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A display that the Natural History Museum whose relevance to history I don't really understand but find humorous
Backstory:
Huge cities intimidate me. New York, Paris, London, LA, etc. I love visiting them but their chaotic and bustling nature can really fluster and overwhelm my inner country girl at times. Places like Seattle and Glasgow feel perfect to me. Big enough to have lots of culture and interesting things going on, but not so big as to feel impersonal. The boy’s best opportunity for a job (after he graduates in 2011) will certainly be in London however, and he is quite keen on relocating. An idea I certainly wasn’t sold on.
Real story:
Our weekend in “The Big Smoke” began with one flustered and anxious girl and one (thankfully) travel-savvy boy hopping around on the underground at rush hour with a bunch of bags. Buckets of fun.
Then, upon meeting our hosts (the boy’s best man and his girlfriend, from now on referred to as L and J) I discovered that no one but me was at all interested in hitting the major tourist spots which made me feel a bit like the stupid American girl who’d never been anywhere.
It all turned out fabulously though because L&J took us through some amazing back street markets and areas that I’d definitely would have never found on my own (and was too busy enjoying myself to take pictures of!). Then the next day when L&J had to work, the boy and I set off on our own tourist-hot-spot-inspired traipse around London. Best of both worlds.
And now I have to say I’ve become quite enamoured with the place and am actually quite looking forward to making it my home in a few years time! Enough talk, now pictures!
like the occassionally picture happy tourist I am, I took a ton of pics of Tower Bridge but I'll show you just my favorite from a nice sunny day
The Globe Theater
a cute little alley on the way to the Design Museum
How cool are these coffee machines from the Dieter Rams exhibition at the Design Museum
another one from the Design Museum, 70's hairdryers
The Gherkin!
The squirrels in Hyde Park are not shy!
Buckingham Palace, I have better pictures but they have me in them..
Big Ben
I couldn't get far enough away to do this building justice but you get the idea. MASSIVE and wonderfully ornate
Escalator in the the center of the Earth!
I’ve got way more pictures but I think that will conclude our visual tour through my recent memories of London.
Thought I put this picture up ages ago, guess not! The dress with tulle underskirt and faux-fur stole
I won’t be wearing the faux-fur stole during the ceremony but I love the thing! The little hanging ball/tassles are detachable though and I can’t decide if i want to leave them or get a brooch instead..hmmm..
And with 17 days left till go time, the to do list is frightfully short and on one hand I feel like we kick ass for not having tons of last minute things to do. But on the other hand I feel like I must be forgetting lots of important things and deluding myself into a false sense of security…I’m the master procrastinator, how did this happen??
The stuff left is however, quite important but should be easy enough to accomplish in the week after Christmas once we return to Glasgow. Here’s what we got:
1. Drop off my engagement ring at the jewellers for polishing, pick up that and my wedding band as soon as its ready
2. Pick up the boy’s suit from the tailors
3. Decide on where to have the rehearsal diner (we did leave this one a bit late but seeing as it’ll be a small group, shouldn’t be a problem)
4. Write our vows and put finishing touches on the ceremony
5. Do a practice run with my hair/makeup
6. Meet with the events coordinator for final decisions on chair arrangement etc.
7. Find some tea pots to borrow
8. Work out final details with the sound guys
9. Pick up wedding schedule from the registrar
10. Finish off reception playlist/pick songs for ceremony
And thats about it! Thankfully we finished our Christmas shopping and present wrapping a couple of days ago as well, so the next week or so should be fairly relaxing.
The flaws of having a wedding so close to the holidays are becoming glaringly obvious however. Not being able to keep away from sweets has always been my downfall and now it’s near impossible, especially since we’re staying with the boy’s parents and I can’t just refuse to keep them in the house to avoid temptation like we normally would. Being out of Glasgow also means no access to our gym. Thank god for Spanx!
And speaking of Spanx, their arrival in the post marked the completion of my wedding outfit! I have to say the hardest piece to track down was definitely a bra that worked with my dress. I needed something strapless that would keep my…lets say volumptuous..bangers in check, low cut in the back, what they call ‘plunging’ aka won’t show when worn with a deep v-neck dress, and doesnt ride up my armpits (being short gives you that problem). And of course after endless hours of shopping around Glasgow and searching for this mecca of a bra, I end up ordering one I’d tried on at David’s Bridal in the States this past summer! Go figure.
