Jasmine

Cool Disney princess. Awesome wedding designer. So I have fallen in love with the Jasmine Collection of wedding dress. I am going to hit a couple dress shops that carry the designer...and I think...fingers crossed...I will ultimately pick one of these dresses. To keep it a surprise, I probably won't tell which one. But here are the contenders:

I still have one other dress - an Ella Bridal dress - that I have been dying to try on since I saw it in a magazine a while ago.

And there is one Essence of Australia dress - but it might the priciest, so I am not holding out for this one. I just think it would be perfect for me. And it has straps, which Kyle likes.

As you can see, I have kind of kicked out my other favorites. I don't think they are out of the running. But I have taken a break from dress shopping and I don't really want to go back and purchase any of those dresses. I might change my mind on that, but I really just want to start fresh - visit maybe 2-3 more stars, pick a dress and buy it. Hopefully, I am not falling in love with designers out of my price range. All three of these designers sit in the "$$" category - meaning their dresses run from $700 to $1500. That's a pretty big margin.


P.S. Please leave your comments if you like any of these better than the rest.

YADAPP

At Stuarts Draft High School, our SADD club (Students Against Destructive Decisions) is pretty awesome. Last year, SADD tackled the issue of texting while driving so well that our school won a $10,000 award! Pretty amazing. Well, the amazing faculty leader of the club couldn't go to YADAPP this year, so she asked me to join another SDHS teacher with two teams of students for the week long conference. What the heck is YADAPP (my thoughts exactly)? Well, YADAPP stands for Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Project. The kids ...and teachers...who attend go to seminars and meetings to learn how to help their community better battle drug and alcohol abuse, as well as other destructive decisions. The Sunday before we were set to depart for YADAPP, I have to admit, I wasn't too excited about giving up a week of my summer nor was I excited about waking up at 5am on a summer morning to ride in a bus for 2 hours to then sleep in a dorm room for a week. But all that complaining seems rather petty now, because the reward of attending this conference, especially with a team of four dedicated and enthusiastic kids, outweighs anything else. I had an amazing time. I was inspired by the excitement among the hundreds of youth there. The speakers were amazing. The joy in each session was amazing - we danced, we sang, we iggle wiggled, and we listened to "Lean on Me" about 50 times. It was awesome.

The conference was at Longwood University - such a beautiful school.

The kids getting ready to dance.

Not the best quality picture, because I was so far away, but this is Herman Boone. (Denzel played him in Remember the Titans - one of my favorite movies of all time!)

The theme was superheroes. Guess who made them pose like this?

I have no idea.

At the conference, each team created what YADAPP calls a STAN (strategies to act now) plan. In each plan, the students must attack an issue with a specific goal in mind to help prevent or better inform, etc. My team wanted to encourage safe sex, with an emphasis on preventing teen pregnancy and the spread of STDs. They were so bold with their focus and so prepared that WE WON! We won $200 to take back to our school to implement our plan. And if we prove we implemented it, we could go back next year and win more money! Exciting!

I would have to say one of the most memorable parts of the conferences was a mini-session we went to on making the right choices. About 15 people attended and were all seated in a classroom. Our presenter first made us write down our hopes and dreams on a sheet of paper. Then she handed out Uno cards. When we flipped our cards over, everyone who had a wild card took their hopes and dreams list to the front, balled it up and threw it on the floor. They were told to get out of the classroom, stand in the hallway along the wall and be quiet. One of the kids in my group, we will call him C, got a wild card. Our presenter came to me - I was sitting next to C - and told me to pick from 6 sheets of construction paper. I picked and read it - "Drug Overdose." She asked me how I know C, if I knew he did drugs, why I didn't prevent this from happening, why I didn't talk to C more about his troubles. Then, she makes me stare at his empty chair, telling me C isn't coming back. I almost burst into tears. My face was burning red, my stomach was churning. I was embarassed for being put on the spot and, even though I knew C was standing in the hallway, I felt grief and guilt for not helping more. Seeing my discomfort and hurt, my watery eyes, another girl in our group started to tear up. It was heart wrenching. She went on to others who "lost" a friend to the hallway - others who pulled sheets that said car accident, playing with guns, alcohol poisoning, etc. It reminded me of a young man in my class who was killed by gun violence during my second year teaching in Baltimore. We had to stare at his empty desk. We covered it in paper and wrote messages to him on it. His mother had to walk the stage at graduation and accept his diploma for him.

