The Shoe Search pt. 1

Now that we have established what I like, let's jump from there to possible bridal shoes with the following criteria:

• Have a heel, but not too high
  
• Must be comfortable enough to wear all day & night
• Be Champagne or Navy... don't know that any other color will work. Maybe ivory in a pinch.

That said, here is candidate #1: Aleala, costing $125 from the Born company:

Moving on to Sofft, we have Cally at $100:

Naturalizer's Emery costs $65:

and Payless wins with the most options!
From Lela Rose, we have Gillian at $38:

and from Payless' American Eagle Krystal at $28:

Now, if I were to break my own rules on colors, here are my other shoe loves:
Payless' Lela Rose line, Elsby for $38:

and Sofft's Carlina for $98; aren't red shoes hot?


*sigh* I don't know how I feel about Gillian's alternating Wood/Lucite wedge heel, or Cally's beige crocodile leather, but they are good options. Boy do I wish that Elsby came in a champagne or Krystal didn't have those ruffles. Still, plenty of time left. This is just where I'm at right now...

Invitations and Postage

Acc0rding to most every website *cough THE KNOT et al.* I shouldn't even be thinking about ordering my invitations until six months before the wedding. Yet, I should have a firm color scheme and an overall theme in mind. What better way to show off both than with a decent idea of what I want my invites to look like, hmm?

My invites may look smashing, but what about the silly postage? Little bells or "YAY OUR WEDDING" don't really appeal to me, neither do random celebrities... Here are some good alternatives:
And, just because I am absolutely crazy and it fits with my color scheme anyway, wouldn't you love to see me use Eid Mubarak stamps? really? because I would. I would fricking keel over and die a happy turtle if I could use these stamps. Eid in Arabic simply means "holiday" and mubarak means "happy". I'd like to think of my wedding as a Happy Holiday. So pretty....
But that probably won't fly with my father. *sigh*. Still, lovely calligraphy work.

Wait, they're bumping the rates another two cents come May 11th? are you serious? I guess that's why they say wait until six months before so you don't do something ridiculously impulsive like buy enough stamps for the save the dates, invites, rsvp cards, and thank yous all at once... oops.

Just kidding.

How I feel about the Registry - China

By the time Christmas rolled around, it was pretty well known that Matt was going to be proposing sometime super soon. Wedding planning was already my way to kill time during the long christmas break, and the subject of registries came up over Christmas dinner as we ate from my aunt's (gorgeous) china set and drank from her fine crystal wine glasses.

Here's the skinny: I'm not registering for china. My parents didn't do it - heck, my mom's been married four times and not once has she registered for the super-breakable stuff. Matt and I want to be citizens of the world (State Department job, please?) which involves moving locales every two or three years, hopefully. That means packing up everything you own and shipping it somewhere else, maybe the middle of nowhere (not Novosibirsk or any other Russian city, I beg you) and risking all the beautiful china and crystal becoming shards in padded packing crates.

No, I'd prefer stoneware and some big, cheap plastic bowls for cereal. Glass tumblers suit me fine, and I prefer the look of stemless stemware anyway. I won't be the host of all the formal family meals - no one is traveling that far out of the way - on my side of the family. I'm pretty sure my cousin Katherine has that in the bag. I don't think Matt's family will rely on me to do the big thanksgiving and christmas to-do; I don't cook anyway.

So here is what I think about china's usefulness.
Passive Aggressive Anger Release Machine by Yarisal & Kublitz

"All you have to do is insert a coin, and a piece of China will Slowly move forwards and fall into the bottom of the machine, breaking, and leaving you happy and relieved of anger."

Look! Tchotchkes too!
There. Doesn't that make you feel better?

Link to blog post about the project from the Freakonomics Blog which led to more pictures at another blog.

