The One Where Amanda Got Jacked Up

In case you're confused by the title of this post, it's obvious you do not watch nearly enough Say Yes to the Dress. Because that is where you learn that when you go look at wedding dresses, the moment when the put the "bling" (... that word...) sash and the big veil and the, like, tiara in your hair is called getting jacked up. 

This past weekend, Amanda and I decided to take the bull by the horns and get out there and start looking at wedding dresses for her. Ya know, since she's engaged and all. We had appointments at 3 different bridal salons in San Diego. 

And lemme tell you... If you've never tried on wedding dresses before... IT IS SO FUN. I'm pretty sure Amanda ended up trying on about 50 dresses at the 3 places we went to. Totally got her cardio in for the day! We woke up to thunder (which I honest to god thought was an airplane since I haven't heard thunder in so long!) and a little rain, which cleared up by the time we left. Also, it's a good sign if you have rain on your wedding day (no matter what Alanis says) so it has to be good luck to be raining on your dress shopping day, right?

The first stop, The Bustle, had a very cute personalized sign welcoming us. We were the only people in the store during our appointment. Plus we got complimentary champagne and mini cupcakes. Luxe! 

                                   

                                   

We weren't allowed to take pics of the actual dresses in the boutique (so, yes, that last picture is technically not kosher), and the woman helping us was slightly robotic, but overall we enjoyed the experience. 

From there we headed to Here Comes the Bride. Much larger than The Bustle, with multiple girls there for appointments. It did kind of have a Say Yes to the Dress vibe going on. And there were some insanely expensive gowns (mostly hideous... Why is that?) including a Badgley Mischka with a literal disco ball hanging down the back. 

                                                

Sorry for the poor quality. That dangly thing in the middle? Disco ball. 

                                    

Amanda tried on some great dresses here. She asked me not to include pictures in this post so whatever dress she ends up choosing is a total surprise for everyone, but trust me - she looked amazing!! She tried on a couple dresses just for the heck of it, which is a great way to learn some styles can get immediately crossed off your list while others you never may have given a thought to could actually be very flattering on you. You never know! Plus, our consultant was obsessed with us and said she wished she could be invited to the wedding because we were so fun. #donthateuscuzyouaintus 

            

By the time we left, we were tired. But we pressed on to the last place, Isis Bridal Boutique. Which I picked solely because one of Amanda and Ross's dogs is named Isis. 

Also known as "Crazy Beast", "Icicle", and "GET OVER HERE"

 This was my favorite place of the day. Again, Amanda tried on a bunch of different gowns and literally looked like a bridal magazine model at one point. 

                                    

I am pretty proud of how this shot turned out!

                                  

                               

Though Amanda didn't buy a dress on Sunday, she definitely has a better idea of what she wants so when she goes shopping with her mom and sister, I bet she'll find The Dress now that she knows what she likes. I totally got teary eyed at a couple points seeing her as a BRIDE!                             

So... Then... I kept looking at this one dress. So I tried it on. Because #yolo. 

                                        

That expression on my face is a combination of "oh my god this is so weird seeing myself in a wedding dress" and "girl, you better take this dress off of me if you don't want me running out the door with it on my body." So now, when the time comes, I know I will probably want a dress like that one. I loved it! It had pockets!

After Isis, we were REALLY exhausted but a couple of giant burritos and some Starbucks later, we were ready to rally. And we went to the Dierks Bentley concert! We were 100% sober. Everyone else was not. This was amusing on multiple levels. Though we didn't stay the entire time, considering it was Sunday night. But, if Dierks mentioned ONE MORE TIME about how we were "the rowdiest crowd I've ever heard on a Sunday!" he was going to receive a strongly worded letter from me. But we managed to get a decent picture. And avoid getting rolled on by 2 people literally dry humping on the lawn. So... Success!

                   

Finally, in other news, I went to the Honda dealership yesterday afternoon to start negotiations with them about getting a new (at least new to me) car. I felt like Meg Ryan in that scene in You've Got Mail... "It's not personal, it's business. Go to the mattresses." 

However, the manager I met with was totally cool and assumed 100% responsibility for the incident and didn't tell me to "pound sand" (his words, not mine) so that was a relief. I am still weighing my options because, as my dad says, don't be surprised when you end up regretting your snap decisions, but hopefully I'll have an update and a new car to debut here soon! 

The One Where I Confess I Like to Eat Cool Whip From the Container

OK people, I had to TEAR myself away from Gillian Flynn's "Dark Places" to write this post, so if this seems haphazard or slightly rushed, it's only because I want to get back to my boookkkkkk...

Side note, if you haven't read anything by Gillian Flynn, do yourself a favor and read her fiction. It's very dark and, honestly, really effed up but so, so good!!! We read Gone Girl (her latest) for my book club a while ago and I literally finished it in like 36 hours. Today, on a trek to Costco (no drug-pusher sample ladies out on Tuesday night... holla!) I picked up her other two books at $8.99 each. Hello! Deal!

Even though it's only Tuesday this week has been ridiculous and insane. I left my house at 6 AM both Monday and this morning to drive out to Glendale and LA to meet with and observe teachers at two different schools. I love that my job enables me to get out and interact with real-life teachers in real-life classrooms and this week, I'm thinking about this a lot because it's Teacher Appreciation Week. Which, in my opinion, should be every week just like it should always be Military Personnel Appreciation Week, and Basically Every Service Person Appreciation Week Because For God's Sake Let's All Just Appreciate Each Other A Little More. 

... Anyway.


So, it's Teacher Appreciation Week and even though I myself am not and have never been a teacher, I appreciate the crap out of teachers and the work they do every single day with millions of kiddos in the US and across the globe. I have a lot of friends who are teachers, though, and I'm grateful that I know so many people who give so much of themselves for usually very little visible reward on a daily basis. I absolutely know that (one of) my calling(s) in life is to effect real change in our educational system and while I'm still figuring out what that means, and how to do it, I just know that in the interim, it's important for us all to acknowledge that being a teacher is some damn hard work and truly...

Now, in other news, the incomparable Lauren Backes...

Yep, totes stole this 100% Creeper Style from her Facebook profile pictures photo album... Didn't ask permission. If this pic disappears, it's because she's like "STOP stealing my pictures, asshole." If it stays, it's because she knows I stole it so the Internet/the 9 people who read this blog could see how lovely she is.

Anyway, Lauren Backes posted on my wall this HILARIOUS satire from The New Yorker about the average woman and her "wedding hair." Please read it here. I'll wait for you.

...

Even though I am nowhere close to getting married (Hi, I spent Saturday night watching Southland reruns and TEDTalks by myself in cutoff jorts eating Cool Whip out of the container) I feel like I'm at a place in my life where it's reasonable for me to be at least kind of mentally planning what I want my eventual wedding to look like and what kind of bride I want to be. 

My ideal ring... Kardashian sized, clearly. Tall girls need big rings, okayyyyyyyyy?

And as much as I hope and pray that I will be a cool bride, there's no guarantee I will not turn into the hypothetical narrator of that piece. I've seen even the most sane of ladies become Bridezillas the day that ring gets placed on their finger, so let's not pretend it's not possible. But at the same tiiiiiime, I have such an aversion to doing a wedding described as "rustic" or "country" and my hair is not long enough for an updo and I know that my hair person, Mary Beth, would slap me if I came to her asking for all of that ridiculousness in one hairdo, so I guess the odds of me actually becoming that person are minimal. But please don't hate me (too much) if I do. 

I like literally cannot stop looking over at my book that is patiently waiting for me by our comfy reading chair so I think I will leave it at this and report back once I've finished the book. 

NancePants, out.