Sunday Stylin

The End

2007-07-10T08:42:00.001-07:00

Let's pretend for a minute

2007-07-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

If Matthew and I had been in the New York Times, which we were not (damn that stupid paper), our announcement would have sounded a little something like this...

Tori Lynn Katz, the daughter of Charles and Frandi Katz of White Plains, N.Y., was married last evening to Matthew Frederick Bender, a son of Michael and Marcia Bender of Highland Park, Ill. Rabbi Lisa Izes officiated at the Harmonie Club in New York.

Mrs. Bender, 27, is a communications manager at the American Dietetic Association in Chicago where she covers Medicare rules and regulations related to nutrition services. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with bachelor’s degrees in political science and Spanish and received a master’s degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Her father is the vice president of sales for Profile and Russell Athletic Big & Tall, a men’s sportswear manufacturer in New York City. Her mother is a child permanency mediator for the New York State Unified Court System. Her mother is also a mediator for the Better Business Bureau of New York State.

Mr. Bender, 30, is an equity analyst and principal at Harris Investment Management, Inc., an asset management firm in Chicago. He graduated magna cum laude from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and received an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University where he was a Brooks and Abernathy Graduate Scholar.

His father is the director of client services at Omnicare Pharmacies of Northern Illinois, a provider of pharmaceutical care for seniors, in Des Plaines, Ill. His mother is a pre-school teacher at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El in Highland Park.

As a result of our lack of publication I officially boycotted reading the Wedding pages. For the day.

3,2,1...

2007-06-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

At 4:15 pm on Monday my boss kicked me out of my office. She said it was time to step away from the computer and get married. So I did. And now work is just a distant memory.

And so here I am in New York, staying with my parents and brother until the big day. Tensions are running high and I slightly wish I were back at work. It’s 3 days before the wedding and my mother just stormed out of the house on a mad dash to tailor’s. She doesn’t like the way her dress looks. Nothing like last minute, impulse alterations!

I went for my last fitting at Vera Wang yesterday. Everything was perfect except for a minor incident in which the fitter cut me with a zipper. There was a little blood, but really it was no big deal. It’s my bridal badge of honor.

A few months ago I imagined that I’d be completely calm the week before my wedding. I assumed everything would be done and there’d be nothing to stress over. Turns out, last minute tasks fall out of the sky!

While discussing the final chapter for this blog, my fellow bride to be MRB and I decided an announcement in the New York Times would in no way be the perfect ending. In fact, not being in the Times would provide the perfect opportunity for so many additional well-researched articles:
How my non-famous parents kept me out of the Times
Westchester brides are boring
Ivy League means nothing
In the era of diversity, two Jews can’t make the cut

Gotta run...Stuff to do. Wish me luck.

10, 9, 8....

2007-06-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

With 10 days to go, I’m experiencing serious name separation anxiety. How can I be TK if there’s no K? What will my friends call me? When I ran for vice president of the student council in 8th grade my slogan was: Don’t be dog, Vote for Katz! What happens if I run for President one day? What could possibly top that?

Luckily M returned from his bachelor party in South Beach with only a few scars. The poor thing took a bit of a whipping but luckily Dr. Pepper was there to nurse him back to health. Apparently the other TK had to sit through some stories that no brother should hear about their sister, but luckily none are true. So there.

And while M was in South Beach I was at a leadership training conference in San Diego. Note: people who know what they want, get what they want. And that’s some free advice for all of you. On my trip home I started a new book called Eat, Pray, Love. It’s a wonderful story about a woman who realizes she doesn’t want children, doesn’t want to be married and instead leaves everything for a romantic year of travel abroad and sexy Italian men. Nothing like a good story about divorce and noncommittal affairs to prepare me to get married next week…

I have devised an ingenious strategy to avoid crying when I walk down the aisle. I am playing Cannon in D over and over and over again on my work computer. I want to be so sick of the song by time I walk down the aisle that I’d rather scream than cry. My co-workers happen to think I’m crazy, but so does everyone else at this point, so why stop now.

Q: So how I am feeling with a little more than a week to go?
A: How you do think? I am totally wired. Could use a sedative.

Never give up

2007-06-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

What I find so hysterical and heartwarming is how many people have taken a genuine interest in my fascination with the New York Times. The other day I received an out-of the-blue email from a guy I’ve never met before. He lives in New York City and has a friend who fetches coffee for staff at the Times. He emailed to tell me he contacted his friend on my behalf and unfortunately she has no pull. I couldn’t help but chuckle when I read his email. How very sweet it is that people I barely know are looking out for me. And at the same, it’s so funny that people I barely know must think I’m absolutely crazy.

I received a similar email a few weeks ago when a friend asked his friend who supposedly knew someone who worked at the Times if they had any pull. My friend emailed to say that while this friend of a friend worked at the Times, they worked in the mail room or something, and hence had no pull.

When M and I met with the band not long ago, the band leader also was ready to pull some strings for me. After I told her the story of how we got engaged, and she told me she got engaged the very same way, but on the cover of the Daily News, she began to rattle off a list of contacts. She thought for sure her neighbor, an ad sales exec for the Times, would have some pull. So now an intern, a mail room clerk and an ad sales exec have all heard my case. Sounds promising, no?

So if you happen to know a janitor or a secretary at the Times, please, please, please tell them you know me. The paper boy might be a good in too.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This weekend M and I had our auf ruf, a pre-wedding ceremony. It’s basically an excuse in the Jewish religion for the congregation to nail the bride and groom with candy. I got scratched in the head with a flying Sunkist jelly by none other than my future brother in law. Nice.

Sunny skies and a lovely shower

2007-05-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

Pardon me for falling behind on my entries, but to be honest I needed a break from all things bridal. Hence the Memorial Day bbq where I lost all recollection of my super snug gown and took the diet, shmiet approach.

Now back to the important stuff-- my shower. My Aunts B and K threw me a luncheon shower at Eleven Madison Park – right across from the Shake Shack for those of you, like my fiancé, who know New York City not by street corners but by hamburger joints. Shower # 1 was great, don’t get me wrong, but shower # 2 was a party with all my nearest and dearest friends and family. There were faces I hadn’t seen in years and friends from faraway that I talk to daily but only see occasionally. In addition to pillows, baking pans and blenders, there were even some Euros and travel checks for my honeymoon thrown into the gift mix. Finally something I know how to use!

Some of the memorable moments of the afternoon included:

a presentation of special occasion wines from my bridesmaids including: one month anniversary wine, making up is fun to do wine, first shabbat wine and It's a...wine.

AS printed out all of my blog entries and put them into an album!

With new initials comes a new monogram bag.

And my fiancé showed up at the end bearing gifts!

The Bachelorette Party...

2007-05-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

5:55am: I can’t sleep. I’m too excited. I look over and there’s AS sleeping next to me and SM is on the floor.

8:00am: Time to wake up and work out. SM and I have boot camp at Equinox in an hour and we need to get there early to fight the diehards for a spot in the class.

12:30pm: I am at brunch at Essex on the Lower East Side and just about to start my second of many, many mimosas. AS, KP, MB, LM and SM are giving me a lingerie shower and the guys at the table next to us find our little party quite amusing. My friends know I love my sweatpants. I usually sleep in boxers and a t-shirt. Bu today they tell me it’s time to have some grown-up PJs. My new wardrobe includes ivory silk, gold lace, royal blue mesh and even a pair of Wifey slippers. The girls give me a little quiz to make sure that I know everything there is to know about my fiancé. Q: When did Matt first tell you he loved you? Me: Umm….S—t! I don’t remember. A: Valentine’s Day 2002. Q: Who is Matt’s favorite baseball player? Me: Umm…Derek Jeter? A: Frank Thomas. And with each wrong answer I take a sip of my mimosa.

4:00pm: I am exhausted. A woman is walking on my back. There’s nothing like a good massage after a morning of squats and lunges and an afternoon of drinking.

8:30pm: Dos Caminos Soho. I make my way to the back of the restaurant to a table my friends have decorated with balloons and penis confetti (I said no hats, t-shirts or lollipops, but confetti I can live with). Specially printed “Tori’s Bachelorette Bash” menus are at each place setting. My mom orders the first round of shots.

blowing kisses at dinner

11:30pm: My dad arrives at Dos Caminos to pick up my mom. He sits at the table, completely oblivious to the confetti and the banana and whip cream martini in front of my face. SM comments this could be the first bachelorette party ever attended by a bride’s dad.

dad and me

Friday, May 18, 2007

2007-05-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

11:30 am: Time to decide how I am going to wear my hair to the wedding. I am back in my old hometown of Ardsley to meet with Thomas, my hair and makeup stylist for the big day. I’ve lived all over the place, tried a thousand different hair salons all over New York City and yet here I am, down the street from where I grew up, at hair salon next to the CVS where I spent hours in high school buying makeup with my friends. It’s strange how life comes full circle.

I was absolutely traumatized by my prom hair experience so Thomas has been warned that doing anything to my hair involving hair spray is likely to freak me out. After a heart-to-heart I put a little faith in his abilities and allow him to do his thing, within reason. After a little of this and that, we agree upon a very simple, slightly wavy style.

Being back in Ardsley meant I was subjecting myself to running into absolutely everyone from my childhood. By the time I left the salon I saw my old neighbor, my friend’s mother, an old classmate, and even scarier, pictures of her children. Everything in my old town was just like I remembered it. The same people gossiping about the same things.

1:30 pm: My mom and I meet my Aunt K at Lulu’s Bakery in Scarsdale to design and order a special wedding dessert. We walk in super excited. We ooh and aww at all the fabulously designed edibles. But suddenly our bubble is burst when Mr. Pastry Chef isn’t quite as excited as we are. Something about delivering to a New York City venue in June makes him nervous. He’s afraid one of those street fairs (the fried food, ugly fake purses kind) will prevent his truck from being able to make it to the Harmonie Club. The conversation precedes something like this:

Me: Nooooo! You can make it. I know you can!
Mom: I work at the Better Business Bureau. That is no way to talk to prospective clients.
Aunt K: That’s ridiculous. If 5th is closed, take Madison or Lexington.

After much back and forth and a phone call intervention to my wedding planner who recommended this place, we reach an agreement. We taste, design and order exactly what we came in for. And the rest is a secret.

The problem with this whole pow-wow is I am now about 30 minutes behind schedule. Mom and I run to the car and head into the city for dress fitting number 1.

3:20 pm: Mom and I are stuck in traffic on the wrong highway headed in the direction of Mount Vernon instead of New York City. Directions have never been my forte and for some reason, on this very hectic today, I swear to her we need to go east, not west. We quickly realize we need to go west, not east. My fitting is scheduled for 3:30 pm. As you can imagine the conversation inside the car sounds something like this:

Me: S*&^%HJWK!!!
Mom: F(*&^JWA!!

3:49 pm: I arrive at Vera Wang exactly one minute before my appointment is canceled. I tell the receptionist I came straight from the airport and my plane was delayed. Just a little lie to make me feel better about taking the wrong highway from Westchester to New York City, a trip I have made thousands of times.

