To lead us into the holidays, I thought I'd take the time tot talk about what it means to be people getting married (not just brides and grooms). David's little cousin is wont to say "I'm 10, I'm not stupid," and often I feel the need to say something similar - "I'm a bride, I'm not SLOW." Somehow the wedding industry seems to imagine us both as easily duped marketing targets (What? It will make my day a fairytale? Then I'll take it!) and as women who have let their wedding consume every fiber of their being (I'd love to go out with you this weekend, but I'm afraid I can't. Must stay home and bedazzle napkins with our monogram).
So, as we lead into the New Year, I thought I'd ask you for your thoughts on life as people, not brides. I suspect we will all be inspired by the answers. First question is this: What (other than weddings) really interests you? I love:
- Innovative philanthropy
- Pithy non-fiction
- The machinations of domestic politics
- Good food and wine
What about you, team practical? What excites you? (And if you tell me shopping for discount Vera Wang gowns..... gah!)
76 comments:
Reading ravenously
Junk television (A little Grey's Anatomy anyone?)
Rachmaninoff
Crafting
Color
Indie Movies
Grooviness (Ingrid Michaelson, Lily Allen, Duffy to name a few)
Holiday Spirit
Fun!
1. Really well written YA novels (Markus Zuzak and John Green currently top my my list) and other well written books as well, of course
2. Identifying and tackling an area in which I need to educate myself (ex: Supreme Court Justices, countries in the Middle East)
3. Crosswords and pretty much any kind of logic puzzle
4. Reading with Eric, my fiance, before bed
I like it!
1. Crime dramas
2. Kitschy vintage tchotchkes
3. Singing karaoke
4. Dorky videogames
5. Vegetarian cooking
6. Various fitness kicks
7. Cheesy pop songs
1. Historic fashion (from ancient to the 1920's)
2. World history
3. Art History (especially early 19th century portraiture and the Orientalism movement of the "Victorian" era)
4. Costume dramas
So yeah... This resembles the fact that I'm a history major. But despite my love for history, our wedding will be far from a "Marie Antoinette" wedding. My fiance's and my wedding will not exceed $2500.
acting
filmmaking
photography
food/cooking/eating/fine dining :)
writing
animals
improv and stand up comedy
This is good...
A. Baking anything that seems healthy but really isn't
B. Obsessing over the state of the US education system
C. Taking pottery and knitting classes
D. Hiking (or skiing) the mountains surrounding the Tetons
E. Planning Surprise Parties
F. Reading anything that someone puts in front of me
Crocheting!
Hmmmm...
In no particular order
modern dance of all kinds
good food
making good food
good reality TV (Top Chef..are you noticing a food theme here?)
art history
the NY Times
sacred classical music
learning languages
Really really great fiction novels
Cooking and food
Action movies
Hiking huge mountains
Jeopardy (watching/playing along)
Live sporting events (especially hockey!)
Dogs
Going to Jew school
Crossword puzzles
foreign language
vegetarian food
traveling
thrifting
re-finishing furniture
design
sewing
euro fashion magazines
christmas
- Ditto on the good food and wine.
- Magazines.
- Anything with a seasonal ambiance - pumpkin picking in the fall, ice skating in the winter, beach or bike riding in the summer, etc.
- Indie bands, eighties music, and du-wop style oldies.
- Terrible appetite for cheesy chick flicks.
- Shopping online.
- Planning and list keeping.
- Traveling.
-reading (russian literature, american lit late 19th/20th century, any and all modernist i can get my paws on)
-scrapbooking (a manifestation of my obsession with photography and graphic design and having no creative outlet since leaving art school)
-computers and technology in all forms.
-being outdoors (camping, hiking, canoeing, waterskiing, BOATING, geocaching)
-frickin' crosswords
-road trips ?? there is something insanely calming about driving for more than an hour - disconnecting and listening to ipod/NPR or chatting it up with long-lost friends until your phone battery dies (what?)
a) beautiful rag papers
b) McSweeney's
c) finishing grad school applications!!!!!
i enjoy
1. interesting people who have different perspectives from me
2. learning new things
3. law and order, csi, um, pretty much any crime drama
4. walking up the hill to school without getting too winded
I love/like/whatever
-theatre!
