All Photography is by Shari and Mike. For a complete list of vendors/credits, scroll to the bottom of this post. This is a continuation of my post about our rehearsal dinner.
I truly thought it’d feel like Christmas morning on August 15th, but I woke up to a text that the beautifying team had arrived and everything felt rather ordinary (not that I normally have a hair stylist and makeup artist greet me in the morning). Adam stirred a little and we smiled at each other and declared that we were getting married that day, as if neither of us had realized. I made my way to the main house, a steady stream of light raindrops creating a serene soundtrack for those rolling green valley views. There was a perfect sense of calm in the house that remained there for the entire morning. It felt like we had forever to get ready, so I tried to savour every moment. We drank coffee and laughed in our matching floral robes. We listened to 90’s pop/rock and everyone else in the house made cameo appearances to check in on our progress. We had all the time in the world until, of course, we didn’t. Suddenly the photographer and videographer were there and it was time to get into the dress, and then it was game on.
I’ve only known Megan Willams a short while, but I had a hunch that Patisserie Fur Elise would be the perfect location for our interview, as she shares my affinity for high tea in the girliest of settings. Tucked away on Hamilton Street in downtown Vancouver, I opened the front door of the quaint patisserie and climbed the stairs to an almost empty room. There sat Megan by the window in an oversized chair that only emphasized her petite figure. Her cream blouse with pearl collar detailing, grey fur vest, and perfectly executed bun solidified my choice in venue and matched her calm, but at times playful demeanor. She greeted me with a smile and a hug, and we sat down to order tea. There on the table was the first (and at the time, only) published copy of Our Interrupted Fairy Tale. I squealed in excitement and reached across the table to preview this much anticipated book. Flicking past the first few pages, I landed on her dedication and felt an immediate wave of emotion. Just knowing bits of Megan and Chad’s journey together is enough for me to know the joy and pain this great love brought to them both. Fighting back a few tears, I carefully closed the book and declared that I’d read my own copy later on and that she should probably throw in a pack of tissues with every purchase.
You see, Chad and Megan met many moons ago, when she was just 16. And only a few days later, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer of the blood. Now sitting across from me, at 29 years old, Megan has been through more love and heartache than most adults I know. And luckily for us, she’s now sharing that story in Our Interrupted Fairy Tale.
When our finger foods arrived, we started talking more about the book and the writing process itself. We caught up on recent life events and swapped old relationship stories. We laughed and reminisced over macarons and cucumber sandwiches. Here is my interview with new author, Megan Williams.
You and Chad have such a special story and I’m so glad you’re allowing us a glimpse into your journey together. What compelled you to share it with us now?
Four years ago, I was cleaning out one of our closets, and in the bottom of a bag filled with old household manuals, I found one of Chad’s journals from when he was first diagnosed with cancer, nine years earlier. I flipped through to the end. On the last page of his diary, he left one simple instruction:
Publish this when the time is right.
So that’s what I’ve done. Combining his diary entries with mine, love letters and blog entries, the story of “us” has been published.
I just can’t even imagine that. It reminds me a little bit of that P.S. I Love You movie, finding a note from Chad after he’d left. What was it like, having to revisit that time in your life? A lengthy and exhausting process, I’m sure.
It was lengthy and sometimes exhausting – but I imagine that’s not a unique feeling to anyone writing a book. However, as I recounted our life together, I felt like we were dating all over again. It was very enjoyable and very emotional all at the same time.
I think many of us would hesitate to divulge information about our romantic relationships. Since it’s such a personal tale, were there any bits you were reluctant to share?
OH YA. And I shared them anyway – because it’s a true story, a real relationship and blurring out intimate details discredits that I think.
BUT it does not mean that I don’t feel weird that my Mom read our first sleep-over-date details disclosed in the first draft. Yikes.
Was there any piece of advice you received that helped you get through it?
Serendipitously, a few months after finding Chad’s diary, I sat beside a bestselling author on a bus from New York to DC. His advice for me was to write 1,000 words a day until it’s done. So I did. And in 6 months, my first draft was done. (Though that also meant Friday night on a long weekend choosing my laptop and hoodie over cocktails and a little black dress).
I had to pause our interview and excuse myself for a washroom break (all that tea, ya know?) and came back to find the woman who was sitting at a table behind us (obviously overhearing our entire conversation) asking Megan all about Our Interrupted Fairy Tale. “…So when does the book, come out?” the woman asked, “and what is it called again? I’m going to write it down,” she added. I gave Megan a look of excitement that she shared, as she gracefully answered her questions. “All the best of luck,” the woman said she left, “I can’t wait to read it!”
And when you needed a break from writing altogether, what was your go-to way to relax and escape?
