Haiku(s) Friday

My Allegiance is
to those who Suffer, those who
go into the Night.

My Allegiance is
to the lost Wanderers, who've
been robbed of their lamps.

My Allegiance is
to those who Stumble, reaching
into the Blackness.

My Allegiance is
to those who Cry because they've
been Raped, Tortured, Beat.

My Allegiance is
to Yahweh's People, NOT to
those who cry "Lord, Lord".

Wedding planning hooplah part 4: My Amazing Shape-Shifting Wedding!

We are entering the final stretch, Readers! Less than two months to go before my wedding day!

I'm afraid that I'm going to have to put away my knitting needles for a while. I won't be posting any projects until after September, unless by some miracle I find myself with some time to knit. I will be continuing with my weekly haikus and CAMD (Cinderella Ate my Daughter) book review, though, so stay tuned!

As far as wedding planning goes, things are starting to come together. Venue, music, cake...exciting (and overwhelming!) times up ahead!

It's amazing, Readers, how much my idea of a "Dream Wedding" has changed as I've gotten older. As I've been going through each individual piece of the upcoming celebration, I can't help but notice how my "boneh-fiday" wedding is almost completely different than the "Dream Wedding" I made up for myself when I was young.

When I was a daydreaming teenager, I thought I wanted something like this for my wedding cake:

PUT MORE FLOWERS ON IT! MORE FLOWERS! AND MORE PINK! Image found here:  http://blog.pinkcakebox.com/pink-hydrangea-blossoms-wedding-cake-2011-05-30.htm

And as a grown-up bride, I've decided on this style of wedding cake:

Take out the flowers and there you have it. Simple and streamlined, not taking attention away from John and I <3

The bouquet I thought I wanted when I was but a wee Jackie:

SPARKLES SPARKLES SPARKLES SPARKLES SPARKLES!! Image found here:  http://media-cache-ec3.pinterest.com/upload/100416266661040814_33Xwg15j.jpg

And the style of bouquet I'll be walking down the aisle with. Since becoming somewhat of a granola, I found myself insisting on using flowers that will be seasonal and reasonably local.

We will also be incorporating peppermint leaves into my bouquet, since John's pet-name for me is "Peppermint". Image found here:  http://ghostacademy.blogspot.com/2011/09/wild-and-wispy.html

As a kid, I imagined that on my wedding day, I would walk down the aisle looking like I stepped out of the grand finale of a Disney film. I would be wearing a big, poofy ball gown with a mile-long train, that would delicately flutter in the wind as my prince would carry me away! 

Readers, I actually tried this dress on. It's the "Beauty and the Beast" wedding  dress from Alfred Angelo. The skirt must have had 100 yards of tulle in it; it was so big that I was unable to walk without tripping! Image found here:  http://www.alfredangelo.com/company/homepage.aspx

And the wedding gown that I fought SO HARD to get, that makes me feel like less of a princess and more like MYSELF...

 You didn't honestly think I'd post a picture of my wedding dress, did you Readers? Ha. 

A weekly haiku and CAMD review can be expected on Friday! Until next time! 

Haiku Friday

My Lord and Savior
Tells me not to submit, but
To Be Not Afraid.

Wedding Planning Hooplah, part 3: fun with timezone differences!

Image found here:  http://www.timetemperature.com/tzus/time_zone.shtml 

Date: July 9th, 2012.
Time: 6:55 am.

There I was. Lying spread-eagled on my bed, snoring gently. Blankets and pillows are lying pell-mell all around me, since I seem to have a habit of running marathons in my sleep. There are bridal magazines, embroidery projects, and sewing thread all around the floor. I am in a rare moment of bliss, Readers; for the first time in weeks I had been blessed with a full night of uninterrupted slumber.

A beam of sunlight escapes through my window and gently kisses my face, causing me to regain consciousness for just a breath of a moment, as if God was shaking me awake to witness the glorious weather Seattle was having that morning. I cracked my eyes open, and seeing the tiny horizontal lines of azure that glowed through the blinds, sleepily smiled. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table, and seeing that I had a good half-hour until my alarm went off, closed my eyes and let my brain get back to work bathing my neurons in glutamate and inhibitory transmitters.

Sweet, sweet inhibitory transmitters.

I was floating, in a gentle reverie, Readers, when...

Phone: "BRRRRRINGbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
            BRRRRRINGbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!"

Me: "wha...wha?..mph...urg...zzzzzz...."

Phone: "BRRRRRINGbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
            BRRRRRINGbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!"

Me: "burugh...whathehell.....muah..prerfgh...."

*clumsily picks up phone, drops it after forgetting that it was plugged in, and answers while still
semi-conscious.*

Me: "Mph...Hello?"

Un-naturally Perky Wedding Coordinator: "GOOD MORNING AM I SPEAKING TO JACQUELINE?"

Me: "ummmmm....izzat my name? i think that's my name...yyeah?"

Un-naturally Perky Wedding Coordinator: "OH FABULOUS I'M CALLING FROM THE *insert name of my wedding reception site* AND I WANTED TO JUST VERIFY THAT YOU WILL BE SERVING THE FILLET OF SOLE AND THE CHICKEN DISH PER YOUR EMAIL WITH THE CATERING DEPARTMENT AND I'M AFRAID WE CAN'T SERVE THOSE OPTIONS BUFFET STYLE SO WOULD A SIT DOWN DINNER BE OKAY WITH YOU? MANY OF OUR BRIDES PREFER THE SIT DOWN DINNER OPTION SINCE THIS MAKES IT EASIER TO SET UP THE DANCE FLOOR AND THERE WON'T BE ANY DELAY AFTER THE MEAL......"

Me: "..............................."

Un-naturally Perky Wedding Coordinator: "AND I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE 24 HOURS BEFORE THE RECEPTION FOR DECORATING THE SITE NOW I FEEL I SHOULD REMIND YOU THAT WE DO HAVE A BAN ON BALLOONS SINCE THEY CAN HURT THE LOCAL WILDLIFE..."

Me: ".................................uhhuh...."

Un-naturally Perky Wedding Coordinator: "....I'M SORRY DID I CATCH YOU AT A BAD TIME???"

Me: "............kind of......"

UPWC: "WELL I WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED TO GIVE YOU A CALL AT A MORE CONVENIENT TIME!!! :-) :-) :-) <3<3<3 :-) :-) :-)"

Me:"............mmkay......."

UPWC: "YOU HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL DAY AND THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING *insert name of my wedding reception venue*! WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN SEPTEMBER!"

*click*

After four clumsy attempts to get my phone plugged back in, I sat there on my bed, blinking, trying to process what exactly it was that my wedding coordinator was trying to tell me. As my foggy mind slowly began to climb out of its early-morning stupor, I grabbed a pad of paper and wrote down as much of the over-enthusiastic colloquy as I could remember.

I knew that having the wedding in Massachusetts was going to be a challenge in the way of planning, but I didn't realize, Readers, that I would be getting phone calls at butt-crack o' clock. The vendors we hired for our wedding have all been great, but a few of them seem to have caught collective retrograde amnesia: John and I have specifically made notes to each of our vendors that we live on the west coast and would prefer that they contact us no earlier than 9am (Pacific time).

I will say, Readers, that if my biggest beef with this planning process is that I'm getting phone calls too early, that I should count myself very lucky. In spite of the (almost) bi-monthly 6:30am phone calls, John and I have had amazingly good fortune with our wedding so far. We were able to get the exact church, venue, and officiant we wanted within two weeks of announcing our engagement (however, my amazing future mother in law has had more to do with this than luck). We have freinds and family throwing themselves at our feet to help us, and Readers, don't even get me started on the Wedding Dress Incident. 

I'm not going to lie, I have had my share of tearful meltdowns. The words "IT'S MY WEDDING!" have, I'm ashamed to say, escaped my lips on at least one occasion. However, I've come to realize that when you're planning the festivities that surround the day you marry the love of your life,  these moments of difficulty are impossible to avoid. John and I are probably one of the luckiest engaged couples EVER, and yet, I still find myself in tears over details most people would find ridiculous.

It's really, REALLY hard to explain without sounding like a Daddy's Girl Bridezilla, but I'll try my best.

 I have a GORGEOUS reception venue, but I am unable to physically see it. The chapel where John and I will exchange our vows is AMAZING, but I cannot visit it in order to see how the lighting will work, and where the best spots will be to take our wedding pictures. The cake will be WONDERFUL, but since the baker is a close family friend who does not have a website, I cannot get a good idea as to what our wedding cake will look like (the same thing is going on with our photographer, but since getting our engagement photos back, I have no worries).

I trust my future family in Massachusetts COMPLETELY, but simply not being able to be there is much, MUCH more mentally taxing than I thought it would be.

John has been nothing but helpful and wonderful. Readers, you have no idea how good it is for my sanity that  my fiance actually takes an active interest in our wedding planning.

In addition to being astronomically helpful in choosing our first dance song, wedding colors, and bible readings, John has also taken on the role of designated therapist. Whenever I start to get overwhelmed and irrationally upset, John knows just what to do to help me regain my sanity.

This usually takes the form of him listening to whatever my concern is ("BUT I DON'T WAAAAANNNNTT CALLA LILIES!!! THEY'RE FUNNNNNEEERRRRALLL FLOOWWWWEEEERRRRSS!!!!!"), considering it, and offering his take on the situation. ("Well, then, Sweetheart, we will tell the florist that we don't want calla lilies.")

So, Readers, I guess that I should be thankful that UPWC is so prompt in calling me, even if he does wake me up at butt o'clock in the morning. Planning a wedding from 2,000 miles away is a little bit nuts, Readers, but guess what? I'm a little bit nuts.

Until next time <3

Haiku Friday. Nerd alert.

This amazing superhero comes from my fiance, who aspires to be the next Stan  Lee.  The blog post with this character can be found here:  http://sketcheveryday.blogspot.com/2012/07/orb-weaver.html

Some men give flowers.
My Love has made me into
A super hero.

