Guest Post: SATC

I have only been blogging for a few months and am not even sure now how I found Tracy....you know how blog leads to another! But hers was one of the very first blogs that I followed and she was one of my very first followers. I loved that she loved "Sex and the City"....I loved that she bought those fab-u-lous blue Manolos in NYC as her wedding shoes.....and I just loved, and felt an immediate connection with, her warmth, the loving spirit of her blog and just her.....I think I might have even left her about three responses immediately about stuff I felt needed to tell her.....and not remotely put off by the crazy Brit who appeared to be stalking her, she left me a lovely message and, happily, a connection and a friendship was made!!!!

Tracy is just a darling.....a warm, gorgeous, bright and talented girl who is vocal and enthusiastic about the things that she loves.....and someone who you immediately want to be friends with. I read her blog every day and always look forward to it.....I even asked her if her beautiful family would consider adopting me......cute as ever, bless her, she said of course they would!! Great parents have great children and clearly her Mom and Dad have excelled......Tracy is a special girl and TL is a lucky man.

When she asked for guest-bloggers, I put my hand right up.....although it's the first time I have done this......and as "SATC" was what we first bonded over, it seemed appropriate to write about it for my guest post.

I have a good friend who doesn't like the show at all (I know, crazy huh....how could that be!), she thinks it is unrealistic because "no one really lives like that"......well, I spent a few months living in NYC and I have friends who have lived their single lives there and I beg to differ. NYC is a unique city...they talk about a "New York minute" where things happen quicker there than anywhere else, the dating game is fast and furious and brutal at times.....and like most big cities there are a lot of single people there.

For me the show was as much about friendships as it was about dating. Apart from the fabulous fashions and the fact that it was set in NYC, I loved "SATC" because of the friendships and the relationships. I loved Carrie Bradshaw.....I still love her.....I watched every single episode and really really missed it when the show finally ended, it was like losing a friend....I loved the fact that the girls were so open about their different relationships - the crazy boyfriends, the good boyfriends, the Mr-Right-For-Now boyfriends and all the weirdos too.....but at the end of of everything, the girls were always there for each other....always......and to me that's a universal thing....men come and go but your girlfriends are forever....they endure all things.

I really wasn't sure that there should be an SATC movie as I felt the series ended just when it should and sometimes you don't need to know what happened next.....but how wrong I was!! I saw "SATC -The Movie" and LOVED it......I had a smile on my face the whole way through....well, apart from when I was crying, that is!!

I saw just yesterday that filming has just started for the movie sequel......I am excited.....and even more excited now I know that Big is back.....Aidan was sexy, Jack Berger was cute and gorgeous.....but it was always meant to be Carrie and Big.

"There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous." (Carrie Bradshaw)

I wish love and happiness to Tracy and Tim.....and I can't wait to see wedding photos of the beautiful bride and hear about their European honeymoon! Thanks for letting me steal your blog for the day honey :)

Simone

thebottomoftheironingbasket.blogspot.com

Guest Post: How To Be A Good Wife

Hello out there to all of Tracy's regular viewers! Today's post is brought to you by moi, Mrs. EyeCanSee over at The Juice is Worth the Squeeze. I am so excited to be guest posting for the first time while Mrs. TL is off getting hitched!! I felt in only right as a seasoned wife of 8 months, I pass along the rules of marriage to the new Mrs! These fantastic guidleines come to you straight from 1955.

The first week I was dating my hubs, he brought this list to my place and hung it prominently on the fridge. I should have taken it as a sign and run for the hills, but instead I got a good chuckle out of it and it stayed on my fridge for years. Certainly makes me glad I wasn't a wife of the 50's, cause I would have never survived! I would have been one of those woman with "loose morals" who smoke and drank with the best of 'em! High heels and pearls on a daily basis?? No thanks!

How to be a good Wife

May 13, 1955

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.

During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.

Be happy to see him.

Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.

Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

A good wife always knows her place.

Guest Post: Our Wedding

August 27, 1978

The day I married the love of my life! Funny how you just remember certain events like it was yesterday ~

Steve & I dated throughout my high school years and became engaged in the summer of 1977 with plans to marry following my graduation in June of 1978. Wedding planning was not too difficult as we had a very small ceremony; mostly family. I purchased my dress at J.C. Penney for $89!!! I know… I know!!! My bridesmaids dresses were purchased at Liberty House ~ My colors were brown and peach/apricot and the girls wore charming floppy peach hats. J I carried the same bible that my Mom carried at her wedding 20 years before which had my bouquet attached to it. (P.S. This same bible was carried at my daughters wedding 29 years after my own!!)

It was THE hottest day on record that summer and the church of course had no air conditioning! We had “We’ve Only Just Begun” by the Carpenters and “Where Are You Going My Little One/Turn Around” by the Kingston Trio (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C12X2xnch6E ) and “Sunrise – Sunset” from Fiddler on the Roof sung. As I recall the reception hall did which kept our guests from melting. Since I was only 18 we had no alcohol at our wedding and toasted with PUNCH! Hehehe…

Fast forward to present time, 31 years and two children later we have had the time of our lives!!! In case you were wondering, yes I still adore him as much today as I did the day I married him ~ SIGH…

Best wishes to you TL & Tracy!! May you have the time of your lives too!! MUAH!!!!

Guest Post: Everyday Delight Recipes

Hi everyone! My name is Carol over from Everyday Delights and I am thrilled to be guest posting for Tracy while she is off having European adventures with her new husband!

I myself am getting married to this handsome man, Nick, on July 31 and I’ve loved reading all about Tracy’s wedding plans (especially her shoes – how fabulous are those)!

Besides wedding planning, I love, love, love to cook! My mom is an amazing cook, so I am lucky I got the cooking genes. I like to blog about recipes I make over on my blog, and I wanted to share with you some of my favorites over the years.

Homemade pizza:

Thursday night is pizza night! And nothing beats homemade pizza! The link above is to a classic Italian pizza but I also have a healthier whole wheat pizza dough that I think is equally as good. Put whatever toppings you enjoy on it, and I guarantee you’ll never be able to go back to Pizza Hut!

Giada’s pasta carbonara:

This dish is my weakness, seriously! I first discovered it when I studied aboard in Rome during my senior year in college. Ever since then, it has been my staple comfort food, almost like an alfredo sauce, only much more flavorful, thanks to the pancetta. On a cold day or whenever I need a little calorie splurge, this is where I go. Try it and I guarantee you wont be disappointed!

French onion soup

The weather is starting to change here in Seattle and this is making me excited for soup season, especially making French onion soup. I thought making French onion soup would be hard, but really, its quite easy as long as you set aside some time for the onions to caramelize (about 1 hour). I think this is a great dish to impress guests and it will get your whole house smelling like a French bistro!

Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes

Image And of course, for dessert, nothing beats cupcakes! When Nick and I went to NYC last year, I had to wait in the line around the corner for a Magnolia Bakery Cupcake, and it was well worth the wait! And I was so excited to see a few months after we got back, the Today Show features their cupcake recipe so now you can have your own bakery at home! The butter cream frosting is to die for!

Thanks so much for reading all about my favorite recopies everyone and thank you to Tracy for the opportunity to guest post! Hope everyone has a wonderful day and come by and visit me at my blog, Everyday Delights!

Guest Post: Love Story

Hey hey! My name is Ali, and I run (and by run I mean am the only writer of) The Way I See it. Tracy's about to get married (and is handling it incredibly well, might I add!) and in her temporary loss of sanity, allowed me to guest blog for her. I know, I'll never know what got into her either. But I digress.

Actually, I don't digress. Tracy is getting married to TL (hi TL!) and so I found it only appropriate (and oh so very predictable) to write something wedding related. Cool? No? Well crap, here it is anyway.

