The Most Wonderful Day of the Year--and--Belated Bouquet Tuesday

December 24th has always been my favorite day of the year. When we were kids, my parents used to take us downtown to Cincinnati where we would attend a Christmas puppet show/breakfast and then go see Santa at Lazarus (now Macys). We'd go to the 4:00 mass at church, but get there around 2:30 to make sure we had a seat. We still do this, but now we roll in closer to 3:15. After church we'd go to my dad's family's Christmas Eve gathering, the best party of the year. Then home and to bed!

Things have changed since I've gotten older: no puppet show or visit with Santa, plus my sister lives in Louisville and isn't Catholic anymore. I don't see my sister, Jen, very often, but I miss her most at Christmas time. She'll be here with her husband this evening, though, and we'll meet them for dinner at my mom's sister's house, which is where we go now. It took a lot of getting used to, but I suppose lots of people face the same thing, i.e. the transition from the Christmases of your childhood to experiencing the holiday as an adult.

Now, on to something else before I get too emotional and start to cry!

Here's a belated Bouquet Tuesday for you... One aspect of wedding flowers I didn't know a lot about until my sister got married was the Mother of the Bride's flowers. At weddings I'd attended in the past, the MOB always had some sort of corsage, variously placed on her dress, wrist, or sometimes pinned to a handbag. My sister's florist suggested my mother carry a nosegay, and I'm so glad he did! I think this is such a chic alternative to the corsage, which, let's face it, can get a bit dowdy. I'll show you my mother's nosegay some time in the future, but for today, here's a picture of one I found on my photographer's blog.

Now I know you can't see the nosegay that well here, so click on the picture. I think we can all agree, though, that this mother looks fantastic in her jewel-toned dress and that the nosegay really finishes the look off and makes her look extra-special.

And now, my Christmas gift to you, Dear Readers... Are you ready for some more eye candy? Sit back, relax, and check out the rest of my photographer's blog. I became acquainted with Todd Pellowe's work while helping my sister find a photographer for her wedding. Unfortunately, Todd was already booked, but on the other hand, I knew exactly who I wanted for my wedding! In fact, Todd was the first vendor we booked, and the one I'm most excited about. You can also take a look at Todd's work on his old blog. You'll find literally hours of viewing pleasure!

Merry Christmas, all! I hope you get everything you want and spend time with everyone who matters to you.

For my Godson

A few days ago my cousin Amie asked me to be her son Eli's godmother. I was so touched. I had a very special relationship with my godmother, who was also my childhood caregiver while my parents were at work. I'm looking forward to being that kind of person for Eli, and I think I can take care of the spiritual matters without a problem... but what about the presents? I know, I know... what a thing to worry about, but I do pride myself on giving great gifts, and I do need to give Eli something to commemorate the occasion of his christening.


My first issue is that Eli is a boy, and I only know how to buy gifts for girls. I could get something lovely and sentimental for a godddaughter. In fact, I've already thought of two things: one of those add-a-pearl necklaces or a christening bonnet that turns in to hankie you can carry on your wedding day. I do feel the need to buy something "keepsake-ish," but what does that mean for a boy? I want to give Eli something that's not so age-specific that it'll get packed away when he moves out of the nursery and into a big boy room, yet some of the adult gifts out there are much too adult (i.e. scary looking) to even consider.

Here's what I've found so far:

Monogram Chick's personalized linen heirloom bib.

I love the personalization on this 4x6 green dots frame (in blue), also by Monogram Chick.

I love the simplicity of this hand carved cherry cross I found on Etsy.

And since it's Christmas (even though Eli will be baptized in January or February), I couldn't help but think of the Ostheimer nativity scene. Ostheimer is an amazing German company that makes wooden figures of people and animals (and a few other things) by hand. I have two Ostheimer pieces of my own (a Collie and a German Shepherd puppy), and they are truly little pieces of art. The picture above shows a complete nativity scene. You can buy a 13-piece set for $480, which includes the manger and key players, a smaller set of just the Holy Family for around $60, or you can collect the individual pieces. There's also a Noah's Ark available!

I'd love to know if you have any ideas, or favorites from my list!

Positively Scumptious!