Umm…in no particular order? Running with girlfriends, champagne, weekends in Whistler, Downton Abbey, champagne, and playing tennis with my Dad.
Haha I hear ya. Thanks goodness for champagne! And finally, just because I think it would be an Oscar winner, who would play you in the movie adaption of Our Interrupted Fairytale?
Great question. Original casting idea? Rachel McAdams, because I think we’d be good friends in real life. Then someone suggested Jennifer Lawrence – and I could totally get on board with that.
Our Interrupted Fairy Tale is available for purchase on Amazon on February 11th, 2014. You can pre-order a signed copy here, which is highly suggested for Canadians to save on shipping!
We’d also love to give you the chance to WIN an advanced, signed copy of Our Interrupted Fairytale. See below for details – good luck!
*Following Her Dreams is a new feature on aliciafashionista.com. I spend so much of my time meeting new people with the most amazing stories, fascinating careers, and inspiring attitudes. It’s about time you met these women as well! Please let me know what you think and if you have anyone in mind that would be great for this feature, please let me know aliciafashionista@gmail.com. As always, thanks for reading xx
September 22nd was just like any other day. In fact, it was actually less exciting than all of the Sundays we have endured in the last few months. The first weekend of Vancouver rain, we lazed around and just relaxed – heck, we even napped for an hour! There wasn’t a single tense moment or hint of nervousness at all. Which is why, as we were walking out the door to go to my parent’s house for dinner, something felt slightly off. It started with the look of panic in Adam’s eyes as he stood there in a nice button up and his best shoes, dangling his car keys. I glanced back at my own reflection to see an old sweatshirt and jeans, with tattered runners. We WERE just going to my parent’s for a Sunday dinner after all. But there was something about this moment that hit me like a ton of bricks. It was potentially happening.
I immediately felt a wave of nausea at the possibility that this was all a setup for something a lot bigger than a family dinner. I awkwardly declared that I wanted to change into something nicer and Adam agreed in a sincerely relieved kind of way. I stood in the bedroom staring at my closet, thinking, “What on earth does one wear to their own proposal?” I settled on a floral skirt and navy blouse, frantically filed my nails, grabbed my camera, and emerged once again from the bedroom, this time ready to face one of the biggest nights of my life thus far.
I have a sparkly new accessory to wear as of last night. We’re so excited/overwhelmed/grateful for your support and words of congratulations. Thank you so much for the love. Can’t wait to tell you all about it! xoxo
I was never that kid who hunted around for the house wanting a peek at Christmas presents before the big day. Despite my control freak tendencies, I like the anticipation of opening and unwrapping a gift and being completely surprised! This is why I freaked out last week while I was frantically tearing our bedroom apart in search of something to wear. I was determined to find and borrow a men’s plaid shirt to layer under a sweater. Adam’s closet had no such thing, and so, I resorted to the drawers. I opened the bottom drawer first in some sort of twisted logic and there, staring back at me was a ball of navy blue silk fabric with orange polka dots. I knew what it was a blouse pour moi and slammed the drawer shut. Adam had told me that he’d gone shopping for me in London and I felt so guilty that I’d seen the purchase. I changed my outfit plans and pretended like nothing happened.
As an admittedly bad liar, I was sure to practise my “OMG I loooove it!” reaction for the day of my birthday. The day of, I was doing some work in my p.j.’s on the couch when Adam told me to close my eyes because it was time to open my gifts. When I was allowed to open my eyes again, he had his arm extended out with a card. I opened it, and closed it immediately as I was too emotional, “I’ll read this later,” I told him. He then handed me part one of the gift, which was a pair of coasters. They’re an adorable his and hers set and really thoughtful, since I hate our current coasters and bash them on a daily basis. He then reached to grab part two of the gift, which I immediately prepared myself for. Sure enough, there were those familiar polka dots and I did my best ooh-ing and ahh-ing act. He seemed to buy it and just when I was about to get up and go try it on, he stopped me for an unexpected third gift. Tucked behind him, I caught a glimpse of a very distinct shade of blue. It couldn’t be…could it?
I’ve never received anything so extravagant I thought that the “big” gift this year was a silk blouse from England. I mean, we’d started off with coasters, people! That’s not exactly a warm up for Tiffany’s. Adam had barely even shown me the box and I began to cry. I was upset that he’d done something so kind, and that I was wearing pajamas. “I would have gotten dressed first if I’d known,” I told him, “It just doesn’t feel right opening Tiffany & Co. in my pajamas.” It was a good 5 minutes before I even opened the box (well, I HAD to instagram a photo of the box before opening), which contained a beautiful pair of Silver Elsa Peretti Colour By The Yard earrings. Turns out he’d purchased more than one item for me on his travels across the pond!
