Photo Friday: OPRAH!!!

Okay, so I know I twittered about the show all morning, but I just have to put up some photos from Oprah Live in NYC, which I was lucky enough to attend today with (l to r): Erin Meanley, me, Alison Lewis and Anne Ichikawa!!! Alison got the good news that we were IN after we all signed up for a chance to get seats last week. We felt like we'd won a Golden Ticket! This is a BIG check mark on the Life Dream List for me. First, after waking up at 5am and waiting in line to be seated for three hours, Erin and I are PSYCHED for the show to start: The ladies next to us got creative to get noticed! Regis and Kelly! (Adorable, and between takes, Kelly and Oprah talked shoes, and Kelly said, "You have a cobbler in the back who custom makes shoes for you, right?" Oprah said, "I haven't gone that far!") Here's Mariah with some superfans on stage. Later, Nick Cannon came to chat, and he and Mariah seemed genuinely in love--she was his celebrity crush. And Mariah hit her famous high C while performing "I Wanna Know What Love Is" (a Foreigner remake)! The Book Club pick was Say You're One of Them, short stories by Uwem Akpan. Read Erin's recap of the day on glamour.com! After the taping, Oprah told all of us in the audience that we honored her with our presence. She was gracious and kind and funny the whole time. I found myself screaming when she first walked out, like you always see people in the audience doing. It's easy to mock that behavior from your couch, but let me tell you: It is hard not to scream when you see Oprah and her gold microphone! Have a great weekend!
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Photo Friday: Desolation Sound

I'm going on a boat trip to Desolation Sound, so I'll be out of touch for a while. Doesn't Desolation Sound sound like a scary book title? Here's the view: Swimming, fishing, reading... oh my! Have a great weekend!

Photo Friday: Fashion Illustrator + Classic Literature

Have you guys seen these classic titles, redesigned by fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo? He's drawn for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and now he's tackling Jane Austen, among others.I like these. They're kinda weird, but in the good sense, I think. Way to think outside the box, Penguin! What do you guys think? Oh, and if you missed one of these on your bookshelves, I highly recommend all three. Major angst in those first two. Happy weekend!

Photo Friday: New York, Paris I Love You

Just some quick-and-DIY city shots:A phone photo from the East Village of NYC. I love the Mosaic Man, who decorates lampposts. The garbage just made it such a New York view for me--artistic beauty and hot trash bags. And a shot that my friend Joomi sent me from Paris, where she lives now because she's all chic like that. She thought of me and Violet! These may be my two favorite cities, though I have to give props to London and Madrid, and of course I haven't been nearly everywhere! I dream of Argentina and Uruguay, and hopefully Australia too one day. Where do you guys want to go? Happy Friday! PS-Remember, two contests this week: One for Amor and Summer Secrets and one for The Blonde of the Joke. Good luck!

Photo Friday: Wedding Dress #2

Those of you who tuned in last week know that for my wedding ceremony, I wore a 1930s slip that was turned into a gown by the amazing and talented Garo Sparo. For the party, though, I wanted a flouncy dress with tulle, 50s style. Once again, Garo came to the rescue, saving a doesn't-really-fit dress I bought on ebay (I had to! I loved it!) and making it mine. Here are some pics (click to enlarge if they look blurry): Two dancing shots (one clear, one I like to call "dreamy") where you can see its volume. And one more volume shot: A little shot of me and my friend Anne, and a shock of Carolina Blue! The shoes! The shoes! I loved them. Vivienne Westwood for Melissa. They can be yours. And, of course, I had to abandon the heels later in the night (this is the after party). Bloch ballet flats work, too. For the guys, Dave's suit is Gucci. He spent the money I saved on my vintage dresses! Thanks for bearing with me through my wedding fashion timeline. So if you have a thought, tell me: Which dress do you like better? Happy Friday!

Photo Friday: Wedding Dresses

I may keep doing this for Photo Friday for a while (forgive me, but I LOVED my wedding!). I was never a bridal girl, but man, it was fun. And if you click to enlarge, the photos get clearer (the high res makes them fuzzy on the blog--sorry!).So here's how the dress thing went: First I went to bridal shops that I found overpriced and under-stylish. So, for the ceremony, I bought a 1930s nightgown at The Family Jewels, a vintage store on 23rd Street, and had awesome designer Garo Sparo make it into a gown. Et Voila! Here you can see the detail of the top: And the full length: And the back: I wore sparkly London Sole flats in "multi," and a handmade flower from twistedcrystals on etsy in my hair. Next week, dress #2! (Bear with me, people.) Happy weekend!

Photo Friday: Teensy Bit of Wedding

I have to wait on my real, professional wedding photos, taken by my gorgeous friend Marcie, who made everyone laugh, which is key. I'll also tell you all about dress #1 and dress #2, when I have the right photos. Promise. (I know you're waiting with baited breath--haha.)Anyway, here are two photobooth photos for your enjoyment (we had the Saratoga Photobooth Company host a booth--which was SO. MUCH. FUN. Highly recommended!): With Dave. How many high school friends can fit in the booth? And one dancing photo (this is dress #2). More soon! PS-Here's the NY Times announcement too! Okay, yes, it's semi-douchey, but it's also a historical record, right? Cut me some slack. PPS-More wedding coverage (and lots of shots of my ELLEgirls) from my friend Erin who blogs for glamour.com... if you're still curious.

Photo Friday: Something Blue

Bye, everyone! I'm off to the wedding.I have a few timed posts for you, but generally I won't be around for 10 days or so. I promise to post a few (but not an obnoxious amount) of the best wedding photos later. Meanwhile, here's a hint at what I'm wearing for at least part of the evening. I've got my something blue covered! Happy Weekend!

Photo Friday: The Family Edition

So I'm getting married a week from tomorrow (!!) and that got me in the mood to look at a ton of old family photos. I had to share some, even though my brothers will kill me. Luckily, they so don't read my blog:These are my two older brothers when they were teenagers. How 70s are they?! Here's me (left) with my cousin Curry (a bridesmaid) on Christmas, early 80s: Me with my gorgeous mom, who'll walk me down the aisle! And a current one: Me with my sister at my spring wedding shower (that's Mom taking a photo): Ah, family. Happy Friday!

Photo Friday: New Orleans

A couple of weekends ago, I went down to NOLA with a few friends. I'd never been there, and man, was it amazing. In, like, three ways: 1) HOT. So insanely hot. Like 105, and humid. 2) Gorgeous. Dripping with charm and whimsy at every turn. 3) Energetic. The city--and the swamps--were pulsing with energy. Here are some photos:This was the pool at our hotel, the Audubon Cottages. Some cottages were haunted, but we chose one that wasn't. Elizabeth Taylor used to stay here, we read. We swam about four times a day. Here's me having bathrobe time (I love hotel bathrobes!) under a really old painting that seemed too valuable to be in our room. But there it was. Alligators and swamps and fan boats, oh my! Our guide seriously did not lose one drop of sweat. Captain Lou was superhuman. (See how we're trying not to touch each other in that second photo? You cannot understand how sweltering it was.) We held this guy! The Columns Hotel had an amazingly huge porch where we had white wine and took in the shade. Special thanks to Pappy Strange for the amazing List of things to do and see. It did not fail us once! So who else has been to NOLA? Did you love it? PS-My friend Erin, who blogs for Glamour, put up more pics of our trip here, if you're interested.