devilgrrl: (Engagement Ring)
The Herald of the Apocolypse ([personal profile] devilgrrl) wrote2006-01-23 04:16 am
Entry tags:

Mom's dress and good ol' my father.

Apparently, my mom purchased a dress for my wedding. She got it last week-end and was originally going to tell me about it Wednesday, but I'm really sick and she figured that I probably wouldn't want to trek all over every where. She did describe it to me over the phone tonight and it sounds really nice...

...but totally unlike anything my mom would wear.

Those of you who know my mom know that she like to shop in the junior department. She's an art teacher, she often dresses like one. My mom is also in great shape for being almost 54. One of the first things she said when we announced our engagement was that she was not going to wear a frumpy mother of the bride dress.

I expected her to pick out something with spaghetti straps or strapless. Something more along the lines of a homecoming dress. I saw a couple things that I though would look great on her, as well as a dress at David's Bridal that I liked, but figured she'd never wear.

The dress Mom picked is black, shot with silver threads, and has caviar beading. It has a straight skirt with a chiffon overlay and a knee high slit in the back. The top is long sleeved with a Sabrina neckline. She bought a nice pair of matching shoes. It's very much like what I originally liked at David's, except not silver. And totally unMomlike. I'm excited to see it.

Now we just have the conundrum of what Steven's mother will wear. Neither of us really trust her, since left to her own devices, I honestly believe she would a) wear what she wore to Steven's other wedding or b) pick out the absolute must funereal garment she could find.

You know, since she's totally in mourning over our marriage.

Etiquette says that my mom is allowed to choose her dress first and sets the tone for the mother of the groom. Technically, my dress is the one that dictates the formality and my dress indeed calls for a formal wedding. Ergo, the pale lemon, springy, informal suit Steven's mom already owns is completely inappropriate for a formal, evening, winter wedding.

Plus, it makes her look like a walking lemon. I have pictures, if anyone is desperate.

I suggested a few colours that I thought she might look good in to Steven, but he felt that telling her medium to dark grey was safest. So, her list of requirements will include: medium to dark grey, ankle length skirt, and formal. It will also be subject to our final approval, though I kind of feel if she wants to look like a jerk, that's her own business. We just won't take a lot of photos of her.

I need to go to bed, but my stomach is upset from the antibiotics and my chest hurts from coughing all day. Stupid, unproductive pneumonia. Steven brought me home the Sundae of Doom from Friendly's because he's fattening me up to eat me. It was glorious and I tied the cherry stem in a knot as thanks for him. That actually isn't even double entendre because I feel so lousy, the thought of sex or any physical activity makes me cringe like a beaten dog.

Oh god.. I talked to my father yesterday and today. It was 37 kinds of amazing. He apparently has become somewhat of a celebrity whore in the last few years, watching all the awards shows. He also goes to the movies a lot. So he was on a tear about Brokeback Mountain and how the people who vote are all biased because Hollywood is full of queers. He went on to state that there's no such thing as gay cowboys and how they must be so offended that Hollywood is portraying them that way.

Since, you know, all the cowboys just flocked to see that movie.

This is, of course, the same man who was convinced that, when Vermont passed its civil union laws, the gays were trying to recruit him. I replied that even if they were recruiting, they probably didn't want him. He does wear an awful lot of warm-up suits, though... Anyhow, to give you a good picture, my father looks a bit like Charles Bronson and has a pronounced Jersey accent.

After complaining about the Gay Cowboy Movie and how King Kong should have won, he went out to tell me about his mini-war with Bill Belachick for letting the Pats lose and that the Broncos cheat. A lot. I know zilch about football and my father always willfully ignores this. He actually used to play for the then-New York Titans, which eventually became the Jets. He would presumably have gone pro had he not blown out his knee. Surfice to say, football means a lot to him. I actually just foisted the phone off on Steven when he started talking about football tonight because Steven likes/understands football and I don't. Willfully. At least they have something to talk about. Oh, and if anyone cares, my father's pick for the Superbowl is the Steelers. Steven's too. I still won't care.

He went back to celebrity whoring after that, telling me how we should rent Cinderella Man. He liked the movie a lot and said it was pretty close to the true thing since, apparently, my father knew James J. Braddock. He was the athletic director at a park my father hung out in when he was a young hoodlum in Jersey. My father names drops dead athletes.

This reminds me of the time when I was young, at work with my father, and told him I was bored because I had finished my book. He told me that I should be glad I had books, because when he was my age (wait for it), he and my uncle had nothing to do for entertainment beside beat each other up.

My father is an amazing source of amusement sometimes, especially because he's totally serious. His friends all have insane nicknames. My godfather's nickname is the Knife and my father refers to him as this in casual conversation.

So yea, that was the highlight of my day yesterday. We also went to see Narnia, which I liked, but thought it dragged a little. I also had a different conception of what it would be like from what I heard about it. I won't spoil it.

I think I might really sleep now. Cough syrup's kicked in, along with the NyQuil.

[identity profile] angelwifey.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 10:27 am (UTC)(link)
nice. the dress sounds cool.
i read it wrong at first and though she bought YOUR dress. lol. brain fart right.

