bublmidget

Name: Bubble

Interests: Ice skating, singing, dancing, skipping, rolling around, eating food, shopping, pumping iron.
Expertise: Ice skating, listening, English literature, reading, writing, grading papers, regulating teenagers (HAHAHA). teaching.
Occupation: Education/training
Industry: Education/Research

Message: message me

Member Since: 3/28/2005

SubscriptionsSites I Read
Subscribe to bublmidget Get trial subscription

Posting Calendar

\|<< oldest \| newest >>\|
view all weblog archives

Monday, January 28, 2008


	9:30 PM - 29 views - add eprops - add comments - email it

Saturday, October 06, 2007

I am posting this article because my recently married friends have been giving me HORROR stories about BAD GUESTS... and the fact that i've attended like six weddings this year and have had some experience. PLEASE don't be a bad wedding guest!

Wedding Guests: How to Be a Great One

Want to be the best guest ever? Read our easy how-to guide.

EMAIL THIS ARTICLE

PRINT THIS ARTICLE

There's more to attending a wedding than getting dressed up, shedding a few tears, and partying all night long -- you've got responsibilities, too! Here's everything you need to know to be a great guest.

Getting an Invitation

When you receive an invite (usually six to eight weeks before the wedding), don't let it get lost on the coffee table -- check the date and decide if you'll go. Whether you can or can't, respond ASAP -- the R.S.V.P. date noted on the invitation isn't arbitrary. It's important for the couple to find out who's coming promptly, so they can give their caterer a final head count no later than two weeks before the wedding. Don't add to their stress by procrastinating.

How you respond depends on the invitation. If there's a preprinted response card, fill in the blanks ("Ms. Kim Williams and Mr. Brian Jones will" or "will not" attend; editorialize a bit, if you like -- "will happily" attend). Feel free to slip an additional note of congrats into the pre-stamped envelope too, if you haven't talked to the to-be-weds recently.

The most formal invitations may arrive without a printed response card; in this case, you should write your response on nice stationery, mirroring the language of the invitation: "Ms. Kim Williams and Mr. Brian Jones/accept with pleasure/the invitation of/Mr. and Mrs. Michael Livingston/for Saturday, the second of August/at five o' clock in the evening." If you can't make it, say that "Ms. Kim Williams/regrets that she is unable to accept/the kind invitation of/etc." (You don't need to include the time on a regret, just the date). If the invitation is more casual but doesn't include a response card, just write a warm, informal note accepting or declining.

A few dos and don'ts:

Do let the hosts know if you must cancel at the last minute; don't just not show up.

Don't assume that you can invite a date (unless it says "and Guest" on the outer envelope along with your name) and/or bring along your children or other family members whose names are not explicitly included on the invitation. Only the people who the invite is addressed to are invited -- seems pretty common sensical, but you'd be surprised how many guests think they've got free rein to invite the rest of the neighborhood. The bottom line: It's the couple's decision who to invite, and you have no business asking them if you can bring someone else along, even your significant other.

Getting an Announcement

Well, you're not invited -- but the bride and groom want you to know about it. Don't get mortally offended off the bat -- if these are close friends, they may have chosen to have an intimate family wedding and so couldn't invite all their friends. If it's not such a close friend, or it's a business associate, don't feel obligated to send a gift. It's a nice gesture to send a personal note of congratulations, but even that is not automatically expected.

The Gift

Always plan on sending a gift when you accept a wedding invitation. If you can't make the wedding, it's still nice to send a gift, but you won't be committing a major faux pas if you don't. At the least, send a congratulatory card before the wedding -- better yet, take the couple (or your friend the bride) out to dinner to celebrate with them sometime soon.

Technically, you have up to a year after the wedding date to send a gift, but it makes sense to shop for a gift soon after you decide you'll go. Find out where the couple is registered -- ask the bride's mother or sister, the honor attendant, or the couple themselves. Don't expect this information to be included in the invitation (except for shower invites) -- you're supposed to ask them about it.

The wedding gift should be sent to the address the couple has given their registry -- don't bring it with you to the reception. While this is still the custom in some regions, gifts at the wedding mean the couple has to worry about security, making sure cards stay with boxes, and getting them home somehow after the reception. (Also, you have to lug it along with you that day.) If you're also invited to the shower, bring the gift with you to that party.

You don't have to get the couple a gift from their registry, of course -- but the upside is that they've chosen these items themselves, so you know they want and like them. If you have another, special idea for a gift, by all means go for it -- but still send or bring it to the couple's home instead of handing it to them on wedding day. (If you're not having a package mailed through a store, make sure to insure the box against damage.) If you want to give the couple a money, make your check payable to the bride or groom if you're sending it before the wedding (use the bride's maiden name), to both of them if you give it to them on wedding day or after.

