ABC - Along

Yes it has BEEN-Along since the ABC-Alongs... So, I have letters K - R! Please bear with me. I am now caught up until Saturday :-(

K is for...
KISS (taken in Antigua on our Honeymoon)
KATIE Roller (my friend from Wisconsin. We met through my friend Megan)
KAUAI, Hawaii (Mark and I went last summer, it was his first time in Hawaii)
KAYLA (my friend who use to work with me Desperate Housewives)


L is for...
LINDSAY Gabler (MG's little sister)
LIMO (how we roll in Vegas)
LESS Cowbell (Awesome shirt sported my Sarah's boyfriend Patrick)
LOVE (Does this need an explanation?)


M is for... (so many things)
MARTINI (at the Mermaid)
MUFASA & MOLLY (Mufasa is Molly's cat)
MARILYN (as in Aunt)
MOON (Where we roll in Vegas)
MAUNDER (My new last name)
MARK (My husband)
MICK (My cousin Gina's son)
MORGAN (My cousin Dean's daughter and my flower girl)
MERMAID Restaurant (My watering hole)
MAROON 5 (The concert we went to for Erica's 30th)
MEGAN (Behrmo!! One of my best friends)
MEGAN (MG!! My maid of honor)
MINDEE (Another best friend... I have lots!!)


N is for...
NOVEMBER - All of the November birthdays! It's a busy month. Mark, Mom, Adam, Gina, Erica, Sarah, Sammy, Aunt Yvonne, Maria, Logan & Morgan.


O is for...
OPAEKAA Falls (A beautiful waterfall we visited in Kauai, Hawaii)
OKTOBERFEST (We go every year... multiple times. Check out the stein!)
OPENING Gifts (Doesn't everyone love that?)
OCEAN View (A view in which I never move away from)


P is for... (many things)
PUBCRAWL (A monthly get - together it started with 5 and now is over 30)
POOPDECK (Another HB wateringhole)
PIANO (I found one at our resort on our Honeymoon)
POOL (The pool was awesome at Sandals Resort)
POOL (We played pool as well)
PARTYVAN (My nickname in college)
PALMS Casino (Our favorite hotel in Vegas)
PIZZA (Sooooooo GOOD!!)
PAUL (Danielle's boyfriend, he was in our wedding party)
PATRICK Malloy's (One of our many stops on our PUB-crawls)
POPI (My grandfather)
PARKING Space (I got a new parking spot with my name on it a few months ago)
PANCAKES (What we have every Sunday! It's tradition)


Q is for...
QUEEN
QUIZNOS
(I couldn't think of too many things)


R is for...
RING (Can you believe Mark actually agreed to wear this? And he STILL does!)
RED (The color we wore on our February Pub Crawl)
RAIN (Mindee and I got caught in a rain storm in Florence, Italy)
RACHEL sells REAL Estate in ROLLING Hills, RANCHO Palos Verdes who lives in REDONDO Beach(how do ya like that?)

Wedding Day Prep - BRIDE

June 7, 2008

So long time coming... but here are my wedding posts! There will be many since there are around 820 pictures, so bare with me.

The morning of June 7, 2008 the girls and I woke up at 5am to start getting ready! Yeah REALLY early! We reserved a meeting room and got our makeup and hair done in the same room. Coffee and bagels were brought in so we were happy campers!

Deborah did our make up! She is AMAZING! I got her name from my friend Brittany and Courtney because she did their weddings. I was so happy that I got to have all the girls get their makeup done that day.


Our hair stylist Sam came in with his assistant and went to work. We were all rotating in and out. It took a total of 7 hours to complete all 10 of the bridesmaids, me and my mom.


Later in the morning my cousin Kelly brought my little Flower Girl to the room to get ready. Morgan was adorable! She looked absolutely perfect in her "pretty pink dress" that Maria made for her. She went up to everyone and introduced herself as the flower girl. She was so excited and so professional (for a 4 year old). I could not have chosen a cuter little girl! She carried the most precious bunch of flowers. It was a ball of pink roses with seashells through out them hung from a ribbon.



My Bridesmaids... what can I say!! They are the most beautiful group of women inside and out. Each and every one of them are so dear to my heart. It was so much fun to get ready with them and socialize before the ceremony. It really calmed my nerves.



Closer to the time we were suppose to leave the flowers arrived. Bobbe (my florist) did an breathtaking arrangement for myself and all the girls. My bouquet was wrapped in a handkerchief handmade by my great grandmother. My mom used it in her wedding. It was my something old and something borrowed. Mark's mother made and beautiful ring bearer pillow for Logan to carry. It had all my favorite colors.



Time to get into the dress! Let's just say it barely fit! I knew I shouldn't have had so many bagels!



Just before we went downstairs to get into the limo Dana (our photographer) took some last minuet photos... I'm surprised they turned out so well considering we were late and in a rush to get to the church


So I had already been up for 8 hours, and my day hadn't even started yet. More posts to come on capturing out wedding day.

MG's Crazy T-Shirt Birthday Party

AUGUST 2, 2008

Megan (MG) had a crazy T-Shirt Party for her birthday. Everyone one put on their best, most creative or funniest T-Shirt.