Oh and ps. I didnt have that many requirements at my wedding. i just said BRIGHTS no pastels. and guess what his darn family wore? black. olive, navy. iN freakin august!
bastards. lol

[identity profile] angelwifey.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 10:29 am (UTC)(link)
oh and JEAN skirts.
so informal. I mean, im not asking formal. but i wanted NICE semi formal at least. not nasty blackened sweaty flip flops. gah.

[identity profile] devilgrrl.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 07:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Can you ever win with inlaws? I keep hoping my MIL will eventually get pissed off enough and boycott our wedding. I seriously already have a couple people keeping an eye on her to make sure she doesn't cause a scene like she has at our holiday parties.

[identity profile] angelwifey.livejournal.com 2006-01-24 09:38 am (UTC)(link)
im glad im not the only one with a mean MIL!
what a mess!

[identity profile] devilgrrl.livejournal.com 2006-01-24 10:42 pm (UTC)(link)
What makes it worse is that my MIL hated her MIL yet has become just like her.

[identity profile] angelwifey.livejournal.com 2006-01-25 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
so its like the "i dont want to turn into my mother" thing?
NOw i have to worry about turning into both of them? oh dear.

[identity profile] devilgrrl.livejournal.com 2006-01-25 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I gave up worrying about becoming my mom ages ago. I've already become her.

[identity profile] aliki.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
I had a brain fart too and thought she bought your dress. Heheh! (What's with us, eh?)

It sounds like a gorgeous dress. Would it be awkward if you called her and suggested the two of you go dress shopping together (for her dress, that is)? Or is she so into mourning this marriage thing that she'd throw a tantrum? I mean, make it sound like a girl-day out, get some icecream, lunch, look at dresses, and even if she doesn't buy one, you could point out a couple that are *appropriate*.

Thankfully, my mom and MIL didn't pull any stunts on me. My MIL told me that at her wedding, her MIL wore a black dress she had actually previously worn to a funeral. And her sister came in an all-white dress, complete with lace and frills, such that most people actually were confused who was the real bride. Yikes!

[identity profile] devilgrrl.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
My MIL is an evil, evil woman. If we went shopping together, one of us wouldn't survive. She would probably pick out the exact opposite of whatever I pointed out, out of spite. She's totally mourning the marriage.

Wow.. I feel bad for your MIL. That sounds like a total nightmare.

[identity profile] metalchick1000.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 06:11 pm (UTC)(link)
your dad sounds like a scream!
so it's been what, a week since you've been on your antibiotics? shouldn't you be starting to feel better by now? i don't want you to wind up in the hospital.

[identity profile] devilgrrl.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 07:30 pm (UTC)(link)
He really is. I don't think he means to be that funny, but it's amazing when he comes out with some of those things.

I'm on my second 10 day course of antibiotics. The last time I had pneumonia, I spent a good 6 weeks feeling like I had been on the losing end of a baseball bat.

Besides, I'm trying to avoid the hospital too. I couldn't read LJ all day if I was there ;)

[identity profile] metalchick1000.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
oh, and i wore black to my mom's wedding to my stepdick. she wasn't real pleased, but i was 16 -- whaddya do?

[identity profile] devilgrrl.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
I've worn black to a few weddings. I think it's all a matter of what variety of black you wear-- little black dress black or I'm mourning my ungrateful son black.

[identity profile] metalchick1000.livejournal.com 2006-01-23 09:54 pm (UTC)(link)
heh. good point. mine was ankle length.
hopefully she'll like, become paralyzed and be totally dependent on someone else by the time the wedding rolls around, so she can't screw it all up for you guys.

[identity profile] devilgrrl.livejournal.com 2006-01-24 07:00 am (UTC)(link)
I'm just going to bake her a nice bunch of quaalude cookies :)

[identity profile] webmistressu.livejournal.com 2006-01-24 12:36 am (UTC)(link)
Why even bother trying to tell her what to wear? She'll just get mad and it's not like what she wears to your wedding has ANYTHING to do with your marriage. Let it go... on to bigger and better things. Let her look like an ass.

[identity profile] devilgrrl.livejournal.com 2006-01-24 07:02 am (UTC)(link)
If we tell her, it gives her one less thing to bitch about (ie. "Well, you didn't tell me what I should wear.")

How've you been? I haven't seen you on LJ in forever.

[identity profile] webmistressu.livejournal.com 2006-01-24 05:14 pm (UTC)(link)
She's going to bitch no matter what, right? It's such a no-win situation. I never asked my mother or mother-in-law what they were wearing and they ended up on opposite ends of the spectrum. Didn't care - wanted everyone to look at me, not them. :)

I've been good. Don't update my LJ very much - though I read yours and others every day. Stick with the Diaryland mostly. I've had it too long to switch... I'd have to move five years of entries. Don't have the energy to do that...

[identity profile] devilgrrl.livejournal.com 2006-01-24 10:47 pm (UTC)(link)
I actually was reading through your back entries the other day. I hadn't been on Diaryland in ages. The last time was when I finally switched all my entries from my various journals to here, I think.