At the end of the presentation, after bringing the "lost" back in from the hallway and explaining to them what happened, our presenter told us her story. When her sons were 12 and 9, after the last day of the school year, the boys went out to play and ran into a new group of kids they never played with before. This group had figured out how to turn on the machinery at a construction site down the street. After asking the 12 year-old and 9 year-old to come with them to mess around on the site, the 9 year-old refused to go, but the 12 year-old called his little brother a "punk" and went with his new friends. The 9 year-old ran home. The 12 year went to the site, got on the back of a large truck that the other boys hot-wired, started up, and drove up an embankment. The boys drove too fast and the truck flipped. It flipped right onto the presenter's 12 year-old son and it burst into flames. The rest of the group of boys did not try to help, but ran. Four hours later, the young boy's body was found at the construction site. He died at the age of 12 because of one bad choice. Now, his mother travels the east coast urging other youth to be conscience of the consequences of each choice they make, because one bad choice could be the last choice. Her message was powerful and I don't think I will ever forget it. I wish she could speak to all the students in all of America - giving the same message, touching them the way she touch just the hundred or so she talked to at YADAPP.

Besides powerful messages like this one, we also got to hear from several amazing comedians, funny men who overcame great obstacles in their lives, turned themselves around, and now in the midst of their jokes, speak messages of hope and perseverance. And we ended the week with a hypnotist, who got about 3-4 young people under his spell, while a few others just played along, including one from my team.

Overall, the conference was awesome. I wish I could scoop up more kids - from Draft, from where I used to teach in Bmore - and take them to the conference. I would give up every week in my summer to touch even more kids, esp. my old students from MD, mainly because I don't think they get exposure to speakers and clubs like SADD club and so on.

Anyway...here are a few more pictures. : )

Working on their plan.

A little staging.

Right after they presented...the stars crying with joy. I like how the most prominent word on the poster is SEX.

I love this shot, because no one is paying attention to me as I am trying to take a picture.

Can you find the teacher? Ha. Me and my team.

Can you find the other teacher?  Both teams and sponsors. : )

Getting hypnotized. Well...maybe.

What's Summer Without the Beach?

Kyle and I traveled the five hour journey to Nagshead, NC for three days of sun and fun with the Wade family. We dodged a lot of jelly fish, the boys played a lot of frisbee, and we got ice cream everyday. I just had ice cream as the photos were uploading, because now ice cream feels like a daily necessity. Mmmm, ice cream. But putting that creamy delight aside, I had a blast during our little NC vacation. Laughs. Smiles. Relaxation. All Pluses. The only minus? Sun burn. Boo. I wish I had a walk through sun block sprayer. Anyway, there are a lot of pictures (the seas were too rough to swim for two of the three days, so we relaxed and took some photos). Here are just a few.

That's Kyle running in.

Three lovely ladies.

We gave Maddie boobs and muscles. Hilarious.

Don't know this little girl, but I snuck a picture of her feeding seagulls.

We had fun with the jump shots.

Okay, so I added a lot of pictures.

Foamhenge

Virginia is one crazy state. It has a stalactite organ and a replica of Stonehenge made out of foam. Craziness.  I love it.

So, I stopped at the natural bridge to check it out as a possible wedding venue and was driving away when I saw a sign - "Foamhenge." I thought to myself, "Allison was right!" One of my coworkers told me this place existed and here it was. I had to pull in. No parking lot, no ticket booth, no other visitor. You just park your car in a muddy lot, trek up the hill, and enjoy. It's pretty awesome.

Proof I was there.

I see something...no someone heading towards me. AHHHHH!!

It's the foamhenge magician? Huh?

Hester Prynne

Who is Hester Prynne? That infamous wearer of the scarlet letter from Hathorne's work - "The Scarlet Letter." I am reading the novel, because I must teach the novel, but still, it is a great piece of fiction, as long as you skip the introduction (very very boring). Anyway, Hester was sent by her husband to the New World and he promised to follow, but for two years he never showed up. Then, Hester became pregnant, making the puritan leaders label her an adulterer, for which crime she must wear the scarlet A on her breast. Usually, the punishment for such a sinner is death, but, since no one knows where Hester's husband is, she is charged with a 'lesser' punishment. In the novel, Hathorne writes that man had marked Hester's sin on her breast, so everyone could see it and no one would offer her sympathy.

The amazing element of this situation is that these are Christians - by their name, the pure kind as well. Because she has been so branded, Hester considers herself worthless, unable to be fully forgiven, basically a demon. Poor Hester.

