OSF

You guys, Old Spaghetti Factory caters!  If you've never eaten out with me, you might not know this, but OSF is my favoritest favorite restaurant ever.  (I mean, have you TASTED their spaghetti with mizithra cheese and browned butter???)

Not only does OSF cater, but they also will deliver the food to you (and possibly serve it too!).  The closest OSF is in Concord for us (30ish minutes away, and you know I'll drive there for spaghetti), and they'll deliver to Oakland!

It's cheap, it's delicious, and I know I love it.  I can't wait for the manager to call me back with details!

My blessed family

(I just love this idea)

This post on Offbeat Bride totally made me cry.  (Take this with a grain of salt - I cry easily.)

[Chanelle writes about marrying someone of the same-sex, and the views of their families.]

Unfortunately, Chanelle's family is not as supportive. It was a hard burden to bear, but the fact that her aunt made such an effort to fly across the country in a show of support really made up for the absence of the others.

During the ceremony, we invited all the witnesses and supporters of our marriage to leave their fingerprints on a tree, hand-drawn by Chanelle's sister, signifying the greater community in which our relationship has and will continue to grow. This simple, yet beautiful, act of involving our loved ones really helped us understand that family is what you make it and even with all the heartache associated with our blood family, our chosen family has always been there for us.

We are so, so, so, so lucky to both have amazing families - all of them!  My moms, my dad's family, her mom's family, and her dad's family all just love us to pieces. We come from supportive backgrounds and no one is going to boycott our wedding because we're in a same-sex relationship.  No, instead they're making us chuppah pieces, helping us find our hotels, going dress shopping, and just excited by the upcoming event.  They're being so helpful, sweet, and fantastic, and I just am overwhelmed with love.  


We are blessed in so many ways.  For having found one another, for living in this great, and for having such an amazing and blessed family.

Chuppah pieces

Kate and I are having a traditional Jewish marriage ceremony with a ketubah (Jewish marriage contract), aufruf (we'll be called to the bimah together to recite a prayer over the Torah the Saturday before our ceremony), and we'll be married under a chuppah* (wedding canopy).

Our chuppah is being made for us by our immediate family - parents, siblings, and grandparents.  Each person was assigned a square (12" by 12") to decorate however they wish, which will then be sown together by Kate's mom to create the canopy.  This weekend we got the first square from Kate's dad, John.  It's absolutely gorgeous and it makes me so excited to see how the others will turn out!!!

I am posting quickly as my new printer is finishing up with the materials for tomorrow's workshop, otherwise I'd post a picture and explain a little bit more about the awesome Jewish traditions we'll be upholding in May.  Can't wait until then!

*It's pronounced huppa

Proposition 8 at the Ninth Circuit Court

This morning Kate and I stood outside the Ninth Circuit Courthouse before the Proposition 8 trial began.  We stood alongside rabbis, ministers, atheists, children, grandparents, parents, and couples all listening to the stories of people effected by Proposition 8.

When the proposition passed, I was in Ohio working for Obama.  My path hadn't yet crossed Kate's, and I had no idea the impact this law would have on my life.  Sure, I was devastated on behalf of my parents - I started crying during the Obama celebration when it looked the Prop 8 had passed - but that is nothing like this experience.  It's different when you feel the need to race to court RIGHT NOW (which - for those of you who don't know - is how we got engaged) because tomorrow they might take away our right to marry.  Or maybe they've already taken it away.  It's different when it's the love of your life that you're trying to marry, not just the love of your family.  Not more or less hurtful, just hurtful in an entirely different way.

So this morning at 7:30, standing outside the Ninth Circuit Courthouse, on the precipice of what could be our right to marry, I was exhausted and excited.  I had gone to bed entirely too late last night because Kate and I were doing media interviews after my rained-out event.  But, more than the physical drain of too-early a wake up call, I am exhausted by going to all these court cases.  I'm exhausted that we have to fight bigotry to simply say "I do", that people challenge one of the best things that has ever happened to me, the love of my life, Kate.

Yet, it's exciting.  What if I could legally marry Kate?  What if we could enjoy the universally known commitment - marriage?  We'll be married in May no matter what, but signing those domestic partnership papers is definitely going to feel like a blow.  Separate is not equal.  Let's hope the Ninth Circuit Court realizes that too.

Online dress shopping

My mom has been sending me some great wedding dresses after I wrote the last post.  Thanks, Mama!

More money than I'll spend on a wedding dress, but it's gorgeous!  Here $1,000- $1,500

 

Ball gown style at David's Bridal $750

 

Great A-Line with straps! David's Bridal  $200

 

Look at that detail! David's Bridal $950

Dress shopping

So that we match, I'm going to pick out my dress before Kate chooses her coordinating suit.  I haven't begun dress shopping, but after looking at the beautiful Jessica McClintock dress online I got excited and went to go try it on.  In gold. Of course the color was awful, but I also didn't like the cut of the dress.

Then I tried on this dress.  I hated the sweetheart neckline, but the dress itself was amazing.

Now I'm thinking of this, this, and this.  Simple, beautiful A-line white dresses.  I think I'm going to have to just have a seamstress add a sash and straps, sadly, because the bridal industry doesn't believe in color or practicality.  

A dress I love!

I love this dress, you guys.  Love, love, love, love, love it.  There are only three things that would make it better:

1. If it came in my size
2. If it came in white or champagne or some other off-white color
3. If it had a sash.  I want a sash to add some pizazz and color.

This is the first dress that I have been inspired by.  Tonight I'm going to go to Jessica McClintock to check out what other fabulous dresses they might have.