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Friday, August 27, 2010

One Foot Forward


Five weeks before my wedding I broke my baby toe. It didn't occur while skydiving, or jet skiing, or hiking Mount Mckinley, but while running through my apartment after my cat. This is definitely my most terribly timed break--it beats the fractured wrist before the middle school dance and the broken right arm in the beginning of a college semester as a teacher's assistant.

As I sat in the doctor's office, staring at the x-rays in disbelief, I felt miserable. My mind raced with panicked thoughts of canceled honeymoons and danceless wedding receptions (I know, looking back it could have been a lot worse). When the doctor brought out the air cast--a large, black boot covered with velcro straps, similar in looks to a ski boot--my heart fell. I'm sure the look on my face read, "Please don't tell me I have to wear this thing under my wedding dress." The doctor was understanding, yet firm. If I wanted my foot to heal correctly, I must wear the boot. Regular healing time? Six to eight weeks.

It's been three weeks since the break (two until the wedding!) and I just got word today that I can move from the boot to a hospital shoe. Now, the hospital shoe is not a fashion forward item. It's only offered in one color, doesn't have any embellishments--no bows, sequins, or swarovski crystals, and there's no heel whatsoever. I am stuck in this for at least another few days and then I might be able to upgrade to a sneaker. No heels allowed for the wedding and sneakers are called for throughout the honeymoon (will Paris allow me in wearing sneakers???).

Needless to say, this has been a frustrating ordeal. I realize that it could be worse and I'm thankful to be on the mend. I'm not ecstatic about finding new shoes for the wedding. It took me months to find a pair that I liked and now I must begin the search again. Give me a shout if you know of any great places to find comfortable, stylish flats!

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Monday, June 28, 2010

The Dance Gene

Years ago, a 95-year-old man asked me to dance at a wedding and halfway through the song he insisted we stop.

“You have two left feet!” He said and turned to find another, more rhythmic dance partner.

Unfortunately for me, he was right. Even though I took cello, flute, and piano lessons at various points growing up, and wasn’t terrible at any of them, it appears that I’m unable to learn rhythm when it comes to my feet.

I’ve always hated dancing. Well, let me clarify that statement. I’ve always hated dancing near other humans. I feel fine dancing around my apartment alone—arms flailing Elaine Benes-like, feet jumping up and down, tripping over each other every so often, teeth firmly planted in lower lip. I’m just not convinced the world needs to see that side of me.

When I met Mr. Cathedral Heights, I was happy to find out that he didn’t care for dancing either. With a bit of disbelief, he embraced the fact that I was missing that girly desire to go out dancing or, “the dance gene,” as he calls it.

Nope, I never feel the need to join a bunch of gals, get dressed up, and shake my booty in a club filled with sweaty people, booming music, and flashing lights. Of course, there were times when I would follow my girlfriends into dance clubs, attempting to mimic their moves on the dance floor but instead over-analyzing every awkward movement my body made.

I tried to think of a way out of the whole dancing segment of the wedding, but couldn’t come up with anything. I remember my brother once saying that if he ever got married there would be a no dancing policy strictly enforced at his wedding, but somehow that just didn’t seem realistic for my upcoming nuptuals. So, I am going to have to dance. In front of 150 people!

Mr. CH and I signed up for social dance classes at the Joy of Motion Dance Center, in hopes that this will help make the first dance a little less painful (for Mr. CH’s feet). We’ve attended two classes so far and I’m already convinced that I’m the worst student of the bunch and holding the entire class back. However, through all the self-criticism, I have to admit that I’m having a good time trying to get in touch with my feet. If I can improve a bit—and figure out how to let Mr. CH lead—I think I might have fun on that dance floor.

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Monday, May 24, 2010

rsvp frustration

battle #1:

mr uva and i invited 167 people to the wedding with the hope that we would have 150 guests or fewer. with our big families, this meant that a lot of "and guests" were not included - only for those people who were engaged or living together. since invitations have gone out, i have noticed that mr. uva and i have some bold friends and family members - "can i bring my boyfriend?", "my girlfriend and i will see you in july"...seriously!? it's a little bit shocking that people would openly ask. the alternative, however, is that they might just show up at the wedding and we'll have to make room for these "and guests".

battle #2:

mr. uva and i have been engaged for over 2 years now. and the wedding date has not been a surprise. we've had july 3rd scheduled for a long while, which is why it was quite a surprise when several family members let us know that they weren't going to be coming. if 2 years isn't enough notice, i must have some seriously "in-demand" family members. i'm trying not to take it personally, but it makes me sad to know that these family members feel like they a)have more important things to be doing or b)don't feel like sharing in our big day and spending time with family is important enough for a trip to c'ville.

of course the festivities will be wonderfully fun no matter who shows up...just a little pre-wedding stress, right?

