wedding dress blues

those of you that know me, know i despise my wedding dress. it is a fine dress. i have received many compliments on it. i just hate it and i want to kick the bag that it is in whenever i see it. i was one of those types that was constantly mentally planning her wedding. every flower arrangment, cake type, wedding announcement had to be meticulously studied to see if was to my liking. going to BYU really fed my habit. talk about wedding central. so, when i finally got engaged and went wedding dress shopping, you would have thought that i would have spent more time and energy into finding THE DRESS. i made several mistakes. one, was that i went by myself. most bridal magazines will tell you that you need to go by yourself to make the best decision. i disagree. i needed someone there to tell me that i needed to think and sleep on it before making a decision. two, was that the lady that owned the store, sweetheart bridal across from provo high school, was not wearing a bra. why did i buy a wedding dress from a lady not wearing a bra? third mistake, not trying on a bazillion dresses. i think i tried on 3. sometimes i am dumber than a box of hammers. fourth, i didn't even try on the dress i eventually bought. here is the story on that. after trying on all 3 dresses i made a decision. this dress here was the one i deemed the one. i can't tell you why i picked it, there is nothing about it that is ugly; it is a very lovely dress. just not me.

so, i make my deposit on my dress and as i am walking out of the store i see and ad for this dress here:

and i asked the bra-less owner if i can switch my deposit to this dress instead. all i had seen was the picture. again, there was nothing wrong with this dress. fine and lovely, but not me. i think my brain was trying to tell me to not be so hasty about my dress purchase, but of course i interpreted it to mean, just buy that one. so that is the dress i ended up with. bleah. i still get annoyed when i think about it. every once in a while i will have a dream(or nightmare) that i am planning my wedding all over again and i get to pick out a new dress. then i wake up and there is that dumb ol' dress hanging in my closet and i am all upset all over again. in order to cope psychologically with the knowledge that i HATE my wedding dress, i have collected many pictures over the last 5 years of possible new wedding dresses that i will someday purchase. for a while i had a collage on the back of my closet door. i figure by our 10 year anniversary i should get a new dress. just for fun. come to my house, we'll have a party.
you may be wondering what brought all this up again. it all goes back to blogstalking. we all do it. we peep at other people's friends blogs and wonder who they are. i was doing that a week ago when i happened upon this picture. i LOVE AND ADORE this girls dress. i have no idea who you are cute girl, but i want your dress. perhaps she will let me borrow it and i can retake some wedding photos in it. after the baby comes, of course. what kind of shotgun wedding would i be promoting? and my kids would be so confused.

great dress whoever you are! she would probably be very embarassed to know that a perfect stranger has her picture on a random blog. let's keep it our secret.

here are some more pictures of dresses i lovelovelove. or GOWNS(pronounced gahwns, darling).
so chic!!!

figure loving and hugging!

i don't like the top of this one, too boxy. but i love the fishtail hem over the pleated tulle.

gorgeous!!! sleek and simple.

this one was the top dress in my closet collage for about 2 years. then i saw it on a real person and it took my breath away.

fun little design.



part ballerina, part part flapper, all glamour girl.

thanks for humoring me.
note-miss universe pageant monday, may 28th 8pm CST. mark your calendars!!!

how do you wear them?

HERE'S HOW!
i despise always having to wear layers to make some of the new trendy dresses work. but what can we do? buying only from the modesy minded websites would leave us all looking the same and broke. until there are more people that care enough to launch fashion lines for women of "taste" like us, then we will have to do some improvising. however, i would encourage us to patronize(if we can afford it) some of the LDS fashion sites so that they can make a profit and eventually lower their prices. it is hard to compete with old navy prices.

if you can't tell, i love forever21 !!! great prices. cheaply made, but who cares? at these prices you can afford to replenish your wardrobe each summer.

weightless tank $6.80- the description said that it is supposed to feel like almost nothing. perfect for those of us suffering through humid summers! scoopy neck enough to show off collar bone and still cover up your goods.

