there is really no way to get married without risking a psychotic break with reality.

Three months out, and this weekend it was time for me to spend a good two hours going through all my accumulated wedding scribblings and clippings and musings and scraps, and file away those ideas that just aren't going to be part of the day. Things are settled. You can't do anything and everything that looks good--you'd have a Liza Minelli-style monstrosity on your hands. (Latter-day, Michael Jackson-era Liza.) So it's not a dream wedding, it's now a wedding that's actually happening. Actually ours. And it's shaping up to be quite lovely in the real world.

I'm trying to keep the bigger picture in mind.

oh yeah. there is is.

Happily I do have some checked-off bullet-points to report. And nothing satisfies me like checking off a good bullet point.

Miles was out of town a few weekends ago, and I made it my goal (in addition to canning everything in sight and cleaning like a maniac) to get my foundation garments and shoes for the wedding, as well as my dress for my upcoming bridal shower in my hometown. The dress took care of itself easily because I decided to wear a BCBG dress I already own
(which will mean I've worn BCBG to both of my bridal showers, thank you). The shoes... well, you know the saga of those (pts 1 and 2). After searching high and low and many brillz suggestions from you lovely people, I was still totally unable to find green flats approximating my dream wedding shoes. I even took Andy to DSW with me a few weekends ago, explained to him what we were looking for, and watched the realization slowly overtake him that the quest was totally futile.

Andy: They really do have everything but green flats.

Me: I know.

Andy: There's like... an acre of shoes here.

Me: I know.

Andy: I mean, they have this (he holds up a pair of

zebra-and-leopard-patchwork pumps) and they don't have green shoes.

Me: Welcome to my hell.

But in spite of the world's shoemakers being completely unwilling to curve their goods to my will, I was able to make a decision. I saw the Steve Madden Heaven Glitter flats a few months ago and knew they would be my backup wedding shoes if I didn't find green ones. And finally, on that weekend when Miles was out of town, I decided to stop torturing myself and just get the thing done. So I will be wearing these at my wedding:

And I think that's a pretty great thing. They will match the champagne pearls.

The foundation garments were next. My seamstress told me not to show up at my dress fitting on Labor Day without my wedding undercrackers and my wedding shoes. And I do my best to meet deadlines. I assumed it would be as easy as walking into a nice department store and asking to be fitted for expensive foundation-y type things. I mean, isn't that what Christina Hendricks does? I'm pretty sure one of the secrets to her power is incredible undergarments.

bam!

Unfortunately, the nice ladies in the nice department stores had no idea what I was talking about. They did not coming running with measuring tapes and lacy bundles. They just looked at me quizzically and waved me over to the Spanx area. After this happened a couple of times, finally at Bloomingdales (Bloomingdales!), I was ready to give right up and go commando under my dress, devil take the hindmost. That was when I fortuitously stumbled upon the magical bra stylists in the hithertofore undiscovered land of Intimacy, at the 900 N. Michigan shops. Bra stylists. For real. Mine was named Angel, and she certainly lived up to it. When I walked in, I asked her "do you have foundation garments to wear under wedding dresses?" and she responded, "like these?" and held up an armful of lacy white underwired and gartered things. I nearly cried tears of joy.

In less than 30 minutes, I had been fitted and found absolutely everything I needed, all perfect, all white. I mean, it was expensive, don't misunderstand that, but in the area of undercrackers one certainly gets what one pays for.

Miles and I been actively churching it up, as we get closer to 11.11.11.

We've completed two of the four parts of the PreCana courses that are mandatory to be married in the Catholic church--we've had our FOCCUS inventory meeting and the first of three classes. While I find the church ladies running the show slightly disorganized and more than a little alarmist, and I think it's kind of ridiculous to pay $525 to a church we're not even going to be married in, I must admit that I have enjoyed the time we've spent doing these activities. It is not often that people talk about their relationships in spiritual terms, and it requires an entirely different way of thinking about the commitment we're making to each other in a very short time. I've been saying "as long as we show up single and leave married we'll have done our jobs," but after participating in the PreCana festivities, we are spending more time thinking about the mass itself; maybe it's not just a way to spend the hour before the reception? Possibly? At the religious level it is participation in a holy sacrament, a manifestation of love incarnate, and at the secular level it is a cultural rite--how many times does one get to experience such things in modern life?

It was in this spirit that I sat down to plan the readings and music for the wedding mass. Miles left me to it, intuiting that my love of words and 14 years of Catholic schooling should probably take the reins on this project. The music was easy--entrance and exit music are going to be instrumental, and everything in between will be sung in either French or Latin. "Fancy!" you are thinking, and you are not wrong. And though I do love "The Girl from Ipanema" with all my heart, I have elected to walk down the aisle on the arm of my father, to "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" as played on trumpet and organ. Here, have a listen.

How can you not feel wedding-riffic hearing the opening strains of that gem?
I picked out the ceremony readings, one Old Testament and one New Testament like you do. For the OT, I'm going with some selections from chapters 2 and 8 of the Song of Songs, and for the NT I've selected some verses from I John 4. Because, no offense to St. Paul or any of the Corinthians, but if I never hear "love is patient, love is kind" again at a wedding, I'm pretty sure I'll live.

I spent the better part of an hour comparing different versions of these readings in three different bible editions, to make sure I chose the best wording. I know it is not normal to have three copies of the Bible in one's home, in the "research" section of one's bookcase. I am aware. Please nobody get us one for a wedding present.

And finally, in HR news, we have two new bridesmaids.
Late in the game to be picking bridesmaids, you say? Never.
Claudia is due to have her baby so close to the wedding date that her doctor says she might not be able to travel, in which case we'd be one b'smaid down. And since my brother is now confirmed to be a groomsman (we had thought he might be overseas--he's in the Marines), we were already going to be one dude heavy. So, in regular roll-with-the-punches style, when you find out you're two groomsmen heavy, you scoop up two new bridesmaids. My dear, dear friends Kate and Becca are filling those roles, and they bring with them that much-needed "wildcard" element the bridal party was previously lacking.

It's only getting better from here.

My Big Fat Cajun Wedding

2011-08-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've wondered what might happen if I re-watched "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" in order to get the ball rolling on the sequel I'm basing on my own life. Luckily for you, I felt sickly yesterday afternoon, and saw fit to sate your curiosity.
Below, you can find the Tweetscript.
In case you missed it because you were out, I dunno, enjoying the weather or something.

Chelsea Marcantel
@AChelseaDay

Feeling sickly. Best cure? Watch & live-tweet "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" to get ball rolling on sequel about me. #bigfatcajunwedding

I truly dislike that MBFGW is set in Chicago Greektown and shot in Toronto.

Her dad says "You better get married soon. You look old." Mine says "You're never going to give me grandkids,are you?" #mybigfatcajunwedding

Greek girls' expiration age=30. I get that. If I moved home now I'd have to wait until the first wave of divorces hits to find a husband.

Photos printed on paper. How quaint. Now he'd be flipping through his phone. But the restaurant would look no different.

Nothing I love so much as a good movie makeover. #mybigfatcajunwedding

"Would you like to go for Greek food?" No & I don't want to go to some place in Evanston with "authentic gumbo" either. #mybigfatcajunwedding

She has 27 first cousins? I have only 17, but some of them have grandkids. Evens out. #mybigfatcajunwedding

"oh EAT something!" I have heard uttered in exasperation many times myself. #mybigfatcajunwedding

I hope that @milespolaski doesn't find PreCana classes as bad as all this. Thankfully we don't have to dunk him in a baby pool on the altar.

Dancing, food, & knocking eggs together. Then people not understanding what vegetarian means. Identical to my Easter. #mybigfatcajunwedding

"Its like you'd rather go bankrupt than insult anybody" while making the guest list. Sick truth.

Also the rational that you have to invite someone b/c you invited their cousins. #mybigfatcajunwedding

Took the same horrifying "They might as well meet the whole family at the same time" approach w/ @milespolaski's parents.

I have most assuredly asked "Is my marriage killing dad?" five or six times by now. #mybigfatcajunwedding

If my weddding morning is this frantic, I will have done everything wrong in my life. Though I do have roughly that many bridesmaids.

Have realized like Toula did that my family is loud,insane,gigantic,irreplaceable,brilliant, & needs 1 more member (@milespolaski). #mybigfatcajunwedding

swamp people wedding

Task #92--Watch all the movies I own and haven't watched (1/8)

2011-08-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

Alright, I've combed the shelves and picked them out. These are the movies I've acquired through various means and yet have not watched.*

Made (2001) -- Came in a double-set with Swingers (1996), which is what I was after. Watched Swingers and forgot to watch Made.

The Blue Realm: Underwater Adventure 2-DVD set (2005) -- bought these as a gift for an ex-boyfriend when he got an HD TV. Somehow I ended up with them back in my possession. Score! I love underwater stuff.

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Adam Sandler (2003) -- I think I inherited this when Levi moved to Cali.

The Lords of the Flatbush (1974) -- You have no idea how bad this movie looks. Young Stallone and Winkler. Seriously, Wikipedia this. I bought this to bring to a Bad Movie Night in college, and then we watched something else. Still have it. Never watched it.

Bright Young Things (2003) -- I think I bought this because it was on sale and looked good. Recently, Braden recommended it to me, and I said, "Wow. I own that. I should watch it."

WATCHED! Infinitely forgettable. This movie was all OVER the place! But it did reinforce my opinion that there are only 4 British actors over the age of 50. To wit: Bridget Jones's parents looking troubled as Voldemort attacks Hogwarts.

L'Auberge Espagnole (2002) -- Most def yoinked this when Levi moved. Always wanted to see it.

Broken Flowers (2005) -- Bought this because it was acclaimed and on sale. Still hearing good things about it.

Adaptation (2002) -- I actually feel guilty about the fact that I haven't watched this, since people always give me approving looks when they see it on my DVD shelf and I know in my heart that I'm a TOTAL POSER who's never watched it. Bought it pre-viewed because I know that I need to see it. I KNOW. IT'S ON THE LIST! GEEZUM!

