I ♥ Kenny

Tonight I was lucky enough to join my girlfriend Jilly for a night of boot stompin', beer drinkin', good ol' sweaty, fun at the Kenny Chesney concert out at Arrowhead Stadium.

After a horrible Friday night on call with 4 call-backs, I finally got home late morning & opted to catch up on some much needed sleep so unfortunately we didn't end up getting out to the stadium until around 5:45pm. The concert started at 4:30pm with Uncle Kracker opening up the show & Billy Currington following him.

Once we got there, we hung out in the parking lot drinking our lemony beverages & enjoying some snacks while waiting for Christine & Renee - co-workers from St. Lukes - who were joining us.

We had fun mingling with the folks around us & had to laugh at the "classiness" of one of the guys' t-shirt:

Once the girls got there we decided to take a quick photo & then head inside as it was SO incredibly hot standing out there in the parking lot.

We found our seats which were stage left on the 50 yard line, 2 rows up from the field & thought we had a pretty good view:

We made it inside just in time to see the Zac Brown Band & we all agreed that they put on a great show! We enjoyed seeing them sing "Toes" & the crowd favorite "Chicken Fried" & they even did an awesome version of The Devil Went Down to Georgia. They had lots of great energy & got the crowd up out of their seats dancin!

The unfortunate part about where we were sitting was that there was absolutely NO breeze & it was SO F'n hot! This is what Jilly & I looked like before Kenny came on:

Nice. We may or may not have been doing a lot of dancing!?

Next up was Kenny. He appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the stadium on a swing that carried him to the stage while singing his first number:



Oh how I ♥ Kenny Chesney!

He spent 2 hours playing a lot of his old songs as well as most of the songs off his Hemingway's Whiskey album - which is a REALLY good CD. I was however way bummed that he didn't sing my all-time favorite song "Old Blue Chair" :( Seriously cannot believe it....

For the encore ZBB came out & joined Kenny on stage & they finished out the night by singing a few classic's like Tom Petty's "Running Down a Dream" & Alabama's "If You're Gonna Play in Texas" which was an AWESOME performance:



Even though we were hot, sweaty & exhausted, I think the girls ended up having a great time!

Yee-Haw!

Winner Winner

There are LOTS of blogs I follow & each one seem to have there own "personality". But the one that has to be the funniest & most entertaining blog I read goes to MODG. She is a beautiful, new Mama & writes about the adventures with her son - or "Dramababy" as she likes to call him & her husband. She has made me choke on my drink while reading her blog & I may or may not have peed my pants just a little while laughing at her hilarious posts. She definitely keeps it real & you never know what to expect with her! I now make it a point to have gone to the bathroom & don't drink liquids while reading her blog.

So, back in June one of her posts was about how she struggled with trying to breast feed Dramababy & how many times she wanted to quit but was so glad she had stuck with it. She later made a comment about how she didn't want to hear it from mom's who formula-feed their babies & how she should have quit & how she didn't want a "milk war" with any of them. MODG also likes to draw random pics in MS Paint & will post them on her blog - which are quite funny - so she drew a little picture of 2 mom's having a "milk war" which I thought was hilarious. Just in-case her audience was "unclear on the details of what a milk war was":So fast forward to July & MODG posts that she is having her first real life giveaway. All we had to do was answer a few questions & she would randomly pick a winner. So I made a comment, gave my answers & thought nothing of it. A few days later she made a post announcing the winner & out of 145 people who responded who do you think won??? That would be ME! And this post proves it! For my prize I got to pick out something from her store & I just couldn't resist the "Milk War" coffee mug to add to my collection. My husband will curse me for getting yet another mug but whateva.

Fast forward another week where I had totally forgotten about my prize so imagine my excitement when I got home from a call case this afternoon & saw a box on the front step - my mug from MODG:*And since you all have been waiting for the "reveal", notice the long, wispy, side-swept bangs & shorter 'do!

And a close up of my new mug:I want to give a HUGE shout-out to MODG & a big thank-you for my mug! I will thoroughly enjoy sipping my coffee out of it (while at home only seeing how others probably wouldn't understand its meaning) & it will definitely put a smile on my face every morning I see it! Now I just need to explain to the hubby what it means. I am already prepared for the "rolling of the eyes" & hearing him harass me with "seriously? another mug Heather?"

Yes - another mug. With boobies & two women squirting milk at each other. Priceless.

Pinned

I have discovered a new addiction. It is called Pinterest & occupies way too much of my time. What is it you ask? Well, Pinterest is a website that is used as a virtual pinboard. It allows you to organize & share all the awesome things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things & get inspiration from people who share your interests.