linen jacket-$24.80- normally i shy away from linen(satan's fabric) because it is so hard to keep pressed, but this little jacket would look so adorable with a swingy dress underneath. and it's not like forever 21 is using top quality-high wrinkling linen anyway.

surplice eyelet jacket- $22.80 show of that trim waist CAROLINE!!! you've been working so hard, flaunt it!
cropped eyelet jacket- $24.80 think of the maternity possibilities...cute tummy poking out!
red swingy jacket-$32 love red. especially with white! or yellow! definitely yellow!
long, lightweight jersey tank-$7


modcloth
lightweight sweatshirt jacket-$50 i love this! if i still lived in utah and experienced wonderful utah summer evenings, this would be a must have. definitely unbuttoned over a full skirted dress and flip flops!

super T
long tissue weight tee- $10 great for layering and if you aren't in love with your upper arms! but then who is? juniors t-front jacket-$17 so sweet, so cute. lightweight. picture it over a strapless dress!

downeastbasics
wonder tee- $10 my friend nicole has this particular style and she wears it with everything! zero bulk. tiny cap sleeves. long length. looks particularly smashing under smocked top dresses.


oldnavy
plunging V tee- $10 i don't know, just be daring. perhaps over a halter tie neck dress? show off those straps without showing off everything else?

long layering camis-$8 i love these. i wear them year round under everything. they make low necked dresses quite appropriate. just throw the lightweight cardigan pictured below on top of the dress and you are set. isn't every chapel freezing anyway?
scoop cardigan-$24 love it! yellow is my color this year! sweet pockets and scoopy enough to show off your tan. very ladylike.


jcp

white eyelet jacket-$40 very grown up. and you won't melt.

long solid tank- 2 for $8 each. love these. own bunches. so long i still wear them when prego!

so get out there and wear some dresses!
i really have a lot of cleaning and packing to do to prepare for baby #2. but i still would rather spend my free time blogging. consider yourselves that special!

don't skirt the issue, dress your best!

the fashion world has proclaimed that this summer is the season of the dress and i couldn't be happier! i am completely tickled pink whenever i check the sunday ads and they are chock full of vivacious and flirty dresses!!! dresses are GREAT! they keep you cool in summer while you still look hot! few things are more youthful than a sundress, a ponytail and dangly earrings! naturally, the next thing for me to do is to proclaim this week, the week of the dress(or skirt)! sometime this week, please make a special effort to wear a dress or a skirt! take the plunge and shave your legs too! it will make your day! i promise! and if you are feeling especially daring in your fabulous frock, take a picture and send it to me! let's share our summertime beauty! i'll post it and we'll all oooh and aaaah!
i perused the internets today and i found some delicious and affordable dresses for your viewing pleasure!

francesca's
forever21
forever21

forever21

super T

super T i bought this one last week! it can even work as a maternity dress! only $21.99

victoria's secret
victoria's secret

vickie's selection wasn't as inexpensive as the others, but they sure are fun!!!

the not hot list

ray-ban wayfarers. i had a pair in light blue when i was 10 years old. i was hottt stuff. effortless and utterly cool, but only if you aren't trying too hard. and if a hollywood "girl" is wearing them, then they aren't cool and they are trying too hard. when i think of wayfarers i want to think of bob dylan, tom cruise, madonna early 80s, not mischa, fergie or nicole. don't ruin a good thing girls.
and fergie here brings me to another point, or two.
a-coco chanel said once that before you go out the door, remove one accessory. not a bad idea. too many accessories clutter an outfit. too bad there was no hope for this outfit in the first place.
b-high-waisted pants should be reserved ONLY for movies being made about the 1940s, the 1970s or if you are on That 70s Show. that is all. sad to say i must give fergie minor props; at least her pants fit her. mischa looks like she is hiding two fighting mice in her pants. and has she ever listened to fleetwood mac? can she name anyone in the band besides stevie nicks?
finally. the only time when you can get away with wearing high waisted pants other than the aforementioned times, is when you are being held hostage by strippers or street walkers and they give you two choices, high-waisted pants or these bikini pants. i will send anyone a prize if they can email me a picture of someone wearing these pants out in public. hopefully you won't know the person.

