weekend of surprises

I can't remember the last time I had back to back surprise birthday parties for friends, let alone celebrating three birthdays in one weekend. But, apparently December was a popular month for the parents to get busy to have August babies.

Friday kicked off with my late entrance to my friend's husband surprise 30th Indians game. Erin (the best friend a girl could ask for) arranged over 25 friends to come to the game to surprise her husband. People kept walking into the bar - Surprise!

Surprise! Brian is 30!

Erin, the best party planner

Surprise #2 was held at Lopez in Cleveland Heights for my friend Shawn. Her BF said they were meeting there for dinner and she walked in to about 15 people yelling "Surprise!" I missed the picture but the pure shock on her face lasted pretty much the whole night, even when they brought out the cake to end all cakes.

Surprise!

Doesn't it look delicious? Red velvet inside

Sunday started off low key with a brunch with a group of friends. I'm so happy we opted out of going out and held a little impromptu brunch at her house where we were able to hang out with her adorable twins.

The spread - strata, monkey bread, fruit, donuts and mimosas

Now this is a tutu

Me, the baby whisperer, she is out cold

Lastly, this weekend ended with my little brother's (while not that little anymore) 27th birthday dinner at Market Garden Brewery where I didn't snap one damn photo! Oh well, here's to a busy week!

social suite time

Earlier this week, I joined a group of lovely social media ladies to attend my first Indians game in the Social Suite. You know, that Social Suite that everyone should sit in every game because of the amazing seats.

A group of us were invited to come to support Wahoo Women, where $3 from every ticket of that night's game went to the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign.

view from the suite

Group shot stolen from Alexa's phone

rain delay!

While it rained, we talked about really important things like the weather as Alexa watched the radar explaining when it would pass, ran back and forth between the terrace club and discussed our favorite spanx brands. Really. Here's a tweet to prove it.

told you!

Jen and Janet's cute red shoes

Thanks Time Warner for the food.

Even with the rain, I had an amazing time for my first invite in the suite and oddly enough, I'll be back at the park this weekend for another game. Only I indirectly head to two concerts and two Indians games in one week!

Bloggers take San Diego Part 1

While I'm fighting one hell of a head cold after my return from my BlogHer, this doesn't change how much absolute fun I had over the three days with my blogger friends.

So much fun and so little sleep.

I was finally able to meet Jen and Rachael in person and reconnecting with a long lost friend from my table waiting days. Such perfect timing for meeting everyone in a beautiful city.

In case you weren't following my crazy foursquare checkins, I figured I'd share my trip via a few pictures from Day 1 and 2.

Finally here!

If you know anything about BlogHer, you know that brands go all out from lavish yacht parties to bringing in celebrity spokespeople -nothing is too extravagant at this event. I mean nothing! Well, as you know me, I'm not one to shy away from meeting a celebrity or three so I made sure to get in line and meet each of them. ( I somehow missed meeting Jane Lynch in a sexy track suit!)

With Giuliana - so beautiful and genuine in person

Who doesn't love a Bieber cut out? My friend Lia does!

Bob Harper - you have some sexy tattoos

Wendi from Reno 911 - I told her how many classes I skipped to watch the DVDs hung over

There you have it - a day and a half of attending sessions and meeting some celebrities at brand booths but my friends and I made sure to take advantage of the weather and beaches. More on that and my favorite booths in my next post.

off to BlogHer

While I had great intentions of writing about my fascination with the TLC show "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding," I simply don't have time. I am obsessed with that show from the dresses to the accents I can't quite understand to the Rave-like outfits the teenagers wear to a wedding! It's a wedding after all and they look like they walked off the set of Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty."

I have managed to cram five days of work into 3 days as I'm off to BlogHer for my first time in San Diego. My goals are pretty simple - to meet up with the bloggers who I work with for my day job as well as meet some of the chicks I've been reading and stalking following along on Twitter for the past few years.

It is going to be a blast I tell you. One freaking bloggeriffic blast!

My agenda of places to go is pretty short.
-Coronado Island. That's  it. That's all I've got.

So, what places/stores/sights should I see when I have some down time in sunny San Diego?

