Summer Love-In: Vacations. And men running shirtless.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011


And now we go from from someone who doesn't blog at all, to someone who has been blogging for years and years (since way before I even know what a blog was) and who is not too bad at it either.


Today I am VERY excited to bring you a guest post from Lauren of I'm Better in Real Life, a.k.a. Assistant Editor Lauren of A Practical Wedding fame. (I know, a bit of a coup for a wee little blog like mine, right? I couldn't believe it either. I may have bribed her with promises of alcohol and undying appreciation...) She's also an actual, proper, has-already-written-a-whole-book writer, as well as an editor, bride-to-be and ace scrambled-eggs-maker. I like Lauren for lots of reasons, not least of which is the fact that she has an entire category of posts on her blog tagged What The Fuck. Man, I really need to up my game on the tagging front.


Take it away, lady:



So here's the deal. Summer is not my favorite season. It just isn't. You know what happened to me all the time, from when I was 14 until I was 23? Every spring the boy I was dating would break up with me (sometimes he waited until it was a little into the summer) and I would spend the rest of the summer, bored, with a random summer job, doing my darndest to forget his obnoxious, selfish ass (who I just happened to be totally crushed by... not really his ass, more like... well, you get the idea. Crushed). 

And all of the movies that would come out in the summer were all about summer love. And all of the songs leading up to the summer were all about summer love. And I must have watched Grease a thousand times, literally, from ages 12-14, and every time I would stare, mesmerized, at the beginning portion where they would explain Summer Lovin' and how they met at the beach. Can you imagine? MEETING someone at the beach? And then seeing them there day after day? This kind of fortune does not exist in my world. 

I always had this fantasy of meeting someone on a plane. Every time I would go somewhere, I would scope out the other people waiting in line at the southwest terminal (I flew southwest a lot). I would find the hot guy around my age, try to make flirty glances in his direction, and then watch for him once I got in my seat. I would see him coming down the aisle towards me, and wait, expectantly, for him to sit down in my row next to me. It never happened. I never met anyone on a plane. But this has nothing to do with summer, really. Just Lauren's pathetic love life. (As I sit here writing this Kamel just got a cramp from video game play... yup, winners.)

So. Back to summer. There was no love, there were no magic movie moments. You know what there was a lot of though? Burning. Yes, that's right. I am white as snow, a lily, porcelain, all of those beautiful descriptions that just mean, "I can see your veins pulsing through your see-through skin. And I bet your mother is English." Ding ding, someone get this person a prize! I was totally the kid in the pool that had to wear one of their over sized sleep shirts because I had gotten a bad sunburn the week before. I was also the kid who thought that I didn't need sunscreen in the water because the light would reflect off. Bad, bad thinking.


"Female short pants" from the Life Magazine archives via Miss Moss

I also hate shorts. Shorts are the devil. I've seen the girls who are capable of wearings shorts and tennis shoes all summer long, their beautiful tan legs prancing around, all comfortable in the heat. I do not, and will not, ever understand those girls. Who do they think they are? With their FORTUNATE LEGS? First of all... shorts and tennis shoes? I am trapped in shorts and flip flops at best... why? Because if you cut me off at the ankle all anyone can see are my giant caves. And shorts? All by themselves? Cut into my thighs, my lily white, veiny thighs, and make me hate living. When I was in grad school (and I'm so going to totally repeat this story on my own blog, so when I do, just pretend like you've never heard it... and while we're at it, that you also think it's the most clever, insightful thing you've ever heard. Deal? Ok) ... when I was in grad school I had summer meetings with my adviser and one day I was bitching about needing shorts... and she said, "no you don't. there is no need for shorts. Just wear skirts and dresses.... you never ever have to wear shorts ever again if you don't want to." And I thought: Mother effing genius, and about 15 years too late. I could have avoided all of those mom shorts I had to buy and wear in high school because I have mom hips and mom thighs and don't fit into the Juniors' section. So. Much. Mental. Anguish. 