This is What Happens When a Sound Designer Asks You to Marry Him

2011-08-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Miles and I have been picking out music for our wedding ceremony proper.

I have decided that my entrance will be to the below song. I will be in full sashay, and probably singing along at top volume:

Miles has decided upon an entrance song as well. When I told him that he doesn't get to enter, he assured me that he does. He plans to zipline from the balcony to the altar accompanied by these dulcet tones:

When we exit the ceremony as a newly married couple, we plan to see how much of is the first movement of Jean-Joseph Mouret's "First Suite in D" will play before people realize it's the theme from "Masterpiece Theatre." This is actually a fairly traditional bridal entrance.

There are still a few odds and ends to sort out, but I think we have some solid quality choices picked out here.

Recipe :: Cajun Sweet Dough Pies

2011-07-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

If you are from south Louisiana, you know the magic I speak of when I say the words "sweet dough pie."

Sweet dough pies are a staple dessert/breakfast (we often confuse those two) in my homeland, but it's actually not something a lot of people make at home. Any bake sale, party, or even truckstop you run across will feature these treats in a variety of flavors, but I can't really remember ever making them at home with my family. Needless to say, this is one of the many recipes I had to figure out how to re-create after moving to the Midwest, once I realized my supply had been abruptly cut off.
The reason it's taken me so long to post this recipe is that I've had the hardest time finding options for a rather crucial component--the filling. Sweet dough pies can be filled with any number of things--lemon curd, fresh fruit pie filling, chocolate--but I've searched high and low for pie filling-type-items that don't contain loads of High Fructose Corn Syrup (which I never willingly buy, and I couldn't in good conscience write a recipe that would lead people to it). But NOW, after many months of scouting and eating pies, I have an ample list of filling options that are as wholesome as they are delicious.

Enjoy the pies of my labor. Please.

Note: The dough needs to chill for 2-3 hours or overnight before you bake it. Plan your prep time accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter
1.5 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (non-hydrogentated)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup milk
optional: fresh fruit to match filling
For Filling:

1 can pie filling (if you can find it without nasty chemicals)
1 jar Nutella hazelnut spread
Lemon Curd
Strawberry Conserve
Easy Blueberry Preserves
Make your own filling with:

1 can fresh fruit in juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch

Directions:

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat sugar into butter and shortening, a little at a time. Add vanilla. Beat mixture until it is nice and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Stir in flour mixture and milk alternately. Use the electric mixer for as long as possible, but toward the end of the process you will probably have to switch to mixing in the last of the dry ingredients with your hands. The dough should form a large ball; if it is too crumbly, add splashes of milk or water until you can make it all into one ball. If it gets too sticky, add flour a little at a time until it no longer sticks to your hands.
Let dough chill uncovered 2-3 hours or overnight, until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into circles of about 3 inch diameter. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of filling (and fruit if you're using it) into the center of each circle. Fold over to form a half-moon shape. Pinch the seams or press with a fork to seal.
Place at least 2 inches apart in a greased baking sheet.
Bake 10-15 minutes until tops are barely golden and pies are still spongey to the touch. The crust of these should be very soft and doughy. Store in an airtight container to make sure they stay this way.

Fill

Bake

Enjoy!

Bridesmaids Dresses -- Four of Six

2011-07-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

When I got engaged, I drew from my own bridesmaidal experiences when determining what to order my minions to wear. And the best gift I could bestow upon them was to let them do whatever they wanted.

I asked the six of them to pick whichever green JCrew dress they fancied, and let me tell you--they done good.

About two weeks after I got engaged, I went to the JCrew on Michigan Avenue to see the dresses and colors in person and collect fabric samples. I had no idea what I wanted my dress to look like yet, and starting with the bridal party felt way more fun and less overwhelming. I finagled Ashley into coming with me to be my model, and she did a triumphant job. We worked with a bridal consultant named Jessica, who let us know that any dresses we ordered through her at the JCrew store could be shipped to any JCrew with no shipping charge, and would also have a longer return window. Just an all-around pleasure to work with, those JCrew folks. And the dresses are so nice, and reasonably priced, that I feel like ordering bridesmaids' dresses from this company is only going to become more commonplace than it already is.

In an absolute advertisement for why you should let your bridesmaids choose their own dresses, my bestie pal Claudia informed me a few months ago that she will be nine months pregnant (if not giving birth) at my wedding. So back went her cute-as-a-button JCrew dress, and we are still waiting to see what she'll be sporting at the festivities. And Ashley, original JCrew model, is also still up in the air about her dress, though she's pretty sure she's settled on a color--key lime.

So without further ado, here are the dresses that 4 of my 6 bridesmaids will be sporting.

I couldn't be giddier to see them all together, looking fab.

Sophia dress in dark moss -- Robin

Blakely dress in key lime -- Angelique (maid of honor)

Blakely dress in organic green -- Lauren

Taryn dress in jalapeno -- Christina

COMPLETED #51 -- Make a Jam, Preserve, or Jelly

2011-07-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

I said to Miles about 11 months ago when we were in Door County, "I want to be the kind of person who makes preserves."
Well, now I am. Perfect life accomplished. Naptime.

I will tell you something at the risk of sounding ridiculous -- I swoon for preserves. I truly do. I will pay $10 for a jar of Rare Bird Preserves because that jar is spoonful after spoonful of heaven. I will give a little yelp of joy when I see some new savory onion jam treasure from Stonewall Kitchen at a local market. I remember my grandmother's blackberry preserves from my childhood, and even now, my parents have so many friends in Louisiana who give them homemade jams and jellies every Christmas. It is sticky, magical comfort food, and it comes in an infinite number of incarnations.

But.

I have heard horror stories about people trying to teach themselves to can and preserve at home, which resulted in exploding glass jars and scrubbing the ceiling. So I have hesitated, I think wisely, to venture into this new culinary arena without expert help. And then today, when I was trolling the internet for recipes, I ran across something on one of my favorite blogs, Orangette, that made me feel a glimmer of confidence. It looked like a fairly simple, three-ingredient, non-explosive kind of starter-jam, and I figured I would try it.

I might add here that Miles is out of town for a week doing a show in Michigan, and whenever he leaves for this kind of time, I always snap into hyper-productive mode. I'm not sure why, except that it obviously makes the hours until he gets home fly by. In any case, today I tried about 4 new recipes, baked my Ginger Blueberry Bread with a pear in it, cleaned the apartment, caught up on emails, persuaded a friend to come by and relight the pilot in our hot water heater, and thought I'd try canning for the first time in my life. Totally normal behavior.

So, anyway, back to the recipe. It is from Bon Appétit, June 2011.
Molly, Orangette's author, describes this Strawberry Conserve thusly:

It isn’t really jam. It’s more useful than jam. It goes to places where jam doesn’t go. It starts from halved strawberries, and because it’s a conserve, or a whole-fruit jam, it doesn’t get a long cooking; the berries are simmered only briefly, until they’re very soft but still have integrity, like self-contained pockets of concentrated strawberry juice.

Which makes me think this might be the perfect filling for Sweet-Dough Pies (the recipe for which I have been meaning to post for ages...). They are made with pie filling, but it has proved almost impossible to find any filling that isn't made with high-fructose corn syrup. Which I refuse to consume if I can knowledgeably help it.

Anyway, here is what I did. And some pictures of it getting done.

Strawberry Conserve

Strawberries are low in pectin, so they don’t readily set into a firm jam. The presence here of some lemon rind, which is full of natural pectin, helps with that. But still, what you wind up with is more like strawberries in a beautiful, thick, blood-red syrup.

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh strawberries (about 1 lb.), halved
¾ cup superfine sugar (I used powdered sugar, which is finer than superfine, because I didn't have any superfine. Then I sprinkled on some regular sugar. It turned out fine.)
Peel (with white pith) of ½ lemon

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a heavy, wide pot. Cover; let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. The sugar will dissolve and the mixture will get very juicy.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring gently, until the strawberries are just tender, about 3 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the strawberries to a 1-pint jar. Continue simmering the liquid until it thickens into a syrupy consistency, 1-2 minutes. (Mine took a little longer.)

Discard the lemon peel, and pour the syrup of the strawberries in the jar. Seal, and let cool to room temperature. Chill for up to 1 month.

I have been running to the kitchen every five minutes to make sure the jar didn't explode, and for now, it seems we are safe. And one step closer to completing all the 101 things.

Recipe :: Caramelized Pear & Roasted Walnut Feta Salad

2011-07-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

So, for a vegetarian, I don't eat a whole lot of salads.
But you put a caramelized pear on anything, and I'll show up.

I blame iceberg lettuce for the small number of salads I consume. It's just so blah you know, and hardly even trying to be nutritious. I like arugula salads and baby spinach salads, etc, but those are harder to come by. And even then, it's mostly about what you put on the salad, which makes me wonder why I'm not just eating that.

Which I guess is why I was drawn to a recipe for a corn-based feta salad I saw in Real Simple. It looked fresh and summery and happily lettuce-less. I also had a pear hanging around my kitchen that I had figured I would learn to caramelize at some point, and this salad presented the perfect platform. I figure you could probably slap some arugula under this salad if you had to have greens, but it's very lovely as it is.

I'm sad Miles is out of town this week, for a lot of reasons. But one at the top of the list is that I'm pretty sure he'd love this salad a lot.

Caramelized Pear and Roasted Walnut Feta Salad

Ingredients (to serve 2):
1/4 cup walnuts
1 cup fresh corn kernels, raw or cooked
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled Feta (2 ounces)
1 pear
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp butter

Caramelize the Pear:

(these instructions are for one pear; multiply the recipe accordingly)

Peel the pear and cut the fruit away from the core; cut into pieces as big as you'd like in your salad
Put the pear pieces into a small bowl and toss with 1/2tsp (two squeezes) lemon juice, a dash of sea salt, and a dash of black pepper

Add 1tbsp sugar and coat all pieces
In a pan, melt 1tbsp butter over medium heat. When the butter is hot, add the pears. Cook until the pears start to caramelize, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip over and caramelize the other side.
Remove the pears from the stove. Put water in the empty pot right away or it will be a real hassle to clean later.

