Vegas, Baby!

Hey There!

It's been a while, but, by golly, I promised to provide updates on my trip to Vegas and, by golly, that's what I'm going to do!  Apparently living in a hotel warrants lots of free time (hence my exorbitant increase in facebook postings and comments) - so there's no excuse for my lack of blogging about Vegas =)  Here we go.

Why were you in Vegas, exactly?
Ah, yes.  In case you don't have the activities of my life memorized (why would you?) you may not remember this.  Our sweet friends from college, Ben and Michele, got married in Vegas at the gorgeous JW Marriott off Rampart Boulevard.  It's about 20 minutes from the Vegas Strip, but this hotel was like a tiny town - it was BEA-U-TI-FUL.

A little history =)
Ben is one of Marc's fraternity brothers...and we're basically the reason this couple got married (haha okay, not really).  But for serious - we are pretty much obsessed with this couple and we were so thankful to be able to celebrate their wedding with them.

Ben and Michele were our token "hotel roomies" during every beach weekend/formal/semi-formal event the fraternity had during the last few years of college.  We actually were roomies when Ben and Michele FIRST started thinking they may be a couple.

And now they're all grown up and tying the knot =)  Ahhhh...SO happy for them!!

Alrighty - time for the play by play.  Thursday night:
Marc and I had an evening flight to Vegas on Thursday.  NOT ONLY did we get bumped up to first class on the way there (what what!) but Marc surpised me with car service from the airport to the hotel.  We may sound like high rollers, but it was actually, like, $15 cheaper to get car service rather than take the hotel shuttle!  So don't think we're ballers...we're actually just really cheap.

Free drinks - a must when preparing for Vegas!  And Marc decided to get some work done on the plane too...lame.

Our driver - he was an ex-Army soldier and HUGE!  And had some great stories for us =)

After we landed, it was straight to the hotel to check-in and meet our buddies.  Marc went straight for the Craps table with some people, while I kept it real by playing Black Jack.


Mmmm...Steak...
Perhaps the highlight of our Thursday night was when me and 2 buddies decided we were hungry...at 4:30am...and wanted some steak.  We went to one of the many 24 hour restaurants in the hotel and ordered rib-eyes - complete with potatoes and eggs (it was part of the breakfast special...??).  It was quite hilarious - and I wasn't hungry again on Friday until like 4pm.  Go figure.

Marc and I both finally called it quits on Thursday night (or should I say Friday morning...) at around 5am.  Went to bed for a few hours...then woke up and started all over again =)

Friday Essentials - Pool, Bloody Mary, Strip:
We woke up on Friday around roughly 10-10:30 (actually quite impressed we woke up that early!) and decided to hit up the hotel pool with our pals.

Breakfast.  Note, there's no food - I was still full from my 4am steak, but goodness, I needed that Bloody Mary!

After getting some "breakfast", we decided to take a dip.  It was at this point that I realized I was the only married girl in the group (there were about 6 girls there total...and like 23 dudes) and I had made the switch from "house girl" to "house mother."

I'm not kidding.  I had a straw hat on, made sure everyone had sunscreen on all those hard to reach places, and provided magazines for everyone to read.  I was their mother.  No joke.  But I enjoyed it =)

Some of the boys - all protected from the sun with SPF 30 =)

The bride to be and some of the boys at the pool!

After completely losing track of time, we realized it was time to get showered and ready for dinner.  And let me tell you - not eating, staying out in the sun all day and losing track of how much you drink definitely makes for an interesting shower =)

We got some people together and decided to head out to the Vegas Strip for dinner.

Our dinner group =)

For dinner, we went to an Italian place called Battista's Hole in the Wall, and if you haven't been, you HAVE to go next time you're in Vegas.  This place is baller - there are no menus, but these billboards on the wall that showcase their food.  All the prices listed include a soup or salad, garlic bread, pasta side, entree, capuccino for dessert and BOTTOMLESS red and white wine!  Yes - bottomless wine.  With this group - it was practically suicide - but it's amazing!  AND they have a sweet old man there who will play the accordion for you =)

We're enjoying the serenading, accordion music =)

After dinner, we walked down the strip, made our stop at the Bellagio for the water show and then started gambling.

