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. :)

Happy December!

I've had a grumpy start to December (work is insane!). However, anything Charlie Brown still reminds me of this lovely month full of holiday cheer, so here's a tribute to my mixed bag of emotions right now.

Oooooh Mexico...

I'll be posting on our trip to Mexico soon! Here's me and Ryan on the beach, right before my friend Tara walked down the aisle. It really was paradise, and it's definitely been tough being back at work this work (and trying not to say "hola!" instead of "hello" to everyone).

"It's Almost Friday" Pick-Me-Up

Happy Thursday! Feeling a bit rebellious today... :)

Happy Birthday to Me!

So another birthday has come and gone (notice the number change in my "About the Author" section). Not that I can complain! I had a wonderful weekend/birthday surrounded by close family and friends, just as I like it. Ryan started it off with an early birthday treat on Friday night. He had custom "Eat Me" cookies made and a "Drink Me" bottle, along with a six-pack of Mad Hatter beer. You get the theme, right?! As a kid, I was OBSESSED with the "Eat Me" cakes and cookies in both versions of Alice in Wonderland, and Ryan never heard the end of it. So this was a fun and creative way to make me giddy at the start of a lovely birthday weekend. And Ryan got major "awesome husband" points.

Being a Halloween baby certainly has it's perks. There's always something to do on your birthday, and everyone's always happy, goofy, and enthusiastic. Plus, I love being spooked, and it's flat in the middle of the best season on earth. Ryan and I took advantage of this by attending an outdoor showing of the Blair Witch Project at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. It was a cold, crisp night, which kept the big crowds away, but we reveled in it. They recommended bringing tents for the movie's subject matter (and those who did got their tents shaken in the midst of the movie!), along with any picnicking items you might want. That meant a bottle of wine and munchies for us. On top of all that, they had tons of people in scary costumes stalk you as you walked through the wooded path to get back and forth to the amphitheater. It definitely was a spooktacular night!

On Saturday we attended the UNC Homecoming football game against Wake Forest with my whole family. We tailgated in the lovely autumn weather with subs and beer beforehand, and then made the long stroll through UNC's beautiful campus to enter a Tar Heel blue stadium. Not a bad Saturday if you ask me.

On Halloween, my actual birthday, I had a fun workday (again, everyone's in good spirits on Halloween!). Then we met up with all my girlfriends and their significant others to have dinner at Mellow Mushroom. Ryan and I, and our friends Chase and Christina, all dressed up as the catering staff from the Starz series Party Down. Throw on a white button-down shirt, a baby pink bowtie, black pants, and a belt, and we were good to go! It was a fun, easy costume, and we had a blast (even though we had to insist to everyone that we were NOT going as the cast of Glee!). Ryan naturally gets the award for "best faces."