the whirlwind
I'm home from Chicago where I was flown to attend two parties.
Isn’t that a lovely thing? One kind person flew me out and Poppy put me up – she has other digs near the city (there was a devastating fire at her apartment) and I was made to feel at home with her family.
What did we do in Chicago?
A lot.
I arrived at noon on Friday and Poppy whisked me off for lunch and a manicure (a very stylish putty gray, thank you).
We just about had time to browse around her tony town and dump my bags before it was time to consider our 80’s ensembles.
Poppy dressed as she did in the 80’s – working-girl skirt, white shirt with the collar up, black sweater and heels.
I went with the Annie Hall as it was more comfortable and funnier. (Most people didn’t get it but I didn’t mind.)
There were some pretty fabulous outfits, I have to tell you, but Angie took the, uh, cake.
It was Angie’s birthday, you see, and she went all out.
She bought a wedding dress and then Project Runway-ed it by ripping the bottom of it, refashioning the train and tearing out all the illusion near the neckline. She out Madonna-ed Madonna. She made a boy-toy belt, she made her hair crazy tousled and piled on the crosses and bracelets, and she greeted each of the guests at the door of Jen’s house.
Wendy and Carol were sorority sisters with headbands and sister sweaters.
Fletch was Maverick.
Jen was her preppy self.
There was a Miami Vice guy and a couple of punks and some other Madonnas but I think my favorite was the Robert Palmer girl! The ONLY thing holding me back from doing that costume was the guitar, and, without the guitar, the joke is not as well done. (And there is no way I would bring a guitar on the plane!)
Back to Poppy’s we went, late that night and slept in, just a little.
We re-grouped, Poppy and me and Wendy and Angie and Carol at Jen’s, where they were staying. Jen hosted some snacks and lovely pink hair-of-the-dog beverages and we headed out to meet the other Chicago Jen at Anthropologie for some afternoon shopping and then Jen D. acted as a human GPS and lead us, by bicycle, with the rest of us in the van, to a quirky thrift shop. (I have pictures of this too....)
We didn’t have much time to spend there, however, as we were all due at a chic Mediterranean restaurant for Angie’s birthday dinner. (With a trip back to Poppy’s in between to freshen up and change and arrange for dinner for her neglected children.)
The dinner was great fun: good food, fun company, fabulous wait-staff and lots of laughs.
After that? Back to Jen’s for a dramatic reading of a chapter from her new book, which I’ll give you a sneak preview of: I! ME! BLACKBIRD! figure prominently in Chapter 2 (along with my blog buddies).
I would encourage you to order this book immediately as the short excerpt I was privy to on Saturday night had me in spasms of laughter.
That's all for now, my friends! I am very busy watching the Ice Dancing! And I luff it!
I have to find time to post about the costumes! I must.
More later...
Isn’t that a lovely thing? One kind person flew me out and Poppy put me up – she has other digs near the city (there was a devastating fire at her apartment) and I was made to feel at home with her family.
What did we do in Chicago?
A lot.
I arrived at noon on Friday and Poppy whisked me off for lunch and a manicure (a very stylish putty gray, thank you).
We just about had time to browse around her tony town and dump my bags before it was time to consider our 80’s ensembles.
Poppy dressed as she did in the 80’s – working-girl skirt, white shirt with the collar up, black sweater and heels.
I went with the Annie Hall as it was more comfortable and funnier. (Most people didn’t get it but I didn’t mind.)
There were some pretty fabulous outfits, I have to tell you, but Angie took the, uh, cake.
It was Angie’s birthday, you see, and she went all out.
She bought a wedding dress and then Project Runway-ed it by ripping the bottom of it, refashioning the train and tearing out all the illusion near the neckline. She out Madonna-ed Madonna. She made a boy-toy belt, she made her hair crazy tousled and piled on the crosses and bracelets, and she greeted each of the guests at the door of Jen’s house.
Wendy and Carol were sorority sisters with headbands and sister sweaters.
Fletch was Maverick.
Jen was her preppy self.
There was a Miami Vice guy and a couple of punks and some other Madonnas but I think my favorite was the Robert Palmer girl! The ONLY thing holding me back from doing that costume was the guitar, and, without the guitar, the joke is not as well done. (And there is no way I would bring a guitar on the plane!)
Back to Poppy’s we went, late that night and slept in, just a little.
We re-grouped, Poppy and me and Wendy and Angie and Carol at Jen’s, where they were staying. Jen hosted some snacks and lovely pink hair-of-the-dog beverages and we headed out to meet the other Chicago Jen at Anthropologie for some afternoon shopping and then Jen D. acted as a human GPS and lead us, by bicycle, with the rest of us in the van, to a quirky thrift shop. (I have pictures of this too....)
We didn’t have much time to spend there, however, as we were all due at a chic Mediterranean restaurant for Angie’s birthday dinner. (With a trip back to Poppy’s in between to freshen up and change and arrange for dinner for her neglected children.)
The dinner was great fun: good food, fun company, fabulous wait-staff and lots of laughs.
After that? Back to Jen’s for a dramatic reading of a chapter from her new book, which I’ll give you a sneak preview of: I! ME! BLACKBIRD! figure prominently in Chapter 2 (along with my blog buddies).
I would encourage you to order this book immediately as the short excerpt I was privy to on Saturday night had me in spasms of laughter.
That's all for now, my friends! I am very busy watching the Ice Dancing! And I luff it!
I have to find time to post about the costumes! I must.
More later...
Comments
Sounds like such a fun girlfriend weekend.
I can't wait for your commentary on the Aborigine costumes.
Paola
Oh, and jealous. A lot.
Totally worth it for a weekend celebrating 40 years of Susie Sunshine with friends.
Sounds like a really lovely weekend. The good deed was rewarded with good times.
jbhat