-movies!
-music!
(apparently '!'s)!
-popcorn in all its buttery glory
- cheese in all its cheesy glory
- hiking in the hills back home
- home in general
- my family.
*trying out new recipes
*traveling, especially anything *outdoors or exotic (you won't catch me on a cruise!)
*day hikes
*yoga
*drinking wine and watching movies
- Muzak... good, eclectic muzak for all occasions.
- Running around outside, preferably in the summer, barefoot.
- A delicious novel, usually containing a tried and true heroine and a torrid love scene... I recommend Juliette Marillior.
- Civil War history, and paralleled history
- Hot. Chocolate.
-Learning, writing and teaching
-Good food with plenty of flavour
-Musical theatre, singing and playing the piano
-Family
-Puzzles and board games
-Tramping, camping and going on adventures (but not too extreme)
1. Knitting
2. Cooking sweet xmas gifts
3. Community gardens, city farms and organic agriculture
4. Reading fiction (I'm an academic so have to read non-fiction for a living)
5. Lazing by the beach
6. My puppy dog 'Skipper'
Homebrewing beer (with my own recipes!)
Baking
Pouring over Bon Appetit magazine and its stunning food photography
Going to Philly pubs to discover new beers
Being a Foodie
Reading ravenously (like Nicky said)
Rocking out to music in my living room
Movies
Watching my fiance play story-driven video games (it's like watching a movie!)
1. Fantasy fiction, especially Terry Pratchett
2. Inventing cakes, making up recipes based on what happens to be in the cupboard
3. Running conventions, usually about fantasy or science fiction
4. Rocking out to awesome rock and metal music
5. Making costumes (for conventions and live action roleplay)
Back to the whole "I'm 10, I'm not stupid" thing. In 10 days, I'm getting married for the second time. I love your blog and have learned a lot from it and from team practical. I'm also 51 and if one more person says "are you ready for your big day," I'm going to scream. First wedding, second wedding, 51, 27, whatever. It's a very important day, but a woman's life doesn't begin (and end) at her wedding!
- Reading any and all fiction
- Crafting
- Running the small craft comany I own with darling fiance
- gardening and harvesting my own vegetables
- shopping locally
- cooking and entertaining friends and family
- Reading (especially fantasy fiction, my guilty pleasure)
- Debating about current events (especially the economy) with my fiance - a nice chance to remember there is a world outside the wedding!
- Traveling
- Exploring old bookstores
- Singing, and music in general
- Planning things for other people!
coffee and tea dates with friends
documentaries
international politics
urban renewal
peace organizations like nonviolent peaceforce
LOST!
eating pies
ultimate frisbee
john legend
church
making christmas gifts despite my complete lack of craftiness
blogging
Traveling (particularly throughout Europe)
Christmas music
Creating jewelry
Movie nights
Potlucks with my girlfriends
Couple game nights
A good glass of red wine
Kitty cats
Shopping at the farmer's market
Puzzles
Reading
Cooking
Remodeling
Tennis
BTW, as far as pithy non-fiction goes if you haven't read Devil in the White City about the Chicago World's Fair, I would definitely recommend adding it to your book list! I could not put it down!
::Subjecting my fiance to my "inventive" kitchen machinations
::Rum balls - tis the season!
::Interior architecture/design books
::Listening to the new words my three year old nephew has picked up (where he learned "double-crossed", no one knows)
::Bubblebaths
::HGTV, Style, and Bravo - if it's a reality show about design, fashion, or food I'm all about it
delicious food
my pups
blogging and making new blog friends
photography
Colts football
dancing
* Finding fantastic wines for under $10 (I've been blogging about this, in fact!)
* Trying new recipes at dinnertime
* Playing the piano
* Reading mystery novels and historical fiction
* Watching the Denver Broncos snatch defeat from the jaws of victory (and occasionally vice-versa)
I love it!
As my mom recently put into words, we're dabblers. I love learning new things! I like to do little bits of everything traditional -
-knit,
-bake from scratch,
-embroider (I'm working on learning that one right now),
-dance (ballroom),
-read classics,
-read history (I love a good McCullough book, or biography), and
-send letters and cards
But I'm also incredibly tied to the modern world.
-I can't work out without my ipod
-I watch entirely too much tv (usually dramas)
-I love really great restaurants (though I prefer to cook, most of the time)
I'm still getting used to being out of law school, which tended to consume all of my hobbies, so bear with me ... I know that my list is a little too narrow! (I mean, it's an endless cycle of eating and then working off the calories!)
cooking
baking
cross-country skiing
snowshoeing
trail running
hiking
I started something like this at my blog a while back, because I realized.. I am so much more than my wedding.
Decorating my home
art
music
history books
good books in general
politics
traveling
makeup
theatre
my friends
life... life interests me more than anything else
I'm into:
- Reading anything and everything, cereal boxes to Vietnam non fiction to Ohio Revised Code
- running.
- drumming. I've been drummin for 2 years. I'm in an awesome band/duo. We're The Half Truths!
- working out
- dancing in my living room with the cats and the dog
- library sciences
- food: cooking, eating, making, buying
- peace and love and rock and roll
1. Watching Jeopardy & Wheel of Fortune with my finance and trying to get more right answers than he does!
2. Spending time with my family
3. Photography
4. Girls night
5. Dinner parties (although few and far between given the current lack of space in our apt)
6. Good food
7. Christmas & baking xmas cookies
8. Crime dramas
9. folk(y) music
10. Acting like kids in the fresh snow
1. Knitting and ravelry.com
2. Reading a really good story
3. Running. Oh how I love a good long run.
4. Movies with my fiance
5. Very silly, but the first snow fall had me staring out the window today.
I've read all of these comments! Fascinating!!!
My life as a people, not as a bride:
exploring downtown Toronto
colour/forms of expression/design/typography
most definitely documentaries
Bible studies & other soul-feeding activities (gotta feed your soul!)
cooking & baking
eating (gotta feed your bellay!)
reading & writing
friend-time.
Lover-time. (woo! I love my fiance!)
1. urban gardening-yeah heirloom veggies!
2. exploring farmers markets and farms in my region to eat locally
3. french film and indie movies
3. rehabbing my house
4. learning to cook without recipes or specific ingredients. i love meals that turn out great when i had to wing it
5. reading about stuff i never thought i'd care about (history, sociology, etc.)
1. Dean Koontz novels. All of them. Multiple times.
2. Any and all scripted television.
3. 70's rock. 80's metal. 90's hip hop.
4. Vocabulary words.
5. 4 hour car rides back home with my man during the holidays. Why fly when you can slowly crawl through New England traffic?
Crocheting rugs with old clothes
Rocking out to Bluegrass music with lots of banjo
Eating Indian food until I can't move
Watching bad TV
Being a political junkie, and having really strong liberal opinions
Loving my cat Toaster
Cooking on the grill, or making Rachel Ray dinners with my fiancé
Live theatre, musicals, or watching other performances
Learning more about Africa
Banging on things and making noise.
Swing dancing, belly dancing, and wiggling around the house.
Pointing out gender inequality in TV commercials and telling people about feminism
Playing board games with friends, and attempting not to get too competitive
tattoos
Watching my son become a little person
Reading and writing (my French Lit master's thesis was on cultural identity -20th century French and Russian, to be specific)
Cooking, baking, eating, drinking and being merry!
Arthouse Cinema
Gardening
Crafting and Sewing
Politics of all kind
Art in general, music in particular
Traveling, learning about other cultures...
What a novel idea- women actually have lives outside of marriage?!
-sarcasm (obviously)
-reading, anything and everything
-learning new things... how to dance, how to decorate cakes, how to knit, and on and on
-watching dorky history and science shows on History Channel and Discovery
-the French language
-photography and scrapbooking
-hiking
-exploring American historic sites such as old forts, villages, etc.
-having lively debates with fiance on everything from healthcare reform to the pros and cons of hybrid vehicles
Such amazing and interesting women around here!
1) Bad reality TV shows-- guilty pleasure
2) Volunteering to make my community a better place
3) Fighting the good fight for my copyright clients
4) Time relaxing/ chilling with friends and family
5) Baking and cooking up new, healthy treats
I'm managing to keep enjoying all of these things despite a little wedding planning here and there.
1) drawing Japanese-inspired comic books
2) trying to figure out ways to reform the field of psychology. So much to do
3) trying to tame our nearly ferral rescued chinchilla
4)figuring out as many ways as possible to eat well without cooking or spending money.
5) religious art, and music- from any religion, era or region. Maybe an odd trait in an atheist, but I'm drawn to passion, and a lot of passion tends to be poured into such works.
6) watching Boston Legal with my extended family on DVD every Sunday.
7) Victoriana
What (other than weddings) really interests you?
world news
good grub
live music
designers
entrepreneurs
* Any book I can't put down, whether it's really edifying or just a guilty pleasure.
* Planning the amazing adventures Husband and I are hoping to be able to take soon.
* Playing in the kitchen, researching the play in the kitchen, turning out something really awesomely tasty that didn't break my bank account.
* Making plans for my return to school so that I have a fulfilling day job.
* Theater, being in it as either audience or cast member.
* Husband and I planning to conquer the world. (Yup, we're Pinky and The Brain)
-Reading any and everything
-Movies and witty TV shows (30 Rock and The Office! It's a 1-2 punch of goodness!)
-Being outside and looking at the stars
-Cooking/eating/drinking
-Sitting around and laughing with friends
-Dancing with my guy
-Writing, learning and teaching
-Cheese (any and all, I don't discriminate)
-Law & Order (any and all)
-Crossword puzzles
-Delta Blues of the 20's and 30's
Reading inspiring lovely design blogs.
Collecting vintage ceramics.
Photography.
Adoring my gentle pitbull.
Finding new music.
Mid-century modern furniture.
Making lists of all the things I plan to learn after devoting the last 5 years to finishing my PhD.
-knitting and spinning
-cooking and baking
-whitewater kayaking and camping
-running, swimming, dancing, yoga-fitness in general
-spending time with my family
-supporting local/independent businesses
-reading for pleasure
-having painted toenails
Nice.
1. Vegetarian cooking
2. My doggie
3. Cozy clothing
4. Music - from hippie to hip hop
5. Pizza
6. Volunteerism
7. Poetry
I love:
1. Being right in the middle of a good novel
2. Good food and craft beers
3. Cooking, baking, and rolling sushi
5. Yoga
6. Swimming in the ocean
Medieval Reenactment
Theater
Decorating
Education
Werewolf and Vampire Novels
Celtic Fiddle
1) Finishing my thesis
2) Finishing my thesis
3) Maintaining my relationship with:
a) my fiance
b) my friends/family
4) Finishing my thesis
ooops! In all my wedding obsession and trying to get my homework done for online classes, I almost forgot I had other interests!
-Photography
-The Spanish language
-Yoga
-Wes Anderson
-mandolin
-going to church
-soccer
-really bad competition-based reality shows
-Playing with my 2-year-old niece
-Dave Eggers' books
photography
museums (especially art or history)
curriculum development
etymology of names
reading
going places in the middle of the night
Hiking/kayaking/snowshoeing/back country adventures/seeing the stars away from the city. And Good Eats. Alton Brow is a genius.
1. Cooking/baking
2. Nesting (Decorating on a budget!)
3. Art (Photography & Prints)
4. Crafts of all sorts (Card making, crochet, etc.)
5. Planning (and not necessarily weddings - I enjoy planning ANYTHING!)
6. Traveling (and the planning to match!)
1.) Romance languages (even Latin)
2.) Travel
3.) Reading
4.) International Relations
5.) Fair Trade
6.) Trying to save the world
7.) Football (or soccer, if you prefer, but it really is football)
8.) Food (and the Food Network)
9.) Coffee
10.) Chocolate.
But not in any particular order.
*Getting take out and watching comedies in my bed with my partner
*Walking to the market on Saturday morning
*Planning how to create a home for my fiance and I (We just got accepted for our first rental home!)