Me and Marc in front of the fountains =)

I'm going to be honest here...I'm not sure where we went after the Bellagio.  I just know that we went to a casino, there were girls dancing, there were free drinks, and I was playing Black Jack.  I actually played Black Jack by myself while the rest of the group played Craps.  The funny part is no one knew I was playing Black Jack at the same casino, about 30 feet away, so they sent out a search party for me.  But I was totally content...just playing Black Jack all by myself with the new friends I made at the table.

For those of you who haven't been to Vegas or played table games, it's really a lot of fun.  You literally build a rapport with the people at your table (as long as none of them are lame...that happens sometimes) and sort of create a little family.  You also start creating nick-names for each other and the dealer.  And if you or anyone at the table gets a Black Jack, everyone cheers and encourages each other.  It promotes world peace.  I seriously love Vegas.  That's what was going on at our little table and it was so much fun =) 

Saturday - Game Day/Wedding Day:
So at this point, you know that this whole group went to college together.  Well...to college people, Saturday = GameDay!  Even though the wedding was that afternoon, it didn't change the fact that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were taking on the Virginia Cavaliers for our Homecoming game.  The only thing that changed was that instead of the game starting 1:30pm it was starting at 10:30am due to the timechange.

Awesome...

...not.

I decided I would sleep in so that I wouldn't be grumpy later.  I know myself.

Our group watching the game.

After we won the football game, it was time to get ready for the wedding!  Our friends, Evan and Victoria, another married couple from the fraternity, came over to our hotel room to get ready.  Honestly, this was one of the highlights from the trip.  It was just like old times - Victoria and I were in the bathroom, doing our hair and gossiping about aaaall the single people (we both agreed that we are drama-free now that we're lame and married, so we enjoy hearing the gossip and drama of our single friends), and Evan and Marc were in the bedroom comparing wedding planning stories and talking about sports...or something.

Bummed this is blurry - but a prom-shot of Evan and Victoria =)

Pre-gaming the wedding =)  Don't invite us to your wedding if you're not cool with this...

 After we finished our drinks, it was time for the wedding.  They had a beautiful, outdoor ceremony in the courtyard of the hotel, and it was absolutely amazing.  I cried (this is normal).

The walkway leading up to the ceremony location.

She looked stunning!  Michele, walking down the aisle =)

Standing with the groomsmen - I love everyone in this picture!!!

Vows.

I love this!  They're laughing and high-fiving each other after walking down the aisle as husband and wife =)

I don't really feel like these pictures do the ceremony justice.  It was wonderful - so incredibly beautiful!

After the ceremony - time for cocktail hour!!!  Yay =)  The rest of the evening was pretty typical.  There was a cocktail reception, dinner, dancing, and general merriment.  Here are a few shots of the evening - it was just such a blasty blast, I'll let the pictures do the talking!

Awww cute!  First dance =)

Me and Marc with the happy couple.  WE LOVE THEM!

Marc and our friend, Sajit, breaking it down on the dance floor.

Dancin!

At the end of the night - it's blurry - but I think that symbolizes what I was seeing =)

Conclusion:
That's pretty much it.  We honestly didn't spend a whole lot of time on the strip, but it didn't matter.  Being with friends that you love and celebrating a marriage is what makes it fun!

Part of what was so great about this is that we made this wedding a little vacation for ourselves.  It was so great to just relax (...actually not sure you'd call what we did relaxing, but at least we weren't at work!) and be with people we know and love.  As a result of the weekend, we actually concluded that we should get the whole gang together once a year for a big, group vacation.  A lot of us live in pretty fun locations, so we may be planning more group outings in the future =)

Ben and Michele - we had SO much fun at your wedding!  Thanks for inviting us, and I really hope we didn't offend anyone with our antics =)

Sooo...I'm a tiny moron...

Alrighty - so here's a quick story that will give you a little more insight into the relationship between me and my hubs =)

One thing you should know is that I am OB-SESSED with Michael Jackson.  I've been a fan since I was little (the HIStory album was my first CD ever!) and to this day, one my biggest regrets is that I was never able to see the King of Pop in concert.  Granted, I was way too young to go to an MJ concert during the height of his career, and the last concert he had at Madison Square Gardens was when I was in high school and I'm pretty sure I had a test the next day...and I lived in Georgia...and I didn't have $45k to blow on tickets =)

As I'm sure you can imagine, when we lost the King of Pop last summer, I was absolutely heart-broken (along with my BFF Jill...this is why we're friends).  Like, I seriously mourned the loss of MJ.  I recorded his funeral and cried like a baby when Usher sang "Gone Too Soon" and Brooke Shields told stories about him.

