New Year resolutions

Happy New Year!

My New Year resolutions:

• Get married
• Get a new job
• Move out of London
• Get back down to a size twelve

The exercise regime starts tomorrow. I’m going to run everyday between now and the wedding.

And the prize for best neighbour goes to…

My neighbour! Congratulations neighbour – you have excelled yourself on a number of counts:

1                    You always have booze and pretzels on hand, however impromptu my visit

2                    You’re generous in the extreme – nothing seems to be too much trouble

3                    You bought two glorious wedding dresses for me to try on yesterday

So the wedding dress-o-meter is now at a staggering SIX.

Still no reception venue yet though.

A big dress mess

Oh man – now I have four wedding dresses. I bought another three today in a Monsoon sales frenzy. I then tried to buy a £138 veil (non refundable) from House of Fraser, but the sales woman pointed out it didn’t go with any of the dresses I’d bought so far. I didn’t care, but she put her foot down – I think she’s learnt to spot the signs of wedding madness.

I’m minded to return all the dresses and just buy the veil – it was huge and extravagant – and a little bit 80’s power ballad. You’d have to wear it with a rock t-shirt, denim mini and white stilettos – think Aerosmith music video.

Or I could just have multiple costume changes and wear them all, like Eva Longoria Parker at an awards ceremony.

I also bought some smart tops to take to Qatar - not as easy as you’d think. It’s not until you’re tasked with buying conservative clothing that you realise what a bunch of hussies we Brits are. It was almost impossible finding a clothe that didn’t leave my boobs hanging out.

Ended the night watching a brilliant band called Joe Gideon and the Shark at the Lexington. They’re amazing, and the drummer has some seriously hot moves. N and I will sorely miss the London music scene when we’re in Qatar. Much drunken talk of setting up a Doha music festival ensued. 

Frock shock

I have spent today ruling out places I might have bought my wedding dress from. Which is useful.

I had such high hopes for Vivienne Westwood, I felt sure she’d have something fabulous for me to wear – but all her stuff made me look like a bag lady going to a job interview. 

The lovely shop assistant in John Rocha looked panic stricken when I said I wear a size 14, before handing me a pile of size 10, sheer, skin tight body stockings with huge pink pierrot ruffles. We both knew it wasn’t going anywhere, but I tried them on out of politeness.

What I really want to wear is this skirt from Delphine Manivet:

Imagery Copyright (c) 2010, Delphine Manivet  

but they were closed, which was probably just as well as I don’t think I can afford it anyway.

If all else fails, I’ve bought a £30 back up dress from John Lewis. It won’t go very well with my squaw headdress, but it’ll do fine.

PANIC STATIONS!

Alright, I’ll admit it, I’m starting to panic slightly about this wedding. I can’t find a venue for the reception, I haven’t a clue what I’m going to wear, I haven’t officially invited anybody yet, I’ve not actually got any money…..the list goes on.

The only thing I’d decided was that at some point during the proceedings I wanted to wear a squaw’s headdress – but that received a resoundingly lukewarm reception from my family when I mentioned it. I don’t know why – look at how much fun Daisy Lowe is having wearing a squaw’s headdress – proof that girls in squaw headdresses really do have more fun. I also went to a fancy dress party dressed as a squaw when I was little – and that was fun. Plus I looked cute.

They also looked slightly incredulous at my ‘woodland scene’ idea for the reception.

Anyway – tonight I will mainly be trawling the internet for ideas, wild eyed, whilst gnawing on my own hand.

'PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT YOUR WEDDING DAY'

N and I have formally given notice at Ealing registry office today. We were amused by the disclaimer they handed to us when we booked the appointment, informing us that ‘THIS IS NOT YOUR WEDDING DAY’. How many people must have turned up at their notice appointments with their entire wedding party in tow for them to bother putting that on the confirmation letter? In block capitals? How dreadfully embarrassing for everybody concerned.

Anyway, it’s official – WE’RE NOT MARRIED – but we will be soon – on the 15 January to be precise. We’d better find somewhere to have the reception I guess…

In the meantime, I will this evening be wrapping Christmas presents in newspaper* and decorating the three Christmas cakes I made last week.

We used up the random tin of coconut milk with a perfectly passable Thai green curry, although I had to buy a new bag of rice to go with it, which rather defeats the object. Damn it.

*austerity measure. 

The ring

Went to Liberty this evening to find a wedding ring. They looked at me suspiciously when I asked to try a couple on, questioning why I didn’t have an engagement ring. The cheek! Although to be fair, I’m in there all the time pretending I’m in the market for engagement and wedding rings, so I guess I can understand why they’d think that...but this time I’m a legitimate bride to be – take that Liberty salesman!

N slightly perturbed by this revelation.

I thought I knew what kind of wedding ring I wanted, but then I started looking at the beautiful rings on the Astley Clarke site and now I’m all confused.

http://www.astleyclarke.com/Store/Bridal+Jewellery/Unusual+Engagement+Rings

Cooked salmon with green lentils for dinner. It was pretty grim.

N amazes me with his organisational skills

Faced with the mammoth task of organising a wedding and relocating to the Middle East, I seem to have spent most of the evening conducting an audit of our kitchen cupboards and freezer. I just can’t bear the thought of throwing anything away when we leave, so I’m determined to use everything we have. Seeing as we seem to have stockpiled green lentils, glace cherries and fish fingers, this could be a difficult month - culinarily.

In the meantime, N seems to have organised the wedding ceremony – which is a relief.

List No 1

I think the best thing to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed is make a list. So first things first:

List of reasons to feel overwhelmed:

• Christmas and New Year are upon us
• I have just signed a contract to start a new job in Qatar in four weeks
• I have to move to Qatar in four weeks
• N and I have just decided to get married before we go
• We have to organise a wedding in fewer than four weeks
• I’ve lost my driving license