Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Love for Lokomotiv Bracelets
It was just announced today that us wives and girlfriends of the Binghamton Senators will be selling bracelets at the games this weekend, the 28th and 29th. Go here to read the announcement. NHL and AHL wives have been selling the bracelets during games all season long doing their part to help the families of those affected by the tragedy. If you can't make it to the games in Binghamton and you can't get to any of the other team's games on dates they are selling bracelets please consider going to www.loveforlokomotiv.com and purchasing bracelets from there. They are also selling semi-precious jade beaded bracelets for $50 for adult sizes and $25 for child sizes. Not sure if your hometown team is selling bracelets at an upcoming game? Check out @Love4Lokomotiv on twitter here as they update when all NHL and AHL teams will be selling bracelets. Also check out their facebook page here for information as well! Thank you to all who have purchased a bracelet already and thank you to everyone who will purchase one in the future!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Halloween Costume Rant
Let me start off by saying that I LOVE Halloween. It's right up there on the list of my favorite days of the year behind my birthday, Christmas, and the upcoming wedding day. I just love dressing up and getting to be someone else for a few hours. And I'll also take just about any excuse for a party, haha. There is just one problem.....the costumes.
I've had this conversation with numerous people numerous times in the last week. When did Halloween become a holiday that was only meant for people that are a size 2 and have no body issues? It's ridiculous how difficult it is to find a costume being sold in stores for female adults that isn't completely slutty, showing off all of your business for the world to see.
Three years ago I ordered a costume that I never wore because my ass was hanging out. Literally. Two years ago I bought a costume that I had to wear leggings under so that I could walk without flashing everyone. I've bought costumes in sizes way above what I wear and then pin them in the back to make them fit, just so that the skirt portion will cover me. This year I managed to find a costume that covered me, but sitting and bending over to pick anything up were not options. There was no room for error, and if it had been windy outside, I was in trouble.
You also can't even get an authentic costume anymore. So what do you want to be? A Disney Princess? Sure, we got that. Let's just hem the skirt until your butt shows, lower the neckline until you need double sided tape to keep your boobs from popping out, and a corset style back that won't completely close, no matter how tiny you are. Wait, you mean to tell me that Belle's dress actually reached the floor? She only had subtle cleavage? There was no corset?!
Look, I understand the need for sexy/slutty (depending on how far you want to go) Halloween costumes. I see nothing wrong with the fact that they exist. I've chosen costumes for that very reason, because that was the vibe I wanted that year. What I don't like, is that in order to find costumes that aren't sexy/slutty, you need to search, sometimes for long periods of time, on the internet. Then you need to order them and hope that they'll get there in time, and they'll actually fit. You shouldn't have to plan a costume so far in advance that you have time to return something via mail that you ordered and still be able to get Plan B in time for the party.
For example, I was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz for the team Halloween party this year. I wanted to look authentically Dorothy. You know, high neck, dress below my knees, socks under my shoes, sleeves that went to my elbows. Mike was the Tin Man, and he looked exactly like the Tin Man, down to the button details and the bow tie. If he was going to look authentic, then so was I. Problem was, we didn't decide what to be until a week before the party, so I had to buy my costume at a store, and couldn't order the most authentic one I could find off the internet. I also can't sew, so making my own was not an option. I ended up with a costume that vaguely resembled the dress Dorothy wore. If I hadn't walked in with Mike and been wearing sparkly red shoes (yes, I clicked my heels together multiple times), my drindl style neckline, and too short to move much dress with puffy sleeves and an apron may have been misconstrued as something else.
You also better not have any body issues whatsoever if you buy a costume from the store. You're not going to hide much, and there's just no way around it. Don't like your legs? You better be able to put a pair of leggings underneath the skirt. Not a fan of your cleavage hanging out? Maybe you should just make your own costume. Don't like to show off your midsection? Maybe you should just put a sheet over your body and be a ghost.
Bottom line is that there should be a variety of costumes for women in stores. Not everyone has the ability to make their own costumes and they have to buy them. Not everyone has the confidence to do sexy/slutty and they should be able to find costumes that fit and look good when they walk into a Halloween store. Sometimes it's just not appropriate to wear something sexy/slutty. What happened to options?
And on a related note, why can't costumes that you buy in the store be true to size? I'm baffled that a costume labeled for sizes 6-10 wouldn't even go over my hips. Now I realize I'm not supermodel thin, but come on. Within the last few weeks I had to find out the right size I needed for my wedding dress, so I know what my measurements are. There's no way that should have happened. I was actually worried about it being too big. I also can't get over that the costume that did end up fitting me perfectly in the waist and hips was way too big in the chest. I spent the whole night pulling it up so my bra wasn't hanging out. There was nothing proportional about that costume. Figure it out, costume companies!