I also danced in high school and on and off through college - so I appreciate all forms of the performing arts.  I love SYTYCD and DWTS...and I'm excited for the new show, SWTS.  Bethenney Frankel will be on it...what what?!

Okay so on the radio this morning, I heard that Cirque Du Soleil has a new show coming out called...

...wait for it...

MICHAEL JACKSON THE IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Coming Soon!  To a city near you!!!

(just tell me that website didn't give you a joy-gasm - I dare you.  MJ joy-gasm all over the place!!!)

AHHHHH!!!  My brain has exploded with excitement!  I.Love.Cirque - I actually think my little brother should audition to be a member of Cirque (he's a gymnastics freak).  I love love love it.  Combine that with the K.O.P???  Heaven.  Pure joy and heaven.

I heard this on the radio on my way into the office, so of course, as soon as I get to work, I don't check my email - no - I google this tour...I MUST find out if they're coming to Denver!

After I find out they're coming to Denver (Friday, January 6th), I immediately email my husband and explain that this would be the greatest Christmas present of all and this is like my dream and the show was made for me and it would be like Jerome Bettis putting on a football camp and him getting to go and they're selling pre-sale tickets now and they're cheaper than normal and it's January 6th so we have to hurry and get tickets because if we don't get tickets RIGHT NOW then this thing WILL sell out!!!!

Breathe.

So Marc, being amazing, calls me and confirms that section XYZ is appropriate because he's buying the tickets right now.  He's awesome.

About 5 minutes after he sends me confirmation that he's made the ticket purchase, I get a g-chat from him...

"dude...check your calendar"

I'm like eh?  I check my calendar.  For some reason, I knew this was in relation to the show, so I'm like, what...is there a conflict with the January 6th date?  Do we already have something planned?  Will we be out of town?  WHAT could I have forgotten that will conflict with this show???

Hmmm...weird - the website CLEARLY says Friday, January 6th...but this year...January 6th is on the Thursday.

Yeah.

The Cirque show is January 6, 2012.

Like I said.  I'm a tiny moron.  But hey...at least I have tickets!

Jerks and Puppies =)

Well well...I definitely knew October would be an exciting month, but I guess I couldn't have predicted all the reasons why!  Items we already had on the docket:
1) A wedding in Vegas
2) My girlfriend, Caroline, coming to visit
3) Moving into our new home

Sounds exciting, right??  I sure thought so!

I already knew I would have a lot to write about, but now all that is taking back seat to the latest influences in the Felice Household...Jerks and Puppies.

Yes - you read correctly.  I have realized there are some seriously huge jerks out there and they  have definitely made an impression on this happy newly-wed couple.  But they also lead to puppies.  Don't see the correlation?  You will, after I explain.

Jerks - I guess some people never out-grow it.
Honestly, since I entered my "mid-to-late" 20's I didn't really think that jerks would affect me anymore.  I mean...I haven't really had to deal with any jerks pretty much since high school (with the exception of your occasional work-jerk).  I figured when you grow up, you either outgrow being a jerk or you are just old enough to avoid them altogether.  Well I was wrong.

Allow me to explain - let's rewind to early September:
Marc and I signed a lease for a super cute, 1930's Craftsman-Bungalow style home, and we were PUMPED about it!  Roughly 2500 square feet and absolutely darling with a cute, traditional fireplace, front porch and fenced in yard...we were in heaven.  Plus it has a man-cave where all of Marc's "Steelers" stuff can go.  The fenced in yard was an especially large plus, since we have been hoping to get a puppy within the year.  Not anytime soon - probably summer 2011 at the earliest - but we were excited none the less.

How cute!  Our new home...soon...

Note the yellow linoleum with blue flowers.  Nothing like a little "charm" - circa 1972 =)

Dining / Living room.  See the adorable fireplace and chandelier?

View from our front yard.  Yep - there's a park and basketball courts and a garden!  Seriously - I love this house!

 

Sure, it came with some "old house" character, like yellow linoleum floors in the kitchen and a pink, seashell-shaped sink in the bathroom, but overall, it was perfect for us.  We could not wait to move in...but only after the house was cleaned and the previous tenant had moved out.

This sounds normal to most people.  Usually when you rent a house, the previous tenant moves out and the house is cleaned before you move in.  In order to keep this story simple, I will just say that this was an incredibly lengthy process.  The person who had lived here before us basically trashed the place...like...hoarder-style.  I'm talking food smeared on the kitchen cabinets and blind cats doing their business wherever they wanted.

