today i looked up

...and I looked in:



...and I laughed of course!

Here's to always being curious, easily entertained, and keeping a camera on hand.

who are you? (part 2)

...continued...

So after the wedding ceremony, Ron our bus driver took us back to the Rittenhouse Hotel for cocktail hour and reception festivities:





We were greeted by a beautiful room full of dapper looking people:





Of course I made a beeline to the bubbly, where I met Maiel:



What you can't see in this photo, is that there was champagne all over his face. I walked up to the bar through the crowd of people and asked him for a glass. As we were chatting and he was twisting, the cork came out way to fast and shot clear across the room of 200 people as the bottle overflowed and bubbly went everywhere. Somehow the cork didn't hit anyone. We cracked up and I told him I wouldn't tell anyone, but all of you on the world wide web. Thanks Maiel! No one will ever know our secret- ha! :)

The appetizers during cocktail hour were absolutely delicious:



I managed to steal a quick shot of bride and groom Ginny and Chris greeting guests:



I didn't want to jump in as the crazy wedding crasher and bother them when they were visiting with friends and family, but I had to at least get a back view of Ginny's gorgeous gown. We all kept saying how much she looked like one of those perfect bridal magazine models! Groom Chris is British so naturally the two ladies in the fabulous hats were from his side. (We American gals were swooning over their hats and wondering why we don't dress that way for weddings.) Of course after staring at these two ladies I had to introduce myself and ask if I could take a picture of them. Meet Mother and daughter Lynn and Chloe:



(Confession; This is the first time I have ever played around with red-eye edits on my iPhoto and look what I did to poor Lynn's eye. This is is why I just leave photos as is, mess with the original and look what happens. Ack! Sorry Lynn, You still look fabulous even though I made your right eye look blurry...)

After a bit of bubbly and a belly full of hors d'evoures, it was time to go upstairs to the grand ballroom for the reception. I found my alias stand in name on the table list:



We were led by staff in white gloves. I felt like royalty for a minute there:



The grand ballroom met us just as it was called, decorated impeccably. I found my seat at table #18 and drooled excitedly as I looked over the menu for the evening.

To be continued in part 3...

who are you? (part 1)

Finally, the start of the much anticipated wedding crashing post.

Meet Ron:





Ron was the super sweet bus driver that took us from the Rittenhouse Hotel to the church for the wedding last weekend. We were late for the meeting time, so my friend and I ended up being the only 2 people in one of these busses:



Talk about a personal coach! We enjoyed talking to Ron during the 45 minute ride through spring-fever Saturday Philadelphia traffic.

Ron told us he was from Philadephia, born and raised. He said he drove for a lot of different events like the wedding we were at. We laughed when shared stories about late night trips. Apparently groups of fancy people often get all schnockered up, then have a late-night hankering for the only place to be in Philly when it's after midnight and you're in a happy state of mind: Geno's and Pat's, so he drives them there to get their fix.

I'm sure Ron could could start his own blog about people on his bus; wit, or wit-out cheese, drippingly good cheesesteaks. We didn't end up going on Ron's bus for a cheesesteak run but we sure did have our own version at the Rittenhouse.

I'm getting way ahead of myself here, so a bit of back story on how the wedding crashing actually happened:

A while back my friend had told me she was going to a wedding for a weekend away, driving up, had a hotel set and told me I should come. As everyone knows, I love a road trip and I thought, oooh what fun. I haven't been to Philly for years, but I used to spend quite a bit of time there. I could explore the city and do what I love most; wander, snap photos, find good food, and hope to meet cool and interesting people while my friend participated in her festivities. I was in.

We arrived on Friday night, went to dinner with some other out of town guests as the bridal party was busy with the rehearsal stuff. I end up meeting the bride Ginny at the end of the night with the rest of the crew I was with. Ginny tells my friend there are two extra spots paid for because 2 guests bowed out last minute and that I should come. Why not?

The rest is history.

The next morning we raced around the city to find something for me to wear just in the nick of time. We got on the bus with Ron, I went to the wedding, cocktail hour, reception, and the after shindig, having an absolute blast, meeting fantastic people, eating delicious food and dancing the night away. It was a marathon of wedding fun and I loved every minute of it.