4:00 pm: I am in my dress and as cool as a cucumber. Oh how I love you wedding dress. You make me forget that I’ve been stuck in traffic and swearing at my mom for the past hour. The sparkly but terribly uncomfortable Stuart Weitzman shoes I returned in exchange for a simple pair of comfortable heels turns out to be the right move. The shoes go perfect and dress maker goes to work.

The Bachelorette Party!

6:00 pm: I’m finally in a cab heading downtown. I make a quick stop at 54th and Broadway to pick up SM from work. Time to get ready for my bachelorette party.

8:30 pm: SM and I head to Otto to meet my friends for dinner. Over a bottle of red, a bottle of white, eggplant, artichokes, mushroom pizza and chocolate-hazelnut gelato we toast to being together and a great weekend ahead.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

2007-05-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

9:45 pm: I arrive at Westchester County Airport on time after an easy, breezy flight from Chicago. No delays, no lost luggage. It must be a sign from g-d. There’s my mom, she spots me making my way to the exit. She’s waving one arm in the air and grasping her cell phone with the other. I run over to her and she smothers me with kisses. I’m home. Let the marathon begin.

Details, details

2007-05-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

Forty five days to go and we’re still (pretty much) drama free. A small episode between the mother of the bride and me involving a bridal shower game caused my blood pressure to spike, but slowly I am returning to normal. For this game M and I had to individually answer a set of “how well do you know your future spouse” questions. Some were fun, i.e. what’s M’s ideal job? Some were dumb, i.e. what was T’s major in college? And one caused trouble; how many times a day does T call her parents? To make this story short, the mother of the bride was not happy with her future son-in-law’s attempt to generate some laughs with his answer. Argument ensues. Everyone accuses everyone of being too sensitive. Hence, I am not a fan of bridal shower games. They only cause commotion.

Small blip number two involves the mysterious appearance of C, my Vera Wang sales associate. It seems silly C changed jobs without a warning or a farewell. I truly support his ambition in bridal couture and I’m sure bridesmaids throughout New York City join me in wishing him well. However, he made one serious mistake, one that stirs my inner bridezilla. He forgot to order my flower girl’s dress! Even though I just placed a rush order, it’s likely that little KB might not have her pink dress on time. Jeezzz.

Talk about wedding overload, next weekend I head to New York for my shower, bachelorette party and two fittings; in addition to ordering our wedding cake, doing a tasting, meeting with our rabbi, getting a marriage license and meeting with band. So even though my future husband tells his friends all the details are taken care of, I beg to differ…

Allow me to fill you in

2007-04-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

There’s so much to say I don’t know where to begin. I guess I might as well start with yesterday and work back to Friday.

Yesterday I submitted our proposal to the New York Times. Whether it was a sign from the paper gods or what, my first attempt came back to me as an undeliverable email! Gasp! society@nytimes.com already doesn’t want me and they haven’t even read my adoring account of how M and I met and fell in love. Once I figured out that our photo was bigger than the allowed JPEG limit I ditched it and resent --and so far, so good. The Times recommends that announcements be submitted at least 6 weeks in advance. Supposedly couples are chosen on a “first come, first serve” basis. But we all know that that’s b-s. Somehow, someone inside the Gray Lady will have to embrace us. I was tempted to use Gawker’s Wedding & Celebrations rating system to figure out if we actually have enough +s to make the pages, but that would just make me too nervous. Instead I’ll just wait and hope there aren’t too many other Jewish couples from Penn getting married on June 23rd. And if it doesn’t happen, then I will publish my very own wedding announcement right here, for the few people who actually read this blog.

Sunday I flew to D.C. for work after a lovely brunch at Tavern on Rush in honor of M and I, hosted by his Aunt G. and Uncle S. The weather in Chicago was spectacular and it was hard to break away from the fun in order to sit and wait for a delayed flight from O’Hare. With my mother and aunts in town for my shower, which I will get to in a minute, M’s aunt wanted to get everyone together for a special meal. She decorated the table with green candles (my favorite color), salted cashews in martini glasses with chocolate kisses on the edges and miniature bride and groom teddy bears.

In addition to décor and snacks, M’s family came with wedding gifts! I always act so surprised to see what gifts we get—only to be reminded that I am in fact the one who picked them out. We’ve now got our full set of beer and martini glasses, so you’re all invited over for a drink.

The party continued on Saturday night. M and his parents, my Aunts K and B, Uncle R, my mom, S and me topped off a special day with sangria, chips and guacamole.

On Saturday nine ladies hosted a shower for me at café in downtown Highland Park. Luckily I had my maid of honor, S, in town to help me get ready for the luncheon. She put my hair in rollers and applied my makeup to make sure I looked ready to play the role of cheery bride to be. Since she lives in NYC and I’m in Chicago, even the minutes we spent prepping in my bathroom were so precious to me. When we arrived at the shower I felt like a politician arriving at a fundraiser. I introduced myself to many of my f-mil’s friends, smiled, posed for pictures and graciously thanked them for being there. Each place setting had a hand made card and each table was adorned with candy that I tried so hard not to eat! Lunch was a creamy tomato soup, salad and bread pudding and fruit tarts for dessert. I was surrounded by my dear Chicago friends, S, and had my mom, aunts, and future family nearby.

The whole experience made me feel so fortunate. I also got some great gifts—baking pans, silver trays, wine glasses, knifes and candlesticks. Plus silk PJs from my mom who knows that I might not appreciate fine cookware, but I sure do love compfy sleepwear.

Check the mail

2007-04-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

Stop reading. Get up and go check the mail.

Why? You ask.

Because there just might be a very special invitation waiting for you to tear open.

Yes, it’s true. Coming soon to your mailbox is my wedding invitation. I sent them out on Saturday morning after the Katz family assembly line lovingly stuffed, stamped and glued each and every one. If you happen to get two response cards, that’s my fault. If the stamp looks crooked- that’s my mom’s doing. And if the edges of the envelope aren’t glued down completely- fault my dad. Brother was directing the operation from the couch.

There I was at the post office, at the height of tax season, perhaps the busiest mail day of the entire year, batting my eyelashes and pleading with Mr. Postal Worker to please hand stamp my precious wedding invitations. It was a close call, but I made it happen.

A little advice to all my reader/guests out there: Make sure you send back the response card asap. The post office has thrown us a little curve ball and decided to raise the price of stamps sometime in May. I’d hate for your response card to get lost in the mail. So if you know you’re coming, don’t hesitate to share that with my mom and dad. If you’re one of those people who pay no attention to the return date, at least remember to add some postage.

I’ve been engaged for more than a year now and June 23 always seemed so far away. Finally, we’re starting to see some action.

Open to advice

2007-04-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to have a little piece of advice for me these days. Everywhere I go I come away with someone else’s words of wisdom on life, love and marriage. My dentist, the ladies at the nail salon, the man at the dry cleaners, my yoga instructor…—they have all made a concerted effort to prepare me for what’s to come. So if any of you faithful readers have something to add, please feel free to fill me in.

People LOVE to add their two cents. Here are some of the highlights:

“Don’t serve Chicken Fricassee.” – Dental hygienist

“Figuring out seating is the worst part. I say just have a hundred tables for two and avoid all the “I don’t want to sit at the same table as this person” crap.” –receptionist at my doctor’s office

Preface: Had Matt won his NCAA pool, half of the winnings would have gone to me and my wedding shower clothing/accessories fund. That was until UCLA played like crap-ola and let Florida glide into tonight’s final game. In any case, upon hearing our deal a friend said:
“When you’re married you don’t get half, you get the whole thing.” –D.W.

“Weddings bring out the best and worst of people.”—anyone who’s had a wedding

“You’re not serving chicken?! What do you mean you’re not serving chicken? How can you not serve chicken?” –a crazy second cousin

“Remember to enjoy every minute and don’t get too caught up in the details. The guests won’t notice anyway.”—saleslady at Krista K.

“Start writing your thank-you notes even before you get the gifts. Just fill in the blanks later.”—my Dentist

“Marriage takes A LOT of work.” --my mom

“When you have kids one day, the key to making sure they stay out of trouble is to keep them in school all the time. No camp, just school, all the time.”—John, the nail salon owner

“Make sure the bridesmaids all hold their bouquets at the exact same level.”—Matt’s dad

“Always remember, you’re a Katz!”—my Dad ----->

Walk this way

2007-03-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

March is National Nutrition Month and in my world that means big things. Here at the headquarters of the American Dietetic Association, National Nutrition Month is one long low-carb, low-fat, high-fiber fiesta. If you pop into my office at any time during this month you will find water guzzling ladies (and maybe 1 guy) walking around with pedometers clipped to their pants. ADA’s March Health Challenge is in full swing which means in addition to clocking my every step I have to tally my daily consumption of fruits and veggies. I am a member of a team called The Walking Carrots, which consists of me, my boss and our administrative assistant, and it is our mission to walk more and eat healthier than any other team in the office. And anyone who knows me knows that I play to win. My red Kellogg’s pedometer and I are inseparable.

Yesterday I took a total of 11,841 steps give or take a few. That includes more trips to the water cooler than normal and an hour at the gym. (Just for your reference, the ADA recommends we all take 10,000 steps per day to live a healthy lifestyle.) And you know what else that means…With 88 days until my wedding, I will take approximately 968,000 steps until I walk down the aisle. In that time the folks here at my office also say I should eat a total of 616 ounces of grain, 264 cups of veggies, 176 cups of fruit, 264 cups of milk, and 528 ounces of meat and beans. Let the countdown begin.

Well, my dress is officially in and my first fitting is on the calendar! I guess that means I better keep walking.

T & M meet the rabbi

2007-03-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

If there was one person with insight to the New York Times Weddings & Celebrations selection process I thought it would for sure be my rabbi. She has officiated a number of New York City weddings that have been mentioned in Sunday Styles. So for this reason I thought maybe, just maybe, she had a friend on the inside-- Lola Ogunnaike, Cathy Horyn, some editorial assistant peon—whomever.

Well, I learned this weekend when Matt and I met with Rabbi I. for our first pre-marital counseling session that she in fact has no clue what it takes to make it into the New York Times. Her and her husband tried and thought for sure they were a shoe-inn. No luck. Like me, the rabbi even said she was at one point obsessed with being in Weddings & Celebrations. Her advice, get over it (in much nicer words).

The conversation came to be because our session centered on teaching the rabbi about us as a couple and as individuals. We walked her through our days at Penn when we didn’t know each other but came close to meeting many times. How I knew some of Matt’s friends and he knew some of mine, but we just never seemed to connect until being introduced outside of Pizza 33 in 2001. Matt talked about his passion for music, the importance of family, etc. etc. I talked about some of our special memories and how my love of writing led me to Chicago to pursue my master’s in journalism. Having established myself as a writer, I saw no harm in mentioning the blog and my mission. Of course Matt rolled his eyes and said he wanted no part of it.

Our first session lasted close to two hours. Matt cried a couple of times. It was hard not to after talking about the recent loss of his cousin Brian, an incredibly special guy who meant so much to both of us. We reminisced about our grandparents and thought about whose Kiddush cup, whose talis and whose rings we would incorporate into our ceremony. We also had some good laughs. When the rabbi asked if I planned to go to a michvah (a cleansing bath for Jewish women before they get married or experience a major life change), Matt had the perfect response— I’d being going to the Red Door Spa for a facial instead. Right on.