It was quite disgusting, but like most things, with a little elbow grease and some patience, the house was finally clean and ready for us.  Marc and I got our keys about a week ago and we were excited to see the house was cleaned, freshly painted, and ready for the Felice's to move in.

Now, let's fast-forward to last weekend:
Marc and I had strategically planned some overlap between new house move-in and apartment move-out.  The plan was for us to move all the small things ourselves and have movers get the furniture.  We'd done this before and found it to be the best process with the least amount of hassle.

So last Saturday, we made amazing strides in the move-out process.  We packed up a lot of miscellaneous stuff on Saturday (books, skis, extra clothes, china, etc.) and put everything in the basement.  The plan was to pack up the kitchen/laundry room on Sunday along with some bathroom stuff.

Sunday:  Jerk-Face Strikes!
I'm not gonna lie...we were both a little hungover from our post-OU/Mizzou game party...so we were in no rush.  I made some breakfast, organized a little and decided to head out for a Target run while Marc watched football (I don't watch the NFL).  When I got back, we were going to start packing the aforementioned items and bring them to the house.

This Target-run was pretty typical.  I had some coupons, browsed some stuff I didn't need, and then just made my necessary purchases.  I wanted to stock the new house with paper-towels and toilet paper.  I also bought a Shark Steamer since most of the new house in hardwoods and I wanted to steam clean my floors...I've been wanting one of these bad boys for a while so I took the opportunity to get one =)


I would have normally gone straight home, but I decided to swing by the new house and just drop everything off.  Thank goodness I did. 

Floods
I opened the front door and immediately panicked.  There was a HUGE puddle of water in the living/dining room and I heard running water.  WTF?!  Did a pipe burst?  I did a quick mental check to see if I remembered turning something on or off in the house before we locked it up the day before.  Couldn't think of anything.  I immediately shut the door and ran around to the back.  I don't know why, I just thought that's where I should go.

That's when I saw it.  Someone, some JERK-FACE, had broken our kitchen window with a garden hose, stuck the hose inside, and turned the sucker on, full-blast.

I should have taken pictures of all this, but I didn't.

I immediately pulled the hose out, turned the water off and called Marc.

Resolution? 
I'm sure you can imagine, there are a ton more details I can go into about what happened next...but the gist of the whole thing is that our move-in date has been pushed out just a teensie bit.  What's happening next is that Marc and I will have movers put our stuff in storage and live in a hotel for a few weeks until the house is ready.  They found aspestos, so the whole "repair" process is going to take a lot longer than they originally thought.

Hole in the kitchen window caused by the hose.

The HVAC pipe filled with water and fell.  You can also see a hole in the ceiling caused by the water damage.

Heavy-duty de-humidifiers and vacuum thingies to suck the water out of the wood floors.

What about the "Puppies" part of the heading?
Ah yes - the silver lining.  There are actually a few silver linings in this situation.  The first is that we're getting new floors in the whole house.  Trust me, if you had seen the old floors, you would know why this is like...not even silver...it's like platinum lining.

The next silver lining is that as a result of this whole thing, Marc and I have decided to push up our puppy purchase!  Originally, we weren't really going

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to think about getting a dog until the spring - maybe even the summer.  But with the recent happenings, combined with the fact that Marc travels a lot, I would just feel a lot safer with a companion now.

So there you have it!  The puppy-shopping has begun for the Felice Family!  I'll provide some more details on the puppy search in later posts...but for now I just wanted to let everyone know what the dilly was with the new house.

Oh - just for the sake of sharing - the police said the flood culprit could be one of two situations:
1)  Teenagers engaging in October/Halloween-related pranks.  
Considering the area we're moving into, though (it's pretty expensive and swanky) the officer said this is likely not the case.  Either way, this is more reason for me to hate teenagers.
2)  Previous tenant, or someone related to them, is pissed at the home-owner. 
Officer said this is likely the reason this happened and that stuff like this is pretty typical.  She said there's practically zero chance this was aimed at us - it's likely aimed at the landlord/homeowner.

So for now, we're just going to try to make the best of this shotty situation and focus on our new puppy search.  Wish us luck!  Stupid Halloween.

Oh Hey HEY!!!

Doing a little pre-gaming before our flight...and I have exciting news...

We.