Some of the ways people use pinboards are to plan their weddings, get ideas for decorating their homes, craft ideas & for sharing their favorite recipes with others. I have found so many yummy looking appetizers & desserts that I have "pinned" to my board to try at a later time.

Here are a couple of things I am going to try in the future for upcoming "game-night" appetizers:

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Chicken Bites

Looks good doesn't it? I feel that I must warn you though - Pinterest is extremely addicting & time will manage to get away from you while browsing this site. Some of you will thank me for introducing you & others will curse me.

Don't say I didn't warn you...

Makeover

So I am getting my hair cut this Wednesday & I am thinking it is time for a change. Nothing too drastic but something simple & something that will look noticeably different. I am seriously thinking of getting bangs. Seems simple enough but to me it is a HUGE decision. Especially after all the time & effort it takes to grow bangs out. And then there's the thought of what if I hate them after cutting them? I also have naturally curly hair & I usually straighten it 2-3 days a week so the bangs would have to work with both styles. Ugh - I am scared that I will hate them & all the drama that comes with them. For one, they would be SO impractical for my job since I wear a bouffant hat all day long:

Me & my co-worker Sam

For two, I know myself & I can't stand hair hanging in my face so I would probably be pinning them back all the time or trying to tuck them behind my ear :( But I am willing to go out on a limb here so I don't know - I guess it just depends on what kind of "bangs" I get?!

I have been doing much research on this & have discovered a fun, new virtual makeover website called Taaz. I must warn you though that once you check them out you will be spending countless hours making yourself over that you will never get back....just sayin'!

Also, not only can you "try on" different hairstyles & colors, but you can also play around with makeup colors & then buy them from their site. Too fun! Unfortunately, I have spent numerous hours that I will never get back "making over" myself with different hair-do's just to see what bangs would look like & some of them were just down right hilarious. However, there were some that I could totally see myself pulling off! I am even digging the longer locks also.....you be the judge:

































See - lots of fun & very entertaining. I will however be saving you all from being witness to the blonde Lady GaGa & "Goth" pics :)

So does anyone have any thoughts or likes to the above pics or tips as to why I should or shouldn't get bangs? I got less than 36 hours to make this decision.

Please help....

Heat Wave

Seriously - this heat wave we are having is out of control. We are on day #11 with temps at 99 degrees or higher meaning the heat index has been 110-115 degrees & according to the forecast above, there isn't an end in sight.....until July 31st when the KC meteorologists have "predicted" it will finally start to cool down. They also predict that there will be a huge tornado outbreak at that time as cooler air rushes in through "tornado alley".

Ugh - that is still 12 days away.

I'm not sure how much longer I can get away with using this "heat" as an excuse to get out of doing things like yard-work, cleaning the house, doing laundry or cooking dinner!? I keep telling Shane that this heat is making me exhausted but for some reason he isn't buyin' it since I work in the AC all day & he works outside all day.

Hmmm - maybe that is why he keeps rolling his eyes at me?!?

NKOTBSB

It was the summer of 1989 when I first saw The New Kids on the Block. I was 17 years old & it was the summer before my senior year. It was the first time they had toured & they were playing State Fairs all around the US that summer with Tiffany as their opening act. It was my very first concert that I had ever been to & I remember it like it was yesterday!
Fast forward 22 years.

(Ouch - it hurts to even write that!) This past spring they announced that New Kids on the Block (aka: NKOTB) were going on tour along with the Backstreet Boys (aka: BSB) this summer & I couldn't have been more excited! As soon as tickets went on sale I snatched up 4 of them & counted down the days until the concert. My girlfriend Jilly & two of my co-workers were going to the concert with me & they were equally excited. Then a few weeks later I find out that my neighbor Melissa wanted to go so she got two tickets & joined us.

So July 16th finally gets here & I could not wait for the evenings festivities. Me & Jilly picked up Melissa & her girlfriend Chrystal & we made our way downtown - of course listening to NKOTB & BSB all the way :) We met up with Sam & Nicole for drinks/dinner at The Cashew before the concert & had a great time.
L - R: Sam, Melissa, Chrystal, me, Jilly & Nicole

As we were sitting there eating, Melissa notices that they have a "bus" that will take you to the Sprint Center where the concert is & bring you back at no charge. We definitely took advantage of that seeing how we would have paid $15 for parking had we drove ourselves. Little did we know it was called "The Cashew Short Bus" (cue "short-bus" jokes here) & we all thought that was hilarious.

After a quick ride on the bus, we got to the concert safely & made our way inside. But not before stopping by the 99.7 van & playing a couple of rounds of "pin the rat tail on the New Kid"!