It makes me appreciative of the Christian society I live in today, one in which preachers focus on the forgiveness in the blood of Jesus over the threat of hell-fire. I believe we all should recognize hell as a true possibility, not a place of fiction, but we should also understand and rejoice in what Jesus has done for us. Many people are still under the impression that they are too damaged, that there is no possible way they could walk on streets of gold in heaven. But in thinking so, they deny God his glory. As one preacher said, "Who do you think you are?" Jesus didn't make a small sacrifice. Nor did he write down the names of just the few he was sacrificing his life for. 1 John 1:9 states: "“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Ephesians 1:7 says: "“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”


Hester probably knew this, but she was faced with her guilt everyday. Her neighbors continued to throw her dirty looks, put her down in church, and even try to take her child from her. Hester couldn't forgive herself, nor could her puritan community. Forgiveness must happen between people and within a person's own heart as well. Forgiving yourself can be tough, but guilt is also unproductive. Instead, a person must learn from their mistakes, confess, accept forgiveness, and attempt to do better in the future.

And for Hester, Isiah 1:18 states: “Come now and let us reason together,” says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” 


Rip that scarlet letter off, Hester Prynne, you have been forgiven. (I know she is fictional. I am not crazy : )

Too Many Dresses?

So, while in MD a few weeks ago, Pooja and I visited a dress shop in Pikesville and the experience was horrible. The sales associate who helped me told me my budget was too low and there was no way I could get what I want, but she still pushed a dress on me, wanting me to buy right away. She wasn't mean, but she was a bit pushy and I lost all heart there. I only tried on 3 dresses and wanted to leave.

The sales woman did offer one piece of advice that has proven great wisdom. She told me that if I try on too many dresses that I will become confused on which is actually THE dress. I think that has happened. I am a bit overwhelmed by all the dresses I have tried on. Trying on gowns is so much fun and I am so picky that I want to see all the options. I have tried on about 40 dresses, maybe more. And I don't want to stop. I have become crazed...tulle crazed...satin crazed...ball gown crazed. But, on the other hand, with every bridal shop I visit, I add to my confusion - Which one? Which one?

I hear the stories and have witnessed the brides who try on 4 or 5 dresses, pick the one, and then buy it. IN ONE DAY! Well, and hopefully I don't come across as a bridezilla in this aspect, I can't seem to do that. I want to keep shopping. There are so many beautiful dresses out there. Online shopping is what has killed me. I see all the gorgeous ones online that I have yet to try on. If I never shopped online, I could be better focused on the dresses in the dress shop only.

On a good note though, I do have a top two. I had a top three - but I eliminated one. My top dress is a satin ball gown with a very small rhinestone detail - hardly any beading at all. Very simple. My other top dress is very different, a bit extreme. It has  flower details all over the skirt in chiffon. Both dresses need a few alterations. One needs to be turned into a sweetheart, the other needs to depoof in the skirt and better belt. One of the dresses is about $100 more than the other one as well. Here are few small pictures to show them off...sorry to all the lace supporters, but neither is lace.

A Great Day, A Sad Night

Kyle and I traveled up to Maryland last weekend to celebrate Rose and George tying the knot. I was a bridesmaid..yay...and I got to wear a saree...double yay! We started at Rose's church for the ceremony, which was beautiful, then we traveled to Annapolis via limo for pictures and the reception. We were a bit of a spectacle in downtown Annapolis. The photographer was hoping for great shots with the sailboats in the background, however the crowd was hoping to get in on the action. We had random people asking to take pictures with bridesmaids. There was even a boat full of shirtless guys try to showboat (literally) their way into the background of a bride-groom shot, flexing the whole time. I am guessing they will be cropped out. Ha. Well, pictures done, we were off to the reception. There was a photo booth, which I love, and great appetizers. Not to top the dinner - also delicious - and the cake - mmm mmm mmm. The bridal party danced in when we were called - Vince and I did the Arsenal Hall - and George carried his beautiful bride across the threshold to dance the night away. Oh, and did we ever dance. I loved seeing all my old UMBC pals...especially Pooj and Hee becaaaauuuuse ...WE'RE THE THREE BEST FRIENDS THAT ANYONE COULD HAVE. (we sang that all night long) : )

Courtney, Pooja, Hee Jung, and Me  - all sareefied.

 

The beautiful bride..I love this picture, credits to Hee's bf Ray and his skills.

The wind kept blowing away our bubbles.

Three best friends that anyone could have...

UMBC table...whoop whoop. Hee, Asheesh, Me, Pooja, Libby, Ravi, and Hee.  Where was Kyle?

Lovely Couple...Libby and Asheesh.

There's Kyle Wade...and some crazy faces in the background.

So that was a great day.

So why the sad night? Well, before we left for MD, we had lost one chicken to a vicious fox; therefore Kyle and I decided to fix our pen to keep the fox out. We accidentally missed one spot in the fence, an extremely small hole, and to our great dismay, the fox squeezed through and killed the rest of our chickens. It breaks my heart to just write about it. I feel like we failed them and I hate to think of the horrible fear and pain they faced. Stupid...horrible...hideous fox!