Got.

UPGRADED!!!

BooYa!  As if this weekend needed help being amazing...we'll be flying to Vegas in style via First Class.  Thanks, United!  Then, my sweet hubby has informed me that we have ordered sedan pick-up service - so a dude will be standing by Starbucks with a sign that says "Yo!  Felices!  Over here!  I'm your ride!"

Okay...the sign probably won't say that, but I've never had sedan service so this will be great!

I should inform you that Marc is literally running around the apartment quoting How I Met Your Mother.

"What's up, New York?!"

"For all those girls with father issues that resolve it with binge drinking and promiscuity...we will be....there..."

He's cute.

And we're off!!!

Heeeey!

My goodness!  It's harder to keep up with blogs than I thought!
Here's a quick update on the life of the Colorado Felice Family:

We're Moving!
 That's right!  All my friends back in Atlanta are already blatantly aware of this, but I rarely stay in one location for more than 12 months.  You would think I actually enjoyed moving or something...I assure you...this is not the case.  I'v had very legitimate reasons to move the past few years (I have literally moved apartments every year, for the past 7 years...I'm DONE!) but I am  now proud to say I think we are going to stay put for a while...after this next move =)

Marc and I have been wanting to spread out and live in a house for a while, so we have finally found a super cute house to rent in Denver!  We're committed to being there for at least 2 years, so Christmas cards will go to the same location 2 times in a row!  Yay!

I'll be putting some pictures up soon - it's darling - so stay tuned!  In the meantime, here's a link to our google-maps location:

View Larger Map

So Much TV - So Little Time!
The fabulous Ryn had an excellent post on this a few weeks ago - but my goodness there is some KILLER entertainment on TV right now!  It's very hard to keep up.  While I'm not as into the action/drama's as I used to be, I am loving all the geek (should I say Gleek) focused stuff. 

The shows currently eating up my HD DVR:

- Dancing With the Stars (although I much prefer the "other" dancing show, SYTYCD.  Way better!  But I will settle for getting to watch some of the "other" shows successes such as Lacey and Chelsea tear it up with celebrities)
- Glee (please - is that so surprising?  And there are some cameos from my fave SYTYCD stars on this one too!  Did anyone catch Mark on the Britney Spears episode?!  LOVE it!)
-  Sister Wives (I know, I know, it's controversial and I am totally not supporting polygamy...but seriously...this show is like watching a train wreck.  I can't stop looking!)
- Real Housewives of Atlanta - Season 3!  (gotta love those "southern belles" - puh-lease.  These "ladies" are anything BUT southern or belles.  It's quite annoying, but I always like watching to be like Oh, I used to eat at that restaurant or Oh, that's totally OTP and not Atlanta.  Plus I feel like watching gives me street cred)
- Tosh.0 (this one appeals to my inner "dude" - a 30 minute show that exploits idiots on the internet?!  Yes, please!)
- Anything HGTV - Mostly Divine Design, House Hunters and Bang for your Buck (I need help decorating...I live with a boy.)
 
Okay - I realize that most of these shows are not that classy, but after I've been at work all day, I really just need to laugh and be reminded that I have such an amazing life.  This show lineup definitely accomplishes that =)

Wedding Season - 3 Down and 2 To Go!
What an amazing Wedding Season it has been!  Not only was mine in the mix (it should count as 3...I had so much fun but so glad that's over!) but we were able to catch up with some great people and will be heading to some great places to wrap it up.

The next wedding location - VEGAS!!!  

Yep!  That's right - we're heading to Vegas (tonight actually!) for our friends, Ben and Michele's, wedding.  We're staying at the JW Marriott off the Vegas Strip and this hotel looks siiiiiiick.  I'm so pumped to have some time to chill at the pool, see our old friends from college, and, of course, gamble my savings away =)  I'll have pictures and fun stories to report next week!

After Vegas, we have a few weeks to rest and rebuild our equity, and then we're off to...

...wait for it...

DISNEY WORLD!!!  I'm totally not even kidding!  I have seriously and truly never been to Disney World before, so I am so super pumped about this.  I will be channeling my inner-child...I can already hear my dialogue now...OMG!  Is that Cinderella?!?  AHHH!!!  Is that MICKEY?!  Let's ride the Teacups!  NO!  I want Mickey Ears not stupid Pluto ears!

God has truly blessed me with an amazing husband and wonderful friends =)

Ski Season Around the Corner!

