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.

sun hangover

Way back when, a group of bloggers attending the patio opening at Washington Place Bistro and owner Scott Kuhn introduced the group to Farmer Lee Jones and Veggie U. He surprised the group with tickets to the event and off we went! On Saturday, that same group headed west to the country for the Veggie U Food and Wine Event with a bunch of other fabulous people in Jeff's sweet sexy van.(Yep, we took a party van to the event.)

Van in background, group in front

If you followed any of us on Twitter or #veggieu, you probably saw a lot of tweets and photos from the group on the way there, at the event and on the sing along van ride back to the Lakewood. Because I've had a sun hangover weekend from all day in the heat on Saturday and a short trip to Taste of Tremont today, I think a photo recap post is in order!

Me and Christina in the back of the van

Nothing says fancy like busch light and macaroons

Champagne anyone?

Jeni Britton Bauer and Govind Armstrong signing books

Jeni's ice cream, mmmm, maybe I tried 3 flavors

Sweets by Maggie from my hometown of Amherst

Taking a picture of Charity taking a picture

It was a fabulous event - great food and people and so glad we all ended up making the trip out for it. And, a big thanks to Charity and Ben for organizing the van and for bringing friends who bring hors d'oeuvres
on the ride. Clutch, very clutch.

Disclaimer: I was given a ticket to attend the event along with everyone else featured in the photo.

apparently I was a Kardashian

I had a very vivid dream Tuesday night that I was  Kardashian and woke up thinking, "OMG, did I really just dream that?" It involved a really sweet mansion with pool and a bunch of Kardashians running around and apparently I was one of them. (Because that's pretty normal, right?)

Apparently that's what happens when you go out on a typical Tuesday with a bunch of blogger chicks and one guy. Waving hi Seanski! If you would like to see what we look like according to Alexa's 3rd grade drawing, hop over here to take a peek. Who knew that girl was an artist!

This was a pre-event  mixer for us because about half of those present will see each other this weekend for the Veggie U food and wine event on Saturday all the way out in Milan. A group of 15 or so of us will trek the distance west to eat, drink and hopefully not sweat through our clothes. (Weather please cooperate and don't be too humid - I'm a mess in humidity. Who isn't?)

 So what did we do?

the menu  - we did order food

We ate. We drank. We laughed. We talked too loud and probably laughed too loud but luckily we didn't get any ugly stares. We drank some more and probably ordered the most "Shoreway Coolers" for one table. Ever.


Sadly, I woke up from my Kardashian-esque dream with the same size butt, no hair extensions or Louboutin's and continued to have equally as descriptive dreams the next night too.

Do you dream in celebrities too?

summa summa time

This weekend finally felt like it took the right amount of time because normally I find my weekends flying by between cookouts, parties and pool days. For once, I had to remember what we did on Friday night, which isn't a bad thing at all.

Friday night we were acting 10 years older than we actually are and had a drinking game night with friends where I kicked some serious a** at mexican dominos. It's all about the domino that you start your train with my friends....

the game that brings grown men to tears

strategizing with a baby and a beer

A few of my friends joined me at Made in the 216 held at the new Dredger's Union on E.4th but not before brunch at Vine & Bean in Shaker as a way to kick start our Saturday with omelettes, biscuits and coffee. Because nothing says breaking your diet like the biscuits with gravy but it is so damn good!

After seeing all the checkins from my fellow bloggers, I was dying to see the new store and check out what the private label looked like. From the tailored shirts and dresses I saw, ranged from $60 to $90 but fit really nice and I was sooooo close to buying a shirt but I stopped myself. It had my name written all over it so I'm hoping they have it available later this month.

Lia checking out the jewelry

My purchase

amazing candles displayed on a piece of furniture we all want

not your grandmother's apron

Sunday funday was lazy which included a car wash and laying out while reading the second book in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. Editor's note: I can't put those books down. We finished up the night by taking a ride to Chagrin Falls to wait in line for Jeni's Ice cream - it was jamming down there for a Sunday night complete with a kid rock band, lots of bikers and dogs.

Monday - Bring it on.

puppy love

I really need to restart my blogging again. I've only been posting once a week for the past few weeks but staying busy, bopping around all over Cleveland.

This past weekend, we celebrated with our friends as two of them got married over the holiday weekend. The crazy storm that hit Cleveland held off until the reception was well under way.

Yay for Chris and Kelly!

The rest of the weekend was filled with a cookout, fireworks and the most adorable dog that I want to steal from my friend Danielle.

Meet Mira, the cutest bulldog.

While I love both cats and dogs, the BF is extremely allergic to both animals but this little puppy makes me want to give him some shots and pick up a puppy of my own.

Mira is one of the girls - she's the best and agrees with whatever decision you make.

You want ice cream? She's game and won't complain about the extra calories.

she's a fan of vanilla

Feel like laying out? She'll join and jump in the pool with you and then chill out on a towel if you want to sunbathe.

She will even hang out to see fireworks and only mildly shakes as she experiences loud noises for the first time.

Even though Mira bites my ankles and hands on a regular basis and doesn't listen to me, I will gladly take her off my friend's hands if needs me to puppysit or own Mira for life. Don't you want to go get a puppy now?