as seen on yahoo.com – worst wedding traditions

So today I saw a link on yahoo.com for the worst wedding traditions.  Being the wedding lover that I am I had to check it out.

Now I fancy myself kind of good at wedding planning.  Actually after ours I thought if I ever needed a career change I could become a wedding planner.  So I was happy to see that James and I only fell prey to ONE of the worst wedding traditions.  What are these said traditions you ask?

• Matching Bridesmaids
• Big Bridal Parties
• Long Vows
• Throwing Rice
• Assigned Seating
• Expensive Wedding Favors
• Throwing the Bouquet
• Removing the Garter
• Drunken Toasts
• Leaving For the Honeymoon the Morning After

Now you ask which one tradition did we partake in.  Well we had a large wedding party.  James had 7 groomsmen, I had 6 bridesmaids to tell you the truth we really could have had more.  We have so many great friends.

AS for the other  wedding traditions we consciously chose not to partake in them.

• Matching Bridesmaids - each girl picked her own chocolate brown dress
  
• Long Vows- our wonderful minister David Behling took care of this one…he is fabulous
• Throwing Rice- we had sparklers (which reminds me I still have sparklers 2 years later)
  
• Assigned Seating- too stressful although we did have tables reserved for family and the bridal party.
  
• Expensive Wedding Favors- my mom and aunts made fabulous peanut butter blossom cookies from my grandmother’s recipe
  
• Throwing the Bouquet- I hate this one
  
• Removing the Garter- I dislike this one even more
• Drunken Toasts- 2 short toasts – we have great friends.
• Leaving For the Honeymoon the Morning After - we actually didn’t leave until 3 months later…we had a barbecue the night after at our place.
  

Cute stuff from my mom.

My wonderful mother made SO MUCH STUFF for the baby.  I wanted to share a few of our faves of the moment.

She knitted & sewed these blocks with the baby’s initials.  The close up of the E has booties and a hat on it that Mom knitted of yarn that was my grandmothers.  She also made this cute bear to match his bedding and an afgan that she made.

babylegs and baby ties…

I have been checking out these onesies from etsy.com seller verykiki they have stripped ties appliqued on them and I think they are way too cute.  Even if they are cute in a dorky kind of way I want one. I was thinking of purchasing one ( I think the orange is my favorite but I like the blue one too) and my mom said why don’t you make one that would be easy (easy for her probably but I think I could manage.) If I make one I will definitely be waiting until after Rocky makes his temporary move to Michigan next week.  I think one of the reasons I think they are so cute is that the show them with these really cute legwarmer things called Babylegs. Babylegs are worn with a onesie instead of pants and can add a little flair.

My mom thought she may try to knot a pair of these but wanted a reference. So she ordered a few pairs for Baby E and we had them sent to her house in hopes that we can investigate together when I am there next weekend.  We ordered the pumpkin color in order to recreate this look.

(as a side note..they also make them with bowties which I think is even more hilarious because the stereo typical architect wear bowties…I crack up about visiting my office with E while on maternity leave and showing up with him wearing a bowtie )

We also ordered the Heron which I think would be adorable with a plain black onesie. These along with he pair my mom is making will hopefully make appearances in the monthly photos we take with the new stickers I purchased earlier in the week.

The thought of a black onesie also beings me to another subject…(and yes I am allowed to jump subjects I am  completely random and after all that is the title of this entire blog.)

So a black onesie.  There is the series of books that was started with one book titled Urban Babies Wear Black.  I think it is about them wearing black and living in the city HOWEVER I have not actually read the book yet.  I hear it is sold on Amazon and here in Atlanta at the MOMA store.  Anyway…i so think Elliot needs this book.  He is an “urban baby” after all.  He will live in the middle of Midtown Atlanta and wouldn’t really ever have to get in the car.  He has a fabulous BLACK and grey stroller to explore the city in. We can walk to work, shopping, get groceries, the movies and *hopefully* even daycare.  In my opinion he is a true urban baby   who will be wearing black and reading fabulous books.

