Saturday, April 23, 2011
What happens in Vegas ends up on this blog


Well, it wasn't exactly "The Hangover" but the girls and I certainly had fun at my bachelorette party in Las Vegas this month. Thanks to Sara, my maid of honor, and six other fabulous friends, I experienced what ended up being a 48 hour dance party in Sin City.

We started the weekend with Alison, Lauren, Shelby, Sara, and I hopping a plane to LAS and meeting Kelly (who flew from Seattle), and Robin & Brittany (who drove from L.A. with a car full of Baked Cheetos and booze). Brittany's parents graciously let us stay in their time-share condo on the strip. The dance party started immediately with us all getting ready and heading out to an ultra lounge bar. Of course, I was not allowed to leave the condo without wearing some sort of bridal paraphernalia and I quickly learned that wearing a faux veil in Vegas means you have a target on your back that says "pay attention to me" and "attempt to get me drunk." Somehow our older selves managed to survive the night and had a blast at the same time.





The next day, we all woke up (mostly unscathed) and headed to a dance studio for a private dance lesson. We all spent the afternoon learning a choreographed dance routine and barreling over with laughter at how ridiculous we looked at times. However, we did get a video of all of us performing the routine (to be posted once Sara sends it to me) and were shocked at how in sync we looked when the lesson was through. Bravo girls! Then, we spent the afternoon showing our only first-time visitor, Shelby, around some of the better hotels before heading back to the condo to prepare for another fun night out.





For our last night, Sara had arranged for a hostess to take us from dance club to dance club in a party bus. We got to skip all the lines, the cover charges, and, most importantly for anyone who has spent time huffing it through the endlessly long walkways from casino to casino, we never had to walk anywhere. Many of us were wearing very, very high heels and were terribly grateful for her forethought. Again, we had an incredible time dancing away, looking fabulous, and, well, getting "Congratulations" and the playful "Don't do it!" yelled at us all night. Again, as proven by the picture below with a weirdo, we were a target for the strange and ridiculous. That guy had a beard that was truly to be feared. By the end of the night we ended up on the top floor of Mandalay Bay enjoying our view of the entire strip and dancing (yes, were still managing) to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."



We were endlessly joking about how we had become too old for this town, which was proven by the following actions/statements said throughout the weekend:

1. Thinking about the consequences of drinking before drinking too much.
2. Saying phrases like "She's a tough cookie" and "They were lolly gagging"
3. Staying on schedule and keeping our entire entourage together each time we had to board the party bus.
4. Complaining not of hangover symptoms but of aches and pains caused by dance moves.
5. Getting 8 girls ready to go out in under an hour.


Old or not, we had a great time and my friends made me feel incredibly special. They sure know how to spoil a girl (I literally bought a sandwich and a cab ride during the whole weekend). That being said, I'll end the post with this exchange between Lauren and I as we boarded our plane back to SFO:

Me: Do you want the aisle seat?
Lauren: You can have it; you're the bachelorette. Soak it up cause once we land you're not getting any more special treatment.

I love them.




Posted by Kelley at 9:34 AM | 0 comments

Monday, April 4, 2011
It won't be long now

A few weeks ago, Chris and I revisited the camp where we will host all things wedding come July. Even our memory of it did not do it justice. It's a place that is so naturally beautiful I couldn't help but take a deep breath and enjoy just being a part of the space.

After perusing the grounds once more, we met with the chef and talked about the menu. My smile as well as our appetites got bigger and bigger as we talked about seasonal produce, antipasta, sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken, pastas that pop with flavor and color, and a french toast brunch among other nosh that had the California foodie in me beaming.

We then had the pleasure of taking up residence in a cabin nestled high up in the tree tops. In July, we'll have the entire facility and grounds exclusively and our guests will stay in these cabins, which are all attached with Ewok village-like pathways. Later, we spent the evening reading and relaxing and imagining how fun the weekend will be with all our guests. Waking up to the view of the giant Sequoia trees and the sound of a babbling stream wasn't too shabby either.

Below is a video tour of both the cabins and the lodge where we will host our reception. We're still saving plenty of surprises but we hope this will get you pumped for the big weekend.

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Posted by Kelley at 7:49 AM | 0 comments

Sunday, April 3, 2011
Breaking News: Jim turns 70!

About two weeks ago, March 15th to be exact, Jim Hutchison turned 70. We spent the past year fondly repeating what seemed to become his catchphrase—"I'm damn near 70"—and chuckling right alongside him.

Below is a video Scott created for Jim's surprise birthday party. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think the world of Jimmy. I know it's because of his example as a loving husband and father that he raised two boys who treat their girls (and one day will their kids) with the same love and respect. And if you don't believe me, just listen to how his kids talk about him.


Posted by Kelley at 5:06 PM | 0 comments