It was a very celebratory weekend over all—an engagement dinner for Matt’s friend, an engagement party for my friend, a birthday party. I also received an invitation to my shower in Chicago. It’s a funny thing, getting an invitation for your own party. Also, just as important, Penn is playing Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Let’s go Quakers!

Fashion progress

2007-02-28T14:53:00.000-08:00

Just before heading to the airport on Monday afternoon for my flight back to Chicago, I ran into the fabulous Campbell (of Vera Wang) in Midtown. He was rushing to pick up buttons in the garment district. I was rushing to get out of the rain and into Starbucks. We chit-chatted about life and the wedding and then, as we parted ways, he said something that simply made my heart melt: “We’ll be calling you soon about your fitting.” Ah!! A fitting!

In my brief trip to New York last weekend I covered an insane amount of wedding territory. Saturday was all about the mother of the bride. My father and I accompanied my mom to her second of many dress fittings to come at Saks. When she bought this dress a few weeks ago, she described every last detail to me over the phone. She looked even more exquisite than I’d imagined. To quote Campbell again, she “went for fabulous.” In typical mother/daughter fashion we bickered over little details – I like the sleeves on the shoulder, she likes them off; she wants to wear bangles, I said no. It wouldn’t be normal if not for a little difference of opinion. After Saks we moved on to Stuart Weitzman, then Bergdorfs, and even Easy Spirit in an effort to find her “comfortable” wedding shoes. If anyone knows if such a thing exists, please let me know.

Sunday was father of the bride day. Just me and Dad. A rare but wonderful occasion. We began at Barneys where he treated me to a little spree at the Nars counter (I am still Daddy’s little girl afterall) before we headed to the eighth floor, men’s tuxes. My dad has an impeccable sense of style. He originally wanted to wear a white jacket to the wedding, to be a little different. Nice thought but not happening. A black peaked lapel Armani caught his eye and never left his sight. He made me feel the fabric about 100 times. It’s a winner.

I also spent a few hours on Sunday looking through thousands of old pictures for our rehearsal dinner video. And I can tell you this: I was one really cute baby, I had the prettiest bat mitzvah dress, I spent much of my childhood in pink soccer uniforms, I went through a terrible awkward stage and I wore my hair in some ridiculous up-do to my high school prom.

The Registry Challenge

2007-02-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

With football season over and March madness quickly approaching, that leaves me a small window of opportunity to have Matt’s full attention for one very important wedding task: registering.

February is the perfect month to register. It’s an indoor activity a time when there’s not too much else to do. As soon as March hits, the weekends will be busy again with trips and events, so for now, during this winter lull, we’re finding joy in spending other people’s money. If you’ve checked our registry over the past couple of weeks you’ll notice it has more than doubled in size.

Most stores provide registrants with a clicker, which looks eerily like a gun, to add items to their list. It’s often hard not to get a little trigger happy, especially at the end of the day. I believe it was Matt who added a blue and gray, handheld zebra mirror that I luckily caught and deleted from the list. Sometimes the slightly less sane couples, such as Matt and me, also use the registry gun to play man hunt in the bedding section of Bloomingdales Home. It’s all in good fun.

Our registry trip yesterday made me feel like I was in an episode of Supermarket Sweep. Michigan Avenue was slammed which made parking a nightmare. After circling the streets for way too long we gave up and parked in the Bloomingdales lot. Luckily Bloomingdales will validate for up to three hours. But at 3:00:01 you’re dropping serious cash for your spot. I had an ambitious plan for the day—fine china, luggage, towels and chatchkies—and three hours to accomplish my mission. Bring it on, Bloomingdales.

Nothing could stop this bride. I pointed and clicked my way through every ounce of the store. I got it all done, and returned my gun to the registry department with time to spare.

Now I can sit and stare at my registry and slowly wait for the “still needed” column to dwindle down. The exciting news is that as of this morning someone had purchased my 10 piece All Clad dish set. The frightening news is that now I’m going to have to learn how to use this stuff. I’m also left to ponder whether I will ever really need place settings for 16. I think I might have been trigger happy…

Cyberlove

2007-02-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

Question of the day: Do people really propose with an e-card? Hallmark’s website is full of “Marry Me” e-cards and I guess they exist for a reason. Who are those people that propose, in all seriousness, over email? I’d like to ask them a few questions (i.e. did that really fly with your girlfriend/boyfriend?).

I came across a number of Marry Me cards today when I was searching around for Valentine emails to send to friends and family. Somewhere out there, someone today is going to get the romance bug and fire off a marriage proposal e-card to their beloved. On the list of 50 Most Romantic Ways to Pop the Question, sending an e-card doesn't even rank. Although I wonder if this is really any better: 49. Ask him/her to marry you by writing it on the bathroom mirror. Huh?

I’d assume if a couple becomes engaged over email, what’s to stop them from having a wedding entirely planned through cyberspace? The standard has been set. The invitations could be sent through Evite, the flowers could be ordered on 1800flowers.com, J.Crew sells wedding gowns online, you can even book a rabbi at rabbirentals.com. All of this cyber-everything is a little too scary and impersonal for me. The only site I expect people to visit in relation to my wedding is http://www.nytimes.com/pages/fashion/weddings/index.html to view my wedding announcement (and this blog of course).

I kicked off Valentine’s Day 2007 last night with front row seats at the Bulls game. I was sitting right behind the Luv-a-bulls in case you thought you caught a glimpse of me on tv. I was sitting right next to VC – we were the girls on the floor not shaking our poms poms. Tonight Matt and I are going for dinner at restaurant I’ve wanted to try called Marche. If nothing else, Valentine's Day is an excellent excuse to try a new restaurant on a weekday night that is otherwise spent at the gym and on the couch.

In wedding news, my mother got a dress! And Matthew’s bachelor party has been set for Miami. Luckily my younger (completely innocent and law-abiding) brother will be on the trip to make sure that everyone behaves…

Brrr...

2007-02-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

The temperatures are below 0 today in Chicago. I’ve been at my desk for more than an hour now and my fingers and toes still haven’t completely thawed. I nuked my coffee for an extra minute in the microwave and ate oatmeal so hot that I burnt the top of my mouth, yet I still can’t escape that bitter chill. I’m pale as a ghost, my cheeks are red from windburn and my dedication to my bridal workouts has been crushed by my desire to hide under my fleece blanket and watch American Idol. In other words, I’m not looking so hot right now. However, I have not lost sight of my goal. Take my word, come June I will be ready to grace the pages of the Sunday Styles’ Wedding section.

Valentine’s Day is next week and for the first time ever I actually have a gift for Matt more than 24 hours in advance. I splurged a little this year, but he deserves it. It’s been a tough few weeks. I expect I’ll receive a package from my mom containing a card and a Cinderella or Snow White Pez dispenser. I get it every year. Human Resources in my office sent around a memo that there will be chocolate and apples for everyone in the lunchroom on Valentine’s Day. Such perks I get!

A couple of exciting (well, not really) wedding news briefs include:
Our invitations are in! Fingers crossed that they look ok. They were all handmade so they should be perfect. Soon they’ll be off to the calligrapher and in your mailbox before you know it.
*I changed the background on our weddingchannel.com page. (Who cares? I do!) It’s the perfect way to procrastinate.
*We still haven’t picked our wedding song.
*We still don’t have a ketubbah.

Lastly, I get bombarded with wedding-related spam but every once in a while I get an email with some super-cool item. Check out these heart-shaped Altoids. Not only will they make your breath smell lovely, but they might even put a little love in your heart…

How about these new “With Love and Kisses” stamps? Pretty cute, I’d say. The postal service put them out to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Hershey's beloved chocolate kisses.
Could be the perfect touch to those invitations that just arrived…

London

2007-02-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

I'm back from my London holiday and I've got a few pictures to share. Even the g-d awful exchange rate (1 pound = 2 dollars) couldn't keep my mom and I from taking advantage of everything London has to offer. We shopped in Covent Garden, saw two plays: We Will Rock You (terrible) and Billy Elliot (fabulous), visited museums, went for high tea, ate Shepard's Pie, said hello to the Queen...I expected cold and rain but had four days of sunshine. I didn't catch a glimpse of Prince William, Posh Spice or Becks, but still had a great trip!

We never actually ate fish and chips, but we thought about it.

My mom made me take a picture with a Beefeater.

Had I not just eaten lunch, I would have gone down the slides at the Tate Modern.

My mom outside of We Will Rock You (don't see it!)

Mom and me in front of Big Ben.

Cheers

2007-01-24T13:11:00.000-08:00

Stealing from today’s Daily Candy, “According to psychologists in the UK, levels of misery officially peak this week.” Well, it’s a good thing I’m going on vacation tomorrow and escaping the dreary Chicago weather. Off to London with my mom for a girls weekend. Stay tuned for pictures.

p.s. I learned last night that it will be virtually impossible for the Bears to score 26 points. It would require some weird combination of a touchdown and a safety…or something. Therefore, I change my Superbowl prediction: Bears 28, Colts 21.

The Year of Magical Thinking

2007-01-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

I was amused to see an article in the New York Times today on a topic that’s been on my mind: magical thinking. The article, Do You Believe in Magic?, tells the story of a girl from Texas who wanted nothing more than to get into The University of Michigan. While having lunch with a friend one rainy day she noticed someone stroll by with a Michigan umbrella. Given the rarity of seeing anything Michigan in Texas, the girl took it as a sign. She knew right then and there that she’d get into the school.

With the Bears heading to the Superbowl, Chicago is experiencing a wave of magical thinking. Normally un-superstitious people are turning into superstitious fanatics. For example, my normally hygienic friends won’t wash their lucky Bears socks, shirts, boxers, etc. They’d rather stink then curse their team. My co-worker has made lasagna for her family every single time the Bears won a game this season. And she’s not stopping now. She’s planning a huge lasagna Superbowl meal for all her family and friends. My future brother-in-law has watched the past few Bears games at my apartment and every time he’s in the bathroom the Bears do well. Therefore, whenever Matt is feeling insecure about the Bears' level of play, he sends his brother to bathroom. The strange karma stories go on and on.

Since I’ve moved to Chicago the White Sox have been in the World Series and the Bears are headed to the Superbowl. It was my future b-i-l who actually pointed that out to me. (Too bad my luck doesn’t work the same for the Yanks and the Jets.) Just like the Michigan umbrella, I see the Bears' success as a sign of good things to come in 2007. Bears 26, Colts 21.

Wedding objects of desire Part I

2007-01-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

Brian Atwood Jeweled D'Orsay Peep-Toes. Even though you won't be able to see my feet, these would make me feel sooo lovely. Let's pray to shoe gods that they majorly go on sale.

Too much information

2007-01-18T17:20:00.000-08:00

For as often as I talk about wedding planning, lately I also find myself spending a whole lot of time talking about babies. Other people’s babies that is. A bunch of my friends are pregnant, or are in that family planning stage of life. So as Matt and I prepare to be newlyweds, we have a number of friends are who are new parents. Lately my inbox has been flooded with ofoto pictures of my friend’s babies, their friend’s babies and so on.