I've had a charm-filled day! First, my mother and I went to order my gorgeous wedding invitations from my favorite Cincinnati stationery store, Poeme. It's hard to believe I started the invitation process an entire year ago, but it took me about that long to decide. I last visited Poeme when I was in town in October, and it was during this trip that I fell in love with Julie Holcomb's letterpress invitations. They're incredibly rich to the touch as well as fantastically beautiful. I wish I could show you right now, but we'll have to wait it out together (I'm dying to see the finished product!). After ordering the invitations, we had brunch at First Watch, a special favorite of mine, Then we made a trip to Carrie Karibo Bridesmaids to pick up some things that had already come in, including my mom's dresses for the rehearsal and the wedding. When we got home we discovered that our English cousins had sent us the cutest gift ever... they adopted a rescued hedgehog for us (apparently when my parents visited this summer they searched, but never encountered one)! Her name is Hedwig, and at first I thought the picture that was sent with the adoption packet was just a stock photo they sent everyone, but on the back someone had written "Hedwig," so I guess it really is of our little girl! As soon as I get it scanned, I'll post it for you all to enjoy! Hope your day was as good as mine!

To: Allison From: Jennifer

An early Christmas gift! Many thanks to Jennifer at Diary of a Southern Belle for the fabulous blog award!

The rules: List 5 obsessions/addictions that you have, and tag back to the person who gave you the award. Post the Rules. Tag 5 more people!

My Obsessions:
1. Tory Burch Revas. I am now the proud mother of two pairs, one from Saks (brown) and another from Ebay (black).

2. Whose Wedding is it Anyway? I don't get the Style channel in Indiana, but we do here in Kentucky, and I'm loving all the chances I have to catch repeats! If I could choose a planner from the show to work with, I'd choose Donnie Brown or Jung Lee. It is my secret dream to have my wedding featured for millions of people to see, but I'd prefer to be in a magazine vs. on tv.

3. My scottie dog headband from Calista Cove. It's super comfortable, super cute, and I've already gotten so many compliments on it!

4. Archie, my parents' sheltie puppy. I really want him to love me. My mom says he already does, but I'm not sure. I want him to demonstrate his love to me in ways that don't involve trying to get in my room every morning by head-butting my closed door, or snatching my socks. He just snatched a pair about half an hour ago, and trying to get them back was like a stand-off.

5. Grey's Anatomy. I totally have the hots for McArmy.

I'd like to pass this award on to:

-Lindsey at Sweet Simplicity

-Globetrotting Bride

-Meg at The Randomness of Meghan

-Bama Belle in the Big City

-Preppy Little Dress

-Gwen at Confessions of a Control Freak

(So I tagged 6. It's my blog and I can do what I want to.)

Bouquet Tuesday

Did you know that the pomander balls we see carried in weddings and used as decorations originally had a much more functional purpose? Pomander, according to Wikipedia, comes from the French pomme d'ambre, or, apple of amber, i.e. a perfume ball. In the Middle Ages, women wore pomanders to mask bad odors. Pomanders were made of glass, but another popular form can be constructed from fruit, simply by sticking cloves into a piece of citrus like an orange or a lemon. What a deliciously yummy holiday aroma!


I couldn't find any information about the transition from citrus to flowers, but it certainly makes sense that a lovely scent could be achieved equally well with a ball made of flowers. The pomander pictured above, I think, would be beautiful for a holiday wedding. Since the church I'm getting married in doesn't allow flower girls to toss petals, and I'm not sure I like the look of a seven year-old with a bouquet, I think a pomander might be my pick for our flower girl. Of course, a pomander does lend itself more easily for use as a weapon with which to attack the ring bearer... Hmm...

Here I am

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I was in one of those funks last week, and then I found out that I will be taking the huge exam I just finished again in the spring. Merry Christmas, right? More like bah humbug. I gave myself 24 hours to be a victim, so now it's on to a fresh start academically. While the whole situation is terribly embarrassing/torturous, I do love a fresh start. They go so well with a new year, don't they?

I'm in Kentucky now, and I have lots of fun things planned with my mom, so I'll do my best to keep you posted.

Happy Monday!

Bouquet Tuesday

I found this gorgeous peony and orchid bouquet on The Knot, which always promises hours viewing pleasure (and if Gossip Girl is a repeat, you should check out some of the message boards for pure, unadulterated cattiness. Talk about bridezillas!). What I love about this bouquet, apart from its beautiful color palette, is its size.

Ladies, I cannot tell you how important it is to consider the size of the bouquets when ordering your wedding flowers. Case in point: my sister carried a very traditional, very full bouquet of red roses. I liked it a lot until early in the ceremony when she handed that sucker to me, the maid of honor. Then I had my own relatively full bouquet to hold as well as hers! And my handkerchief, too! And did I mention my shoes were terribly uncomfortable?! And that I did not get to sit down once during the ceremony?! And that I thought the minister gave an awful sermon, thus necessitating the need for me to monitor my facial expression very carefully so as not to be caught on video wincing and frowning?!