queen of the trailer park

i had my hair colored by a professional stylist on the 19th. i had been to this stylist before for haircuts and had been quite pleased. this was my first color appointment with her. wow, check out my roots. this color isn't even 2 weeks old yet. before you say, well, "pregnant hair grows fast", this is ridiculous. i like the color palette she gave me, but she must have been scared to death to get even close to my head.

now i have two choices:

keep my hair this way and try to find a trailer park that would like me to be their queen

or

pay to have it touched up

which makes me wonder, how soon is too soon for a touch up? i don't want to fry it or anything like that. and going back to the original stylist isn't an option because she is 5 hours away! yikes.

my barf list

lately i have been compiling mental lists of things. i am a big list fan and a fan of descending numbers. just today while i was running errands i was trying to compile a mental list of songs that i would put on my ipod, if i ever figured out what that was and what i would do with one if i ever got one. seriously, i do know what an ipod is, i just feel like my mom around the dvd player when i get around ipods. especially at the gym. so shiny, so high tech! where is my walkman? i digress.

anyway, one time my friend rachel said that she wants to barf when she sees nicolas cage because she can't stand his voice or his face. so i have a list of people that make me want to barf when i see them, read about them or hear their music. enjoy!

my barf list

rosie o'donnell-bleaugggghhuh. stoopid, uninformed and revolting. like a bully on the playground. you are completely uncouth. at the recent NY women in communications gala, rosie made disgusting remarks about people she didn't like using anatomical gestures and vile word choices. hilary clinton and other elected officials were present. i don't like hilary, but i have a speck of politeness for her as a human being to not have to listen to someone spewing filth and passing it off as humor. plus, this was a ceremony honoring people. not a forum for rosie to spout of half-cocked. has she no decency? have i mentioned that i actually like donald trump more because of rosie???

sean penn-thank goodness you went to iraq and met with sadaam hussein to insure the U.S.'s safety. what would we do without you? does hollywood career give you a ticket to political genius? obviously.

whoopi goldberg-again, making comments about people while referencing body parts? unacceptable.

lindsay lohan-clothing, not overrated. try it sometime. and wash your face, you are greasy!

green day-hate their music, hate wannabe intellectual message. quit complaining and try and do something positive.

john mayer-clear your throat before you start singing! for the love!

fergie-yes, you are in shape and your boobs are huge. do you have anything more substantial to offer? and bytheway, 1999 called and they want their eyebrow ring back.

alan colmes-
uncanny resemblence?

AKA the skeletor of fox news. perhaps if you did some research you would have some type of response to the people you are interviewing that you don't agree with. and maybe you should practice your triumphant smirk in the mirror. right now it just looks like you smelled a poopy diaper. and finally, do you ever go outside? could you at least go to a tanning bed? i can see your veins through your skin!!!

elton john-you are old and bitter. i miss your good music. now you are all sequins, no substance.



honorable mentions-
mischa barton-i liked the oc. and then you morphed into marisa in your personal life, forever banning you and your show from my allegiance.
julia stiles-keanu reeves in woman form. the worst actress. ever.

and now a short list of public figures i enjoy:
glenn beck
joel mchale
gary sinise
celine dion
condoleeza rice
hilary duff
hmmm, shorter than i thought. i'll have to think on this one.

dunder mufflins

awhile back i posted that i was going to create a dessert called the dunder mufflin. the result was delicious and wonderful in everyway.
items needed:
one package of you favorite brownie mix
all the ingredients for your favorite chocolate chip cookie mix OR one tube of ready to bake cookie dough.

