my kid sister got married: a recap

My sister's wedding day was beautiful and went off without a hitch, whew. I am still recovering. It's been an intense twelve weeks since she informed me she was engaged and asked me to be her maid of honor.

Honestly, I've never seen a less fussy, more laid back and calm bride the day of her wedding. 10 minutes before we're due to walk down the aisle I'm freaking out over my mascara and trying to get my dress zipped and my sister STILL doesn't have her wedding dress on and is helping the flower girl put on her tights. Cool as a cucumber.

It was kind of surreal. I mean, I grew up with her, and I had no idea that was coming.

So, lets recap a couple of highlights from the day. Pictures to come when some appear on the fbook since I was running around like a crazy person the entire day and didn't snap a single one. Well..... that's not ENTIRELY true, but we'll get to that part.

1. I am SO relieved that I didn't have to pretend like I was worried about eating/looking like I had a food baby. My sister and I stopped at Jimmy Johns on the way to the church and got sandwiches and HOUSED them. The other bridesmaids came together and showed up with Panda Express. I am just so grateful that I was able to unabashedly nurture myself aka stuff my face prior to the big event, because I probably would have passed out up there if I hadn't been able to eat beforehand.

2. My brother Eric plays college football and despite being diagnosed with Diabetes at the start of the season, made the travel team this weekend for the school's rivalry game, which I guess is a pretty big deal. He wasn't supposed to make the ceremony and was going to just meet us all at the reception after the game..... but he surprised everyone (except me, because he needed the church address) by skipping the game and coming to the wedding. It was a big deal. My parents were SO surprised, as was my sister. Not a dry eye after he showed up. It was so emotional to see BOTH of my brothers escort my mom down the aisle.

3. Since my sister and her new husband Angelo happen to be knocked up, (boom, surprise!) they were lucky to be married in the Catholic church on such short notice. Luckily, my dad's got a guy for everything and knew a Deacon that put them into touch with a priest. In turn, they decided to go ahead and show some respect by having a full mass. FULL MASS. I know. But now I feel off the hook because at least one of my mother's children did this. Yay, sister.

4. During the vows Angelo got so choked up that I started getting really emotional myself. It was really touching and also gave me any affirmation I still needed that my sister is in good hands. True love, vomit, so adorable.

5. The music for this weekend was fucking legit. Since Angelo's father is from Mexico, a lot of elements from traditional Mexican culture were used, and music was one of them. We're talking Mariachi bands EVERYWHERE. At the rehearsal dinner, at the church as everyone was leaving the ceremony, at the reception as the wedding party came in. It was beyond awesome. Also, Beth and Angelo had a funk band come and play live music for everyone to dance to at the reception. So much live music, so much goodness.

6. I've probably mentioned this before, but Angelo is an ice sculptor. He and his father have a very successful business, and literally no competition in Indianapolis, so they're basically balling out of control. So, we're talking ice sculpture vases on EVERY SINGLE TABLE..... anddddddddd A BAR MADE OUT OF ICE.

Yeah.

7. My mother deserves a major award for her organization level. I mean, this wedding for 300+ guests was planned in twelve short weeks. And it was probably the greatest wedding that ever was, not that I'm biased or anything. There was a very DIY element to everything because it was in such a short time that we all pitched in A LOT. Including helping to create many of the forty+ flower arrangements and centerpieces. I'll probably never see that many fresh flowers in one place again.

8. Everything after ten pm is kind of a blur, but I do remember very vividly the limo coming back to pick up the bride and groom and take them to their hotel around 10:15. I hugged them goodbye and ran back inside and ran right into Matt as he was coming up to me holding out a ring and saying "One of the little Mexican kids just gave me this! Weird, huh?" To which instantly recognized the ring, grabbed it out of his hand and ran back outside and JUST as they were getting into the limo. I yelled, "Angelo, are you still wearing your ring?!" That's right, his wedding ring had fallen off his hand and was almost lost forever. Crisis averted. The universe works in mysterious ways.

9. Okay, Okay, I know I'm 25 years old and it's not cool to talk about hangovers anymore, but seriously, I'm still hungover. When I woke up yesterday I could barely move my limbs. It was that bad. Damn you open bar and post-reception hotel party!

