Author Archives: Jenna

Girls 'n' Gowns Roadtrip

This weekend, it’s all about girls and gowns.

My friend Carrie and I are trekking down to Kentucky, where we will promptly demand our Regency ball gowns from my industrious seamstress of a sister, the Blonderrificus Totalus: Erica.

Okay, so we won’t ‘demand’ them–that doesn’t sound very nice. Instead, we will ply her with food and bribe her with drink and cater to her every need, because our beauty is in her hands. Will she flatter my bosom, or make it disappear like it tends to do? She wields power, though she may not know it.

Please click here to review the glory of these Jane Austen-style gowns. Here’s a sneak peak of a picture shamelessly stolen from Erica’s blog.

I like the blue sash the best, and the word ‘bum pad’ cracks me up so much that I think I must have one.

It will be a weekend of fittings, sewing, and trying to throw together some semblance of an outfit for my sweet spouse who probably doesn’t even know how he ever got conned into going to a Regency Ball in the first place.

A Regency what? Wait, when? Wait, I have to wear what?

It’s called a cravat, and it’s nothing to be frightened of, sweetie.

Yep. Gentlemen, take note on the unexpected sacrifices of marriage.

So this weekend: there will be delicious food. There will probably be massive amounts of popcorn. Possibly girly activities such as toenail painting. I may even bring myself to shed/shave/rip the hair from my winter legs. Think: grizzly bear after months of hibernation. I must do something about this if I ever hope to wear a skirt again.

And I can’t wait for the car ride with Carrie. There’s something about a long car ride with a girlfriend that invites confidences. Long, pleasant silences. Snacking, music, and emotional revelations are bound to take place.

So that’s where I’ll be. What are you all doing? And for the girls: when do you get your girl time in? I never seem to get enough of it.

How not to take a cool band picture

Hi friends!

So you know how I’m back-up vocals girl for my singer-songwriter friend Carrie?

Well last week she was interviewed by the RedEye–for those of you who aren’t in Chicago, it’s a free daily newspaper published by the Chicago Tribune. It’s more pop-culture oriented than a regular newspaper, and full of eye-grabbing pictures.

In order to supply a photo to the RedEye, after our last gig at CityGrounds we enlisted the help of my friend Sarah to take some band pictures. “Here Sarah, just press this button here,” I said, handing her my camera.

First, we thought we would just kind of sit and smile.

This picture says “We’re nice people, we really are.” And “We’re about to sing Kumbaya.”

NOT a cool band picture. Nope.

“Let’s smile, but not too hard,” I suggested helpfully.

Please take it away, Milfred. I don’t want to look at it anymore.

After a handful of pictures like this were taken, we started despairing. Why can’t we look cool?

“Try looking angry,” someone suggested.

Um . . . okay. That didn’t really work either.

“Let’s take a self-portrait!” I exclaimed, sure that this inspiration would provide the cool band picture we were looking for.

Nope.

Plus, the tendons and wrinkles on my neck were starting to look a tad monstrous. And do my teeth look slightly rabbity to anyone else?

As the uncool factor in the room reached epic proportions, we began to crack up.

Oooh, we were starting to get warmer.

“Cool” was just around the corner.

Loosened up by laughter, we started goofing off with a pink ribbon and a top hat.

Things finally started working.

Now it just became a matter of: color or black and white?

I tend to think black and white lends a classy timelesness. But what do you all think?

So lessons learned: when taking a band picture, don’t smile and look nice. Don’t try too hard. Do have fun props to play with. Do loosen things up with some laughter. Do enlist a friend who is willing to take a million shots.

Thanks Sarah for some awesome pictures, and for being patient with us when it seemed like there was no hope!

Unfortunately, there was a deadline for submitting these pictures that we weren’t told about until right before it hit. We missed the deadline by about 30 minutes, and the RedEye online article ended up using a slightly less flattering picture (with no Eric in sight) from a live performance. Carrie is looking soulful and musical, which is great–just try not to look at my mug for too long, for the love of mercy.

In conclusion, if you’re in Chicago, join us at our next CityGrounds gig on Saturday April 9th. They have a fruit tart that I can’t wait to dig my fork into again.

Oh, and the music should be pretty great as well.

Over and out!