Take pity on your maid of honor brides, and really think about bouquet size and weight. If florals are beyond your comprehension, let me relate this in terms of something you surely understand: handbags. Go for the sleek, clutch version of a bouquet, not the massive duffel bag-esque one. As this bouquet illustrates, a few perfect peonies can get the job done so well (and without any attendant muscle strain).

The Graduate

Yes, Archie is wearing a mortar board. Actually I think it would be more accurate to say that Archie is having a mortar board held on his head. Yesterday my parents' puppy graduated from his beginners obedience class. If accounts are true, perhaps he shouldn't have graduated (for now he's signed up for intermediate classes beginning in February, but he may end up getting private lessons!). Apparently, Archie's behavior started a major backslide when my mom came to stay with me during my test. This is one dog that needs a two-parent household. Despite Archie's problem with jumping on people, I am so excited to see him on Friday when I return to Kentucky for Christmas break. Archie, like none of our other dogs, LOVES toys, and I think I'll be the kid on Christmas morning when I see him with the 42 inch Loofa Dog that I picked up for him at Walgreens this weekend. This is one enormous dog toy! Petsmart doesn't even sell 42 inch Loofas! I'll have to post a picture of him with it. Somehow, I think Archie will be getting so many Christmas presents that he'll need to start opening them well in advance of the actual day. For now, the Loofa dog is resting comfortably, stretched all the way across the backseat of my Corolla. Can you imagine?!

Preppy Gift Wrap

As promised, here are some pictures of the preppy gift wrap I picked up (on sale!) at Hobby Lobby this week.

In a rare moment of self-control, I only bought the black and white houndstooth, white polka dots on black, and white polka dots on red (not pictured).

Of course, all this wrap is in the Christmas section, but since I wrap gifts with my mom and use her paper (the privilege of being a cherished daughter), I bought my wrap with an eye toward the future. I can use mine next Christmas in my own home, but I think my purchases will work equally well for other gift-giving occasions, don't you?

Hurry, hurry, hurry!

Friends! Get thee to Calista Cove for the Daily Deal, the L. Erickson Silk Dupioni Wrapped Circles Headband. Regularly $46, today it can be yours for a mere $26! Or even less if you are a member of CC's Insider Rewards like me! I chose the ever-practical, yet sophisticated black.

If this isn't holiday spirit, I don't know what is!

Cheer up, Buttercup!

It's seems like a lot of people are getting the blues lately. I had them myself not too long ago. Now, I'm no expert, and I usually cure bad moods at the risk of my wallet and/or diet, but I came up with a new antidote. How about a good, old-fashioned emotional purge? You could cry about what's bothering you, but I actually think it might be healthier to cry about what's bothering someone else. I'm thinking Little Women, Gone With the Wind, etc... But you know what really's done it for me lately is the last 150 or so pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. For example, "I open at the close..." How much more heart-wrenching can we get? I think reading can be such a cathartic process (speaking of which, I just finished Reading Lolita in Tehran and I LOVED it).


And because laughter can't hurt, either, I'm including one of my favorite Postsecret postcards...


(No one's ever said that to me, but if they did, Anonymous Postcard Author, I'd do the same thing, too!)

P.S. Did you know there's a Facebook group called "Sarah Palin is Dolores Umbridge"? Hilarious.

Charlotte or Claire?

Babies are a few years down the road for me, but it never hurts to be prepared, right? A while ago I found Nymbler, a website that helps you find potential baby names based off of names you already know you like. Your results are the combination of the expertise of a woman who's spent years studying names and a special alogrithm. I don't understand it, but it's crazy fun.

As you can see above, I entered six of my favorite girl names, and it gave me tons of results. Just for fun, I typed in my own name.

It's uncanny how this works! One of the results is actually my middle name! I'm so glad, though, that this wasn't around 20-some years ago when my mom was thinking about names... what if I was Monique or Cheyenne?! Yikes! (No offense to all the Moniques and Cheyennes who may be reading, of course.)

Nymbler is incredibly addicting. Try it and tell me what you think!

Coming Up...

I have a lot to share this week! Be sure to look for upcoming posts on Preppy Crafts and Preppy Gift Wrap! I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Pens I've known and loved...