stir up brownies as directed and spoon into muffin lined muffin tin. bake until nearly all baked through. then spoon chocolate chip cookie dough on top of brownie muffins and continue to bake until cookie is ready. cool on wire rack.
ENJOY your double decker dunder mufflin.
*note the inspiration behind this recipe is an episode from season 2. i think it is the one where they are having the halloween party and angela is upset at pam for bringing brownies when angela brought cookies. angela said that you couldn't have two items like that together. i guess this recipe proves them wrong.
these pictures are of reagan after he wandered into the kitchen the next morning and spied the dunder mufflins on the counter. i was eating my breakfast and i noticed how eerily quiet it had become. note to new mothers-quiet does not mean they are just playing nicely. it means they are doing something they know they shouldn't and they are hiding from you. reagan was leaning against the fridge eating his dunder mufflin for an after breakfast snack. it amazes me how tall reagan is. the mufflins where nowhere near the edge of the counter.

heidiluxe's hot list

i am dreading carrying another diaper bag around for the next year. i was only too happy when i finally shed reagan's bag. however, this bag has a lot more hot mama potential. washable cotton exterior and roomy, flexible interior. large dimensions, but not too large: 13x19 inches. the only drawback is that darned beaded handle. that will feel great, digging into my shoulder while i lug around a baby carrier and 2 year-old. i wonder if i could thread a more comfortable strap through it?

i am all about flip flops, but i have been keeping my eyes open for a pair that is a little more sleek. plus, those dirty foot stains that get on regular plastic flip flops are so yucky. and unavoidable it seems. hurray for black soles!
(plus, the old woman in me wants to kick other adult women that wear cheap-o old navy style flip flops to church.)


this breadbasket keeps its contents warm up to 350 degrees! and it is lime green!

love this flatware.

i just LOVE LOVE LOVE this hair color. being that victoria beckham is a true brunette, i don't think these shades of blonde are too far fetched for her. now if only i can get into contact with her style team and get myself signed up for a beauty session.

saw this maternity dress on another blog. the dress is HOT and the mom looked fresh and fantastic! and lime green! (though, i wish they sold that chick's knockers with the dress. WOWEE!

am i truly old when i start craving things like a dustbuster? this one is compact enough to fit in my church bag. perfect for after sacrament pew clean-up.

everyone here is extremely gruntled.

more than just gruntled. ecstatic. new episode thursday night. if you are dead to the world and completely unaware of what is going on with this, the best show currently in production, check out my SIL's blog, this will get you up to speed. the newest episode is entitled the negotiation and is a scheduled to be aired from 7:00pm until a whopping 7:44pm!

here is my quandry, while i do love the jim/pam drama, i like the fact that jim has a fun relationship with karen. bytheway, karen(rashida jones) is the daughter of quincy jones. no kidding. jim just needs remake his bed and then sleep in it! i think pam should date toby. that would be a fun stir to the pot! and i can't wait for andy to come back from anger management. love that andy!

in honor of this festive occasion, i am creating a special dessert which i have called "dunder mufflins". they will be a brownie-cookie-frosting concoction in a muffin liner. i will post pics soon.

also, after the show, stick around for 30 rock. love it. hilarious. completely my sense of humor. rural juror anyone?

i am a winner

i subscribe to lucky magazine. i used to love it, but now i find the contents just "alright". i am a little tired of the fashion director, andrea linett, and her unending quest to "toughen" up a look. i enjoy a variety of looks, not just rockstar girlfriend style. if i could read just one issue without reading "toughen up your look with a whip or a flat motorcycle boot" i would be pleased as punch. but i digress. included in lucky each month are about 35 different contests that you sign up for online after you get your issue. i used to be crazy about trying to win, but after nearly 5 years of not winning, i only occasionally will enter a contest. well, truth be told. i actually won!
voila! the 24/7 FREEZE lip plumping pack! it is about the size of the free samples avon sends you with their catalouge, but who cares! I WON I WON I WON! that is more exciting than the prize. i am now experiencing the maiden voyage of lip plumping. it actually burns a little bit. hopefully it will get better with time. i will post my new plumper lip photos soon, as today has been one of those bedraggled mother days. not drying my hair, 90% humidity and storm clouds all day, sunglasses acting like a headband at target. this all equals lions mane hair. how is that for a "tough" look andrea linett? would you want to mess with me today?

chic and feminine will be scarlett's first words

just some baby bedding ideas...

