I've Got Beach Fever

I have not been to the beach yet this summer (unless you count the whirlwind weekend at the end of April for Brianne's wedding - be we barely saw the beach... there was other fun to be had!).



Here's hoping that every weekend in August I'll be at the coast. I can't believe these pictures were taken in August of 2007! I stumbled upon them on my computer tonight and it stirred up this wicked beach fever I've been suffering from for months now...







Other than the NC coast, Nick and I will be heading to Clearwater, Florida over Labor Day Weekend for Jen and Trey's wedding (congrats, y'all!). Anyone got any suggestions for places in the St. Pete/Clearwater area of Florida that we should check out during the long weekend?

Royal Wedding?

Move over, William and Kate - this weekend is all about Drew and Brianne!

Another love of my life is marrying the love of her life this weekend and I'm so excited to be making my way to Ocean Isle Beach in just a few short hours (after a Friday morning full of work) for a weekend full of rehearsals, dinner, doing my girlfriend duty once more of lookin' good in a bridesmaid dress, a ceremony, and a rockin' coastal reception!



Congrats, Bri and Drew!!! I loooooove you two! :-*

(Yes, B*Money is one of the few people in this world that I'd miss the TBMF for - and yes, I do expect texts, calls, and pictures from those of you dancing on a cooler in a field in Garner on Saturday!)

Weekends of Epic Proportions

I'll just preface this post by saying, "I can sleep when I'm dead". (Thank you JMC!)

Today - E. Riley Dorn (pictured below, on the right) is at the hospital about to welcome little "G Baby" into the world. Pretty wild stuff. I am not nearly as spazzed out about it as the rest of our little mafia, as I've had several friends to take on this responsibility since senior year of high school (shout out to Steph, Amanda)! The rest of the girls in our college gang? Well they're another story. (And really entertaining to observe their reactions right now.)

(Katie Pi Phi, me, E. Riley Dorn at a bar a few years ago)

Congrats Hot Momma E. Riley Dorn and Daddy Dorn!

Tonight - Nick and I are volunteering with Priscilla and her hubby Chase, and lots of other volunteers from the Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors Community Service Committee (you know I also have a real estate license, right?) at Miracle League. Pretty pumped to be volunteering to help some fantastic kids play baseball!

Tomorrow- NC State Spring Football Game, possibly a visit to CueGrass, and definitely attending Redress Raleigh.

Sunday- Bridal show w/ Brezey*B, Am*Bam, etc.

(Me, Brianne, Amber - summer after senior year of high freaking school)

NEXT Weekend

TBMF with Katie Pi Phi, Mr. Katie Pi Phi (who will have a snazzy nickname after next weekend, surely), F'in Jess, Grubey and her brother, NEB, Nate, Big Cam, Renee, and the whole rest of the drinkin' team. Best day of the year!

(Yes, that is also E. Riley Dorn in that picture... less than a year ago... SO not pregnant, obviously ;-))

PS - Going to the TBMF and still need tickets? Buy them from my friends at the Me Fine Foundation - they get a donation from every single ticket sold! Give them a call or send them an email to arrange!

And that will consume the entire weekend - no lie.

Why on Earth would I live anywhere else in the world?
I love this place and the people that make it what it is!

I Knew I Liked Her...

Carrie Underwood just seems like my kind of girl. If someone was to ask me "Who would you like to be for a day?"... I think she'd probably make a good answer.

From my pal Broadway on Air (we don't actually know each other either, but Broadway also seems like my kind of guy and I used to love listening to him on 106.1FM when they were country):

While chatting with media on the red carpet at the People's Choice Awards, Carrie Underwood told People.com what she hopes to have for her wedding day.

"[I want] a groom, good food and an open bar,"

Carrie also plans to channel her deep southern roots when it comes to her wedding day 'do.'

"I’m Southern," she says. "I like big hair and eyeliner. I want my wedding day to be me, so I’ll probably be rocking some big hair and some eyeliner."Read the whole feature here!


{Image: Baltimore Sun}

Zac Brown Band Coming to Cary

It's a little messed up that they backed out of the State Fair, but I guess I won't hold a grudge... and will still put their next local show on my calendar.

Via ZBB email today:

The Breaking Southern Ground Tour 2009
Kicking off September 24th in Cary, NC.

Tickets on sale August 14th, 2009
(Thanks for the advance notice guys... *insert sarcastic look here*.)Thank goodness it's a Thursday concert and doesn't interfere with weddings (Nikki and Randy's that weekend) and wait for it... college football (NCSU vs. Pittsburgh)!

