Bienvenidos a Mexico!

We got back last month from a lovely trip to Mexico for my friend Tara's wedding. Our resort was located in Mexico's beautiful resort area, just south of Cancún on the coast of the Caribbean Sea. Tara married a wonderful man named Tony, and we couldn't be happier for the two of them. Both the wedding and the trip was fabulous. The resort was GORGEOUS... and massive. To put it simply, everything was so grand! Neverending pools (and sunken-in-the-pool bars), tons of restaurants, and a white sand/crystal clear beach. It was paradise. The all-inclusive thing was too freaking cool--there were restaurant bars and cabana bars everywhere, buffets for any meal, six sit-down restaurants, you name it. We'd get up at 8, head down to the pool for a bloody mary or mimosa, and then hang out there all day. There were fun activities going on all day too, right at the pools: We salsa danced, held a monkey (photo to come), and did water aerobics. Just to name a few.

The ceremony was on our last day there, right before the sun started to set. I boo-hooed the whole time. Then we had a cocktail hour/dancing in a big gazebo in the middle of one of the pools (it was dark at this point, and all the white lights were on), followed by a wonderful dinner at the resort's steakhouse restaurant. After the flight home the next day (I woke up at 3:20 IN THE MORNING), we had to run home, change, and get up to Maggiano's for the in-town reception. Again, such a blast, but what a whirlwind! Tara looked gorgeous (no surprise there), and it was just a really fun trip to go on with the best of friends.

Tara walking with her dad down the "aisle."

The newlyweds

I've never experienced such amazing customer service as we had in Mexico. All those rumors and warnings we heard before traveling there were immediately dispelled. The only problem I had was trying to stop from saying "hola!" and "gracias!" to people when we got back to the States. :)

Biweekly Round-Up!

So there have been lots of fun activities in the past couple weeks! We showered Tara, one of my best friends, in anticipation of her upcoming nuptials in November. It was a fiesta-themed shower based on her destination wedding in Mexico, which we'll be attending in a few weeks. Our passports, tickets, and reservations are all ready to go! We'll be spending four days/three nights in the Iberostar Paraíso Maya all-inclusive resort on the beachfront of Playa del Paraíso, between Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen. And can you say "lazy river around the resort"? YES. That's where you'll find me when I'm not doting on the bride. Here's a photo of me with Tara and Katie at the shower. We've been best friends since about 7th grade. Unbelievable.

Clockwise from top left: Tara, me, and Katie

Ryan and I also attended the North Carolina State Fair last week. I have an odd love for this event... always have. People from all over the state (under whatever rocks they live beneath) emerge to convene at this melting pot of crisp fall weather, fried food, rickety rides, and bizarre spectacles. This year Ryan and I pigged out on the following (yes, all of it): giant turkey leg, roasted corn, lemonade, philly cheesesteak, al's french fries, deep-fried twinkie, root beer float, and a vanilla milkshake. We strolled around the stables to see all the cows, visited the art exhibit and craft vendors, and took our annual exhilarating ride on the Fire Ball. I can't stop laughing for about ten minutes after I exit this ride...so scary, but so much fun.

In the cow stables at the NC State Fair

The "Fire Ball" ride at the fair

Finally, this weekend we went up to Norfolk, Virginia to attend Aiden's fall festival. Activities and rides, cotton candy and popcorn, craft vendors... you name it. Aiden had a great time running around with his class buddies, and we got to sit outside on this sunny fall day, picnic, and see how many blow-up prizes Aiden could win (I think he got a microphone, an M&M guy, oversized blow-up shoes, a giant flower, and a fish... and probably more). On Sunday we took a trip to Newport News, VA, to visit the Virginia Living Museum, which exhibits more than 250 species of animals and plants native to Virginia (including sea otters, red wolves, and bald eagles!). It also had tons of cool indoor and outdoor exhibits, gardens, and a planetarium show that we attended on the Virginia skies. All in all, it was a great way to spend a Sunday with the family.