on ebay:

distinctivenurseries

$700 (that sound you hear is me choking and gasping for breath. if i ever get to the point in my life when i think $700 is a good price for baby bedding, not even the bed, please shoot me. but first remove my really expensive clothing and shoes. obviously we would be gabillionaires by then)
babybedding

i am almost 100% positive that black and white are the colors that i will be going with for scarlett. that way i can add any other color accents that tickle my fancy when the time comes.

art imitates life

"service" UPDATE!!! UPDATED AGAIN!!!

thursday-update update, sort of like redundant redundant. anyway, so even after the bishop's wife calls her and talks to her and her MOTHER about finding a daycare AND the relief society president calls her and talks to about being personally responsible for your own life and child, guess who calls me on TUESDAY???!!! you guessed it, chutney! i can't even bring myself to answer my phone(this has been the week from HELL, i'll update on that too) when i see her name pop up on my screen. she leaves me a message about needing a babysitter for thursday and friday afternoon from 12:30-6 because she has to work. my reaction and emotions were mixed. disbelief that this was still actually happening and resolution because i knew it would! i wanted to speak with her in person or at least over the phone, but she didn't answer when i returned her call. this is the message that i left:
"chutney, this isn't working out. you need to find a full-time babysitter. i want to help you but i have my own responsibilities to take care of and i can't always be available when you need me. please let me know if i can help find a daycare. call me."
i wish i hadn't said that i would help her find a daycare, but my personality dictates that i have to smooth over every situation regardless of how mad it makes me! hopefully she won't take me up on that and someday i hope to be able to shed this aspect of my personality where i don't want to hurt people's feelings. not necessarily a bad trait in most instances, but it has truly made me a doormat too many times.
ps-she never returned my call.


so, the chutney situation has *hopefully* been resolved. i contacted our relief society president and "nicely" explained the whole ordeal. the next sunday she announces to the relief society that a sign up list was going around the ward for those interested and available for babysitting for those in need. not exactly what i had in mind especially because chutney signed her name on it. she later told me that she signed up because when she is at home "i never do anything anyway." yuck. so my suspicions were confirmed that chutney thinks that stay-at-home-mothers just stay at home.
this is where is gets good. i am friends with the christine, the bishop's wife, but i never discussed chutney with her, because she is a real go-getter and in my mind i thought that she would think i was slacking on my service end of things. one day christine gets a call from chutney asking for babysitting help. (bytheway, christine has 3 young children and a fourth one due in about 10 weeks.) she says no, for obvious reasons. however, chutney and christine continue to discuss things and chutney pretty much lays everything out on the table for her as far as expecting the relief society to come to her aid because she didn't plan ahead for child care before her baby was born. later christine comes to me and asks my take on chutney and the babysitting sitch. i pretty much unload my guts to her. ultimately, the relief society pres. gets involved again and chutney is given a list of local day care providers and is informed that the relief society is for help, not for full time child care. will she ever get that she needs to be responsible adult? i really don't know. and here's why:
a. she seems very socially unaware. she invited several sisters from the ward to her baby shower. while at the shower, she announced to the whole group that she didn't even know their names.
b. i have yet to receive a thank you for the shower gift i gave her. her shower was in october.
c. she has asked me repeatedly if her husband could come and clean our carpets for some extra money. WE RENT!
d. she told me on sunday that her husband wasn't going to tell me what i was doing wrong while i was leading the music in sacrament meeting because it was "me",(does that mean i meet their friend approval?) but if it had been someone else...who knows? she says he is a former drum major. woo, that means nothing to me.
e. i learned on sunday that she has been my visiting teaching since we moved here in august. visits-0

what has this experience taught me? be very specific about offering help to others. perhaps i will print a business type card that i can give to people as i meet them. it would read:
heidiluxe
your potential friend
criteria-you must be normal, hardworking, be willing to laugh at my jokes, and not call during "the office" on thursday nights.
disclaimer-i enjoy doing service, but if you take advantage of me, be prepared for me to blog about you on my website.