One of the members of my work lunch posse is pregnant. Thus, I often spend my lunch time hearing about the latest bugaboo styles and all the contraptions that new parents need. Today I learned that you can rent a breast pump if you really want to (don’t know why you’d want to). It costs $60 per month. I also learned of a technique called “pump and dump” which makes it ok for a breast feeding mom to have a glass of wine or four (all you need is a pump and a freezer). She talks about her baby shower; I talk about my wedding shower. She registers for blankets and bottles; I register for blankets and serving pieces…

The other night at book club a few girls got into a heated discussion about baby food. The host had considered making her own baby food for her newborn son. Apparently this activity is quite common among the super-moms. In the end she decided that it would require too much time and instead sticks to feeding her son organic everything. For now, I’m happy to focus on wedding food—steak, sushi, cake, etc. Things that don’t come in mush form.

Adding to the madness, a few days ago while in the recovery room after a minor procedure (and high on pain killers) my fiancé told the nurse he was having a baby. Where did that come from?! I’m going to guess it was because we spent part of our Saturday night visiting friends and playing with their new baby girl. Still, that’s weird.

I love babies. Don’t get me wrong. And I’m sure one day I’ll find pleasure in discussing baby formula and early child development classes. It’s just that my interest right now is in cute clothes for me, not cute clothes for an infant.

So how are the wedding plans?

2007-01-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

The most frequently asked question I receive these days is “how are the wedding plans?” Short answer: They’re going. In terms of major planning there’s been a bit of lull (as evidenced by my infrequent entries).

In reality, there are a lot of little things going on that I can’t imagine most people would care to hear about. But I’m gonna tell ya anyway. For example, I began my search for a ketubah. Woohoo! Thanks to ketubah.com I can spend hours searching for an art-deco marriage contract from the comfort of my own couch. Modern luxury at its best. While I (sort of) watched the Fiesta bowl with Matt the other night, I also spent time surfing between ketubah.com, shopbop.com and cnn.com. Now that’s what I call a good football game.

I was at friend’s apartment the other night and commented on the lovely ketubah hanging in her bedroom. How silly of me to ask where she got it. Ketubah.com, of course. It’s the place to be. Now we just need to agree on someone to sign the thing…

Switching gears to my Chicago shower which is set for April, my future mil (mother in law) told me that instead of putting party favors on each table, her friends who are throwing my shower want to make a donation to a charity. Best idea I’ve heard in weeks. Who really needs another pink pad of paper anyway? My first thought was to have the money donated to JDRF, but then again, enough about me already! I’ve decided that the donation should go to the Jack Paige scholarship foundation (that was my grandpa). The foundation was started by my cousin Lauren and helps send inner-city kids to college. Nice, right? My f-mil also told me her friends are having a “shower meeting” this week (4 months in advance) to discuss the details of my shower. How funny! I feel like I should provide the coffee and doughnuts…

Happy New Year

2007-01-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

After a nice, long stretch of vacation I’m back at work, refreshed and ready for 2007. One of my resolutions was to be more focused at my job, but being that I’m already writing away on my blog, at work, there goes that. I’ve never been one to make real resolutions. Every year I just hope for a healthy, prosperous year and let life carry on as it should.

Matthew and I rang in the New Year with my loyal readers Dr. and Mrs. Pepper and a few other couples at a Chinese restaurant in Chicago. Even though I promised myself I would start the year off on a healthy note, the sesame chicken and Mongolian beef were hard to turn down after a few Asian pear martinis. Being mildly superstitious, I couldn’t hide my delight in my New Years Eve fortune: Others look upon you with great admiration. How nice and refrigerator-worthy.

jess, me and forgot her name...

This was the fifth NYE that Matthew and I spent together and unlike the very first one, this one did not require him to nurse me back to sobriety. It was a low key, enjoyable evening spent with good friends, a sign of good things to come. We spent New Years day in the best way we know how—brunch and an afternoon of sitting on the couch and watching movies.

When I think about 2007, I need to take a deep breath. It’s going to exciting, crazy, busy, fun. My showers, my wedding, my honeymoon, my friends’ weddings…It’s easy to get overwhelmed thinking about everything to come. I just want to be able to remember and cherish every minute of it.

Some sad news brought me back to reality when I found out on Jan. 1 that a family friend had past away. This woman was in her early fifties, a mother of two daughters. She was the sister of one my mother’s dearest friends. She died of cancer. Another life lost to such a cruel disease. Why is it that I have witnessed so many wonderful human beings die of cancer? This news made me feel so far away from my family and made me wish I could be in New York to comfort my mother’s friend.

At the same time I learned that another friend’s sister gave birth to the first baby born in the city of Chicago in 2007. A healthy boy named Jack. For every tear of sadness there’s a tear of joy I guess…

Today's most emailed

2006-12-19T13:46:00.001-08:00

I was interested to see that the most popular emailed story on nytimes.com today is Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying. I emailed the article to Matt yesterday. Maybe you mailed it to someone too. Having been together for 5 years we’ve discussed all of these questions at one point or another, and some of them over and over. And I’m sure some will be discussed again and again throughout the course of life.

A couple of my answers:

Question 7 was a no-brainer.
7) Will there be a television in the bedroom?
I need Jay Leno to put me to sleep at night and Meredith Vieira to get me going in the morning. Matt needs it so he can flip to Sports Center when I’m in the middle of watching whatever I’m watching. But seriously, I understand why people would not want a TV in the bedroom. The bedroom is for intimacy and conversation blah, blah, blah.

You laugh, but Questions 11 and 12 are dear to my heart:
11) Do we value and respect each other’s parents, and is either of us concerned about whether the parents will interfere with the relationship?
12) What does my family do that annoys you?
Matt and I have very caring families, and with that said even the best family can rock the boat once and a while. I know what annoys him and he knows what annoys me. We actually discussed this in the car other night. We decided we will mentally block out what we don't like, smile, and move on. I've heard some wacky in-law stories recently so I'm quite thankful for our farely drama-free situation. But as I’m learning, it takes respect, communication and understanding to keep family happy.

My grandmother’s nurse moved into her daughter’s house when her grandchild was born not long ago. The nurse insisted that she sleep in the same room as her daughter and the baby, and made her daughter’s husband move to another room. He eventually moved out (and back in not long after). That is a prime example of too much parental interference. My advice: don’t let that happen.

Next, Question 14 – one of my all time favorites.
14) If one of us were to be offered a career opportunity in a location far from the other’s family, are we prepared to move?
This is a challenging one to answer because both Matt and I are so close to our families. We currently live in Chicago where we are near his parents, and I get a little teary every time my family gets together without me. At the same time I am an opportunist. If either of us happens to get our dream job in let’s say, St. Tropez, then who knows…Matt’s dream job is at Bono’s hedge fund, Elevation Partners, based in California. If he got a job there, then you bet I’m there. So if anyone has a Bono connection please let me know.

Marriage/wedding things that I think about

2006-12-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

I still take off my engagement ring when I exercise and when I go to bed. Do most people do this? I have these visions that one day my ring is going to be scratched by a free weight. Then I see girls at the gym wearing their wedding rings and it makes me wonder if I’m breaking some sacrilegious oath for taking it off. I take it off when I play tennis because what if it got permanently blemished from the black tape on my grip? That would be ugly. My mother told me never, ever to take my ring off. She’s now caught me on the EFX sans wedding ring and brushing my teeth pre-bedtime sans wedding ring. It’s like committing a crime.

Another thing that I think about is carving stations at cocktail hours. I know it sounds weird. I nixed the carving station at our cocktail hour because the thought of serving slabs of turkey and roast beef seems so 1980s to me. Is that wrong? I had to fight my dad a little on this one because he comes from a family of kosher butchers who will be at the wedding and will anticipate the presence of carving station. He still doesn’t understand why sushi gets all the hype. Pigs in a blanket we agree on.

I also think about my honeymoon. I’m going to Italy for two weeks. That’s one darn expensive trip. My parents said the groom’s parents traditionally pay for the honeymoon. My dad’s parents did. What’s the deal with that? Plus, should I be saving money for my honeymoon? I probably should. But I’ve never been so good at the art of saving.

Lastly, I’m nervous that when everyone comes out to do the hora the dance floor is going to be way too crowded. There’s nothing worse than a hora that doesn’t move. You wiggle your way into the circle only to stand there and nudge the people next to you. Eventually someone starts their own line with 5 people and it looks silly. In my perfect wedding dream I have a huge, uncrowded hora where no one gets their toes smashed and I don’t fall off the chair.

2006-12-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

Getting back to where I left off…I’m already nervous about my wedding coordinator. She hasn’t returned my phone calls or emails for more than a week. I see this as a bad sign. Just because I return all emails faster than the speed of light doesn’t mean I expect the rest of the world to do the same, but c’mon who doesn’t check their email at least once over the course of a week?! Or listen to their voicemail? What if she pulls this same incommunicato stunt in June? Then I’m really screwed. I’ll give her another day or two. Then, syinara wedding lady.

In my last post I failed to include the background on my hair stylist, Tommy, who unlike the wedding planner has not yet pissed me off. Where as I can spend hours researching, days debating, and months testing out my options, my mother makes decisions 1-2-3. Tommy is an example. Tommy, who recently gave her "the best cut ever" is also her new gay best friend. It is my summation that in an attempt to seal her best friend status she hired him for the wedding. I have to admit I was a little shocked when she so ecstatically called to inform me that she found the perfect hair person for the wedding. I thought I’d be involved in the decision making process somehow…Long story short, I met him and loved him and so now we’re all best friends. And everyone will have gorgeous hair.

It’s December and as my cardio kickboxing instructor said last night, the perfect time to evaluate your goals. My goal is to make it through the month without kicking my bridal diet to the curb. Lots of holiday parties require lots of will-power. Boo.

And one last funny story: Last Saturday night M and I went out to celebrate our friend’s 31st birthday at this hipster dance club in Lakeview. Apparently the beat of the music and those couple of vodka sodas put me in quite the generous mood…I started inviting people to our wedding. Made them swear they’d save the date. Oops...

Turkey time means wedding time

2006-11-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

In the 5 days I was home for Thanksgiving I managed to make serious wedding progress. Added to the “mission accomplished” list were the bridesmaids’ dresses, the hiring of a day-of wedding coordinator, a hair stylist and makeup artist, and the choice of both the bakery and style of wedding cake for the big day.

To accommodate my friends’ busy schedules and travel plans, I made two visits to Vera Wang Maids – Friday at 5 and Saturday at 5. I came close to pulling a bridezilla attack on Friday when a snotty Vera salesman refused to let me into the showroom to show A.S. and K.P. the selection. Luckily my new bff on the inside, Campbell, spotted me in distress in the lobby and whisked me and the ladies into the back. “Welcome to the bridal sauna!” Campbell greeted us as we entered the 100 degree showroom packed with demanding brides and maids. We flipped through different styles and fabrics and I showed the girls my favorites – 3 pale pink, silky gowns. Both girls looked amazing in everything and it was such a treat to be there with them. It was the ultimate girly experience.