After Mid-Terms

One week past Spring Break and I'm already feeling the pinch of the semester ending. Somehow that brief reprieve from schooling is my milestone for the spring semester that tells me when I need to get my ass in gear for the semester, but this year I ignored it and kept on coasting. *sigh*

Now I have a week and a half until Easter break, and a massive paper due next Wednesday. I know where my weekend is going - the library. Working paper title: The Moroccan Youth: Economic, Social, and Political Prospects. Eh, not that sexy but descriptive in the extreme.

Later this afternoon, after my two classes and Arabic study session, Matt and I are running to the nearest grocery store to get money orders (to the tune of $60) for our meeting with CampusFrance tonight so we can apply for our student visas. This is really happening and I couldn't be happier. We have another long meeting about studying abroad on Friday afternoon as well.

Tomorrow Matt has his first round of physical therapy on his knees. Apparently he has some type of degeneration of the ligaments around his kneecap that isn't curable. He just didn't notice it until college because he was always ridiculously in shape from Soccer throughout intermediate and high school. Now he sees his new need to return to peak physical condition as a sign that I should start working out. Not going to happen.

The rest of this week is pretty ho-hum, with the typical mix of work and school and emotional breakdowns that are my mainstay. Okay not really, but I will be in full on panic mode by this time next week about my paper. Til then, M. Erudite

Shoes?

I figure the best way to do this is to begin with what I have and what works for me, and go from there.

The inner circle are the shoes I wear more often, and the outer circle are my "specialty" shoes.

Starting with the Maroon Converses:

• Maroon Low-Top Converses with Inserts
  
• Black leather Franco Sarto pumps, with arch support sticky things inside
• Black Low-Top Converses, same 20z miracle inserts as the Maroon
• Moroccan Babouches - not a lot of padding for the foot, but still fun as hell to wear
• Sofft Wedges - bought on sale at DSW and fantastic heels that don't kill my feet much
• Gold Ballet flats from Payless, with a Dr. Scholl's Arch Support insole; my favorite work shoes
• Born sandals - unstylish but comfy as hell and the BEST travel shoes

Outer Circle:

• Red Aldo Moccasins - rarely worn because the leather insole is falling out
• Black Oxford pumps from payless - not terribly comfy but cute & good for wet or cold weather
• Ivory Hot Cakes heels - cute, comfy, and I own a pair in white. the heel is too low and they look too casual for a wedding
• Black strappy "The Touch of NINA" shoes I bought for formal night on the 2007 cruise; they don't kill my feet, per se
• Payless' American Eagle brand chocolate T-straps. If these came in black, I would never need another pair of shoes, ever.
• Black T-strap Oxford style heels by Nine West. Great, but not as comfy as the aforementioned shoes
• Jewel tone gladiator sandals from Plato's Closet, cute as hell but awful to wear all day
• Strappy champagne Daisy Fuentes heels that I bought for prom. I only wore them for three hours or so, and I don't remember them as being terrible. Probably backup shoes in case I can't find good bridals
• Black Old Navy flip flops - necessary, cheap, and comfy
• Brown faux-suede pumps with floral detail from Payless' Highlights brand, bought for Senior year homecoming
• Black slouchy faux-suede boots from Payless, bought to wear to the Renaissance fair, require inserts as well.

So, a breakdown of what works for me:

1. Insoles - I buy them and I use them everyday. My arches are high, my heel bones perpeutally hurt, and if I don't wear them then my knees hurt too. I'm also prone to blisters.
2. Payless - I've bought tons of shoes there over the years, although I am trying to do more DSW, but the prices can't be beat!
3. I like to buy cute shoes - but I wear my unstylish, comfy ones more

So what are my options for cute shoes with heels, that I can strut down the aisle and then rock out all night in without wanting to cry from my heel/arch pain?

Options are forthcoming in post #2

Back from Conroe / a Modified Tuesday Night

Yesterday after CWI: The Middle East, I finished up my Ethics questionnaire and emailed it to Krystal so she would turn it in for me. I got Matt to cover our Development Econ class, Krystal is taking notes for me in Ethics, and Leslie covered for me in Science in Perspective. I got back in time for Arabic, and that's my whole schedule anyway.

