Bookworm Meets Bookworm: life

Showing posts with label life. Show all posts

2.13.2014

Ditching the Plan (or How We Cancelled Our Wedding)

We've slashed our plans for a big wedding down south. We cancelled the venue, regrettably informed the photographer, and had to break the news gently to all of our loving family members and friends. We faced disappointment* from everyone involved and lost a good chunk of change on all the down payments. And while it was tough, I am, I REPEAT, I am so incredibly happy that we've said NO to a wedding.

We're still getting married. I'll still be using my dress and my pretty shoes. Hell, I might even change my last name. (Still an ongoing debate in my head.) But we'll be doing it in London, England!

It's been years since I've been out of the country, and much longer since I've visited one of my favorite cities, London, so it felt like the perfect decision. And the mister will be leaving the US of A for Europe for the first time, so it seemed like it would be even more special to see some favorite sites and then do some exploring in cities neither of us have been to. We'll visit London, Paris, and Edinburgh during our week long celebration.

We're in the process of booking the lovely Tori Hancock to document the day with her sharp and dreamy eye, and we'll be holding a symbolic ceremony with just the two of us in a location we've yet to choose. We've thrown ideas out: parks, ancient book stores, a bridge, but just haven't decided. We'll top it off with champagne and cake at a swanky establishment and reflect on all of our blessings.

I really give it to all the ladies and gentlemen who are currently planning their own vow exchange and commend them for their patience and vision. I just couldn't do it. It's so much work and tons of money and sometimes that stress is enough to break you. And because the wedding should be a day to celebrate the commitment of one individual to another, the promise to love and endure all storms till eternity, we recognized that doing what was most comfortable and doable for us would be the most beneficial in the long run. So cheers to London and a life together!

While we've been keeping our own running list of places to go and things to do, I'd love suggestions you might have to make this special trip even more so! Cheers!

All images by: www.MySweetTeaPhoto.com
Lisa Marie's full London spread can be found on the Entouriste site.

*I should note that our family and friends were very supportive of our decision to do what was best for us. I think it goes without saying that there would be the normal disappointment of not sharing that day together.

5.14.2013

A Post: Wedding Bells & Other Jazz

Hi! I'm going to come right out and say it: I don't know how to begin this post.

I've shared so many moments in my life these last three years and have always received encouragement and support, so thanks! Especially since most of us have never met in real life. To state something I've said again and again, it's just one of the reasons I'm so happy I decided to start blogging. You guys are awesome!

I'm actually bringing good news despite what the introduction might suggest. You see, I'm still somewhat in a haze of what this transition means (if anything) and can barely accept the enormity of the task that now lies ahead.

So... here it is: I'm an engaged woman! Yes, we've gone and done it. J got down on one knee and stumbled through all the things he had planned to say to me in that moment. We were shaking and blushing. It was clumsy and completely awkward and perfectly perfect for us. To say I'm happy is an understatement.

I'm just going to give a short bio: J and I are the type of couple most people hate. Hey, you've probably thought it yourself once or twice while reading something gushy I've shared. No shame. Some examples: we haven't used our real names to address one another since we met (our families find this especially entertaining), we make up new nicknames for one another (and our cats) every couple of months, we frequently hug, kiss, and even slow dance in the aisles of the grocery store (SERIOUS PDA), and have an arsenal of inside jokes and weird cat voices that no one finds funny except us. So! If you've decided to stop reading my blog from this point moving forward, I'll understand. However, we're generally really fun to be around and enjoy a good adventure.

We were introduced, through friends, four years ago and quickly realized we were kinda AWESOME together. We started hanging out A LOT and just decided to keep doing our thing, you know, together. And here we are.

I won't go into the details of how awkward we both were while Justin looked up at me from one knee, or discuss the way he barely managed to get the words out, or, you know, mention the fact that I had one new sandal on my right foot and a Van authentic on the other when he spun me around. Yes, all of these things are true. Honestly, it was a moment that passed before I even had a chance to grasp it. I can sit and mope about the fact that it was a total blur, or I can recognize that this just means I'm committing to years and years of these type of moments with this man for the rest of my life. I'm going with the latter with an occasional mope.

SO... I've just emailed a venue about dates! Can you believe that? I didn't even think about it until every person we shared the news with immediately questioned when they would be expecting an invite. Yeah, we didn't really think that far ahead. To be perfectly honest, I haven't been planning this day since I was a little girl. Now it's in front of us and I refuse to let what lies ahead lead to a level of stress that is beyond healthy, or forget what the whole thing is really all about (a really epic PARTY!!). Ok, ok... A commitment and love and all the other important stuff.

