MBFW: A British Bach Bash

March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 / foodsweatandbeers / Leave a comment

“My Best Friend’s Wedding” – The 1997 hit featuring a young Julia Roberts pining for Cameron D’s man just moments before their wedding.

My best friend’s wedding (MBFW): the upcoming 2016 ~~production~~ wedding featuring my boon companion Claire and her fiancé, Theo, a strapping young Brit who’s taken a shining to my favorite Brooklyn babe.

Where we last left off, these lovebirds were celebrating their future wedding with tarts and Pimm’s Cups at a Rustic Engagement Party. It was a classy affair.

The Bachelorette Party…. decidedly less so.

Ok, I kid, I kid. If you know Claire, you’ll know that she strictly forbade any of the typical debauchery of a Bachelorette Bash. No sexy police officers or firemen went Magic Mike on us. There were no phallic tiaras or necklaces. The only sign of the corruption of Claire was this artfully done wall courtesy of this garland kit from Paper Source. Maybe there were some questionably appropriate straws, but don’t worry, they didn’t leave the confines of our quaint Asheville Airbnb.

From all along the East coast (ok, let’s be honest, Jersey, NYC, and rogues from Philly and Richmond), 8 of Claire’s nearest and dearest (and one gorgeous puppy) gathered in Beer City, USA. We made sure that, immediately after arriving, we enjoyed a few of the city’s signature cocktails (spoiler alert: it’s BEER!)

Don’t worry, she shared.

And after visiting Burial Beer Co. (where we appreciated their INCREDIBLE Bolo Coconut Brown and their gorgeous Tom Selleck painting), we figured “Hey, let’s keep this party going.”

Luckily, Twin Leaf was merely a stone’s throw away (seriously, I could probably throw a stone from the one and hit the other. I LOVE ASHEVILLE SO MUCH!) We enjoyed some spirited competition….

Laser-like focus

And some competitive spirits (ok, you got me, it was beer again).

Flights at Twin Leaf: A MUST!

We also hit up Wicked Weed’s Funkatorium. Unfortunately for y’all, my camera could not capture the glory of this house of sours, this barrel-aged paradise…. Or maybe I was too busy sipping the nectar of these brewing gods to whip it out. Either way: it was amazing.

Thoroughly versed in the fermented brews of the town, we scampered (Uber’d*) home for some homemade tacos and gal time.

Fueling up while cooking

I’m gonna shoot you straight: after a day of travel and brewery hopping, I’ll be the first to admit: I was asleep before 10pm.

No shame in my well-rested game.

Plus, we had a big day ahead of us. Trombatore Trail and the Blue Ridges beckoned, and we could only heed the call. So, we suited up.

Holly channeling her inner Damian a la Mean Girls

SHE DOESN’T EVEN GO HERE

As a non-hiker (I walk to the bus stop like, every day. Sometimes I walk to get a hot dog when I’m on the beach. That’s nature, right?) This 5-mile round trip hike… was tough.

But I’ll do almost anything for a good photo op, right?

Sorry, Ashleigh. Blame the crummy log/tripod

There was a light at the end of the tunnel, though. And that light…. was more tacos.

Bangkok Shrimp and Crispy Fish

White Duck Taco Shop: MUST visit on any Asheville jaunt.

We bopped for a bit, napped, showered, and dolled up. Because we had rezzis at Rhubarb.

Angel or bride-to-be?

Our resident videographer, Marianne, nabbed a shot of the blushing bachelorette before we ate our faces off.

There was goat cheese burrata, there were lobster corn dogs and rabbit rillette, and there were, of course, drinks.

As for where the night went from there…. well, we’ve all gotta maintain some mystery around these female bonding traditions. Right?

See you at the wedding, ladies. Thanks for the memories. And the tacos.

MBFW: Rustic New Jersey Engagement Party

December 8, 2015December 8, 2015 / foodsweatandbeers / 1 Comment

“My Best Friend’s Wedding” – The 1997 hit featuring a young Julia Roberts pining for Cameron D’s man just moments before their wedding. It’s a whole thing.

