Viva Las Vegas - Day 1

This morning I was up at 3:30am! Why so early you ask? I had to leave the house by 4:15am to pick up my friend Camille & head to the airport for a 7am flight to Vegas. I have NO idea why we booked the flight that early but I made a mental note on the way - never again book a flight that early regardless of where you are going!We met my sister-in-law-to-be Meghan, her cousin Desi & her sister Sarah at the airport, boarded the plane & were on our way for the 3 hour flight to Las Vegas.Once we arrived, we got our bags, picked up the rental car, headed to the Luxor & all sat down for breakfast while we waited for an early check-in. As I was sitting there, I got the biggest surprise. The hostess asked me if I wanted anymore coffee & as I looked up at her to say no thank-you, I see that it was my girlfriend Deanna from Austin, TX - crazy girl! I jumped up, had tears in my eyes & gave her a huge hug. Then around the corner comes my girlfriends from KC - HK & Marlo. I was in shock & it had to be the BEST surprise ever!

We finished our breakfast & Meghan & the girls left to go meet up with her other 2 cousins that were flying in from the East coast. We sat with my KC friends while they finished their breakfast and had fun catching up with each other.Once we got checked in & settled, we called Meghan's group & they were out eating lunch & then were going to go sight-seeing. The KC group was out doing that themselves so Camille & I decided to venture out onto the strip ourselves. We of course managed to take some fun pics along the way! First things first - I had to stop & get my "yard"!

Yes - that is a man in a wedding gown & a python around my neck! Crazy...Later in the day, we ran into the KC girls along the strip...BFF's - HT & HK :)We all walked back to the hotel, had some dinner and then all got ready to go out in Vegas for the evening. Meghan's group was planning on going to the show "O" & since I had already seen it I opted to stay behind while they went ahead. We had planned on meeting up for drinks afterwards.The KC girls all met up, walked around the Luxor awhile & then went into the nightclub Cathouse. It ended up being a really neat club with cool decor but was WAY overpacked with sweaty people & the floor was super sticky so it made it really hard to walk. We ended up leaving there early & were going to wait for Meghan's group to meet us for a drink but they decided to turn in early & since we were all tired from traveling earlier in the day we called it an early night as well.

Top 2 Tuesday

2 favorite things about summer

1) flip flops - LOVE flip flops in the summertime & have them in every color.

2) putting the top down on the convertible :)

Bridal Shower Festivities

Today everyone was headed to the event that brought the family together for the weekend - Meghan's bridal shower. We all packed into the SUV early this morning & drove to the Northland to help set up, decorate & get the food together. I was in charge of the decorations & tableware & put together these cute flower centerpieces for the tables...
Once we got everything set up, we had some time for pictures before everyone arrived. Here is the bride-2-be Meghan...

My Grandmother, sister Jen, nephew Cael & me :)
My mother & Cael My brother & groom-2-be Steve with Cael

Looks like everybody wanted a picture with my nephew Cael?! How can you not with him being so very cute!

The shower had a good turnout with about 30 guests attending. We played one game before the gift opening called "How well do you know the Bride?" There were 16 questions that we had to answer about Meghan & Steve & the person who answered the most correctly won. I ended up getting 10 correct & was declared the big winner! Seems I know these two pretty well?! It just might have something to do with the fact that I was the one to introduce them to each other? :)

Meghan opened all her gifts & ended up receiving some really nice things for their home. It was much fun watching her open everything! Shortly after the gift opening it was time for cake - my favorite part of any shower :) - and it was dee-lish!

It turned out to be a lovely shower and now that it is done & over with, we are now less than 6 weeks away from the wedding on June 5th! It is going to be here before we know it!

Hanging out with family

My sister & 4 month old nephew Cael arrived at noon today from Wisconsin & I was SO very excited to pick them up from the airport. I hadn't seen Cael since he was a few weeks old so I was looking forward to seeing & hanging out with this cutie patootie for the weekend.


After they arrived, we stopped for lunch then made the long trek to my house to await my mom & grandma's arrival as they were making the drive down from South Dakota. Incase you are wondering why all the family is in town, it's because my soon-to-be sister-in-law's bridal shower is on Saturday.

Mom & grandma got to the house around 2:30pm and we spent the rest of the afternoon visiting & catching up. We ended up getting a couple of Papa Murphy's pizzas for supper & had a nice, relaxing rest of the evening hanging out. We all went to bed early as we were so very tired from the days travels & were looking forward to tomorrows festivities.

Breakfast Date

This morning I had breakfast with a girl whom I had never personally met before. Her name is Desiree, she lives in Dallas & she writes a fabulous blog. That is how I have gotten to know her - by reading her blog over the last year. She grew up in Kansas City & this past weekend she was back here visiting family with her husband. We finally got to meet each other after all the months of keeping up with each others blogs as well as exchanging many personal emails.