My very first Tiffany’s!
Thank you so much Adam, I feel so undeserving and absolutely spoiled!
P.S. I forgot to tell you that Adam saw right through my “acting” and asked me afterwards if I’d known about any of my gifts. I didn’t even try to cover it up, had to confess that I’d accidentally seen the blouse. He said he knew it based on my reaction. Might have to ask Santa for some acting lessons this year…
the first time i ventured to new york city, was in the summer of 2005. it was a confusing time in my life, as there were some tough decisions to be made when it came to school, relationships, and growing up in general. playing on my discman was the brand new coldplay x and y album, and most importantly the song fix you. as our red eye flight approached jfk, the lyrics “lights will guide you home” played and before even landing in nyc, i had already fallen in love. it had been a long dream of mine to visit manhattan and when we woke up the next morning to see it in the daylight, i was so thrilled that i threw up. just like an excited puppy would.
two years later, i found myself on the last day of our second family vacation to new york city. and though i was two years older and wiser, i was once again in nyc to do a little soul searching (or perhaps i’m just a drama queen. nah, boys are just the worst). i call this particular day the best day ever in nyc. and though it might not sound that special to you, it’s a day that i often think of and smile.
i spent the best day ever in nyc alone, which was a rarity on a family trip with 19 others (how do the duggars do it?). it was not to be wasted, and i was on a very specific mission; i was to act only as new yorkers do for the entire day while on a quest to find the spot where sally drops off harry at the beginning of when harry met sally. my favourite movie and my favourite city. with the sun shining and coldplay on my ipod shuffle for nostalgia, i set off.
my observations led me to walk as fast as i could like i was in a big hurry to something super duper important. this was both fun and great exercise. i also stood on the closest possible edge of the sidewalk or on the street itself when waiting for a moment to cross. and of course, i took the subway with ease to my memorized directions to washington square park (a real new yorker wouldn’t carry a map with them). i even pretended to check my phone at times, though international roaming made it impossible to actually use.
i was asked for directions 3 separate times by tourists on the way to the park. twice on the subway platform and once while walking. “people actually think that I’M a new yorker”, i thought and i was even able to correctly answer their questions. found my own way to washington square park and sat to read a magazine and people watch. i then made my way over to the washington arch, snapped the above picture, and then stood in awe for a good 10 minutes. felt an indescribable sense of happiness that i’d set off on a journey, though such a small one, and completed it. nothing could ruin my mood.
took my time wandering around the city, getting lost in its beauty. stopped in a coffee shop to rest my feet, shopped in any decent looking boutiques. snapped a few more city pictures, with my favourite songs still playing in my ears. and just when i thought this simple nyc day couldn’t get ANY better, i heard someone yelling through my head phones.
“hey, you! hey, girl with the sunglasses, slow down!” they were yelling at me. thinking i’d maybe dropped something or worse, that i had toilet paper stuck to my sandal or something, i stopped in my tracks and took my ear phones out. i swivelled around to find myself face to face with an incredibly handsome man in a suit. “i’m sorry,” he said, “but i was having lunch with my co-workers and saw you walking past. i just had to come talk to you.”
was this a joke? this kind of thing NEVER happens to me, and certainly not in vancouver. i stood frozen, unable to say anything at all in return. “i just ran this whole block to catch up to you, you sure do walk fast,” he said, breaking the silence. after explaining that i was from out of town, and him admitting that he was actually from new jersey (pffft) i believe we even exchanged numbers despite the fact that i was seeing someone back home. for all his flattery, the least i could do was give him my phone number, right?
we never saw each other again and to be honest, i don’t even remember his name. but in a moment of time when i desperately needed something good to happen, new york pulled through for me. it was then that i realized that i’m a city girl. not because some stranger hit on me (but really, i wouldn’t complain if it happened often lol), but because before this day, i would have never gone to a coffee shop, eaten lunch, or wandered around downtown alone. i wouldn’t have dreamed of having an adventure myself. the best day ever in nyc opened up my eyes to a world of possibility.
i moved to vancouver soon after and i’m still with that guy i was seeing. if you happen to still be reading, i’m so excited to announce that in exactly a week, we’re headed to new york city for a much needed vacation together!!! but we need your help. we’re looking for your expert new york recommendations, for anything from restaurants, shopping, sight seeing, must-visit neighbourhoods, cool things to-do etc. your suggestions are much appreciated, thank you lovelies!
