Grillin'

Due to sky high airline prices (no pun intended), Jer and I flew home from Chicago early Monday morning. While I was sad to cut the weekend with my family short, it was nice to have a full afternoon & evening at home to get unpacked and unwind. And after a weekend filled with delicious Chicago cuisine - pizza, Chicago dogs at Wrigley, burgers, and pasta - we were in the mood for a healthy home cooked meal. Last night's menu included chicken on the grill, broccoli & sweet potatoes. I was even able to capture the griller in action :)

SYTYCD

Do those letters mean anything to you?

If not, SYTYCD stands for So You Think You Can Dance, and the 8th season premiere's TONIGHT! Check out the preview here...

This is probably one of my favorite shows. It is entertaining, emotional, and the perfect excuse to get together with girl friends. And not just any girl friends - girl friends that share the same obsession you do about the show. Fortunately, I have been invited over to a SYTYCD premiere watching party tonight, where everyone knows to be quiet during the REALLY good dances, agrees to fast forward during the slow waltz dances, always up for rewinding, prefers to watch on high volume, and gets the "chills" :) 

Everyone is bringing their favorite appetizer and bottle of wine. My go-to? Chili cheese dip! It is super easy, affordable to make, and always a crowd pleaser. 

Is it 7:00pm yet?

21 Days

Some studies have shown it takes 21 days to break a habit. And as of today, I am happy to report that it has been 21 days since I have bitten my nails!!!! Not saying that I have officially broken the habit, but I am definitely on the right track. And if you know me, then you know this is a huge accomplishment! But let me tell you, it hasn't been easy. One of my tricks? To keep my nails painted at ALL TIMES! Why? Because then I put my efforts against picking off my nail polish rather than bitting my nails. It has worked great! Except for the fact that I am wasting a ton of nail polish and Jer finds it a little bizarre. But hey, it works.

My favorite color lately?

I love how bright and cheery it is! I think I better reward myself with a manicure! And why not a pedicure too! I mean, I am already there, right?

Go-To Summer Dress

It had been awhile since I visited F21, but since I was in the area I decided to take a look through the 2-story Galleria location on Saturday. And I am glad I did! I found my new go-to summer dress...nothing fancy, just a comfy cotton maxi dress that you can totally make your own with a fun belt or necklace. Better yet, it was only $10! They have it in olive (which is the color I got), black, and coral. I think I might go back next weekend to complete my collection :)

The Countdown is On...

Just 3 days and a wake-up before us "kids" will all be together in Chicago for the long weekend! And I can hardly wait! It has been 4 months since we have all been together, so this is a much anticipated trip. I feel so lucky to have such amazing sisters and brother-in-laws that make family feel more like best friends :)

Here are a few of my favorite photos from past weekends together...

While this photo doesn't include Eric, it is one of my favorite photos from a weekend in FL, which I believe was back in 2008! And it's worth noting that we got this photo only on the 2nd try! 

Everyone came to Dallas for a long weekend, including a quick overnight trip up to the Mann family lake house on Texoma!

Christmas 2010 - Our entire family, including 90 year old Grandma Alice!

Thanks to Mom's yearly Christmas tradition, our matching PJs were the perfect outfit to reinact one of the Reimer's Christmas cards - ha!

The guys got jealous, so decided to do their own pose - ha!

Our annual trip to FL to celebrate Mom & Eric's bday and usually the Super Bowl!

Hot tub time in FL after a few too many cocktails! We were supposed to make Carson's "surprise face"...not sure Eric got the memo :)

A Weekend at Home

It was so nice to just spend a weekend in town with no plans. We just "played it by ear", as Jer would say. And it was great!

Friday night consisted of an impromptu date night, walking to our most favorite tex-mex restaurant in Dallas - Chuys! We enjoyed chips & salsa with jalapeno ranch, burritos and tacos, and of course Modelo Negros for Jer and frozen margaritas for me. On our walk home, we decided to take a detour to grab a bottle of wine, which we enjoyed watching one of our favorite movies - It's Complicated (don't judge - ha!).

Saturday, Jer headed out for a round of golf which was the perfect opportunity for me to get some much needed errands done, including doing some belated bday shopping for my sister Jen before we celebrate her bday in Chicago NEXT WEEKEND! I then spent the rest of the afternoon sitting out on our patio enjoying the sunny and 75 degree weather and catching up on my latest Us Weekly. My perfect type of day.

In prep for our dinner guests (Jer's sister Jenn and her boyfriend Jacob), I found it appropriate to pick up some of my favorite fresh flowers...tulips! I thought the color was the perfect compliment to the gorgeous Spring day...plus, they were on sale for only $5!

After we indulged in Jer's famous turkey burgers, we headed down to a new bar located right on the Katy Trail (which is a walking/running/biking path that our house backs up to). This is my new favorite spot. Their beer garden like "patio" filled with long picnic tables, Baggo, colorful lights, and retro patio furniture automatically takes you to a happy place. I have a feeling we will be going back to this place a lot!

Sunday included a belated Mother's day brunch with the Mann family - Jeff & Jody, Jenn & Jacob, Josh, Jer & me. Sad how I am the ONLY one who's first name doesn't start with a "J" - ha! We enjoyed bottomless mimosas & bloody marys and everything from eggs benedict to challah french toast to omelets. We laughed a LOT and ended up getting quite tipsy. Jody was a happy Momma!

All in all, it was a great weekend. Looking forward to another "play it by ear" kind of weekend :)

The Future Mr. & Mrs. Dewey

I couldn't have been MORE excited when I got a call from Matt & Jenny last night to tell me the fantastic news...they are engaged!!!!!!!!

Matt & Jenny have been dating since our sophomore year at Arizona, have lived the fabulous life together in NYC, and now reside in our nation's capitol with their adorable puppy Wilbur. Jeremy and I were lucky enough to spend a few days with them last October when we took a trip out to the East coast. The photo montage below from a night out in D.C. pretty much sums up this fun-loving, always up for a good time couple!

Jenny & Matt, we could not be happier for you two! I honestly feel like you were made for each other! We love you!!