Fashion Friday: one skirt, two ways!

Happy Friday!  And it's a particularly happy Friday for me.  It's the seventh anniversary of my first date with Tom.  

Last night, in the elevator on the way up to our condo, he was grinning like a Cheshire cat.  I asked him what tickled him so, and he let on that he'd gotten "a little something" for me, to celebrate.  Oh, no!  I hadn't gotten him anything, but he assured me that it was really for both of us.  When we got to our door, the package was waiting for him.  "That was fast," I said.  "Depends how you look at it," he replied.

Turns out that it was a "little something" - a zip drive.  He secretly went to our wedding photographer - the amazing Kat Foley - and purchased the digital rights to all of our wedding photographs.  We've been married four and a half years, and we never managed to squeak it in the budget.  I was so surprised!  Bowled over.  I'll share more later, but for now, here's one to tide you over:

Look ma, no hands!  (Otherwise known as the most dangerous photo I've ever been in.)

  


Today's Fashion Friday post will have to be quick -- tonight Tom's taking me to a surprise dinner (he won't say where) and then tomorrow morning, we take off for an all-weekend writing retreat together! 

**

I'm in love with a skirt.

I'm always on the lookout for full, swingy skirts -- they are my favorite.  And I'd been wanting to add a chambray piece to my wardrobe this fall.  Chambray always looks so smart, and is so versatile.  So when I saw this swingy chambray number at eShakti, I pounced.

Still available, from size 0 to 26, at eShakti.

I can't stop wearing it, so I thought I'd show you two different outfits I've built around it.

This one, which I wore during the Reagan Library outing, was warm & comfy.
Sweater via Nordstrom Rack
Tank top by JM, via Macy's
Scarf via Nordstrom Rack
Belt via OneStopPlus
Leggings by Lane Bryant
Boots by Comfortview

 

Alternate view, plus Kate Spade purse, plus friends

  



The second version on the outfit comes with a bonus hat!  Our awesome friend Samantha had a hat party for her birthday, and we all wore our best chapeaus for the occasion.

Sweater by Jessica London
Blouse by Lane Bryant
Hat is vintage, via Junk For Joy in Burbank
Bracelet is vintage, via Dazzles in Palm Springs
Friends are gorgeous, and priceless.

  

I thought I oughta show you Tom's duds for the day, too - since he cleans up so well.
That's his best fedora, and his grandfather's vintage jacket.

  

That Tom.  After being so thoughtful and setting up our romantic/creative weekend, he even got mooshy on Facebook.

  
Honestly.  I'm every bit head-over-heels as I tumbled on this day, seven years ago.

Please take care of you this weekend - and take care of your loved ones, too!  I'm off to take smother mine with kisses.  Mwah, mwah, mwah!

Multimedia Monday: Don't Tell the Bride!

It's Monday again? Wow, the time moves so quickly.

My weekend was fun and exhausting -- I'm looking forward to sharing more about it in upcoming Adventure and Fashion posts.  But the weekend has passed, and you know what that means... it's time for some Multimedia Monday Short Cuts!

• I'm always impressed by the films that George Clooney directs.  The tabloids promote him as such a playboy, but from his films, it's clear to me that he has a sharp, intelligent mind and a boatload of talent.  I loved The Ides of March. It reminded me, kind of achingly, of how politics broke my heart once, too.
• After seeing - and loving - The Help, I wanted to read the novel from which it was adapted, and I finished it this week.  I'm always interested in the way things are condensed into filmic form, and I thought this one was handled very well - though I was surprised by a few of the differences.
• Tom and I have finally caught up on American Horror Story.  I can't say that I love it, but it has definitely intrigued me enough to add a season pass to my DVR.  
• We added another season pass this week, for Once Upon a Time.  One episode is usually not enough to judge, but I'm a sucker for fairy tales, especially revisionist ones.  I'm curious to see where they'll go with it.

There's one other show that I'm watching this season... and it's called Don't Tell the Bride.

  
Full disclosure - I'm totally biased about it, because Tom is one of the show's editors!

Each week, a couple is given $25,000 to plan a wedding... but the hook is that they only have three weeks to plan it... and the groom has to do it.  He can't see - or talk to - his bride for those three weeks, until she comes down the aisle.  And only his best man can help him.  (No, really. There aren't people behind the scenes aiding him or giving him recommendations.)

So far, two episodes have aired (and they are replayed during the week.)  Next Saturday, Tom's first episode premieres, and I'm really excited to see his handiwork.  I think we might have a viewing party for one of his favorite episodes, later this season.  (Let me know if you want to join us, heh.)

Clearly, the first topic that comes up when discussing the show is: "how would I [handle/have handled] this for my wedding?"

I love my groom more than anything else in this world.  Tom is a creative, thoughtful man who has such vision, and such a unique point of view.  Seriously, every day I'm grateful that he came into my life.  I'm sure that he'd do his best to be thoughtful in planning a wedding.