...the right stuff

In the battle of the concerts between NKOTBSB and Britney Spears, NKOTBSB won it hands freaking down. They out danced, performed and sang circles around her - it was such a good show. While I swore I managed my expectations when we were going to see her this time around after Circus, I still wasn't wowed. Ok - I know she doesn't sing, I get that but there were enough lasers and kick ass background dancers to hide the fact that she doesn't do a whole lot besides walking and hair flips.

But that still didn't stop me from singing along to every song......

view from our seats

Slavvveeee for youuuuu

I saw them in 2008 when my friends and I surprised a friend with tickets for her birthday and I'm sooooo glad I didn't miss out on it again this year with Michelle, Suzanne and Jess. We all sang our hearts out to both groups and who knew I would remember so many of the Backstreet Boys songs. They sang all their hits and pulled girls up on stage to one song where one of them was excited to be up there and the others looked like deers in headlights. I'm talking nervous shaking and no smiling! If only we would've been on the floor...... but we were lucky enough to get upgraded to a lower section - woo hoo!

Opening sequence

all together again

yeah nick carter

Jordan is still my favorite

hangin' tough in sparkly jerseys

Finale - what a freaking blast!

busy with a capital B

So I don't have this crazy and wild weekend of activities to share but I do have one hell of a busy week ahead of me. As usual, I enjoyed the ridiculously hot weather outside and then had dinner at Ballantine with friends and saw Horrible Bosses. Ever since the BF saw previews and the extended trailer, I knew this would be the next movie we saw even though I'm all about Ryan Gosling and his abs in Crazy Stupid Love. Oh my god - I can't wait.

I was mentally preparing myself for what will be a hectic and loonnnnng (but very exciting) week. On Tuesday, I head to Britney Spears to basically listen to her album played through the Q's sound system where she will dance and lipsynch her way through my favorite pop songs.

Complete with screened t-shirts for the Circus tour

Post concert, I'm meeting up with high school friends who I haven't seen in months and some who I haven't seen in a year, but I'll take the lack of sleep anytime to hang out with this group of friends.

On Wednesday, I'll be back at the Q with Michelle and Suzanne to dance our asses off to New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys, but I think we all agree we are more pumped to hear Step by Step and Hangin' Tough. (Although, seriously I will sing at the top of my lungs to I Want it That Way any time. You want to karaoke - I'm there.)     

Oh Joey McIntyre circa 2008

Group shot

By Thursday, I'll be sleep deprived and possibly deaf from the loud music but I'll have to rally together to take my brother for dinner after he completed his bar exam. Two days and 12 hours of testing later, I think he deserves a dinner out, don't you?

Good luck, Greg!

And, it will be the weekend before I know it. Here's to a full week!                                                                                

sun hangover part II

Even though it was a bizillion degrees out this weekend, I managed to be out and about Friday through Sunday which may or may have not had to do with a hose and a beach chair during the super hot hours.

For us Clevelanders, we have this amazing little comedy club on East 4th that I always forget about for some reason - Hilarities. The last time I was here was for my 24th surprise birthday to see Rocky Laporte. Um, yes, that was four years ago - it's been too long.

yeah pink boas and surprises circa 2008

A group of 12 or so decided to see Frank Caliendo after a long week. I only remember him as the impression guy and the BF wasn't sure how he would be in person but he was hilarious! (He wore KSU gear too.) He did everything from Bush to Obama to Charles Barkley to Morgan Freeman. (Just thinking about his impression of Charles Barkley makes me laugh now.) Seriously, how the eff does he do some of those voices?! After checking out the lineup for the months to come, I'm going to talk everyone to coming back to see John Caparulo (the guy who wears KSU stuff on Chelsea Lately - Go KSU!) and for this murder mystery show they have through the end of August. I've alllllwwaaays wanted to go to one of things. Remember the Saved the by the Bell episode? Yeah, that's my only reference to a murder mystery other than Clue.

After our Veggie U trip, I traveled down to Tremont with Christina and her adorable sun to brave the humidity in the name of food.

I'm sweaty just looking at the kid with long sleeves and jeans.

We hit up Lolita, Bac and Dim and Den Sum before we called it quits. We only lasted 1.5 hours but it was a great end to a fabulous weekend. Now, what to do this coming weekend? I do believe a pool is in order.