We’re on the train down to London! My first time at the nations capital and also my first time meeting the boys best man! just in time too, seeing as the wedding is just round the corner..
We’ve been so busy wrapping up loose ends, that this is the first chunk of time I’ve had in a while with no tasks to be accomplished!
The biggest concern of late has been writing the ceremony, so reading this comic the other day was perfect timing:
The boy and I aren’t huge gamers but we are hoping to have similarly funny yet still cute vows.
I came across the Dr. Seuss vows ages ago and have been trying to talk him into using those, though without much success. They’re definitlt worth a read if you havent come across them yet:
Pastor: Will you answer me right now
These questions, as your wedding vow?
Groom: Yes, I will answer right now
Your questions as my wedding vow.
Pastor: Will you take her as your wife?
Will you love her all your life?
Groom: Yes, I take her as my wife,
Yes, I’ll love her all my life.
Pastor: Will you have, and also hold
Just as you have at this time told?
Groom: Yes, I will have, and I will hold,
Just as I have at this time told,
Yes, I will love her all my life
As I now take her as my wife.
Pastor: Will you love through good and bad?
Whether you’re happy or sad?
Groom: Yes, I’ll love through good and bad,
Whether we’re happy or sad,
Yes, I will have and I will hold
Just as I have already told,
Yes, I will love her all my life,
Yes, I will take her as my wife!
Pastor: Will you love her if you’re rich?
Or if you’re poor, and in a ditch?
Groom: Yes, I’ll love her if we’re rich,
And I will love her in a ditch,
I’ll love her through good times and bad,
Whether we are happy or sad,
Yes, I will have, and I will hold
(I could have sworn this has been told!)
I promise to love all my life
This woman, as my lawful wife!
Pastor: Will you love her when you’re fit,
And also when you’re feeling sick?
Groom: Yes, I’ll love her when we’re fit,
And when we’re hurt, and when we’re sick,
And I will love her when we’re rich
And I will love her in a ditch
And I will love through good and bad,
And I will love when glad or sad,
And I will have, and I will hold
Ten years from now a thousandfold,
Yes, I will love for my whole life
This lovely woman as my wife!
Pastor: Will you love with all your heart?
Will you love till death you part?
Groom: Yes, I’ll love with all my heart
From now until death do us part,
And I will love her when we’re rich,
And when we’re broke and in a ditch,
And when we’re fit, and when we’re sick,
(Oh, CAN’T we get this finished quick?)
And I will love through good and bad,
And I will love when glad or sad,
And I will have, and I will hold,
And if I might now be so bold,
I’ll love her my entire life,
Yes, I WILL take her as my wife!
Pastor: Then if you’ll take her as your wife,
And if you’ll love her all your life,
And if you’ll have, and if you’ll hold,
From now until the stars grow cold,
And if you’ll love through good and bad,
And whether you’re happy or sad,
And love in sickness, and in health,
And when you’re poor, and when in wealth,
And if you’ll love with all your heart,
From now until death do you part,
Yes, if you’ll love her through and through,
Please answer with these words:
Pastor and Groom: I DO!
Pastor: You’re married now! So kiss the bride,
But please, do keep it dignified.
I’ll admit they’re a bit long and overly repetitive, but I think it would be really fun to use if it were trimmed down a bit.
Though if all the wedding planning were up to just me the whole day would be a silly, lighthearted affair!
Man sitting under metal tree in Manchester
lovely countryside somewhere between Manchester and Glasgow from the train
sheep!
Wow. 45 Days till the wedding! If you subtract the 2 weeks or so the boy and I will be spending with his parents in Manchester (and will get nothing done), that leaves about 3 weeks of time in Glasgow to get our stuff together!
Since switching to ‘in to do list we trust’ method, we’ve been getting lots done but theres still quite a bit left. Luckily, two major items fell into place easier than we expected. We found pretty much all of our chintzy mismatched teacups at one charity shop (and boy are they cute..I’m kind of hoping people don’t take them home so I can keep them). I was expecting to have to trawl around for days finding them all.