But let me tell you: there is NO WAY I would have had him pick out my wedding dress.  Not without me trying it on.  A wedding dress is supposed to make you feel beautiful and confident.  If I hadn't tried on all different kinds of shapes of dresses, I would never, ever have picked my own.  What you think you like is almost never what you end up liking.  (This past episode's bride had that experience, too.)

I loved, loved, loved my wedding dress.
Much as I love, love, love my husband.

When it came to our own wedding (which I wrote a little about on our anniversary), Tom did participate in the planning. He had veto power on everything, and I made sure to come up with ideas that expressed both of our personalities.  He had a few hard-and-fast rules about the wedding...

1. No groom's cake.  He'd seen them on shows like Bridezillas, and came to think of them as proof that the groom had nothing to do with the wedding except one dinky little cake.  So he nixed it.
2. No live animals as decoration.  When we saw photos of fish bowls on reception tables, he made it clear that there would be no animals used and then flushed.  Fortunately, I was never interested in that, either.
3. No garter toss.  It seemed embarrassing to all involved, and I'm relieved, too.
4. No Chicken Dance.

Funny story about #4.  My mother was disappointed that Tom ruled out the Chicken Dance, and asked him to reconsider.  Jokingly, he told her that he'd permit a chicken dancing, but no Chicken Dance.  And oh, my mother - what a prankster she was - secretly arranged for the rental of a chicken suit and the appearance of a dancing chicken at our reception.  Such fond, fond memories.

Tom's biggest involvement in our wedding was editing our wedding movie, which we screened during our cocktail hour at the local movie theater (the very theater I grew up attending.)  I'll leave you today with the wedding movie - which still makes me cry.







Don't forget to watch Don't Tell the Bride on OWN, Saturdays at 10PM.  And... don't forget to take care of you!

In honor of our anniversary... a look back at our wedding

Four years ago today, I married my very best friend.

Remember yesterday how I talked about our mutual love of theme parties?  Well, our wedding was the granddaddy of them all.  Our mutual love of (and desire to work on) movies brought us together (and in the long run has made for a wonderful creative partnership as writers.)  So when we thought about our wedding, it seemed to us like it should really include the thing which made us... us.  So we did.  We had a movie-themed wedding.

From our Save-the-Dates...

...to our invitations...

...to our tables, each featuring a poster for one of our favorite classic films.
(My dad was at the "Father of the Bride" table, naturally.)

We even held our "cocktail" hour in a movie theater.
It was in the same complex as our ballroom and hotel.
(No cocktails at the cocktail hour, btw, but there was popcorn and Junior Mints.)

We played a trailer from each of our theme tables at the beginning of the cocktail hour, before the movie we cut together for the occasion.  Man, it really pays to marry a film/tv editor.  For your enjoyment, Tom and I have uploaded the movie in two parts.  It's about 20 minutes long, but it's pretty fun (especially a couple of sections in the second half.)








As you can tell, we're kind of made-to-be.  Before I met him, I didn't really believe that anyone out there was made-to-be with me.  But after we met, it just became clear that we were meant to meet only then, when we were ready for each other - and not before.  He has made me so happy over the past (almost!) seven years, and I'm incredibly grateful for him every day.

Our engagement photos, taken at Union Station by Paul Manke Photography

Our big day was beautiful.

All photos by Kat Foley Photography

Ten minutes before the wedding, I received this text message from Tom.

Girl talk before the ceremony

Our flower girl holding her pomander.

My party (we had gender-blind parties)

His party, midriff

His party, feet. (One of my favorite pictures of the wedding.)

Our unity candle

We're short on pictures of the wedding day, alas, because we've been waiting to purchase the full digital rights to the photos.  But by next year's 5th anniversary, we will have some other fun shots for you. Maybe even... dare I say... another movie?

We spent a lot of time in advance, making things by hand (both because we have specific tastes, and because it's a lot more reasonable in terms of budget to DIY.)  Thank goodness I had some Photoshop skills - it saved us tons.

Our program cover, pattern courtesy of iStockPhoto, monogram by me

The inside of our invitation, with royalty-free art, design by me

I even made our favors. With help from Tom, his mom Jean, and our dear friend Audra.
All guests received a tin themed to the table where they sat.

If you're short on magnets, feeling crafty, or need a good favor for an occasion, you're welcome to make these.  I digitally colored little bits of royalty-free art deco designs, printed them out, and punched them using a circle punch about the size of a flat glass marble.  Then the group of us glued the paper to a magnet backing, and a glass marble to the paper.  Wha-la!  You can download my colored designs, here.  Or you can use your own favorite art or photos!

Looking back on all of this makes me feel so incredibly blessed.  And kind of exhausted.  DIY weddings are hard work!  And it was the wedding of our dreams... so I'm glad that we only had to do it once!  Now the marriage... I'm glad we get to do THAT every day.  I wish you all the kind of happiness I have found with Tom.  And I hope you'll all take care of yourselves, and your loved ones too.

And Tom?  Happy anniversary, my Harmour Love.  lll