One of the very early posts I planned to write for this blog was a post about the Offbeat Bride book, and somehow it just never happened (posts are like that… they float ethereally in front of you for weeks or months, and sometimes they land in print and sometimes they don’t.) But I can say that without the model of Offbeat Bride, well, this site would never have come into existence. So there is that.
David gave me the Offbeat Bride book a month after we got engaged, with an inscription, sigh… And well. I’m a fan of the printed word. The internet is all well and good, and in some ways it’s the best wedding planning tool you could ever have, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s not the same as sanity on paper that you can put on your bedside table. Plus, Ariel invented the wedding term “relationship narcissism” (ha!) which is reason enough to have the book. When my mother (the mother that lived ‘in community’ in Berkeley in the 70’s) started saying things to me like, “But wedding cakes are ALWAYS white,” I frog marched her down to the bookstore to buy Offbeat Bride. Things really calmed down after that.
So, it is with much totally overwhelming excitement that I get to announce that in the second edition of Offbeat Bride, which hits shelves today…..
….. Ariel asked me to write a mini-article with my best tips for her new chapter on budgeting becuase, “It seems like it would be missing something without the voice of Team Practical represented.” So! Team Practical is very much represented, on p. 75 (not that I’ve memorized the page number or anything), and y’all… I have my name in print for the first time in my life! On paper! I have a really hard time saying stuff like this out loud (I really do, my parents found out this news only yesterday), because I come from stoic stock, but I’m really excited.
And while I’m announcing cool news, I get to tell you that I’m helping to, um, host Ariel coming to San Francisco in April to do a book reading. “By helping to host” I mean that I sent her an email that said something like, “I know you’re not doing a book tour for very good reasons like you just had a baby, but I happen to have selected a lovely bookstore in San Francisco for you to do a reading in, and here are some tips to traveling with babies.” She very kindly did not treat me like I was insane, took it seriously, and decided to come (aw!) So there is going to be a first-ever Team Practical meet up going happening on April 16th at 7:30 pm at Booksmith for the Offbeat Bride reading, and you bay area ladies HAVE to come (there will totally be drinks after… for the lady without the infant…)
PS I *swear* we’ll get back to wedding graduates Wednesday. Thank you for rolling with the beginning of this week, with all the meta talk of the blog on the blog. You are dolls.
I can't wait!! Going to buy the book (and probably read the whole thing) tomorrow. See you lovelies in April!
February 22, 2010 11:40 pm
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Oh I wish I could be there!!! I would so be there if I lived in the bay area and not South Africa ;)
February 23, 2010 1:59 am
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Congratulations! Offbeat Bride is the one book I haven't owned and wondered if I should buy…now I'm even more likely to buy it. (We just hit the 8-month mark, and I'm badly in need of a reality check.)
February 23, 2010 3:54 am
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All the cool stuff happens in the Northern Hemisphere… I'm putting in a request for a full run-down and many photos for those of us who can only be there in spirit :)
February 23, 2010 4:59 am
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Congratulations! That's so awesome. I can't wait to pick up a copy of both since I still have yet to pick up a copy of the first one.
February 23, 2010 5:00 am
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Oh for goodness sakes, now I have to move to San Francisco in a month! Or, you know, just go stay with my brother who lives there. Dammnit that is also not possible! I agree with Cat – photos and play-by-play, please!
February 23, 2010 5:26 am
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that's awesome! congratulations meg – i'm sure you'll have a book dedicated to team practical soon. well…if not…could you work on one? I hope shitloads of sisters and cousins who are scaring the hell out of me when they talk about wedding "rules"
February 23, 2010 6:15 am
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that's awesome! congratulations meg – i'm sure you'll have a book dedicated to team practical soon. well…if not…could you work on one? I hope shitloads of sisters and cousins who are scaring the hell out of me when they talk about wedding "rules"
February 23, 2010 6:15 am
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:-o Fame! congrats!
Really wish I could visit san francisco for the reading, making that trip IS on our 5-year to-do list, but our big trip budget is sunk in the honeymoon this year, which I'm definitely not complaining about–! really looking forward to hearing about it on the blog.