And after a very disheartening shopping trip through all the major stores selling suits in Glasgow, we discovered that any suit the boy even remotely liked was way out of our budget. Who wants to feel like they’re in a mediocre outfit on their wedding day? I certainly didnt want him to feel like that so I suggested we have a poke around ebay and huzzah!! a £375 Ted Baker suit (the boy loves TB) in excellent condition for £100. We got it in the mail a few days later and it fits, and is indeed in fantastic condition. Fantastic.
After disovering that there was no way an off the shelf ring would fit with mine because of the unique shape and twists in the metal, we met up with the jewelIers who made it got a ring custom made to fit mine (its a unique shape with twists in the band) and I’d love to be able to show it to you and wear it but I’ll just have to wait..won’t be long now folks.
So thats pretty much all the major items slowly working themselves into place..the last really important thing on the list is writing the ceremony. Though I have to admit I’ve been putting it off because its such a daunting task and I rarely have large chunks of time to work on it. Clearly, with the days counting down I need to get on it!!
I finally found a power converter that fits with my cameras battery charger so you’re in for some picturey goodness! Also, the boy has this week off from school (its ‘reading week’ but none one seems to know why it is the students have off) so we’re kind of half lazing around, half getting things done around the apartment. I thought i’d use this time to take some random photos.
Ice Invaders!
An impulse buy from my trip to Borders for birthday cards. I was going to put these epic ice trays to use today but our freezer can only hold the mini tub of ice cream and coffee grounds. Guess I’ll have to just have to eat the ice cream.. By the way the picture on the back of the package is almost as awesome as the product itself:
high score in your highball!
We have a mail slot! I’ve always dreamed of having one, don’t ask me why. (forgive the big white boring door, if I had my way, I’d paint it red or something) Notice the ridiculous amount of locks and security measures on the door (theres 3 locks and 1 chain). We also have an ADT home alarm system. I’m convinced our land lady is extremely paranoid considering we live in a fairly nice neighborhood.
Over the last few weeks we’ve been working really hard to make the apartment feel like ‘us’ which turned out to be a lot harder than I imagined because the place is fully furnished and the landlady had a very odd sense of mismatched DIY style (theres a big red leather sofa and a green leather chair..who puts red and green right next to each other in a non-christmas setting?!?) The kitchen has turned out to be so cute however, that I’m constantly cleaning it up to keep it all purdy. Thats a good sign.
so in love with my new apron. stage right
Now I’m off to to get ready to have some amazingly delicious chai tea at Tchai-Ovna (highly recommend it to anyone else in Glasgow or planning on a visit– this is the place that inspired me to have tea at the wedding instead of cake. Yes, the tea is THAT good). Then later tonight The Shaky Hands at The Captains Rest!
Inspired by my new crafty friends and determined not to be the least convincing Victorian whore, I put more time and effort into my Halloween costume this year than I have in ages. We made plans to spend the evening with the boy’s former roommates who came up with a cunning plan to do something that catered to our nerdy tendencies but allowed us to keep it sexy. The boy would play the part of Jack the Ripper (he already had a top hat and waistcoat) and us three girls would be his victims.
Brilliant!
After kickstarting the night with home-made sangria, we couldnt help but get a little picture happy on our way out, staging scenes with one lifeless victim on a random stairway or gutter while the sillouette of Jack loomed in the shadows (the camera used wasn’t mine but once I have the photos I’ll definitlely post some). I love my new friends.
The rest of the evening didn’t pan out quite as well however. We had planned to dance and drink our prozzie hearts out at whichever venue seemed best for the job on Sauchiehall Street (the main ’strip’ in Glasgow, to explain it in Las Vegas terms) but apparently hundreds, if not a few thousand people had that very same idea. Now, in all my conversations leading up to the 31st, I was told that Halloween wasn’t nearly as big in the UK as in the States and was a relatively new addition to the calendar due entirely to seeing Americans dress up and trick-or-treat in movies and on tv.
So it was much to my surprise that every club on the street was packed to capacity and had lines of people trying to get in that wrapped around several blocks. After waiting in a couple lines without getting much of anywhere, we finally got into a place only to packed like sardines. Then waited at least 20 minutes to get our drinks which I’m convinced contained not a single drop of alcohol since 2 pitchers were drank between 3 of us in less time than it took to get the drinks. So much for trying to be being clever by ordering our drinks en masse to prevent waiting in line at the bar again!
