My Weekend, Part I

I had a great weekend and so many pictures to share! I decided to split my recap into two parts so it isn't too much of a picture overload!

Thursday

I absolutely CAN NOT drive to Las Vegas without stopping at the Chick-Fil-A on the way! I had no idea how much I took this place for granted when I lived in Georgia. Now I will do anything for their delicious sweet tea and chicken nuggets with waffle fries!!

My dad has been in Las Vegas for the last month. He goes every year for work and stays at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at the north end of the strip. It's such a nice place and Mom and I are lucky to get to visit him there. He has a one bedroom suite with a fully equipped kitchen, a washer and dryer, an awesome shower and huge tub, and a surprisingly comfortable pull out bed in the living room.

After unpacking our stuff and throwing a load of laundry in, we headed to Ellis Island Casino & Brewery for the $6.95 steak special! I've written about this place and the special so many times {here and here} so I won't bore you with pictures. I will just say that the food was just as good as last time...AND I doubled my money on the slots in the casino! If you are in Vegas, I recommend heading off the beaten path to this place.

Friday

My mom flew in Friday afternoon, so Dad took the day off of work. He was nice enough to let us sleep in a little bit. After we woke up, we headed to the gym for a workout and then back up to the room to get ready while watching the US men's hockey team play.

As a side note, I really loved watching the Olympics this year! Figure skating has always been my favorite, but I really liked seeing the skiing activities as well.

After picking Mom up, we were all ready for lunch. I knew that I wanted to try Hubert Keller's Burger Bar at the Mandalay Bay so that's where we headed. Along the way, I found these very friendly penguins hanging out by the Minus 5 Ice Lounge!

Burger Bar was just as delicious as I was expecting it to be! As an appetizer, we had the fried jalapeno pickles. They were so yummy! I ordered an angus burger with blue cheese, caramelized onions, and jalapeno bacon strips. As a side, I had the sweet potato fries!

{the above is the kobe burger with blue cheese and bacon. fat fries on the side}

Needless to say, my mom was ready to gamble after lunch! We stayed at the Mandalay Bay for a few hours before we headed back to the hotel. What I love about the hotel is that there is a full service marketplace in the downstairs area. They make sandwiches, pizza, and breakfast items, as well as having a fully stocked grocery section. For dinner, we ordered a pizza and ate in our room!

My parents went to bed so we decided to walk to the Peppermill Fireside Lounge {wrote about this place here} to order the famous Scorpion Bowl! Okay, I don't really know if it is famous, but it is delicious! It's almost comical how large the glass is and the straws that come with it are at least 2 feet long. The Peppermill is a fun place to come to sit back, relax, and people watch!

That's it for Part I...stay tuned for Part II soon!

My Encounter with the Stars

My friend Kate shares my love of silver foxes...hehee! I'm not ashamed to admit that I watch NCIS just so I can see Mark Harmon {actually, it's a really great show and he's an added bonus}. Monday night, Kate and I ventured to the Saban Theatre for PaleyFest 2010. The cast of NCIS, along with their producers, writers, and directors, were there to talk about the show, themselves, and anything else the audience wanted to know.

One of the best parts of the evening was getting to see the NCIS episode, Mother's Day, before it aired {last night's episode} and without commercials! The cast really seems to enjoy each other and I love how they are all so appreciative of the show and the fans. I feel that if I were to run into any of them in a public setting, they'd be more than happy to sign an autograph or pose for a picture. They seemed to genuinely love acting!

I had such a great evening, and still can't believe that I was in the same room as some of my favorite celebrities! In fact, I was about 3 feet from Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly when the cast was signing autographs at the end of the show. It was a madhouse at the front, but Kate managed to get both of our tickets signed by the very handsome Michael! It was so amazing and a memory that I'll cherish forever {corny I know, but true}!