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Saturday, May 15, 2010

Bridal Detox

Recently, while perusing the usual wedding websites, I stumbled across an advertisement for a bridal detox program. It consisted of mysterious, colorful drinks, as though straight out of Alice In Wonderland, promising to decrease my dress size and weight in an extraordinary amount of time for the low price of over 500 dollars. Call me a cynic, but ads like this one immediately raise my suspicion. Is it healthy to lose a significant amount of weight in a short period of time? Must I spend so much money and consume strange, toxic-looking concoctions? I’m all for being healthy and looking great on the big day, but I don’t agree with getting so skinny that your relatives no longer recognize you.

I hate dieting. I wish I could lose my belly and tone my arms and butt by eating pasta and drinking wine. However, I’m forced to resort to exercise and…cue Jaws soundtrack…eating healthy food. I’m adapting to the first part more easily than the second. Since I was laid off, I have a bit more time for exercise and have managed to incorporate about three days of jogging, spinning, or elliptical training per week for the past three weeks. Mr. CH and I have also been working on eating smaller portions and more vegetables, a somewhat successful effort. I’ve been making us salads for dinner twice a week, mixing them up with ingredients such as dried cranberries, walnuts, blue cheese, artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, and other items that offer a little flavor to enhance the lettuce, tomato, green peppers, and cucumbers. Now we just have to work on not consuming an entire roll of French bread with our salads!

So far, the scale isn’t telling me much but I feel better, my face looks a little thinner (that seems to be the first place I lose weight), and my clothes aren’t quite as snug as they were a month ago. Mr. CH and I signed up for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, to provide us a goal that would help motivate both of us and raise money for a good cause. Unfortunately, Mr. CH is extremely busy at work right now and he has been trapped there during lunch and late at night, which puts a damper on extra energy to go running.

A friend of mine who got in great shape before her wedding recommended Suz’s Couch to 5k running podcasts —compilations of hip hop music with a narrator who instructs you when to walk and when to run. Week one starts with short runs followed by long walks and she slowly builds you up to mostly running by week nine. I’m on week three and finding it incredibly helpful and motivating. Now I just have to stick with this!

How do you find motivation to eat healthy and exercise?

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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

BRIDES Magazine- June Issue






Check out these highlights from the June issue of BRIDES magazine, on newsstands TODAY:


Check out the new look of BRIDES: The editors have given the magazine a little mini-makeover this month. Look out for new typefaces and layouts—as well as an updated voice that looks at a wedding as both a modern celebration and a timeless ritual In our updated Buzz section, you’ll find all kinds of timely and seasonal information – this month, it’s nail polish that smells like bubble gum, a Lady Gaga-inspired wedding dress, and more (p 57 – 66)



The editors of BRIDES (and our readers!) tested products galore in the BRIDES 2010 Beauty Awards to find the best brands to give any bride that wedding-day wow factor. We feature the top honors in makeup, hair, skin and fragrance (p 101)

We tell you how to have no regrets on your wedding day: Real brides share their wedding mistakes – so brides-to-be can have a regret-free day (p 116)

You wouldn’t believe the wacky things you can rent for your wedding day – hot-dog cart anyone? Check out our fun list of things that can spice up your special day (p 120)

BRIDES has great ways to celebrate your wedding at any age – from dresses, to beauty tips and planning advice (p 180)

Enter our BRIDES Operation Dream Dress contest: Create America’s most beautiful wedding gown. Submit a sketch of a wedding dress that illustrates this year’s “cutting-edge classic” theme and you could win $10,000 and will see your dress on the cover of BRIDES, and sold nationwide by David’s Bridal. Visit OperationDreamDress.com to enter (p 34)

For these stories and more, check out the June issue of BRIDES, on newsstands May 11