And I...Can't...Wait!  I bought new gear this past weekend (skis, boots, helmet...) and now I'm just waiting for the powder to show up.  However, there's no rush and I'm totally not complaining.  7% humidity and high of 82?  In October?  Yes - I'll take it. 

Visitors!
We are geared up to have some awesome visitors over the next few months and I'm so pumped!  The gorgeous Caroline will be visiting next week - right after Vegas - and I can't wait to show her my city.  We have a jam-packed schedule of hiking, eating, shopping, eating, biking, eating and exploring the city...and eating.

Then - over New Years - we are having a huge group of college pals come up for a New Years Ski Extravaganza!  Should be a great time - it will be the first time we've seen Bling and Lainey since they got engaged so I'm definitely looking forward to it!

Really - we're just so excited to get to share the beauty of Colorado with our friends back on the East Coast.  Are you interested in visiting?!  We'll have a huge house with plenty of space - so just let me know!

Stay Tuned for More Updates!
I'm so sorry I've been so slack with keeping this updated - but I am going to make an effort to get better!  Stay tuned - I should have some awesome pictures available in the next few weeks =)

Have a lovely weekend!!!

My Fabulous ATL Weekend (back in August...oops!)

This is the very reason I started this blog...I have A-MA-ZING friends.  Not just good, not awesome...A-MA-ZING.  I was very thankful and very lucky to get to spend the weekend with a few of them back in August =)

As you know (or may not know) my husband and I moved to Colorado from Georgia last October.  It's been a fabulous experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but the only down-side has been missing out on some incredibly important life-events for some very very special people in my life (interpret...weddings and babies and graduations, oh my!).

So you can imagine my delight when Marc and I were able to travel back to Atlanta for not just one, but TWO very big events - 1) Pradeep and Sarah's wedding (uuuum...which was beautiful, btw) and 2) a baby shower for the stunning and lovely Sarah (a different one than the one who got married)  =)

I had pretty much convinced myself that I would not be sleeping this weekend, and I was dead on the money.  I think I got about 7 hours of sleep in 3 days!

Here's a summary of the weekend's festivities.  There were only about 8 hours total of overlap for me and Marc...we basically landed in Hartsfield-Jackson and went our separate ways.  Don't be alarmed - this is very typical behavior for the Felices =)

Friday, August 13

Marc and I land in Atlanta around 3-ish.  From here, our evenings took drastically different routes but ultimately ended up at the same place - at a bar with the groom (for the wedding on Saturday).

I was instantly whisked away to spend some QT with Kirby, Peaky and Felicity - three of my all-time favorite peeps =)  My evening consisted of the usual:  girl-talk, baby-talk, tummy-time (for Felicity), boy-talk, dinner at Willies, getting my bangs trimmed (yay!) and a quick drive around Tech's campus.  I mean, honestly, what trip to the town of your alma mater is complete without a quick drive around campus?  Peaky was so thoughtful to suggest it!

Since I wasn't present, I can only imagine Marc's evening went a little something like this...Taking MARTA from the airport to Kanno's, drinking at Kanno's, waiting for more people to arrive at Kanno's, more drinking at Kanno's, going to see the Expendable's (flasking, of course), dinner?  (there is serious question as to whether the boys actually ate a real meal that day)

It was at this point that I met up with boys and some other friends, including the groom, to head to an old local favorite, Charlie G's.  More drinking, and of course, some famous french fries with blue cheese and chicken rolls. 
(btw - I really wish I'd taken pictures at Charlie G's...the upstairs was jam-packed with our buds from college and I actually got a little emotional because I was 1) so happy to see everyone and 2) it was just like old times!  The only difference is that all the boys are trim and in shape now...and I'm not...funny how that works)

After Charlie G's, the boys and groom wanted to hit up some club action - off to Cosmo.  While I used to throw down, I took to being a creepy people-watcher on the sidelines.  I'm just too old to grind on strangers anymore, plus I was tired from the flight.  I observe some sweaty (HUMIDITY!) dancing from the sidelines and watch as everyone (except Marc and Joey) try to convince the groom to go to a strip club.  Keep in mind - it's 2am and the wedding is in t-minus 18 hours.  But he's a good boy and we all end up back at the hotel safe and sound.  Marc and Joey are awesome =)

Saturday, August 15
Sarah's Baby Shower
To say Saturday was an awesome yet exhausting day would be a massive understatement.  I woke up super early (still on mountain time) to go to Sarah's baby shower in May-retta.  I can honestly say that this was my first baby shower (since I had to miss Kirby's earlier in the year...*sad face*) and it made me want to increase fertility in all my girlfriends so I could go to more.  Seriously.  It was amazing.  SO much fun!  Who knew?!