Roast the Walnuts (optional):

(this salad will taste just great with regular un-roasted walnuts, but if you're going to be fancy and caramelize the pear, you might as well)

Heat oven to 400° F.
Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes.
Let cool and roughly chop

Assemble the Salad:

In a large bowl, combine the corn, jalapeños, lime juice, oil, walnuts, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Add the caramelized pear.
Sprinkle with the Feta before serving. If you have time, chill for one hour before serving.

Source Recipes

T-4 Months Till Wedding -- It's Business Time

2011-07-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

If you're not going to elope, I recommend giving yourself no more than 4 months to plan your wedding. It's way better on this side of 120 days.

I'm in business mode now, and it feels pretty great.
My standard response to being asked "how's the wedding planning going" for the last 6 months has been a pat "we should have eloped," but the tide has turned on my attitude here recently. I attribute this 100% to the fact that the time has come to actually make concrete decisions with money behind them, from which there is no turning back. Gone are the waffling, the reversals, the second-guessing, the waiting on other people's timetables. The days of committed choices are upon us!

As I said to my dad, and as he keeps reminding me: We Are In Business Mode.
Marcantels thrive and excel in Business Mode.

Take the flowers, for instance. I've been in a floral-induced rage for the last week, which was preceeded by a floral stupor since I wrote this back in April. It turns out, after a lot of rigamarole and gnashing of teeth, that it will be easier and cheaper for me to get my flowers from a florist in Jennings, than to buy them wholesale online. Wholesale would probably be cheaper than a florist in Chicago, or somewhere else more metro, but in Jennings they price out almost identically. My best advice for saving money on your wedding is 1) get married in a small town where your parents know everyone and 2) tell people the reception is BYOB.

The reason I've been so frustrated with flowers lately, after I thought I had it all figured out, is that buying wholesale bulk flowers online doesn't present me with any way to preview the arrangements. If I go out to local flower shops now to see what my choices are, to buy a few flowers to play around with, the summer blooms for sale are not what will be seasonal/available in November. And the bulk wholesale sites don't ship you a few loose stems as a sample; you're buying a $250 box of 100 Belles of Ireland, or you're buying nothing. There are a few sites that ship read-made centerpieces and bouquets, and they're reasonably priced, but none of the pre-made arrangements come close to being the flowers or the feel of what I'm looking for. Effortless wildflowers in a mason jar? Turns out to be a lot more effort than I thought. Natch.

So I did some research on which flowers will be seasonal in autumn, and then I priced out the ones I liked most. I created a composite for the florist of the exact flowers and shades I want, and insisted they be ordered from organic farms.

...and included some pictures for her of how those flowers look in bouquets.

anemones and poppies

succulents and billy balls

And of course I provided her the link to my Pinterest Board of Flowertimes. Nothing will turn you into an amateur horticulture nerd like getting hitched.
I'm having a bridal shower in Louisiana on Labor Day weekend, and we'll be doing a trial run of the centerpieces then. Below is the mega wish list of plants, but I'm leaning toward having just lavender and english daisies (Miles's favorite flower) in the mason jars, with pumpkins, gourds, and potted herbs around the table.

The bridesmaids bouquets of lavendar and groomsmen's boutonnières of cotton and hypericum berries will stay as I decided on them back in April: simple, rustic, and farmer's market chic.

So flowers are settled.
As is the menu (very nearly).

Appetizers

Meat Pies

Seafood Kickers
Alligator Boulettes

Hot Entrées

Crawfish Ettouffée with rice

Eggplant Casserole

Cold Entrées

Cocktail Shrimp and Marinated Craw Claws with Cocktail Sauce

Assorted Cheese and Cracker Tray

Dips
Shrimp Dip
Seven Layer Tex-Mex

We might add in jambalaya, but I think we'll have enough food without it.
I nixed the vegetable tray, because honestly, it comes out to about $600 for something people will only pick at. I mean, come on. There will be ALLIGATOR on the table. You'll be at a SWAMP PEOPLE WEDDING. A mixed veggie tray is a $600 waste of your time.

By mid-August, I plan to have bought my wedding shoes and special under-wedding-dress undercrackers, as well as decided on what to wear for the rehearsal dinner and Louisiana shower. We'll also have the invitations ordered, the tuxes picked out, and the musicians completely confirmed (they stand at half confirmed now).

This is how you do it, folks.
Decisiveness keeps everyone's head from spinning off into the stratosphere, and halts the parade of tiny special catastrophes that has been wedding planning thus far. This is better. This is business wedding time.

Personally, things are solidfying, too. Miles and I are learning to live together, and only occasionally now do I scream bloody murder at him when he enters a room and suprises me. Acquaintances who know us marginally but not our timeline will sometimes refer to us as husband and wife. Our finances are practically united, and our calendar is pretty joint. I have someone to give my day to at the end of it, a partner, who will boil me eggs for lunch while I'm at work because I won't have time that night, and for whom I can leave on the back porch light when he's out late. We had a joint housewarming/birthday party at the beginning of July, and while it was strange to see so many people we love all crammed into what had formerly been our secret nest, the place now feels real in a way it didn't before. This is the part where our life starts to be knitted together, and the routine of it is more amazing than I could have ever imagined.

A Terrifying Prospect

2011-06-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

I had a WONDERFUL Chicago bridal shower last night, hosted by Ms. Joy LeBleu in her swanky downtown high-rise condo, and there will be pictures from that.

But first.

A terrifying and very real hypothesis of events that might plausibly happen at my wedding, curtesy of Jonathan Edwards (aided and abetted by Levi Petree).

Chelsea loves theatrics. I'm wondering if as a wedding present, we should stage some sort of Shakespearean/1950's musical comedy caper where me and Levi and someone else, I don't know, Jon Butts, all declare our love for her during the rehearsal dinner and swear we're gonna marry her and everyone gasps and Chelsea's mother fans herself and faints and wacky hijinks ensue and there's a lot of running back and forth across the hallway and slamming doors like in Noises Off and a few musical numbers and Ashley can wear a disguise that makes Miles fall in love with her and Chelsea can say things like "I do declare!" and "Fiddley-dee, I have the vapors!" and the priest dies but we keep propping his body up to make it look like he's alive and there's another musical number and a French chef who says "Sacre bleu!" and a lobster bites him on the nose and he does a pratfall into the wedding cake and in the end there's a quadruple wedding then we all dance to 'Any Way You Want It' by Journey. Also, there's a white person trying to pass as Chinese for some reason.

I wanted to make sure this was on record, in case any or all parts of it are actualized.

Google :: A Bride's Best Friend

2011-06-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

Recently, an aquaintance got engaged and asked the Facebook Universe for tips on how to get started wedding planning. My immediate response was "get a separate wedding email account," but after I posted that, I realized that I should have been more specific.

If you're going to get married in this day and age, you're gonna need Google.

I would like to make it clear straight off the bat that I have no ties to Google at all (though if they want to create a Google Weddings feature in the labs and need a consulant, I'm easy to reach). I don't know anyone who works there. I'm not getting any kickback of any kind. I'm just a really, really big fan of what they offer, and how it's all completely free to you and me.

I first got a Gmail account (the one I still have) back when I worked at the Illinois Arts Council. There were about six of us long-term temps working on similar projects, and we all go along so well and our cubicles were so close to each other that apparently we were what you'd describe as "rowdy." And not "professional rowdy." So after the office coordinator had a come-to-Jesus meeting with us about our noise level, we all got GMail accounts so we could GChat instead of yelling over the cubicle walls. My life has never been the same. And now that I'm engaged, I can't imagine how I'd function without the account.

The Google Philosphy is inspiring (click here to read), especially #9: You Can Be Serious Without A Suit. I've heard amazing rumors about the company culture, and I'm impressed by the concept of "20% Time," a strategy wherein employees are encouraged to work on whatever their hearts desire for 20% of their workday. It is said that GMail, Google News, and many other innovations were born during 20% Time, and implemented with lightening speed because employees aren't afraid to contribute suggestions that might fall outside their job descriptions. You can read Scott Berkun's thoughts on the subject here. It kind of breaks my heart that more workplaces aren't this supportive of democratic innovation.

But on to the nub and gist of today's post.
By the way, some genius at Google already knows all this. See their thoughts here.

Let me tell you 6 Reasons a Bride Needs Google.

The Wedding Email Address. You know how I feel about this. "Get a separate wedding email address" might just be the most useful piece of wedding-planning advice I got. There is so much coordination going on, so many communications, that it's unbelievably helpful to share a password with Miles and keep everything in the same inbox, instead of having to send things back and forth to each other. And wedding spam is no laughing matter; every time you register for a gift or click to read an article, your name gets put on someone's list. I don't need a hundred The Knot hairstyle/flowers/favors checklists in my personal inbox every day. Additionally, RSVPs for showers, parties, and the reception itself can all go the same place. It's a snap. Thinking long-term, we now have this joint email address we can use for setting up bill payment accounts and other household e-chores. And GMail is a piece of cake to check on your iPhone.
The Wedding Calendar. When you sign up for a free GMail account, you're automatically granted access to a host of other free services, all handily linked to that email. One incredibly useful feature is Google Calendar, which only continues to evolve into a more and more intuitive and well-designed little gizmo. Google Calendars can be synced with other Google Calendars, and you can show or hide as many calendars as you like when you're trying to figure out what you have to do tonight. I remember the day back when we were dating that Miles and I synced our personal calendars so we didn't have to call each other five times a day to coordinate our evenings. Calendar sync is truly the key exchange of this generation. When I add things to our wedding calendar now, they automatically show up on Miles's calendar, my personal calendar, his mom's calendar, and my mom's calendar. Everyone knows when we're going to taste-test cake, and I knew at a glance that no one had a time conflict. Six phone calls saved.
The Guest List. There is no easier way of keeping track of who has and hasn't RSVPed than Google Docs. Instead of calling my mother every time someone lets one of us know they'll be attending, or emailing back and forth fifty versions of a spreadsheet, we all have access to the Master Guest List spreadsheet on Google Docs, and we can edit as we go. That means I can easily update address and names of dates, too, and everything is in one place. And everyone has instantanious updates. Even my mother, who doesn't have a Google account (for shame, Jean!) can view and edit the spreadsheet as an independant website.
The Questionnaires. Related to Google Docs are Google Forms, which I waxed enthusiastic about in this earlier post. It's impossibly easy to gather information from your contacts--physical addresses, where they intend to stay, which dinner option they'd like to pick, etc, by sending out a quick and easy-to-complete form. The answers are automatically organized into a spreadsheet for your convenience. It's seriously genius.
The Blog. Everyone has a wedding website or blog these days. It's a great way to give people access to a lot of information (tres helpful for out-of-town weddings like ours) without sending out a novel of a paper invitation. Plus, you can show off your engagment photos, link to your registry, and input interactive Google Maps to guide people right to the church's door. Creating a simple website is a cinch with Google Sites or Blogger (which are linked, and linked to your email address), and you'll have a lot more flexibility and more options using Google than going through, say, The Knot's wedding website wizard. In addition to making website creation and maintenance a cakewalk (you don't need to know any code, or really, much of anything), it's also magically simple to pay $10 and snag the domain name you want through GoDaddy. Blogger gives you the option right up front. I ended up using this to create MilesandChelsea.com, because though our site is currently hosted through The Knot, they didn't give me the option of a personalized domain, even for a fee. And http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/pwp2/view/MemberPage.aspx?coupleid=5939290565612543&pid=13922173 doesn't really fit on a magnet.

So there you have it.
This is one of the few aspects of wedding planning that has turned out to be consistantly simple and easy, instead of ballooning out of control with each passing week. Also, Google supplies both text and video tutorials on all its features, and new ones are being created all the time, so learning about this stuff is basically idiot-proof.
Google Weddings. The revolution is here.

Recipe :: Gouda Zucchini Soufflés (by Bethenny)

2011-06-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

try to resist buying zucchini

I just tried my first Bethenny Frankel recipe
(which I had to, of course, tweak a bit).
Miles took one bite, high-fived me, and said "Ten points!"
I think we have a winner.

As you might know, I love this woman.

She is, in all sincerity, one of my role models. I think her book Naturally Thin is one of the most common-sense, easy-to-understand, and (quite frankly) correct books about nutrition and foodlife that I have ever read.

I'm in the middle of my third reading, and it occurred to me that 1) We'd bought a zucchini at the farmer's market (which means it's in season) and it was in the fridge, lonely and 2) As much as I liked the book, I had never tried any of its recipes.

And thus, tonight's dinner was born.

(We also had corn cakes and tuna steak.)

I tweaked a few things, most noticeably making my own biscuit mix because you know how I feel about biscuits, and I couldn't find any pre-made mix at the store that didn't contain a bunch of chemicals. It was stupid easy to make. I recommend you whip up your own; you barely need any biscuit mix at all.

Note: If you're making other dishes for dinner, I would start with this one first. It's not hard to make, but the zucchini needs to drain for a full hour before you can really get started.

Gouda Zucchini Soufflés

Adapted from Naturally Thin by Bethenny Frankel (http://www.bethenny.com)

Ingredients

4 cups peeled, shredded zucchini (roughly two zucchinis)
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp melted butter
4 eggs
1 tsp fresh thyme or oregano, chopped
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese
1 tbsp grated gouda cheese
1/4 cup all purpose all-natural biscuit baking mix

if you have trouble finding biscuit mix that doesn’t contain a lot of horrible artificial ingredients, you can substitute with this (make it in its own bowl first):

¼ Cup Flour
¼ tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vegetable shortening

o Optional: a pinch of chocolate powder for dusting each soufflé

Directions

o Toss the zucchini and salt together and place into a colander set in the sink. Allow to drain for 1 hour. Then squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini and set aside.

o Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 6 cup muffin tin or 6 individual ramekins with melted butter (don’t use muffin cup liners for these).

o Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl with the thyme/oregano and pepper. Stir in the zucchini, cheeses, and biscuit mix (or substitute) until combined. Pour into the prepared muffin tin or ramekins.

o Bake, uncovered, until set and golden brown on top, about 20-30 minutes.

o The soufflé is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

o Optional: Dust with chocolate powder before serving.

Serves 6 or 7

Source Recipes:

http://www.bethenny.com/food/

http://www.food.com/library/biscuit-mix-408#ixzz1QWRLslih

T-5 Months Till Wedding -- The Church has Got Us Now

2011-06-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

For a moment there, I thought we were going to have to elope to the moon. Not because we are fond of the moon or anything, but because I COULD NOT GET A PRIEST TO CALL ME BACK for love or money.
Or Catholicism.

You might be asking yourself "What happened to last month?" Well, I would like to know that as well. I apologize for the lack of a "T-6 Months" post, and the general sporactivity on the blog as whole. All I can say to defend myself is that moving sucks, and Miles has A LOT of clothes to pick up off the floor. Also, I opened like four shows. So. Excuses concluded.

Now the wedding planning is back on track, and our goals for this month are three-fold:

Begin our marriage preparations through the church
Get our wedding bands ordered
Make arrangements for the rehearsal dinner

There is a ton more stuff that needs to be done, but these have been my immediate concerns lately. Unfortunately, I have realized why people hire wedding planners, and it is not because they can't make decisions or keep track of receipts. It is because a wedding planner has relationships with vendors, and they will CALL HER BACK. That is it, I think. You pay a fee so someone ELSE can play phone tag with these crackpots. I read at the beginning of this whole engagement fandango that the multi-billion dollar wedding industry does not rely on life-long customer satisfaction, or try to build up repeat business. They milk as much as they can out of you for a year and then expect never to see you again, in a customer relations model mimiced by no other businesses on earth. Jerks.

My gorgey ring. On a flower. Photo by Molly Hayes.

So anyway, my life (and Miles's as well) has recently consisted of making a lot of phone calls and then doing a lot of waiting. Before calling the same people back. We need to order our wedding bands, but the jeweler who created mine (from Miles's design, thank you) hasn't gotten back to us after numerous calls, so I'm freaking out that we won't have time to get them done. This is an unfounded fear, probably, since it only took him about 6 weeks from start to finish with my engagment ring, but of course I'm not going to let common sense get in the way of a good neurotic fit.

The rehearsal dinner is faring better, if only because the vendors we need to reach are in Jennings, so my parents probably know where they live and who their kids are dating. I wanted to have a simple BBQ/fish fry type fandango at our camp (lakehouse), to which everyone could wear jeans and at which everyone could sit on porch swings and just talk and eat. Totally informal, totally fun. No matchy decor, nothing monogrammed, please. It looks like it will still turn out this way, atmosphere-wise, but just like everything else I have tried to simplify for this wedding, the cost will be more than I could have imagined. It is just ridiculously expensive to feed people. Living on a fixed income in a big city has totally skewed my idea of what it costs to eat--meaning when I spend $100 on groceries, it will last me about 10 days. So I don't understand why it costs more than $10 to feed you people. Also, I generally spend about $15 on a bottle of wine, so I think it should cost $5 for people to drink. Anything beyond that is greed.

The camp--rehearsal dinner site

Obviously, I am a wedding-finance moron, but thankfully no one has really taken my wedding budget seriously since... ever. I mean, I tried to save money on one cake and wound up with three. A similar thing happened with the bridesmaids gifts. And now the simple, down-home, comfy rehearsal dinner has turned into a simple, down-home EXPENSIVE affair. That is life, I suppose. At least Miles and I are truly and deeply looking forward to the menu: stuffed crabs, crawfish etoufee, and hush puppies. You see why I won't be wearing anything fancy. But it does sound delicious, no?

And finally, the marriage prep. Those PreCana classes all couples who want to get married in the Catholic church have to take. You know, to prove you actually know each other and aren't total idiots. And so you promise to raise your kids in the faith, etc. I'm not clear on every specific; we haven't taken them yet.
For a hot minute there, it looked like we might not even be able to get into one.

So, I'm not going to name names here in order to be classy about it, but back when I lived in Rogers Park I used to go to a church way up on the North Side that I really liked. There were lesbians giving homilies and lots of families with children adopted from other countries, and the priests would talk about things like equality and recycling. I dug it. Plus the church architecture was pretty and reminded me of my home parish in Jennings. So, after Miles and I got engaged in December and I started doing research on how to go about taking the PreCana classes in Chicago, I was delighted to find that this North Side church offered the program. It is recommended that you start the process 6 months before the wedding date, but because of our special circumstances (Miles's unorthodox schedule, we're getting married 1000 miles from here, etc), I thought it best to call really early, in February. I was told to get together our baptismal certificates and call back after Easter.

Certificates I got. Called back after Easter I did.
And did. And did. And left messages for the priest, and talked to every receptionist.
And got NO RESPONSE. Nada. Radio silence.
It seems to me in this day and age, that if a person is willing and proactive about taking these classes, instead of just eloping or heading to City Hall, because they actively want to get married in the church in 2011, it would be in the church's best interest to be, I dunno... helpful?

I should add that in Louisiana, this wouldn't be a problem. We had the church and celebrant booked down South inside of a week of our engagment. We've got priests on speed-dial back home. Probably because we feed them better.

So after waiting and waiting and hearing nothing, I realized suddenly that ohmygod we're LESS THAN SIX MONTHS out from the blessed event, and we might have trouble getting into a class somewhere else, and I have put all my eggs in one liturgical basket and possibly made a Catholic omlet. I started calling churches in Wicker Park and Bucktown, nearer our apartment, and found out that many churches don't offer the classes, or they only offer them to couples who have been parishoners for at least six months. Well, great. Had I but known. St. Hedwig, a huge Polish Catholic church a few blocks from our apartment, doesn't offer classes but does provide information on other churches that do, so one Friday afternoon I found myself ringing the rectory doorbell with abandon at 5:55pm, crying "It's not 6 yet! IT'S NOT 6 YET!" until they let me in and gave me a brochure. Which essentially showed me how we could sign up for a retreat or something on our own, but would still have to find a priest to meet with. Somehow. Also, I have to walk by that rectory every day and the church ladies who work there now think I'm insane.

And then Miles saved my butt (again) by mentioning that some friends of ours who just got married at Old St. Pat's LOVED their PreCana program and mentioned to him that we should take our classes there. Having only been to that church twice--once for the aforementioned wedding, and once when I snuck into the balconey with my sister during a complete stranger's wedding, such was her desire to see the church--I was not exactly confident that we would be welcomed into their program. But I was so beyond the Valley-of-the-Frustrated and nearly into the Forest-of-the-Resigned-to-Failure that I figured I should give it a shot. I emailed the marriage ministry coordinators, whose email addresses I found on the website, and told them our whole sob story.

And they signed us up immediately for their August classes.
YES YES YES and THRICE YES!
We are go for Catholic Matrimony. And in a spirit of gratitude and graciousness, I have completely let go of all my frustration with the church as a whole, due to the absolute ease and welcome with which we were embraced by Old St. Pat's (Chicago's oldest church, dontcha know!).

So now we're all signed up for the three classes in August, and we've taken our FOCCUS premarital inventory, which I remember my friends who got married young freaking out about because it was a very personal test you had to take in front of a priest. But we took ours online simultaneously on separate laptops, and I found it really nothing but informative. Okay, and a little frightening. Because if you're answering "I am afraid my significant other has a gambling addiction" or "I fear for my safety when my intended is angry" in the affirmative, but you still want to marry this person... I mean, who would answer that honestly? You obviously wouldn't admit those feelings to yourself, and certainly not to an online test that other people are going to see the results of. But there were other questions that brought up good talking points, about children and money and division of household duties, which is the point of the whole endeavor anyway. So we took the inventory and talked about it, and now we need to schedule a meeting with our counselor to discuss our results. We are on our way.

Right now the wedding as a whole stands in a state of half-readiness, half-completion. It is my least favorite place to be on any project.

Everyone I know asks me how the wedding planning is going every time I see them, and I know that some are asking politely and some are really interested, but I never know what to say besides "we should've eloped." I feel overwhelmed by how many things have yet to be taken care of, and how little control over other people's response time I seem to have.

Oh, and my maid-of-honor just announced that she's moving to Jamaica two months before the wedding.
Just in time to grow white dreads for the ceremony, probably.

I have somehow wound up as the normal sibling of our three, despite my best efforts.

Shoes! Part Twoes!

2011-06-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

I am positively overjoyed by the abundance of suggestions I've gotten from my eagle-eyed friends and readers!! I met with the seamstress again this past weekend, and in order to do my dress fitting on Labor Day weekend, I MUST have shoes bought and at the ready.

15 weeks of shoe-searching! Let's go!

The first thing that happened after I posted about seeking green flats for my wedding, complete with what I believed to be the perfect yet unattainable pair (see above), was that super-sleuth Danielle informed me that my dream shoes are, in fact, heels. So. Even if I were able to find them, I wouldn't want to wear them.

But the fretting over this staggering truth was only momentary, because suggestions began to pour in from every corner of the internets, and now I have an embarrassment of riches that would make Solomon blush. In addition to shoes, I have been exploring fancy shoe clips in the hopes of dressing up/greening otherwise too casual/not green footwear.

Let's look at this parade of cobbled delight, shall we?
Available in handy Mood Board format.

You can see all of these shoes (plus the many more that aren't included in this blog) over on my special Pinterest board I made just for the occasion: Put On Your Wedding Shoes. You can find vendor and pricing info there, as well as the well-deserved credit for who recommended what. Big ups to Pinterest, yet again, for giving me a neat and lovable way to arrange a bunch of emails, tweets, FB messages, and gStalks. Pinterest, never leave me.

click to enlarge

And Danielle, Lavina, Greta, Meaghan, Natalie, Ali, Lydia, and Claudia:
I'll keep y'all around, too. :)

Oh yeah.

2011-05-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

This is going down tomorrow.

Wish me luck at my 10-year class reunion, y'all.

Shoes! (OmiGod, Shoes)

2011-05-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

First of all, if you don't get the reference in the title, we weren't friends four years ago.
Secondly, I need y'all's help.

If we are friends, you know that I am no good at asking for help.
If you read this blog a bunch, you know that planning this wedding has made me somewhat better at asking for help. Grudgingly. I still like to believe that I can do/find/plan/get everything myself, even if in reality I don't have the time or expertise to pull it off. But I come to you now, my muffins, hat in hand, admitting that I have failed in a crucial pursuit.

I can't find shoes to wear to the wedding.

Let me clarify--I FOUND the shoes. Oh, I found 'em. Problem is, they don't make 'em anymore. And I can't find anything even CLOSE to a reasonable facimile. The perfect specimen are these:

Delicious green flats with bows by BP., which they used to sell at Nordstrom. No more, no longer. I have looked through the BP. website at the rest of their selection, and not only do they not have anything like this, they don't have anything this good.

The main points of these shoes that draw me to them are:

They are flats
They are green
They are fancy, but not frilly or bedazzled

It seems like armed with such a specific but concise list of criteria, I wouldn't have any problems finding another pair of shoes to fit the bill. Incorrect. Let me take you on a summary of my long and frustrating e-search. Of course, it starts at BHLDN.

Something Bleu Threshold Slingbacks in celery, $320

Exellent color, great material, nary a rhinestone... heel.
This plagues me.
SOME of us want to get married in pretty flats, and no one seems to care. I mean, designers, I SEE you HAVE the pretty--just put it on a shoe without a heel once in a damn while, is all I ask. All I see is pump after heel after platform after sandal, and I simply want dressy green flats. Some of us like dancing sans back pain, is all I'm saying.

I continue my search. It does not help matters that when I Google "green shoes," the internet thinks I am trying to be eco-friendly. Everyone please stop selling shoes made out of hemp until you get a better handle on it.

I go to all my usually honey-holes: the meticulously curated Polyvore (very helpful that I can search by color) yields these, which are okay, but not nearly dressy enough.

Leather bow flats by yesstyle.com, $82

Macy's gives me these, which are pretty much the perfect color and material, but that sandal style is for stepmoms. I'm looking for flats, thanks.

NineWest Risingstar Sandals, $69

In a moment of despair and frustation, I found these on Zappos and thought they might work. I sent them to Claudia who immediately vetoed. And rightly so; the color is all wrong.

Gwyneth Vixen Flat, $76

She sent me these as an alternative, but again, there is the problem of the sole coming to a point several inches below my actual foot.

Nina Culver Peep-Toe Pump in apple green, $79.95

The suggestion of dyable shoes has been brought to my attention, but I really don't want to take any more steps than are necessary (since something is bound to go wrong somewhere along the way). I'm already having my dress made, and I think that's enough DIY in the couture department.

So now I appeal to you, dearest readers.

If you have any ideas about places (real or internet) that I could look for sassy, dressy, bridal green flats, PLEASE let me know. Send pictures, send links, take me shopping and I'll buy you coffee.

They don't let you walk down the aisle barefoot at Our Lady Help of Christians.
This ain't spring break.

Haikus for Thank Yous : 5.26.11

2011-05-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

Last month was National Poetry Month, so to celebrate I started writing haiku for all my followers. It took more than 30 days to thank you all in verse (my doves!), so I'm continuing to honor verse and you lovely people by writing haiku till everyone has a poem.

If you'd like your own, all you need to do is click the "follow" button under my bio over there.

Sarah Beniot, you

Shall have your makeover pics.

I know you're anxious.

Lauren Michaud is

one leg of my friend tripod--

never to wobble.

NWaC follows me?

Never knew theatres could,

Even such cool ones.

Megan Emish loves

Horses and tattoos, and soon

Will be a Mrs.

Of Cakes and Cakestands : Part The First

2011-05-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

As a person who has watched more than her fair share of wedding cake competitions, you'd think I'd have a strong handle on my own pastry situation. You'd be wrong.

I will begin by telling you that the upcoming Marcantel/Polaski wedding will feature not one, not two, but three cakes. How we came to this point is a long, strange tale that will be related in my next blog post on this subject (Of Cakes and Cakestands : Part The Second), but for now I can sum it up by saying I made a joke, my mother took it seriously, and now we have three cakes: a cake for feeding people, a smaller cake for pictures, and a groom's cake. This cake debacle provides me with the point at which I will be able to look back on my wedding planning and know that this--THIS--was the day when we completely parted ways with reason.

But more on that later.

For now, I have a different crisis on my hands, and that is wondering which cakestand to use for the "Bride's Cake," the smaller (I hope) one we will be taking pictures with. I have known from the get-go that I wanted a simple but lovely white cake decorated in marzipan fruit only, similar to the below and the one at the top of this post:

I have been told that it's much easier to get marzipan fruit in Chicago (seriously, I see it everywhere, staring at me in all its deliciousity when I'm trying to be practical and buy mustard or something) at the small Swedish bakeries in Andersonville, or the meat markets in Lincoln Square. So I will probably purchase that myself in the Midwest, the cake will be made in Louisiana, and the darling decorations will be positioned on the simple white cake by my own hand, or that of someone related to me by blood. Easy. By far the most straight-forward of the three cakes. But which STAND, I ask you? When there are so many beauties, and I'm thinking in terms of posterity (PICTURE cake, remember?).

I should also point out that the cakestand is one of the few aspects of the wedding for which I am not trying to find the most cost-effective solution. It is a splurge, if that word even applies in the instance of a party that costs as much as year's rent. The cake stand is something I intend to use for the rest of my life, and if I can find one that has been lovingly crafted by an artisan, and therby support art and small business with my purchase, I don't have any qualms about dropped a couple hundo on a unique piece that might become an heirloom. I can't really say that about most of what I own now.

So let us begin...
I fell in love with these Whitney Smith Pottery confections through the window of Virtu, one of my favorite stores in Bucktown. Whitney Smith is a craftsman of the highest order living in California (see a 5-minute documentary here) and I want to be her friend and own her pottery. I truly cannot pick with any decisiveness which of the below I like the most, but for the last few days I've been leaning toward the bird-bedecked stands.

bird cake stand, $140 (this is three stacked together)

bird cupcake stand, $34

cherry blossom cake stand, $135

dogwood flower cakestand, $140

But then I think of that episode of Portlandia, where the hipster boutique's rallying cry was "put a bird on it!" to sell anything, and I think that I may be succuming to a bird-trend. This is the same reason I haven't registered for this set of three stone birds to go in our bathroom, even though they would match PERFECTLY and I know JUST where I would put them. I will not be a trendster... I will not be a bird-loving trendster...