Upon meeting Desiree, I thought she was adorable, absolutely beautiful & as sweet as could be :) After getting our coffee & bagels, we spent the next 90 minutes chatting away like we were long, lost friends. We talked about our families, how we met our husbands, how we ended up where we are now, past relationships, work, & so much more! It was awesome just sitting there in the booth chatting away & getting to know her on a personal level! I was sad that our time together was unfortunately cut way too short as I had to go pick my sister & nephew up from the airport at noon. So before we left, we gave each other hugs, said our farewells & promised to get together when she is back in KC the end of May.


Thanks Desiree for coming out to breakfast & for such a wonderful start to my morning! It was SO very nice to have finally met you :)

Top 2 Tuesday

Top 2 Favorite Items under $15...

1) Covergirl Outlast Double Lip Shine - about $8

I love using this lipcolor because I hate to reapply lip product! That is why I don't like lipstick - plus when I wear a mask at work it comes off in the mask :( The lipcolor does NOT come off & it really does last all day, but you have to use the gloss with it or else it makes your lips look dry. The gloss isn't too sticky and lasts for a decent amount of time. I also use my Victoria's Secret Mint Shine Lipgloss along with it & the color stays put all day long.

2) Shea Cashmere Hand Cream - Bath & Body Works $12

Since I work in the medical field, I wash my hands ALOT! I also think I am addicted to hand sanitizer but that is a whole other post! So when my hands are dry & need some attention, I reach for this lotion. It not only smells heavenly (like shea butter) but it makes your hands feel satiny smooth & not at all greasy. It is from Bath & Body Works & you can usually get it on sale for $6 - that is when I stock up :)

Rare

This is a rare moment! So rare in fact that I will probably never witness it again.

All 3 dogs NEVER sleep in the same room let alone w/in 2 feet of each other! Guess they could not resist the chance to bask in the sun this afternoon :)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Tonight I made one of my favorite dishes & I thought I might share it with you all. It is an easy, quick recipe to make & when you throw in some Chili's chips & salsa to the menu, it is muy bueno!

HT's Chicken Enchilada Casserole

3 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 packet (1.25 oz) taco seasoning
2 cups salsa
9 large flour tortillas
1 can (15.5 oz) refried beans, warmed in microwave
8 oz sour cream
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chicken, taco seasoning, 1/2 cup water & salsa in a skillet. Simmer on medium heat for 10 min stirring occasionally.

2) Coat a 13x9x2-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cover bottom of pan with 3 flour tortillas, overlapping. Pour half of the chix mixture on the tortillas. Cover with 3 more tortillas. Spread with warmed beans & the sour cream.

3) Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of cheese over the beans & sour cream & cover with the remaining 3 tortillas. Top with remaining chix mixture, followed by remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes, until bubbly.

Serve with chips - preferably from Chili's ;)

Game Night

Tonight I headed over to Michelle's for our monthly gathering of Game-Night with the neighborhood girls. We welcomed Amber, who lives in the cul-de-sac across the ponds, to our group. She was very nice & seemed to handle the craziness of these girls quite well :) We hope that she makes it to our next gathering as she was a lot of fun!

As usual everyone brought something yummy to share & Michelle was treating everyone to Peach Wine-a-rita's. They were made with the white wine she & Keri had bought on their trip to the wineries in Arkansas. They were oh so dee-lish but unfortunately I was on call for the evening so I was only able to enjoy one :(

Later in the evening, we all sat down & attempted to play a game of Uno Attack but too many laughs & much small talk kept interrupting our game. It ended up being a nice ending to the work-week & was a fun evening with a great group of girlfriends.

Thanks Michelle for being such a great hostess :) Until next time...

Top 2 Tuesday

Top 2 Tuesday...Beauty Secrets

1) Moroccanoil - I LOVE this stuff! This ultra-light oil is absorbed by the hair instantly, which makes for a natural, silky finish and awesome shine once your hair is styled. The oil restores over-processed hair damaged by environmental factors, heated styling tools and chemical procedures. Also known as: getting highlights, using a Chi flat iron to straighten your hair & using a big round brush with a blow dryer on high to dry & straighten your hair :) It also revives, hydrates and detangles hair. Besides all this, it smells extremely yummy too :)

2) Olay Daily Facials - I wash my face every night with these. I've been fortunate enough to have never really dealt with acne (knock on wood) but i've always been weird about washing my face. I seriously can't go to bed without washing my face, no matter how late it is. These daily facials are perfect because they take off all my makeup with ease and get my face super clean feeling. So there you have it! If any of you have any home remedies, favorite beauty products or any other secret tips please share!

Ouch!

Today we spent the entire afternoon hanging out with the neighbors in the middle of the cul-de-sac. Everyone brought over a side-dish to share as well as some burgers to throw on the grill. It turned out to be a great spread & we overly stuffed ourselves - as usual!