My best friend’s wedding (MBFW): the upcoming 2016 ~~production~~ wedding featuring my boon companion Claire (you might remember Claire from a buncha times) and her fiancé, Theo, a strapping young Brit who’s taken a shining to my favorite Brooklyn babe.

Both, I am certain, will be classics. One, I imagine (**spoiler alert**) will feature slightly less heartbreak for Ms. Roberts.

BUT I DIGRESS. This is not a post about rom-coms. This is a post about the most beautiful engagement party thrown to celebrate these two lovebirds. Set in the charming home of another one of Claire’s best pals, this party had it all, nestled in a quaint Jersey shore town on a brisk November afternoon.

Picturesque noshes.

Biscuits for days, tarts for hours. Goat cheese and tomato and onion tarts featured.

Warm flannel blankets clustered around a fire pit….

Oh, and a cornhole set

HAND-CARVED WOODEN LETTERS for the names of the couple-of-honor and simple, bright yet subtle flower arrangements (Pinterest, eat your heart out).

Precious moments.

A rugged Englishman to tend to ALL THOSE FIRES!

Theo does chimineas. Everyone benefits.

And a TON of frittatas.

Hello, lover.

I know….

EGG-BASED CASSEROLES FOR THE WIN!

Apparently, Claire, the blushing-bride-to-be, agreed. She is (expertly) pictured below, in a stunning almond-colored, embroidered Free People frock, her face crammed with homemade Vietnamese spring rolls just dripping with fish sauce.

She loves this photo and, because of it, has hired me to be her wedding photographer.

And while the food and the decor were divine, the part of this engagement party that made it so magical were the people. The couple’s friends and family from near and far (luckily, mostly near, England is a hike) gathered together over the most amazing, homemade eats (shoutout to Katherine and her family, the hosts for the day, who probably have more tart pans than I have fingers) to eat, drink, and be merry (ALMOST made the married pun, but I’m better than that).

Grandmothers gabbing

The firepit served as primo real estate on this chilly November day

They say “It takes a village to raise a child.” And I’m pretty sure that it also takes a village to throw a quality engagement party. From a signature cocktail speaking to the couple’s favs (it was a Pimm’s Cup, British roots are strong!) to crowdsourcing main dishes and desserts, from understated decorations to perfect placement of seating areas, the flow of this soirée allowed everyone to mingle, munch, and merrymake in the most natural way possible. It takes a village to throw a party.

But, don’t worry, we didn’t forget about that child.

This little man tried hard to make this photo NSFW by yanking on this dress.

As is tradition, the party couldn’t be called official until the Cermonial Crying of the Mom. Kathleen, Claire’s mama, delivered.

No, I just have some smoke in my eye.

To Claire and Theo, I raise my (virtual) glass to you both. You have one of the most loving support systems I’ve ever witnessed. Your family and friends loves you more than you can ever know, and I’m elated at the opportunity to chronicle this whole process.

By Claire’s request.

Papa Brandow toasts. Everyone tries not to cry.

Thank god for that smoke, made for the perfect excuse.

Could someone pass the tissues?

Daddy Dearest

November 18, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 9 Comments

We just found out that we have the day after Thanksgiving off for a holiday. I consider this an early Christmas gift so, in turn, as much as I am ashamed to admit it, my mind decided to make the connection to Christmas through song.

I’ve been singing (in my head) (mostly) “All I Want for Christmas” since we found out. Please, don’t ban me from my favorite store, Nordstrom!

But honestly, this blessing may seem small to some, but when you live hundreds of miles from your immediate family members, every day is precious, especially around the holidays. And, in less than a week, I’ll be going home to my favorite people on the planet. But there’s one in particular that I’d like to focus on today.

So Professional, yeah?