My girly experience was repeated on Saturday when my mother and I met my maid of honor, S.M., and one of my cousins back at Vera Wang. This is the same high-powered lawyer cousin who barely had time to attend a fitting for her own wedding dress. The fact that I got her to try on a bridesmaid dress brought me to laughter and tears. S.M., who has influenced my fashion choices since our middle school adventures to Loehmanns and Woodbury Commons, approved, and looked stunning.

The “cutest of the weekend award” goes to my 3 year old cousin Katie. Every day Katie asks her mom when she is going to get to be a princess at my wedding. At dinner on Sunday Katie said to me, “Cousin Toooori, why is your wedding taking so long to come?”

More on everything else later….

Total buzz kill

2006-11-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

With a few minutes before our teleconference was scheduled to begin, my boss and I began chit-chatting with our D.C. colleagues on the video screen. We touched upon all the typical pre-meeting topics: the weather and our workload. And then my boss let the group know I’d just celebrated my 27th birthday. Through the video screen I can see their eyebrows rise and almost in unison, two, 50-ish year old women tell me that 27 was the best year of their lives. I tell them that I expect 27 to be a wonderful year for me too – I’m getting married in June!

With that, I see blank stares. Followed by a cynical laugh from colleague x, “Tori, glad to see you’re so optimistic. Ha. Ha.”

Why does the topic of marriage always elicit so many weird responses from people? Obviously she got screwd...

Rather annoyed by her comment, I just shrug and give some pathetic answer like, “Well, uhh, I’m excited.”

“Well, I hope you’re getting a pre-nup, Tori,” colleague x tells me. “You know, all ‘sophisticated’ young professionals are getting pre-nups these days. There’s just too much at risk.”

“Yeah, I got a pre-nup,” colleague y chimes in. “I’ve been married for 29 years now so I can probably tear that sucker up!”

The conversation between x and y goes back and forth and all the while I can’t help but feel that the status of whether or not I’m getting a pre-nup is slightly inappropriate for a work conference call. I’m not getting a pre-nup. If I did it would read something like, “In the case of a divorce, Tori’s sacred baby blanket belongs only to Tori; with no visitation rights permitted.”

Members of my book club found this story particularly entertaining. Unfortunately it led to everyone telling depressing stories and facts about love and marriage. Supposedly after 5 years with the same person a hormone changes in your body and you no longer feel as passionate about your partner. This is not what I want to hear right now! Please, just let me be a bride…

Oops

2006-11-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

Here's some advice: When at a wedding, don’t text a friend telling them how rude/obnoxious/annoying another guest is. You might end up actually texting the person the text is about.

No worries. This stupid slip up did not involve me in any way! But it did happen at the wedding I was at in NY last weekend. And the victim did happen to be the very person I was sitting next to at the reception. The girl who sent the original text was friend of the bride’s from college, notorious for always freaking out about something. She was dressed in an attractive black cocktail dress and bright red patent leather shoes. The boy who received the accidental text greeted the girl early in the evening with something to the effect of “Hello, Dorothy!”

Not long after, the boy receives a text from the girl. The text says something to the effect of: “I just saw X. He’s so obnoxious, blah, blah, blah.”

We’ve all heard these stories. And yes, they really do happen.

Boy texts her back something to the effect of: “Are you serious? Blah, blah, blah.”

Girl: “Ha, I was joking.”

Yeah right.

The texts go back and forth from there. And after a quick round of the hora, the girl is never to be seen on the dance floor again. The boy laughs it off, continues to drink and drink and forget for the night that the episode ever happened. Everyone else seated at table 22 continued to drink along with him, which made for one memorable night of dancing and debauchery. On a side note, for the inside scoop on the bride and groom, check out their announcement in the Sunday Styles! Lucky ducks...

As for my wedding, I spent some time looking at invitations with my mom. We debated black writing versus gold; square shape versus rectangle, etc, etc. If it were up to her the invitations would go out tomorrow. She’s very serious about her A and B list.

Many reasons to celebrate in November

2006-11-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

Not only is November my birthday month, it is also American Diabetes Month. What a coincidence! This November 12th will mark my 19th year as a Type 1 diabetic. I've certainly had my share of ups and downs but right now I'm doing better than ever. Through the support of my fiance, who so calmly deals with my outbursts and gets me OJ at all hours of the night, my family, who made me realize that diabetes could never stand in my way, and my friends, who have always been there to pinch my arm, I am doing "awesome," according to my endo (who will hopefully be at the wedding!).

Did you know that as many as 3 million Americans may have type 1 diabetes? Each year over 13,000 children are diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. Want to help?
1. Donate to JDRF
2. Purchase a gift from my registry through weddingchannel (a donation will be made to JDRF)

Did you also know that all these very cool people are diabetic? Mario Puzo (I LOVE the Godfather), Arthur Ashe, Walt Frazier, Jackie Robinson, Halle Berry (hottest woman alive), Mary Tyler Moore, Sharon Stone, Johnny Cash, Tommy Lee, Aretha Franklin.

And in case you want to celebrate American Diabetes Month (why not celebrate?), here is a fabulous sugar-free recipe, which in moderation is also allowed on the bridal diet. Enjoy!

Sugar Free Oatmeal Peanut Butter Raisin Cookies
Ingredients:1/2 18 oz jar peanut butter chunky best, 4 cups Quick Oatmeal, 5 cups flour, 1 pint sugar free applesauce, 3/4 cup Splenda ,1 egg, 1/2 tsp each cinnamin, ginger, ground cloves, 1 cup water, 3/4 cup raisins, 1 tsp soda, 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions:Add peanut butter, egg, spices, vanilla, water, applesauce, soda, Splenda to mixer bowl. Mix at high speed for 1 min. Add oatmeal and raisins, mix for about 2 min at medium speed. Push down any sticking to bowl sides and mix in. Add flour and mix slowly to prevent running out of bowl. Mix just enough to be uniform. Dough should be wet but not juicy. If too wet add a little more flour. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray form dough into balls about 1 inch diameter. Mash down on cookie sheet with fork. Dip hands and fork in flour to revent sticking as necessary. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 min. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on paper towel. Best to store in refrigerator or freeze for long term storage. Makes 40-50 cookies depending on diameter.
Nutritional Information:Per Serving: 97 Calories; 4g Fat (32.5% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 32mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat

Have a bootiful day!

2006-10-31T14:23:00.000-08:00

I might be anti-Halloween, but I love candy! Since there’s no room on the bridal diet for peanut m&ms (one of my favorite treats), trick-or-treaters who knock on my door will receive Pez. I know: boooring. I followed the advice of every diet web site out there and bought the one thing that would tempt me the least. Fortunately I don’t expect many little ghosts or goblins at my place tonight. I’d hate to see the look on their faces when I drop handfuls of Pez into their bags. Just for fun, here’s my all time top ten favorite Halloween treats:

1. Raisinets
2. Candy Corn
3. Tootsie Rolls
4. Peanut M&Ms
5. Twizzlers
6. Kit Kat
7. Rollo’s
8. Reece’s pieces
9. Junior Mints
10. Hershey bars

Just a funny story

2006-10-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

Last night MFB and I met friends at a local Asian BYO called Pingpong. On our way to dinner we grabbed the only chilled bottle of white wine left in our fridge—a fluorescent blue bottle of kosher Moscato. The bottle had been in our fridge since Passover and we’d debated opening it over a dozen times. It was given to us by M’s dad, who assured us he wasn’t just trying to get rid of it, but that it really was a tasty Italian wine regardless of the kosher label. I’d been skeptical since day one but finally agreed to satisfy M’s curiosity and take the wine to dinner.

Pingpong is a popular spot in our area so the 45 minute wait was no surprise. The mix of unoriginal/slutty Halloween costumes on display kept me occupied, while my fiance found it amusing to create hand images on the wall art. Recognizing our need for a drink, the host offered to open our Moscato. M tasted it first. “Oh, you’ll like it,” he said to me with utter confidence. I smelled it. Tasted it. Blech! “I’m not drinking this! It tastes….kosher!” By kosher I mean it tasted like cheap chardonnay mixed with 4 packets of sweet n’ low and a little seltzer for some fizzle. I brought our glasses back to the host and told him to ditch the Moscato.

I sent M 5 blocks away to the nearest wine store. Thus, I happily enjoyed my mu shu with a non kosher glass of pinot grigio. Mid meal I noticed M intensely staring at the table behind us. I glanced over my shoulder only to see the fluorescent blue bottle of Moscato chilling in a cooler only a table away. Could it be? I turned again, at which point M and I catch the random patrons cringing at the smell and taste of the wine. The man turns the bottle giving us a clear view of the label. Yup – that’s it. The label even has M’s name written on it. The host probably thought he was hooking it up for some lucky couple. Somehow those folks managed to battle their way through the entire bottle.

Moral of the story: There will be no kosher wine at my wedding. Or in my fridge. Ever again.

Warning: This has zero to do with my wedding

2006-10-25T08:22:00.002-07:00

We’re in the height of campaign season and that means endorsements and political ads are bombarding the airwaves. Although the mudslinging has been particularly nasty this year, I’m happy to see that embryonic stem cell research is getting the prime time attention it deserves. With a number of seats up for grabs and the election only a couple weeks away, thankfully the Democrats have produced some feisty political commercials to get people off their couches and to the polls.

Perhaps you’ve already heard the controversy over the Michael J. Fox ad which asks viewers to support stem cell research by voting for several Democratic candidates in Maryland, Missouri and Wisconsin. During his plea, Fox’s body shakes and sways as a result of Parkinson’s disease, the neurological disease that brought an unfortunate end to his acting career. The ad is difficult to watch. Fox barely resembles the Marty McFly we all remember so dearly. However, as an advocate I believe Fox is taking on his most crucial role to date. With his star power he has the ability to effect change. It’s a brave thing to do—to be so revealing in front of millions of Americans.

Shame on Rush Limbaugh for rushing to discredit Michael J. Fox. Limbaugh recently told his listeners that the actor either “didn’t take his medication or was acting.” There’s no sense in me challenging this man’s credibility because it’s been done a million time already. He’s pathetic.

Another congressional ad of note features a teenage male, a woman and a young girl speculating how stem cell research might benefit them in the future. The ad is particularly powerful because it plays on everyone’s fears: What if you or someone you love is in a car accident? Or develops Alzheimer’s? Or your child is diagnosed with diabetes (hello!)? The potential in stem cell research is too promising to ignore. The ad is being featured in districts where stem cell research is a hotly contested topic and was produced in part by my dear friend AJS. Check it out.

Pass the Xanax

2006-10-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

Should it be that with 242 days until my wedding the nightmares have already begun? The tossing and turning, talking in my sleep, waking up in a cold sweat; could it all be here to stay? Can someone please tell me if this is normal?

The other night I had a dream that my mother was forcing me to marry a gastroenterologist. He was tall, lanky and had dark hair, and wore enormous tortoise-shell glasses (not the trendy kind, the dorky kind). He was boring. Off in the wings, watching me with Mr. Weirdo Gastroenterologist was my fiancé. I was reaching for him. My heart ached.