February 23, 2010 6:17 am
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Congratulations Meg! And Ariel too, for the baby and the book being reprinted I guess…
February 23, 2010 6:19 am
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@D-day
I believe that's "Fame" with very big quotes ;)
@All
Thanks ladies for being lovely. I'm still sort of embarassed that I told you!
I wish you all could be there. I mean SF should be close to Cape Town, as they are twin cities in… lots of ways.
February 23, 2010 6:40 am
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Congrats Meg!
February 23, 2010 7:04 am
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I. WILL. BE. THERE.
We will probably be in the throngs of planning where I think it's perfectly rational to want to HAND SEW all of our Mexican Wedding Flags…oh wait I've already passed that point so I'm sure I'll be thinkg that something even more complicated and ridiculous will be a good idea…
February 23, 2010 7:29 am
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Yay for you! And for the book! Wish I could come to the meet-up, can't wait to hear all about it.
February 23, 2010 7:31 am
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Congratulations on having your name in print!
February 23, 2010 7:42 am
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Congratulations on the well-deserved book writeup. I bet the reading will be a hoot. Or a hootenanny.
February 23, 2010 7:43 am
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@LPC
You could always come…
@Alison
YAY!
February 23, 2010 8:14 am
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Yes, I know you're busy with 2 million other things…but can you write a "Practical Wedding" book and then tour the world?
I was thinking of team practical yesterday when Miss Manners was on the Chicago news talking about her wedding book.
February 23, 2010 8:18 am
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JEALOUS
Seriously, congrats! How exciting is it to not only be featured in the book, but to host a reading?!?
And ladies, if you don't have the Offbeat Bride book (the first one), get it. It will make you empowered. And a little sad that you're not as cool as Ariel. But totally empowered.
February 23, 2010 8:31 am
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Congrats!! That is so exciting! Wish I could be there!
February 23, 2010 8:42 am
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Meg, what do you mean the ladies with infants won't be drinking? Pump 'n' dump, yo!
Looking forward to meeting a few of you in April! WHEE!
February 23, 2010 9:51 am
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As happy as I am that you have your name in print for Ariel's book, I do think we are all waiting for your book. I know that over 1000 survey takers would run out and purchase your book and wait with baited breath until you arrived in our towns for book signings. I'm already waiting…
February 23, 2010 10:44 am
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I am incredibly jealous to not (yet) be a San Franciscan practical team member. Blogs are awesome, but real people are always better.
February 23, 2010 11:23 am
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I'll be there! Can't wait to meet you. I love to photograph artsy, creative and original brides! It's what I love to do and why I live here in the Bay Area:-)
cheers!
February 23, 2010 12:12 pm
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I'm coming! I can't wait!
February 23, 2010 12:24 pm
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This east coast gal will be there in spirit.
Also, what sera said.
February 23, 2010 2:04 pm
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AHHHHHHH!!! I can't wait to get the 2nd Edition (already read the first and want to read it again…). I'll be getting my copy at Ariel's appearance at Elliot Bay Books in March. *woop woop*
February 23, 2010 7:44 pm
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Holy COW! If I don't end up at another wedding in Idaho, I'm THERE.
February 23, 2010 8:48 pm
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Holy COW! If I don't end up at another wedding in Idaho, I'm THERE.
February 23, 2010 8:49 pm
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It's times like these when I miss living in San Francisco! And Booksmith was walking distance from my old place too. Sigh.
February 24, 2010 11:11 am
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Hooray! I've been meaning to read this for ages and have finally just ordered it. Maybe it will help me explain to my mother why rice krispie treats can replace cake…and why cutesy invitations with clip art are just NOT my thing :).
February 25, 2010 7:16 am
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I've always thought internet friendships were kinda weird and sketchy, and that meeting up with people from the internet was a bad idea. Further yet, we're not even really internet friends, since I just stalk APW and OBB (and now OB Mama too!) without ever commenting much. And yet, I'm totally psyched that this is happening and surprising myself with excitement to come hang out. Too funny. Yay!
February 28, 2010 9:06 pm
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Congratulations!
And meh at there being a whole Atlantic (and continent) between me and San Francisco. Meh to that.
Y'all have fun now. xx
March 5, 2010 1:12 pm
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