Kimmie's post about her new Staedtler pens has inspired me to share my own favorites with you...

As a student, I write all the time, and it's important to have the right pen for the right time. That's why you need a variety. I am always on the lookout for new pens to add to the arsenal I have stashed in bags, desk drawers, and the three pencil holders currently occupying space on my desk.

Let's start with the basics...

BIC® Round Stic® Ballpoint Pens, Medium Point, Blue

Simple, no nonsense. My mom has used these for as long as I can remember, and when I need to feel close to her, I use them, too. For me, they get the job done with the right amount of nostalgia.

Paper Mate® Stick Pens, Medium Point, Blue

Also blue, also basic. I got a pack of these for like $0.39 at Target after the back to school frenzy. I've happily used them all semester without incident. No unsightly blobs of ink here.

Paper Mate® Flair® Felt-Tip Pens, Medium Point, Assorted, 16 Pack
I fell in love with these at the beginning of my Ph.d. I first met them, however, in seventh grade English. My teacher had all of these luscious color in a pencil holder on her desk, and I totally envied all that felt-tip goodness. I love the variety of colors; they're great for making lists and grading papers. I don't like to use red ink to grade-- to me that seems so high school, and I'm always trying to get my students away from thinking the way they did in high school. I love the orange, purple, green, and fuchsia for this purpose. Also, the felt-tip creates a bit of drag on the paper, so I can't write as fast, making my comments more legible. Sometimes, though, all I want to do is scrawl the comment and put the paper in question at the bottom of the stack as soon as possible. That's another story, though...

Stabilo® Point 88 Fineliner Pens, 0.4 mm, Fine Point, Orange Barrel, Assorted Ink, Pack Of 10

I got my Stabilos about a two years ago in Germany. I love the fine points (super for underlining things!), and the fact that they are, indeed, from a foreign country. I got mine at an art supply store in Mainz, near Frankfurt, but would you believe the country's best department store, Kaufhaus des Westens, a.k.a. KaDeWe., sells them, too?

The BETTER Ball Point - Medium Point - Purple

I love these purple Pilot ball point pens. The small, locally-owned pharmacy my family uses sold these individually when I was a kid, and it was a thrilling day when my mom finally gave in and bought me one. This was actually my first purple pen, and probably what inspired my life-long preference for writing in purple ink. I seem to remember it making a funny, rattling noise as a I wrote, which may be annoying for some, but for me signalled productivity and that I was writing something very important.

Marvy LePen - Fine Line Writing Pen

What list of great pens would be complete without the Le Pen?! I started using Le Pens when I was 13 or so... I bought a few at a cardstore after Christmas. I got really into them, though, when I started working at a stationery store during college. There are so many more colors now than there used to be! My favorite is color is brown, which I use to go with my personalized stationery from Crane.

Tiffany Blue Purse Pen

This pen from T&Co. was a very lovely and generous birthday present from my University of Chicago girlfriends. They knew I loved pens and Tiffany's and voila! A perfect present. This is my only "fine writing instrument" and I should actually use it more than I do. Maybe that will be a New Year's resolution. : ) (P.S. My pen is bigger than the purse pen... I don't think they're selling the model I have any more : ( )

Energel® Deluxe RTX Metal Tip

Another purple pen I can't live without. This is the latest addition to my pen arsenal, and in fact, it's the pen I used throughout my recent tests. I'm not crazy about retractable pens, but this one writes so well and it's purple! What's not to love?

Am I missing any pens that you can simply not do without?

One more for the list

I also need to find a way to remove silly putty from clothing. The silly putty was supposed to reduce the testing stress, and it did until I looked down and saw it on my favorite pajama shorts. Right now they're hanging out in the freezer until I find a real solution.

I'm not old, but I sure feel like it

Do you ever wake up feeling tired? I'm still exhausted from last week. Too exhausted to do any of the things that need to get done. Maybe I just need more time to recover, but since I don't sleep well to begin with, that could take a while. I swear, I'm not old, but I sure feel like I am. How pathetic! I think tomorrow I just need to get myself back on track. That means I need to:

-Start deep cleaning my apartment. (This is not a one day project.)

-Concentrate on drinking lots of water and eating better.

-Get myself onto the treadmill.

-Deal with insurance issues.

-Launch effective counter-attack against the small break-out around my nose.

I actually own the print in the picture posted above... I think it's about time to frame it and hang it on the wall.

Bouquet Tuesday

Hello! I'm kicking off a new weekly feature (my first): Bouquet Tuesday. I've run across so many beautiful things in the course of planning my wedding, so I thought I'd share some of them with you.