In the end, we went back to the flat, drank wine, ate extremely tasty Asian food and played board games. Did I mention I love my friends?
Bellahouston Park, the path leading to the House for an Art Lover
Well, folks. I’ve been here in Glasgow for about 3 weeks now and slowly but surely the feeling of being a tourist and the general bewilderment about all the differences in the little things is wearing off. I’ve managed not to get hit by a single car when crossing the street (lets hope it stays that way..) and am learning to find my way around (with lots of help from google maps on my phone) despite the lack of a grid system and numbered streets that worked so well for me in Seattle.
Before I’d moved here, I heard that Glasgow had the best shopping in the UK outside of London and now being here, I totally believe it. On one hand, I love how easy it is to find reasonably priced and super fashionable clothes it is in this city, but equally frustrated with how difficult it is to find a decent pair of jeans that fit me properly! What gives Glasgow! Can’t complain too much though cause I’ve bought lots of amazing clothes (i was well overdue in updating my wardrobe) so far.
There are definitely some things that I find odd or frustrating,however.
1. How ultraconservative Brits seem to be with heat/hot water/electricity. Now, I’m all for conserving energy but these people take it to a whole new level. The heat is only turned on once you’re under a blanket on the couch and still cold, you program your water boiler thing to heat water only when you need it and heaven help me if I leave a lamp on once I’ve left a room!
2. How quietly people here speak. I definitely appreciate that people aren’t as loud mouthed as Americans can be, but it sure makes understanding a Glaswegian accent difficult if you can only hear it at a whisper. Especially for someone who’s been exposed to loud music all her life and doesn’t have the most fantastic hearing like me..
3. The council tax office was a beautiful old building and the people were polite and helpful! Not a complaint obviously, but definitely a far cry from all the government buildings I’ve been to in the US thats for sure.
I’m sure I’ll think of more comparisons and observations to relay in the future but for now I’ll leave you with some more pictures of the city on a beautiful day. 
Just a little update to say I GOT MY VISA! the wait is over my friends.
I’m hoppin on the next plane outta here and startin phase 2: life in Glasgow. Stay tuned!
For about as long as I can remember, I knew that my small conservative home town was not the place for me and in the years following high school, I moved as far away as my resources would allow. First to the opposite side of Pennsylvania, then to Wisconsin and most recently Seattle. Sidenote: Can ya tell I’m not a warm weather person?
Anyway, I absolutely do not regret leaving home but leaving my family is another thing. I always felt deeply guilty and worried about missing time with them that I’d never get back, especially my sister who is 18 years my junior and seems to be growing, maturing and doing new and infinitely cute things every time I see her. When she was first born, I dreamed of teaching her all about great indie music and imparting my love of books and helping her learn to challenge the norm. Basically being the coolest and best big sister evar.
One day it dawned on me how ridiculous this guilt was. One of the people that inspired me and I respected most was my black sheep uncle who had bolted out of this place at the same time in his life as I had. I only saw him maybe once a year at most, and yet! thats all it took for him to rock my world and make me reconsider everything I thought I knew.
So it turns out that that the best big sister, daughter, friend and *gasp* wife! I can be is the same me that isn’t going to turn down all these chances to see the world because of a silly little thing like guilt. Go figure.
99 days
I know the blog has been a bit text-heavy as of late which I fully plan to remedy when I get to the UK and actually start experiencing new things besides previously unheard of stress levels. But for now, I’ll tide you over, dear readers, with some pictures of things I’ve been raving about for ages. My wedding dress and the invites!
here she be!
Excuse the blurry faces of my sister and I, this girl likes her internet anonymity (don’t ask me why I felt the need to blur the back of my cousin’s head). Also, I’ve now got a big poofy white crinoline peticoat to go under it, to give it a big more drama and shape. Better non-cellphone pictures of that to come!
The invitations…
invites, rsvp card and envelopes
Just try to guess our names, I dare ya! (Both of them are fairly unusual so really, good luck)
I love the silver strands in the paper and the fact that its a bit pulpy and unrefined. The photo doesnt do the paper justice for sure.
How awesome is it that the rsvp looks like a luggage tag? Thats right. Pretty effin awesome.
the girl
the boy