Books…(I think this is my third subject for this post.)  My Aunts and a few friends are hosting a shower for us next weekend in Michigan.  My Aunt Marianne made these cute little invitations and inside put a cute poem.

Amber’s due date is coming near,

we’re inviting friends and family dear.

to choose a favorite story or fairy tale, that you would like Baby Elliot to hear.

Instead of a card, please let Amber & James look,

at your special choice of a book.  Then to Elliot they will read,

with all the love that he will need.

So please select a new or recycled book, and into it then your name do put.

I think this is so cute and I can’t wait until I get to see the books that people choose.

Quote of the day…

What everyone wants from life is continuous and genuine happiness.

Baruch Spinoza

 

this is what I want……continuous hapiness….

Apartment Therapy…Well Condo Therapy for us

Our Condo Building

I have been trying to wrap my brain around how to get rid of things I think I may still need but probably REALLY don’t.  I am sentimental and thing of the memories of what I used THIS for or what was happening around the time I purchased THAT.  This & That…… This & That…..I sit down to organize and get rid of things and constantly THIS & THAT, THIS & THAT.

I was thinking of having a yard sale but my question is will people really want to by my old stuff or is it just a waste of time.  Selling ot Craig’s list?  Seems like too much effort.

Some time ago my friend Sarah introduced me to Apartment Therapy.  There’s a blog, book and many followers. Sarah’s bathroom was actually featured on their blog when she did the 8 week redo to her townhouse in Richmond, VA.

My friend Beth once told me that she read somewhere, ” You should have nothing in your house that 1) isn’t useful and 2) doesn’t bring you joy.”  I LOVE this and think of it often.  I love that feeling I get when I see or use something that brings me joy.  For example on my desk at work I have several things that bring me joy each day. 

-an Acorn my husband purchased me from my favorite store in Savannah.  He took the time to go and purchase it and write down the saying that went along with it.

“The acorn was the ancient Nordic Symbol of Life. An old folk belief holds that carrying an acorn insures long life.”

- eraser covers that look like my black cat Hector.  My dear friend Amanda gave these to me as a gift when she visited me once when I lived in Richmond.  She thought they would work as knitting needle stoppers.  They don’t but everytime I look at them I think of our friendship, knitting with her, that she came to visit me, living with her and Hiroe….oh I think of so may things.

-my pencil/pen holder was a gift from my friend Jane.  It was a Japanese motif thermos but by the time she sent it the inside glass had cracked.  I broke out the rest of the glass and now use it every day.  Just seeing it makes me smile.  Jane and I had so many great/crazy times.

It is things like this that make me happy…. I am keeping them but I am also setting off on an adventure to purge myself of unneeded things.  My very own CONDO THERAPY………..Wish me luck.

Photo Monday…

Feet of a vine

This is a photo I took a few weeks ago in rural Georgia.  It is a dying vine on a c.1881 brick building.  I like the vibrant colors…the green of the microbial growth is …..you guessed it – AMBER GREEN.

Our First Anniversary – June 29, 2008

This post is about a month late but what can I say…we’ve been busy. James and I ( Rocky too) went to Savannah for our anniversary. We had a wonderful time. We did all of the things we used to do together, ate at the restaurants we would frequent and walked around having a great time. We went to Belford’s for champagne brunch (something we never did in the 6 years we lived there) and went to Gallery Espresso for coffee and to read the paper (something we did often). We of course had to go to Juarez for Mexican and JUMBO Margaritas and Sakura for sushi. the highlight for Rocky was swimming in the fountain of Orleans square. Which is by the way one of my favorite Savannah squares.

On the Brain…babies & the color of their skin.

Recently James and I hosted a baby shower for dear friends of ours, Leah and Michael. We had so much fun and it was so nice to celebrate the impending arrival of their little one. Leah and Michael are such wonderful people and I can’t wait to hear (on or about August 22) that their little boy has made his appearance.

All of this baby talk has gotten James and I discussing when we should start our family. Typically, when people ask his response is, “We already have one. He is a year old.” Peoples jaws drop and then he explains. “Our first born is our 1 year old golden retriever, Rocky. He is a very hairy, 4 legged baby.”

