Random notes for the evening:

• I got a fantastic email from Rachel Platten last night thanking me for a review of a show I saw her perform at in April with Lucy Woodward and Toby Lightman.  Awesome.  It reminded me how much I miss going to shows (at one point I was seeing 1 – 2 concerts a week!).  And how cool musicians who appreciate fans are.  Time to tap the new music again, soon.  And thank you Rachel and Toby for seeking me out. =)
• Also, Rachel is playing tomorrow night around 9/9:30 at Cafe 939 on Boylston in Boston.  You should go.  Seriously.
• Glee, I love ya.  But I feel like next week’s season finale (Wednesday at 9 p.m. on FOX) is going to leave us all hanging and leave me very, very mad because of it.  Also, please stop focusing on one storyline and then pretending it never happened for 6 weeks until you decide to focus on it again.  It’s breaking up the character consistency.
• I wish we could leave Tiger Woods alone.  But we won’t.  We have a vicious cycle when it comes to the nature of celebrity.  It’s like that couple that crashed the White House party or Bubble Boy or even the Gosselins.  We don’t want to give them their 15 minutes but we can’t help it and so we talk about the time about how we hate talking about them and about how they’re all media ho’s … but then by talking about them, we’ve now granted them their wish.  D’oh.
• Also sending love out to The Soup on E!, Bones on FOX, and Tabatha’s Salon Takeover. 
• Have you seen the wedding blog yet?  http://markandmem.wordpress.com.  Just checking.
• Is it just me, or is everyone having trouble with maintaining personal space lately?  On the train, multiple times at the gym, walking to South Station…
• Grammy nominees announced tonight!
• Also tonight: the lighting of the tree in Rockefeller Center.  I’ve already decorated the house for the holidays (and even received 2 Christmas cards!).  I’m really ready for the season this year.
• While I love you, too, social networks, sometimes nothing fixes a bad mood better than a nice conversation with an old friend.

Holidays are almost here.  What’s on your wish list this year?

From the movie "Holiday Inn" - *love* that film!

Mark and I are currently featured on two Web sites!  Very exciting. =)  Check them out …

Photography By Media Concepts – Engagement Session Highlights
(PS – this is our wedding photographer)
http://photographybymediaconcepts.com/engagements/index.html

Bring to Light Candles
(a company that my Mom is involved with – very cool custom candles!)
http://www.bringtolightcandles.com/index.php

Off to Vegas for most of the week for work!

Mark and I have been busy, busy with work and friends but we’ve managed to get a lot accomplished for the wedding, too!  (Psst – have you seen our blog?  http://markandmem.wordpress.com – check it out!)

Here are just a few updates since my last one – as of today, we’ve got 6 and a half months to go:

• We booked the JP this weekend!  Deb Hoch (www.aneverlastingmemory.com) is super cool and romantic and so easy to get along with.  She performed the ceremony at our friends Jo and Darrell’s wedding last May and they had nothing but great things to say about her.  So we met with her this weekend and booked the date.  She’ll be sending us potential vows and we can copy and paste them to fit our own preferences – I love the customizing option!   Also, she insisted on having music on when we met with her because she apparently always has music on.  I die!
• The bridesmaids dresses are all set – the girls are going to look gorgeous!
• Rumor has it that the shower(s), bachelorette party and bachelor party plans are already underway.
• We booked the honeymoon!  We are going to the Sandals Resort at Grande Ocho Rios in Jamaica.  All inclusive.  We are super pumped!
• The Save the Dates have been ordered and are en route to be delivered to us – so we’ll hopefully be sending them out soon.  They’re soooo cute – and we’ll most likely be ordering matching invites from the same company soon, too.  I’m finalizing the last addresses we need so we can send them out once they arrive.

Could these be my "something blue"?

So we’ve made a lot more progress – although I keep getting waylaid because I’m on the hunt for an affordable pair of Christian Louboutins for the big day.  Ebay has become my new homepage and I gotta tell you, it’s not easy.

I’m headed to Vegas next week for a few days to attend the AAPEX/SEMA conference on behalf of one of our clients – so it’ll be tough to start making any big plans until I get back and get all caught up.  I’m still struggling with a lot of the song choices (first dance, bridal party entrance to the reception, etc.).  But I’m probably just putting too much pressure on it and we’ll figure it out soon enough.