a final thought- i am no longer going to call myself a stay-at-home-mom. even though i technically spend most of my time at the homestead, i still fill my days with numerous activities and tasks that take me from the home for a good portion of the day. i have numerous jots on my calendar for the upcoming weeks, just as i did on my calendar at my office back before reagan was born. i have not completely settled on a new term, but on sunday when i was asked if i worked i replied, "yes, but i don't get a paycheck." i would like to combine the aspects of the term and concept of telecommuter, except for without the "tele" part since i don't report to anyone but God and sans "commuter", because i feel more like a chauffeur. title suggestions?
domestic engineer?
physical and psychological analyst and laborer?
heidi bougeouis?

the art of the shop

i found this article on www.thebudgetfashionista.com and i thought it was RIGHT ON! i recently found myself pondering the deep questions in life, such as, "why do i yearn, (desire, enjoy, you fill in the blank) to shop?" is it the actual act of going to a store and looking around? is it trying things on in the dressing room? could it possibly be the new items excite me for a new season? am i so shallow that clothing fulfills a friendship need in me? perhaps these are all true, but it ultimately comes to finding a deal. i love a deal. i love getting something GREAT. not just a reject from the bargain bin for $1, but an item that is quality and wearable and and fits and is attractive. it is like a high for me. call it my drug fix. i am sure many of you are the same way. my SIL, sarah, is an INCREDIBLE garage saler. she has found some nearly perfect and hard to find items for cheap cheap cheap! too bad many of this upcoming generation are missing the fix of a deal and it is being replaced by real drugs and the fix of immediate gratification to their every whim. and it's not just the kid's fault, it's the overindulgent parent who is also part of the problem. now that i have had my old woman's rant, i am going to cinch up my elastic waist pants and listen to some music. probably some lite hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s, you know they don't make anything as good as the old stuff! these crazy kids today! enjoy the article.

Does Your Thirteen Year Old Need a Louis Vuitton Purse?
February 24, 2007

The Wall Street Journal recently posted an interesting article on the targeting of teens for luxury items like designer bags, cars, etc. WSJ states:
Driving the shift is a generation of young people often called the teenage "millennials" -- the adolescents and young adults born in the late 1980s to mid-90s. Of course there have always been teens who were focused on the "right" designer names, and marketers striving to sway them. (Remember Brooke Shields in her Calvins?) But apparel makers and retailers say the affluent millennials are particularly notable for their brand consciousness. Surrounded by brand references from Web sites, rap music, movies, magazines and MTV -- and showered with the best of everything by their baby boomer parents -- these young consumers have grown up knowing the difference between Prada and Ralph Lauren from an early age.
I agree that teens wanting designer labels isn't anything new- I remember begging for a pair of Girbaud jeans and working my butt off for a Ralph Lauren Polo button down shirt. But... I'm concerned about the apparent entitlement that many teens feel to have these items and the apparent lack of a back bone by parents to say no. It's the job of teenagers to push and it's the job of parents to set boundaries. However, when it comes to designer goods, it seems like parents just can't say no anymore. For example, one guy in the article even stated ""If they keep their grades up, it is hard to say no,". I was a straight A student, got a full academic scholarship to a great school, and my parents had absolutely no problem saying no. In fact, I think they secretly plotted new and creaive ways to say "no" to my irrational, teenage requests.
I mean, why does your 13 year old (or a 20, or 30, or 40) HAVE to have a $300 handbag or a BMW before they even learn what a responsbility it is to drive? Plus, always rewarding good behavior with an extravagant gift probably doesn't teach a very good lesson to your teen- there's times of life that you do good things and you receive no instant reward other than the fact you did good- which apparently just doesn't compare to a new Dooney Burke Bag. Or going out for a big dinner with your entire family when you got a good grade?
Anyone who's ever watched MTV's sweet sixteen knows exaclty what I'm talking about- $50,000 party and new jaguar for a spoiled 16 year old? Pleeaseeee... What do they have to look forward to when they graduate from college? A small town and a Rolls Royce? I mean everything else in their lives will be down hill in comparision.
Designer items ARE NOT A HUMAN RIGHT.. They are nice and I love a good bag as much as the next person... but I also have a job.