To add to my misery, the flowers were absolutely awful. Gigantic vases filled with murky water and dandelions destroyed the room. On one table one lonely tulip floated in a vase with a pathetic green string tied around it. I cried and cried. My wedding wasn’t even in New York City. It was on an air force base.

And then I woke up. Happy to see that M was still beside me but shaken to the core. Who was this gastroenterologist that invaded my beauty sleep and can he please never come back? I don’t even go to a gastroenterologist. If mystery man was an endocrinologist then maybe I’d get it. On the phone last night AS provided me with some deep analysis (something to do with past relationships) which further shook me to the core.

I’m starting to see how this bridal thing becomes stressful. Lack of restful sleep equals bags under my eyes. Bags under my eyes equal ugly pictures on my wedding day. Ugly pictures on my wedding day equal many tears. Ah!

I got it!

2006-10-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

It’s the wedding dress of my dreams and it’s all mine. I wish I could describe every last detail but you’ll just have to wait until June. What I can say is that I love it so much, I dream about it. It’s a little bit Hollywood glamour, a little bit Saturday night in New York City. It was the very first dress I tried on in the presence of my mother, the ultimate judge in the bridal gown category. So even though I dabbled in a few Chicago-area salons, no dress was a contender until it was viewed by FHPK. From the second I put it on I knew it was the one. It sounds corny, but it’s true. Then those magic words “tall and skinny” rolled off the tongue of an onlooker. Done. That’s all I needed to hear. Ironically, the dress is made by Vera Wang. If you recall it was in a Spring 2007 Vera Wang that I practically suffocated only a few months ago. How about that for a comeback.

Want to know what I did right after the big purchase took place? My mother and I went to Pick A Bagel on 77th and Lex. Talk about the anti-bridal diet. I think it was the combination of being so excited, feeling so guilty that my mother just agreed to pay all this money for a dress I will wear once, and anticipation of having to give up carbs soon enough that made me do it…I ordered an everything bagel with chicken salad. I’ve never tasted anything quite so salty and doughy and yummy. A hefty purchase deserves a hefty lunch I guess. And as I sat at the window counter with my mom, watching all the Upper East Siders scurrying around, we chatted about life and marriage… And how my mother refuses to wear a typical mother of the bride gown. She wants to look hot. Though I assure you for this endeavor there will be no $675 stylist.
I was watching Platinum Weddings the other day and this totally over-the-top bride wore Christian Louboutin heels under her dress. My fiancé is pushing for white Air Jordans. I think I’ll aim for something in between.

We had friends over for dinner the other night (I actually cooked!) and my friend JG glanced at last weekend’s edition of Sunday Styles on my coffee table. “What’s this?” she asked.
“What’s this?!” I replied, completely flabbergasted. “It’s the holy grail of wedding literature, the sports pages for women! How have you never seen the Sunday Styles?!”
With that I proceeded to walk her through Weddings & Celebrations, where in 248 days M and I will god willingly announce our nuptials to the world.

What’s it gonna cost me?

2006-10-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

Let me start this entry by saying that being a bride is just like being a tourist in your own city. Vendors know you have money to spend and they want it bad. They try to capitalize on your fairy tale wedding visions by charging enormous sums and charging you even when you don’t think you’re being charged. Like a tourist, a bride can be a vulnerable target, lost in la-la land.

I nearly fell off my chair when a florist came back to me with a $20,000 proposal. Wait just a second - what part of my budget did they not understand? I realize flowers are one of the most important parts of evening, but let’s be realistic here. Do I really need an $900 bouquet? I think not. So the search continues for the florist who can orchestrate my orchid inspired wedding for an amount that is not bordering on my yearly salary.

Now here’s a good story. An acquaintance of my mother’s (let’s call her Sue) is a stylist. She’s been on those Fox 5 style segments you might catch on weekday mornings and a variety of other fashion reality shows. When I got engaged Sue graciously offered to go dress shopping with me when I came into town. She said she could get me in to all the top places and maybe even finagle a discount. She’s very cute and dresses impeccably so of course I took her up on her offer. Soon after, we spent one weekday afternoon in NYC (approx. 4 hours) frolicking from one bridal shop to the next. I would model for Sue and my mom, and wait for their thumbs up or down. At the end of the day we all enthusiastically agreed on a winner. Within a few days of our outing my mom received a bill in the mail from Sue…for $675! I felt completely taken. I thought she was doing this out of the goodness of her heart. Was I simply naïve?

What I’ve learned from this experience is to always, without fail, under every single circumstance even if it’s just a phone call, ask: what’s it gonna cost me?

Thoughts on the Last Kiss

2006-09-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

The Last Kiss, the latest coming of age movie from Zach Braff, made me completely uncomfortable. I was hoping for a sort of light, Garden State remake but what I got was a kick in the stomach.

In the film, Zach Braff’s character (Michael) feared predictability, that lack of spontaneity in life that seems to become less common as you get older. Michael is so frightened of domestication that he risks loosing the best thing he could ever have on a fling with a flirty flautist from the University of Wisconsin.

I'd have to agree with Michael-- predictability is frightening. Though it's no excuse to be a cheater. When I was living in New York a few years ago and got to thinking about my next stage, the thought of moving to the suburbs, living 10 minutes from my parents and enjoying a stable life, having never really lived anywhere but the tri-state area, frightened me. Perhaps that’s why I’m marrying a boy from/living in Chicago. He’s making my journey to back to the east coast a little less predictable and a little more roundabout.

When Jenna (Michael’s girlfriend and mother of his child) discovers he is not out with his friend, but a cute “new friend” whom he met a wedding, she goes insane and rightfully so. Finding out that someone you love has cheated on you hurts like hell. I would imagine it's even worse with a baby in the picture. For that reason I often make my fiancé take a verbal oath of loyalty. The oath can be broken for one night only, for and only for a) Wentworth Miller (my celebrity crush) and b) Scarlett Johansson (M’s crush). That little addendum was added after the “list” episode on Entourage when Vince had a romantic rendezvous with an engaged woman. Vince was #1 on the woman’s list—a fiancé approved list of men she could have an affair with before her wedding day. Being that Wentworth is somewhere in Utah looking for DB Cooper’s hidden $5 million with the feds on his trail, I don’t think I have much of a shot.

(Spoiler alert: do not read on if you plan to see the movie)

As for the Last Kiss, Michael was an idiot. Jenna is stunning, intelligent and easygoing, “like a guy” according to Michael’s friends. Kim (the cute brunette) is immature eye candy. It killed me to watch the two of them together. After sitting on Jenna’s porch for days in the pouring rain to earn her forgiveness, Michael is finally allowed back in the house. And that is all we know. Does Jenna take him back? Do they get married and live in happiness with their baby? What would I do if I were in her shoes?

Words of advice from Jenna’s parents have been in my mind since the moment I left the theater. One: it doesn’t mean anything to tell someone you love them. It’s what you do to show your love for that person that matters. Two: life isn’t black and white. Isn’t that comforting? Even though we think everything in life falls into the “right” or “wrong” category, that’s not the case. And sometimes we must forgive and forget and move on…

L.E. + A.S.

2006-09-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

In typical Elliot fashion, my cousin's wedding this past weekend was both a tad chaotic and extremely tasteful. Given their reputation as a notoriously late family, it was no suprise to me that the ceremony, which was called for 4 p.m. on Sunday started closer to 5. While the bride was scotch taping parts of her dress to her chest, my Vera Wang bridesmaid dress almost failed me Janet Jackson-style. As I bent over to pick up my 3-year-old cousin's shoe, my strap snapped and part of the fabric ripped! Yikes - wardrobe malfunction! Thank g-d for those safety pins.

Even with all the excitement, the bride was calm, cool and collected. There was so much love and happiness in the room that no one even noticed the missing yarmulkes. My nana, who turns 90 today, sparkled as she took control of the microphone and sang a little ditty to the bride and groom. I fully forgot about my bridal diet and indulged in the Four Seasons' famous cotton candy and merengues. It was an amazing night - take a look:

Me and the bride.

Katie and Dylan under the chupah.

The bride and groom do the hora.

The yummy cake.
.
My handsome brother, dad, fiance, and cousin.

Breaking News

2006-09-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

Congrats to MB & JR on their engagement! A special cheers to Mr. R for his extremely romantic proposal. Not only did Ms. Brown go to Brown and meet her fiance at Brown, but she got engaged at Brown too!

Back in the good old days at AHS, M and I were the morning announcement girls. Our very popular signature sign-off was a random fact of the day. So, in honor of M's engagement I give you this:

Today's random fact of the day: The crock pot is the most commonly given wedding gift in America. (Go figure?!)

289 days to go

2006-09-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

Something about my visit to New York this past weekend made my wedding seem so real. I’ve been engaged for 5 months already so you’d think I would’ve had this epiphany a long time ago. Yet for as long as we’ve been going through the motions of wedding planning, I've just sort of felt like we’ve been going through the motions of wedding planning.

On Saturday night I experienced the same feeling I felt on the day I got engaged. Jittery and not hungry. I’m usually somewhat jittery so that wasn’t such a big deal. On the other hand, my appetite rarely fails me. But there I was at Fresco by Scotto, joined by my parents and the future in-laws, poking at the halibut on my plate and picking at the noodles on my fiancee’s (his dishes always look so much better than mine). For a second I thought maybe my body was warning me not to indulge. Italian food and the bridal diet don’t really jive afterall. But it became clear as we studied the menu and talked about what we would be serving at our rehearsal dinner at this very restaurant only a few seasons from now, this was the real deal.

There were a lot of things this past weekend that elevated my wedding alertness state. I took M’s parents to see our wedding venue. And even with renovation in full swing- the carpets in shreds and the curtains in shambles, for the first time I envisioned just how everything would be. I also fell in love with a florist. I said modern and classic, she said orchids and the ideas just flew from there. Don’t be surprised if she ends up a bridesmaid. Speaking of which, after a morning of pampering and gossiping at Paul Labrecque on the UWS, my childhood friend MB became an official member of my bridal party.

More than anything else – what really gave me that “Whoa, I’m getting married” feeling, was the family brunch. Matt’s parents met the whole mishpucha – my nana, my aunts, my uncles, my great uncles, my cousins, my cousins-in-law, my future cousin-in-law, my baby cousins, my newborn cousins…Everyone. We’re all family now. It just hit me.

Conflict resolution

2006-08-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

When you know 1000 people getting married (or at least it seems that way) and there are only 52 weekends in a year, wedding conflicts are inevitable. Nonetheless, they are a pain for all parties involved. Even the possibility of a conflict can be a cause of great stress. I was talking with a friend who has two sets of recently engaged friends now considering the same exact wedding date. On one coast her best male friend from high school is marrying one of her best friends from business school. On the opposite coast her oldest and dearest family friend is getting married. What to do?! (Besides pray that one couple budges and settles for a different, equally spectacular, fall weekend.)

If you suspect a potential wedding conflict, I say address it right from the start. Kindly ask the bride-or-groom-to-be to take your sanity into consideration before signing the dotted line for a venue. Attempt to take control of your social calendar. *Warning* Approach doesn’t always work out as planned. Those of you who know me well, know that I am slightly bitter to be missing an all expense paid trip to Hawaii to attend a wedding. I tried to get the wedding changed, I really did! Se la vie.

