GASP!

The weather is cooling off so why do I suddenly feel warm?

Countdown to the mega D.C. girl's weekend/New Moon viewing party is officially underway. Who's joining the frenzy? Check out the trailer and GET EXCITED!

Print Page

And the winner of the 2nd Annual Big Birthday Giveaway is...

JESSICA FILLMORE

aka the classy lady celebrating every happy minute of her life! (But let's be honest -- if we all had a baby that cute, we couldn't help but smile either!) I can't wait to send you my happy package, gorgeous girl!

Stay tuned for the big reveal! For last year's goods, click here.

Print Page

A birthday to look UP!

I was in desperate need of a pick-me-up and without even asking, that's exactly what I got for my birthday!

It's no secret that our recent move to Utah was a humongous challenge for both Wickstroms. Couple a birthday with this major life change (not to mention the Utah Bar study consuming Chris' life) and it's safe to say I was 100% NOT looking forward to celebrating.

But a week ago, we saw UP!, a sweet, creative, uplifting movie about embracing the joy of life's journey and not succumbing to sadness when you face trials. Both Chris and I were blown away.

Then I arrived at work on Wednesday to find: My mom told the florist I was "a very stylish dresser" and could she please use an "appropriate" vase:

All week the sweet smell of roses and lilies filled my office!

I was feeling happier already. In addition to awesome cards, thoughtful gifts and chocolate cake at work, I got an e-mail from my BFF at midnight on Friday.

(Isn't she gorgeous? You should read her blog. It's brilliant and pure happiness!)

She told me to visit the birthday blog she created for me last year (brilliant idea, right?) for a special surprise.

Holly invited some of the most important women in my life to shower me with love on the blog! This was one of the most thoughtful and NEEDED birthday gifts I've ever received. As I read their overly generous words, I was intermittently sobbing and laughing. These, the woman I most admire, were celebrating me! I felt amazing.

THEN (can you believe there's more?!), hot husband told me we had to be in Park City by 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. I had no idea what he had planned.

Bleary eyed, I woke up at 4:45 a.m. and Chris showed me this post (his first ever on Wickstrom Adventures -- hooray!).

We spent a beautiful (though sleepy) morning floating above the stunning Utah mountains. It was perfect!

Thanks everyone for such a wonderfully UPlifting birthday!
I love you!

Print Page

I LOVE YOU TO THE BLUE, BLUE SKY ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECKY!!!

Love,
The Other Adventurous Wickstrom

Image via flickr.

Print Page

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADE HAPPIER!

Time to celebrate -- I hope you'll join me in one of the most fabulous perks of a birthday on 7/11:

FREE SLURPEES!

Woo hoo! Cheers!

Awesome image via.

Print Page

BIRTHDAY WEEK: Happiness

Broken Record Becky says:
"Enter the BIG BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY by clicking on the cupcake over there."

I obviously love birthdays -- imaging how I would celebrate if I had unlimited funds, choosing presents (both realistic and fantasy -- or maybe just fantasy) and picking out the perfect cake (YUM!).

But Helen Keller once said,

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."

I keep these words of wisdom prominently displayed on my fridge.

Because as fun as it is to indulge in expensive daydreams, it's better to get a thoughtful e-mail from a friend. Or a voicemail with an off-key rendition of the birthday song. Or the perfect card from someone who knows you ridiculously well. Or an ice cold grapefruit Izze soda from your husband because he knows it's your favorite. Or a genuine hug and the whispered words, "I love you!"

I'm excited for all of those little things! It makes getting one year older a tiny bit less traumatizing.

BUT, if you had to choose a fantasy birthday activity and gift, what would it be?

Print Page

BIRTHDAY WEEK: Can I please get some commiseration?

First thing's first:
Enter the BIG BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY by clicking on the cupcake over there:

It all started with the words, "I want to take you to dinner for your birthday." I was turning 18. We'd been dating for two years. And although teenage romance is turbulent by nature, we were going through a relatively calm and happy spell. We were so in love.

If this had been any other birthday, I would have had to reschedule our dinner plans. My celebrations always lasted at least a full week and often involved elaborate parties (see examples here, here, here and here). But with my mom away at Girl's Camp and my friends otherwise disposed, we set out on the birthday date.

So there we were, munching on sweet and sour chicken, when out of the blue he said, "I think we should see other people. I want to break up."

I was stunned.

"Really?" I choked on a bite of chicken.

I wanted to scream, BUT IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

He simply nodded. We ate in silence. Then, walking me to his truck after the depressing meal, he offered to take me to get ice cream.

Too stunned to decline, I agreed and we ate our ice cream on the sidewalk in the sweltering summer night heat.

Then he suggested mini golf. I numbly played along.

Three hours later, he dropped me off on my doorstep and wished me a happy birthday.

It was, hands down, the WORST birthday of my life. Even thinking about it makes me mad! Good thing I gave Chris my hand in marriage and him the "Dear John."

Your turn -- what was your worst birthday ever?