Keep you posted as things develop!

PS – Happy Halloween!  What’s your costume this year?  Check out one of my old posts for some fun Halloween facts.

Mark and I have a wedding blog!  Although I will continue to post updates about the planning process here (in addition to all the fun little random non-wedding moments I share), we now have a dedicated spot for all the details.  We’ve got info on the bridal party, vendor names & links, wedding site details, and more.

Here’s the site:

http://markandmem.wordpress.com

Check it out!

Our engagement photo session pictures are done and online!

After 3 fun but long hours with our fantastic wedding photographer, Joe, from Photography By Media Concepts, we have more than 125 pictures!

We started out along the waterfront behind the Boston Courthouse.  Then we worked our way up to the Boston Harbor Hotel, then over to Faneuil Hall with a pitstop at the carousel set up on the Rose Kennedy Greenway outside Faneuil Hall.  We were hoping to take pictures along the walkway between Tia’s and The Living Room (we had our first date at the latter location), but there were tents leftover from an earlier event that prevented us from doing so.  However, we were able to recreate our proposal right above the spot in Faneuil Hall where it actually happened almost one year ago.

Check out our photos here:

http://joegoldsberry.smugmug.com/People/Meredith-Mark/

I’m hoping to use one of them for our Save the Date’s, too.  So many options!

Which one’s your favorite?

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of exciting milestones for my friends, colleagues, family – and even for me and Mark!  Birthdays, weddings, engagements, babies, academic achievements…

Some of these moments have literally made me freeze.  And in this frozen moment, I suddenly think, I can’t believe this is happening.  I can’t believe I’m here.  Shopping for bridesmaids dresses this weekend and watching my sister try on a stunning a dress to be a maid of honor in MY wedding, well, it took my breath away.

Sometimes I think we are so busy going through the motions of living that we forget to stop and realize what we are actually living.

Today at lunch, talking with Abby and Katie, was a real eye opener for me.  We talked about adult things – houses, families, weddings, jobs.  Afterwards I couldn’t stop thinking about how these were 2 girls who, 7 years ago, were pushing me down the dorm hall in a rolling office chair alongside Katie’s then-boyfriend (now husband), trying to see which of us would reach the other end first.  And now, we’re all grown up!

Then again, 7 years IS a long time.  So maybe it’s me.

It also makes me look at where I am and marvel at it all.  Like the line in Rent, “How did we get here, how the heck…?”

But the best part?  I don’t regret a single thing.  Sure, sometimes the “what if’s” come up, out of curiosity.  What if I stayed on the radio job at WLIR instead of the career move to Video Design Software?  What if I stayed up in Amherst that extra year?  What if I never left GDF?  What if I never left Long Island?

And the answer is: I wouldn’t be here.  And I LIKE being here. Even if I sometimes recoil in horror at how … grown up we are (much as we try to deny it with late nights at Steve & Cristina’s or dancing out in town).  Maybe not horror.  Maybe just amazement.

“Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” (RIP, John Hughes)

Not my bouquet - but has our colors in it!

On a lighter note, here’s a wedding update:

• We bought our wedding bands and they’re all ready for the big day!
• We booked the florist (still need to meet with the centerpiece florist) and designed the bouquets, boutonnieres, and ceremony flowers
• We booked the photographer
• We looked at bridesmaid dresses and narrowed it down to two options
• We decided on the theme for naming the tables
• We started moving forward on the honeymoon planning
• We got most of the bridal party together for the first time ever this past weekend…and had an amazing time!

So we are making some solid progress.  We had a hiccup a few months ago when we realized how very EXPENSIVE a wedding is, but with some budget and priority rejiggering, we’re back in planning mode hard core.

I love it.  I can’t wait.  If this weekend was any indication, this wedding is going to be incredible.  We are surrounded by the most amazing, wonderful, loving and fun people.*

And I can’t wait to be Mrs. D.

Question: if your self 10 years ago met you now, what’s the one thing they would be most shocked/surprised/amazed at?

Yeah, a lot of us unfortunately looked like this at one point in time...and never thought it would go out of style!

