Tag Archives: Erica

Girls 'n' Gowns Roadtrip

This weekend, it’s all about girls and gowns.

My friend Carrie and I are trekking down to Kentucky, where we will promptly demand our Regency ball gowns from my industrious seamstress of a sister, the Blonderrificus Totalus: Erica.

Okay, so we won’t ‘demand’ them–that doesn’t sound very nice. Instead, we will ply her with food and bribe her with drink and cater to her every need, because our beauty is in her hands. Will she flatter my bosom, or make it disappear like it tends to do? She wields power, though she may not know it.

Please click here to review the glory of these Jane Austen-style gowns. Here’s a sneak peak of a picture shamelessly stolen from Erica’s blog.

I like the blue sash the best, and the word ‘bum pad’ cracks me up so much that I think I must have one.

It will be a weekend of fittings, sewing, and trying to throw together some semblance of an outfit for my sweet spouse who probably doesn’t even know how he ever got conned into going to a Regency Ball in the first place.

A Regency what? Wait, when? Wait, I have to wear what?

It’s called a cravat, and it’s nothing to be frightened of, sweetie.

Yep. Gentlemen, take note on the unexpected sacrifices of marriage.

So this weekend: there will be delicious food. There will probably be massive amounts of popcorn. Possibly girly activities such as toenail painting. I may even bring myself to shed/shave/rip the hair from my winter legs. Think: grizzly bear after months of hibernation. I must do something about this if I ever hope to wear a skirt again.

And I can’t wait for the car ride with Carrie. There’s something about a long car ride with a girlfriend that invites confidences. Long, pleasant silences. Snacking, music, and emotional revelations are bound to take place.

So that’s where I’ll be. What are you all doing? And for the girls: when do you get your girl time in? I never seem to get enough of it.

A blog and a baby

Important family update!

My blonderrific sister Erica now has a blog.

It’s called “At Home and Away: making a home wherever we go ~ an army wife’s adventures.” She just wrote her first post about a week ago, and I am so excited to have a new way of keeping in touch with her. Spying on her every doing. Stalking her every moment.

She’s too gorgeous for her own galoshes.

And I don’t just keep her around for her looks, folks. She’s also extremely crafty/artistic/creative: she’s going to be sewing Regency-style gowns for me and my friend Carrie and documenting the progress on her blog. Yep–Carrie and I (with our stocking-ed and cravat-ed men in tow) are going to a Regency Ball in late March.

And if that brands us as dorks, then let it be so. Seriously, dorkedom provides a series of fringe benefits that I’ll have to share with you ‘cool people’ some time.

Like talking about religion and politics into the night with old friends.

(Or is that nerds?)

And not having to shave my legs very regularly.

(Or it that hippies?)

And pouring over online reviews of different kinds of knives.

(Or is that foodies?)

Okay, so maybe I’m a dork, nerd, hippie, and foodie–but seriously folks. Enough with the labeling. And I should clarify that the whole ‘neglecting to shave my legs’ thing only happens in the winter, and stops the moment my husband starts weeping from the sheer monstrosity of it all. Which he hasn’t done . . . yet.

But let’s move on.

Remember this one?

My lovely ballet-dancing, Pilates-instructing sister Heidi?

Well, she had her baby! His name is James, and he is almost 1 1/2 months old.

Apparently all he does is sleep and poop and nurse. Let’s pick it up, kid! Let’s start walking and talking! There’s no time to lose! That’s what I plan on telling him when I get to meet him. Enough with all this baby stuff–let’s get you started on quadratic equations. Quantum mechanics. Bridge-building classes. I take my aunting responsibilities very seriously. In fact, I’ve already filled out his college application to Harvard and paid the application fee. You’re welcome, Heidi–this kid’s going to be on the cutting edge.

What? You mean you enjoy this stage of his life? This snoozy stage during which he has no apparent control of his facial expressions?

Well.

Okay, he is monstrously cute, I’ll give him that.

Especially in those adorable little PJ’s. Fine. We’ll save quadratic equations for his next visit.

I yanked these pictures of the little guy from facebook, but as soon as he steps foot or butt into my apartment, it’s photo shoot time! I can’t wait to get clickity-clicking, recording his every waking moment with my Nikon.

A blog and a baby. I’m telling you, this family is exploding with new happenings.