I'm working on a PowerPoint presentation for the teacher training work I do as a consultant (well, at this very moment, I'm procrastinating from my real work by writing this post).
I'm trying to help teachers understand the value of incorporating independent reading into their classrooms for a variety of reasons, one of which is to instill the habits and mindsets of lifelong reading and learning. I'm starting the session by asking them to brainstorm ways in which specific books have impacted their lives as readers and learners.
Working on this reminded me of the very first book that truly impacted my life: Ramona Quimby. In one of the books, she decides to sew pants for her stuffed elephant (i.e., Ella Funt). My eight year-old self was so inspired by Ramona's creativity and determination that I, too, decided to take up sewing.
My first project was a scrunchie. It was, afterall, 1986. Twenty-two years later, I'm still sewing random things just because it's fun.
Thinking back on my life through the lens of books reminded me of how much influence the written word can have on our thoughts and--therefore--our lives.
As an ode to the written word, I think it would be great for us to generate a list of wedding books and blogs that inspire us so we can share with each other.
I'll start:
- I'd like to recommend One Perfect Day by Rebecca Mead because it exposes the ridiculous roots of many so-called wedding traditions and reminds me that the purpose and meaning behind a wedding are more important than any of the stuff.
- I'd like to recommend A Practical Wedding blog because Meg offers creative, thrifty, and sane insight into the wedding planning world. Her blog is the first wedding-related one I read each day.
12 comments:
There are so many great blogs out there... i don't even know where to start. I think my list would be extremely long (I'll limit myself to 5 for now), but i'm curious as to see what your other readers suggest...
1. Atlanta Bride
2. Broke Ass Bride
3. Elizabeth Anne Design Wedding Blog
4. TearDrop Wedding
5. Peonies and Polaroids
Offbeat Bride (the book and Web site) inspires me and reminds me that despite what other may think, being offbeat is totally cool.
Oncewed.com is a great place for inspiration, and often some DIY projects (for weddings or otherwise)
Apracticalwedding.com, like you mentioned; Meg also has a FANTASTIC blog roll to choose from
I could go on and on...oh, and of course this blog!
I am a big fan of all of the ones already mentioned and also I would add:
iDIY (www.i-do-it-yourself.com)
VintageGlam (http://vintageglamblog.com/)
Mother and Bride (http://motherandbride.blogspot.com/)
Enjoy :)
Peonies and Polaroids
A Practical Wedding
This one! ;D
Offbeat Bride
I happen to like my own wedding blog, but I could be biased.
Not to be a suck up, but I your blog and A Practical Wedding are my favorites! I also love Offbeat Bride and the Southern Weddings blog (http://www.swsmag.net/blog) because they both feature lots of casual rustic-style real weddings, which is the look that my fiance and I are going for.
As far as books go, the only good ones I've read that didn't make me want to puke were Offbeat Bride and the Anti-Bride. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone recommends!
Great post!
Awwww.... (thanks!)
I give a hearty second to Offbeat Bride, book and blog. They are my alpha and omega. Not mentioned yet, but enjoyable as heck: East Side Bride and her F*ck this series.
But on to books, which I find more like a solid meal (with blogs like a yummy snack) - I of course love "Miss Manners - On {painfully proper} Weddings. The title is a bit misleading, its the most grounded book on my (now extensive, thanks to gifts) wedding shelf.
Here is my question: What kind of books do people WISH were out there on weddings? I started my blog because I needed a resource that I couldn't find. I wonder what other people need and can't find.
Mmmmmm... books!
I totally would have listed the exact two you did. One Perfect Day is a book everyone that gets married should read before they even begin the planning process.
Blog wise I also love A Practical Wedding and I love this blog. It not only features plenty of eye candy, but advice that people can actually use. I talk about your blog to my other half all the time.
And to answer Meg's question of what people need...how to keep what the wedding is really about in mind. I really enjoy all the relationship advice on this blog, and Meg's recent revelation about a regestry was awesome!
I've been reading The Conscious Bride by Sheryl Paul (or Sheryl Nissinen, depending on the edition) and... sort of enjoying it. Basically she looks at weddings as a rite of passage into adulthood for modern women, even women who've been living as adults for years. Some of it doesn't ring true for me, like the idea of the wedding day as The Most Important Day Ever and her emphasis that the wedding is a separation from your childhood family more than, say, moving out.
But I really, really like her ideas of thinking about weddings in terms of mythology and archetypes. I like her encouragement in exploring the shadow side of engagement, wedding, and marriage. Overall I think it's a good book to read, but doesn't necessarily map directly to my experience.
Others have already brought up my favorite serious wedding blogs, but I also wanted to mention http://ihateplanningmywedding.blogspot.com/ which I find absolutely hysterical.
I also do enjoy the more stereotypical wedding blog a good bit too(examples: Snippet and Ink, Classic Bride, The Bride's Cafe, etc.). I don't think there's anything wrong with looking at those blogs which are less practical and humanitarian, as long as I spend enough time on blogs like this as well. Plus, they have great contests, and what's more practical than free stuff!
PS-I love the sound of your presentation! My 9th grade classes spend 20 minutes of every period in SSR, reading books of their choice. It's hard to give up that much instructional time, but so worth it.
I just started reading WE MET IN A BAR, and so far, I'm digging it quite a bit.
www.wemetinabar.com
As for books, I haven't read a single wedding related book yet. Sara, any chance you'd be willing to loan a complete stranger from the internet your copy? I haven't been able to find it at my local library, and I promise I'll send it back.
@ E:
Oh, I would totally let you borrow one of my books, but I borrowed it from my library. Sorry!
I'm in the initial (very first post) stage of a new wedding blog: An Uncomplicated Wedding.
I found many of the blogs listed above, but a lot of their writers are already married. I'm at the other end of the processes.
The sense of community I have found surrounding the choice to abandon the WIC is comforting and encouraging.
Thank you to everyone involved!
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