Ryan and Aiden at the fall festival (with his inflatable prizes)

Posing with the statue outside the Virginia Living Museum

Aiden inside a giant turtle shell, with his little round head

Good Friends, Good Wine

This weekend my girlfriends and I headed out to Yadkinville, North Carolina for a little taste of our state's wine country in honor of my friend Tara's upcoming nuptials in November. There's really nothing like a bachelorette weekend in the middle of nowhere! On Saturday we made our rounds to three wineries in the area (we needed a week to cover all of them), all within a 10-minute drive from the cabin we rented. Let's just say that getting to the cabin at 11 pm on Friday night was an adventure within itself. After turning off the main road into our "driveway," the word "roads" no longer came into play. There were little grassy/rocky paths that we navigated in the dark, not completely knowing whether we were getting closer to the house or burying ourselves deeper and deeper into the forest. It was a long muddy, bumpy, and terrifying ride, but we couldn't do anything but laugh about it. We fully creeped each other and ourselves out before screaming with relief when we saw the house before us, but it was definitely a memorable and "rustic" experience. :)

Our first stop on Saturday was at Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery, a lovely Italian winery in the most beautiful location. The seemingly never-ending rows of grapes, rolling green hills covering the horizon, and Tuscan-like landscape filled with flowers and stone made this winery a breathtaking sight. It really you feel like you were in another country. After our wine tasting, we picnicked with sandwiches and a bottle of red wine on one of the courtyards before heading to our next destination. I hope to return here with Ryan for a couple's weekend one day.

Our next stop was Dobbins Creek Vineyards, located in the beautiful Swan Creek area. We went into their charming cabin to taste a variety of reds and whites, the hands-down favorite of the group being a blackberry-infused Cabernet. We secured a bottle of it and enjoyed it on the winery's awesome front porch, complete with dining tables and rocking chairs... not to mention a spectacular view. Here's the bride-to-be enjoying the warm sunshine, a cool breeze, and her blackberry wine.

Our third and final winery stop for the day was Shadow Springs Vineyard, located just five minutes from our cabin. Despite how much we enjoyed ourselves at the first two stops, I think this one was our favorite. As a family-owned vineyard, we all immediately felt like we were tasting wines with a large extended family. The spectrum of wines ranged from deep reds to finishing with a delicious strawberry (yum!) and chocolate wine. Mix the strawberry and chocolate half and half, and voila! Chocolate-covered strawberries. :) After the tasting, we ended up going out to the back patio to help the owner film a promotional piece for the winery, so we got to taste some of their sparkling wine, just as the sun was starting to descend. What a lovely way to finish our tour.

Outside of the wineries, we had a fabulous girls' weekend, complete with homecooked mac and cheese (thanks, Katie!), a lingerie shower, and a game of "Who Knows the Bride Best?" Just having a weekend to fully appreciate and spend time with your close friends is priceless within itself. Tara's been one of my best friends since 7th grade, and it's amazing that we've been able to see one another grow up and stay such close friends as we've grown into adults and ultimately different people; that root core of friendship will always be there, and I thank my lucky stars that I have girlfriends who have been with me through thick and thin. Amen!

Here are a few photos of the unique cabin that Katie found for us to stay in. It was full of antiques and had such a rustic charm to it, surrounded by trees as far as the eye could see. Also included was an attic loft with ladder access, which I was more than happy to sleep in. I definitely felt like we had our own little treehouse and needed a "Keep Out!" sign or something. How cool is that?!?

The ladder leading up to the attic loft.

The attic. I slept in the bed in the back right corner.

Other side of the loft area.

One of the second-floor bedrooms.

And here's a few quotes that sum up my weekend with words that are much more eloquent than my own. Enjoy. :)

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.  ~Elisabeth Foley

A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad.  ~Arnold H. Glasgow 

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.  ~Author Unknown