My daddio. He’s ~~kind of~~ absolutely a big deal in the movers and shakers of the courtroom, and I’m proud to say he’s been on the “Best of” for his profession for the past three years. But that’s just stuff you can find out from a quick Google search. So I’ll spare you all. I’m here to write about the man that I’ve known and loved longer than any other.

One heck of a family portrait

To the man who had five kids in 9 years, and served as a human jungle gym as we scurried and climbed all over him, trying to claim “king of the mountain” on our father. I swear, growing up, I was certain he had extra arms, because he was always holding one of our hands or carrying another or adjusting the one that was on his back. He’s such a pro, you’d swear he majored in “baby juggling” at school.

A perfect match

To the man that makes my mom happy every single day. The one that texts her a little love note in the morning, just about every morning. The one that searches high and low to find her the perfect present for Christmas and birthdays (even if I botch it and suggest that the “perfect present” is a dessert tray. Oops, sorry mom!)

Proud of his girl

To the guy that looks at his wife the way teenage boys look at the girl they’re taking to prom. It’s like he sees her and thinks, “WOW! How did I get so lucky?!”

I’ve never seen him prouder than the night of her Grad Party celebrating her graduation from grad school.

Tar Heel BABY!

Wait. I may have seen him prouder, and that’s when I graduated from UNC. He’s the man that supports his family without question, in any and every way possible.

His hours at the work are nothing compared to the hours he spent driving us to tournaments, cheering us from the bleachers as we swam, spiked, dribbled, blocked, and shot. He’s our number one fan, and I always worked a little harder when I heard him shout “GO JORDY!!”

Family Fun

Here’s to the guy who taught me that family comes first. The one who drives two hours to pick his mom up and bring her home when Hurricane Irene is on the horizon. The one who cares for his nieces and nephews like they’re his own, and the man who made every Christmas morning magical. This is honoring the guy whose handwriting looks EERILY similar to Santa’s and the Toothfairy’s (a conclusion I didn’t reach for years upon years.)

Get you some, Daddy!

Here’s to the guy who everyone would describe as serious and straight laced, but the one that taught us that, when there’s a song you love, you’d better dance your face off.

Looks like it rubbed off, eh?

Bros Dads Icing Bros?

To the man who iced his son.

I’ll never forget that moment.

Here’s to the trunk of my family tree, my Dad. The one who was there when I was born, the one I look forward to one day walking down the aisle with, and the one who’s turned from a father to so much more, to one of my best friends.

Happy Birthday, Dad, and thanks for everything!!

I LOVE YOU!

Rehearsal Dinner at Open Door Gastropub

October 12, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 11 Comments

Good evening, we made it to Wednesday! Hope everyone celebrated in the right way (namely, No Pants Wednesday). Even though I have volleyball tonight, I’ve taken a break at home to enjoy some No Pants time… and some blogging time.

Though I teased you all with some tidbits of my cousin’s wedding this weekend, there was more to it than silly mustaches and food on a stick. In fact, there was a whole weekend of fun. And it all started with the rehearsal (and rehearsal dinner!) We were running a little late due to traffic from that crazy Occupy Wall Street stuff, so we went underground. Namely, to the subway!

Get her to the church on time!!

Luckily, we just made it, and the church was stunning. Having been featured in Godfather II, Moonstruck, Men in Black, and Confessions of a Shopaholic, the Church of St. Anthony of Padua was picturesque, to say the least.

My camera just doesn't do it justice.

After watching the rehearsal go down (since I was giving a reading!!) we hopped a cab back to the hotel, which was luckily a stone’s throw from the location of the rehearsal dinner! The location of the dinner was Open Door Gastropub and, after reading some Yelp reviews and checking out their menu, I was specifically stoked for the extensive drink menu. I decided, with so many options, it was definitely going to be a beer night.

Bottom's Up!

I started the night off with a Goose Island IPA which was tasty but not incredibly hoppy. A good way to start the night. Also a good way to start the night?

Mini Beef Wellingtons... I'll be wolfing you down all night.

