Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Footwear Flop


You know what "hot" trend I'm totally over even before it hits the mainstream?  This flat platform bs.  It's chunky and unflattering to everyone.  Just stop already.  That is all.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

A Living Room to Build a Dream On




Lately I've had the urge to nest, so just for fun I've been doing a design concept board for a possible version of my future living room.  I'm finally figuring out how to communicate to Mr Husband Elect what my vision of a space might be - get the whole thing visually pulled together before pointing out individual elements.  It's the most frustrating thing in the world to try and get him to agree to items for our home one by one because he can't envision them in a complete package.  See my solution above.  What do you think?  In the end, I couldn't decide on a table lamp, so I just chose my top five and threw them all in there.  What's your favorite?

Monday, June 13, 2011

Weekend Wine Tasting


We're hammering out all the details for various wedding-related events these days, and last night we did one of the more fun ones: wine tasting!  The rehearsal dinner is on a boat, and they allow the client to supply their own beverages, so we spent the evening narrowing down white and red wine selections (beer is a whole other beast we weren't ready to tack just yet).


The idea was to keep it inexpensive, so none of the bottles exceeded $9.  You'd be surprised at how many good options you can get in this range.

It started out innocently enough...


Nine chardonnays later....


I found one that tasted like oysters - not good... unless you're eating oysters.  which we were not.


Several judges with varying palates offered their two cents, and there were a lot of serious contenders for the number one spot.


In the end, the clear winner was Fitzer 2010 chardonnay - a clean, crisp, and aromatic white wine.

The Cabernet was a no-contest situation; nothing stood up to Red Diamond.  Also a no-contest situation: Andrew drove us home that night.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

List of Things Women Should NEVER Apologize For


As I'm fast approaching thirty, I've been doing some reflecting on the person I've grown into, and the things I want to take with me into the next thirty years. One thing I wish I would have taken to heart as a younger woman is, unless you have really hurt someone, you don't have to apologize for anything you do.  Not everyone is going to be happy with the decisions you make, and not everyone is going to agree with you.  So who cares?  I'm still working on the not caring part, but I do find that as I get older, I require the approval of others less and less - and I like that.  In the spirit of wisdom gained and wisdom shared, here is my list of things a girl should never apologize for:

1. Winning - This includes sports, promotions, and bets, to name a few.  Ladies, if you earned it, you shouldn't be apologetic for your victory.  Take it gracefully and own it.  Do you think a new CEO's first objective is to apologize to everyone else who didn't get the job?

2. Turning Someone Down for a Date - Just because he/she asked, doesn't mean you are expected to say yes.  When you turn a person down, he/she doesn't want your sympathy.  Just say no (kindly) and move on.  You don't owe an explanation on why that person isn't worthy of your company and you certainly don't have to apologize.

3. Having a Difference of Opinion - Not agreeing with a friend or colleague is nothing to be sorry about.  Offer your view (gently, if needed) and let it stand.  Stammering and back-tracking only chips away at how someone perceives the validity of your statement.  If you believe in what you said, stand your ground.

4. Things You Like - Short of having a preference for something truly terrible like child pornography,  there's no reason to say you're sorry about liking something off-beat, strange, or even "too pedestrian."  Example: I am a fan of Mariah Carey and I don't care what people think of me for loving the shit out of her voice.  That woman has a powerhouse set of pipes and you all know it, whether you like her or not.