Halls*

I kind of always forget that I love Halloween until it's time to come up with costumes. Might I present this year's selection.

Sexy Ghost

(Yup, that's a terrible, awful, no-good snowstorm in Boston in October. Thanks nature.)

#OccupyWonka

*I started calling Halloween "Halls" in 2007 when it seemed like Julie and I discussed the holiday on instant message non stop. Got tired of writing the whole thing and it's kind of stuck. To date, I think she's the only one's familiar with this term. Now you all are too. Spread it like it's true.

homemade halloween pop art

For a number of reasons having to do with an evening Stake Conference church meeting and our non-celebratory Sundays, today, October 29th, was our Halloween.

I do love a heavy makeup costume. It's late and a picture is worth a thousand words, yes?

People I knew had a hard time recognizing me--it was the first time I've ever felt incognito!

Happy Halls yall.

Day 12

The world would have you think that a single woman hates attending weddings. Perpetuated by clichéd shots of sad, lonely girls sitting at big, elegantly dressed, empty reception tables watching a dance floor full of couples, there’s a certain stigma associated with being a one at a plus-one event.

Whatever tickles your fancy

I’ve been fairly involved in five major weddings in the last year. Three of my best ladies, one sister, one sister-cousin. (This number would be six had my sister Alaina not eloped.) My experience with the hoopla surrounding the grand event—the dress hunting, the cupcake decorating, the table ornamentation—prior to the last 12 months was limited. Now? I could probably quit my day job and plan epic receptions on pennies to the dollar because I’m good at it, but that’s not my favorite part of the wedding.

Without question, or even pause to think much about it, my favorite part of each wedding I’ve been to is hearing the groom speak about my his lady that he adores. Be it in a dress rehearsal dinner, a family meet-and-greet toast, a formal sit down, or a welcome to the big reception event, I love the candid and honest words these kind men speak from the heart. Rarely are the sentiments rehearsed or rote--instead heightened emotion and the gravity of the situation strips filter and inhibition. There are tears, smiles and laughs. From the groom. From the bride. From the audience. It doesn’t matter what’s said, because in each of the weddings I’ve had privilege to attend, not one person has doubted the validity and honesty of the groom’s words. The look in his eye and the smile on his face give him away.

As someone who so fiercely loves the ladies the groom-of-the-moment is marrying, I can’t help but be moved. And feel relief that she’s found someone who wants so desperately to spend time (to infiiiiinity and beyond!) with her. Who isn’t playing the power game of “who likes who less.” Who isn’t afraid to commit and hitch his wagon to hers. I feel she’s in safe hands.

And you know what? Time and time and time and time and time again, I leave the wedding feeling hopeful. Not lonely and deppressy and when-is-it-my-turn? whiney. On the contrary, I feel a marked sense of peace and elevation. My heart is full of love for a new family beginning, and I’m inspired to hold out for a man who’ll speak the same way at a reception full of people (half no doubt strangers) about and to me. The dating world is a rickety ship and I don’t write much about my voyages of romance but I will say, I’m learning---these weddings are teaching me--what lasting relationships of substance and value are. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.

And if you knew me at all, and my merry band of also single girlfriends (diminishing though we may be), you’d also know that we never, ever ever ever, sit still when people are dancing.

Day 11

Well this one is easy. How about a photo of me taken today? More photos of this wedding will for sure for sure be coming, because you're going to DIE when you see the bride's custom dress. And the fact that it was sunny, in Portland, in April. And because the reception was in a barn, the bridesmaids all found suitable green dresses, the dance party was off the hizzook and the first dance between the bride and groom would get a million hits on YouTube if posted in its entirety.

A photo of you taken recently
More to come. Because I have some things to wax on about.

pajamas in public

Raise you hand if you're tired of listening to me talk. Aye carumba. There's always something I can wax poetic about, right? I'm tempted to spill about the mental clarity that hit during a restorative yoga class I attended last night but I'd have to shoot my face off first. I'm loving the person I've become in the last year(ish) so no need to take eight giant steps backward by becoming that blogger. Gross.

What I'm trying to get at here is that it's probably time to trot out some photos of what the heck I've been up to lately. February wasn't a month laden with possibilities for gorgeous photos--I blame the New England paste--but the wards hosted a "Pajama Prom" last month that proved to be a perfect (and weird) photo opportunity.

Total flashback to High School. The "prom" was ladies choice, and what choices we had. In true throwback style, we all decided to group date and had breakfast for dinner together before the big dance. Like any good breakfast, more bacon was consumed than waffles. When Vicki's date stood to say the prayer before we ate, I may have snort laughed -- it's not often you see a grown adult (who's not your dad) wearing matching top and bottom pajamas (if your dad is the kind of dad who even wears matching top and bottom jammies).

In an effort to make the whole situation even funnier (and let me tell you, the "modesty reminder" email was as funny as I thought it could get), Linda and I made corsages/boutonnieres for our dates. And for the record, those suckers are hard to pin on no matter your age.