The appetizers were quality bar food, and also included pigs in a blanket. Pretty much a party in my mouth.

The best part of the night was definitely when my oldest brothers finally arrived!!

The Golden Age!

Despite our massive amount of love for my youngest brother and sister (the one I just had the Sister Date with!), the three of us always joke that we’re the “Golden Age”, as it took 3 years for all of us to be born, and 4 years later came the babies. Well we were reunited in full force!

After all the tasty beers and appetizers, I was not all that interested in the food, but it was a pretty impressive spread.

Hot bar!

I was really looking forward to the infamous Mac and Cheese here… alas, no luck. But let’s be honest, the real focus fell to the massive selection of beers. Over the course of the night, I enjoyed:

Goose Head IPA
Southern Tier 5 Boroughs BPA (Something I’d NEVER seen before!)
Chimay Trappiste
Ommegang Hennepin Farmhouse Saison
Brooklyn Brewery’s Brooklyner Schneider Hopfen-Weiss
La Chouffe

And mayyyybeeee a few more that I forgot to document on untappd. Clearly, it’s a top notch spot for (affordable) craft beer in NYC, if you’re looking. Oh well, the drinks come, the focus switches from beer listing to family fun!

My lovely lady cousins! (the bride's the one in red...)

Getting our drinks after a looong wait!

Mini cupcakes from Crumbs. Oh my goodness...

Don't worry, I had no interest in this vodka.

My cousin, on the other hand.

All in all, it was a beery, bar-y fun time had by all. But I still don’t understand the name, Open Door. Darn doors were closed all over the place.

Or lead to nowhere.

Maybe they were being ironic?

I heard that’s big in NYC.

What’s your dream rehearsal dinner spot?

I’d love something with lots of tasty beers, comfort food, and good music!!

Six Pack Sunday: My Cousin’s Wedding!

October 9, 2011December 27, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 14 Comments

Long lost readers, I made it through the weekend!

I just woke up from a 2-ish hour nap after a long day of recovery (read: brunching, packing, trying to find my brother [who somehow ended up keyless at a train station in the next state over the morning after the wedding…], and riding back to PA from NYC. $100 to park for two days, that city is no joke.)

I’ll save the full write-up for another day, but in the meantime, in true Six Pack Sunday fashion, here are a few funny bits and pieces to tide you over (tie vs. tide? the link suggests I’m good with tide….)

Six Pack Sunday: My Cousin’s Wedding

1. Oh, do they?

Harsh warning.

Ok, maybe I was reading too much into this one. But doesn’t this just read almost like “They F**k You?”

Well, after a few hours in traffic, feeling a bit loopy, that’s how we all saw it. Hilarious, at the time. (Apparently, the translation of Daifuku is great luck. Now you know.)

2. A Dead Ringer… for Ringer!

The lovely Sarah Michelle Gellar was my inspiration for my wedding hairstyle, a la her new show, Ringer.

NAILED IT!

Ok, well I’m no Siobhan or Bridget, but I think I rocked it out. Pin straight, slicked back, feeling like a rockstar.

3. Workout ~~Barbie~~ Bunny

Energizer Bunny coincidence? I think not.

At 10:00 am the morning after the rehearsal dinner/party, my brother and I shocked everyone by heading to the hotel gym. Admittedly, it was a TINY room with a treadmill, an elliptical, and free weights + bench… but that was all we needed. GREAT to get a sweat session in while everyone else was nursing their hangovers.

4. Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey and… Drunky?

The Eighth Dwarf?

I loved the venue of the rehearsal dinner/party. It was held at the Open Door Gastropub in the Financial District of NYC and had an excellent beer selection!! One of my favorites, initially for the name, was La Chouffe, an unfiltered fruity blonde beer. The glass it was served in was for the McChouffe, which they didn’t have on draught, but it was too cute. Friendliest little beer dwarf of all time!!

5. Put a ~~Bird On~~ Stick In It!

Party on a stick!