10. I just saw, like, every member of my family from both sides. It was like freebasing family trying to have a moment with each of them in the few short hours we were all together. Still coming down from it. God, I love weddings.

11. Wedding cake. Six Tiers. OH. MY. GOODNESS.

a flop.

Welp. This wasn't exactly a week in which I was burgeoning with motivation. It was kind of a flop.

But I'll take it as a minor valley (or perhaps a plateau) in an otherwise great couple of months, and we'll leave it at that.

I HAVE been absolutely full of ideas and quick glimpses of future things, the big picture.

I've been exhausted and helpful and cranky and relaxed. Although not at the same exact time.

I've gone from purging everything I don't need to scouring craigslist for 'projects.' and back. Whatever the fuck 'projects' even  are.

It's summer. It's finally here again. Which brings out the person in me that I like best. A less judg-y, more free-minded person that I always miss and almost forget in melancholy November or punishing February.

I HAVE planted seeds that are now growing (!!!), purchased a leather couch, and planned a trip that I know my girlfriends and I have been anticipating since last summer.

This week I didn't change my hair, tackle the task of mastering my personal style, or decide where I'd like to move for the next adventure.

BUT:

I sent a card to a friend on my mind, I paid my water bill, I threw the majority of my clothes into a pile mountain on my bedroom floor. Thank goodness it's a rather large room. They're still there. Who knows if I'll sew them all together into weird-patterned quilt or give them all away or decide I can't possibly part with any of them yet. Certainly not me.

I can't do it all in one day.

But I'm getting there.

So no, tonight I probably won't have a wave of inspiration run through me that sends me and my entire psyche into a tailspin-flurry of resumes, cover letters, trashbags, and vacuum cleaners. I probably won't know where my phone is, or the latest and greatest news, or fret about wearing a bikini in two weekends. But I might tomorrow.
Tonight, I'll probably be sitting outside somewhere with my feet propped up, my hair piled on top of my head messily, a beer in my hand (or some Bourbon), a tight circle of friends around me, and the sound of laughter painting the air.

And tomorrow the mood may hit me to clean out a couple more drawers of unaccounted-for clutter, or to read the newspaper, or to write a letter or two to pieces of my heart scattered far and wide.

Or maybe I won't.


No one gets to decide that except for me.


And that's the best damn part of the whole thing.


Happy Weekending.

XO Sara

boom goes the dynamite.

HEY KIDDOS!

THIS POST IS GOING TO BE ALL IN CAPITALS AND YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY LATER.
 

BASICALLY, I JUST DECIDED 10 MINUTES AGO THAT TODAY IS MY FRIDAY AND I'M NOT WORKING TOMORROW.



YOU KNOW WHY?



BECAUSE TOMORROW, I'M MEETING MY IDOL AND FAVORITE PERSON, THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD, MR BARACK OBAMA.



SHITTTTT, RIGHT?
 

YEAH. HOLY. FUCKING. SHIT. 


WHAT I HAVEN'T TOLD YOU YET IS THAT A FEW WEEKS AGO MR. OBAMA POPPED UP ON MY MINI FEED WITH SOMETHING ABOUT SUMMER ORGANIZING VOLUNTEERS. SO, I MOSEYED ON OVER TO HIS WEBSITE AND IT WAS THE VERY LAST DAY TO APPLY, SO I HALF-ASSEDLY APPLIED TO THIS PROGRAM ON MY LUNCH BREAK WITHOUT REALLY KNOWING WHAT IT WAS.

ok that was annoying.

much better no caps.


anyway, i forgot about it until sunday, when this guy from the program calls and wants to interview me. so we interview tuesday and i find out they'll work around my work schedule. so i get kind of excited. and then i find out over 140 people applied for 20 spots. so i'm like, whatever, i'm totally not getting into this program. which, whatever, i didn't even know what it was when i applied for it. but, bummer because it sounded pretty badass and although this isn't a political blog and never will be, i'm a hugely political person. 

so, whatever. more time to get drunk with my friends and rage this summer, i'll manage.


until i get an email this morning telling me i'm in and they're giving ten of us tickets to go see obama tomorrow from 10:30 to 1 here in this very city.  so i email back real quick and i find out I'M IN.

IM FUCKING IN!


BOOYA.


Grinning ear to ear.

XO Sara