All the girls with the beautiful mommy-to-be!

I guess, when you think about it, any social gathering can be fun if the right people are there, and this shower was absolutely no exception.  I was so blessed and so thankful to be spending time with girlfriends that I had literally known since I was 14 (some of them even went to elementary school together!).  The food was amazing, the house looked gorgeous, the hostesses were stellar, and, of course, Mommy-to-be was an image of beauty =)

Here are some pics I took, but look to the other ladies' blogs for better pictures!

You betcha, it's a girl!  And look at all those presents =)

These two...words can't describe =)  I like to think we're famous.

Sarah and Pradeep's Wedding!
After the shower, Peaky drove me back to the hotel around 4:30ish.  It was time for a quick (like 10 minute) nap, hair/make-up refresh and then off to Sarah and Pradeeps wedding! 

(I would like to mention that while I had already had a pretty busy day and was walking through the door, Marc was just rousing himself from a nap.  He had woken up around 10 and gone golfing with the boys - I had little pity on him since I'd woken up around 7).

Okay - back to the wedding =)

Sarah and Pradeep got married at the beautiful botanical gardens in Piedmont, and this wedding was absolutely gorgeous.  Everything was earthy and organic and fit their personalities perfectly.  I loved her color scheme of pale greens with white accents.  Instead of a traditional alter, she had two trees set up for her and Pradeep to say their vows. 

I love that they're smiling =)

Mr. and Mrs. Mangalapalli!!!

I think my favorite part was their "guest book."  Sarah is quite the painter, so she painted a picture of a big oak tree and had their vows circling around it.  Then she had her guests sign their names on these cloth leaves to add to the tree.  It was such a great and personal touch, I was sort of obsessed with it - I'm so mad I didn't get a picture!  Sarah did such a great job of thinking of every single detail, from the programs, to the table cards and even to their "guest book".    Seriously, after just having planned my own wedding from across the country, I sort of wish I'd had her help me!

I do have to say, one thing I was not expecting about this wedding was my reaction.  I've been to weddings before.  I've watched some of my best friends get married.  I just got married myself.  I don't know why, but I.  Lost.  It.  Like...I mean I LOST it.  As soon as Pradeep walked down the aisle, I was a blubbering, oozing mess.  I mean, I was crying not in a sweet way,  you know, where like you're all stoic and a tear runs down your cheek.  I mean I was like heaving.

I have a lot of theories as to why this may have happened, and I think the most viable one is the fact that it was the first wedding I went to after my own.  I dunno - I'd never been to "my own" wedding before except for the one I just had (obvi), so I didn't know how I would react.  I figured I'd cry, but I didn't really.  I think part of the reason why is that at your own wedding, there's so much on your mind.  Then, when you go to someone elses wedding and hear their vows, it really and truly hits you how amazing it was and what a tremendous milestone it is in your life.  As if watching two people takes you back and reminds you what sort of commitment you had just made.

Whatever the reason, I was a blubbering mess, but my makeup did not smear!

After I finally pulled myself together and the ceremony ended, we had an amazing cocktail hour and reception.  The food was delicious.  I'm not joking.  It was baller.  They had different "dinner" stations where you could select the type of cuisine you wanted.  I definitely stuffed myself full of roasted zuccini and asparagus.  I pretty much can't help myself if there are roasted veggies around =)

Then, of course, we drank and danced the night away.  Seriously, it was such a great day and it was so wonderful to be around so many old friends from college.  I love stuff like this...getting to see everyone all grown up.  It's so much fun!

The next morning, I, again, woke up early (while Marc slept) and had breakfast with another girlfriend I hadn't seen since our wedding.  It was quick, but definitely worth the lack of sleep =)

So that was basically the end of my weekend!  I had an amazing Saturday where I was able to share two big events with two sets of people that I love dearly.  What more could you ask for?  I mean...I guess I could ask to fit into a size 2 again...but that's neither here nor there =)

Flying home to Colorado was bitter-sweet.  It was so great to be home - I have really fallen in love with this place - the mountains, the dry heat, the people.  But the weekend also reminded me of what I was missing back East. 

