Kindle Single - Sparkle by Mara Altman

Amazon recently introduced Kindle Singles; "long-form journalism" that is shorter than a novel, but longer than a magazine article. They cost a buck or two, and focus on one specific topic.

It seemed like fun to try something new, so I bought Sparkle by Mara Altman. It is well-reviewed, and one of the reviewers was absolutely appalled by the filthy language, so I was pretty sure I'd find it funny.



The general gist of the book is familiar - a slightly neurotic modern woman gets serious about her boyfriend and wonders if she's losing herself as a result of the coupling. The (essay? article? I don't know what to call it) story outlines Mara Altman's personal crusade to discover WHY people wear engagement rings, and why she's so conflicted about wearing one.

Not being an engagement ring kind of girl, I snorted forcefully at the description of the classic 3-stone ring as "the cock-and-balls model". Altman researches the history of the engagement ring back to the old Egyptian myth that says the vein in the left-hand ring finger flows right to the heart and quips, "Anatomically speaking, veins that connect to our hearts also eventually connect to our assholes." How can I not love this woman?

I will not divulge all of Altman's discoveries on her journey to dissect engagement rings (and her relationship), so I'll just say that the article was enjoyable. It was part informative and part engaged-Bridget-Jones; I related to many of her feelings about engagement rings and learned a few things along the way. Overall, I'm pleased with my first Single - it was $2 for a lazy morning's entertainment, and I think that's a good value.

-KB

How to flat iron your own hair for your wedding

Recently, a company called Misikko sent me a professional flat iron to review on this blog and I was so happy to get the offer! I love flat irons, but I’ve only ever used the cheapo drugstore specials. My hair was professionally flat ironed on my wedding day, and I started wondering if I could have done it myself (after some practice, of course). I called my friend/victim T to help me do a very simple wedding hair how-to. Stay tuned for a chance to win your own professional flat iron!



This is the awesome stuff I got from Misikko! I couldn’t believe it when I opened the box. I knew I would be getting the high-end CHI flat iron from Hana, but I didn’t know it would come with all the extras! I received the flat iron, the storage case for the flat iron, a hot mat to protect my table while using the flat iron, a heat-proof pouch, shine serum hair product, and some extra goodies like a bottle of hand sanitizer, emery boards, and some artificial flowers. Cute!

There are several types of professional flat irons; the most popular are CHI flat irons and the FHI flat irons. The differences are too minute for me, a novice to determine, but I guarantee that if you are going to buy a flat iron, you should invest in a good one and not the cheap $30 drug store special like I’ve always had. The Hana flat iron was incredibly easy to use the first time. I’ve never done anything but mangle my hair with the cheap ones (frizz, crimping, etc). Without any practice AT ALL, I was able to give my friend T smooth, incredibly shiny hair. Visit the Misikko website to find the best flat iron for your needs.



Here is my friend T’s hair. It’s gorgeous, no? Slightly wavy, and with lots of body and volume; wash and go hair works for her. But for a wedding day, it’s important to polish everything up and make it look a bit more special.

We started with dry hair, and I used the 230 degree setting on my flat iron. Maybe you pros can do this with damp hair at the highest setting, but as I said before, I had never used a professional flat iron, and I didn’t want T to scratch my face off if I melted all of her lovely hair.

This was all I needed for T’s hair: the flat iron, the heat safe mat to protect my table, four large hair clips, a brush, a comb, a barrette, 3 hair pins, and some patience.



Using the large clips, I secured the upper sections of the hair to her crown, and started at the nape. I used the comb to spread a 1” section of hair evenly across my hand, then gently closed the flat iron and ran it along the length of her hair. At the end of the hair, I turned my wrist about 45 degrees toward me to make a soft curl. To make sure that the hair was straight and smooth but not limp, I placed the iron about half an inch away from her scalp. I wanted to keep all the volume that I could – I wouldn’t make my friend look like a drowned rat on her wedding day after all! I know that the super flat hair look is popular, but for a wedding, I think it’s better to go with something timeless rather than trendy.



Here is the after – doesn’t her hair look pretty? It’s not drastically different; it’s just very smooth and polished. And it didn’t take long at all!

After using the Hana flat iron for about half an hour, I really began to appreciate that I was using a pro iron. The cord is very long so you never had to worry about accidentally pulling it out of the wall, and the cord rotates at the end of the unit, so you don’t have to interrupt styling by twirling/untwirling the cord. I was also surprised by how quickly the unit heated up, and I liked that it never felt too heavy in my hand. Sometimes when I’m blow-drying my hair, I really start to realize how heavy the dryer is. I didn’t experience any arm fatigue with this flat iron.

Since T is a true romantic, I wanted to do something within my very basic skill set to make it more elegant. Using a barrette and a few hair pins to secure stray hairs, I pulled the hair around her face and crown back into a partial up-do. Using the flat iron, I took a few ends and twisted them into curls. I held the flat iron at an angle instead of holding it perpendicular to the hair. It took a few tries, but here is the result.



