So, I bought a classic, rather conservative, silky black sheeth dress with pink roses on it back in the early 90s. I can't remember why, maybe it was on super sale or maybe it was for some event. I must have worn it once (a tell tale sign being the dry cleaning number stapled to the tag).
Update June 25, 2009. My most excellent friend Julie Ashby Mann (known as "Ashby") has a story about a dress to contribute. Do you have a dress story to add? Send it to me!:
Take it away Ash...
First we have a Royal wedding watch update:
According to Cindy Adams in the New York post:
"here's what one court-watcher replied: "He has to. Been seeing her too long not to. It would be another embarrassment for the Palace. The Queen's accepted her at events, which means she's got the royal approval. Understand, he's not all that easy and affable as he comes off. He's a bit of an arrogant young man who expects people to bow and scrape."
And Middleton herself? "Not smart. Hasn't picked up a book in her life. But very calculating. Her mother's been planning this her whole life. And she knew how to play hard to get.
"The wedding will probably be next year after he finishes military
service. Face it, London is very depressed. The Crown could use a royal
wedding at this point."
Vacation:
I was in Phoenix Arizona for a few days last month and then went to Tucson for the wedding of Beery and Luis. In Phoenix we stayed with John's friend from the Navy, a bloke called Brian who looks kinda like Daniel Craig, which is rather lucky.
Brian is a highly trained factory worker for Intel microprocessors. He was going to give me a tour of the place but we ran out of time. I was a bit disappointed because I wanted to title a blog post about it "Inside Intel". Get it? Damn, I'm clever.
Arizona always sort of confounds me. Instead of squirrels they have lizards. Instead of grass they have rocks. None of the plants look familiar and all the houses are exactly the same. EXACTLY the same. Do you ever forget which one is yours and stroll into the guys house next door? Here are some plants that I found to be rather Mars like...
So after a few days of kicking around Phoenix, eating Mexican food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we drove to Tucson for the wedding of some friends. The wedding was lovely, the prickly pear cactus margaritas were a real highlight.
We stayed in the Hotel Congress. I will never forget this place. Located in the deserted downtown of Tucson and the location of John Dillinger's capture, it was the strangest clash of the past and the present. When you walk into the room you are assigned (using an actual key in our door) you are instantly transported to 1936. The first thing I said to John was "honey, WWII is going to start in 4 years".
The furniture is original, right down to the tufted white stripe bedspread (you know what I'm talking about).
The telephone was original and you would call the front desk and have them patch you into the original switchboard.
The faucets in the bathroom had one source for hot and one for cold. You had to combine the water in the sink if you wanted "warm" (incidentally, a combo hot and cold faucet was invented in Pittsburgh after the war).
Aside from the wacky history lesson which of course I loved (the place was majorly haunted by they way, just as it should be), downstairs was a whole 'nother story. "Club Congress" was installed in 1985 and is one of the best alternative rock clubs in the world. So in this historic lobby was a constant mill of tatooed and pierced teenagers. Once 11pm hit, all the teens left the building and every hotel staff member grabbed a table from some hidden closet and set them up all over the lobby. 5 seconds later the place had become an after hours gay bar. Every table full. ODDEST thing ever. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Just some random additions:
This is the wedding cake. Made by the groom's mother in Mexico. She's not a professional cake maker. Isn't this extraordinary!?
Anyone want to go see this Chiropractor? I didn't think so.
For the record, this was the best part of the visit. Hi Girls! Good girls!
Cheers!
Squeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Momentum is gaining my friends! Bring IT ON. (sorry, again I can't disable the hyperlinks)
Britain’s Prince William is set to announce his engagement within the next few months, according to well-informed sources.
The future king - who made his first public appearance with girlfriend Kate Middleton for five months at a polo match over the weekend - is odds-on with bookmakers to propose to Kate by the end of this year after receiving a sudden rush of knowledgeable bets.
William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said: “Almost all the best suggest that the announcement will come in the next few months.” Bookmakers have now slashed their odds from 4/6 to 1/2.
William has previously said he doesn’t want to get married until he’s at least 28 - a birthday he will celebrate next June.
The news comes days after William and Kate were pictured looking smitten with each other after the prince had taken part in a polo match in Berkshire. (via AHN)
Big winner! Wonderful, moist, flavorful and healthy!
The "offender" from my last post has worn white shoes for 2 days in a row. HELLO............
I'm certainly no expert on class and style, Lord knows. But some things are so obvious that sometimes they get overlooked. And every early spring a theme emerges that I feel I must now address here once and for all.
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Ignore what fashion magazines say. Ignore your geographical location. Ignore any fool telling you that the "rules have changed". If you wear sandals and/or white shoes before Memorial day or after Labor day you look clueless. NO exceptions.
Nothing highlights poor breeding more than inappropriate seasonal wear.
These faux pas are a close
second:
1. Not wearing a full length dress coat with winter formal wear. I know they are expensive, buy one used if you have to. Borrow one. Or buy one and return it after the event. Just do what you have to.
2. Pointy toed stiletto pumps will always look like cheap hooker
shoes unless they are manufactured by a premiere shoe maker (i.e. Prada) that we probably
can't afford. It's likely best to skip it.
3. There is only one definition of "winter white" and that is pure wool pants, skirt, sweater or jacket. Period. No exceptions.
4. If you must wear high wedge espadrille backless sandals to the office in April please know that they look totally ridiculous with nylons. I realize nylons are a smart choice for conservative business attire, and necessary for some professions like say a lawyer or perhaps a university fundraiser. If you feel that the high wedge espadrille backless sandals are inappropriately worn withOUT nylons to your office setting then may I suggest rethinking your choice of footwear.
This has been a public service announcement.
P.S. I'm not a monster. If it is unusually hot in May feel free to wear your flip flops to the Loews. I'm mainly referring to professional and social situations here.
American Idol has been on TV for, what is it?, like 9 years? I'm just now getting into it for the first time.
They axed the nerdy blind guy last night. That's harsh. And Paula was wearing elbow length formal leather gloves. That's wacky.
I guess it's better late than never to the conformist party.
Looks like more waiting for me... pass the chips and a people magazine...:
from the website RoyalRomance.com
"The Mail Online reports that Prince William and Kate Middleton won’t be getting married in 2009 — because William has already used up all his vacation days for the year!
William went with Kate and the rest of the Middleton family on a ski holiday to France recently, and that apparently ate up the lion’s share of his leave time for 2009.
Sounds like perhaps 2010 is looking more and more likely for another double-royal-wedding summer?"
We have a 200 person donor event on campus tomorrow and I've been slammed for 2 weeks at work. John's been tending to his step-mom as her surgical procedure heals all week so I've been running the homestead alone as well. He's running errands in her fancy German car that starts with an "M" while I've been wiping mud off Solomon's paws.
Links
"Oh, man, this is going to be awesome. I just sit here i...
Joseph Goebbels once quipped that a lie spoken often enou...
the blog of my friend Ken