But you know what? Summer is good for one thing. Vacations. And men running shirtless... let's be honest. And if they can oogle the girls in bikinis and high heels at the beach (what IS that, btw?), then I'm going to oogle right back at them. While I'm covered head to toe in Zinc, and with a giant hat to cover my face, and my prescription sun glasses on. Oh dear.

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13 boats moored

  1. Clare14 June 2011 at 09:23

    I don't really have much of use to say, but felt the need to
    chime in and tell you that I thought I was the only person in the world to hate shorts (and women who
    can pull them off if I'm being honest). I have the opposite problem of having scrawny chicken style legs (although they are of a similar hue to yours), and I look like a 12 year old prepubescent boy everytime I try to give them another go.

    I am now going to happily take your tutor's advice though and NEVER try a pair on again.

    Thanks Lauren!

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  2. Esme14 June 2011 at 09:47

    Your grad school advisor was so right Lauren! Why am I trying desperately to find the perfect length shorts for summer - ones that will hide the tops of my thighs and make my legs look longer whilst not making me look shorter - when I can wear a dress instead?!

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  3. Amanda14 June 2011 at 10:03

    Hello Kirsty, and Hello Lauren :) Well, I just wanted to say I am sooo lucky because I actually met hubby in a plane :) We luckily got assigned seats next to each other, and basically talked the whole time. Then we exchanged emails, and after a year of writing to each other every now and then he came to see me, and that's how it all started :) And I looove summer dresses as well, great input you got in grad school.

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  4. Linsey14 June 2011 at 10:05

    Ha ha I don't have ther thighe for shorts, for the past 2 years I've had to go on a desperate running regime a month before my holidays because none of my shorts fitted. Amen to skirts and dresses x

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  5. Linsey14 June 2011 at 11:15

    Just realised my crappy typing. I meant the thighs, not ther thighe, whatever that means!

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  6. Michelle14 June 2011 at 11:55

    Brilliant, had me laughing (inside of course because I was reading this at work)

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  7. Lauren14 June 2011 at 14:03

    @ Amanda - SHUT UP! No you did not! That is freaking fantastic. YOU ARE LIVING MY DREAM.

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  8. Jenn14 June 2011 at 14:23

    I am going to the wedding of some friends in October who met on a plane, but only because her iPod died halfway through and she had to take her headphones off.

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  9. margosita14 June 2011 at 14:32

    Two things!

    1) I ALSO HATE SHORTS! Ugh. I need more skirts. I don't own any shorts and I always end up being that girl in jeans when it's 90 degrees looking like an idiot.

    2) My old (American) roommate met her (English) boyfriend on a plane. While in Europe. They spent a day together, and then she came back to the U.S. They kept in touch, then legit dated long-distance for a year (or so) before she moved to England for grad school/to be with him. It's such a ridiculously cute story and they are so ridiculously cute I can hardly type this without sighing.

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  10. Ashley14 June 2011 at 16:00

    My mom, as a European, always told me while I was in that phase of insisting on awkwardly wearing shorts from the juniors' section that shorts were a "silly American thing." Only when I got a bit older and wiser did I really appreciate that advice! So wear a skirt and call yourself Euro-chic!

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  11. Meghan14 June 2011 at 16:06

    I also have a deep hatred of shorts, but LOVE summer. Just posted a summer list too!

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  12. Claire16 June 2011 at 20:14

    Yay for Lauren!! (she is my bestest friend, shes pretty rad huh? and your blog looks lovely, thanks for featuring her!) Mother effing genius. no more shorts. I havent worn shorts since I was forced to take a golf lesson by my grandmother when I was 13. I have now officially not worn shorts for more than half my life. huzzah!
    -Claire

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  13. soleil24 June 2011 at 06:17

    I too am pasty white and abhor shorts. I haven't worn them in years. I only wear skirts or dresses or jeans in the summer. But never shorts.

    ReplyDelete

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