I think it looks really nice! I actually still can’t believe that I did this because sincerely I have never been able to do more with my own hair than washing it and pulling it into a pony tail. When T really does get married (in a European castle, I hope), she’ll probably wear a veil, but for the evening, she made do with a single orchid that I cut off my plant (sorry plant!) and threaded into the barrette. Voila!



T doesn’t have bangs or any layering around her face, but if she did, I would have left a few strands down and twirled them into romantic curls too. Fun!

Sounds pretty easy right? I know you can do it – even if you aren’t skilled at styling hair.

Thanks so much to the nice people at Misikko for treating me like a paying customer! Stay tuned because I’m going to announce a way for YOU to win your own professional flat iron!

-Kay Banks

Product Review: Gothic Wedding Planner (plus a chance to win a FREE Goth wedding planner!)

I recently got a copy of the Gothic Wedding Planner from Wedding Skulls, and I'm pleased to say that it is a great guide for anyone planning a spooky or dark wedding. The bones of the planner are very good - it is well thought-out, it urges you to decide what's important for your wedding, and it sets forth a basic budget. It is an eBook downloaded in the PDF format, but if you're the touchy-feely type, you can print it. And if you're the techy type, you can put it on your electronic book reader. [OT, but damn I love my Kindle!]

A main focus of the planner is setting a realistic budget, and planning accordingly. So many of the planners that I saw when I was planning a wedding were over-simplistic. X + Y = Your budget. So not true! There are so many unexpected things that crop up while planning a wedding. Steff (the author) specifically says "Now take your budget, and add 10% to it. That is what your wedding will probably actually cost..." Excellent advice. If your budget + 10% seems unmanageable, start your budget again! The worst thing you can do is start your new life drowning in debt.


Here's the cake from my imaginary Halloween wedding

Of course, the planner is different from other planners because it focuses on Goth/spooky/dark/macabre weddings. My favorite kind! There are tons of great ideas for themes, non-traditional ceremonies, locations, food, attire, entertainment, and even a list of first-dance songs for a dark wedding. You might think that you already know everything from the dark realms of pop culture (and beyond!), but this planner is very thorough. Elements from all corners of the Goth world have been covered - whether you want a romantic goth wedding or a freaky space-age goth wedding!

Reading this planner is like getting good advice from a seasoned friend. Steff covers all the elements of weddings that you know, and the ones that you hadn't thought of. I had a lot of surprises when I was wedding planning because I didn't really have many married friends. Having this planner is the same as having a smarty-pants friend, only she doesn't second-guess your ideas. She encourages you to do what you want, and focus on the things that make it your special day. But you're the bride, you're not a bloody princess. Like a good friend, the planner gently reminds you to keep your cool and keep that bridezilla attitude in check. It's a special day, and one day is not worth a ruined relationship.


The candy buffet from Corey and John's Halloween wedding

There were a few points that I personally disagreed with. Sending out Save the Dates and setting up a Wedding Website were imperative for me because I had so many out-of-town and out-of-country guests. About a third of my wedding guests needed to know the date well in advance, and needed the travel information that I put on our site. But, just like friends, you're bound to disagree. And I'm sure that Steff would agree that if it's right for you, do it! Having a Goth wedding doesn't mean that you can't have any elements of tradition. Having a nice-girl, traditional wedding doesn't mean that you can't let your Goth side show. If you and your Groom want it, and it fits within your budget, then DO IT!

Toward the end of the planner, there are some worksheets and checklists for you to use. They are a good start. Perhaps because I am an anal-retentive planner, they wouldn't be enough for me. I need interactive spreadsheets! I need color-coded guest lists! But the checklists are an excellent foundation, and you'd have to buy several bridal magazines to get all of this information. Who wants to dig through all of those cold, plastic-smile bridal magazines to get to the good stuff?


The author Steff Green and her cantankerous groom on their lovely wedding day

In addition to the Goth Wedding Planner, I got to take a peek at Steff's Goth Wedding Directory. I don't think you even need to be in the throes of wedding planning to enjoy it. I found several things that would make my day-to-day life more fun and a little more spooky. The stores listed will inspire your Goth wedding, and make your daily shopping easier. I found several shops that make beautiful hand-made things that I had never heard of before.

Overall, I say YES, buy this planner. It costs a mere $9 and you don't have to sift through a lot of ads to find the good stuff. The format is not as polished as a magazine, but it is easy to read, easy to search through, and features lovely photos from Steff's wedding.

Want to win a copy for yourself? Of course you do! All you have to do is send an email with the subject GOTH WEDDING PLANNER to bloggerofthebride {at} gmail {dot} com. You know what to do! I'll announce the winner next Monday.

Skulls and kisses,

Kay Banks