But anyway...

As if it weren't hard enough for me to choose between the Whitney Smith Pottery designs, there are several OTHER cakestands on which I also have... erm... designs.

These first few are from Jeanette Zeis Ceramics in Atlanta, who goes by Vessels and Wares on Etsy. I mean, seriously. That first one is made-to-order, which means I could probably have it done in one of my wedding colors and then put a contrasting wedding color ribbon on there to match.

Large Eyelet Ribbon Cake Stand, $160

And this second one is fully customizable, from the size to the color to the date. Personal, one-of-a-kind, and handmade in the South. Fantastic.

personalized cake stand, price upon request

EVERYTHING at the Clara French Ceramics boutique is off-the-chain, and everything can also be personalized with a message (names, date) for a $40 flat fee. These confections are also made-to-order, and totally swoonworthy. Does that thing below not look like it was made by Mr. Wonka for me to eat? It's positively candy-adjacent. Also, these cake stands can be rented for a fraction of their purchase price.

Flora cakestand in green, $168-$300

Finally, there are these to-die-for Hobnail Milk Glass cakestands from L.E. Smith Glass Company in Pennsylvania, which come in a variety of colors (I would pick this green) and start at $40. Antique but classy, not cliche. This interests me.

glass cakestands in green, starting at $40

The good news is, all the cakestands I adore are around the same price point, and all are made by small businesses or artists. The bad news is... though I will have three cakes, I need only one cakestand. ... And perhaps a cupcake stand for good measure. You only live once, right? I can't dither about this too long, since many of these customized pieces need to be ordered 12 weeks in advance.

Decisions, decisions.

Back in the Spring of Things!

2011-05-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon, my doves!

I know it has been a long, barren couple of weeks on this blog, but as I explained with several well-meaning excuses in my last post, the times, they are a-changin'. Luckily, after the movers do the remainder of the dirty work on Saturday, the majority of this transitional phase will be behind us, and I can finally live in one place. With an office! Pictures to come!

Moving into an apartment with the person I am going to marry, making a "nest," is a new and totally foreign experience. One I am treating with my usual impatience. I want everything to be perfect and finished THIS INSTANT, especially since I have done so much purging of my useless junk, but no one handed us a fortune along with the keys, so we'll have to build this nest one stick at a time. My BFF Claudia, married for nearly six years now and also an interior designer, tells me that this is part of the fun.

Claudia: "You collect a piece of furniture from one place, then later you get a piece of art somewhere else, and you build up all these memories as you create a collection."

Me: "So... it's like... clothes! For two."

Or something.
We have bought a new desk:

CB2

and bookcase:

CB2, in chartreuse!

Which I LOVE for the office, and I hope to get this rug (also CB2, as you can tell) soon:

But that has been the extent of our furniture-buying. We've done some furniture-shedding, though, seeing as we had two of everything. We're keeping my bed, his table, my chairs, his sofa... etc, etc, etc.

I want all the great stuff that we picked out for the registry to magically appear right now, in my apartment, and find a place for itself so I can relax. But after I found a really great deal on the Le Creuset utensil crock we picked out:

And bought some of the bathroom stuff we chose (which we NEEDED! what, were we going to not have ANYWHERE to store cotton balls?!) :

Miles has put the kibosh on buying anything else from our registry. So. Now we play the waiting game.

BUT WHILST WE WAIT, there is lots of organizing, more purging, and even GARDENING to be done, because when I got home last night, after a really long week, I found that my darling Miles had assembled everything I need for my own, long-discussed, herb garden: plants, watering can, soil, and a window box. I was so surprised and delighted that I grinned like a loon for the rest of the night. Which reminds me, oh me of little patience, that just like the herb garden, and the registry gifts, and especially the groom, the nest accoutrements are worth waiting for.

I've Got Excuses -- You Don't Wanna Hear 'Em

2011-05-04T16:31:00.000-07:00

I know, my doves, I know.
I've been a terrible friend as of late.
I know that I owe you haikus, and details on my trip home (boiled crawfish! wedding planning! eggs!), and you're dying to know who the winners of the free dinners are.

ALL OF THIS IS FORTHCOMING!

Miles and I got the keys to our apartment soon after we returned from Louisiana, and living between three homes, as well as being in rehearsal for several shows, has really divided my attention. But I know what I owe you! And soon I will be blogging from our brand new home office! I am as thrilled as you are about that prospect.

In the meantime, please accept as more than compensatory reading fodder:

A blog I wrote about working on the One Minute Play Festival at Victory Gardens later this month.
The British Monarchy's Flickr PhotoStream! Yessss!
Simon Doonan's theory about how Kate Middleton will de-slutify fashion, if we let her.
The Fug Girls liveblog of the whole shebang.
Exciting preview of one of my very favorite blogger/memoirist's first novel! Yay! (and I actually met her once at The Hideout and she was loverly)

Bisous, bisous, be with you shortly!

Haikus for Thank Yous : 4.26.11

2011-04-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

In honor of National Poetry Month, I am writing haiku for all my followers.
If you'd like one, all you need to do is click the "follow" button under my bio over there.

Jantira Keyuran-

ggul -- we have never met but

Your name brings me awe.

Katrina and I

Share a long and storied past.

Most of it nonsense.

Tim Speicher is just

Following me so he can

Control what I write.*

(*good luck, Speicher)

Carolyn makes me

feel that I can do it all.

She's mad supportive.

Cloud-ia (Sticky)

Is truly one of the best,

with the worst timing.

Not much April time left, but I will certainly make sure you all get your due!

Dress? Oh, you mean this thing I cobbled together over here?

2011-04-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

I'm meeting with a seamstress when I go to Louisiana this weekend.
God help her.
The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of having a wedding dress made, with the specific intent to dye and reuse it immediately following the nuptials. Of course, all I had to do was half think this thought, and my mother lined up a seamstress appointment for this weekend.

So now I have to collect my thoughts about what I want, what looks good on me, and what will be wearable for years to come. I also need to keep in mind from day one that the dress will be dyed and possibly shortened, so that rules out any elaborate flourishes that would make this sort of reincarnation impossible. After some curating over at my Pinterest board on the subject, I have whittled down my Frankenstein-esque wishlist to the following components:

A top and neckline like this...

But with a halter like this...

With a waistline about this low...

And a skirt of about this circumference...

Made of something like this material, you know, an ivory raw silk...

Basically... if you could just mash all these dresses into one, I'd be happy...

I'm not really any good at photoshop, but I took the liberty of putting this together using actual paper, scissors, and tape.

unfortunately, that was my least favorite head

Something like this, minus creepy third hand.
Please and thank you.

Oh, right. Flowers.

2011-04-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Yep, somebody has to pick those out.

What? Why are you all looking at me?

Let me begin by saying that I LOVE flowers. In the ground, on a windowsill, in a vase, and ESPECIALLY delivered to me on my birthday (hint!). But it seems like up to this point, I've been focusing on everything surrounding the flowers for my wedding, but not the actual blooms themselves. I mean, where do you even start? They're all beautiful. They are flowers. I'm supposed to have some idea when I go home to Louisiana this weekend (like I'm supposed to have some idea of a menu, and some idea of a dress), but all of the things I have made decisions on so far are things I really could have waited several more months to choose.

These are the things I do know:

No roses; something rustic
Nothing tall
Mason jars, not vases
Organic, seasonal blooms
Buy wholesale and do arranging myself

You see how the main event, the actual Chelsea, what kind of flowers are we ordering? question has yet to be answered.

Luckily, there is Pinterest.

So as I've been perusing other wedding-related subjects, I've run across flowers here and there I like, and I had a place to absentmindedly collect the pictures. For instance, when I was looking at dresses before Bridefight, I ran across this:

Which sort of blew my mind with its simple beauty.

It reminded me of the image below, which makes it Farmer's Market Chic, and therefore thematically appropriate.

This lavendar bouquet was the first flower arrangment I'd seen that really struck me as not only gorgeous (because they're ALL gorgeous), but also in keeping with the aesthetic of my actual nuptials. But there is a problem here, too. You remember my colors, yes?

Is there anything lavendar-esque anywhere in there? No. No there is not. Not because I don't like purple, I really do, but just because these are colors I thought best created a particular atmosphere. But now here's this gorgeous lavendar bouquet, so I want to include a purple Pantone, but purple tends to take over which is why people who have purple in their wedding usually don't have any other colors, and four colors sounds so very high maintenance and fussy, and MARTHA SAID TWO VIBRANTS AND A NEUTRAL, CHELSEA!

But I would draw your attention back to that lovely, simple, elegant, purple bouquet.

And lovely Pantone 2635.

I think it makes a softening feminine addition to the pallete, and if I have to have four colors in order to include it... I guess I have four colors. Sorry, Martha.

look, I know

So now I've added a color to my palette, and I can include big beautiful bunches of lavendar, which I'm keen on, but there is still so much left to fret about. When we took our engagment pictures, Crate & Barrel did up this lovely bouquet for me on the fly, in my colors, with what they had on hand.

I especially like those fluffy green bits, and the berries (which I found out are called hypericum berries). Roses I can do without. But even though this bouquet is pretty and rustic-ish, it's still very much arranged. Which in my mind equals fussy, especially since I'll be doing the arranging myself after I buy the flowers (organic, seasonal, and wholesale) from the internet. Plus, though the colors look great together, their is something kind of ... flat ... about everthing being so matchy-matchy. Especially when the bridesmaids will be wearing green dresses. And how on earth would you incorporate lavendar into that? I read something recently that said humans are most effective at making choices when we have fewer than 10 options, so THIS IS GOING NOWHERE FAST, is all I'm saying.

So you know what?

Wildflowers. ALL THE COLORS. Easy. Pretty. Effortless. Mason jar.

