Full Speed Ahead!

The holidays are fast approaching, and D and I are gearing up for our epic mini-vacation to New York City for the Thanksgiving break. I love this time of year! But I feel like it goes by too fast. First you leisurely waltz into Halloween, then you have a nice month of fall and then Thanksgiving but then BAM, just like my parents 180lb St. Bernard, Christmas knocks you over and says I'M HERE! I'M HERE!

That St. Bernard in question is Suki. And that Basset is Lily. Imagine THESE GALS running full speed to greet you!
Now, imagine it with a SANTA hat.

Epic planners (and budget conscious folk too) we are starting to plan out what to buy family and how much to spend, etc. And the question of multiple gifts keeps popping up. As in, do we buy each person a gift separately? Or one together? This question is particularly difficult when it pertains to gifts for D's family.

Oh, yes. We will be visiting them over the holidays. We will be going there for a day or two to celebrate with her family. And D has made it very clear that we go together or don't got at all. And gifts will be bought, and Christmas will be had. But do we buy one gift? two? one each?

Do I seem like I'm trying too hard if I buy them one, separately, as well? Will they read it as a ploy to get them to accept our relationship/like me as a person/not see me as the scaaaaaaaary lesbian that took their precious daughter away? Or me being that nice friendly girl they once thought as a "part of their family" (exact quote!)

I think it is rude for me NOT to get them a gift, they are after all my fiancee's parents. Especially if I am going to be spending part of the holidays with them. But I also think putting our both our names on a gift may be seen as cheap?

Bridesmate Jackie of All Trades believes that once rings are on hands, gifts are given as a couple. But I'm just not so sure.

Thoughts?

Moving On, Moving Up

We are still pretty bummed about Maine. All in all Wednesday was pretty crappy. I accidentally kept crying when my students or co-workers asked about it... Thankfully I also have bad allergies right now so I could turn my from blithering idiot and into a fake sneeze or two. No need for students to see me semi-defeated for a day.

Most heartwarming were former students of mine who had nice little "f@!* you, Maine" facebook statuses, it is nice to know that they support marriage equality! And all of the great comments that I got on the blog made me smile in my heart.

If you didn't hear, Houston is in a run-off for mayor and Annise Parker could be the first openly gay woman to be governor in HOUSTON FREAKING TEXAS.

This is more than big. This is huge.
And this is even huge-r for Texas.
Huger isn't even a word, folks..... that is how HUGE this thing is.

My new friend, Meghan and her wife Lindsay, (who also happen to be founders of Impact Houston) are trying to fund-raise for Annise and have created their own fundraising page.I know after Maine's defeat, I wanted to throw my support behind SOMETHING (that wasn't HRC this time around). And I'm definitely planning on donating to her campaign to help her win the race.

You can donate here!

Also, Erica over at Bi-Wedding Diaries, had a great post about her feelings on Maine and a link to an Etsy shop that is donating profits to No H8. You should check out her blog first, and then the etsy shop next.

Hope everyone has plans for a happy weekend!

No Crumbs...

I have been dreaming about my wedding since I was 5. When I was in high school and college and had a bad day, I would go buy a bridal magazine. True story. I would peruse through those glossy pages and bookmark or tear out things I liked. Then, like any good theatre designer, I'd put them in an image book... to keep safe.

Just because I never thought or planned about a having a groom doesn't mean I'm not entitled to standing in front of friends and family and saying vows to the one I love. And it doesn't now. But, apparently 53% of Maine and my home state and half of bloody America think my 'commitment ceremony' (i loathe that phrase) is just fine and dandy as long as I don't want the rights and privileges of straight couples.

Well, I'm pissed. I'm glaring a lot. Just the fact that we have to go outside of the state we were raised in to get married is insulting enough. And now, with Prop 1 passing....

Last year, I was devastated. When Prop 8 passed, Deb and I couldn't talk about it. She went out and ate an entire thing of cookie dough. I smoked a lot of cigarettes. It wasn't pleasant by any means. I can't believe it has already been a year.

I have a lot of mixed emotions. Part of me doesn't want to make a big deal out of this. Part of me just wants to get married like the rest of the population. I just want to celebrate and then be a wife and not HAVE to be a part of this. Another part (the more prominent) knows that just by having a blessing in Texas we are making some sort of stand. We are drawing attention to ourselves (blog or no blog) and creating conversations and hopefully changing people's minds with every vendor, every person we talk to.

D and Me? We're the same as you. We want the same things in our life. We wanted to get married.

A saw this on twitter (I know, lame), but it made me laugh in a way that I feel like sums everything up:

"I don't want crumbs anymore, I want the whole damn wedding cake."

I will raise a toast to that.

Falling in love with fall colors (awwww)

Trying my hand at inspiration boards.... now that I have photoshop on my computer! I'm slowly falling more and more in love with these colors, and I know how much easier (read: cheaper) they will be since they will be in season.

And do you love those invitations? Because we do, and we decided about 3 months ago to splurge and make them OURS! We were going to change the color, but if we go fall-- we won't have to... and I love that orange and cream! The best part about the shop owners, Golden Rectangle Press is that they ACTUALLY HAVE A SAME SEX INVITE on their page. Which I appreciate more than anything. I think it is one thing to support same sex marriage, but another thing entirely to put examples up on your site. So, Thanks for that one, awesome shop owner!

The Facts and Links:
Brilliant letterpress invites from Etsy shop owner, Golden Rectangle Press.
Gorgeous Cottage Photo From Evrim Icoz Photography in Portland.
Pretty Orchid Centerpiece from bridesmate Harmonious-- who found it on theknot.com
The rest-- google image search: fall wedding