*As I type this, my entrance song for the ceremony just came on.  Crazy!!

Today was Michael Jackson’s funeral service. I had it on in the background during the day at the office (through CNN.com/Facebook, the next generation in monumental event live-viewing).

I wanted to watch because I felt like this was my generation’s Elvis or Marilyn . . . and what amazes me more than anything is the bond people are forming over the music.  Not over the scandals, the weird news stories about him over the past ten years, or the court allegations.  Yes, they are all valid and should be noted.  However, the most amazing thing that is lasting over everything else is the music.  And it’s incredible to watch how something as simple as music can bring people together.

Tonight, at my Zumba class at the gym, the instructor ended the class with an MJ tribute.  She put on “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” and instructed us all to move closer together.  Then, she led us in a simple routine to the classic dance song.  At first, there were a few smiles, grins, people slowly getting into it.  But by the end, there were wide grins, cheers, hoots, hollers, arms waving in the air, and people squealing and singing.

Here was a group of 50 women or so, of all races, colors, creeds, ages, and sizes, who normally don’t even make much room for each other during class, much less talk.  However, with this one song on such a monumental day, we were brought together into a group of women who just loved letting loose to some great music.

I know, it sounds cheesy and silly.  But honestly, even after watching the 2 hour ceremony today, even after hearing Michael’s choked up daughter speak about her father, the whole thing didn’t hit me until that class.  I was near tears watching the power of the song as it came over the group, and thinking about how much I treasured Michael when I was 3, 5, 7 and 12, but haven’t really appreciated him much as of late.

So I want to get back into his music, as cheesy and clichéd as that is to do now.  Because he is-was-an incredible dancer, singer and musician, and I don’t want to forget that.  I want my kids to know about it, and their kids.

As Rihanna sings in her classic song that samples one of Michael’s,
“Please don’t stop the music.”

[Or as my 2-year-old squeaky voiced self used to say, “Biwee Jean, snap my luhv, Biwee Jean, snap my luhv…can you heahw it?”]

I’m currently rocking out to “Say Say Say.” 

What Michael Jackson song are you currently digging?

Looking for ideas for your 4th of July party playlist this year? Here are some ideas, in no particular order, that will keep the party going long after the fireworks quiet down:

• John Mellencamp – “R.O.C.K. in the USA”
• Counting Crows – “American Girls”
• Mat Kearney – “Girl America” (great late night summer song)
• Live – “Merica”
• Matt Willis – “Sound of America”
• The Soup Dragons – “I’m Free”
• Better Than Ezra – “American Dream”
• James Brown – “Living in America”
• David Bowie – “Young Americans”
• Razorlight – “America” (another chill summer evening tune)
• Phil Vassar – “American Child”
• George Michael – “Freedom”
• Elton John – “Philadelphia Freedom”
• Madonna – “American Life”
• Andrews Sisters – “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”
• Tom Petty – “American Girl”
• Supertramp – “Breakfast in America”
• Bree Sharp – “America”

*Note – although some of these songs are not about America per se, or might even be slightly derogatory, they’re still great for a patriotic party!!

What songs am I missing?  Post your suggestions, too!

Have a great 4th of July!

(I so want these shoes!)

Okay, I have a big secret to share.

You know how everyone has that one longtime dream, that goal to be something that they know will never happen but always love to daydream about coming true?  For some, they want to be President, act in a movie, or fly a plane.  Me?

I want to be a back-up dancer and go on tour with a big pop star like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera or Janet Jackson.

Sounds silly, right?  It makes sense, though, especially if you know me.  First, I absolutely LOVE music.  It is my life.  I live, eat, breathe music.  I crave music.  One of my biggest fears is going deaf.  To never hear music again would be devestation.  So naturally, my not-so-secret-anymore dream would involve music, somehow.

Second, I love dancing.  I am not very good at it.  I’m okay, and I’m pretty good at remembering routines and steps (like the fact that I still remember the steps for the dances we used to choreograph at the camp I worked at in my teens).  But I adore dancing, and my belief is, even if you’re not good at something, if you can demonstrate uninhibited love and joy with whatever you are doing, then people will still want to watch you do it and your enjoyment will be contagious.