If you still haven't received a thank-you note a month after the gift was sent, it's okay to call and ask if it got there. (You might first call the store to confirm that the gift was in fact delivered -- the couple might just be behind on their acknowledgements!)

What to Wear

Dress as you would for any other social event held at the hour and during the season of the wedding. For example, if it's a spring brunch or luncheon, a pretty suit or floral dress would be appropriate for women; a light-colored suit and/or shirt and tie for men. For evening, depending on how formal the wedding is (you can usually tell this from the formality of the invitation and/or where the wedding is being held), the dress code is cocktail dresses for women and darker suits (or tuxedos, if it's a black-tie affair) for men. Don't wear anything too flashy -- sequins are probably a no-no -- and remember that if the ceremony is at a religious site, you don't want to show too much skin, either (i.e., shoulders should be covered).

Black used to be taboo for weddings, but these days a black dress is perfect for evening, just as it is for a night at the opera. Female guests should not wear white -- it's really, really not polite to take away from the bride on her special day by wearing her color. Try to avoid off-white and ivory, too, if at all possible. It's not as if you don't own or can't buy something another color, right?

The Ceremony

You should get to the ceremony on time -- this is not an event to be "fashionably late" for. Also, do not consider ditching the ceremony and just going to the reception. You've been invited as an honored guest to watch this couple get married. Don't just take advantage of the free food and drink.

Ideally, you should arrive at the ceremony site 30 minutes before the time printed on the invitation -- even earlier for a large wedding (200 guests or more). If you do get there after it's begun, seat yourself quietly in the back. If the procession is going on, wait until the bride reaches the altar to enter the sanctuary and find a seat.

You're not expected to participate in religious rituals (if you're Jewish and attending a Catholic wedding, for example, you don't do Communion). But it's polite to follow the lead of family members sitting in front as far as standing and sitting goes (you don't have to kneel if you don't want to, though). After the recession, guests remain in their seats until the families of the bride and groom have been escorted out. If the receiving line is scheduled post-ceremony, get yourself in line.

The Reception

Usually the first thing you'll see at the reception (if the couple has arrived before the guests, which is ideal) is the receiving line. Don't blow it off -- this is your chance to talk one-on-one with the couple, meet the bride or groom if you haven't yet, thank the parents for inviting you, etc. Especially if it's a large wedding, you might not get a chance later to chat with the couple and give them your love and best wishes. Don't spend too much time in line, though -- just say congrats, shake a few hands, and give a big old kiss to the bride and groom (if you're that close -- otherwise a hug will do!).

After the receiving line it's time for the cocktail hour, when people mill around with drinks and hors d'oeuvres. This is prime mingling time. You'll know when it's officially time to be seated for the meal (it's fine to sit before you're asked to, but it's more fun to walk around a talk to people!). Don't just park it anywhere -- check to see if there's a seating chart and sit where you're supposed to. At your table: Introduce yourself to anyone you don't know; explain your connection to the couple. Be nice, and don't just talk to people you're already acquainted with! If there's a specific seating arrangement, the bride and groom probably put you with people they thought you'd enjoy talking to -- so you probably will.

As far as dancing goes, guests generally follow the lead of the couple, wedding party, and families, Usually the bride and groom dance together first (although the first dance sometimes happens later on in the reception). Once the party gets going, though, feel free to dance as much as you want to!

As for the bouquet throw and garter toss, if you’re not crazy about these traditions, don’t just avoid them by hiding out in the bathroom. If you're not one of those who's going to dive for the bouquet or garter, just go out there and stand in the back -- and smile. Even if you think these traditions are silly, or that something else about the wedding is tacky or inappropriate -- keep your feelings to yourself. Maybe this isn't how you'd do it, but it is how the bride and groom chose to do it, and (as much as we'll all like to sometimes) it's not your place to complain.

When can you leave? Receptions usually last about four hours, and you'll know when things start winding down. You should stay at least until after the cake has been cut. Many brides and grooms stay until the bitter end these days, so it's hard to leave after them. When you decide to leave, find a member of the bride's immediate family (like her mom) and thank them. Also attempt to give the couple a last hug before you depart.

-- Tracy L. Guth

2:30 PM - 36 views - 4 eprops - 3 comments - email it

Friday, September 28, 2007

Currently Listening
Coco
By Colbie Caillat
see related

Being Twenty-Something - They call it the "Quarter-life Crisis."

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now. You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones.