For now, I'll look at places to have it. I'll stare at my obnoxiously fancy ring. Dream of all the beautiful dresses I'll soon be trying on. And then continue to put off all the other detail stuff until a much later date.

Without further ado, here are some gratuitous photos of the stunning sparkler I'll be sporting from now on:

To a life filled with happiness and love!

12.28.2011

A Review: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

"The noise was constantly distracting, at times suffocating."

Once again, I've been blown away by Lahiri's work. My introduction to Lahiri's work was The Namesake, which I will tell you, I absolutely adore. I found that often, when I discussed really enjoying said title, I'd receive an automatic recommendation for this collection of short stories. I was so glad to be able to share the experience with my reading group, because it was such a beautiful work, and was really enjoyed by all. I feel that even with the amount of time we devoted to discussing this collection, there is much to be ascertained upon subsequent reads. (And I will be rereading it.)

Lahiri is certainly a master of language. She so brilliantly constructs a very real environment, with a large and varied cast of characters. Her constructions are fastidious without being superfluous and taxing. I felt that each character was smartly designed and used to help maintain a certain flow from one story to the next.

This title, comprised of nine short stories, moves between the lives of those living in India, those from India that have recently relocated to America and those with interactions with these individuals. Once again, Lahiri's work heavily focuses on the changes that one experiences when moving out of their comfort zone. Individuals facing a culture that is so very foreign, while remaining loyal to their own traditions and expectations. Because Lahiri sets the reader up with glimpses into the lives of those within the confines of a static community, and those moving outside of these constructions, the reader recognizes this dichotomy for comparative purposes. Furthermore, Lahiri effectively brings attention to intimate details of daily life that are often overlooked.

Lahiri is also able to manipulate the perspective of the Christian reader, when she introduces a young, second generation Indian couple, who purchase a home in New England. When Twinkle, an eccentric wife, finds small religious relics throughout the house, and begins to display them on the mantle, the Christian objects become exotic and "collectible." Despite protestations from her husband, who begins questioning the marriage, Twinkle does not relent. We see that our character simultaneously begrudges his more "Americanized" wife, and fears losing his Indian identity, despite being out of touch with many traditions himself. It speaks volumes about millions of second and third generation Americans, who battle maintaining an identity through tradition, while growing up in another society. "This Blessed House" quickly became one of my favorite stories of the book.

Lahiri manages to seize the reader and explore worlds of love and loss, fear and despair. The last story manages to really pull the whole thing together, with a heartfelt conclusion, while juxtaposing two characters that represent very different ways of moving through life. All in all, I really believe that Lahiri wanted to stress that while you may encounter many changes in your life, there are some things you'll never let go of, and those that you'll embrace with arms wide open. And that is the beauty of this collection.

One of my favorite passages:

Whenever he is discouraged, I tell him that if I can survive on three continents, then there is no obstacle he cannot conquer [...] Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination.

I highly recommend Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies.

1.27.2011

Lovely Little Endeavors

The weekend offers me the chance to do all the things I dream about during the work week. I like to visit my family. Decorate my home. Whip up new dishes. And, occasionally, leave the homestead to sip warmth in pretty little tea cups.

When my nose isn't stuck in a book, I do things. Camera at my side.

Here's a look at last weekend in anticipation of the coming break from the 8 to 5:

I. Tea Party

II. Trips to the Market and a Teeny, Tiny Kitchen

III. Nana and Papa and the Vast Space They Inhabit

Ah, fresh air. And flowers. And herbs for baking. And tea for drinking.

"I was something that lay under the sun and felt it, like the pumpkins, and I did not want to be anything more. I was entirely happy. Perhaps we feel like that when we die and become a part of something entire, whether it is sun and air, or goodness and knowledge. At any rate, that is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great." - My Antonia

12.30.2010

My Year in Reading: 2010

This year has been quite unforgettable. So much has changed in my life:

I found a full-time job. I decided to share a home with my sweetheart. I adopted two cats. I started this blog. I created two book clubs in Atlanta--one with local females, and one for a non-profit feminist medical center. My brother announced his family would be welcoming their first child. My aunt got engaged. I traveled. I baked. I started crafting again. I took lots of pictures. I spent time with friends, family and my darling.

And amidst all of this excitement I also found time to read. The fact that I could have read much more is irrelevent. Once I remembered how much I loved the printed word and decided to make reading a regular stint in my routine, I created Bookworm Meets Bookworm, which has introduced me to wonderful people and MUST READ literature.

Read in 2010: