A seed ascends around the turntable.

My endless supply of candles courtesy of my students put me at ease when the power went out during the hurricane. So what was my hurricane woe? …coffee ice cream didn’t make it through the night (sigh)

If I had a cup of coffee today, I might have remembered to press a button when I got on the elevator instead of standing there directionless. Why yes, I was that girl! 18 days without coffee and counting. 

I try to personalize everything. If I had the time, I would bake you a three-tiered chocolate cake with layers of hazelnut buttercream filling and even garnish it with the biggest handpicked strawberries I gathered at the strawberry field, if that was your thing. And if you freakishly love polka-dots, magenta, lego pieces, or Coco Puffs, I’d sneak that in too, somehow. Then, I’d write your name with my best cake-cursive with your favorite color icing before adding my homemade candles. All this for your unbirthday.

You see, only when faced with the threat of buying crazy jacked-up prescription drugs will I go with the generic. So when my sister wanted to settle for store bought wedding favors for the sake of time, I was not thrilled. Don’t get me wrong. I adore each of my five sets of measuring spoons that I’ve collected from the weddings, but at this point I think I really CAN measure the “love beyond measure.” 

I was disgruntled to the say the least, until the Arnold Palmer wedding favor idea came to mind. Here’s what I remember from the dialogue that ensued following the thought. 

Disgruntled: Don’t both you and Brett love Arnold Palmers.

Bride: Yeah.

Disgruntled: Why don’t you make that your favor?

Bride: Are you gonna make it?

Disgruntled: Ok.

Bride: How?

Disgruntled: With a lemon.

Bride: And black tea bags.

Disgruntled: Yup, and sugar cubes. 

Bride: We’ll put it in mason jars, so they can use it as a glass.

Disgruntled: Let’s add a popsicle stick, so they can stir it.

Bride: Alright, where are we gonna get labels?

Disgruntled: You’re a graphic designer.

ENOUGH SAID.

Later that day, I made a few bulk purchases online for tea, sugar, and mason jars. Next, I shopped around for the perfect blue gingham at the fabric store. The popsicle stick that we originally wanted to include didn’t work out because it kept sliding through the raffia when I made a mock up of the favor. I’m so glad it was a pain-in-the ass because it made me look for something else. I ended up finding these great biodegradable wooden spoons online that worked even better. The spoons added a really nice touch. I still wonder how long it would take to degrade if left in someone’s mouth.

Anyhow, when my sister finished the label design which included her very own Arnold Palmer recipe, she sent it to me. Setting aside my envy for her endless creative talent, the labels truly captured the whole essence of her wedding. Who better to pull that off than the bride her self?

Lemons, lemons, lemons….I waited until shortly before the wedding to even buy the lemons so they were fresh. Then, we took them out of the fridge, gave it a wash, and let them sit for a little while. They needed  to be at room temperature before they could go into the mason jars. Condensation and moist sugar packets would’ve made it look more like a science experiment for sure.

Myself, along with an assembly line of sisters, nieces, and men who were too strong to feel emasculated from what we were about to do gathered around the kitchen table and proceeded to put together THE cutest wedding favors. We laughed at the funny looking lemons, raced to see who could finish the most favors, and put to shame whoever made the sloppy ones.

The favors became one of the highlights of the glorious wedding. And it reflected the Bride and Groom so well. It was their thing. I hope that when each jar was opened it released the laughter, conversations, and sense of family that was encapsulated. Nothing could be more personal than that.

• Tags
• drinks
• family
• homemade
• lemons
• recipe
• wedding
• wedding favors
• love

Of time and deserts

taciturntom:

I never looked at my watch

You looked timeless.

And that smile,

How it made flowers bloom

In a desert.

You spoke, and I was entranced;

I watched your lips move, and

Perfect though they were, I was moved

To stop them with my own, requiring

Almost more restraint than I contained.  

You had novels for eyes which I

Could never tire of reading.

Perhaps heaven claimed authorship

Or maybe the earth.

I knew only that I could find

No such treasure

In a dusty attic or pirate’s cache. 

(via taciturntom-deactivated20110831)

• Tags
• shit
• spilled ink
• poetry

I received this email the other day, and was utterly delighted.

…I want to say thank you for showing such integrity. It really helps us out, and is also very nice to experience.

Judith

You are very welcome, Judith!

Have you ever felt a baby kick? Not just after birth when you risk multiple kicks to the face. I’m talking about an unborn baby’s kick before all the unintentional violence of head butting, hair pulling, backslapping, and left hook combos.

My sister is having a baby.

The other day, I was in her office chitchatting when I noticed a sudden protrusion. She gasped. “Did you see that?” she asked me. Of course I saw it. I was surprised she didn’t end up in the other corner of the room.

It happened again, and this time I wanted to feel it for myself. I gently placed my hand on her stomach. Waiting…. waiting…. waiting… I swear I heard crickets. Getting discouraged, I was ready to let go, but then she kicked me! Not my sister, the baby that is. I’ve never been more excited to get kicked in my entire life.

I felt all sorts of kicks after that—a right front high kick, a roundhouse kick. She must have discovered the functionality of legs or maybe she just grew legs. Whatever the case may be, I can’t wait to meet the little soccer player or our mixed martial artist.

• Tags
• Baby
• Newborn
• Pregnancy
• Sister
• Sisterhood