Skewers, kebobs, kabobs, shish kabobs, meat on a stick… call it what you want to call it, this station was one of the best parts of the reception. It was simple. Marinated steak/salmon/chicken/veggies, meet sticks. Sticks meet fire. Cooked food, meet my mouth.

Repeat.

6. The Girls with the Bro-staches

With these, we’ll never get carded

Fact: For the duration of a single song (I think it was Love Train), my cousin, Devon, and I wore mustaches. Then we removed them. They were like ghost mustaches… I bet folks wondered if it was just their imagination. Well, it wasn’t. It was real! It was ALL SO REAL!

What was the best/funniest part of your weekend?

Ain’t No Wedding Like a Family Wedding

October 6, 2011October 5, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

This is a huge weekend for my family. My cousin, Whitney, is getting married this weekend in the big NYC and the whole gang’s going to be together. With my mother being one of 8 children, and their children being quite numerous, and me being one of 5 children the hits keep coming. Not too much time for a post today, as I’ll be bustling about at work before flying home immediately after work (oh, and getting a pedicure during lunchtime) there’s not too much time for blogging.

That being said, I’d love to share some pictures from the LAST major family wedding I went to (and had a BLAST and a half at).

Looking snazzy with the beau.

Hopping aboard the jitney

Freezing up in the penthouse suite.

A Coca Cola and a blushing bride, what more can a man ask for?

Driftwood, beautiful

My cousin (the one who's getting married on Saturday) practicing her bouquet toss!!

My brother illustrating the inevitable hangover the following morning.

Here’s to one hell of a wedding weekend coming up.

Pipe Dreams

August 2, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

I don’t normally do this, but honestly, this dress is just stunning and I need somewhere to save it.

Dawid Tomasczewski Dress from That's So Rue

If I ever get married, I want it to be in this dress.

We will return to normal-person posts later tonight.

In the meantime, thanks for allowing me to geek out, girly style.

The 61 Hour Wedding Whirlwind Weekend: The Reception

July 29, 2011March 8, 2012 / foodsweatandbeers / 3 Comments

Happy Friday, friends and neighbors. Today the weekend is starting a little early, though not for anything extremely fun. When I got to work today, I was feeling decidedly normal, but that faded fast. Slowly and surely, with tummy rumblings and general malaise, I realized it was bound to be a half day. It’s likely some perfect storm of not eating a real dinner last night (but nibbling on calamari, shrimp and salsa, and making a peach crumble sundae…), my past two weeks of travel catching up on me, and my own, personal shark week (explanation may be TMI for regular readers, but feel free to click if you don’t understand.) No matter the culprit, my body just needed some R&R (&S… for salad!)

Taco Salad + a special guest!

I sprinkled some sexy chia seeds on top for a little crunch (and because… you know… all the cool kids do it.) It reminded me of sesame seeds, and the salad was delicious. Probably very good for me to get some greens into my body after the lousy food and drink I put in my belly last night.

I thank you all for sticking it out and following this wedding journey to the end, and in case you haven’t (but want to) here’s the recap so far:

We all know, to quote a great man, that “After the show, it’s the after parrrrrrrrrtyyyyyy” (R. Kelly, 2003). The wedding party was danced onto the boat where the reception was held, one of Pittsburgh’s infamous Gateway Clipper Fleet ships. Unfortunately, one of the groomsmen didn’t quite have his “land legs” yet, and promptly spilled an entire glass of red wine on the table.

Smooth, bro.

Luckily, the crew had it cleaned up in a jiffy, and in a few minutes, after the rest of us got our drinks, the table was again ready for sitting.

Groom, bride, and Bre, the other MOH

Up next was the part of the night I was the most anxious about… the SPEECHES! First up was Miles, brother of the groom, and best man.

Dapper dude

His speech was top notch. Clever, touching, and to the point. It touched on the loyalty of the groom, the generosity of the bride, and how right they were for each other.