There once was this man, we'll call him Brad. Brad was a television producer and single. Aware of this, his boss decided he'd set him up on a blind date. Brad was awkward and against blind dates.

There was also this woman, we'll call her Linda. Linda was a nurse and single. Aware of this, a patient of hers decided he'd set her up on a blind date. Linda was awkward and against blind dates.

But somehow, Brad and Linda agreed to said blind date and there they were, awkward and awkward. And surprisingly, enjoying themselves.

Not happening, thought Linda. There's no way I can date a guy with a smaller butt than mine.

But Brad stepped out of his comfort zone and asked Linda out again. And again. Until one night, Brad said something very interesting to Linda.

"You know we're getting married, right?"

"Oh yeah," Linda replied.

And that was that.

Except that it wasn't.

You see, Brad was Jewish. Linda was not.

And while neither one of them found this to be a problem, Linda's family did.

Aside from the immense love Brad and Linda had for one another, the scene wasn't pretty.

A couple hundred fights, tears and hells later, Brad and Linda were married by a rabbi and a minister, 25 years ago.

Thus began a love that withstood any and all obstacles thrown their way.

Then my sister and I were born, but I'll save that story for a later date!

And while there are clearly many morals and lessons to be learned from this (very true) story, I'm writing this with the hopes that many years of bliss, adoration and joy are shared by Tracy and TL. They deserve all of that and more.

Thank you for your time, Tracy lovahs! And please, stop over by my place and say hello!

-A

Guest Post: Ocean Dreams Wedding

Hi everyone, I am thrilled to be a guest blogger for Tracy, who is not only an amazing blogger and lovely friend, but who is a girl who is following her heart and is getting married (or may be married already) to her best friend.

I am so incredibly happy for her that she has found joy and her best friend. Tracy requested that I write about my love story or my dream wedding, so I thought I would combine a bit of the two. Hope you enjoy a little bit of sappiness today, espeically if you are a hopeless romantic like me!

If you haven't been to my blog (Ocean Dreams) then you should know that I have been with a wonderful man for the past two years who I fondly call Big Kiddo. You can find the background on Big Kiddo's nickname on my blog as well if any of you were wondering. ;) Anyway, one theme that I have consistently loved about our relationship has been consistency and taking our time. I know everyone falls in love at different paces, but my encouragement to you is to take your time. Don't rush love because it will find you in its perfect timing. Believe me...I got my heart broken and Big Kiddo walked into my life when I least expected it. Though I am a hopeless romantic, I am not one to believe in love at first site, but rather I believe in connecting with a person and investing time in them. Form a friendship, take your time falling in love, and this will create a lasting love, the kind you want to hold on to and never let go.

Big Kiddo and I have been together for about 2 years now and I couldn't be happier. He brings out the Ocean Dreamer in me and we love so many fun activities. My favorite activity for us to do is just walking by the beach or going sailing. Big Kiddo definitely knows how to calm my dreamer ways and encourage them in the same breath. I couldn't be happier.

Sooo...for the future Big Kiddo and I hope to elope and go to the court house (yes, I know!) followed by an intimate wedding in a tropical location. We might have my parents, we might not. We want to keep things small and simple, the way we like it. ;) My ideal place would be Maui, but Big Kiddo loves the Caribbean. So, it really depends on what happens down the road, and as I said, we are taking our time. ;) But, just for dreaming sake if budget was not an issue with choosing my wedding dress, I think I would choose one of these gorgeous gowns:

Aren't they beautiful?

But...perhaps for a Maui intimate beach wedding I would something more simple, who knows. I can just picture me and Big Kiddo sharing our vows and promising to to love each other forever at sunset by the beach. I can almost envision it now. It makes me all giddy inside. Then after we are man and wife we can continue to take our time, loving each other forever.