Our seats were in the upper level while Melissa & Chrystal's seats were a section over so we unfortunately parted ways & settled into our seats. While there, I was lucky enough to get to see my "blog" friend Cori before the concert got underway as she was in the suites below us. She was sweet enough to come on over to our section & we met up for a quick hug & some catching up. It was SO good to get to see her :)

Right after I got done visiting with Cori, I noticed a guy next to me that works at the Sprint Center with a bunch of tickets in his hands. He was giving away "upgraded" lower level seats to whoever wanted them so I asked if he had 6 together & he said all he had left was 4 together & 2 single tickets so I snatched up the 4 tickets & told the girls to grab their things - we were moving on down to the lower level. We ended up being SO lucky - those seats were 3 rows from the floor & the view of the stage was AWESOME!

Soon after we got settled into our new seats the lights went out & then 14,000+ girls started screaming....including us! Then they appeared:

NKOTBSB = New Kids on the Block + Backstreet Boys

I ain't gonna lie - I got goosebumps!

I instantly felt like I was 17 years old again. The boys opened up together singing "The One" & each group took turns singing/performing together & separately throughout the night. They opened the show together & they ended it together which I thought was way cool! They also had a four-piece band that played live for a show that rocked!

There was lots of dancing & choreography & high energy as the guys performed the "favorites" like Step by Step, The Right Stuff, I Want it That Way & Incomplete. They also brought it down a notch by singing their ballads' Please Don't Go Girl & I'll Never Break Your Heart.

Jordan Knight of NKOTB singing right in front of us! Still "hot" after all these years!

They sang for 3 hours & put on an awesome show! Back then Donnie Wahlberg was my favorite NK & I must say that hasn't changed. He & his abs didn't disappoint! Nick Carter is my favorite BSB & he has "grown-up" quite nicely also ;) They have all definitely gotten better with age!

::sigh::

For the encore the boys came out with NKOTB in Boston Celtics jersey's & BSB in Orlando Magic jersey's & sang Hangin' Tough & Everybody (Backstreet's Back). I hated to see it end :(

I also managed to get some video clips of a couple of my favorite songs:





See - I told you it was a GREAT concert :) If they ever come back to Kansas City I am SO there!!!

Game-Night

Tonight I headed over to Miss Erinn's house for the July "game-night" gathering. Due to an earlier function, I ended up getting there over an hour late so all the girls were in full-swing by the time I had made my way over. Even though I felt exhausted, I was glad I had stopped by as it was a much needed & well deserved way to end the work week.

When I arrived, the ladies were gathered around the kitchen & we did our usual "grazing" of yummy appetizers around the island while catching up with the neighborhood happenings. Later in the evening, we moved the party down into the family room where we played a several rounds of Family Feud on the Wii. It was a really fun & entertaining game & lots of laughs were shared by all.
L - R: Erinn & her childhood friends Janell & Andrea

Me & Jilly pose for a quick pic between rounds of "The Fued"

L - R: Michelle, Melissa, Chrystal & Natalie

The best part of the evening though had to be the popsicles that Erinn discovered at the liquor store. They are called Shark Attack margarita popsicles & are a fun, refreshing, frozen tube of margarita deliciousness :) They were enjoyed by all & I will definitely be making a stop at the liquor store soon to pick up these yummy frozen treats!

Thanks Erinn for being such an excellent hostess & for the fun evening! Also a big thank you to Melissa for always having her camera with her & taking fun photos of us all :)

Welcome Surprise

On Monday I got a wonderful surprise that totally made my day! I received a text from my girlfriend Desiree saying she was in town & wanting to know if we could meet up sometime this week for lunch or dinner. I got SO excited when I read this because I knew she had Miss Sofia with her & not only was I going to get to see my dear friend, but I was also going to be meeting her precious baby girl for the 1st time!

We decided to meet up at Granite City at the Legend's Wednesday evening & I could hardly wait for the 2 days to pass by so I could see them. When we finally got together it was absolutely wonderful & seeing Sofia was love at first sight! I immediately wanted to devour those cheeks & those cute little chunky arms of hers! She is absolutely beautiful - just like her mama & was the most perfectly behaved baby!

She hung out with us girls for 2 hours all relaxed & chill & hardly made a peep! She let me & her mama get all caught up with each other over a great dinner & a fabulous bottle of red wine! We talked about anything & everything & I just loved listening to Desiree talk about Sofia, being a mom & all the challenges & good times that come with motherhood that she has experienced so far. It was also amazing to watch her with Sofia & see her in that "mom role" & I was in awe at how easy she made it all seem.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end & after 2 hours Miss Sofia decided she was done with all the "girl-talk" & it was time to say goodbye to the both of them :(

I am very thankful & appreciative that Desiree took time out of her visit with her family to come meet me for the evening! It was SO great to see them both!

