Ah, Friday morning and I am... here at work. Drat. The good news yesterday was that two of my tv commercial ideas (including one I really like) got picked to be presented to the client Monday. And it's the big honcho client, not just the day-to-day contact. The bad news was that they wanted to make a few changes to the scripts, and wanted a script developed based on a concept from someone else who is now on vacation. So, I'm here and wishing I weren't.
At least my boss was nice about it and apologized and told me if things are slow later on, I could hopefully leave early, and he'd try and make up the day on another Friday, if possible. Glad he offered, though I'm not sure I can see it happening. Oh well, I'll try and get these all done by noon so the chance of getting out of here by 3ish is realistic.
Worked some more on the Moo blanket last night. I definitely have a spot or two where I have diverged from the chart, but I am so not worrying - they're cow print spots and no one will ever realize that one was supposed to be slightly over to the left a bit more. Last night's rows went a little faster because there was more white space between spots so I had fewer color changes.
OK, this is not the kind of wedding I am planning. Very strange! I found that link on GoingBridal, which was entertaining reading even before I was engaged.
I got the contract from the caterer in the mail yesterday. Yipes. I want to take a good read of it and ask any questions before signing it and giving them a deposit. Everything looks kosher, but there are a few questions I have. One being that they say they require approval on all outside vendor services, and I want to know what that entails. Same goes for any outside cakes brought in. And since Leanne, one of my best friends, happens to be a professional pastry chef and is going to make my cake, I want to make sure it won't be a problem. I'm sure the cake the caterer provides is lovely, but it can't taste anywhere near as good as what she makes.
Friday, July 26, 2002
Thursday, July 25, 2002
Did a few more rows on the Moo blanket last night. I see a spot where I messed up and have 2 extra black stitches, but since it's such an abstract pattern, I think it's not a big deal. I suppose if it really bugs me when it's finished (I bet it will!) I can just duplicate stitch over them in the ivory. This blanket is really so adorable, and the yarn is so nice to work with, but boy is it slow.
On the up side, I knit a little swatch this morning - just a bunch of rows of white followed by a bunch of black, and I washed it in the sink to make sure the black wouldn't bleed. Looked OK while it was still wet, so I think it will be just fine when dry. Phew! I started worrying about this the other night, when I realized that no matter how careful I was to keep it clean, I was going to need to wash this before giving it to Jill for her baby to use. I managed to convince myself of impending disaster and black dye bleeding all over the ivory. Luckily, that's not the case!
Got one more little thing off my wedding to-do list last night - I asked Ryan's sister, Kristy, to be a bridesmaid. Several months ago, I wouldn't have thought I'd do that, but after spending that week together in France, I really got to know her better and realized how much I like her. We're the same age (Ryan is 3.5 years younger than I am) and so we have a lot of the same memories/cultural reference points. And she's very smart (I think to do brain surgery this is generally a requirement!) and has a great sense of humor. So, we had a really nice chat and she said she was very happy to be asked and that she would love to be part of the bridal party. Yay!
Tonight I'm having dinner with my friend Alex, who I haven't seen in quite a long time. We're going to McSorley's, the second-oldest bar in the city. I haven't been there in ages, but I remember they have yummy burgers and good ale. Should be fun.
I'm supposed to have a Summer Friday tomorrow, but I'm not sure what's up right now. If we are not doing well on TV spot ideas, I may have to come in and work on it some more. I think they're having a meeting in about 5 minutes to figure out where we stand, so I am crossing my fingers big time that I get my free day!
On the up side, I knit a little swatch this morning - just a bunch of rows of white followed by a bunch of black, and I washed it in the sink to make sure the black wouldn't bleed. Looked OK while it was still wet, so I think it will be just fine when dry. Phew! I started worrying about this the other night, when I realized that no matter how careful I was to keep it clean, I was going to need to wash this before giving it to Jill for her baby to use. I managed to convince myself of impending disaster and black dye bleeding all over the ivory. Luckily, that's not the case!
Got one more little thing off my wedding to-do list last night - I asked Ryan's sister, Kristy, to be a bridesmaid. Several months ago, I wouldn't have thought I'd do that, but after spending that week together in France, I really got to know her better and realized how much I like her. We're the same age (Ryan is 3.5 years younger than I am) and so we have a lot of the same memories/cultural reference points. And she's very smart (I think to do brain surgery this is generally a requirement!) and has a great sense of humor. So, we had a really nice chat and she said she was very happy to be asked and that she would love to be part of the bridal party. Yay!
Tonight I'm having dinner with my friend Alex, who I haven't seen in quite a long time. We're going to McSorley's, the second-oldest bar in the city. I haven't been there in ages, but I remember they have yummy burgers and good ale. Should be fun.
I'm supposed to have a Summer Friday tomorrow, but I'm not sure what's up right now. If we are not doing well on TV spot ideas, I may have to come in and work on it some more. I think they're having a meeting in about 5 minutes to figure out where we stand, so I am crossing my fingers big time that I get my free day!