On a side note, I'm almost positive that Mike and I know what we'll be for Halloween for the next two years. The only issue is going to be which one we'll be next year, and which one we'll be the year after. I hope you all enjoy your costume rental/making/purchase and have a Happy Halloween!
I've had this conversation with numerous people numerous times in the last week. When did Halloween become a holiday that was only meant for people that are a size 2 and have no body issues? It's ridiculous how difficult it is to find a costume being sold in stores for female adults that isn't completely slutty, showing off all of your business for the world to see.
Three years ago I ordered a costume that I never wore because my ass was hanging out. Literally. Two years ago I bought a costume that I had to wear leggings under so that I could walk without flashing everyone. I've bought costumes in sizes way above what I wear and then pin them in the back to make them fit, just so that the skirt portion will cover me. This year I managed to find a costume that covered me, but sitting and bending over to pick anything up were not options. There was no room for error, and if it had been windy outside, I was in trouble.
You also can't even get an authentic costume anymore. So what do you want to be? A Disney Princess? Sure, we got that. Let's just hem the skirt until your butt shows, lower the neckline until you need double sided tape to keep your boobs from popping out, and a corset style back that won't completely close, no matter how tiny you are. Wait, you mean to tell me that Belle's dress actually reached the floor? She only had subtle cleavage? There was no corset?!
Look, I understand the need for sexy/slutty (depending on how far you want to go) Halloween costumes. I see nothing wrong with the fact that they exist. I've chosen costumes for that very reason, because that was the vibe I wanted that year. What I don't like, is that in order to find costumes that aren't sexy/slutty, you need to search, sometimes for long periods of time, on the internet. Then you need to order them and hope that they'll get there in time, and they'll actually fit. You shouldn't have to plan a costume so far in advance that you have time to return something via mail that you ordered and still be able to get Plan B in time for the party.
For example, I was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz for the team Halloween party this year. I wanted to look authentically Dorothy. You know, high neck, dress below my knees, socks under my shoes, sleeves that went to my elbows. Mike was the Tin Man, and he looked exactly like the Tin Man, down to the button details and the bow tie. If he was going to look authentic, then so was I. Problem was, we didn't decide what to be until a week before the party, so I had to buy my costume at a store, and couldn't order the most authentic one I could find off the internet. I also can't sew, so making my own was not an option. I ended up with a costume that vaguely resembled the dress Dorothy wore. If I hadn't walked in with Mike and been wearing sparkly red shoes (yes, I clicked my heels together multiple times), my drindl style neckline, and too short to move much dress with puffy sleeves and an apron may have been misconstrued as something else.
You also better not have any body issues whatsoever if you buy a costume from the store. You're not going to hide much, and there's just no way around it. Don't like your legs? You better be able to put a pair of leggings underneath the skirt. Not a fan of your cleavage hanging out? Maybe you should just make your own costume. Don't like to show off your midsection? Maybe you should just put a sheet over your body and be a ghost.
Bottom line is that there should be a variety of costumes for women in stores. Not everyone has the ability to make their own costumes and they have to buy them. Not everyone has the confidence to do sexy/slutty and they should be able to find costumes that fit and look good when they walk into a Halloween store. Sometimes it's just not appropriate to wear something sexy/slutty. What happened to options?
And on a related note, why can't costumes that you buy in the store be true to size? I'm baffled that a costume labeled for sizes 6-10 wouldn't even go over my hips. Now I realize I'm not supermodel thin, but come on. Within the last few weeks I had to find out the right size I needed for my wedding dress, so I know what my measurements are. There's no way that should have happened. I was actually worried about it being too big. I also can't get over that the costume that did end up fitting me perfectly in the waist and hips was way too big in the chest. I spent the whole night pulling it up so my bra wasn't hanging out. There was nothing proportional about that costume. Figure it out, costume companies!
On a side note, I'm almost positive that Mike and I know what we'll be for Halloween for the next two years. The only issue is going to be which one we'll be next year, and which one we'll be the year after. I hope you all enjoy your costume rental/making/purchase and have a Happy Halloween!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Back to Normal
Well, sort of. I got into Binghamton last Friday in time for opening night of the regular season. I headed over to the rink early to take in the atmosphere of attending my first Calder Cup banner raising, even if Mike wasn't a part of it last year. I took some time to just walk around my new home rink and check it out. It's an older rink, which means it's not exactly nice, but it has tons of character. One side of the rink is straight windows so you can just hang out on the concourse and look out over the city. The seats are right on top of the ice and the acoustics are pretty great. Combine that with being a small rink that looks close to full with fans each night, and it's a cool place to watch a game.