Sorry I have turned into Tarzan, but I was feeling overwhelmed and then excited.

Wildflowers don't need arrangment in the traditional fussy way, they don't look out of place in a mason jar, and they don't rigorously stick to a certain color scheme. Plus, they lend themselves to being cheap and seasonal, two aspects which are very important to me. I haven't done enough research just yet, but I'm leaning toward buying from EcoFlowers.com because their products look gorgeous, and their mission statement is very appealing:

Our unique collection of products are carefully selected with the highest social and environmental standards and practices. All of our products have been certified by 3rd party agencies, ensuring the purchase you make is supporting not only environmental standards but improving the livelihood of artisans and growers.

Right up my alley, yes? But do they have everything that's spinning around in my head as I finally (finally!) nail down some decisions? And how does the cost compare?

Let's play mix-and-match-with-centerpieces.

A typical wedding centerpiece can run you $100 and upwards.

Let's see what I can do for $50...

Say I bought bunches of larkspur, liatris, orange hypericum, belles of ireland, tulips, alstroemeria lillies, multicolored cremons, and "assorted stock," which I think might change seasonally, but anyway they'll be gorgeous.

sorry this isn't a better moodboard. PCs suck.

Considering the fact that these flowers run between $0.53 and $1.07 a stem, I could put four of each in a mason jar (which seems abundant to me) for about $25, including the cost of the jar and shipping. Which is totally great, because it leaves me plenty of money in the budget for my other two table-topping ideas, potted herbs and pumpkin candle holders.

So I've pretty much made up my mind about centerpieces -- assorted organic ecoblooms arranged like wildflowers in mason jars, potted herbs, and candles in pumpkins. And the bridesmaids' bouquets will be lavendar. I still have to decide on boutonnieres, altar flowers, pew decorations, corsages for our mothers, and of course my own bouquet, but I think we're making progress here. If nothing else, I now know how expensively and ecofriendly-ly this can be done.

Haikus for Thank Yous : 4.18.11

2011-04-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

In honor of National Poetry Month, I am writing haiku for all my followers.
If you'd like one, all you need to do is click the "follow" button under my bio over there.

Jonathan Edwards

Loves Elvis Costello, and

Bagels in bathrooms.

Barbara Brawlters is

A real roller derby queen,

True Jim Croce style.

Annie cooks and wraps

Gifts the way I hope I will

The day I grow up.

Crystal also goes

By "Muffy," but only to

The Stage Left Ninjas.

Happy Passover / Earth Week / Holy Week, everyone!

Recipe :: Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

2011-04-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

A little bit spicy, a little bit sweet, a little bit rock-and-roll.
Goes great on spicy cayenne chocolate cupcakes and chocolate carrot and beet cupcakes.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 pinchs of salt

Directions

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light & creamy.
Beat in cinnamon, vanilla & salt until combined.
If the icing gets all caught up in the mixer beaters, add more vanilla a splash at a time to draw it out.
Taste icing & add more cinnamon to taste.

Sources

Recipe :: Spicy Cayenne Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-04-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

I am totally obsessed with salty/sweet desserts.
Olive oil and black pepper gelato, carrot and beet cupcakes, salted caramel ANYTHING -- I'm in. That's why I wanted to perfect a tiny spicy chocolate cake.

And by golly, I think I did.

This evening, as my roommate Andy recounted to me (in 79 minutes) the 80-minute plot of Old Dogs (which I now will only see if it's being shown on a plane (that's been hijacked and I'm being forced)), I did my usual cut/paste/experiment from several sources sort of recipe creating. If you like any sort of chocolate dessert that features the words "mexican," "aztec," or "pepper," you should try this recipe.

I used Dagoba authentic drinking chocolate
with bits of pure, dark chocolate and cane sugar

In addition, if I may offer a humble suggestion, use Dagoba organic free-trade cocao powder (you can find it at Whole Foods). Not only will you not be ingesting chocolate grown with pesticides in the full sun of a plantation field where there used to be a rainforest, this stuff is OFF the CHAIN delicious!

The quality of cocao powder you use will greatly influence the quality of the cupcakes, so don't just buy whatever's cheapest. You will eat what you pay for.

Additionally, while creating this recipe, I also found a recipe for Cinnamon Buttercream icing, which I tweaked a bit and posted. You can locate it here. This is a great topping for these cupcakes, but my stand-by Maple Icing is just as delightful. Also, sometimes I just dust them with powdered sugar and call it a day. There's already a lot going on in these cupcakes, and it's not necessary to frost everything.

Cayenne Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients 

2.5 cups flour 
1.25 cups cocoa powder 
2 cups granulated sugar 
3.5 teaspoons baking soda 
1.25 teaspoons baking powder 
1.25 teaspoons salt 
1.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste 
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk 
1.75 cups milk 
0.5 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
1.25cups warm water
optional: for extra fun, you can add one whole shredded zucchini to the mix, like I did for the mini-cakes at my birthday party. If you're going to add zucchini, shred it with a cheese grater, salt it a little, and set it aside to drain for an hour in a colander. Then squeeze the rest of the water out of it before adding it to the batter.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cayenne in a bowl. Beat eggs, yolk, milk, oil, vanilla and water into flour mixture until fully combined. If the batter is too runny (mine was), add 1/2cup more flour, 1/4 cup more sugar, and 1 tsp more cayenne pepper.
Now taste the batter for heat. If it’s too subtle for your taste, add more cayenne. Be aware that it will lessen a little more during baking. If the batter is too spicy, add flour and water little by little (maintaining batter consistency) until the heat level is where you want it.
If using zucchini, add that in now.
Pour batter into prepared muffin tins and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Or just sprinkle with powdered sugar instead of frosting; they're still spectacular.

Source Recipes

http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com/2009/01/dark-chocolate-azteca-cupcakes-with.html
http://findingblanche.com/2009/12/19/cayenne-spiced-chocolate-cupcakes/

T-7 Months Till Wedding -- Milestones Abound

2011-04-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

Mile stones?
Miles tones?
This wedding is sneaking up on us!

Well, it's April, which means that I've officially started looking for my wedding dress. As you know, Bridefight was a complete zero, but the search has only just begun! I'm still considering several dresses from J Crew, and while I love a few from BHLDN (click here for style board), I simply cannot justify spending upwards of $1500 on a dress that is designed to be so significant that it can be worn only once. In speaking with my parents about this (my father, especially, who'd like for everything to happen in Louisiana), the suggestion has been raised of having a dress made by a seamstress down South. I've had lots of dresses made over the course of my life back home, and there are definite advantages to this route, but the cost wouldn't be insignificant. However, if we go into the process with the intention of having the dress shortened and dyed after the wedding so I can wear it for years to come, then I can more easily swallow the custom price tag. Also, I am guaranteed to have a dress that looks good on me, as it will have been made for my body. Not to mention, I can have a say in where the dress's raw materials come from (organic and free trade fabrics), and be supporting a local business instead of the Bridal Industrial Complex. All things to consider.

Alternatively, I can just wear my 8th grade graduation dress, which I found when I cleaned out my closet.

still fits!

Incidentally, when I picture-texted this photo to my parents, Miles, and two of my bridesmaids, NO ONE knew I was joking about wearing it for the wedding! Being engaged is like being in the airport, people. Make NO JOKES! All comments are taken VERY SERIOUSLY.

Moving on...
While the dress is certainly a big thing to consider this month, it's not necessarily a milestone. What I'm actually referring to in the title of this post are the following two points of interest...

In ten days, my parents and Miles's parents will meet for the first time. In fact, Miles's parents will meet my entire, gigantic family. Both sides. It's a lot for one weekend, but I'm confident the Polaskis can handle it.

Miles and I will be meeting up with both sets of parents when we go to Louisiana for Easter Weekend (next weekend). My mother's family has a huge Good Friday reunion every year, and I've been absent for the last several. That's why this visit will also check off one of my 101 Things to Do: #32 -- Go home (Louisiana) for Good Friday. Additionally, my father's family will be gathering on Easter Sunday in order to meet Miles's family, though truth be told most of them will probably be at the Good Friday reunion as well. My parents have been married for over 30 years, and my father's sister is married to my mother's brother as well, so the two sides of my family are closer than most.

While we're home, we'll be knocking out a lot of wedding business, such as registering at Rosebud's, a little boutique in Jennings where EVERYONE registers. Since I was a little girl, it's always been a custom that when one visits Rosebud's (usually to buy a gift of some kind), one heads to the table in the back to see who's getting married. The store puts out a place setting at a long table for each registered couple, with a sign on top denoting who's registered for which. We won't be registering for fine china (a decision we made long ago), but we MUST be represented on the table somehow. It's Jennings tradition.

We'll also be meeting with the good folks over at Point-Aux-Loups Springs Ballroom, the site of our reception and also our caterer. We'll be discussing set up and tear down, as well as asking all the questions that have been accumulating over the last four months, and deciding on our menu. I just can't wait for Miles and his mom to see this place in person. It's absolutely GORGEOUS, all exposed brick and wood floors nestled in the woods. I haven't been there since they put on an addition a few years ago, so I'm looking forward to checking out the additional space myself.

Is perfection, no?

The last milestone that April has in store for us is signing our first lease together. After perusing some very discouraging real estate (and some GORGEY apartments that were out of our price range), Miles and I found the perfect apartment in very nearly the perfect spot. We'll be signing the lease this week, and I'll move in when my lease is up in June (or before, our rental starts May 1st). It's on a quiet block, just recently totally redone by the landlord, and there's enough room for an office, my clothes (greatly reduced), and Miles's audio equipment, which is saying a lot. I'm sure there will be MANY more posts about our little nest as we move in, decorate, and get adjusted, but for right now I'll leave you with this happy image.

Miles tone

There's a lot going on this month in addition to moving, dress shopping, and our Louisiana visit. I have a show that just opened, and I'm working on four more. Miles is in tech for three big projects right now, and running all over Chicago and the suburbs like a madman. And spring has SPRUNG here, so all we want to do is be outside. It's a very dizzy time for us, but as we move closer to the wedding, I can't imagine what life would be like without this decision, or a better person to have made it with.