(He really did, Readers. Seriously).

Haiku Friday. It's bigger on the inside.

Image found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TARDIS

There are some days when
I wish I could just up and
go with The Doctor.

Quit pickin' on Cinderella.

Image found here: http://popcultureplaypen.com/2010/01/10/another-year-another-disney-princess/

Some people have morning rituals, Readers. I have a lunch hour ritual.
Every day at 1pm, I take the sandwich I packed for myself out of the employee fridge, turn my phone off, hang my headset over my computer monitor, and listen to NPR.

Yes, Readers, the writer of this blog listens to NPR. A lot. Since I'm too cheap for cable TV, public radio and PBS are how I usually get my fill of the news/politics/entertainment/whatever.

An interview with Peggy Orenstein on "All Things Considered" piqued my interest. Orenstein was talking about her latest book, "Cinderella Ate My Daughter," in which she discusses the growing trend of what she calls "Princess-Mania." She also explores the possible causes of it, and the potential ramifications of the mountains of pink merchandise being aggressively marketed towards young girls.

At first I rolled my eyes. Hoo boy. Leave Cinderella alone, lady. Ugh, this is just like that horrible Psychology of Women text book from sophomore year. Blame gender inequality and discrimination in the work place all on the color pink and high-heeled shoes, why don't cha, I thought.

I'm a girlie-girl,  Readers. My wardrobe contains mostly dresses and pencil skirts. My bathroom is overflowing with makeup and floral-scented soaps. Heck, I write a blog about knitting, sewing and other domestic activities, and as a kid, yes, I LOVED Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, and Belle.

I like being a lady. I openly embrace these aspects of my own femininity. Readers, I have to tell you, that it really, REALLY bothers me when someone equates wearing dresses or being feminine with being weak or powerless.

I have to admit that I was a bit too hasty in judging Orenstein. Right at the start of the interview, she makes it very clear that she has no problem with dresses or the color pink.

As the interview went on, I found myself becoming more intrigued and impressed with Orensteins' ideas on the recent Princess explosion, especially her thoughts surrounding raising her own young daughter amongst a sea of glitter, tiaras and sparkles.

She writes that it's not the Disney Princesses themselves that are cause for concern (although she does bring up a few questionable messages that children, both boys and girls, can take from some of the Disney films), but the fact that marketing executives are slapping Disney Princesses on literally TENS OF THOUSANDS of products and hocking them to children of younger and younger ages.

I googled Orenstein's name and came up with a fantastic piece she wrote for the New York Times a few years back:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/magazine/24princess.t.html?_r=1

I found it VERY interesting that while Orenstein isn't too fond of Cinderella (When her three year old daughter asks why Mommy doesn't like Cinderella, she replies: "It’s just, honey, Cinderella doesn’t really do anything,"), she LOVES Nintendo's leading lady, Princess Peach. She writes:

I remembered a video on YouTube, an ad for a Nintendo game called Super Princess Peach. It showed a pack of girls in tiaras, gowns and elbow-length white gloves sliding down a zip line on parasols, navigating an obstacle course of tires in their stilettos, slithering on their bellies under barbed wire, then using their telekinetic powers to make a climbing wall burst into flames. “If you can stand up to really mean people,” an announcer intoned, “maybe you have what it takes to be a princess.”

Now here were some girls who had grit as well as grace. I loved Princess Peach even as I recognized that there was no way she could run in those heels, that her peachiness did nothing to upset the apple cart of expectation: she may have been athletic, smart and strong, but she was also adorable. Maybe she’s what those once-unisex, postfeminist parents are shooting for: the melding of old and new standards. And perhaps that’s a good thing, the ideal solution.

I will definitely be reading and blogging about this book.

Hearing that interview reminded me of a study from the University of Bath (which, interestingly, Orenstein mentions in her New York Times article) that looked at how children played with Barbie dolls, and the effect Barbie had on their self image:

 http://www.livescience.com/510-voice-reason-research-debunks-barbie-ideal.html

I remember having to look over that study (and write a short paper on it) while in college, and let me tell you, Readers, it was quite refreshing to read. I remember playing with Barbies as a kid. I never really "tortured" my dolls as much as the children in the study reported doing, but I did enjoy cutting Barbie's hair and shaving Barbie's legs. I played with Barbie all the time, but it never once occurred to me that my body was supposed to look like that of a plastic doll.

That's because I remember recognizing Barbie as exactly that: a plastic doll, and nothing more.

I suspect that the same findings from the University of Bath study can be applied to the "Princess-Mania" as described by Orenstein, at least as far as the Disney princesses go. The Barbie study just looked at Barbie dolls and nothing else, but in Cinderella Ate My Daughter, Orenstein digs much, much deeper. She explores child pageants, American Girl dolls, Facebook, and a myriad of other things that she feels might have an influence on a child's development.

I am VERY excited to read this book! I just bought it from Barnes and Noble, and as I progress through it, Readers, I will be posting thoughts!

Until next time!