We got our place on Monday and officially moved into it on Tuesday. It's close to the rink, and super easy to get between the two which makes my life much easier than last year when I had to leave half an hour before game time to make the puck drop. Parking isn't all that fun, and I'm pretty sure I was parked illegally last night, but I'm sure I'll figure it out once I get a little more accustomed to the area.
We have a pretty nice size fenced in back yard for Bauer to run around in which makes him happy. There's also an insane amount of squirrels running around our yard which makes Bauer even happier. I don't know that anything, besides maybe food, gets him more excited than chasing squirrels. He's still getting used to the new place, noises still make him jump, but he went nuts playing with toys the last two days so that's a sign that he's settling in.
The place was mostly furnished when we moved in, which made life easy for the most part. The only thing is that the kitchen was full of stuff, and we have our own things. Right now our kitchen is a disaster while we figure out what to do with the stuff that was here so we can put away our pots, pans, and dishes. I'm so ready for a good home cooked meal right about now. We cook almost every day, rarely going out to eat, so eating nothing but restaurant food is really getting to me.
It's just nice to be back together as a family again. The unpacking is done (except for the kitchen) and we're back to spending our days like we normally do. I no longer have to live out of a suitcase like I did for the past month, and I don't have to plan out a time to talk to Mike each day. I also have a job interview next week, so I'm excited about that.
The girls here all seem really great. They've been a pretty big help on learning things about the area, the team, and so on for us new girls that are here. It seems like we'll have a good group that lives here all year and an equally good group that will be in and out visiting. We've also already started planning the different charity events we're going to do throughout the year to benefit numerous charities. This is really the first time we've been with a team that allows us so much free reign to do what we want in the community, which is awesome.
The final details have just been ironed out on our Love for Lokomotiv bracelet sales. I'm just waiting on the team to give me the okay to make the announcement, so keep an eye out for that. Hopefully we'll have an announcement soon!
We got our place on Monday and officially moved into it on Tuesday. It's close to the rink, and super easy to get between the two which makes my life much easier than last year when I had to leave half an hour before game time to make the puck drop. Parking isn't all that fun, and I'm pretty sure I was parked illegally last night, but I'm sure I'll figure it out once I get a little more accustomed to the area.
We have a pretty nice size fenced in back yard for Bauer to run around in which makes him happy. There's also an insane amount of squirrels running around our yard which makes Bauer even happier. I don't know that anything, besides maybe food, gets him more excited than chasing squirrels. He's still getting used to the new place, noises still make him jump, but he went nuts playing with toys the last two days so that's a sign that he's settling in.
The place was mostly furnished when we moved in, which made life easy for the most part. The only thing is that the kitchen was full of stuff, and we have our own things. Right now our kitchen is a disaster while we figure out what to do with the stuff that was here so we can put away our pots, pans, and dishes. I'm so ready for a good home cooked meal right about now. We cook almost every day, rarely going out to eat, so eating nothing but restaurant food is really getting to me.
It's just nice to be back together as a family again. The unpacking is done (except for the kitchen) and we're back to spending our days like we normally do. I no longer have to live out of a suitcase like I did for the past month, and I don't have to plan out a time to talk to Mike each day. I also have a job interview next week, so I'm excited about that.
The girls here all seem really great. They've been a pretty big help on learning things about the area, the team, and so on for us new girls that are here. It seems like we'll have a good group that lives here all year and an equally good group that will be in and out visiting. We've also already started planning the different charity events we're going to do throughout the year to benefit numerous charities. This is really the first time we've been with a team that allows us so much free reign to do what we want in the community, which is awesome.
The final details have just been ironed out on our Love for Lokomotiv bracelet sales. I'm just waiting on the team to give me the okay to make the announcement, so keep an eye out for that. Hopefully we'll have an announcement soon!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wedding Dress Shopping Part 2
I left off on the last post saying that I didn't believe in the "you just know" moment and that if it did exist I'd never know it until I tried on the dress I've been obsessing over for the last 3+ months. Yesterday I got that chance. Let's just say that I now definitely believe in the "you just know" moment.
I had a 45 minute drive ahead of me to get to the one place in the area that had told me they had the exact dress I wanted. I was giddy at the thought of finally being able to see what it would look like on me, while also being nervous that it just wouldn't be the one. I was quiet and staring out the window nervously during the trip when it happened. On an earlier post I mentioned that I loved Sublime because of the memories it brought back, memories about friends that are going to be in my wedding. We were almost to the bridal store when Sublime came on the radio. It settled me down, put a smile on my face, made me think of some of my closest friends, and the nerves faded and I had a feeling things would work out.