Everyone came out to celebrate MG's Birthday! We had a blast!


When you go to a party at the Wrightwood house you can't miss a game of flip cup. It's a must!!


And who can resist birthday cupcakes!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MG!!! We had an amazing time!!! (as usual)

BACHELORETTE PARTY - Part Trois: The Final Chapter

So... the fun continues in Vegas... I know I know it was in May, but there were just so many pictures and fun times...

SATURDAY - May 18, 2008
By the pool all day long... we were so tired from the night before, and some of us weren't feeling top notch, so relaxing was in order. And a little play of course!




After the pool... we all got ready! We all wore matching tank tops and jeans! It was fun :-) We met in one of the rooms and played some fun, bachelorette games, and got some prizes! Leave it to MG... the teacher!



After games and drinks we headed down to the Heart Bar before dinner. Had some more drinks, took some more pictures. I even managed to spill my first drink (bloody mary)all over my new jeans :-( BUT... they were dark, so I just smelled like tomatoes for a little while!


Off to Dinner... Again we took a hummer limo (but we'll get to the limo pics in a few)...we had dinner at a little Italian hole in the wall place called "Battista's Hole In The Wall" yes that is really the name of the restaurant. The food was really good, and it was all you can drink wine! We had a cute little old man who played the accordion, and sang about my future wedding. It was a lot of fun!


LIMO RIDES!!! I can't believe the size of these vehicles!
LIMO #1 - From Planet Hollywood to the Restaurant!


LIMO #2 - From the restaurant to the "Hawaiian Tropic Zone"!

Look closely, there is a bachelor we met on the way who is VERY jealous of our ride!


Onto the "Hawaiian Tropic Zone"... Ladies night! Girls get in free and drink for free! Danga Danga! We even ran into a drunk Elvis! Gotta Love Las Vegas Baby! The girls made me do the infamous "blow job" shot... so tacky! But I guess when in Rome!


So that concludes my Bachelorette Party Vegas Experience! I had the best weekend! The girls spoiled me rotten and showed me the best time! I love you girls! And am so blessed to have you in my life!

PUB CRAWL - July 2008

It's been a few months, but two weeks ago we had another HERMOSA BEACH PUB CRAWL! And the winning color is...

GREEN

Bar #1 - PATRICK MALLOY'S

We all met at Patty Malloy's for the first bar. We started to blend in with the staff because they as well wore green. Well what do you expect at an Irish Pub!

Bar #2 - SANGRIA

Sangria was our second stop... it's also a restaurant, so they weren't too happy to see 30 of us walk into the bar. The manager was mad I didn't call, but how was I suppose to know we were going to have that many people? Geez! I told her we'd leave, but she insisted we stay, then proceeded to make me feel bad. Hmmmm I don't think Sangria is going to be one of our stops in the future.

Bar #3 - FAT FACE FENNER'S FISHACK (F.F.F.F)

FFFF... bar number three! Always a crowd pleaser! We stayed there an extra hour!

Bar #4 - HENESSEY'S TAVERN

At the 4th bar we again blended in with the staff. I guess I didn't realize how many Irish bars were on the pier! We were really in the spirit!

Bar #5 - POOP DECK

Definitely not the classiest bar on the pier, but we love it anyway. We played a few games of flip cup, but as soon as we needed to pee... we were OUT!!! The Poop Deck may be fun, but you couldn't pay me enough to use their facilities!

Bar #6 - SHARK'S COVE


Our last stop! Shark's Cove I like because they have pool tables and other bar games to keep you busy. Their patio is small, but it's really nice to people watch!

At Shark's Cove they had a Mojito making station... Mark & Mark had fun!

That concludes our July Pub Crawl! Stay tuned for our next crawl in September or so!

J is for...

JEANS - I just bought a new pair of true religion jeans a few months back. I LOVE THEM! Very comfortable and fit really well. Mark almost had a heart attack when the receipt slipped out of the bag... BUT HE BOUGHT A HELICOPTER!!!! MORE THAN 1!!

JUNE - Mark and I got married June 7, 2008! Pictures will be posted at a later time... I know I know I'm dying to see them too! My photographer says the end of next week.

JASON BATEMAN - I worked with him on a show called "The Jake Effect". Another J for the mix... It was my first show! I had so much fun. He's a really nice guy.

JULIANNE - You didn't think I was going to pass over J and not give myself a shout out!

I is for...

ITALY



I've been to Italy multiple times! It's my favorite country I think! It's full of history, culture, beautiful people and great FOOD!!!

TRIP #1 - The first time I went was in 1994 with my Mom and Popi. We went everywhere, Venice, Florence, Rome, Milan, Pisa... and most importantly visited family in Reggio Calabria. It was a perfect trip for my first experience in Europe.

TRIP #2 - 2000 I went on a cruise with my parents around the Mediterranean sea. One of our stops was Palermo Sicily and Rome! We were only in Rome for a few hours, but it gave my mom and I enough time to climb to the top of the Vatican Dome.