I will say, one thing I've learned (and grown to cherish) in the past year that we've been in Colorado is the fact that the people who are important will find a way to stay in touch - no matter what the distance.  I live over 1,000 miles from these girls and guys and they are still a huge part of my life.  I guess that's why blogging is important =)

So that's that.  A super late blog post (almost a month past due!) but better late than never, right?  Hope everyone is having a great fall and enjoying start of football season.  Goooo Jackets!!!

Ahhh...My Relationship with Music

 Okay, I was waiting to post again because I really want to share about the awesome weekend I just had...but I absolutely HAD to get this out!  This is top of my mind because 1) I'm experiencing it right now and 2) I just had a conversation about this my girlfriend (or gurl-fwend as we like to call each other!) Jill last night.

I have a strange relationship with music - some may call me a "music snob", but not for the reasons you think.  Lot's of people think of  "music snob" as someone who knows all about it and only listens to a certain genre or is a music scholar or something.  I am not.  I'm a "snob" in the sense that I have to listen to very specific types of music for very specific purposes.

 For example, when I am at work and cranking out emails or doing something that requires strategic thinking, I can ONLY listen to classical music.  (Online Streaming Classical - it's amazing!!!)  But, if I'm doing something mundane like updating our websites, I can listen to stuff with lyrics (thank you, Pandora!).  If I'm working out and doing strength training, I have to listen to something heavy and/or angry (Metallica...you rock a little).  If I'm stretching or doing ab work, bring on the soft rock (think Delilah - don't knock her - she rocks) and running/cardio - well pretty much anything punk or rap or happy or up beat...really anything...as long as it's fast and the beat is exactly perfect to where I can keep in time with the music.

Before I continue, let me give you a quick history - I was involved in a certain high school activity where keeping in time with music was VERY important.  Let's say it was dance team (heheh)  And if you couldn't keep in time, then you pretty much blew and were not allowed in the front of the group to be showcased to the crowd =)  This is likely the reason I can only run "in time" with songs...and it's annoying (does this happen to anyone else?!?!)


Also, after I graduated high school, I actually became a 'dance team' instructor at a different school.  Hence, I was the one in charge of making sure my kids could keep in time with music...and I had to choreograph to it too.  This takes an extra keen ear, especially if you want to make your shows exciting, since you have to pick up on subtleties and bring them out in a visual way.  You essentially have to "see" the music.

Okay, I digress...history lesson over.  Back to the situation I'm dealing with.  I'm a music snob...

So, since I'm at the office right now, and I'm doing some strategic thinking, I'm listening to my classical music.  There are times when I'll know the song playing, or recognize it, but for the most part, I just enjoy the beauty =)  But then there are situations like what JUST happened!

I had to stop working and all I could do was sit in my chair and fight the urge to stand up and dance!  The song playing was one I'm sure you know, although you may not know it by name.  It's "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" by Frank Liszt.  It essentially reminds me of a Bugs Bunny/Loony Toons or Roger Rabbit cartoon.

Literally...I'm sitting at my desk trying to work and all I could think about was the fact that I saw bunnies and cartoons frolicking around in the forest!  And then I started thinking of show ideas and actually began choreographing in my head.  I mean I had to actually GRIP the chair to keep my body in place!

Has the EVER happened to anyone else???  Am I the only one who struggles with this?  People from my past - do you choreograph when you hear something that captivates you?  It's almost an addiction...I may go home, download the song, and start coming up with show concepts - although this particular music is so annoying that I would never subject a group of kids to listening to it over and over again =)

Okay - long post - and not about anything in particular...but I had to get it out!

Happy Hump Day!!

Peer Pressure? It's real and it works!

Okay, I have finally caved and submitted to peer pressure by starting a blog =)  This first post will be short and sweet - a quick thank you.  Thanks to all my amazing friends who have expressed interest in the (I believe) boring life that Marc and I are living out here in Colorado.  I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your own blogs, and I guess, if you're interested, I'll start my own so you can see what we're up to.

However, if you find my life boring, I can only say "I toldja so!".

Like I said, short and sweet.  I've procrastinated at work long enough (it's really handy having a knowledge of how to hard code html...I was able to customize my fonts!  Thank you, CS for Management Majors)

Hmmm...what will my sign-off, catch-phrase be???  Oh the difficult decisions in life...for now let's just say love ya much, until next time =)

- Nicole (and Marc)