And then? We danced. And it was surprisingly fun. We get down to get down. Happy dancing.
Annnnnnnnnd, guess who lives with the Pajama Prom queen? Does this make me a lady in waiting? Holler.
Now, I kept thinking it couldn't get any funnier. But I love being surprised. What a treat the post-Prom photographer photos turned out to be:

The best (for me) /worst (for everyone else) part? The entire group was posted to the same public album. I (for once) got lucky and my photos weren't too awkward. BUT, oh but, the collection of photos were inadvertently hilarious. Most (like my back to back delight above) were cheesy on purpose; but some photos? Oh wow. I laughed all afternoon. I'm only sorry I can't post them here. No one looked terrible, but they just struck so much joy in my heart.

One month til the dearth of Q1 photos ends. One day (hoping for sooner than later) I'll have photos of me tan... and wearing structured pants in public.

Tacky at 27

Despite my protestations, Brenda really wanted to throw me a birthday party this year. I've had some pretty stinking memorable birthdays (the red dress at 25, and the disco skate-a-thon as my SLC send-off), but I'm pretty sure this was my favorite party yet. There's something to be said for someone else doing all the work!

I love December, you all are very well aware. So B turned my birthday into a tacky holiday-themed event. Having thrown my ugly sweater gem away when I left SLC, I was on the hunt for a new one. Instead, I stumbled upon this tacky gold sequined disco top. How could I turn it down? I was like a cat distracted by shiny things all night. But seriously, the food was incredible (hot cocoa, fudge, cookies, rice krispy(!) wreaths, candy, soda, cheeseball, shrimp(!!!)), the mood festive, and the company fantastic.

If you want to see me awkward, put me in a situation in front of people where I'm not quite sure what's going to happen. (I'm too much of a planner to love too much of a surprise!) The awkwardness is exponentialized when a "very special number" is announced, and you're pretty sure the loosest dude cannon in the tri-state area is going to give you a "very special dance." Don't worry, he just took his pants off as a special Christmas treat.

So all in all, a wonderful evening. Relatively low key (but maybe that's because I just had to show up?) but a perfect end to another year, another birthday, and another Boston holiday season.

Heading home tomorrow! Woot.

painted faces on parade

Historically, I go all out for Halloween. This year, I was happy to play it a bit safer with a 1992 Midnight Masquerade Barbie look. Add twos parts huge wire-lined sleeves to one part face painted masquerade mask, and voila!

This picture is my favorite of all of Halloween--my friend Carly made her own Marie Antoinette gown, and it was simply to die for!


My favorite costumes of the year--the Wicked gals, and the kid from Up!
This year, Halloween fell on the formal dance night of Education Conference. (Remember the Black and White Ball of 2007?) The event was held at the Harvard Club in the Back Bay and was a really grand night. All in all a great holiday, and the perfect kick-off to the holiday season!

On...

Creativity
Once upon a time, I used to keep up to date on a pretty creative little blog. I told stories, waxed anecdotal, drew pictures, wrote satirical poems, and posted photos of weird things (like my hands). My posting has suffered the last few months (years?); I feel overwhelmed at trying to jump back into the fray. (To be honest, I don't feel very funny or creative any more.)

But, I've been putting my creativity to use other places! Out in the real world! No words involved!And now! Behold! A picture display! (and some necessary commentary...)

1. The night before the 3rd of July, our trip to the Drive-In movie was rained out. Instead, we had the first annual Wonders of the World Rice Krispy Treat Sculpting Extravaganza. The creativity of my friends is outstanding. My favorite was the fast food hamburger meal, but the TMNT, King Kong climbing the Empire State Building, the octopus, and the various dinosaurs put my unintentional and possibly racist Michael Jackson tribute to shame.

2. Helped create this "Saved by the Bell" class pose.

3. Helped style these two brides. Two besties, two weddings, two weekends. I just couldn't be happier for either or more in platonic love with their respective husbands. How sweet to be in the bride's room helping zip or lace. My uber-talented sister Alaina took both of their photos. Julie and Greg here. Kendall and Josh here.

4. Someone thought I knew how to arrange flowers, so I tried my hand. Ju's bouquet, boutonnieres (22!), and centerpieces (9).



4. Shark Week party! I love theme parties, so how could I resist? (PS--does anyone need arm floaties? I've got a dozen.)

5. And last, the crowning glory... the 220 cupcakes I made for Kendall's reception. My 12+ hour piece of the puzzle seemed like an eternity, I can't imagine how many hours it took my mom to throw a world-class reception in our backyard. My darling cousin Rachel was my sous-chef; Mallory took a quick turn for one batch. We made three kinds of cupcakes, a cinnamon roll inspired with cream cheese frosting, coconut, and chocolate ganache on a chocolate cake. They were by far the nicest cupcakes I've done, but I don't think I'll be quitting my day job any time soon. So there you go. A reminder to myself as much as to anyone, that I can create in ways other than blogs no one people are reading.