Print Page

BIRTHDAY WEEK TIP: Dazzle them with the wrap!

As promised, I'm sharing my best birthday ideas this week.
But, first, enter the BIG BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY by clicking on the cupcake:

Anyway, I come from a long line of gift wrappers -- my grandma, my mom, my aunt. All of these talented ladies taught me the power of a well-wrapped gift.

But sometimes killer wrapping is more than a frilly luxury -- it's critical. After all, the last thing a lame gift needs is lame wrapping.

Even if the gift is the opposite of lame, the wrapping can make it shine. Check out my birthday gift to the ever-amazing Rachel:

(Hot husband, Kara, Birthday Girl and Wendy -- fabulous and very missed D.C. bffs!)

I presented Rachel with her very own "Man-catching Birthday Beauty Kit." Fun idea, yes. But more fun after I got creative with the gift labels:
The gift was actually pretty boring -- body wash, shampoo, conditioner, lip gloss, nail polish, a Coldstone Creamery gift card, but the "Man-catching" labels made it a lot more fun. And after all, that's what counts, right?

What do you do to make your gifts extra special?

Print Page

Becky's Second Annual Big Birthday Giveaway!

It is officially Birthday Week at Casa Wickstrom, which means two things:

1. tears
2. THE BIG BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY (click here to see last year's bounty).

The only thing more fun than waking up on your birthday morning to cupcakes in bed, two first-class tickets to Paris, 17 pairs of Louboutins and the keys to a brand new car is GIVING SOMEONE YOU LOVE A FABULOUS GIFT! This week is all about gift giving.

Tomorrow I'm giving you the (long, LONG OVERDUE) American Idol Finale Fashion Dissection (archives here). GET EXCITED!

All week I'll share share birthday tips and gift ideas (for others, not me, silly)! And even my worst birthday EVER. (Maybe you'll share yours and we can commiserate).

It's going to be an exciting week!

Feel the birthday spirit by entering THE BIG BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY!

How to enter:

* Leave a comment on this post (it can be anything) by Saturday, July 11, before 11 p.m. MST. (One comment per person, please.)
* I will randomly pick a winner and send you a fantastic gift.
* In two weeks, I'll post a special "Becky's Picks," revealing my favorite items.
* Good luck!

Image via.

Print Page

Happy Long Weekend!

Wishing you a fabulous Memorial Day weekend filled with

And stay tuned for the grand finale of "In the Toilet: American Idol Fashion." I promise it's coming!

Print Page

From a pro's point of view: Twilight Premier revisited

Remember my teensy Twilight Premier Party last month (also known as the epic I LOVE ROB celebration)? One of my gorgeously talented friends snapped a few shots of the party and made it look EXTREMELY CHIC AND FANCY!

Andrea is an incredible photographer! In addition to capturing the awesomeness of this fiesta, she previously worked her magic on my 2008 Office Premier Party and even the lowly Wickstroms (no simple task). Call Andrea so she can bring out your inner fabulous! You won't be disappointed! Blog stalk her here!
Party details here.

Print Page

Let there be screaming and fainting (aka How to Throw a Twilight DVD premier party)

First, a disclaimer:

I won't apologize for my addiction to a certain teenage Vampire series. While I'm not typically lured in by adolescent novels, this guilty indulgence has been a welcome obsession. It's a good story (even if the writing is not oustanding) and the books are sexy (but not obscene), sensual, intimate and captivating. (You should try it!)

And the movie -- OH THE MOVIE. It's definitely not Oscar-worthy, but it captures the essence of the relationship at the heart of the series. (Can I get an AMEN?)

Which brings me to my point: Rob (the actor who plays the main character) is seriously hot. And the more you see the movie (I would know), the hotter he gets.

And I'll stop there.

Since I love Rob and I know a few ladies who agree, I hosted a

Rob in HD/Twilight DVD Premier Party

It's not too late for you to follow suit. Here's how:

Step 1. Evite!
You know I love an evite (isn't it fun to check back and read all of the fun comments/excuses of invitees?). And the only thing I love more than an evite is an evite smeared with ROB! You gotta get your guests pumped!
Step 2. Build the Excitement
My party featured a special guest. And that's all I revealed until the day of the party, when my friends were greeted by......a life-size cardboard cutout of Edward! (Chris Rob-ified him by creatively positioning our mullet wig to capture that unkempt, rugged mop Rob usually sports. P.S. Chris is a genius).

Step 3. Pick a theme and serve yummy food
Use the movie/book to draw inspiration for your decorations and menu. I chose to celebrate the Italian feast Edward's family whips up for Bella when they meet her and since this was a girl's night, I served lots of pretty hors d'oeuvres, aka: The food was served on clean white platters which I splattered with blood (because, HELLO, the movie is about vampires).

My menu included:

- blood orange soda
- sun-dried tomato bruschetta
- caprese salad (on a stick)
- stuffed mushrooms
- arancini di riso (aka fried risotto balls)
- prosciutto-wrapped asparagus
- bite-sized (blood) red velvet cupcakes

(Maybe everyone wanted to eat the bruschetta because it was delicious [it was!]
and maybe because of the sexy label I gave it). (See the blood drips?)