{cannot at all take credit for this image idea! originally saw it here}
on april 25th, 2007, i called my friend andrea in a panic. what on earth was i to wear on a first date? i honestly couldn’t remember the last time a guy had actually taken me on a real date. in fact, it was shocking that this guy i’d met the friday before had called at all. most guys waited three days and then sent a text, as if that’s supposed to make us girls swoon. it was decided that i’d play it safe with a cute top, jeans, and flat black boots since i was unsure as to what he had planned.
driving there, i was trying to remember what he looked like. it had been dark in the bar on the weekend, what if he wasn’t as cute as i remembered? what if we have nothing to talk about? my mind was racing with questions and what ifs as i pulled onto his street. easy enough to find, just off commercial drive. although the fact that i had to drive there because he didn’t have a car was secretly strike one.
in typical vancouver fashion, it was raining which had only complicated the outfit dilemma. i texted him that i was walking towards his place and he offered to meet me outside. i relaxed a little as i walked toward him because he was better looking than i’d thought. and based on the huge smile on his face, he felt the same sense of relief. we had an uncomfortable “hello i don’t really know you” hug and headed into his place.
the actual date itself was a bit of a disaster. after only a few minutes, it became painfully clear that he had no plans for our evening at all. he’d tried to get the hockey game on his old tv by moving the antenna around (seriously, who’s tv is so old that they can’t even get a clear channel 3?) and when that failed, he decided we should go walk along commercial to try and find a restaurant showing the game. why our first date was based around a sporting game, i do not know?! still, i was under the impression that he knew his neighbourhood and would take us to his usual hang out or a nice place he’d heard of. instead, we ducked into the first place that had a tv and the canucks on, which also happened to be an italian cafe. so, apparently dinner was out.
this place was something right out of the sopranos. in fact someone was actually shot there the week after. we got coffees and talked…a lot. apparently i blabbed away during the entire game! after a discussion about our favourite movies, we headed to the local video store and rented his fav, the usual suspects. of course, he’d also never been to this video store and had to create an account. at which time the guy asked if i’d like to be added to the account as well. and with a panicked look on his face, he practically yelled “no, no no” back (this is even funnier to me now). half way through the movie i was so uncomfortable from hunger pains. in fear of tummy grumbles and embarrassment, i blurted out that i was reallyyyy sorry but i was so hungry that i should probably leave and go get food. he insisted that he could make us something, so we had a 9 pm bagel with cream cheese. true romance, people!
we finished the movie and said our goodbyes. the awkwardness was starting to wear off and despite the fact that he had bombed the first date activities, i wanted to give him a second chance. and i’m sure glad i did, he plans a mean date nowadays!
if you’d also like to read about how we met, i blogged that story once upon a time too!
i am suffering from a serious case of blog neglect. file this one under pathetic love struck female, but i seemed to lose my desire to blog when adam left town. i almost felt like taking a mini blog vacation while he was on vacation in spain with his brothers. since he is my main outfit photographer, i also didn’t have many other options for pictures. tripods and i are not very well acquainted. instead, i packed the last two weeks full of time with family and friends and left my camera at home. there was lots of shopping involved, coffee dates, sangria, and crazy long phone conversations.
not to worry though, i am well rested and adam is back after two long weeks away. i’m in the process of convincing him to do a guest post on this blog with some photos and stories from spain. he has some great pics, he sure has learned his way with a camera! i also have some outfit posts coming up and a weeklong fashion feature next week (let’s keep that a surprise).
hope you all had a great week and check back tomorrow for a new outfit post xo
Since I’ve spent the last four days moving all of my belongings from one apartment to another, my life is what some may call disorganized. I can’t find any jewellery and I still have a huge basket full of laundry, so putting an outfit together for this post was quite the task. I work well under pressure though, and was determined to dress up and feature my new olive trench coat. It’s so beautiful, everything a trench should be and more!
April 25th marks the 4 year anniversary of mine and Adam’s very first date! Since he surprised me with tickets to Cavalia last week, I decided to treat him to a delicious meal at Nicli Antica Pizzeria this evening. If you haven’t been to Nicli Antica on East Cordova, I suggest you get your little buns over there asap! This was my second dining experience at Nicli Antica Pizzeria and they once again exceeded my expectations. They do not take reservations, so expect a wait or an opportunity to stand and drink at the bar. Their perfectly executed cocktails or vast selection of wine is sure to keep you occupied! I recommend their ‘Bianca’ pizza for dinner, though all of their authentic Italian pizzas are worth a try. I will also brag on their behalf, that they make the best tiramisu that I have ever had! If good dessert isn’t a reason to go back to a restaurant, then I don’t know what is? Whether it’s for a date or a friendly get together, I HIGHLY recommend Nicli Antica Pizzeria for lunch or dinner. I promise you will love it! (and no this was not sponsored…it’s just that good).
