Ain’t no sunshine

It's 47 degrees in Seattle. This is not the record coldest; that was a high of 40 degrees in 1924. This summer reminds me of the summer of 1997. That summer, it was still cold well into June. I was working at the Pierce County Prosecutor's office as an intern. I would take the hour-long bus ride and then walk up the huge hill to the courthouse in Tacoma, shivering in my penny loafers and suits bought in North Carolina. What a strange summer. And now, 11 years later, I'm preparing for a wedding here in Seattle. I never thought I'd be doing this. I can't believe I've put up with this weather for so long.

Here's the sort of thing that gets me through: today I'm breaking in a pair of silvery Betsey Johnson shoes, with this cluster of cheery golden crystals on them that almost make me feel like it's sunny outside. They make me feel like a raindrop goddess.

I have some thoughts about maintaining passion. I spoke to my colleague Mark Tackitt today; he's an attorney who does conflict cases for the Office of Public Defense, so he does essentially the same job as I do, except as a solo practitioner. His hobby is civil war reenactment, which he's been doing for over 12 years. I asked how he keeps his interest in his hobby fresh, and he indicated that he tries to work to make everything as close to how it really was as possible, and that this is a very difficult thing to do. He also tries to do better and better events. Soon he'll be going to Gettysburg for a march that he's leading. See http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnppcGNvbi5uZXQvfnNpbGFzL2FuZGVyc2J1cmdtYXJjaC5odG0=

I'm going to try to do that to maintain interest in my passions. It's partly about keeping things as close to your artistic vision as possible, and try to make every "event" better than the last.

Right now my event is, of course, the wedding. I'm working hard and I think it's all coming along. The main things I need to do now are to design the programs, select paper for them and the favor tags, and figure out how much of each beverage we need. And there's a number of other easier to dos (call florist back with updates, bridesmaid gifts, pick up rings, pick up dress, get it cleaned, things like that), but I'm actually pretty happy with the way it's all coming along. I think everything really will be o.k. But anyway, I decided that there were some parts of the vision that could be compromised for the sake of economy (I didn't really need a photo booth, for example), and others that simply could not (I HAD to have terra cotta pots for the floral centerpieces-cum-favors that I'm making. Pastel baskets with checks wouldn't do. I actually had to fire this woman who was going to make them because she couldn't get that it had to be terra cotta pots with pansies and lavendar, not pastel checked baskets with hen and chicks. Sometimes it's difficult to make your vision a reality. I'm just glad my vision was something that is actually pretty doable. It's humbling that my vision is what kind of centerpieces to have on tables at my wedding reception, but that's how it is.

It's freaking cold in my office. Really kinda wishing I were in LA right now.

Wedding planning and other insanity

I haven't been blogging. I'm sorry about that. It's just that the wedding takes everything I have. Don't get me wrong: I love planning all the little details that go into one great, special day. But it's taking everything. My free time -- gone. I'm at tastings and fittings and planning and scheming. My money is pretty much all going to the wedding. My mind? It's on the wedding. It's hard right now to talk about much else. I went to a "girl's night out" type of party recently where the topic kept veering to local politics (these are not your average girls, apparently). I kept longing, longing, for someone to talk about weddings instead. I should have a little button that says "ask me about my wedding." So it's high time I blogged about it.

So, I got engaged in late January. Here's what I've gotten done since then: choosing and booking the ceremony location (St. James), the reception (Skansonia), transportation in between (for Alex and me, a Rolls; for the wedding party, a really great, um, van), selected a photographer, got a DJ, found a cake baker, decided the menu, registered for some basic gifts, sent e-save the dates, ordered invitations, bought dress, bought corset lingerie thing and stockings, bought crinoline, did first two rounds of alterations on the dress, commenced Catholic premarital counselling, found bridesmaids, picked out bridesmaids dresses, working on picking out their gifts, helped groom pick out groomsman tuxes, looked at honeymoon options with the groom, began shoe shopping (still haven't decided), found hairstylists for rehearsal dinner and wedding, found florist, discussed and decided on floral design, decided on a color scheme (jewel tones) and stylistic theme (vintage and Art Nouveau-inspired).

What's left to do: rehearsal dinner site, contract for DJ, song list for DJ, buy shoes, personalize invitation envelopes, purchase stamps, address and send invites, purchase and assemble favors, let caterer know food selections, create detailed itineraries for wedding party, get marriage license, decide on honeymoon location and pack for that, figure out where we'll live after marriage (I still reside separately from Alex), pick bridesmaid gifts, create hospitality baskets for out-of-town guests, get addresses for the vast numbers of (inconsiderate) guests who failed to respond to my electronic request, finish our registry, book hotel room for wedding night (if we're not immediatly flying off to the honeymoon), buy a guestbook and nice pen, decide what kind and how much beverages we need and order that for reception, buy a veil, go to bridal shower and bachelorette party.

I can't decide if I totally rock and I'm right on schedule or if I should be panicking a little bit. I guess I'll go with totally rock?

Heather Gets Engaged!

My boyfriend Alex and I had been talking about marriage for the past month or so, though I think we've thought about it for longer than that. We're both getting to the age where we want to have kids and it didn't really make sense to wait anymore. We've known each other a fairly long time and so even though we haven't dated that long, we know each other really well. Add to that the fact that we fell deeply in love, and it made sense that we should get engaged.

But even though I knew it might happen in the future, I didn't think it would be so soon. This past MLK weekend, Alex told me to dress up because we were going out someplace nice. That afternoon I got my hair done and wore a semi-formal gown (worn only once before at my friend Lara's wedding -- maybe it's good luck?). He was very secretive and gave me no clue as to what he had planned. That night, he took me out to Seattle's premier French restaurant, Rover's. We had this outrageously good eight-course meal, and right before the dessert course, he popped the question. Before I could answer, the waiter brought the dessert course and seeing the ring, gasped and said he'd give us a couple moments alone (gee, thanks guy!) After the waiter left, I said, "I haven't answered your question yet, have I?" He replied, "No you haven't," while smiling at me nervously. I waited a couple of moments, and said, "Yes, of course." Interestingly enough, Judge Veronica Alicia Galvan, who pro tems in Seattle Municipal Court where Alex and I used to work, was also dining at Rover's that night and saw Alex propose. So she (and the waiter) got the news before anyone else!

When Alex put the ring on my finger, I just about died of happiness. It's a beautiful diamond ring with an lovely ideal cut center stone, two smaller side stones, and a pave band. It's absolutely perfect and I love it! Oh, and I have to add that it's certified conflict free -- no blood diamonds here!

After that, Alex told me our night wasn't done, and he took me to the Seattle Symphony. Neither of us had been to Benaroya Hall, so it was a very wonderful experience. I have to add that a symphony is the perfect thing to do immediately after a proposal. The music was romantic, but we didn't have to follow a dialogue and could just get swept up in the music and the moment. Plus the low light of Benaroya is perfect for admiring the fire in your brand-new diamond ring!

And the icing on the cake: Alex told me to pack for two days, but didn't tell me where we were going. The day after he proposed, we hopped in his Mustang and got on the ferry to Bainbridge... turns out, we were going to Port Townsend. We stayed at the historic Belmont Hotel and enjoyed a beautiful, sunny weekend together.

*sigh* If only real life were always like this!I've been floating on a cloud ever since and I am so excited to get married. Particularly since it's to Alex, my true love.