The other MOH, Breanna, discussed the meeting of Caitlin and Eamonn as a fairytale, starting with dorm rooms and shot glasses. I’ll admit, I had very little knowledge of this inside joke, but I know it meant a lot to the happy couple, and was happy that someone who actually knew them well as a couple could speak to their love story.

I don’t have any pictures of my own speech, since I was giving it and all, but all of my anxiety flew away the moment someone handed me a microphone. I looked back at Caitlin and tried to speak from the heart, and I did it all without crying at all (though there were some seriously intense cracks in my voice, made me feel like a pubertal boy… one who was about to weep openly in front of his friends.) It went over well, though, and then the fun could begin!!

Ryan and I cutting a rug (Source: Chrissy K Photography)

Adorable cake topper

Woops, how'd that one slip in there?

Love on the top deck!

And the night was capped off with beautiful fireworks (that were meant for the Pittsburgh Pirates… but we felt like they were all for us!)

Boom boom boom

All in all, I’d say a successful wedding. Romantic, inspiring, and on a boat. All the best parts of a night out, right?

Bahahaha now that I have a blog I can post pictures like this ALL THE TIME!

PS my sincere apologies to Ryan, my beau, for being such a camera ham…. and for posting pictures like this. Thanks for ~~tolerating~~ dating me.

Ok, now I’m off to try and feel better…. maybe with the help of this week’s US Weekly. Apparently Denise Richards is gonna “tell all.”

I’m riveted.

Do you like celebrity gossip?

Do you take ridiculous pictures of you and your significant other in hopes that one day, you can show them off for all the world to see?

Yeah. Me too.

The 61 Hour Wedding Whirlwind Weekend: Pictures and the Ceremony!

July 28, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

Hey y’all and TGIT!! Truly, though, I’m feeling FANTASTIC on this Thursday. It may have something to do with the unplanned extra hour and a half I got this morning when I decided that the great dreams I was having were more important than the 7 am BodyAttack class…. No matter what is causing it, I hope this feeling doesn’t fade anytime soon!!

Lunch today also may have something to do with my great mood, because it was a perfect one. One of my coworkers brought a little treat for everyone in the office and put it on the “community microwave” which is usually where we put snacks that we made or leftover goodies to “share with the rest of the class.” Today’s was MUCH better than cupcakes.

Tiny tomatoes, perfect for lunchtime!

They completed the salad for the ages:

Even better than last night!!

This little taco salad was very similar to last night’s taco salad but tasted much more delicious. I think it had something to do with the freshest little tomatoes and the fact that there wasn’t 1/4 lb of SUPER STRONG spicy turkey (which I replaced with a 1/3 can of Bush’s reduced sodium blackbeans) overpowering everything. I really tasted the avocado, and it gave the salad a creamy counterpart to the crisp peppers.

Anyway, here’s the fourth installment of the wedding weekend (sorry if you’re getting sick of this, but not too sorry because it’s been a blast to write and great for my mom to get a play by play of the wedding!!)

In case you missed it, here are the other parts:

After we finished getting all dolled up, we rushed Cait’s room to observe her (much more laborious) preparation.

THE DRESS!

Cait’s dress was a total looker, fitting for such a flawless bride!

The bow on the back was difficult, apparently, but we had a bridesmaid for that! Juli, one of Cait’s old roomies, was ready to step up.

Bow-i-gami!

There were many many pictures snapped of the bridesmaids, of Cait, of the moms, of the photographer:

This is so meta.

Then, we hopped onto a trolley to head up to Mt. Washington for THE BIG REVEAL!! In case you’re unaware, the big reveal is the first look that the groom gets at his bride. Especially important when you’re taking pictures before the ceremony!

Trolley beers

Love at first sight.

Clearly, the tallest of the bridesmaids.

It was incredibly hot and sweaty during the picture taking, but we had a good time in the trolley thanks to our dear friend: beer.

Cheers to the happy couple!

Unfortunately, I didn’t get many pictures from the ceremony considering how annoying it would’ve been having a Maid of Honor snapping shots inside the chapel. But thankfully, my handsome date snapped a few.

