The Clothes Off My Back (Kelsey's Wedding Edition)

Good morning!

Well, readers, it was a big weekend-- my best friend from high school, Kelsey, got hitched and darned if we didn't do it up right for once in celebration! My partner in crime from Knoxville years and fellow HFA graduate Caroline came in with her fiancé Eric from the great state of Texas, and the enti-i-i-i-ire old crowd from school yard days was in attendance to drink copious amounts of table wine and see our girl off in style.   I've been saving this early fifties'-esque beige dress with black net overlay for JUST the right occasion ($7.99, Gallatin Goodwill), and I think this was it:

The hat is a new one I picked up on the second day of the Inglewood estate sale with Eartha (who also clued me in to a great Hamilton Beach ice cream scoop when I admitted petty jealousy over the one she had her in buying pile... She: "There's another one in there, you know!" Me: [Wile E. Coyote like trail of smoke]), along with the rhinestone double horseshoe pin you can almost see affixed to the right hand side of the dress. The necktie is worn in sad remembrance of the one I left sitting in the cup compartment of my Civic while vacuuming the upholstery at Smith Bros...you can guess what happened it to it (I'd like to say it's in a better place, but I know it's actually in a huge commercial vacuum vat of other people's petrified French fries). My shoes are four inch wedges from Target that make me Clint Eastwood tall (an upgrade from my daily extremely-very-tall)! The gleam coming off my left shoulder is from the hose down of OFF! that preceded this picture session-- my backyard, if I haven't told you before, is like something from Land of the Lost in terms of Jurassic-sized mosquitoes gallivanting in swarms.

Look! Bab braved the insect life for this quick, blurry snap in front of the cars:

I found Matthew's jacket at a sale in Bordeaux, during a period in which I had forbidden myself to buy any more clothes for him-- it's hard to resist because he's just 1950's-60's sized...medium height, broad shoulders, normal waist...and he looks so good in those kind of clothes, which I am always seeing and for some reason no one else is ever buying. At this sale, the owner had been in the Navy long term in some higher-up capacity, and had two dress dinner jackets like this with special add-an-epaulet things at the shoulders (you might be able to see them if you squint at the picture), one in black and one in white, for $10 apiece. I picked up both immediately, then put back the white one, then put back the black one...then ran back and got both. The shopping bug had bitten me! I'm glad I did, though, because instead of looking like a waiter (a reasonable fear), he looks like a Dapper little Dan! The shirt is a grey and maroon paisley from the sixties' Sears Store brand.

I totally stole this from someone else's Facebook. I'm not even sorry! See the bride and her brother at center, and the adorable backyard set up of the wedding seating. The Italian-Lights type bulbs on wires set up was SO. PRETTY.

The ceremony was relatively short and sweet-- afterwards, we ate mashed potatoes with lobster (!!) inside and filet mignon, prepared by Kelsey's cousin who is a professional chef and used to work at a high end restaurant in town (I'd believe it!), and proceeded to party down for the four hour reception. I'm still not sure how we survived. Matthew sang Kelsey an impromptu song about how happy he was she was getting married, so he could eat as many lobster potatoes as he liked (classic). Eric said something funny just as we were taking this photo, so Bab is distracted. I, however, am paying attention. A lot of details have escaped my sleep deprived memory, but it was fun!!

Kelsey, center, Caroline at right, and me on the left. I think you can finally see the horseshoe pin in this pic! I am towering over the girls and eventually did take my shoes off so I wouldn't look like I was on stilts in every group picture. There are many, MANY more group pictures, but in varying degrees of you-had-to-be-there. So just know a great time was had by all!

 Last but not least, here's a top secret picture of me in my new glasses (-9.25 in one eye, -9.00 in the other...can you even believe that, fellow glasses wearers?). My prescription is SO BAD (audience: how bad IS IT!) that even with compressed lenses and all the fancy glass crafting done by the marvelous people at See in Hillsboro Village, I still look a little like I'm channeling Mr. Magoo. However! Without their lense wizardry, I promise you would see my normally Snuffleupagus sized eyes reduced to the scale of dimes, so I am thankful. Are they Elvis Costello-y enough for you? I made this connection as soon as I got home:

At least I'm in good company...?

How was your weekend? Any momentous life events going on for yourself or those around you? What's the best wedding/reception you've been to lately? This one obviously takes the (wedding) cake, hands down, for us! :)

Have a great Monday, and I'll see you guys tomorrow!