Going-Away

One of my favorite co-workers & dear friend is moving to the East coast on Friday & although I am VERY happy for her, I am also sad she won't be around anymore :( She went & found herself a Navy boy last year, fell in love, became engaged 3 weeks ago & is moving to Virginia Beach to be with her fiance on Friday - ugh....the nerve of her!

Today was her last day at work & we had a "going-away" party for her tonight at The Well. It was a great turnout & lots of fun was had by all! There was good food, many laughs as we shared our favorite stories of Michelle & lots of tears as she hugged us all & said goodbye.

Here are some pics from the evening:

The cheesecake my friend Stetson made for the festivities: 1/2 white chocolate raspberry & 1/2 strawberry - YUM!Me & Michelle:
Some of the "crew":Me, Lisa & Lori:Michelle & one of our favorite Cardiologists - Dr. Charles Barth:Some of my "south-side" peeps:
Michelle is getting married in April so we will be seeing her again in a few short months for her bridal shower. We are all looking forward to this joyous occasion & being able to celebrate it with her!

Balloon Festival

The Great Midwest Balloon Fest is being held in Olathe this weekend so while Shane was at work, my girlfriend Jilly & I spent the evening seeing what it was all about.

We enjoyed the first hour checking out all the vendors & booths while sipping on an ice cold beer & then we headed over to the open field where they were launching the hot air balloons. We were disappointed to see that the balloons weren't yet assembled so we decided to go & grab some dinner & then we would come back for the evening "glow" show.

We drove over to Gardner & had dinner on the patio at La Carreta's - a great mexican restaurant. While we were eating we ran into our friend Emily & her husband as well as my neighbors from the cul-de-sac. Seems that we aren't the only ones who enjoy the food & margaritas over at La Carreta's!?

After dinner we headed back over to the Balloon Fest & there were about 12 hot air balloons floating upright & it was an awesome site to see. The balloon that looked like the planet earth was pretty cool & probably my favorite:

While there we ran into my friend Erinn who is part of our "game-night" group:

She was there with her son Thomas & a couple of her girlfriends & it was nice to run into her & chat as I haven't seen her in awhile!

Around 9pm, they began the "glow show" where they illuminate the anchored hot air balloons by using the burners. It is a pretty cool site to see:

Definitely glad we took the time to check the Balloon Festival out. After seeing all the balloons, I am even MORE convinced that I want to complete one of the items on my "bucket list" & go up in a hot air balloon for a ride!

Holiday Weekend

After a long & busy week at work, I was ready for a 3 day weekend! I wasn't on call & we didn't make too many plans so it ended up being a weekend filled with rest, relaxation, fun with neighbors & lots of firework-watching!

Saturday was spent doing the usual cleaning & grocery shopping while Shane took the Harley out & met his brother for an afternoon of riding. Later in the afternoon I made a new appetizer to share at our cul-de-sac get-together that evening. It was a Buffalo Chicken Dip & it turned out dee-lish. You can find the recipe here but instead of canned chicken I used actual chicken breasts that I had boiled & then shredded. I think it tastes much better than using chicken in a can.

We brought out the lawn chairs & gathered with the neighbors in the cul-de-sac for our annual July 4th festivities where we eat, drink & watch the little & "big" kids blow up fireworks. It is always a lot of fun & something we look forward to every year.

Sunday was an extremely lazy day. My plan was to lay out by the pool but it ended up being way to hot & humid out so instead I got a couple of movies at our local Redbox & we spent the majority of the afternoon vegging on the couch watching movies in the nice & cool AC.

Later in the evening we joined our next door neighbors for round 2 of the fireworks & enjoyed watching all the other fireworks being lit in the sky from around the neighborhood. A couple of blocks over someone was letting off some HUGE ones that were so pretty & very entertaining to watch.

Monday we ventured out of the house, had lunch at Panera & then went to see the new Transformers movie in 3-D. I love these movies. They always remind me of when I was younger & I would watch the Transformers cartoon with my brothers & would help them assembly their Transformer figurines. Good times!

I really liked the movie - especially in 3-D - but Shane didn't think it was as good as the first two. He was disappointed that Megan Fox wasn't in this one & he kept trying to tell me that it was because he liked her character in the movie - hmmmm, somehow I'm not convinced. Have you seen her? She is pretty hot!

After the movie we headed home & spent the rest of the evening catching up on DVR'd shows & enjoying the end to a very relaxing holiday weekend!

Hope everyone had a fun & safe 4th! Happy Independence Day to you all!