To be continued in part 2...

i just got a sneak peak...

...at the nearly finished brand spanking new BLR site. Then did cartwheels through the house.

Ooh I am excited! We only have a little way to go, then watch out world!

My friend Bobby RULES!

HOLY CRAP! GO VCU RAMS!

I have to give some love to my small home city base of 13 years, Richmond, Virginia: How about those VCU Rams?! The streets are screaming right now. Awesome, just awesome.

Everybody loves and underdog.

Final Four baby!

yep, that's snow on my car...

...this morning, in Virginia, and it's almost April.

Blech!

Someone send me to the tropics!

for those of you who've asked...

...about when the new BLR site will be done. Update!

More work is being done as we speak. My fabulous design and programming pal is cranking this weekend. Good things come to those who wait, so I appreciate this friend doing all he is for me therefore I'm going to be the last person to rush him. Thanks for being patient and I am glad you are all as excited to experience the next phase of BLR as I am!

In other news, there is a...well, we will call it a "trip" in the works, that I will be able to tell you more about in 2 weeks. Yessssssssssss.

Full crashed wedding post from last weekend will be here before you get back to your desk on Monday morning along with a post about my incredible Barboursville wine dinner at the Berkely Hotel last night. I am a feasting machine. Isn't that what it's all supposed to be about? (Smiling...)

vino work- tough life

I got an invite to go crash another event tonight unexpectedly. Yay! I get to write about more yummy food and wine!

Did you know it's Virginia Wine Week?

Between getting back from a long weekend in Philly and NYC, completing 2 proposals for some fun upcoming projects, the event tonight, and working the next 3 days at a big ol' film festival, my blog time has been limited this week. (You know that is a total bummer for me, but all worth it in the long run. All part of the big picture.) Sleep? Who needs it. I'll sleep when I'm dead. So many people to meet, things to do, delectable treats to try, and adventures to find, so little time...

dear secco~

You rocked my late-afternoon Monday lunch world:



Thanks!

Fried chickpeas? I don't even like chickpeas and I could eat these things by the bucket full.

Good food is pretty much the best thing ever.

new blushing bride ginny, if you are reading this...

...I'm sorry for the delayed wedding post! I can't wait to share here about what an amazing time I had on your special day. I've had some good surprises and work pop up this week, so I am one busy woman. I had such a blast that I don't want to miss any details, so I will work on the doozy of a good time story this weekend when I have some more time.

Thank you again for having me and making me feel like part of your crew of wonderful friends. It really was a weekend to be remembered.

I hope your first few days of wedded bliss have been everything you ever dreamed of!

what's that saying again...timing is everything?

The past 5 days have been a whirlwind of unexpected fun and opportunity.

Enough said for now. Oh yeah- that and WAHOO! I swear when you stop trying so hard things just happen.

mean stinks

I just read about this Secret campaign. I totally dig it. Doesn't it feel better to say something nice about someone instead of something mean? Give it a try here.

today at grand central station

I heart New York.

a teaser from my wedding crashing

...and this was just the cocktail reception before all the rest of the festivities happened.

Full post to come in the next 2 days. (It's going to be a doozie...I took over a hundred photos!) I had the most fun I have had at an event in I don't know how long, ate absurd amounts of delectable food, met people that could not have been nicer, teared up at the Dad of bride's speech, and boogied the night away. To say it was a crazy blast of fun and marathon wedding celebrating is a severe understatement. I am still flying high from what a beautiful day it was with 200 perfect strangers.

While I complete this Philly and NYC long whirlwind weekend, I'll be off computer spending time and and on to human spending time collecting more great stories to bring back here, so hold tight.

See ya soon!

today i am a wedding crasher

No lie.

Totally unplanned, but just got last minute invite to complete stranger, friend-of-a-friends wedding.

I just did a sprint through Rittenhouse Square speed shopping like I never have before to find something to wear.

This is going to be super fun. I love talking to strangers, especially 200 of them during all day and night festivities.

I'll be bringing you loads of photos and stories tomorrow so check back!