Step 4. Make it pretty
It's easy to make your table look appetizing when you label the food with Rob's gorgeous pictures! That's really all it took! (Oh and I filled my heart-shaped bowls with hot tamales, to honor Rob's hotness!) The details make all the difference.

Step 5. Focus on Rob; keep the favors simple
I sent guests home with a couple of heart-smattered love notes (since they would be feeling so amorous after watching the movie). Simple!

I also displayed all of my Rob-related reading material. I promise I'm not that obsessed -- most of these magazines were gifts. Okay, one was a gift.

Step 6. Turn on the Flick and Commence Giggles/Swooning/Sighs/Awwwwws
Watching the DVD with a room full of girls was definitely a treat! Don't forget to check out the special features (especially that deleted kissing scene).

Print Page

Team ROB!

Me: CHRIS! Fix Rob's hair. Seriously.

Chris: I'm not messing with another man's hair. Besides, you love Rob more than Edward anyway. I just made him more Rob-ish.

**Party details coming soon!**

Print Page

Scott's cuisine reigned supreme!

On Saturday night, Casa Wickstrom's very own Kitchen Stadium was home to an epic dessert battle. Four teams competed for the title of Iron Chef!

The dinner party/dessert competition was the ultimate culinary adventure. You should try it! Here's how:

1. Determine a theme for your Iron Chef battle
We served a light dinner (baked potatoes with a million toppings, retro sodas, green salad and warm bread), which was followed by the dessert battle.

We managed to incorporate the dinner into the festivities, though, by taking a cue from Top Chef. In a "Quickfire Challenge," each guest was tasked with creating their dinner by assembling a delectable and irresistible baked potato using the ingredients provided. Before consuming the masterpiece, the Chairwoman (moi) evaluated the creations on plating and originality. She (I) then named a winner who had the advantage of determining the order of contestants for Battle Dessert.

Toppings included greek yogurt/sour cream, fresh veggies, olive tapanade, green chili-cheese sauce, homemade chili, etc. My centerpiece was my utensil container (tied with a red grosgrain ribbon).

A blurry picture of the ever-gorgeous Kara, pre-battle.

Rachel chose asethetics over taste (and ate it as shown).

Harley gave a colorful description of his tater tower and broccoli gardens.

And Scott and Bethany worked together (though only one potato was a masterpiece).

Behold, Scott's "Quickfire Challenge"-winning spud.

2. Write a script!
I watched an entire episode of Iron Chef with my pause button at the ready to carefully record commentary from the show (Host Alton Brown has some serious zingers). I then chose a host (husbands love this!) and made him wear a bow tie (and this). The colorful commentary was especially fun during the actual battle.

E-mail me at heywickstroms@gmail.com for your very own copy of my script.

Sadly the fake mustache was forgotten in the final pre-party rush.

3. Assemble the secret ingredient(s)
Choosing ingredients was definitely fun! We provided a multitude of choices and access to anything in our kitchen. We also allowed guests to bring one secret weapon to incorporate into their dish. Contestants brought marshmallow fluff, chocolate bars, bacon (suck ups!) and peanut butter.

4. Organize the battlefield
We allowed chefs five minutes to check out the kitchen and ask questions before competing. I also labeled the cabinets which housed critical tools and ingredients for easy access.

5. Set ground rules
Each team was given a time limit of 20 minutes and did not see the secret ingredients until just before the battle began. Two teams then battled and presented one plated dish each, which was tasted and rated by secret ballot. Each judge (everyone who wasn't cooking) could award the teams up to 20 points: 10 points for taste, five points for plating and five points for originality in the use of the secret ingredient(s).

The two teams who battled second were not allowed to discuss stragegy with one another before competing.

At the end of the night, the points were tallied, averaged and an Iron Chef was named.

In the heat of battle.

A giant "sundae" with ice cream, half-baked brownies and cookie dough, homemade caramel, apples, white chocolate and a cherry. It was "artfully" presented in my punch bowl.

The "Chocolate Brick Road" with a berry/banana smoothie.

Krispie Kreme islands in paradise with chocolate-dipped popcorn and hand-mixed ice cream.

6. Details make it special
All of our chefs wore magic chefs hats (which made them cook better) and I kept my table setting simple -- graphic red and white checked dishes, tablecloth and napkins, and white serving dishes.

The ultimate trophy (a reproduction Oscar purchased at the Party Store) even sported a matching red checked apron (with the caption "Kiss the Chef").

Even Anderson loved the costumes! See, everyone likes to dress up.

In the end, it was Scott's cuisine that reigned supreme. He's the Iron Chef to beat:

Breakfast: a twinkie with whipped cream over a chocolate pancake and chocolate-dipped bacon (surprisingly delish!) and apple/pineapple "hashbrowns on the side."

Print Page