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
OK, first off, I have the coolest blog readers! Everyone has been leaving such nice, supportive comments. And you don't mind (and many even welcome) the wedding planning tangents. Yay! I especially appreciate people keeping an eye out for nice tank patterns - I welcome any and all suggestions!
Last night's Stitch-n-Bitch at Java-n-Jazz seemed to be a great success! Lots of people showed up, and between the sofa, rocking chair and tables, there was room for all. Good light, sandwiches and ice cream available, and a generally convenient location are also pluses. I think the consensus is we're going to stay there for a while, which makes me very happy.
I did a few rows on the boatneck, but got sick of it quickly for some reason, so I moved on to the Moo blanket, which has been neglected for a while. My cousin (the recipient) is getting bigger and bigger, but her baby's blanket hasn't been! Once I finish off the boatneck, I think I will try to focus on Moo for a while, so I will have room for other projects later without stressing about this one. Baby's due in October, which seems a ways off, but it's a long blanket, and each row (113 stitches) takes a while because of the many color changes (white, black, white, black, white, black...).
Right now I am completely comatose after a 9:30-11:30am meeting about market research. It was actually very interesting and informative, and answered many questions, but it was two hours in one conference room! Ack! I have to spend the rest of the day thinking of brilliant TV commercial concepts, so the art director I am working with (Sonia) and I are going to go get some brilliant lunch to fuel our creativity.
Last night's Stitch-n-Bitch at Java-n-Jazz seemed to be a great success! Lots of people showed up, and between the sofa, rocking chair and tables, there was room for all. Good light, sandwiches and ice cream available, and a generally convenient location are also pluses. I think the consensus is we're going to stay there for a while, which makes me very happy.
I did a few rows on the boatneck, but got sick of it quickly for some reason, so I moved on to the Moo blanket, which has been neglected for a while. My cousin (the recipient) is getting bigger and bigger, but her baby's blanket hasn't been! Once I finish off the boatneck, I think I will try to focus on Moo for a while, so I will have room for other projects later without stressing about this one. Baby's due in October, which seems a ways off, but it's a long blanket, and each row (113 stitches) takes a while because of the many color changes (white, black, white, black, white, black...).
Right now I am completely comatose after a 9:30-11:30am meeting about market research. It was actually very interesting and informative, and answered many questions, but it was two hours in one conference room! Ack! I have to spend the rest of the day thinking of brilliant TV commercial concepts, so the art director I am working with (Sonia) and I are going to go get some brilliant lunch to fuel our creativity.
Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Well, I think it's official enough to announce - I am going to be a June bride! The big day will be June 15th, 2003 at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (BBG). Ryan and I are so excited to be having our wedding there, as it is a special place for us. It's close to home (we'll be living in Brooklyn once we sell his place and find one to rent together), incredibly beautiful, and we have spent many a happy day there. I think it's going to be a really lovely place to have a wedding. The ceremony will be in the meadow, and the reception in the Palm House.
When I started looking around at places, I was really surprised that the BBG wasn't more expensive. It turned out to be on par with other nice places we looked into, but with far more beauty and meaning. If you live in the NY area and haven't been there, I really suggest you had down there sometime this summer. It's just this lovely, peaceful sanctuary in the middle of Brooklyn.
There was really only one other place I seriously wanted to do this at, which was Oheka Castle on Long Island. This also had a sentimental value for me, as I had attended a summer day camp on the grounds when I was very small. It's a beautiful mansion, which would be absolutely lovely for a wedding. Unfortunately, the price range was $250-350 a head, which was way more than twice as much as I could/would want to spend. I can't believe they get that kind of money! I mean, even Ryan's birthday dinner at Montrachet didn't come to that much per person.
Anyway, Oheka was beautiful but couldn't touch the sentimental value of the BBG. And that's what a wedding is all about, so why not make this memory in a place where we already have some lovely memories?
OK, now that I've told you that much, I want to promise this won't become a totally wedding-centric blog. I definitely plan on knitting and writing about that, despite the past week's activities. Actually, I am planning on knitting for my wedding! No, not the gown. But for my bridesmaids (three + maid of honor) I want to knit some dressy tanks that they can wear with a long skirt instead of a traditional bridesmaid gown. I have seen this look in the wedding magazines, but with purchased knits, and I would like to make something myself for each of them. That way they can (a) save money on buying some ridiculous (even if it's pretty) gown they will never wear again, (b) have a gift that comes directly from my heart, and (c) wear the tank again after the wedding is over - for real!
If anyone has yarn/pattern suggestions, I am open to them. I am thinking something fairly simple in shape, but made in lovely yarn. Not too strappy, as most of the girls have enough up top to prefer wearing a bra. I haven't picked out a color yet, and now I am wondering do I pick the yarn first or the skirt first? Hmm. I would ideally like to have different shades of the same color (because I am not insane enough to think I could find exact matches) probably with the top a bit lighter than the bottom. I know I have 11 months to do this, but since I have to make four of these, I don't want to put it off to the last minute.
Boy will I be sick of that pattern by the time I am done!