*Writing cards and letters to my family and friends
*Visiting my best friend and her beautiful baby
*Making gift for no reason for my loved ones
from renee
1. learning to cook everything in the Les Halle cookbook
2. exploring the new state i live in, Iowa isn't that interesting.
3. reading books of essays.
What interests me? Healthcare! I am an RN in grad school to become an NP.
Literature! I love reading the classics, like Proust and Tolstoy, and classic theology, from Augustine to William James. I also love modern non-fiction, like Tracy Kidder, Oliver Sacks, Diane Ackerman . . .
Quakerism! My spirituality is a top priority, and Quakers give me an intellectually satisfying way to be spiritual.
Folk music! I play the fiddle and love to practice, learn new tunes, and jam with friends.
I also love to cook (especially vegetarian food, even though I'm not vegetarian), bake bread, and knit.
Oh, and I used to be both a fencing instructor and a volunteer firefighter. I can't decide which should be my priority when I have more time . . .
mountain biking.
hiking.
seeing my dog so happy to be on the trails with Eric and I.
taking pictures.
traveling to new places.
reading.
What an inspiring list!
My true loves:
Reading (ravenously - I'm stealing that phrase, Nicky)
Prints, drawings, photography
Making playlists
Cooking, baking, eating
Wine
Food politics + US politics
Socialist feminism
Foamy lattes from one of the independent coffee shops in my neighborhood
Wandering around the Annex
Flappers, pie and chickens
1. classic cars
2. theory of industrial design - why people design things the way that they do
3. Interior design
4. Country/bluegrass music
5. 1960s and 1970s french films
Holing up in a book store in the photography section.
Attempting to read Book Club Books
NIA-crazy dancing that sometimes involves animal noises
Hiking
Wine
I was obsessed with Politics, but we won so now I am getting over that.
Training for new athletic challenges
Walks about the neighborhood
Visits to see friends and far away
family
A really really good book
fireplaces
Cold weather at Christmas time
Symphonies
Saturdays curled up watching movies
Animals of any kind
Thank you for this post! Every time I see the targeted advertising on Facebook, I get a little depressed.
My list:
- De-glutenizing and undairy-izing my favorite recipes.
- Hearing new bands
- Reading up on subjects my education left out (history outside the US, predominantly)
- Pretending I can afford to travel
- Hacking old clothes into something new
... among others
Love your work Meg!
*Finding something for someone that I know they're just going to LOVE (even if it is another 9 months until their birthday!)
*Losing myself in a book
*The smell of the earth after rain
*Laughing so hard that it hurts
*Cooking awesome food for people I love
slightly off topic, but is this supposed to make me feel bad about myself?
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/28255335/
Great question, Meg!
I love:
-The Lord
-They way I feel after a good workout.
-Thrifting/Antique stores/Consignment (alright, I'm cheap).
-Design
-Elliot, my fiance (of course)!
-A good pair of True Religions (ok, not [that] cheap).
a. surprises. both planning and receiving
b. working with and playing with children
c. social history, especially class and gender history
d. cooking (but not baking!)
e. writing (non-fiction, prose, poetry)
f. foreign languages (i speak three plus english)
g. knitting
h.
What excites me?
1. Heavy Metal
2. Swordfighting
3. Wall-E
4. My job - I'm a braille transcriber. When I finish a book or a manual or a recipe folder and the person rings me up to say how much of a difference I've made for them. It's just...indescribably cool.
5. Homemade gifts
6. My garden - eating something you've grown yourself just gives me a happy feeling.
7. My husband - he's just so totally rad
8. Sausage rolls.
-Pretending I can cook
-Wine, and lots of it
-Reading
-Collecting children's books (not because I ever plan on having kids, but because I'm still in denial about being an adult)
My fiance and I went for our first premarital counseling session with our pastor this weekend. He asked how things were looking five, no, four months out. I said, "No, it's even less than that," and proceeded to regale him with the status of my dissertation and job hunt. I didn't even recognize that that wasn't the time line or event he was asking about. Oops.
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