Okay, how much more sappy can you get? Well, tonight I happened to be listening to Colbie Caillat's new CD and one of the new songs that I love is called Stay With Me. It talks about taking your time and just enjoying each other's company. I wanted to share the lyrics with you and hope that you find your perfect love story. Remember to never stop dreaming, but at the same time let your love grow, stay with that person, and take your time. Thanks for stopping by the lovely Tracy's blog; I miss her already, don't you?

Colbie Caillat
Stay With Me

We simply fit together like a piece of apple pie,
I will be vanilla ice cream and I'll sing you lullabies,
I will love you in the moonlight and I'll love you in the day, always.

I love the time we spend, like a watch from an old friend,
I will help you keep your smile, promise me you'll stay a while,
I will come to you in need and I'll help you when I can, when I can.

Stay with me, promise me you're never gonna leave,
Stay with me, (yeah) let's try to be the best that we can be,
and take our time.

We always joke together after we're rolling on the floor.
I like the way you dance around when you're running for the door.
I will come to visit you even when we're old and gray, always.
I love the way you make me feel, when you're asleep I'll take the wheel,
Make sure to call when you get home, when you're driving on the road.

I will come to you in need and I'll help you when I can, when I can, so..

Stay with me, promise me you're never gonna leave,
Stay with me, (yeah) let's try to be the best that we can be,
and take our time.

I will come to you in need and I'll help you when I can, I will help you when I can,
I will come to you in need and I'll help you when I can, I will help you when I can,
Always,

So stay with me, promise me you're never gonna leave,
Stay with me, (yeah) let's try to be the best that we can be,
and take our time.

Guest Post: Wedding Memories

I am so excited to be guest blogging for Tracy while she is away on her amazing honeymoon adventure! Still totally jealous! :)

My name is Tamela and I happened to stumble about Tracy's blog one day and her entries captivated me and I have been stalking following her ever since! I blog over at my personal blog "A Brunette Making it One Day at a Time."

Okay well since I didn't personally get to go to Tracy's wedding I will blog about some weddings that I have been too.

The earliest wedding I can remember attending was my Aunt's 3rd wedding (I think shes had 4 now!) which makes wedding 1 for me.Luckily there are no pictures to be found of this wedding since I was a dorky elementary school-er who though it was cool to have poofy 90s hair and sing Karaoke with my cousin at the reception. Our song of choice was "Hey Mickey" of course! Man did we think we were the cutest little things on the blog singing off tune to "Hey Mickey." I can just see us now screaming out hey mickey your so fine your so fine you blow my mind! *Shudder* Thank goodness digital camera's were very popular!! Luckily that is the only thing I remember from that wedding. I don't think I could bear remembering any more embarrassing details. Whew...

Now of course this picture isn't really my aunt's wedding, but just an example of a 90's wedding! The horror

Wedding number 2 was one of my good friends who I met in college and deemed me as one of her bridesmaids. The first wedding I have ever been apart of! I got the duty of throwing her bridal's shower which was a great success! Technically it was a wedding weekend and it was the most fun I have ever had. I wish I could do it all over again. The bachlorette party was held at Old Chicago Restaurant and her sister which was the matron of honor is actually an exotic dancer! First time ever have I met one! She was rather cool and you couldn't even tell that she was an exotic dancer, but she told us all the Vegas shows that she had been in. You know the ones with the huge headpieces made out of feathers! She was one of the coolest people I have met! Okay so back to the wedding, all the grooms men were in the air force so one of them thought it would be funny to tell everyone he was a hot-air-balloon pilot. Had me going for a bit! Not to mention this same grooms men gave the nephew of the groom a vodka/cranberry because spider man drinks it. Poor kid. He did have some awesome break dance skills afterward though. I think he was like 3! He also caught the garter in his mouth like a puppy dog! Kinda adorable, but kinda creepy!

The lovely bride and her bridesmaids! I'm the one with the long dark brown hair to the top right of the bride! Of course we had to make sure our skin was perfect. Yeah, I was doing the spirit fingers!