I've had an image of this gorgeous Martha Stewart bouquet saved on my computer for about a year, and it's definitely influenced my wedding style. I'm usually a less-is-more kind of girl, but in this case, I think more is more. I love how full the flowers are, and even though I don't think my bouquet will look very much like this one, I did tell my florist the look I'm going for is "lush." I think this says "lush," don't you?

It's a Wonderful Day

What a day!

After I dropped off my exam, I taught my freshman composition class. I was amazed I had enough energy to do so. I was also amazed at the perfect attendance, especially since it was the first day after Thanksgiving break and it was the first snowfall of the semester. By this time in the semester, I've usually developed a deep and abiding dislike for a student or two, but I can honestly say I really like and enjoy everyone in my class. Since this is a class every student at the university has to take, I don't ever expect to find any potential mini-me's, just waiting for me to open the world of books and writing to them. Like every other semester (except one when I had a student whose penchant for the semi-colon matched my own), I didn't have any turn up, but I do have a few students I can see myself being friends with, were I their age and/or such a thing was appropriate. I'll definitely miss them... but not enough to pause the countdown: less than two weeks left of the semester!

I think what's making me happiest right now is the return to a normal life where school isn't my number one focus. This afternoon I began the process of giving myself a manicure and a pedicure, removing old polish from my toes and filing my nails. This feels so decadent; if I'm going to go all out, it means I have time to keep the mani/pedi looking nice. I love having nice looking nails, but when you type as much as I do and lug around as many heavy books, that isn't an option if you aren't prepared to spend time fixing them every night. I think handling paper has something to do with it, too, since this problem started when I worked in a stationery store. I could have started the painting tonight, but when I saw Gwen's picture of her new OPI, I knew the shade I had planned on using would never do. I'll pick up the new color tomorrow when the roads are better and it's light outside. I also started the book Reading Lolita in Tehran, and I'm loving it. I think this is one I'll savor, interspersing its reading with things like In Style and a Shopaholic re-read.

Speaking of Shopaholic, I immediately thought of Becky Bloomwood in Walgreens this evening when a recorded message was played about job availabilities. Let me tell you, I love Walgreens, and even though the things they carry are so common and everyday, I could do some serious damage in there. When I heard the announcement, I had already spent nearly 15 minutes in the hair accessories aisle, and my arms were so full of all sorts of goodies I was dropping them. For a moment I was struck with the idea of getting a job at Walgreens and being around all that great stuff every day! Then I remembered Becky's part-time job at the clothing store and how she hides the only pair of sale jeans for herself. That would be me. In fact, in every retail store I've ever worked at, I've kept a constantly growing stash of things I wanted to buy. I never fought a customer for jeans, though. Walgreens keeps a pretty good stock of everything, and it's not like there aren't five other Walgreens five minutes away, so I don't think I'd have to get into a Becky-like situation, but I think if I get a part-time job in January I'll go for something clerical at the university. I could make money there, not spend it.

The best thing I bought tonight was a plastic headband. I'm not usually a headband-wearer, but since I couldn't resist ordering the delightful France Luxe Triple Scottie Dog headband from Calista Cove, I thought I'd better practice. It's like riding a bicycle! I'm a born headband-wearer! Hurry, Scotties, hurry fast!

After Walgreens, I headed to my beloved Chick-fil-a. I think I've gained like 15 pounds with all the sitting I've been doing, and all the feeding my mom did while she was here during my test week, but I had a free milkshake coupon I wanted to use before I jump back on the healthy living wagon. Turns out, I didn't need to use the coupon. I was the 100th customer of the day and I got my dinner (and my milkshake!) free! So, the milkshake coupon lives to ride another day. Tomorrow I'll hop on the treadmill. Baby steps, right?

The only wrinkle in my day came when I was watching John and Kate Plus 8 and I saw Kate taking lollipops away from her children. Woman, what's wrong with you? I had to stop watching when Kate freaked out when one of her children got too close to her. Enough. I'll try again next week.

I'm off to bed at a reasonable hour with a good book. Tomorrow's shaping up to be another wonderful day, too!

For You

Dear Blogging Friends,

These are for you. Thank you for your funny, heart-felt posts that kept me sane throughout the crazy period of my exam-taking.

Have a beautiful day.

Love,

Allison

la La LA!

I completed the final part of my exam early this morning! I am triumphant! (At least until I hear the results!)