While channel surfing I happened upon Gulston Dart's face on my television. He's apparently one of the new anchors for the local NBC affiliate in SF. When I interned at the ABC affiliate in Atlanta, Gulstan was just a peon with a funny name, following Monica Kaufman around. He was, though, probably the only reporter who would talk to interns and let them come along on stories.
I kind of feel like I should make a social call and take him out to Trader Joes or something. Maybe I can explain the lack of Chik-fil-A but abundance of In-n-Out. There are the same number of hyphens, Gulstan, but less number of Christians.
I'm also having some issues with reporters changing cities. I mean, I'm sure it's good for their career and all, but I really believed that Gulstan was a good southern boy (I mean, what gentlemen named Gulstan aren't?) with a vested interest in the water shortage in Atlanta. And now I'm just supposed to believe that he is a mountain-bike-riding, bay area hipster who is closely following the ban on plastic bags and state budget crisis? It's all just a bit much for a girl to handle.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
the anthropologie effect
In addition to eating better and exercising, I think my other new year resolution is to stop looking at wedding websites. Much like the eating of dairy and sitting on the couch, reading about other people's wedding, invitations, and flower arrangements makes me feel bad about myself.
In defense of wedding porn, I love that weddings are no longer super cheesy affairs that go from church to rented ballroom at the Sheraton with white wedding cakes covered in layers of frosting. I love that you can wear what you want, get married somewhere secular, and have tacos instead of salmon and grilled asparagus. And I love that people are using the tubes to share ideas and pictures and tips for supercool weddings. These are all very good things, and I'm glad this is the kind of world I'm getting married in.
What I don't like is, what I term, the anthropologie effect on weddings. This is when every detail of the wedding becomes important. From save the date to handkerchief to the damn envelope box, these wedding websites glorify the minutiae and make you feel like that damn envelope box defines who you are as a person, a couple, and a contributing member of the human race. It's just like an anthropologie store, which isn't just selling expensive sweaters that look second-hand; they are selling you a lifestyle, an identity, from the weathered wood table upon which the sweaters are displayed to the french nouveau cabinet holding mugs and saucers you can't afford (though they oddly all look like something you could find on ebay for 15 cents. but whatevs). And here's the tricky part: you buy the second-hand sweater for 120 bucks, thinking that it will transform your life into a foreign film from the 60s set in misty Amsterdam. But it doesn't. Because that one sweater for 120 bucks is going to be worn with your old jeans and scuffed shoes from Target while sitting in Ikea furniture. You can't have the anthropologie life just by buying one sweater.
These wedding websites do the same thing. You start to think that the quirky seating chart or the handmade cake topper will turn your wedding into something that should be featured in a catalogue. And these hip weddings with cool brides and grooms look like they were thrown together with a casual flick of the DIY wrist. But like that sneaky anthropologie shop, you realize the bride is a graphic designer who had all the tools to make her own paper goods, the groom is in a band, and they both make loads of money to spend on designer gowns and suits. It looks like flea market finds, but it is all top-dollar and it will make you feel bad about yourself.
So I'm done being told that any part of my wedding other than the guy standing next to me at the altar in any way defines me as a person. I want to show my guests a good time, and I want the whole thing to feel right for me and the mister, but I'm not looking for any more 'inspiration'. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm not even using any of the ideas I've seen on those websites.
Goodbye bklynbride, snippet, and styleme. It was a fun jaunt into the land of delusion, but I'm happy to be getting back to a surfing routine of msn hot gossip and merlin mann. those are ideals I can live up to.
In defense of wedding porn, I love that weddings are no longer super cheesy affairs that go from church to rented ballroom at the Sheraton with white wedding cakes covered in layers of frosting. I love that you can wear what you want, get married somewhere secular, and have tacos instead of salmon and grilled asparagus. And I love that people are using the tubes to share ideas and pictures and tips for supercool weddings. These are all very good things, and I'm glad this is the kind of world I'm getting married in.