Remember the days of bat/bar mitzvah conflicts- when we spent weekends being caravanned from a luncheon at Temple Beth El to a dinner party at the Hilton? I thought that was bad. These days we catch the red eye from a Saturday night L.A. wedding to make sure we’re in Maryland by noon for our old friend’s Sunday affair. But we love our friends, so there ain’t no mountain high enough.

I currently know of 2 weddings on my wedding day. There was talk of a potential third but luckily, due to a little lobbying by my pal MB, a crisis was averted. But hey, I’m getting married in June, in the height of wedding season. Maybe what I’m trying to say is: Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock are a really thoughtful pair. By having multiple weddings in multiple cities all of their nearest and dearest had a little attendance flexibility. And nobody had to loose sleep over a conflict!

Wedding realities

2006-08-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

I’ve started to realize that certain wedding topics are much more blogable than others. It’s easier to write about flowers and wedding dresses than it is to write about wedding costs and expectations. That’s why I’m going to make an effort to share some of the real thoughts that are floating through my head. For as fun as wedding planning is, it can also be a time of clashing opinions, financial tension, guilt and guest lists.

So far my fiancée and I have been lucky. The only major obstacle we’ve had to overcome was over the Save the Date. My mom didn’t feel it was necessary to send them out. We disagreed. After a few days of back and forth snapping we compromised. M and I will send Save the Dates to our friends and the Chicago guests. My mom will not send them out. Fine. However, now that the time is getting closer to sending them out, I’m starting to understand perhaps why my mom so strongly objected in the first place. It really forces you to decide who exactly makes the A list. There are a few people I am on the fence with. If they don’t get a Save the Date, through word of mouth they’ll know they’re not invited. Am I ready to give up these friendships? Will it in fact signal the end of the friendship? My mom would rather wait before any bridges are burned. She figures her good friends know the details anyway.

M and I are also extremely luckily that so far there hasn’t been family financial tension. We’re both conscious that weddings aren’t cheap and we’re lucky to have parents who are willing to foot the bill. We’re also lucky that our parents get along. I’ve heard horror stories of relationships between in-laws that are torn to pieces over wedding costs. My mom assured me that she and my father would never allow such a predicament to occur. And I do believe her. When it comes to wedding costs, that old Jewish guilt is doing a job on my insides. I wish I could pay for part of it- which my parents think is insane.

In addition, it’s pretty common these days to hear peers complaining about wedding costs. I do it just as much as the next person. The travel, the gifts, the attire- attending a wedding is no cheap feat. As a bride and frequent wedding attendee, I’m living all sides of the wedding experience. For additional moaning and groaning I defer to an editorial in the Aug. 20 New York Times.

The ultimate challenge

2006-08-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

My weekends in New York tend to be action packed and goal-oriented. In the 48 or so hours that I have for family, friends and wedding appointments every second counts. I get anxious when an unforseen event causes me to deviate from my original agenda. Luckily this weekend played out perfectly and I accomplished a most important bridal "to do" - I asked 4 wonderful ladies (2 cousins, 2 friends) to be in my bridal party. All of their reactions made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Unlike my fiancee who so far asked my bro and his the guy way - over a beer-- I have given a lot of thought to how to ask my cousins and friends to be in my wedding. It's important to me to ask in person. It's not that I don't love wonderful surprises in the mail. It just guarantees that I get to share a special moment with each of my best friends. I wish I could detail each encounter and reaction, but out of fairness to those who have not yet been asked I am going to keep the rest a secret.

Mark my word - I promise to choose cute, flattering bridesmaid dresses. But can I achieve the impossible? Can I deliever the promise of all brides everywhere? Can I find a bridesmaid dress they will wear again?! For all the times I've been told I could re-wear a bridemaid dress, I'm yet to take that step. Doesn't matter if the dress is Vera Wang, or Brand X. They always tend to end up in the give-away pile.

Rock On

2006-08-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

Out of love and respect for my fiancee, last weekend I embraced my inner hippie. From Friday post-work to Sunday well past sundown I experienced my first music festival-- Lollapalooza. While it was far from the free-spirited, love fest that was Woodstock (so I'm told), Lollapalooza brought together indie-emo-jam-band fans from around the nation for three days of song, dance and beer in Chicago's Grant Park. While this experience had nothing to do with wedding planning, my three days at Lollapalooza had everything to do with love and understanding. Read on and you'll see how I came to realize that my marriage will be one that at times requires me to see past my fear of muddy feet and dreads.

Day 1: I leave working looking all cute to meet my fiancee and his music-obsessed guests who flew in from New York for the event. Got my aviators on, lips are glossed, hair is brushed. In a sea of thousands of concert-goers I attempt to locate my fiancee. After a half-hour of typical cell-phone shouting "can you hear me now?", we finally meet. At this point I am not looking cute. We dash from one stage to the next: Iron and Wine, My Morning Jacket, Violent Femmes, Death Cab for Cutie. Bands that are all on my Ipod, but being that they are not in the "workout mix", rarely get play time. I get a little boost from the Femmes' Blister in the Sun, but I am left to wonder how I will manage the crowds, the heat and the port-a-potties for three more days.

Day 2: We start off with Calexio, a rock band with strong Latin sounds. I dig it. We hike a mile to see Gnarles Barkley. Cee-lo and company take the stage in Fila tennis outfits and I wiggle my body like a white girl at a rap concert. Not to mention I totally want a Fila tennis outfit. Next is Flaming Lips. I know they are legendary, but I sit on the ground and wish I was home on my couch taking a nap. Everyone around me is mezmerized by the blue balloons floating through the crowd. Yawn. The lead singer makes an anti-Israel comment. Roar! Ignorant imbecile! Get me out of here! Next, Thievery Corporation. They don't play the one song I know from the Garden State soundtrack so I pout. Last show of the day - Kanye West. Ah, Golddigger - finally a song I can sing along to!

Day 3: I am joined by 70,000 fellow Chicagoans. Lines, heat, crowds, hippies...My fiancee's long-time music buddy/cross country travel partner aka Dr. Pepper blesses us with his presence. Too bad his wife decided to stay home, at this point I could really use a girl to talk to about my wedding plans. In any event, the indie scene was hopping at The Shins despite minor sound trouble. After that, I get confused. Andrew Byrd, Poi Dog Pondering, Broken Social Scene. Who? Who? Who? It's not until local Chicago band Wilco takes the stage that I have some clue as to where I am. Finally, Sunday, 8:00 pm - I have made it. Time for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I have been psyched to hear them since the concert was first announced. I last saw them in 1999 in Madrid, Spain when I was studying abroad. It was one of the greatest nights of my life. So that's why I'm simply going to erase from my memory their Lollapolooza performance. Even the Pepppers can't be on fire all the time.

You see the reason I made you read my Lolla recap is to make this very point - I figure had I complained my way through the festival, or just bailed out after day 1, then it would have been bad karma. While I don't have to love music and festivals to the same extent that my fiancee does, I do think it was important for me to spend time with him doing something that he is passionate about. After all, if he is going to cooperate in the Sunday Styles application process (eyebrow to eyebrow photo and all) then the least I can do is rock out a bit...

p.s. Going to New York tomorrow. Wedding-related tasks include meeting with florists. Photographer and videographer have been booked. We're on our way folks...

Times like this

2006-08-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

Up in heaven, my grandparents-Mema, Grandpa and Pa--are on one serious bragging spree. Jewish grandparents live for times like this! Oh, I'm not only talking about my engagement...

I envision a cloud with lots of adorable yenta-nannys,-memas and-bubbys yapping away. My Mema is puffing on a cigarette, finally free from my constant nagging about having to kick the nasty habit. "Guess what?" she says to whomever will listen. "My grandaughter is engaged to a wonderful boy. A real mentsch. They are going to have the most gawgeous wedding. AND my grandson just got a job in FINANCE. He is so handsome and smart. I am so proud of him! AND their cousin T just gave birth to twins- a boy and a girl. AND their cousin N recently gave birth to a baby girl. AND their cousin L just gave birth to a baby boy. AND their cousin L is getting married in September! Can you believe it?! What a family I have! I am so blessed!"

Within seconds, word spreads through heaven's bagel shops, department stores and beauty parlors. My Mema, Grandpa and Pa are the talk of the clouds. I truly believe that my grandparents know everything that is going on. My Pa is probably crying. Giving everyone around him a "poo-poo" as he always did and a high five. His first-born grandaughter is getting married! And so is his third. Grandpa (the butcher) is preparing a celebratory meal - most likely steak and potatoes. If my Mema were alive we'd be heading to Bee-bee's for sandwiches and going shopping for shoes (she's the one responsible for my obession with ballet flats).

Here on earth, my sweet, 90-year-old Nana gets to relish it all. Talk about good fortune - she has 6 great-grandchildren to spoil. And the smoothest, most flawless skin you've ever seen. Her refrigerator is plastered with baby pictures. She counts her blessings every day. God willing she'll be at my wedding- flirting with the boys and singing her famous rendition of A You're Adorable. That is my wish.

Pre-wedding jitters #1

2006-07-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

My favorite ways to pass the time on the L are to read a girly magazine or daydream about my wedding. The other day I was daydreaming about walking down the aisle in this one particularly precious gown when a beep-beep-beeping from below my blouse brought me back to reality. That silly insulin pump of mine! It always finds a way to send me a noisy warning at the most inopportune times. Like when I'm in a meeting with my editor (happened last week) or when I'm on the L and too cramped to break out my pump paraphernalia. The occasion for this round of beeps was a low reservoir meaning I had 9 hours of insulin left in my pump. Sometimes it beeps if the battery is low, sometimes it beeps if there's a lot of static in the air, and sometimes it just beeps. For the fun of it.

This got me to thinking (panicing): My pump is 100%, for sure going to beep when I'm walking down the aisle. I can see it now - everyone glancing to the back of the room as I approach the aisle. Queue the strings. OOh, ahh. Tear. Beep-beep-beep. At which point I have to shove my hand down my skin tight dress and turn the darn thing off. (Side note: I plan to have a special pump-equipped bra for the big day.) Although my mother assures me that we will do everything possible to prevent such drama, I am already mentally prepared. These things happen to me.

What I really pray for, even more than a pump that cooperates with me on my wedding day, is a healthy day. No highs, no lows. Sugars in the 90-120 range would be perfect. Thanks to President Bush and his immoral veto of H.R. 810 a few days back, my blood sugars soared. I was furious, crushed, and the reading on my meter reflected just that. Stem cell research offers opportunities too great to ignore. President Bush betrayed millions of people with his decision and not just people with chronic illnesses like myself but parents, friends-- anyone and everyone who believes in the power of scientific research. If my pump makes so much as a peep during my wedding, I'm blaming it on the president!

My Boys

2006-07-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of me with two of the most important men in my life - M and my brother, T (missing from photo: Dad). The photo was taken at the Rock around the Block festival in Chicago, right after T ate a burrito bigger than his head and amazed us all. This is a boy who lived on salad and blue cheese in his younger years so I was thrilled to see he finally eats more than I do. After a few spins of wheel of fortune at the careerbuilder booth I finally landed on the grand prize -- the monkey pad that M is so enthusiastically holding across my chest, and a whopee cushion, frisbee and lip balm that didn't make it into the photo. What a lucky gal I am!