TRIP #3 - 2001 was my college graduation trip with my roommate on a Contiki Tour. We went all around Europe, but stopped in Venice, Florence, Rome & Pisa. Even though I had done it before, I didn't care I wanted to see all the sites all over again.

TRIP #4 - 2005 I went with my friend Mindee! She had never been to Europe so we took another Contiki Tour. Pretty much the same tour as the last time, but I felt the need to experience it once again.

TRIP #5 - 2010 Possibly! Mark has never been... and I simply must share the culture and this beautiful country with him. I know it's 2 years away, but I can't wait!!

VEGAS PART DUEX - Bachelorette Party

OK here we go!

FRIDAY, MAY 16TH - NIGHT #1

After getting food in our bellies, exploring the hotel, etc... we came back to our rooms and got ready for a big night out!

All of us met at the HEART BAR in the center of the Planet Hollywood casino for a few drinks before we caught a ride to the Palms Hotel.



After everyone gathered we made our way to the taxi stand. The girls though it would just be easier (since there were 17 of us) to take a hummer limo! Sure why not! I'm not complaining :-)



AND WE'RE OFF! Our destination for the evening was the Moon Nightclub at the Palms Resort & Casino. I've been there before for Erica's 30th Birthday and fell in love with it! Moon occupies the very top floor of the Palms' new Fantasy Tower above the Playboy Club. It's AMAZING!



When we got there we were escorted up to the club surpassing all the poor bastard in line :-) the hostess showed us to our table. There were 2 tables surrounded by a long sofa surrounding the tables. We had a perfect view of the dance floor and were up a few steps secluded from any passerbys!



The girls were amazing! They not only reserved our table and special area... they ordered bottle service which was AWESOME! What was included you ask?...
WAITRESS
BAR BACK
BOUNCER
LOTS OF BOOZE

It was great because our waitress ALWAYS made sure all of us had a drink in our hand. Our bar back kept everything neat and clean... and he insisted we finish our drinks before he took our glasses away... and our bouncer kept all the boys away who wanted to drink our alcohol! It really was the worst bachelorette party for any man to try and crash because out of the 17 of us. only 3 were single! It truly was a girls weekend!


So since the vodka was there... we drank!



And after we drank... we danced the night away... and got a little silly as one does when vodka is involved!



So that concludes our first night in VEGAS! More to come!

H is for...

Where I drive to everyday...
Where I eat breakfast...
Where I eat lunch...
Where I eat dinner...
Where I make ends meat

In 1853, one adobe hut stood on the site that became Hollywood. By 1870, an agricultural community flourished in the area with thriving crops. A locally popular etymology is that the name "Hollywood" traces to the ample stands of native Toyon or "California Holly", that cover the hillsides with clusters of bright red berries each winter. But this and accounts of the name coming from imported holly then growing in the area, are not confirmed. The name Hollywood was coined by H. J. Whitley, the Father of Hollywood. He and his wife, Gigi, came up with the name while on their honeymoon. As they stood on the hill (which is now the center of Hollywood)was admiring the view, when they spied a rickety old wagon pulled by one horse with a Chinese man driving pell-mell down a narrow path. As he approached them he stopped his wagon. HJ Whitley asked what he was doing. In broken English with a Chinese accent he said, "I up sunrise. Old trees fall down. Pick up wood. All time haully wood." With an epiphany HJ declared he would name his new town Hollywood. Ivar Weid a Danish immigrant, railroad owner and major land holder in Hollywood told Daeida Wilcox of HJ's plans. That is why she recorded the name on her property.

The first studio in Hollywood was established by the New Jersey-based Centaur Co., which wanted to make westerns in California. They rented an unused roadhouse at 6121 Sunset Boulevard at the corner of Gower, and converted it into a movie studio in October 1911, calling it Nestor Studio after the name of the western branch of their company. The first feature film made specifically in a Hollywood studio, in 1914, was The Squaw Man, directed by Cecil B. DeMille and Oscar Apfel. By 1915, the majority of American films were being produced in the Los Angeles area.

H is for...
HOBIE CAT



Mark dragged me out on that thing EVERY SINGLE DAY of our honeymoon!!! It was fun though! Mark is a GREAT SEAMAN!!!

BACHELORETTE PARTY - LAS VEGAS (Part I)

It's been a while since my last post, so I apologize because I've been slightly crazy!

On Friday, May 16th the girls took me to Las Vegas, Nevada for my Bachelorette Party! We stayed at PLANET HOLLYWOOD HOTEL & CASINO


I arrived with Mindee, Rachel and Amy...We met up with Leigh and Danielle who had been there since the morning (DANGA! DANGA!) We grabbed lunch and a few drinks in the "Heart Bar", which became our common meeting place in the center of the casino. We were then joined by Sarah and Shelley!




There were a total of 17 of us! Look out VEGAS we were ready to have some fun! We all arrived at different times... some were delayed (story for another post), but we all made it safe and sound!


The Lobby and the Casino were Beautiful! It set a great setting for all the L.A. girls to have a great time!




And the rooms weren't too shabby!


When we all finally got settled with food in our stomachs and a few drinks we were ready for a big night out on the town!