{kate's hand in front of Michael!!!}

Things I Noticed/Learned:

• Michael Weatherly is married??! Since when?
• Cote de Pablo is very giggly and cute...like a little girl.
• Now that I've seen "Tony" and "Ziva" together in real life, I really want them to get together on the show! They just seem so comfortable as "Tiva."
• Sean Murray got reaaaaaallllllyyy skinny. His new look had me concerned because he really doesn't look healthy. He also didn't talk very much or seem to be having as good a time as the other actors.
• Rocky Carroll seems like a nice guy! I love to hate him on NCIS because he does a lot of things that make me angry, but in real life, he is very gracious and appreciative.
• Actors are much shorter in real life than they seem on tv {with the exception of Michael}.
• Fans are CRAZY when it comes to the chance at getting an autograph. I got squished, pushed, and stepped on while trying to get close to the stage.

Thank you Kate for inviting me to the show!

PS - Stay tuned for my Las Vegas weekend recap!!

Oops, I Did it Again!

{i just like this picture, credit photobucket}

Hi Lovelies! Happy Friday! Once again, I'm sorry for my unintentional blogging break {I sound like a broken record}. Lots and lots has been going on since I last posted so this is going to be a hodge podge of my life the past couple of weeks...get ready...get set...GO!

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First off, I wanted to mention my New Year's Resolutions and where I stand with all of them:

1. Be healthier. I am learning that when I eat healthier, I feel better. I'm cooking a lot and it's fun to try new recipes. I haven't had take out or fast food in quite a while and it feels good.
   
2. Budget. I am getting nowhere with this one. Seriously, it's baaaaaad.
   
3. Travel. This month I took an awesome trip to San Francisco. This weekend I'll be in San Diego, the next weekend is Las Vegas, and the first weekend in March will be a getaway to Laguna Beach. So I guess I'm doing well with this resolution {hence why my budget thing is not working...}
4. Enjoy exercise. I am working on this one! I joined 24 Hour Fitness and I really look forward to working out in the evenings. I also am enjoying spin class every week.
   
5. Do things that make me happy. Yes, Yes, and Yes!

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I mentioned that I went to San Francisco! I have wanted to go there since I moved here, so it was really exciting for me! I had the best time and really didn't want to leave :(

On the cable car!

Scariest moment of my life - walking the GGB


Pretty view from Vista Point

Love the cable cars and the hills!

With the one that made the trip all worthwhile
{{that's a story for another day}}

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Let's see, what else?

I'm super excited about my Las Vegas trip next weekend because I get to see:

MOM and DAD!!!

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That's it! Have a great weekend friends :)

These Dresses need a Good Home!!

Lilly dresses still for sale...shipping is $7! E-mail me at sweetteadiaries @ gmail.com if you're interested in purchasing either of these dresses.

Kimball Dress, Hammered Satin in Oops I Spilled It Again, Size 8. I have worn this dress 2 or 3 times and it is in flawless condition. There is a dark blue band under the bust area and 2 front pockets. The back has a slight v-neck with a zipper and hook closure. This is such a great dress and is super flattering! (PS - saw this dress {different pattern} on Rue La La's sale for $99)

sold

Lilly Pulitzer Halter Dress, size 10. You may remember this dress from last fall. I bought this dress at Cabana in Santa Monica, CA. This is a really cute orange and light pink parasol and flower pattern. It's a halter top with a back zipper and hook closure. The dress is fully lined and is perfect for summer weather. I've worn this dress one time and it is in flawless condition.

$30

.we have a winner.

thanks to all of you for
entering the giveaway!

thanks to all of you for sharing your Valentine's Day plans...
lots of good things going on next weekend!

thanks to all of you for your sweet comments encouraging me...
this definitely means the most to me!

without further ado, the winner is the lovely Brown Girl from Brown Girl Blogs! Yay! Please email me at sweetteadiaries@gmail.com {by Friday morning!} with your shipping address so I can get the info to Sugar & Flour!! I want to make sure your cookies arrive in time for Valentine's Day!

if you didn't win, please check out Sugar & Flour's etsy site and get your own!