Wedding number 3 was actually the same day as Tracy's wedding!!! The bride was one of my roommate's friends and I got to know her through her. Since technically I haven't been to this wedding I will be sure to update on it on my blog!

So things I have learned from all these weddings:

1. Karaoke is a no. Don't need to embarrass myself anymore! Unless you're okay with crazy kids belting out off key.
2. Exotic Dancers are okay at a wedding as long as they are not performing! Heck throw them in the bridal party that way you know what they will be wearing! Just don't let the groomsmen know!
3. There are not hot-air-balloons pilot in the air force!
4. Spider man does not drink vodka/cranberry drinks.

Guest Post: The Little Things

hi & hello!! Kelly here from Just a Girl in the City! i've known Tracy for 4 years now. we met in college, were in the same sorority {whoo!} and connected instantly when we first met. it's safe to say that Tracy is one of my bestest friends out there. so you can imagine my excitement when she asked me to guest blog for her while she's off on her honeymoon, with her amazing new husband, seeing everything fabulous in europe.

Tracy is a girl who is the ultimate romantic. but not just any romantic, an old soul, hopeless romantic. she gives love her all and never second guesses it. she doesn't let other opinions skew her vision or shake her. and look at her now...married to the sweetest, genuine, loyal, funny, & caring guy. go Tracy!

i'm an advocate for this kind of love. the kind that you feel from the top of your head all the way down to a tingle in your toes. the pure, can't live with out, genuine love. tracy makes me hopeful of that. because if you were to glance at her & Tim you too would want what they have, and it's just that.

i think one of the most important things that Tracy has taught me about love is to appreciate the little things.

here are some of the little things my boyfriend does for me that i love:
- lets me pick out the movie for a night in.
- makes dinner for me even after a long day.
- watches gossip girl reruns with me {which i've seen at least twice} even though he'd rather watch the Yankee highlights.
- driving home everyday during his last week of soccer camp to come say hi {he was there for 3 weeks and it's a 1 hour commute each way} .
- pauses his "intense" video game session to get in as many kisses as possible to tie me over until 10 minutes later.
- keeps little notes i write to him on his sunvisor in his car.
- was genuinely upset that he was unable to make it to Tracy's wedding due to a soccer game. {he literally was so upset he tried everyway to make it work. keep in mind, he hasn't met tracy in person yet. he's talked to her on a webcamera, on the phone and through facebook. he just knows how important she is to me.}
- he will do anything and everything for my family, especially my little sisters.

So thank you to Tracy for teaching me that when it comes to love, the little things keep it alive. What are "the little things" that you appreciate and love? What keeps you going in a relationship?

{picture}

Bridal Party Gifts

The bridal party gifts were really important to me... so I have been planning them for MONTHS!

I wanted them to all have similarities, but still reflect each of them :)

So here is what I ended up with for the bridesmaids:

On the inside of each of their custom "boxes" I had a silk robe, a silk nightie, a Juicy Charm bracelet, pearl necklace and earrings for the wedding, a cosmetic bag with their initial on it, and a card.

Each girl had a different looking box. I bought these boxes as I found them, and spent loads of time looking! I do not have all 7 of them pictured, but they all had the same stuff inside!

I don't know if you can see... but the ribbon has the word "bridesmaid" written on it!

TL did something very unique for each of his groomsmen. He had a really hard time finding something unique that he loved... so when he saw these custom made "bobble heads" he had to do it. For this to work, we had to get pictures of all of the groomsmen, a front picture, and side profile picture. They all look DEAD ON like the guys... its crazy!

Our little Ring Bearer Jack is probably one of the most adorable 3 year olds I have ever seen... and he is absolutely in LOVE with the movie "Cars" and everything about cars for that matter. So, I did an entire Cars theme for him from a bunch of goodies from the Disney Store.

