You gotta feel it.

I splurged on some new vinyl last week.  I got a used copy of Famous Blue Raincoat: Jennifer Warnes Sings the Songs of Leonard Cohen.  My dad used to listen to that album obsessively when I was a kid, and I grew to hate it from sheer overplaying.  Then, for my sixteenth birthday, he bought me that CD and I pretended to be happy, and I don't think I ever opened it because I swore I never wanted to hear those songs again.

Fast-forward to a thirty-four year old woman with a love for vinyl albums that remind her of her childhood (Bananarama, Belinda Carlisle), and I can't pass it up.  Oh heck, finally, I like those songs again.  It took a long time.

I also decided to pick up Kevin Drew's Darlings because it is my favourite album so far of 2014, and damn, if pink vinyl isn't sexy, I don't what is.

I'm listening to it now, as I write this post.

This weekend was my first wedding of the summer where I had bridesmaid duties.  And holy heck was it a step back in time.  It was for my friend Wendy, who was one of my friends from high school, and on Saturday morning, I had to have my dad drive me out to her parents' farm to get my hair and makeup done.  I hadn't been down those roads in a long, long time.

My makeup and hair turned out quite well, as evidenced by this picture that I'm posting for pure vanity's sake.  I was one of the first in the bridal party to get all done up, and then I had to the pressure to not mess it up for the next three hours.  "Don't touch hair or face.  Don't touch hair or face," was the chant running constantly through my head.

After that we took pictures in the sun by the farmhouse, then headed into Stratford proper for pictures in the park by the art gallery.  Again, talk about a trip down memory lane.  I worked at the gallery for one summer during university, and the last time I'd been to the scenic waterfall by the gallery was before my high school prom, where my friends and I got our pictures taken.

I'm pretty sure all Stratford wedding parties get pictures taken by the waterfall.  While we were leaving, another wedding party showed up, and we joked that we should have a rumble with them Anchorman style.  I have to admit that, or at the very least a dance-off, would have been hilarious.

We made yet another scenic stop for pictures, then it was off to Tom Patterson island where the ceremony occured.  I was beat by the end of the long day in the sun.  After that, was the reception one town over, in the community hall of Shakespeare, Ontario.  Again, that building is a blast from my past because I'd been to various parties in that hall in my younger years.

I had a rather fun time at the reception, even though I was too sun-tired to do much drinking.  I still had fun, and danced to country music despite myself really hating country music.  When in Rome, right?

Watching all of your friends get married and have babies is kind of weird.  I'm often glad that I have my big city-dwelling life of freedom, fun, travel, and selfishness, but at other times it's really hard because I feel that everyone has gotten an invite to a party, but not me.  There days I'd really like to go to that party, you know? 

However, my girl Jenny Lewis (from Rilo Kiley, which is Miss Rilo Kitty's namesake) has a new song out that completely summarizes my feelings on this matter.  And, I get to see her at the beginning of July at the Toronto Urban Roots Festival with my dear friends Eric and Paul (who will get me drunk).  That's way more my style than diaper changes.



On the train to and from Stratford, I devoured Jennifer Weiner's new novel All Fall Down.  I've been reading her books since the late nineties, and I've recently come to really appreciate her through her Twitter presence.  Not only does she post hilarious tweets about the Bachelor/Bachelorette (and makes me feel slightly less guilty for my guilty pleasure), but she's also very vocal about gender inequity in the publishing industry.  She was in town this evening for a talk/book signing.  I went, and really enjoyed myself.  She is a witty and interesting speaker, and really fun.  Yay!

 

So, those were definitely a few fun-filled days.  Tomorrow I'm excited to go to the Jays game for my friend Mathew's birthday.  Also, only four more days of going to school for meetings and cleaning, and that's it.  I can't wait for my low-key July to start!

ps Can you tell that I can put so much more effort into blogging when the marking and prepping part of school is over?

pps Also, this video of a man catching an owl with a swiffer is one of the best things on the internet ever.