I can relate!

Remix here.

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Too bad it didn't come in my size!

I bought the cutest outfit for my friend who's pregnant with her first daughter. I would totally wear this dress (maybe event the tights!). When did Baby Gap clothes become so covet-able?
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Catch up (aka houseguests, Gettysburg, dinner party, Cafe Rio)

I'm a slacker. Or I'm busy? Either way, this fall has been party central at Casa Wickstrom and I've been keeping the party to myself.

I'm sorry.

Here, have some pictures (click to enlarge). I'll pretend you're interested.

Exhibit A: Heather, Jay and Lauren visit; crew travels to Gettysburg; perfect weather ensues.

Exhibit B: Luxurious Cafe Rio date with the Kings
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UPDATED: Office Premiere Party Recap

Our third-annual Office Premiere Party was a smash! It was such a success, in fact, that I only had time to snap a handful of random pictures while finishing a delicious meal for more than a dozen people and making last-minute adjustments to my Pam-inspired outfit.

**Lucky for me, these GLORIOUS friends captured the party perfectly. See pictures below.

Party highlights:

- Chili's-esque dinner (again, I know)
- Banana-split pie
- Business casual attire (awesome participation, guests)
- Amazing company ("company," he he, I'm hilarious)
- Bubblewrap tablecloth
- Sticky note wall decor (I tried to recreate the feel of an office by adorning my walls with memos from "Future Dwight," fliers for the "Finer Things Club" and documents about dealing with difficult people. I also used an entire package of post-its. One of my guests said it was very Anthropologie-esque. That guest is my new favorite friend).
- Nifty gifty exchange (hybrid of the Christmas exchange and the nifty gifties presented by Michael after the Scranton merger). The most coveted gifts included these and this.
- An awesome screening of the premier. I need to re-watch the episode by myself so I can appropriately swoon over Jim and Pam! Awwwww!

The tablescape (no room for a centerpiece this year -- too much food!)

Nice shot, Harley!

"Business cards," placecard holders and Jell-O.

Menu with official logo.

Bubblewrap close-up.

Nifty Gifty.

Interoffice memo from "Future Dwight."

Post-it overload.

Love the Kings, hate this picture of me.

Anderson King -- cutest Office Party baby EVER!

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Set down your drink...

...or it might squirt out your nose when you read this (her side...here's his story).

Let's just say if love were a scale and obsession a measurement, I would rank way off the charts over this family.

Oh, and Harley? Just tell people you're G.I. Jane.

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oh do I have stories!

I was looking through old posts and thought, "My, it's been a while since I've discoursed my happy commuting memories." (No, my actual thought did not include any of those words, nonetheless you get the point). Rest assured I have plenty of material, especially with heat like this. Trust me -- after today I am keenly aware of the more unfortunate afterlife possibilities (I'm keeping the swearing sequestered in my head).

Nevertheless (Attention! Today is "Use multiple words to make one word" Day), I know you were wondering about our weekend in North Carolina (What? You didn't know we were away this weekend? Shame on you. Call us!) And because I like to give you what you want, I present a photo essay of sorts.

Let's see. I think we'll begin with the single item that brought us (me and Holly) unmeasurable joy and satisfaction throughout the entire weekend:
Let's say you were at my house and I had a box of the beans pictured above. How much would I have to pay you to eat--oh let's see--a vomit-flavored bean? How about dirt? Soap? Okay, fine, pickle? Chris and John ate them FOR FREE. I can (unfortunately) officially vouch that the flavors are exactly as described.

Check out their faces after the many bean daring sessions (cupcake chasers were essential). We nearly had some non-bean-form vomit on our hands.
Isn't my adopted nephew darling? He makes wacky faces just like his Uncle Chris. Maybe that's because Chris and John share a brain. Literally.Okay, these lovely gems are dedicated to Holly, who claims I never post bad pictures of myself. While I refuse to provide evidence to the contrary (frankly, the evidence speaks for itself), I will indulge her with some frightful pictures of yours truly.And finally, I leave you with a relic from the past, and a photo where Holly looks totally hot (Do you forgive me now?) and I look much thinner. Sigh. Those were the days. (P.S. How much do you love the wall colors in Holly's house pictured above?)
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nearly toxic hamilton-wickstrom cocktail

I have a severe hangover.

Memorial Day was marked in Casa Wickstrom by a weekend-long slumber party, a lot of driving and a little shopping, insane amounts of food, board games (including the oft necessitated rule book consultation), memorable one-liners and sleep deprivation. Typical weekend, I guess. Here are the highlights.

