shaking off the dust of hibernation

so how do i explain my ridiculously long absence? all i can say is that for the past few weeks, the idea of writing here has felt too much like a chore. so i didn't do it. maybe that's lazy, but i'm of the mind that this blog is meant to be fun - and if it doesn't feel fun, i don't do it. so that's the deal.

anyway, i've been gobbling up a handful of blogs lately (see here, here, here, here, and here). i've been trying to simplify, to spend time on things that make me feel good, that make me a calmer, happier, more full individual. so i've been neglecting a lot of my traditional internet haunts, in the name of cutting down on the time suck that is the world wide web.

apparently when one neglects one's blog, one becomes terrifically verbose when one begins writing again.

sorry.

okay, so the reason i was moved to write today, is that my hubby went out into our (beautiful! blossoming!! flower-filled!!) garden this morning, and came back in carrying a basket overflowing with the most amazing smelling pink and yellow roses. i immediately had him take pictures so that i could show them off. this was inspired, in large part, by a blog called habit, that i've been super into. little snippets of people's lives, that, unlike this blog, don't take hours to read, but leave you feeling touched, inspired, and still. at least, that's how it leaves me :)

okay, onward and upward with the day. enough putzing around on here.

xo

I am so mad

That I didn't find this site BEFORE my wedding. These dresses are totally awesome! And completely affordable!! And they rent them too. Damn it!!

I mean, my dress was okay. It was definitely affordable :) But it was way too boobalicious, and I had to keep hiking up the front of it all night - those bad boys just didn't have enough support. It's the one thing I would change if I could go back. Le sigh. Maybe I can help someone else avoid making the same mistake. Your dress is important!! Not $2,000 worth of important, but you do want to make sure you're as happy with it as you can possibly afford to be. I felt too overwhelmed and was too afraid of being a high maintenance bride to make enough of a stink over choosing my dress. Lesson learned.



Yes. This is me singing with my sister and my cuz. We had a lot of live music that day :) But the point I'm trying to illustrate with this pic is actually the complete lack of mammary support. I had a bra on, I swear! Like it made a difference. Ugh.

And so. What makes a dress perfect:
1. It fits you. Perfectly. (read: enough booby support! and make sure you're not going to be tripping over it while you're dancing!).
2. It's flattering (Hello saggy migillcutty.)
3. It fits your budget. (aka doesn't make you want to cry every time you remember the price tag. Also, you don't have to sell your soul to get it.)
4. It's comfortable enough to let you focus fully on what is happening around you.
5. It makes you feel like the most specialist girl in the room (not because that's what it's all about, but because you'll be getting a lot of attention, and it's kind of nice to feel like you're dressed for it :)). Don't underestimate the value of feeling pretty.

So stalk your dress!! It's out there! Whether you're having a formal wedding for 400 people or eloping in Kuala Lumpur, trust me, It Will Be Worth It.

That being said, as long as you manage to look this happy the first time you dance with your husband (or wife), then nothing else really matters that much. Yeah, I'm pretty lucky.



Seriously though. Don't be afraid to insist on getting yourself a dress that makes you feel super special. Really. It will be one less thing to worry about that day - you'll know you look awesome, and you won't have to be constantly worrying that your naughties are showing :) Which obviously equals having way more fun :)

p.s. sorry about the extreme hiatus. for whatever reason, I just haven't been feeling it lately. I'll try to be better... much love to you all!!

p.p.s. Also, I want to point out that the reason Matt and I aren't gazing into one another's eyes in this shot is that we were LITERALLY surrounded on all sides by our guests, who were all singing our first dance song TO us (Dream a Little Dream). So we alternated between looking at each other and looking at all the other people we love! Absolutely one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

Wah.

I'm finding it hard not to feel sorry for myself right now. I found out today that two, and potentially three of my favorite family members aren't coming to the wedding. I didn't think it would upset me so much to have people decline the invitation, but it does make me sad :(

Another reason to elope - you don't have to feel disappointed when people can't make it!

Gemma and Tim, 1978, Continued

Okay, as promised, some more pics of my parents on their wedding day....



I'm not sure if this is before or after the ceremony, but somehow it has a distinct "waiting" kind of vibe, so I'm guessing it's pre-nuptuals. Thats my Dad on the left, sporting the sweet Jimminey Cricket tails, and my Uncle Barnabas on the right, sporting the beard to end all beards. Would you believe he's now rocking a completely shaved head and face?



Tim and Gemma were married on July 15, 1978, in Toronto. My Uncle Peter was the Best Man, and my Mom's friend Debbie was her MOH. In the front row, to the right of the priest, you can see my two Grannies!



Another angle on the ceremony. See the dress Debbie's wearing? My Mom told me the coolest story about that. The year my parents were married, Debbie was also married. So Mom and Debbie bought this dress together, and then they each wore it to the others wedding. How awesome is that??



The newlyweds, leaving the church... by the way, my Mom was wearing giant heels here - she's 5'4" to his 6'3" :)



And doing the meet-and-greet, post ceremony (their friend Mike rocking a sweet blue suit!).



Cutting the cake!

My Mom got her dress off the rack for like $30. She bought a whole whack of wine and cheese and a cake. Friends of their parents lent them their home and yard for the party. Simple simple simple!!
And now 31 years later, they're still together and happy - they're my marriage role models, to be sure.

Gemma and Tim, 1978

A few weeks back, I was visiting my parents, and found myself looking through their wedding album. Probably because I'm planning my own wedding, I felt freshly fascinated by the story of their wedding day. I had never really been that interested in the logistics of the day; who was in their bridal party, what they wore, what was the ceremony like, where they had the reception (did they HAVE a reception??), what kind of flowers my mother had, who helped put it all together, etc. etc. And so I picked their brains a little, and got to hear (for the first time) about how they and their friends and family gathered at the house of a family friend with a giant backyard, and had wine and cheese and cake, and how spontaneous dancing broke out when someone brought a radio (record player? I can't remember... this was 1978 after all.... did they even have electricity??) outside. I should probably get my pops to write about it, but for now, I just wanted to put up a little teaser, as I'm not feeling especially eloquent right now, and want to make sure I do this very important wedding justice in the re-telling :)

So here they are, my favorite married couple, on their wedding day: July 17, 1978 (there is a chance, being the degenerate daughter I am, that I'm wrong about the exact date.... but I'm pretty sure.... definitely '78 though!!)



I sure do love them :)

Stay tuned for more!!