What I don't like is, what I term, the anthropologie effect on weddings. This is when every detail of the wedding becomes important. From save the date to handkerchief to the damn envelope box, these wedding websites glorify the minutiae and make you feel like that damn envelope box defines who you are as a person, a couple, and a contributing member of the human race. It's just like an anthropologie store, which isn't just selling expensive sweaters that look second-hand; they are selling you a lifestyle, an identity, from the weathered wood table upon which the sweaters are displayed to the french nouveau cabinet holding mugs and saucers you can't afford (though they oddly all look like something you could find on ebay for 15 cents. but whatevs). And here's the tricky part: you buy the second-hand sweater for 120 bucks, thinking that it will transform your life into a foreign film from the 60s set in misty Amsterdam. But it doesn't. Because that one sweater for 120 bucks is going to be worn with your old jeans and scuffed shoes from Target while sitting in Ikea furniture. You can't have the anthropologie life just by buying one sweater.
These wedding websites do the same thing. You start to think that the quirky seating chart or the handmade cake topper will turn your wedding into something that should be featured in a catalogue. And these hip weddings with cool brides and grooms look like they were thrown together with a casual flick of the DIY wrist. But like that sneaky anthropologie shop, you realize the bride is a graphic designer who had all the tools to make her own paper goods, the groom is in a band, and they both make loads of money to spend on designer gowns and suits. It looks like flea market finds, but it is all top-dollar and it will make you feel bad about yourself.
So I'm done being told that any part of my wedding other than the guy standing next to me at the altar in any way defines me as a person. I want to show my guests a good time, and I want the whole thing to feel right for me and the mister, but I'm not looking for any more 'inspiration'. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm not even using any of the ideas I've seen on those websites.
Goodbye bklynbride, snippet, and styleme. It was a fun jaunt into the land of delusion, but I'm happy to be getting back to a surfing routine of msn hot gossip and merlin mann. those are ideals I can live up to.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
is this thing on?
A couple weeks ago while reading my latest issue of Women's Health I discovered a marshmallow bon bon from See's candy stuck to my sleeve.
Perhaps it is time to renew the blog and keeping tabs on being healthy.
Did I fall off the vegan wagon? Not entirely...I kinda just walked beside it for a little while. Not to sound like a wimp, but traveling and being vegan don't so much go together. I also don't like to ask people to completely readjust their world because I would like to avoid dairy. So I'm not a wimp. I'm polite. Basically I'm still vegan when I cook for myself and pretty much when I eat out all depending on circumstances. Birthday brownies for the boy from the future mother-in-law? How could I say no?
While the all-or-nothing approach definitely worked for a period of time last year, I think my new, adjusted, realistic approach is to never be completely vegan but self conscious about what I choose to eat (or wear) and how it makes me feel. I learned the hard way that two weeks of pasta and red wine topped with veg chili and indian from a box doesn't make me feel good. Shocking, I know. Tofu and vegetables have yet to give me any reason to complain. I'm also trying to get back into regular exercising. The fall was filled with travels and guests and snow on the mountain...i.e., endless reasons to not go out for a run. I'm sorry, did I say run? I meant walk with increased pace down hills. But armed with a wii fit, my disturbingly attractive wii fit coach, and a damned wedding dress fitting on the horizon, I'm feeling optimistic.
So I'm back to blog about matters mostly vegan, mildly bridal, and mainly trivial.
I want to close my first post of the new year with this realization: there is a fine line between interval training and being out of shape.
Perhaps it is time to renew the blog and keeping tabs on being healthy.
Did I fall off the vegan wagon? Not entirely...I kinda just walked beside it for a little while. Not to sound like a wimp, but traveling and being vegan don't so much go together. I also don't like to ask people to completely readjust their world because I would like to avoid dairy. So I'm not a wimp. I'm polite. Basically I'm still vegan when I cook for myself and pretty much when I eat out all depending on circumstances. Birthday brownies for the boy from the future mother-in-law? How could I say no?
While the all-or-nothing approach definitely worked for a period of time last year, I think my new, adjusted, realistic approach is to never be completely vegan but self conscious about what I choose to eat (or wear) and how it makes me feel. I learned the hard way that two weeks of pasta and red wine topped with veg chili and indian from a box doesn't make me feel good. Shocking, I know. Tofu and vegetables have yet to give me any reason to complain. I'm also trying to get back into regular exercising. The fall was filled with travels and guests and snow on the mountain...i.e., endless reasons to not go out for a run. I'm sorry, did I say run? I meant walk with increased pace down hills. But armed with a wii fit, my disturbingly attractive wii fit coach, and a damned wedding dress fitting on the horizon, I'm feeling optimistic.
So I'm back to blog about matters mostly vegan, mildly bridal, and mainly trivial.
I want to close my first post of the new year with this realization: there is a fine line between interval training and being out of shape.
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