Voodoo Chalk Circle Reviews are In!

2011-04-12T05:37:00.000-07:00

So, way back in August of 2010, I checked #2 off my list: Adapt a Work that is Not Mine into a Play. I'd never written an adaptation of anything before, but I took on two projects of that kind last summer, pretty much out of gratitude for being asked, and sheer blind faith that I could totally tackle a style of writing I'd never attempted before.

One of those projects, The Voodoo Chalk Circle with The State Theatre of Chicago, opened in its completed form last Friday at the Viaduct Theatre. I'm not going to spend a lot of time bragging (you can find the bragging on my professional blog), but I wanted to just make a quick note of the success of the project here, since it all really began as one of my 101 Things To Do.

Chicago Reader -- Recommended

(review here)

The afterbirth is all that remains of Bertolt Brecht in Chelsea Marcantel's new, strikingly original adaptation of his 1948 play, The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Marcantel's lyrical dialogue and sweeping, moody vision more than make up for the awkward plot holes that crop up as she moves Brecht's story from Soviet Georgia to post-hurricane New Orleans, where a young housekeeper named Grusha reluctantly takes charge of her boss's infant son. In Tim Speicher's staging for the State Theatre of Chicago, a subtle yet stunning array of puppetry, projection, movement, and music propel the audience through a dreamscape of fear and desire, where old ways and ancient spirits emerge to replace a decimated society. --Keith Griffith

Time Out Chicago -- Critic's Pick

(full review here)

... Marcantel boils down a hugely complex script to a briskly paced and potent one-act. The State Theatre ably rises to the occasion of her scenario, tossing all but the theatrical kitchen sink into the performance space. Silhouette projections, various forms of puppetry, audience participation, an offstage choir: Speicher’s array of devices could easily have congealed into something unwatchable, but instead it’s like Mary Zimmerman on the cheap, consistently charming in its ingenuity. An exuberant young cast, headed up by Josh Hambrock’s insinuating, Tom Waits–style narrator, sells the piece relentlessly. It may not invite the critical reflection Brecht was after, but it’s a rousing show. -- John Beer

Haikus for Thank Yous :: 4.11.11

2011-04-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

In honor of National Poetry Month, I am writing haiku for all my followers.
If you'd like one, all you need to do is click the "follow" button under my bio over there.

Miss Willis and I

Once ate pizza in Aspen.

"Just look at my face."

Natalie makes things;

She once knitted me a squid!

The sole one I own.

I have never met

Tara Hagen, but I'm glad

She follows five blogs.*

(*and one of them's mine)

Sheena has taught me

A lot about blogging and

A lot about life.

Happy April, everyone!

More awesome wordsmithery to come!

Bride Fight -- The Big Bust

2011-04-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't find a wedding dress at Filene's Running of the Brides. I'm so glad I didn't camp out for this business. Prom-tastical in the extreme.

So, if you're a dedicated reader of this blog or a real-life friend who's been within shouting distance of me for the last month, you know that I'd been looking forward to The Running of the Brides at Filene's Basement since I found out about it in January. I thought I was the perfect candidate for this event: I was prepared, I had handouts and a fantastic team, and I don't have a fussy, specific checklist for what my wedding dress should look like. I was enticed by the idea that none of the dresses at this event were to cost more than $700, and I was prepared to forgive A LOT in order to walk away with that kind of discount.

But I wasn't prepared to buy a bedazzled prom dress, torn and covered in makeup. So I walked away with nothing.

Now, before I continue, I should note that it seemed like PLENTY of gals were finding their dream dresses. When they did, a cashier would shout something like "Cindy from Michigan just FOUND HER DRESS" and a bell would ring and everyone in the store would clap and cheer. I'm glad it wasn't a total bust for everyone. But all the dresses for sale were of the same ilk, all for a certain girl with a certain style, and that certain style looked like my "no" pile come alive. For instance, I told my squadron of helpful friends "no crazy beadwork or rhinestones" and that took 99% of the 3000 dresses out of contention right there. I tried on probably 14 or 15 dresses, and none of them were even really a "maybe." It wasn't very hard at all to leave empty-handed, but lots of girls didn't, so I can say for a fact that it's just me. It's just my personal style that wasn't represented, like, at all.

Looking for airy layers of spiderweb-thin chiffon or cotton?

You're going to find heavy, shiny satin by the truckload, instead.

Looking for subtle detailing that isn't beading, rhinestones, or crazy lace?

Yeah. Good luck.

Looking for something simple and elegant, without a skirt approximately four feet in diameter? Well, you're gonna find the below instead.

I almost didn't make it out of some of those dresses alive.

Here are a few things I wish someone had told me about The Running of the Brides at Filene's Basement before I went:

The style of dresses isn't very diverse. There are LOTS of dresses, but they all tend toward the same sort of aesthetic.
If you plan to buy your dress at this event, you MUST factor in additional cost for dry cleaning and repair. I didn't try on or even see a SINGLE clean dress in that store. They were all battle-worn, covered in makeup and dirt, and most of them were torn or missing buttons and beads. If you were to find the perfect dress, cleaning it would probably be a cinch. Even replacing lost buttons or hooks wouldn't break the bank. But things like large tears, broken zippers, and unraveling beadwork might be very costly to repair, or even impossible. The moral of this story is: don't think you're walking out of this sale with a dress you can wear to the altar the next day. And don't think that sleeping outside is going to guarantee you clean clothes, either. Whatever dresses didn't sell in Chicago are going to be shipped to the next event somewhere else in the country, just like they were shipped here from the last Running of the Brides. And they'll be even dirtier when they get there than when I saw them.
You don't need to camp out. My posse and I had a strategy meeting the night before Bridefight, and since it was already raining and we had heard through our sources that there were already 100 or so people camped out downtown, we decided to catch the second wave at 10am. We still got all the mayhem, and I don't think that the dress selection was very much reduced in the first 2 hours of the sale. Remember, no matter what time you arrive, there will be 1000s of leftover dresses. You might as well get a good night's sleep before tackling this thing.

In the final analysis, I'm glad I went to Bridefight. I had a fantastic time strategizing and hunter/gathering with some of my fave ladies, and I have a somewhat more realistic idea of my sizing in bridal gowns, if nothing else. But I would warn anyone reading this for advice that unless you're looking for something shiny, big, complicated, and dirty, this is one fight that even preparation and close ranks can't win.

Team Bridefight Aught 11!

Bride Fight -- One DAY Away!

2011-04-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here we go, SQUADRON!

Assemble!

Tomorrow morning, at 8am, the doors to Filene's Basement will swing open, and hundreds of women will descend upon thousands of dresses. Much has been written about this event (by me) and you can get in-depth analysis (by me) by clicking here and here.

Suffice it to say that I'm ready to GO!

Tonight my Bridefight team, whose numbers have swelled to seven (based mostly on the fact that I tried to turn my good friend Rebecca's homecoming party last night into a Bridefight Recruiting Session (hi, Becca!)) will meet at the Blue Line Lounge and Grill to drink, strategize, and carouse. And then it's off to bed early for me, because I intend to be downtown tomorrow at no later (and no earlier) than 6:15am.

I'll be live-Tweeting the whole debacle, so follow me on Twitter or just check in with the blog, which streams my Twitter feed (over there on the right).

Of course, I made handouts. For my SQUADRON!

I share with you.

double-sided!

Wish us luck!

Wednesday Round Up :: 6 April 2011

2011-04-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

I read a whole lot of amazing stuff in the course of a week. I'm going to start providing y'all with the highlights.
Every Wednesday, starting right now.

THE ARTS & POLITICS

Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel on the arts: Dance, gritty theater and a shift towards neighborhoods
(Chicago Tribune)

Chicago's new mayor sat down with Tribune Theatre Critic Chris Jones to discuss where he sees Chicago's theatre, dance, and music heading during his forthcoming administration. Also, how he can't get into a sold-out Steppenwolf show, just like the rest of us.

ENVIRONMENT & GREEN LIVING

'Gulf Wild’ Program Aims to Restore Fishing Industry After BP Oil Spill

(Organic Authority)

In a recent study conducted by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, more than 48 percent of consumers say they have been consuming less seafood overall since the 2010 BP oil spill disaster. The new initiative Gulf Wild will enable consumers to track down, via the “Find My Fish” website, where and when a fish was caught, including a picture of the fisherman who made the catch.

DESIGN & STYLE

Egg Dyeing 101 App from Martha Stewart Living (Black Eiffel Blog)

Martha Stewart has been tweeting up a storm about this app she and her team just released. I LOVE dying Easter eggs, but I was on the fence about whether or not I needed an app for that. Thanks to Black Eiffel's review and tutorial, I don't know that I can make it through this Easter season without. This is going right up there with Peepshi on my priority list.

WEDDING

26 Wedding Flower Ideas You Should Totally Steal (The Knot)
The Knot's site usually overwhelms because there are literally THOUSANDS of articles, pictures, and suggestions for even the tiniest wedding detail, but I appreciated that this article was short, sweet, and well curated. There are 26 wedding flower ideas compiled here, one for each letter of the alphabet. I haven't really begun to think about flowers yet, but the gorgeous pictures I saw here really put me in the mood; I especially liked that many of the featured flowers were rustic, unconventional, not pink, and some weren't even flowers at all.

RECIPE

Jimmy's Dutch Baby Pancakes
(Orangette)

I have wanted to try this recipe ever since I read the author's book, A Homemade Life. Perhaps this is the weekend to do so? The warm, puffy, buttery goodness would make a nice distraction from wedding gown and apartment hunting. The reason I like Molly Wizenburg, is that she makes sure to never divorce a recipe from the people and place where it originated; this is something I'm trying to incorporate more into my own recipe postings. Also, her food is to die, people. There's a reason her blog has all those awards.

Haikus for Thank Yous :: 4.5.11

2011-04-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

In honor of National Poetry Month, I am writing haiku for all my followers.
If you'd like one, all you need to do is click the "follow" button under my bio over there.

Bil has a plus one

To everything; she's real nice.

Plus two on the way.

Levi is my pal.

He tried to move away but

The light ne'er goes out.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!