Boot dilemma

First there was the bag dilemma. Now there is the boot dilemma.

There was an earlier boot dilemma, but it has been sorta solved after some trial and error. This was the adventure of replacing my very, very beloved riding boots. I don't think I'll ever love any shoes or article of clothing as much as I love(d) those boots. They're actually broken and unwearable, yet still in my closet, because I have this fantasy that my Russian shoe guy can replace the entire broken zipper tread on the right boot and that I will still wear them no matter how beat-up they are. Maybe someday I'll get a horse. It wouldn't matter if I actually rode in super beat-up riding boots!

Now it's getting chilly and there is the winter boot dilemma. Last year, I decided to stop f*#king around and start dressing like I live in Alaska. I've had my eye on these Thinsulate-lined waterproof boots for a few months:

I wouldn't have to bring extra shoes to work with these! But the customer reviews say they are very wide in the calf, and various sites give different measurements. Might just order and try.

Here are the other (and cheaper!) options:

I'm looking at black so I don't have to worry about them getting dirty. And I'm looking at stuff that is not suede, which is tough to come by. Suede is not for slogging through slush puddles!

I never know how much to spend on shoes, because I'm positive that I will kick the crap out of *any* pair of shoes with all the walking I do. But Chris just told me about something he read: Most clothing sales are down, but not shoe sales. When asked about buying a pricey pair of shoes, a woman in NYC said she considers her shoes to be her car and is willing to spend what she might spend on keeping up a car. Hmmmmm, I wish he had never told me that...

Whaaa?

Slow loris

Why do these people have a slow loris? I don't know, but it brightens my day!

Ages ago, Jenn posted a link to "The Different Kinds of People That There Are." I now think about this article all the time and sometimes come up with new types in my head when I am bored in public places. Today I came up with one: "People whose Starbucks orders consist of 5 words or more." (You know who you are, decaf-grande-nonfat-no whip-something-ccino-with-an-extra-shot." Or whatever.)

Halloween, and my tarot

Did you dress up this Halloween? What was your costume? Chris and I went as Buffy and Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. My obsession has been adequately documented.

My new band played at a co-worker's party the night before Halloween. So many people "got" my costume! (I had a t-shirt that said "Sunnydale" under my biker jacket, which helped. And a wooden stake and some "holy water" in a perfume bottle.)On Halloween, we took a ghost tour of Greenwich Village and learned that thousands of bodies were buried under Washington Square Park after a yellow fever epidemic. And I stomped on Peter Stuyvesant's tomb.

We eventually bailed on the Village Halloween Parade due to rain. Back in Queens, we ducked into a local pub, where they had a tarot card reader. We each got a 3-card tarot reading. I've been thinking about mine for days.
Before the reading, I shuffled the cards and (silently) dwelled upon a particular question. Then the reader revealed the cards. My "past" card was The Empress. It signified a time of creativity and fruitfulness. The present was the Nine of Cups—upside-down. If this card is upright, it means that a wish will be granted; that you will enjoy good fortune. For me, the card meant that I feel a wish slipping away, and that I am obsessed with the possibility of not getting this wish. My "future" card was Death. I did not post it here because it is totally freaky. According to the tarot reader, this means something that is troubling me is going to end and a change will take place. It may be a difficult change, but it can help me work toward getting the wish.

I did this reading as a fun and silly activity, but I am really glad I decided to do it. It has actually made me start thinking about how to get my wish, and about the ways in which I might be standing in my own way by not making difficult changes.

Have you ever had your tarot cards or palm read? Your fortune told? Did you giggle the entire time? Did you take anything away from it?

Unexpected wedding perk

Well, it's hard to believe, but we're one month into our marriage! Way back at the beginning of our engagement, I couldn't fathom how we were going to plan and pull off a wedding. I'd heard so many horror stories about how it becomes a full-time job ("Say what? I already have one of those!").

So we left ourselves a year and a half. That worked for us, because up until the end, we were able to work on one. thing. at. a. time. And we definitely did a lot! I'm realizing 2 important things now in the aftermath of wedding planning:

1) I can jam way more productive stuff into my days than I previously thought I could.

2) Doing all of the creative projects for the wedding felt great.

Yes, I'm loving being married to my best friend, but there's an unexpected perk: I'm experiencing a post-wedding creative high. I'm making sure that I keep devoting ample time to creative projects, now that I've realized how much I can handle at once. I've already got a list!

Image: Chris working with the homemade letterpress. Awesome creative project that unfortunately was not efficient enough to create all of our invites.

Reception fun

Finally, folks, some details from the reception!

We ate dinner upstairs in the 2nd floor ballroom. Our favors were little bookmarks, designed by Chris. Tassels tied by me and Chris.

We chose the books for our centerpieces over the course of our engagement, from The Strand and also from the gold mine known as my grandma's garage. Guests took home books, which were stamped inside with the little "Beth & Chris" doodad from the bookmark. The candles sprang from an idea Chris had. My mom made the idea reality by stamping text on vellum and wrapping the votive holders (aka glasses from Wal-Mart) with it.

Chris's bro, the best man, gave a terrific speech.

I was touched. And cracked up a bunch, too. Like when he told the story about the French guy in Indonesia who referred to me solely as "Muppet" during a day-long biking trip.

He said he learned from us that we have to carve out our own little corner of the world and fill it with love and books and film and music...and cats. The parents and grandparents liked that. (Including Chris's 92-year old grandma who came from Australia!)

We ate our dinners. I had the veggie options: butternut squash soup and mushroom ravioli. We said thank-you's, I presented my mom with my bouquet, and we cut our cake.

We meant to cut it with the knife from my mom and dad's wedding, but it was left down in the building's basement. Oops. Nonetheless, it was delicious (chocolate w/chocolate fudge filling). And the quote was perfect. "Forever is composed of nows." –Emily Dickinson

We moved on to dancing downstairs on the 1st floor. We had a guestbook labeled "who" and various notebooks, writing instruments, and prompts throughout the room: what is your favorite book?; where did you travel from to join us?; when (below); why did the chicken cross the road?

We got terrific answers in all of the books. The little children wrote prolifically, while sometimes off-topic.

For our first dance, our friend Anna played guitar and sang.

We all danced. And the children charmed the dickens out of everyone!

We had a great wedding day. Thanks to everyone who was there for us, and everyone who wished us well from afar!

P.S. Once again, professional pics by Julie Kuceris. Blurrier ones by miscellaneous wedding guests :)