the wedding guest: more dresses (Christine & Marshall)

Liz Claiborne to the rescue by jasmined featuring Nina shoes

I didn’t mention these Liz Claiborne dresses, which I ordered over the weekend, in my previous post on the subject of what I was going to wear to Christine & Marshall’s wedding because:

1. I didn’t think they’d arrive in time for me to consider them as viable options for the wedding
2. The Old Navy dresses are just do damn cute.

But UPS and Liz Claiborne’s speedy shipping (which was free!) endeavored to give me more options, this time with fuller skirts that conceal hidden pockets! These dresses are also a little roomier on top, but they looked good when I modeled them in a lunchtime fashion show in the ladies room at work. What to do! Bring them all and I’ll figure it out Saturday morning in my hotel room? Or pull the trigger tonight while I’m packing (and wondering why mousse doesn’t come in travel size cans).

crazy for blue

crazy for blue by jasmined

My red Keds arrived today. I love them. That is all.

the wedding guest (Christine & Marshall)

the wedding guest (Christine & Marshall) by jasmined

I wasn’t sure about what to wear to Christine & Marshall’s wedding this weekend. The bridal shower was last weekend and when Christine showed us the bridesmaid dresses,  I panicked because I thought my yellow cotton would be too casual.

I’d already spent the previous evening trying on plus-size party dresses at Nordstrom and that was no fun. I was bloated, sweaty, and in a grump. The Nordstrom dresses tended to be polyester, heavy, and cheap. I felt myself in bind, literally and figuratively. I actually liked this dress, with its rhinestone-bedecked illusion neckline, but it felt heavy. And I looked kind of sad wearing it. I’ve also noticed that some dresses just look plain weird when my hair is short.

I probably should have visited Vive La Femme but I woke up late Sunday and didn’t have time to shop before joining Andrew, Rozi, and little Nathan for dinner. I spent some time Monday browsing for dresses on-line as well as soliciting advice from friends via Facebook.

Amy pointed me towards this blue floral print dress from Old Navy (pictured above, left). Could it work? I got to try it on last night and had success — not only did it fit, but it looked cute. Just the thing for a day wedding. But what about the late afternoon/evening reception? Well, that’s where this navy shift dress (pictured above, right) takes over. By themselves, they’re casual but with the right accessories (and a good ironing) they should be appropriate for a wedding and wedding reception.

But if I’m wrong, I might fold and bring this ($275!) Amanda Uprichard dress as a backup.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Mom & Dad
Originally uploaded by jasmined

I hope you don’t mind that I haven’t gotten you a present yet. Or that I didn’t go to church this week, last week, or the week before that.

I thought it was okay that I haven’t given you grandchildren to spoil though to be fair I have four other siblings who could take care of that.

I’m sorry I haven’t sent back your terno, especially since it doesn’t fit me anymore. But I have this crazy idea that if I get married I’d wear it or get another terno made in my size to resemble it, and then you would wear yours and we freak everybody out with our mother-daughter awesomeness. Though I guess we’d have to get matching dresses for Joseline and Jacqueline so they wouldn’t feel left out.

I still have all the pictures I took from your photo album, and I promise that I will send them back as soon as I scan them. So all the world can see the crazy outfits you made me wear when I was little. I mean, who makes her daughters wear velveteen short pant suits during a summer trip to Baguio City?

I wonder if I get my sense of glamor and appreciation of camp from you. I love puns like Dad does, but the way certain words sound so funny that you can’t stop saying them to yourself or anybody else when you’re not writing them on every flat surface you can find? I blame you. I mean, I thank you.

I wish I’d gone through with that debut you wanted to give but could little afford. Why don’t we do it when I turn 38? That would be awesome and not totally “Miss Havisham from ‘Great Expectations'”-like at all!

I hope I get over my dislike of talking on the telephone so we can talk more. Only as long as you promise not to gossip about me to people I don’t even know. Gossiping to people I do know, that’s okay. It’s your birthday after all.

Love,
Jasmine

the Boy in Red Pants

ready… steady…
Originally uploaded by jasmined

We’d just had dinner at The Orange Garden. Orange chicken, sesame chicken (my favorite), garlic beef (my second favorite), pork fried rice, egg rolls. Plenty of food, so I definitely needed that walk home afterwards.

At first this video was called “Nathan walks” because it features Nathan, you know, walking. Then I decided I like the sound of “the Boy in Red Pants” better because it reminds me of the Boy with Purple Socks from Harriet The Spy.

Maria & her diploma

Maria & her diploma
Originally uploaded by jasmined

So. Maria started college with me in the early 90s. She had to take a break for a few years, then eventually made her way back to school, worked her ass off, and graduated in 2003. For some reason, there was a kerfuffle that wasn’t a kerfuffle but she still ended up not getting her diploma.

Until today. A quick visit to the University registrar, where her diploma was rescued from the safe where it’s been waiting all this time.

Congrats, Maria!

view from my morning shower

view from my morning shower
Originally uploaded by jasmined

Maria and I finally used the pool at the hotel this morning. Now that the weekend crowds are gone, we had the pool to ourselves. Maria swam while I worked on my non-existent stroke and did lunges up and down the length of the pool. Alas, no pictures of us in our bathing suits.

I took a quick shower in the locker room so I could stare out this window and think about what to do with my day.

i think the picture speaks for itself

sunwashed
Originally uploaded by jasmined

Mom, me, and Dad, as snapped in the Sierra Mist Sun Wash – listen to some music, look at groovy fake flowers, and then get your picture taken and printed by the laptop wielding dude at the end of the, um, “experience”.

America wow!

Mary-Lou Davila Scores a Perfect 10!!
Originally uploaded by jeff.ramone

Seriously, happy July Fourth everybody. Enjoy your barbecues and your fireworks and your flags. Just try not to blow up any body parts. Yay!

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