What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere but that they are as confused as you. You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't.

One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward. You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lay in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person.

One-night-stands and random hook ups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself...and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender! What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.

Send this to your twenty-something friends... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion... "I bend but I do not break."

9:15 AM - 22 views - 4 eprops - 3 comments - email it

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Currently Listening
Love
By The Juliana Theory
Liability
see related

TWO NUNS

There were two nuns...

One of them was known as Sister Mathematical (SM),

and the other one was known as Sister Logical (SL).

It is getting dark and they are still far away from the convent.

SM: Have you noticed that a man has been following us for
the past thirty-eight and a half minutes? I wonder what he wants.

SL: It's logical. He wants to rape us.

SM: Oh, no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes
at the most! What can we do?

SL: The only logical thing to do of course is to walk faster.

SM: It's not working.

SL: Of course it's not working. The man did the only
logical thing. He started to walk faster, too.

SM: So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one minute.

SL: The only logical thing we can do is split. You go that way and
I'll go this way. He cannot follow us bo! th.

So the man decided to follow Sister Logical.

Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is
worried about what has happened to Sister Logical.

Then Sister Logical arrives.

SM: Sister Logical! Thank God you are here!
Tell me what happened!

SL: The only logical thing happened.
The man couldn't follow us both,so he followed me

SM: Yes, yes! But what happened then?

SL: The only logical thing happened. I started to run
as fast as I could and he started to run as fast as he could.

SM : And?

SL: The only logical thing happened. He reached me

SM: Oh, dear! What did you do?

SL: The only logical thing to do. I lifted my dress up.

SM: Oh, Sister! What did the man do?

SL: The only logical thing to do. He pulled down his pants.

SM: Oh, no! What happened then?

SL: Isn't it logical, Sister?
A nun with her dress up can run faster than man with his pants down.

And for those of you who thought it would be dirty,

I'll pray for you!

4:08 PM - 27 views - 2 eprops - 1 comment - email it

Monday, July 30, 2007

Currently Listening
Coco
By Colbie Caillat
see related

WOMAN'S PERFECT BREAKFAST

She's sitting at the table with her gourmet coffee.

Her son is on the cover of the Wheaties box.

Her daughter is on the cover of Business Week.

Her boyfriend is on the cover of Playgirl.

And her husband is on the back of the milk carton.

Keep reading-they get better!!!

WOMEN'S REVENGE

"Cash, check or charge?" I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase.

As she fumbled for her wallet , I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.

"So, do you always carry your TV remote?" I asked.

"No," she replied, "but my husband refused to come shopping with me,

And I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally."

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN

(A MAN'S PERSPECTIVE)

I know I'm not going to understand women.

I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax,

Pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root,

And still be afraid of a spider.

MARRIAGE SEMINAR

While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication,

Tom and his wife Grace listened to the instructor,

"It is essential that husbands and wives know each other's likes and dislikes."

He addressed the man,

"Can you name your wife's favorite flower?"

Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "It's Pillsbury, isn't it?

CIGARETTES AND TAMPONS

A man walks into a pharmacy and wanders up & down the aisles.

The sales girl notices him and asks him if she can help him.

He answers that he is looking for a box of tampons for his wife.

She directs him down the correct aisle.

A few minutes later, he deposits a huge bag of cotton balls and a ball of string on the counter.

She says, confused, "Sir, I thought you were looking for some tampons for your wife?

He answers, "You see, it's like this, yesterday, I sent my wife to the store

To get me a carton of cigarettes, and she came back with a tin of tobacco

And some rolling papers; cause it's sooo-ooo--oo-ooo much cheaper.

So, I figure if I have to roll my own .......... So does she.

(I figure this guy is the one on the milk carton!)

WIFE VS. HUSBAND

A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.

An earlier discussion had led to an argument and

Neither of them wanted to concede their position.

As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs,

The husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"

"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."

WORDS

A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day...

30,000 to a man's 15,000.

The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men...

The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"

CREATION

A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be

So stupid and so beautiful all at the same time.

"The wife responded, "Allow me to explain.

God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me;

God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you !

WHO DOES WHAT

A man and his wife were having an argument about who

Should brew the coffee each morning.

The wife said, "You should do it because you get up first,

And then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee.

The husband said, "You are in charge of cooking around here and

You should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."

Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."

Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."

So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says . "HEBREWS"

The Silent Treatment

A man and his wife were having some problems at home

And were giving each other the silent treatment.

Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him

At 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.

Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,

"Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.

The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him,

when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.

The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."

Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

9:39 AM - 17 views - 2 eprops - 2 comments - email it

Next 5 >>