1) Graphic design. [see: ffffound.com]
1a) Especially wedding-related graphic design. (Part of my broader wedding obsession.)
1b) Typography.
[Hnnggngnghrhghghggh LOOK AT IT. Semilia, via designworklife.com]
2) Fashion.
3) Names. NAMES!
I want to muse about 3, and also bring in a smattering of 1a. Most of the sites that discuss names have a baby naming focus, which I sometimes feel slightly self-conscious about. I own a book called the Baby Name Wizard, but I'm not in a hurry to pump any kids out in the next half-decade or more. The thing is, most people only have occasion to give names much in-depth thought when they have a freshly birthed child - or one still ripening in the baby cave - who really needs one (by societal demand, it's generally not considered okay to refer to your infant as "the baby" or "that dude" exclusively for any appreciable length of time). So, the outcome of this is that naming trends are discussed with very close ties to babies and the world of child rearing. Of course, there are other occasions on which a person might give names a lot of consideration - when naming a character in your novel, or creating a roleplaying persona, or researching your family's geneaology - but I think it's safe to say that most of these other instances apply mostly to giant nerds. [As a name nerd, I have named more of my material possessions than I think is typical: my laptop, both automobiles I've owned, several pieces of wall art, a ceramic owl figurine, a non-ceramic owl figurine, and a smattering of other objects.]
In a sort of related way, I can almost make the claim that graphic design, decorating style, fashion elements, and photogenic food are all tied together most frequently in the world of wedding planning. But, in actuality, the internet and Martha Stewart have generated shit-tons of blogs dedicated to Pretty Things all converging together for other purposes, like baby showers and whale releasing parties. The reality is that I just like weddings. I like sentimental speeches and emotional convergences of entire lives, and I especially like fancy shoes and party dresses (and parties).
3) Names. NAMES!
I want to muse about 3, and also bring in a smattering of 1a. Most of the sites that discuss names have a baby naming focus, which I sometimes feel slightly self-conscious about. I own a book called the Baby Name Wizard, but I'm not in a hurry to pump any kids out in the next half-decade or more. The thing is, most people only have occasion to give names much in-depth thought when they have a freshly birthed child - or one still ripening in the baby cave - who really needs one (by societal demand, it's generally not considered okay to refer to your infant as "the baby" or "that dude" exclusively for any appreciable length of time). So, the outcome of this is that naming trends are discussed with very close ties to babies and the world of child rearing. Of course, there are other occasions on which a person might give names a lot of consideration - when naming a character in your novel, or creating a roleplaying persona, or researching your family's geneaology - but I think it's safe to say that most of these other instances apply mostly to giant nerds. [As a name nerd, I have named more of my material possessions than I think is typical: my laptop, both automobiles I've owned, several pieces of wall art, a ceramic owl figurine, a non-ceramic owl figurine, and a smattering of other objects.]
In a sort of related way, I can almost make the claim that graphic design, decorating style, fashion elements, and photogenic food are all tied together most frequently in the world of wedding planning. But, in actuality, the internet and Martha Stewart have generated shit-tons of blogs dedicated to Pretty Things all converging together for other purposes, like baby showers and whale releasing parties. The reality is that I just like weddings. I like sentimental speeches and emotional convergences of entire lives, and I especially like fancy shoes and party dresses (and parties).
So, while I can do a lot of hand-waving and back myself up as a non-child-wanter who just really likes musing on the comparative popularities of Zenith and Charles, I got no excuse for the wedding obsession. I want one, some day. The fact that I have designed several different versions of theoretical wedding invitations in the past few years is only partially excused by my love of graphic design and fonts. The only thing I solidly have going for my defense here is that I ain't in it for the fancy show without any care for the meaning and the marriage to follow. I relish the glitz and the energy of weddings, but I am powerfully moved by the commitment of marriage. I ain't in a hurry to make either of these things happen in my life just yet, though, so for the meantime I just get real excited about being a wedding guest, especially when there's a lot of joy in the celebration. And when there's booze.