When I started looking around at places, I was really surprised that the BBG wasn't more expensive. It turned out to be on par with other nice places we looked into, but with far more beauty and meaning. If you live in the NY area and haven't been there, I really suggest you had down there sometime this summer. It's just this lovely, peaceful sanctuary in the middle of Brooklyn.
There was really only one other place I seriously wanted to do this at, which was Oheka Castle on Long Island. This also had a sentimental value for me, as I had attended a summer day camp on the grounds when I was very small. It's a beautiful mansion, which would be absolutely lovely for a wedding. Unfortunately, the price range was $250-350 a head, which was way more than twice as much as I could/would want to spend. I can't believe they get that kind of money! I mean, even Ryan's birthday dinner at Montrachet didn't come to that much per person.
Anyway, Oheka was beautiful but couldn't touch the sentimental value of the BBG. And that's what a wedding is all about, so why not make this memory in a place where we already have some lovely memories?
OK, now that I've told you that much, I want to promise this won't become a totally wedding-centric blog. I definitely plan on knitting and writing about that, despite the past week's activities. Actually, I am planning on knitting for my wedding! No, not the gown. But for my bridesmaids (three + maid of honor) I want to knit some dressy tanks that they can wear with a long skirt instead of a traditional bridesmaid gown. I have seen this look in the wedding magazines, but with purchased knits, and I would like to make something myself for each of them. That way they can (a) save money on buying some ridiculous (even if it's pretty) gown they will never wear again, (b) have a gift that comes directly from my heart, and (c) wear the tank again after the wedding is over - for real!
If anyone has yarn/pattern suggestions, I am open to them. I am thinking something fairly simple in shape, but made in lovely yarn. Not too strappy, as most of the girls have enough up top to prefer wearing a bra. I haven't picked out a color yet, and now I am wondering do I pick the yarn first or the skirt first? Hmm. I would ideally like to have different shades of the same color (because I am not insane enough to think I could find exact matches) probably with the top a bit lighter than the bottom. I know I have 11 months to do this, but since I have to make four of these, I don't want to put it off to the last minute.
Boy will I be sick of that pattern by the time I am done!
Monday, July 22, 2002
I can't believe I have gotten so lame about posting. Mostly because I suddenly got busy here at work on Thursday and Friday, and I am certainly grateful about that. It's still day-to-day with what I am working on, but at least I have been finding work to do and clients to bill my time to.
I have done zero knitting since Tuesday's Stitch-n-Bitch. Not so happy about that! But there have been a lot of "extracurricular" events, and that doesn't seem to be stopping. My brother Larry is in town until Thursday, so that always puts lots of stuff on hold. Last night we all (parents, Larry, Ryan, myself) went to Tavern on the Green for a bit of a celebratory dinner. I wouldn't usually pick such a touristy spot, but Mom wanted to go - she has developed an extreme fondness for it. The food is nothing special really, but in the nice weather, it's fantastic to sit outside there. It was nice to get there at 7:30, because we got to be there during daylight and darkness, with all the pretty lights in the trees.
Tonight we are having a different kind of family affair. Ryan, Larry and I are meeting my friend Rich, his brother Didier and his brother's wife Michelle for dinner. We have been discussing this for ages, but it finally materialized. There's a restaurant down on Avenue B, called either 3B or B3, which has all you can eat blue crabs on Monday nights. I am so excited - I haven't had those in ages! Hard to find in NYC. Ryan doesn't eat them, so he'll scarf down his burger or something and then wait patiently for the rest of us.
On the wedding-planning front, we are very close to a place and date. I don't want to jinx it by saying anything until it's actually a done deal, but it should work out just fine. And it's a really beautiful place that will make us (and hopefully our guests) very happy, so I am pretty excited about it. I'll report again as soon as we have a true thumbs-up.
I have done zero knitting since Tuesday's Stitch-n-Bitch. Not so happy about that! But there have been a lot of "extracurricular" events, and that doesn't seem to be stopping. My brother Larry is in town until Thursday, so that always puts lots of stuff on hold. Last night we all (parents, Larry, Ryan, myself) went to Tavern on the Green for a bit of a celebratory dinner. I wouldn't usually pick such a touristy spot, but Mom wanted to go - she has developed an extreme fondness for it. The food is nothing special really, but in the nice weather, it's fantastic to sit outside there. It was nice to get there at 7:30, because we got to be there during daylight and darkness, with all the pretty lights in the trees.
Tonight we are having a different kind of family affair. Ryan, Larry and I are meeting my friend Rich, his brother Didier and his brother's wife Michelle for dinner. We have been discussing this for ages, but it finally materialized. There's a restaurant down on Avenue B, called either 3B or B3, which has all you can eat blue crabs on Monday nights. I am so excited - I haven't had those in ages! Hard to find in NYC. Ryan doesn't eat them, so he'll scarf down his burger or something and then wait patiently for the rest of us.
On the wedding-planning front, we are very close to a place and date. I don't want to jinx it by saying anything until it's actually a done deal, but it should work out just fine. And it's a really beautiful place that will make us (and hopefully our guests) very happy, so I am pretty excited about it. I'll report again as soon as we have a true thumbs-up.
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