Meet another in the long list of Chris' talents: BREAKFAST. These are my favorite breakfast souflees on the planet.And his tried and true cheesy home fries. We also ate Cafe Rio (see photos here), homemade Five Guys fries and burgers, a "breakfast" lemon tart and cheescake in excess. I highly recommend Chris' Outrageous Chocolate Cake (awesome name, KILLER cake), which includes a layer of coconut cheesecake that I'm convinced was crafted by Satan himself to coerce me into weighing 700 lbs.
According to John, this was "the most horrible weekend ever. We didn't even play any games." He's shown here using his game pieces (which, according to his account, must be from a game we never actually played) to write coded messages.
Holly was rockin' the train earpieces. Only certain adorable pregnant people can pull off this look.
Of course Chris was reading the rules. Of course. This must have been after he "rested his eyes."
And Trevan was reinacting the famous Titanic scene on the front of the boat. He obviously felt like the king of the world (or the sea?) after watching The Little Mermaid 900 times.
Where was I? I rocked my p.j.s pretty much the entire weekend. And smeared makeup. And crazy hair. But because this is my blog and I refused to take a picture of myself in said state, I leave you with a lovely self-portrait from my office.

so maybe I'm a tad dramatic

One of my favorite people on the planet (read: the girl I used to wake from sleep by singing the BYU fight song at the top of my lungs) pointed out a supreme flaw in my last blog entry. I tagged a picture of Yanni as the "cutest pregnant girl in the world." And I totally stand by what I said.

But, if you know me, you know I have GORGEOUS friends--inside and out! Duh, that's why I hang out with them (haven't you heard Oprah's hooplah about "The Secret"?) And, if you know me, you also know I tend to season everything I do with a pinch (read: heaping handful) of theatrical flare.

The point? ALL of my lovely girlfriends are the most beautiful ladies on the planet. And of course that would make each the cutest pregnant girl in the world.

Proof?
Awww...see? Cutest!

Shout out to the pregnant possey: Ida (pictured above), Yanni, Gel, Sang, Holly, Camille (if you're name isn't mentioned above, maybe you forgot to tell me you're with child. GET WITH THE PROGRAM).

Oh, and one more thing. For saying such nice things about you, all I'm asking is to be honorary aunt. FAVORITE honorary aunt. Auntie Becky has such a nice ring to it, no? Oh, and I'm NOT asking.

party like you're five again

First, the disclaimers.

1. When Angelica asked Taylee for a guest list to her fifth birthday party, Taylee chose her favorite adults - me, Chris, Rob, Jessica, Jared, Yanni (and yes, it feels awesome to have the affection of such a sophisticated five year old).
2. If we polled the guests to see who had more fun---me planning/decorating or them attending the party---I would probably win (it was Just. That. Cute.).
3. When I think 5-year-old girly girl birthday party, I think PINK!

So, without further adeu, I present TAYLEE'S BIRTHDAY/favorite neighbors' going away party (*sniff, sniff*).

THE DECOR

I was going for a sugar-coated garden party - cute and girly, yet sorta adult. And wow, can I just say I'm obsessed with these paper flowers?!I planned to make my own gorgeous centerpiece, but thank you Target, for not only the cutest centerpiece ever, but for saving me from my own ambition. And of course - OF COURSE - there was candy, lots of it: marshmallows, pop rocks, skittles and chocolate popcorn.Again with the flowers...I LOVE THEM (in fact, they're still hanging from my ceiling. Maybe I'll call them summer decor and make them a semi-permanent addition).
THE PRESENTS

It's true, this dog and carrying case had us at hello, despite the Paris Hilton-esque vibe.What's a going away gift without a book full of paper dolls, scented crayons, Oh, The Places You'll Go (alright, fine - I'll say it: I'm a sap. And yes, the dedication included many references to paths, journeys, destinations and whatnot. And I cried when I wrote it. Are you happy now?). And the piece de resistance: RAP SNACKS!

I even made the white chocolate popcorn pink and purple! Probably the cutest popcorn I've ever made. Ever.The favors - polka-dotted take-out containers filled with cookies and popcorn. What's not to love?

GAME ON

We played "Who Wants to Be a Birthday Princess" which is exactly like "Who Wants to Be a Millionare" only without the money, Regis or t.v. cameras. There were lifelines, though, and the contestant guessed Disney princesses based on a series of clues. Rob almost made the poor girl lose (that's the last time she phones that friend!)Check out the prize bling.And yes, she was crowned the winner! Party on!

THE CAKE

What's a birthday princess to do without a gorgeous Barbie cake? Yanni can add master Barbie cake maker to her long list of talents!

THE FUN

Addie was cutting a rug (not literally, which is a good thing because I really like that rug) and rocking out to Faith Hill (Taylee's favorite).The boys!The girls!The trio: Bec, Gel and Yanni.
The Love Sac as modeled by Rob and Jessica (p.s. How could I not LOVE this girl, even based solely on the fact she's sporting camo shorts...I LOVE!)A happy (and common) exchange between Chris and Tyler from across the room---caught on camera! This special moment captures exactly how we feel about our favorite neighbors. Okay, I'm stopping now...misty is not a good look for me. Jared hates the camera, can you tell? Um, Jared, the HAM STORE called, they want their ham back. And cheese. They want their cheese too.Possibly the cutest pregnant woman on the planet: Yanni. Baby ETA is approximately two weeks.

WE LOVE WiiWe had a multi-bracket Wii tennis tournament. Taylee is pretty good.I even brought Tyler to his knees with my mad tennis moves. We got stuck at deuce for 10 minutes before I finally LET him win.

And the grand finale was the same thing that wraps up all our hangouts - a boxing match between Tyler and Chris. The best part is watching their faces. And seeing beads of sweat dripping from their brows and moistening their underams. Can you say intense?