Also, I’m a Leo.  I love attention.  I love being on stage and performing.  So that one’s an easy guess.  Of course I would find thrill in having hundreds of people watching me.

Finally, I’ve always had dance in my life in some funny, odd little way:

• I took ballet for the first few years of my life.
• When I was 8, I used to sit in my room and sketch out choreography routines to INXS and Elvis Costello songs in my journal.  I would draw the stage and use stick figures and numbered instructions to show the moves, all the while acting them out myself to make sure they looked awesome.
• In elementary school there were always opportunities to make a fool of yourself during class shows and recitals.  Guess who always volunteered…hence why there exist photos of me dancing around with props to 50s songs in 4^th (and 5^th!) grade, or performing “Cherish” in a denim mini skirt in 5^th grade.
• At sleepovers with one of my groups of friends when I was 10, we used to assign each song from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack to every one of us.  Then we had to go and choreograph a routine and perform it for everyone else.  I used to look forward to those dances way more than Truth or Dare.
• My pen pal Claire came to visit from England when we were 13, and most of the trip was spent choreographing dances we went public with in my front lawn (Annie Lennox songs) or in secret when we were supposed to be asleep at night (Whigfield and Shampoo).
• My friend Emma and I loved performing when we were little, so much so that we used to create dances to popular Disney songs and act them out for our parents (so happy to see she is now an accomplished actress and singer!).
• I have hours and hours and hours of footage of music videos I used to create.  Most of them involved getting dressed up and dancing and singing in front of the screen … so if Gwen Stefani ever needed a stunt double, I’m your gal.
• In 2003 I discovered Jazzercise, which combines dance and aerobics.  During class, to stay focused and push myself, I would imagine I was on stage.  No wonder I later started training to become an instructor.  And now, even in my other favorite classes like Hip Hop Abs at the gym, I still pretend to be on stage dancing for an audience.

So why am I sharing this?  Maybe to just get it off my chest.  Maybe to help explain why I sometimes look like I’m staring off into space when I’m commuting with my iPod on (I’m mapping out the routine in my head).  Maybe it’s to help explain why a choreographed routine may suddenly appear next year at the rehearsal dinner or during the wedding itself…

But maybe it’s also to make you think about your own private little dream.  Even though it may never become a reality, when you really reflect on what it may be, it’s interesting to see how it’s always been a part of your life in some way.  Maybe you’ve always wanted to be an Olympic skier and you spent your childhood on the slopes and used to host Winter Olympics viewing parties with your friends.

I think these dreams are so important because even if we never achieve them, they help form our character, our values, and help define what is important to us.  They create hobbies, carve out social groups, maybe even get us a job in the same field or industry as our goal.  Or they become a reality after a mid-life crisis or a layoff when we just go, “You know what?  F-it!  I’ve always wanted to travel only by train across the US for a year, and now I can do it!”

My big advice here?  Figure out what your secret goal is, and never let it go.  When the chips are down, you’re feeling low, and there doesn’t look like anywhere to go but down, conjure up this little goal and guaranteed, it will make you smile.

On a side note, what’s interesting is how I never want to be the star…but rather in the ensemble, in the supporting role.  Maybe I’m not ready for my closeup just yet.  Maybe I like the idea of being a part of a group rather than being on my own.

So you think you can dance?  I think I will.

• One year and four days until the wedding!!  We are going to the Holiday Inn in Mansfield and staying in one of the suites to help kick off the (pre?) anniversary
• Happy belated to my Mom, and Happy Day-After Mother’s Day to all those mothers out there!
• Cannot wait for some big season finales this week – Kitchen Nightmares, Bones, just to name a few….
• This is a useful article
• Pre-congrats to my sister Cordie, who graduates college next week.  I am so proud of her!!  She also was awarded a teaching fellowship in New York, bravo!  (Brava?)
• And this slideshow is amazing eye candy
• One year ago today Jennie and Tim were married (congrats! and belated congrats to Jo and Darrell!) and we were cruising in the Caribbean [fun fact - I took the photo in this blog header on that cruise]
• I’m jonesin’ for new jeans, sunglasses, a new watch, and a spring coat

Have a lovely Tuesday. =)