Bridal Parties & the Like: Downtown Raleigh

I have been been bouncing around the idea of starting a website or blog dedicated to being the most awesome bridesmaid you can be... ever. You know, something to the tune of "winggirls.com".

Why? Because I get asked questions like this on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

"Hey Lisa - Where should I plan a bridal party in Raleigh for about 20-30 guests?"
Here are a few of my recommendations:
Amra's {http://amrasraleigh.com/}
Super trendy upscale decor, great wine selection, and catering available from Tobacco Road.
On Glenwood

Tobacco Road {http://tobaccoroadsportscafe.com/about/index.html}
Dining room or private room reservation. Great food, full bar, and a very attentive and friendly staff.
On Glenwood

Metro Café {http://www.wix.com/metrocafeandlounge/metrocoffee}
The girls from the E. Riley-soon-to-be-Dorn team and I hosted one here recently. They let us bring in our own food (great budget saver) and were SO nice.
City Market

Peche de Chocolat {http://www.pechechocolat.com/}
A chocolate and wine bar that has just relocated from City Market to Glenwood, too. Laura is the owner, she's awesome.
On Glenwood

The Oxford - {http://oxfordraleigh.com/}
For a large party, you can likely reserve the area "under the stars" that stayed after the conversion from Yancey's to The Oxford. Great food, full bar.
Fayetteville Street
All of these suggestions are in Downtown Raleigh. Each website should have an email address or a contact page for you or whoever is planning your party to contact each venue about hosting the event there.

If anyone reading wants some options in Cary or any other parts of town, just shoot me an email or leave a comment!

Any other Downtown suggestions from my fellow Raleigh kids?

"Helloooooo Hangover"

I usually put Swagger's giveaways on the girly blog (all things retail, style, and trends), but this one can apply to many of you - girly or not, and it prefaces a later post on this past weekend's really awesome Riley-Dorn wedding extravaganza.

This week's Facebook Friday of the Week from Swagger's facebook page is a product that has gotten rave reviews and flies out of stock: Sprayology.

Sprayology Party Relief is one of our all time most popular items - and we FINALLY have it back in! Some of our customers (you know who you are) have been begging for it!

This Party Relief is a HANGOVER REMEDY and it works like a charm - I had to test it out for you guys! :) You will be seriously happy you found this product!

You can check it out here: https://www.swaggergifts.com/party-relief $24Would have been AWESOME to have some handy yesterday and this morning. My hangover (possibly second hangover of the day) hit around 2pm while we were having breakfast at iHop. Yep, breakfast at 2pm. (I had to go retrieve my car from the Sheraton parking deck while I still had a driver and a vehicle at the townhouse before he had to go to work before I could meet the gang for breakfast.)

PS - So how did I get home? White Horse! These are my boys (because they deliver me home safely on a regular basis) and I love them. Cabs suck - get in the truck! (That should be their new tagline.)Put the following numbers in your cell phone address book: 919-782-5893 or 888-62-HORSE (888-624-6773). You WILL thank me the next time you'd like a reliable ride home at 2am.

Obligatory Wedding Post

I think know the South has a very awesome way of making weddings better than any other geographic region, so I read a few wedding blogs. Read: a few, not hundreds of the thousands that are out there - mostly scanning for looks and pictures I just like.

I can't even tell you why I enjoy a great inspiration board, especially since I constantly tell the BF we're just going to pack up and head to Jamaica and tell everyone to meet us there for the weekend, but I just do.

Anyway, I digress - we are in the height of wedding season and I would like to remind everyone of one thing before I throw a few fab links out there: please do not get married during football season and if you must, please do not schedule your wedding the same date as NCSU vs. UNC... I'm sorry, but I will not be able to attend. Thankfully, the BFF is marrying the biggest State fan I know - so we're good in that department. (I don't think he'd show up if the wedding date was November 22nd, either.)

Anyway, here's a few posts from the very few wedding blogs I subscribe to that were too awesome not to share:

• The first picture in Southern Wedding Style's mega post is for those of you who keep asking BF of 5 years when he's going to FINALLY pop the question (stop it right now).
• I also love their new 5+5: The South's Top Photogs banner - a girl like me with more awesome friends than I can count on two hands is definitely going to need a bridal party that large.
• Bridal jewelry any bride/smaid would be gorgeous in... think Swagger here!
• And finally, Southern Wedding of the Week: I dedicate that to my Carolina-loving BF (nobody's perfect)... I'd be willing to have the rehearsal dinner there if we could have the wedding at Carter-Finley.

I hope you brides-to-be who read this blog enjoy those links (and anyone else who just down-right appreciates a great Southern wedding)!