So excited!

MWA!! It's official!!

Oh, hey boyf! I FOUND YOU! and you found... my crazy eyes!

The ceremony was beautiful, the vows… inspiring. And we all hooted and hollered as they walked off into a sea of bubbles!

Note my "I scream louder than anyone else!" face.

Join us tomorrow for our final installment: the afterparrrrrrrtyyyyyy! (also known as the reception).

The 61 Hour Wedding Whirlwind Weekend: Primping

July 27, 2011 / foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

Happy Hump Day, humpers!

Today’s lunch was rather familiar, almost the twin of yesterday’s.

Another day, another tasty meal!

I took the last half of a green pepper and sliced it up as a side. For the main course, a Flatout Light Italian Herb wrap (that sorta ripped in transit, hence it looks a little smaller than usual), a fried egg, some Muenster cheese, turkey, salsa, and spinach. It was WONDERFUL, truly great. I love the combination of the warm egg with the melty cheese and the fantastic Boar’s Head smoked turkey. Whenever I see it on sale at the Teeter, I can’t help myself. Mmmm.

In case you missed the past two posts, check em out!

Today, things get really great though. My favorite part of the wedding weekend was probably the girls day at Izzazzu Salon on Fifth Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. When we got there, there was another wedding party getting their hair done, and we were a little annoyed that we couldn’t set up…

"Really? It's my wedding day. K, bye other women."

I took a chance to check out the view from the top.

Not too shabby, eh?

All the members of the bridal party brought the essentials and, before we knew it, it was our turn. We set up shop.

Hunger, thy name is bridesmaids.

I was on Wheat Thin duty (my favorite of all duties), and we also had a hot mess of a table full of bagels and schmear, gum (for after the party!), Reese’s cups (Caitlin’s favorite), Sabra Hummus (which I ended up keeping some of! SCORE!), cookies and, most importantly, MIMOSAS!!

However, for future reference, I think it’s important that I tell you all that truthfully, I prefer to call them Mimos (rhymes with Nemo, as in the fish that sparked the trans-Atlantic/Pacific search). Whew, glad I got this outta the way.

ANYWHO, Mimos are maybe my favorite thing to drink during the day and, since I was the last one to get my hair/makeup done, I was on Mimo distribution duty. Happy to help.

No Mimo left behind!!

The bride brought in a few pictures of Rachel McAdams from the 2010 Oscars, and her stylist got to work.

Blushing bride!

She looked stunning, as did her mother!

Caitlin’s family has always felt like my own second family, and this whole weekend was just fantastic to reconnect with them and I was honored to be a part of it.

The hair and makeup continued for quite some time, as I threw back a few more Mimos and got snap-happy with my camera. Then, after enjoying a bagel and some schmear and making myself a Mimo-to-go, it was my turn!!

I think that in Heaven, you get this treatment daily.

The tiny Mimo I’d brought over wasn’t even CLOSE to sufficient for the amount of time my hair took to blowdry, but luckily, my fellow bridesmaid, Kristin, brought over a much fatter one.

Now I'm ready to face this ETERNAL process!

I think it turned out pretty well, though, worth the time and effort.

Glamorama (ps I did NOT drink that mimo. it was merely a prop.)

After a ~~quick~~ lengthy airbrush makeup application, and a swig of champy, it was time for Lindsey and I (aka the last ones left) to hit the road.

Luckily, I was not the driver, don't worry!

Next stop, THE CHAPEL!

Have you ever gotten your hair done for a major event? How about your makeup?

I’ll admit, this was my first time getting my makeup done and honestly… while I liked it, I’m not sure it was worth it for the future (at least maybe until my own wedding.) Plus, I’m STILL trying to get the last bits off. At least it looked good for pictures!!

Hopefully y’all are enjoying this little recap of the wedding weekend. I’m having a BLAST writing it up!

Food, Sweat, and Beers

That's what this girl's made of…

Wedding