A review of Victoria's Secret's new IPEX bra:

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I just want to make it special, and I don't feel like I'm doing a very good job.

vw, it is special, because she's going to be with you. My favorite birthday was one where I didn't get a single present, but my broke and wonderful college friends came over and we ate things that weren't good for us and drank cheap beer. We were all together, without outside pressures. J will appreciate you not making a fuss.

Think about what makes it more special, vw, an immaculate apartment or a sense of closeness and comfort? The more relaxed you are, the more fun she'll have.

There is an old saying about hostessing I try to live by-- "Never complain, never explain." Complaining about things going wrong just makes guests have to praise them and explaining makes them have to excuse them, and really, it doesn't matter. I still sometimes repeat "never complain, never explain" to myself as we are waiting for guests and there are dogbones on the floor or the desk is covered with papers. Just be there in the moment, ready to love and enjoy the other person, and that's what they'll remember.

"never complain, never explain"

However? If the entree exploded or something, if you can get over the shock and make it funny, it will endear you to your guests far more than just letting them deal with your wide-eyed expression of suppressed horror. Not that I would know anything about that...

vw, what everyone else said. It will be special because you are special.

Aimée, what's a manageable price range for you? I know one professional historical costumer and a boatload of extremely competent amateurs in Southern California, and I could ping one of them to ask what a custom job would be. I had this Victorian underbust made for me for about $120 by a dressmaker acquaintance who was very skilled but had only made two corsets before in her life and wanted the practice.

Yeah, sometimes you gotta give the lowdown, but I'm talking more about the "Sorry about the messy pile of work on the desk, I meant to get it cleared off but I got a call so I..." kind of thing.

I still really NEED this mantra, by the way. I threw on a black velvet shirt when we had people over this weekend and realized it was covered in lint. I mentioned that I was sorry about this and one good friend grabbed me be the shoulders and said "You know what? No one cares."

Aimée, what's a manageable price range for you? I know one professional historical costumer and a boatload of extremely competent amateurs in Southern California, and I could ping one of them to ask what a custom job would be. I had this Victorian underbust made for me for about $120 by a dressmaker acquaintance who was very skilled but had only made two corsets before in her life and wanted the practice.

Right now for the F2F, like $40. That's what I'm mainly looking for right now. After that, I'll figure out where I want to get my custom one. And upon thinking about it, I'd like to lose a little more weight before plunking down a buttload of money on a custom corset.

There is an old saying about hostessing I try to live by-- "Never complain, never explain."

I like this a lot. I'll have to remember that. The one my mom always used to say was, "The dust will always be here; my kids won't." I can't use that one...and I guess I use it a bit to beat myself with. I feel like, I don't have a family to take care of...why can't I keep up on this stuff? But, on the other hand, I do what I can. That's really all I can do right now. And today I've gone to three classes, written and revised a paper, read three chapters in a book for one of my classes, ran errands, paid bills and did a sink full of dishes (didn't finish them....oh, well...). That's pretty good for me.

and I just feel like a totally and completely inadequate friend.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

VW wrote that, right? Oh, my.

HAHAHAHHAHA!

Dude you and "inadequate friend" do not even belong in the same sentence, paragraph, or gigantic tome.

Chill at home, and maybe walk to Burdicks together later if it stays a semi-decent night.

I'll tell you, some of my favorite nights when I'm emotionally drained (and I am sure J. is) are going over to my friend D.'s HUGELY messy house, sinking into the couch, watching TV, barely talking, and smoking butts, drinking beer, and eating pizza. I'm just saying. If you're with friends, it really doesn't matter.

muttering vw an inadequate friend... STILL FUNNY.

I'm right there with you. (I worked at Six Flags Great America.)

Get out! I worked at Marriott's Great America.