Having T in town for the weekend was really special. He's definitely all grown up now - a college graduate, soon-to-be employed, fun-loving guy. He'll always be my little brother though and I'll forever continue to treat him that way. On Saturday morning I found myself waking up early to go get T a fresh bagel and cream cheese, just like my mom would do on weekend mornings. Due to our 4 1/2 year age difference, T and I have been in different places at different times. Me in Philly when he was in Ardsley, he in Boston when I was in New York, and now me in Chicago while he is back in Westchester. What matters most though is that we're awesome friends. We've reached that point where he's the person I call when I'm stuck waiting for the L and just need to chat to pass the time.

With that said, it brought tears to my eyes on Sunday night when M asked T to be a groomsman. Since I wasn't in the room when M popped the question, I asked M all the details of the moment (just so I could capture it here). M told me that T was thrilled and, even though it's customary that the bride's brother be part of the wedding party, was genuinely surprised. When I asked T later why he was surprised he said, "How would I know? It's not like I've done this before." True, it's not like a 22-year-old guy is supposed to know wedding etiquette.

So now the score is 2-0. Matt has 2 groomsmen - my bro and his bro, A; I have 0 bridesmaids. Stay tuned...

Center Stage

2006-07-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

As a bride-to-be, you have to learn to love the spotlight. If there's ever a time to put all modesty aside, it's bridal time. I don't really love the spotlight and I consider myself a pretty modest person so I must say being a bride-to-be has taken some getting used to. I'm getting used to it though, no worries. When M and I first got engaged it was non-stop celebration. A party in Chicago, a party in New York. All fun, all the time.

But the bridal spotlight and all the hoopla aren't for everyone. Case in point, my bride-to-be cousin L. My cousin L is one of the most sophiscated people I know and had a bridal shower to match. It was largely a wine tasting, partly a charity event, and slighty a shower in the traditional sense. At the Hotel Gansevoort's hip Ono restaurant we sipped a new glass of wine with every spicy tuna roll and shitake mushroom skewer that touched our plates. Instead of shower gifts, L asked that money to be donated to a scholarship she created in honor of our Pa, to send children from a Harlem school to college. What a saint! How in the world can I live up to that?! In any case, for the beautiful bride-to-be that she is, L shuns the bridal spotlight. Looking at my cousin N, who recently gave birth to an adorable baby girl, L joked that everyone was actually there for a baby naming. And that it was my aunt's birthday lunch. And that it was a luncheon to celebrate the World Cup finale. Anything but a shower.

This leaves me to ponder one crucial question: Will L's wedding be in the Sunday Styles? She's surely got the credentials. Top schools. Top law firm. Philanthropic woman of the world. Fabulous reception site. And I bet L and her fiancee would take the perfect eyebrow to eyebrow photo. It's a sure thing. Eh, she probably hasn't even thought about it.

As the year goes on, on the scale of L to super bride, I think I'll be a little to the left of center (as always). Definitely not all about me all the time, but also enjoying my time in the spotlight. By the end of L's shower I was already discussing potential options for my NYC shower with the powers that be. I'm thinking Soho. Stay tuned...

Flying me crazy

2006-07-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

I probably spend just as much time in the air these days as I do on the ground. And when I am on the ground, a chunk of that time is spent waiting at O'Hare for an inevitably delayed flight to somewhere. I fly so much that I dream about frequent flyer miles. In my dreams American Airlines accidentally credits me 50,000 miles instead of 500 for my last trip to D.C. That means two roundtrip tickets to White Plains to visit the fam. Score! Too bad it never happens and I continue to slowly accumulate, one mile at a time. But with weddings, wedding showers and bachelorette parties to go to, and a wedding of my own to plan, such is life. I fly on.

According to a report in the Chicago Tribune today, there is a 30% chance that a flight out of O'Hare is going to be delayed. Seems to me like that number is closer to 99.9%. Not to mention there is a 100% chance that the delay is going to occur when I really need to get somewhere. For example, when I need to get to Los Angeles to attend my friend's wedding rehearsal! My 11 am flight, having departed many hours after the scheduled time, caused me to miss AS's rehearsal and make a less than glamorous entrance to the hotel lobby just as everyone was arriving in their cute rehearsal dinner clothes. No worries though. After a few glasses of Pinot I was in all my glory with my best friends, toasting the happy couple. A mutual friend of the groom and my fiance recited a touching quote: "May the best of your past be the worst of your future." I asked him to say the same thing at my wedding...

Tomorrow after work I head back to O'Hare. I pray to the airline gods that my 6:30 flight to White Plains really truly takes off at 6:30. US Weekly, New York Magazine and the Penn Gazette are all in my carry on, just in case extra reading material is required. However, i'm hoping that by the time I finish my McDonald's asian grilled chicken salad with lowfat ginger dressing (the best somewhat healthy dinner option at O'Hare) and tear out a few pages in Instyle Weddings, i'll be flying over Martha Stewart's Bedford estate and coming in for a landing.

Bouncin' Down the Aisle

2006-06-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

With 359 days to go, not only do M and I have a venue for our nuptuals, but ladies and gents, we have a band! For those of you who know M, music is everything. And finding a band was no small feat. Especially from Chicago. Being a plane ride away from my wedding location, it's not like I can drop everything and fly in for a showcase at a random hotel on Long Island. So we relied on DVDs and streaming video to see and hear our options. Hours of entertainment this provided - hours. Do you realize just how ridiculous some of these wedding bands are? Simon Cowell would have a field day with some of the leading ladies I heard. Moments of muscial delirium led M and I to belly-aching laughter. Two songs you will not hear at our wedding: 1. At Last, 2. Dancing in September. Mark my word. Squeeky, screechy versions of those songs have scarred me forever.

And then we heard the magic. Thanks to a co-worker of my wonderful pal SM, we have a band. Done. They are a refreshing break from your traditional "we only play motown and the Black Eyed Peas" band. Most importantly, M, the music snob that he is, loved them. I never thought the day would come. I seriously thought a 80's cover band was going to play at my wedding (even though that wouldn't have been so bad).

Now, here's where this gets interesting. Band plays Phish. Ever been to Phish concert? I have. Three of 'em (awesome bride-to-be that I am). (Side note - I went to one show in Brooklyn in the RAIN. I was the only non-hippie in the crowd and therefore opened my umbrella at the first drop of H2O on my blow-dried hair. I got yelled at by the crowd! Rude hippies!) Back to my point, M loves Phish. Sorry to spoil the surprise, but he wants to walk down the aisle to Bouncin' Round the Room! If he's really serious about this, which at this point I can't tell, I suppose I'll let it be. Weddings shouldn't be generic and I want every detail to be about me and M (without getting carried away of course). But don't expect me to be rockin' down the aisle to Janet Jackson or anything...

Tomorrow I head to Los Angeles for my dear friend AF's wedding. I've scrutinized every last article of clothing/accessory in my suitcase and I'm ready to go! It's guaranteed to be a lovely affair. Be back next week!

Trapped in a Vera

2006-06-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

I started this blog to capture exactly the type of experience that I had at Barney's Chicago on Saturday. With the boys out for a day of golfing, my Chicago pal VC and I headed to Michigan Ave. for lunch and a day of shopping. I saw an ad in the Tribune that Barney's would be showing the Spring 2007 Vera Wang collection so a browse through the fourth floor bridal salon was on our list of essential stops for the day.

I was graciously greeted by a sales executive from Vera Wang who was in from NYC for the store's three day event. Before I could see the dresses she said I had to sit in a waiting area and fill out a detailed form. I asked if she needed a copy of my insurance card too. With the paperwork out of the way, she walked me through the trunk show. The dresses were simply splendid. All so delicate and feminine. I was immediately drawn to a v-neck rosey, satin gown that the sales lady said was modeled after a dress that Vera made for Keira Knightley. Would I like to try it on, she asked? SURE! In the dressing room I was instructed to put on a strapless bra complete with tummy sucking-in abilities and give sales lady a shout when I was ready to get in the dress. As I stood in my bra and undies with my arms pointing to the sky and sucking in big time, sales lady mentioned this dress was a smaller size than the usual samples because it was first made for a model. Interesting, I thought. If I fit into this puppy then three cheers for me! She lifted the dress over my head and then started to push, push, push the Keira dress down, down, down. This is cut very tight, she kept saying as she kept pushing. With the dress 3/4 over my body, the fabric twisting and stretching in weird directions, we decided the dress did not fit. So she begins the process in reverse- she pulls, pulls, pulls the fabric up over my head. Except, with fabric covering my head and most of my chest, the dress won't budge anymore. She continues to pull and I can hear she's out of breath! The dress is so tight around my chest that I think i'm going to have a heart attack. This can't be happening. I envision having to be cut out of a $6,000 Vera. I start laughing but it hurts. All the while VC is listening from the waiting room wondering what in the world is going on?! Finally, after lots of wiggling, I was freed from the Vera. Hallelujah! Can't I just wear a Juicy sweatsuit to my wedding??

And to pick up from my last post, our pre-anniversary dinner was delicious! Over a bottle of chianti classico and baby eggplant parmigana MB and I talked about what we would be doing at this time next year. Another important topic discussed included the dynamic relationship between...Dwyane Wade and Shaquillle O'Neal. Think I'm lying? I just love to see the respect and admiration between those two guys. Shaq, the proven veteran and Dwyane Wade, the talented and totally adorable up-and-comer. Honestly, love like that moves me.

365 days

2006-06-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hello family and friends!

Welcome to my official wedding blog! I decided that with all the funny/cute/chaotic/crazy things that are bound to happen this year it would be fun to share them with all of you! I'm getting married exactly 1 year from today - June 23, 2007. So let the countdown begin.

The name of my blog is Sunday Stylin. Surprised? For all of my out of the loop readers, the New York Times Sunday Styles section hosts what is quite frankly the bible of wedding literature (aka Wedding & Celebrations). Just how cool/connected must one lucky couple be to make the weekly cut? Just you wait and see. To the dismay of my wonderful fiancee (MB), we are going to try! Yes, we will take an awkward photo "with our eyebrows on exactly the same level and with our heads fairly close together," printed in a horizontal format, of course. And you know what - I think we have a shot. As most of you have heard by now my clever fiancee proposed to me on the cover of the New York Times! The headline read "Chicagoan B asks New York K for hand in marriage." If that proposal doesn't seal the deal for the Times then I don't know what will!

Remember folks, this is all in good fun. I'm not as obsessed as I might sound. But I am excited to get married and share the process with you. Tomorrow night MB and I are going to celebrate our pre-wedding anniversary by trying an adorable Italian restaurant in our neighborhood that I've been eyeing for a while. It didn't even occur to me that one celebrates such a day until a friend mentioned that she and her husband had done so. The way I look at it, any reason to try a new restaurant is a great reason for me. Figure I might as well still enjoy pasta before the bridal diet really goes into high gear.

:-) TLK