I immediately told the consultant I was with about the dress I knew I had to try on. She pulled out three others for me to try based on what I wanted in a dress besides that one. I decided to try on my dream dress last. The first one was nice, but not exactly what I was looking for. The second one was very similar to the dress I loved and when I put it on I loved it. Honestly, it was the best dress I'd put on up to that point. I would have been more than happy to get married in it. The third dress I tried on was not at all my style and was nixed right away. Then it was time.
I didn't let myself look in the mirror while the consultant helped me into the dress. I didn't want to see it until I was ready. I walked over to that little pedestal that all the bridal shops have and stood on it before looking into the mirror. Before I saw myself my mom walked over to see it on me. She looked at me and said "I think this is the one." I could see her face getting red, like she was trying not to cry. It made me even more nervous to see it on. What if it didn't look good on me? What if I didn't love it?
Then I looked in the mirror. I was shocked. I had that "you just know" moment. What does it feel like? I obviously don't know what it feels like for other people, but this is what it felt like for me. My mom was still fighting back tears, and I got close. Shockingly enough I didn't bawl my eyes out, even though everything makes me cry. A few tears fell, but nothing like what I expected. Instead I was just suddenly very happy, some big goofy grin on my face. Erin described it perfectly in a comment on my last post. I had absolutely no desire to see what any other dress would look like on me. Not even the second dress that I had loved that was still hanging a few feet away. When the consultant said she'd go grab the paperwork I didn't want to take the dress off. The thought of not being able to put it on again for 6-8 months until mine comes in sucks. Can I really make it that long without putting it on again? That's how I knew it was right. That was my "you just know" moment. I wasn't necessarily overcome with emotion, I was just done.
There have been many times in life that I make a decision I am 100% confident in only to wake up the next day questioning it and changing my mind. That didn't happen this time. I woke up this morning and the first thing I thought of was how I'd look walking down the aisle in that dress and what Mike would think when he saw me. And I smiled. I know I made the right choice. Maybe that's not everyone's "you just know" feeling, but that's how it worked for me. And I'm already looking through this year's hockey schedule to figure out a time when I can maybe sneak back in to the store to try on the sample dress again just to see it.
I had a 45 minute drive ahead of me to get to the one place in the area that had told me they had the exact dress I wanted. I was giddy at the thought of finally being able to see what it would look like on me, while also being nervous that it just wouldn't be the one. I was quiet and staring out the window nervously during the trip when it happened. On an earlier post I mentioned that I loved Sublime because of the memories it brought back, memories about friends that are going to be in my wedding. We were almost to the bridal store when Sublime came on the radio. It settled me down, put a smile on my face, made me think of some of my closest friends, and the nerves faded and I had a feeling things would work out.
I immediately told the consultant I was with about the dress I knew I had to try on. She pulled out three others for me to try based on what I wanted in a dress besides that one. I decided to try on my dream dress last. The first one was nice, but not exactly what I was looking for. The second one was very similar to the dress I loved and when I put it on I loved it. Honestly, it was the best dress I'd put on up to that point. I would have been more than happy to get married in it. The third dress I tried on was not at all my style and was nixed right away. Then it was time.
I didn't let myself look in the mirror while the consultant helped me into the dress. I didn't want to see it until I was ready. I walked over to that little pedestal that all the bridal shops have and stood on it before looking into the mirror. Before I saw myself my mom walked over to see it on me. She looked at me and said "I think this is the one." I could see her face getting red, like she was trying not to cry. It made me even more nervous to see it on. What if it didn't look good on me? What if I didn't love it?
Then I looked in the mirror. I was shocked. I had that "you just know" moment. What does it feel like? I obviously don't know what it feels like for other people, but this is what it felt like for me. My mom was still fighting back tears, and I got close. Shockingly enough I didn't bawl my eyes out, even though everything makes me cry. A few tears fell, but nothing like what I expected. Instead I was just suddenly very happy, some big goofy grin on my face. Erin described it perfectly in a comment on my last post. I had absolutely no desire to see what any other dress would look like on me. Not even the second dress that I had loved that was still hanging a few feet away. When the consultant said she'd go grab the paperwork I didn't want to take the dress off. The thought of not being able to put it on again for 6-8 months until mine comes in sucks. Can I really make it that long without putting it on again? That's how I knew it was right. That was my "you just know" moment. I wasn't necessarily overcome with emotion, I was just done.
There have been many times in life that I make a decision I am 100% confident in only to wake up the next day questioning it and changing my mind. That didn't happen this time. I woke up this morning and the first thing I thought of was how I'd look walking down the aisle in that dress and what Mike would think when he saw me. And I smiled. I know I made the right choice. Maybe that's not everyone's "you just know" feeling, but that's how it worked for me. And I'm already looking through this year's hockey schedule to figure out a time when I can maybe sneak back in to the store to try on the sample dress again just to see it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)