Becker Bash

Lauren and Drew tied the knot this past weekend in Charlotte.  The rehearsal dinner and wedding were both beautiful and I had an overwhelming amount of fun. 

 

 

 

 

 I am fairly certain 98% of my evening was spent dancing.  Literally, I feel like I should be a choreographer on the show Dancing with the Stars.  Sometimes I'm even amazed at the moves that I make up along the way. 

 

 

I'm not sure who had the genius idea to have 8oz water bottles on the bars but it single handedly kept me from being on the wrong end of a massive hangover.  So whoever you are, thank you for that!

 

 

 

One other planned item that was incredibly smart was making after party reservations at Strike City.  The entire wedding simply moved across the street for a few more hours of fun once the reception ended.   

 

 

Congrats again to Drew and Lauren.  I'm so blessed to have been a part of your union.  You're two of the best friends a girl could ask for. xoxo

Austin... the state capital of Texas

We boarded the plane to Austin only to realize none of us actually knew it was the state capital of Texas until we arrived.  All the more reason to go places you've never been.  I can speak for the group when I say things in Texas really are bigger and Austin treated us well.  We had an absolute blast. 

 

Although I won't go into details about everything we did I will list a few recommendations for those of you who haven't ventured to this fine city. 

 

Restaurants:

Easy Tiger- Great beer garden.  We happened to come in on a half price beer night which made this even better.  Order the pretzels and beer cheese followed by the Reuben.  Enough to share between friends. 

 

Gourdough's Doughnut Truck- I don't even know how to begin to describe this masterful place.  Just go there.  You will not be disappointed.  The flying pig, heavenly hash, and blackout were a few we tried.

 

Second Bar & Kitchen- Loved the atmosphere here.  If you're looking for a quiet spot, this isn't it but if you enjoy music and are okay with some noise then it's perfect.  The pizzas were superb.

 

Roaring Fork- De-Lic-ious.  We literally ordered every appetizer available and passed them around the table.  It's a must (esp. the lamb chop fondue and mac and cheese).

 

Guero's Taco Bar- Three words... Brisket Tacos & Margaritas.

 

Shopping:

South Congress Shopping District has a lot of really cool shops.  Some with a little more personality than others and a few here and there with distinct smells.  We spent an entire afternoon her perusing.  You could get lost in the antiques, costumes, cowboy boots, handmade crafts but it's well worth the time. 

 

 

 

We also spent some time browsing boutiques off fourth street.  There is no shortage of interesting items to purchase.

 

Tours:

Austin Duck Adventures shares all the history Austin has to offer.  For those of you who love pop culture like my friends and I do, this tour also takes you to Austin Lake.  Austin Lake is home of Mathew McConaughey, Andy Roddick/Brooklyn Decker, and Sandra Bullock.  Yes please!

 

 

Night Life:

You do not have to venture far to find bars galore and clubs made for dancing.  If you're looking for more of a college scene with "Bourbon Street appeal" then 6th street is right up your ally.  6th street is blocked and the party ventures into the streets late night.  6th street was a great time but my friends and I preferred our second night out on 4th street.  The majority of our Saturday night was spent at Handlebar Austin having too much fun creating limbo lines and dancing throughout the bar. The DJ was AMAZING!

 

 

And how do you determine if the weekend was a success?  Like this...

 

 

Cheers to a New Year



I decided that since I had to work on New Year's Day I would only go to dinner with my friends on New Year's Eve and then head home for a reasonably early night so I would function at 70% capacity or higher at work the following day. 

 

Well, dinner came and went, desserts back at Meg's came and went, and ladle shots came... and stayed... for a while.  I never was good at missing out on the party and it doesn't look like that's going to change in 2014. 

 

 

As far as resolutions go, I didn't exactly hold up my end of the deal last year so I think it best not to go exploit myself all over the interwebs this year.  Hope all five seven of my readers (and all you others out there) have a wonderful 2014.  I have a feeling this one's going to be life changing :) 

 

 

 

 

and this is what you look like when you have to go to work after staying up past midnight... definitely worth spending the New Year with my bests!

A day on the farm

 

Tucker and I were able to spend the day at the stables with a few furry friends of ours.  Meet Darby, my favorite thoroughbred.  She and Tucker had quite the afternoon together. 

 

 

  

Darby and I had some fun on our ride as well.  

 

 

 

And what's a day spent with Tucker without a photo?  Oh, he is the sweetest pup. 

Happy Thanksgiving



Hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving!

 

Meredith and AJ's Engagement Party

Congrats to Mere and AJ!!!  I am so excited to celebrate your engagement.  You're both fabulous and we cannot wait for the wedding in March.

engagement parties always turn into a friends photo shoot... of sorts!

I left my heart in San Fran

 

My trip to San Francisco 12 years ago does not compare to my most recent rendezvous in this fabulous city.  I went to visit my dear friends Genevieve and Kenlee and had an absolutely wonderful time.  It was a whirlwind of a weekend and well worth it. 

Friday when I landed Genevieve scooped me up from the airport and we went for drinks at the Lion Pub.  Be sure to take cash and order the Grapefruit Greyhound.  The fruit is freshly squeezed and the drinks are delicious. 

 

We had dinner at The Brixton.  Eat everything... it's all delicious.  Gen and I split crab cakes and macaroni and I had the chicken and beet salad for dinner.  Amazing. 

 

Saturday morning we woke up and went to the coast for the day.  If you've never gone to an oyster farm put it on your must do list.  Hog Island Oyster Farm is a true experience.  Reserve a picnic table, pack a bottle of wine, and spend a few hours shucking your own oysters and enjoying the view.  It's an absolutely beautiful place and a perfect way to spend the day. 

 

                                     

 

                                     

 

 

 

The other must do while in Northern California is take a trip to Sonoma.  I could spend weeks here but only had ten hours before I had to board my red eye back to the east coast.  Scribe Winery was by far my favorite of our stops.  It was rustic, earthy, and I absolutely loved the people that work there.  Our tasting was fabulous, not to mention all of the wines were spectacular.  I managed to limit myself to 6 bottles of vino and am anticipating their arrival at my front door any day now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had brunch at The Fremont Diner.  Between the four of us we managed to consume deviled eggs, the Fremont burger, macaroni and cheese, Nashville chicken, crab chips, chili, and catfish.  Of course mimosas were necessary to wash it all down.  

 

                                  



 

We also made stops at Sebastiani and Domaine Carneros before my trip to Sonoma had to sadly come to an end. 

 

 

 

 

I had an amazing time and cannot wait for my next trip to San Francisco.  Thanks for a great weekend!  I'll be back soon San Fran.  xoxo