In all seriousness though, the WHEN is up for discussion. When we were married one year ago I said, “Give me 3-5 years. I need to be established in my career first. I want to be a licensed architect before we go down that road.” Now however I have begun to rethink my position. I have been listening on NPR about how women are waiting too long to have babies that is causing complications. The story also says that the prime gestational age for women is 22. 22! can you believe it. There is no way I would have been ready at 22. In fact I used to tell my mother that I was adopting at 40, so she was going to have to share my aunts’ grandchildren until then. 40 is still 12-13 years away for me….I think I am going to be ready sooner that I thought.

I also have the desire to see what a baby that is 1/2 me and 1/2 James would look like. Someone once told us we were a United Colors of Benetton Advertisement. The one that come to mind had a person very dark and African and very blond and Scandinavian looking. That’s us. I look at so many interracial couples and their children and wonder… will my child look like that?

I am a bit ashamed to say it but I have actually asked James, “What color do you think they will be? Do you think people will be able to tell they are bi-racial? Or will your genes take over so much that they will look like a dark skinned American black person.

When I was still in graduate school and new to the world of Facebook I was invited to join a Facebook group at SCAD called Kurry Karma. It was started by an Indian classmate of mine. I didn’t really know him, I am not Indian but I joined the group….The thing that made me join was this quote by Russell Peters. It was the motto for the group. Russell Peters is a Canadian born Indian comedian.

“tomorrow is the world of brownies ( 300 yrs from now) . There wont be any black or white. The world is mixing. Everyone in the world will be a hybrid version ..so start mixing now” -Russell Peters

Honestly I doesn’t really matter what color they are and each one will probably be a different shade. The important this is that we raise them to be colorblind, multicultural, open, honest and loving.

I say colorblind first because to me it shouldn’t matter what color ones friends or family are. I wouldn’t mind being like the brangelina family . James tells me sometimes that as far as colorblindness is concerned I live in my own little world. (He notices more if people give us looks or have comments.) My view is…the perception of RACE is never going to change if we let the separation continue. We ARE one race the human race. As Lucky Dube would say, ” One people, many colors.”

I am sharing some Benetton ads. Often seen as controversial…they push the boundaries.

On top of the World…or a Private Helipad in downtown Atlanta

A few weeks ago I went to the Urban Design Commission Awards here in Atlanta.  They were held a at brand new hotel downtown next to Centennial Olympic Park.  The hotel is so new it isn’t even finished.  We were able to tour the very UNFINISHED sky bar and snuck up to the helipad…When will I ever be on  a Private helipad again??? probably NEVER..unless I win the lottery (however I have never even once played the lottery so that is almost impossible)

The Beauty of Michigan

 

I grew up is a tiny town in Northern Michigan.  I think when I lived there Ellsworth, Michigan had a population of about 500 people and one blinking light in the middle of downtown.  I graduated in a class of 24 people.  WE ARE TALKING SMALL PEOPLE.  When I did live there I probably knew almost everyone and they knew me.  I haven’t really lived in Ellsworth since 1999 when I left for college …now I can for the most part be incognito. 

I sometimes forget what a beautiful area I get up in.  I took it for granted because it was so commonplace to me.  Durring the years when I was in college and grad school I would drive home.  I would usually be entering michigan as it was becomming the twilight hours.  Southern Michigan is just flat and boring but as I drove farther north the beauty would take my breath away.

I want to share with you a painting that was given to James and I as a wedding gift.  It was given to us by my dear friend Stephanie.  We have know each other since she was born..just 7 days after me. 

This painting is by another friend Liz Kantzer.  It is of Torch Lake. This photo of it doesn’t really do it any justice…it hangs in our bathroom up stairs.  I look at it every morning and remember the beauty of northern Michigan.

Torch Lake at 18 miles (29 km) long is Michigan’s longest inland lake and at approximately 18,770 acres (76 km²) is Michigan’s second largest inland lake.