Half the way

My weekend isn't even 24-hours old yet, and I'm exhausted. Literally, I'm lying in bed at 4:33pm on Saturday; fighting to stay awake. Stake Conference tonight, and I feel it would be prudent for me to attend. Therefore, here I am. In a quasi-delirious state, but filling you in on the shenanigans nonetheless.

Listed on the 100 Facts about me is how much I enjoy throwing/hosting theme events. HOw much better when I can actually attend one! Oh how I love getting dressed up. In true fashion, I took it a little overboard; but that's pretty well par for the course. Nat: she who takes things too far.

Last night, our friends Mike and Brian hosted a swanky mocktail party at their new club "The Silver Pearl." There was mood lighting, live music, exotic drinks and the standard bevy of beauties.



We chatted, we dance-ished, we photoed. It was great fun.

For the record, I shall explain the headband. My hair turned out super curly. Too curly isn't too terrible of a thing, but it had so much height, that I worried it looked Texas Pageanty; so I made do with what I have. And when you're me, you have random props like sequined/feathered headbands at your ready disposal. Luckily, the Silver Pearl was 40's inspired, so I didn't look as ridiculous fit right in.

What I didn't fit right into? My dress. I bought it pre-Biggest Loser. Makeshift straps were safety pinned on as I didn't have the girth to hold up the strapless dress. There are worse things in life though, right?


Don't I have gorgeous friends?
















On to major Event #2 of the weekend. With less than four hours of sleep after a late night of dessert, would-you-rather, and impromptu guitar sessions, I boosted my sagging enthusiasm for being awake with a pre-philanthropic bagel and DC--a real treat for someone who's not supposed to eat heavy bread products. But it was for a good cause!

Last week I raised money for a Multiple Sclerosis walk; this morning was the 5-miler. The weather forecast pouring rain and it looked slightly ominous when our band of merry supporters arrived in Cohassat. The walk started brisk but eventually the clouds lifted and the sun came out--enough so that I'm proudly sporting my first burn of the '08 season. Sunburn never felt so good.

Our little group of seven raised exactly $1500--I think we finished 7th in overall fundraising! Thanks again to everyone who donated money. It was a good way to officially kick off "Nat returns to exercising after the Leg Break '08." Go big or go home; that's what I never always say.

The course was five miles of gorgeous old homes and beautiful oceanic views. Our pace picked up once the course started intensifying; I'm pretty sure we broke a sweat a time or two. For the record, it's kind of awkward passing people in a charity walk. We decided the greatest take-home was the finisher's medal; an unexpected treat at the end of a kind of long walk. The lunch was a bonus too. Wow, we really had a good time.

Conversation between teammates along the route covered a variety of topics--none more prominent than chit-chat about The Biggest Loser (the real TV show). We're having a finale watching party on Tuesday. Now that I've found real-life friends to discuss the BL, I probably will won't be posting about it at greater length. Yall can breathe easier now.

The drive home was spent with the windows down, reliving the fantasticness of the day. Spring in Boston officially hit (at least for a few hours) and every one in the City seems affected by it. Thank goodness. Five of six cars had the windows down, runners and bikers were out in full force, and it was oh so glorious. Unable to go inside just yet, I bought a Big Gulp and went down to the banks of the Charles and read my Entertainment Weekly magazine while soaking in the sun. My version of the Celestial Kingdom will definitely include these things.

All in all, not too terrible of a way to spend the first half of your weekend, right?

Stayin' Alive Again

I love theme events. I'm actually a little obsessed with them. In my opinion, it's "go big or go home." When I commit to going and dressing up, I love to do it right.

Last Friday night was a regional 60's and 70's dance. Some of you may remember the last time I did disco--back when I was a blonde. This time we did it up red-style.

I was ecstatic for several reasons at the dance. A) Nearly all my besties were there (or on a hot date that earned an excused absence) and B) Nearly all my besties dressed up.

The three who kept the dancing (a little too?) wild. I love love love dancing with people who don't care what the people around them think. I can't really think about how it could have been more perfect.

Oh wait. I thought of one. Boston has reverted itself to 45 degrees and pouring down rain. My Farrah-flipped bangs didn't survive the weather.

Maybe next year.

And All That Jazz!

I love party-planing. I love party-planning even more when the event is a success. As Prom was a smashing success in July, our winter Jazz party was a hit as well. This time the atmosphere was a little swankier, a little smaller, and a little classier.

Somehow the entire Holla House ended up attending the event in black, which allowed for some fun pictures. We had quite the food spread with shrimp, chocolate fondue, cheeseball, veggie tray, pinneapple slush, and a host of other good treats.

As Prom had an unbelievable location, so did our Jazz party. Heber's design firm keeps a loft near the Gateway with hardwood floors, exposed brick, and the perfect space for a mix and mingle downstairs and a dance floor upstairs. The first half of the evening was jazz music, the later more current. Both genres were a good time.

Events like these are a good chance for old friends to catch up. Here's the Provo crew.

Well, I'm in Boston now trying to unpack into a room with no furniture and no hangers. Three interviews and buying a bed are tomorrow's agenda. Sorry for the short post, but I wanted to try to stay current... Happy Weekend End!