Since we have all been hybernating this past winter, it was nice to get out & gather everyone together & catch up! Oh how I love our cul-de-sac get-togethers and our awesome neighbors!

Seems that once I got in the house, I noticed I was looking a little pink so I slathered on some sunblock. Little did I know that I was well beyond the need for sunblock. Around 7pm this is what I looked like:

"Ouch" is right! I don't know what I was thinking not putting on sunscreen earlier!? Maybe it was because it was only 72 degrees out? Maybe it was because I felt I needed some Vitamin D absorption? Regardless, I never burn this badly just being out in the sun for a few hours! Thank goodness my makeup has SPF 20 in it! My face didn't get burnt at all!

This got me wondering....

After doing a little research, come to find out the infertility meds I am on are photosensitive! Guess I didn't read the fine print: "A drug-induced photosensitive reaction may occur while taking this medication. It most commonly appears as an exaggerated sunburn. It occurs when a person takes certain medications or applies, either intentionally or unintentionally, offending substances to the skin and is exposed to ultraviolet radiation. A photosensitive reaction should be considered in people experiencing sunburn of greater severity than would normally be expected for them, or who develop rashes in areas exposed to the sun."

So that explains the sunburn! Great - now I am going to have to be even more cautious when I am out in the sun since I am "extra-sensitive"!

Signs of Spring

As I look around Casa de Taylor, I am surrounded by the many signs of spring. Just thought I would share with you all:Daffodils blooming in the yard!

This is our Snow Goose Flowering Cherry tree. It is SO pretty when it blooms!

The first tulips that bloomed!

Mama Robin on top of her nest of eggs in one of our trees.

Shane's Harley - definitely a sign that it is spring :)

And the winner is....

So March Madness is over with & I am sad. I absolutely love this time of year - if I haven't said it already!?

The winners of the brackets were released today....

Can you see where HT ranked? That's right - 3rd place baby! I was only 10 pts away from being 1st! I ended up placing 2nd last year so I am pretty proud to have ranked in the top 3 for 2 years in a row - for a girl :) Shane is so proud!

My winning for 3rd place was $30 plus I got an additional $20 bonus for picking the most overall wins for the entire tournament. $50 isn't too shabby for only spending $10 to play!

*sigh* - until next year!

Top "2" Tuesday

A friends' blog that I read weekly started a fun thing called "Top 2 Tuesday". Every Tuesday she picks a "top 2" topics to post about. I have really enjoyed reading them every week so I thought it might be kind of fun to join in. Please feel free to do the same on your blogs as well...

This weeks topic......Top 2 Favorite Magazines

This is tough having to pick just two as I enjoy reading & subscribe to many magazines. But I guess I will narrow it down to these two:

1) US Weekly - yes I am a sucker for trash talk & celebrity gossip. I just can't help myself. It all started when my friend Nickie would give me all her old US Weekly's. Then she went & got a subscription for me for my B-day several years ago. The addiction has only gotten worse! Everyone at work loves it when I bring in my "used" US Weekly magazines. I have even busted my husband a few times flipping through it :)

2) Southern Living - this magazine always makes me want to move back to the south. I just love reading about their featured southern destinations, looking at all the southern landscaping & gardening, home decor & trying their many southern recipes they have listed in this magazine. I am anxious to try this strawberry pie that is featured this month on the cover.

Sangria-Rita

It is Friday & time for Happy Hour :)

I headed down to Baja 600 on the Plaza to meet up with some friends for drinks & dinner. I was the first to arrive so I bellied up to the bar & ordered a frozen sangria-rita while I waited for the rest of the group. This was my first frozen sangria. It was like a margarita but with the red wine taste - like a wine-a-rita. It was oh so yummy but oh so strong...

Doesn't it look dee-lish? This is drink #1

There were 11 of us gathering for the evening so once everyone arrived, were seated & ordered a beverage, out came the camera. Everybody say cheese...Bobby & HK

HT & Debbie - This is drink #2. Even Debbie tried one.

Marlo & her husband Tony

Jon & his wife Natalia

HT, Debbie & Marlo - This is drink #3 & I am DUN! Now Marlo has one :)

It is at this point that I have had one sangria-rita too many. I ate what I could of my dinner hoping the tortilla from my tacos & all the chips I ingested would absorb the alcohol so I could drive home. It was weird....one minute I was fine & the next minute I was d.r.u.n.k. That drink kicked HT's ass.

We left the restaurant around 8:30pm & HK got me to my car & god love her - drove my drunk ass home. We of course put the top down & jammed on the tunes the whole way home which was fun & quite sobering. Of course I had to get a pic of the car-ride home...
I arrived safely home by 9:15pm & went straight to bed. Didn't even wash my face which I NEVER do no matter how much I have had to drink!

Damn you sangria-ritas! Who knew you would be so evil??? I have a feeling I am not going to feel well tomorrow?!?