And for the flower girls, Hailey & Hannah, I wanted to do something girlie, and something that included their very favorite "Hannah Montana"! I also wanted something as a keepsake, so we got pearl bracelets with their names engraved on them... thats in the little silver box. I also bought them their tutu's, hair pieces, and shoes :)

For my special attendants & reader (Michelle & Tare) I got them special little gifts from Tiffany's.

This is what they look like all wrapped up! :) I also included a card for each girl.

And then for our amazing Ushers - Greyson, Matt, Trevor, and Kash, I did a fun beer mug with their names engraved and then stuffed and wrapped to look pretty! Men are so hard to get gifts for, but I figured this would be fun and unique with their names on it!

We are doing some special gifts for our parents... but those involve plans for after the honeymoon!

We feel so lucky to have had so many amazing people involved in our wedding. They all mean so much to us!!

Guest Post: Dream Vacations

With Tracy off on her magical honeymoon with TL, I thought it would be fun to dream about all of the places I would love to visit someday…

My name is Kristen (Kristen Sara in blogger world) and after finishing college and working for over five years, I decided to try life as a student again. I have one year left until I will graduate from law school and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t counting down the days!! I live with my two favorite furballs (my kitties) and I love cupcakes more than I probably should.

Although I am not quite as fabulous as Tracy, and knowing that she has left ginormous shoes for us to fill while she’s away, I will try my best to distract you with beautiful pictures and daydreams to fill your head with. And if you ever want to check out more of my ramblings, come by and see me at While You’re Waiting!

Photo found here

I went to Jamaica a few years ago with my boyfriend, and immediately fell in love with beaches, palm trees and all things tropical. On the top of my tropical destination wish list is Bora Bora. This picture should explain perfectly why that is.

Photo found here

Another tropical getaway I’d love to take is to Fiji. I have a completely irrational fear of flying, though, which makes me wonder if I would survive the very long flight over there. But knowing that this was waiting for me might help.

Photo found here

One of the top rated resorts on the island is the Jean-Michael Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort. I’m pretty sure I would stay there, even if my wallet felt otherwise…

Photo found here

Speaking of tropical… does it get any more luscious and intoxicating than the Rain Forest? Brazil always jumps to the top of my mind when I think of the Rain Forest, but Costa Rica and Indonesia are also known for their dense, tropical rain forests. I’m not picky- I would be happy visiting any of them!

Photo found here

And while I’m there, I would love to see a waterfall like this. We climbed the infamous Dunns River Falls while we were in Jamaica, and somehow I think that witnessing a waterfall in a rain forest would make our experience pale in comparison…

Photo found here

I am confident that if I don’t find my way to Greece before I die, my life will simply not be complete. I can’t even imagine how humbling it would be to see, with my own eyes, things as magnificent as the Acropolis or the Parthenon. And to walk where some of the greatest philosophers, legal minds and scholars have walked would be indescribable…

Photo found here

But I would want to see some of the lesser-known parts of Greece too. Think Mama Mia- the beautiful blues of the sea and the pristine whites of the ancient village buildings. The village above is Oia, on the Greek isle of Santorini. I didn’t even know shades of blue and pink and white as striking as these existed…

Photo found here

And it’s just as beautiful when the sun sets… There is no doubt in my mind I would be completely content and at peace in Oia…

Photo found here

But my wish list doesn’t include only tropical hot spots. As a native of Wisconsin, I am plenty familiar with subzero temperatures and can successfully drive over black ice and build an igloo with my own two hands (okay, so that last one might be a bit of an exaggeration). If we’re talking cold, I can’t imagine a chillier, but more beautiful place, than Alaska.

Photo found here

I would want to watch the humpback whales from a fishing vessel, and find a lake that I could mistake for a sheet of mirrored glass.

Found viz the lovely Apartment 513

But let’s face it… for our dear friend Tracy, it doesn’t really matter where she goes… because as long as she has TL with her, she’s in the perfect place on Earth.