La Petite Chic

Jimmy Buffett Summerzcool Tour - Camden, NJ Edition

What. An. Awesome. Time.  Every year it gets better and better, probably because each year we improve our tailgate and get more creative.  This time we brought a pop-up tent and thank god we did because it rained almost the whole day, really, up until the concert began.  Jon made margaritas from scratch and that made all the difference in the world.  Yes, it rained almost the whole day but we didn't let that spoil our fun.

Yes, this was a real, live parrot.  Or some sort of tropical bird...I'm no bird expert!

This tailgate had a "Bob for Pickles" station set up.  I love pickles and I always loved bobbing for apples as a kid so I just couldn't resist.  Jon got plenty of high fives from the guys because I grabbed that pickle in a few seconds flat!   Hee hee :)

 

I'm not exaggerating when I say people go balls to the wall at a Buffett tailgate. 

Exhibit 1:  A freaking volcano and bow of a ship!

 

Exhibit 2: A fully functioning shark-mobile!

 

Exhibit 3: Not one, but two blenders! (Serving delicious rum runners and margaritas, respectively).

 

Exhibit 4: A full-sized tiki bar!  Maybe next year we'll bring one of our own. :)

 

There was also limbo...which I earned a shot of tequila for.

 

And a parrot taller than Jon!

 

You end up making friends with everyone you meet! 

 

Of course when you get into the concert, your lawn seats are so very far away from the stage, but the music is loud and wonderful and that's all that matters.

 

Ahh, Buffett...how I love thee.  We get to do this all over again in September for the Labor Day weekend show in Bristow, VA.  We can't wait!

Beach Reads

You know what happens when you keep putting off posting until you get all of the photos you have on you camera uploaded?  Well, you don't blog for a week because said photos are still on said camera.  Ugh, I suck.  We took a lot of fun and hilarious pictures at the Jimmy Buffett concert last weekend and I've been wanting to share them all with you, but every time I remember to upload them, I also remember that they're in Jon's school bag.  His school bag which is at school with him until he gets home at 11:00 PM, way past this old girl's bedtime. 

So!  I still don't have the photos.  I was actually going to share photos with Honfest (from 2 weeks ago) with you all instead last night, but then our network went down.  Seriously.  So I said, eff it and gleefully read my book instead because I really can't put it down anyway.

It seems I've been on a bit of a Henry VIII kick lately.  It all started with King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes which was published way back in 1959.  It's a historical fiction novel based on the life of King Henry VIII's jester, Will Somers, who was in Henry's service through every single wife.  It was so intriguing and well written and I learned a lot of interesting facts about the life and wives of Henry VIII.  The novel left me wanting to devour more historical fiction, however, so when I saw a copy of The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory (author of The Other Boleyn Girl) for just $1 at a yard sale, I quickly snatched it up.

It has been such a good read thus far.  It chronicles the intercrossed paths of Anne of Cleves, Jane Boleyn (sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn) and Katherine Howard and their respective rise and falls and ohmygoodness, who knew history could be so soap opera-esque?  Well, actually, I did know that (the whole truth is stranger than fiction thing) and that's why I'm such a history nerd.  But seriously, if any of you are looking for some good beach reads this summer, I would highly recommend either one of those books. 

A year (and a day) ago, I shared the embarrasing evolution of my eyebrows.  I have no shame.

Last Minute Gifts for Father's Day

I can honestly say that I did not procrastinate this year and have been done with my Father's Day shopping for quite a few weeks now.  That's usually not the case because both my father and my father-in-law are hard men to shop for.  They were both vocal with their Father's Day requests this year though so they made my shopping extremely easy.  However, I realize there might be some of you out there who are still scratching your heads and wondering what to get the first man who ever loved you. 

Don't fret!  I've come up with some quick and easy ideas for what to give your dad on the day to celebrate him for all the kisses of skinned knees, taking you to the New Kids on the Block concert and waiting with you at the school bus stop every morning.  (Thank you, Dad!)

CHEAP: A home-cooked dinner

A lot of what I know about cooking I learned from my dad.  Since Jon and I moved in with my parents, my dad and I have been sharing cooking duties and I think he's secretly proud that I love to cook as much he does.  I think any dad would be thrilled to sit down to a home-cooked meal made especially for him by his daughter (or son!).

For the main course, I would serve this Chicken with Balsamic BBQ sauce (pictured above) with a side of Lipton Onion Roasted potatoes and corn on the cob fresh from the farmer's market.  Simple, yet delicious!  I think a fruit pie would be a great ending to the meal and this Fresh Peach Brown Sugar Pie sounds heavenly.

ACTIVE: Take your dad on a long bike ride or hike 

 

(photo found here)

Let's face it; more than anything else, your dad probably just wants to spend time with you.  How long has it been since you've had quality one-on-one time with him?  With work or school and/or other obligations breathing down our necks, it's sometimes hard to find the time to sit down with dear, ol' dad and catch him up on what you've been doing and to find out what he's been up to.  If you take him on a hike or bike ride, the only thing to distract you will be the beautiful scenery.  Treat it like a father/daughter (son) date and send him an evite requesting the pleasure of his company.  Pack a few sandwiches, snacks and drinks and stop along the way for a nice picnic lunch.

FROM AFAR: Send your dad a handwritten note of thanks

If you live miles and miles away from your dad and won't be seeing him in person, why not send him a letter of thanks for all of the little things he's done for you over the years?  If it were me, I would thank my dad for working the night shift when we were little so that one of my parents would always be home with us.  I would remind him about those bumpy ponytails he used to send me off to school with and tell him how I can still feel his big hands clumsily pulling my hair back.  I would thank him for the amazing opportunity he gave us to live in Germany and for watching the History Channel so much that I grew to love it too.  See, it's not that hard!  Wouldn't you love to receive a letter like that?

SPENDY: Treat your dad to a day at the ballpark

If your dad is a sports fan like mine is, I bet he would love if it you bought him tickets for a baseball game.  It doesn't matter if you're in the nosebleed section or club level, nothing beats watching the home team play ball while enjoying a hot-dog and beer with your dad.  Make sure to take a picture together and frame it to give to him the next time you see each other.  This would be a great tradition to start for every Father's Day.

Does anyone else have any good ideas to share with the rest of us?

Last year, I shared pictures from the Jimmy Buffett concert.  Good timing; we're going to our first of two this year on Saturday!