So I drove to The Woodlands, where the funeral was to be held, and met up with Mom & Katie, my sister. We had a little chat about my wedding plans thus far and then went to the wake. It was the first time I had seen my cousin Lorne in a long time, and I met his girlfriend Ashley for the first time. She's really great and we got along well. Lorne was reserved, which goes with his character, but I gave him a hug anyway. We're almost the same age and I consider him to be the cousin in my mother's side that I am closest to - geographically and emotionally.

The group of cousins really needed to eat, so I took a car full of my cousins and my sister and Lorne followed me with his friends in tow and we went to Buca Di Beppo's to decompress and reconnect. My older cousin Meaghan will be getting married to her longterm boyfriend Adam in November in Baton Rouge - I will have to skip because Matt and I will be in Angers at the time. This family get together really underscored the need that my extended family - on both sides - has to meet Matt. I need to figure out a way to road trip with him to Louisiana. We would need to go to Houma, Baton Rouge, and Mandeville. No easy feat, but we would see most of my family.

After dinner, we went back for a little bit to the wake, and then I headed home to be with my dad and knock out some homework. We (my dad and I) woke up early this morning and drove separately to the funeral home after a failed attempt to find a starbucks before the service. My dad commented that he still remembered all of my mother's family, but he was shocked to see Lorne with long hair and tattoos. I think it's rather becoming on him. Afterwards, dad had to head to work so I caravaned with the family up to a sports boat store in Conroe where the reception was held. It was nice just eating and catching up with my family, even though I had never met some of them, so introductions were awkward: "This is your cousin Aunt Rita" riiight... actually my mother's second cousin, but everyone calls her "aunt," that I literally have never met. Ever. But apparently she'll be invited to the wedding...

After some food and decaf coffee (grumble) I left for Austin so I could be back in time for the grand opening party of the New Residence Hall, fondly known as the Fortress, the Penitentiary, the Office Building, and the Geode. Guess which one we're allowed to call it? After some free cheesecake on a stick, I sat through Arabic and then walked back to my apartment. I'm skipping SGA. Actually, I'm just quitting. I have too much to do (15 hours of class, 2 jobs, study abroad in the fall and a wedding next summer) to waste my time with people who clearly don't want me around. Harumph. Still kinda want to cry though...

Saddening News

Yesterday, as I was running out the door to meet with Leslie, my fellow PGL, to study for our physics test, I glanced at my phone to check the time. What I found was a text from my mother that her sister, Elise - my Nanny 'Lise - had passed away earlier that morning after a brief battle with colon cancer.

Nanny 'Lise was my mother's older sister, and they were pregnant in 1988 together. My cousin, Lorne, was born three months after me while his mom was living with my mom and dad and for the first year of our life, we were like twins. Nanny 'Lise met a friend of our next door neighbors - Uncle Gary - and married him. Uncle Gary adopted Lorne and as a family they moved to South Houston. I clearly remember her little blue shotgun house with a fuschia door, and one of my mother's favorite pictures of me is as a toddler during a cookout on NL's front lawn where I sat down and started drinking from the sprinkler. I was the epitome of cute. We would see each other often over the years, and after I graduated from high school they moved to Tomball. I hadn't really interacted much with them after going away to school - I think we met up for dinner during my christmas break of freshman year - and at that time returned the London travel guides that Nanny 'Lise & Uncle Gary had loaned my father and I for our trip to Europe. Her death seems sudden for me because my family tends to respect my "bubble" while I'm at school - no popping unless you want me failing - but this is one of those times where I needed to be in the know. So, here is your own personal eulogy from me, your niece: Nanny Lise, I love you and I hope God is prepared for you to redecorate the place once you get up there.

Photo improved with Poladroid