Tag Archives: bachelorette

Vegas, You Win #donttellanyoneisaidthat

6th May 2014

Phew. Almost four weeks later and with a fairytale Faircloth wedding now behind us,  and I think I may *finally* be recovered enough to blog about Vegas – bachelorette style.
Now, let’s be clear, this wasn’t my first rodeo with the city in the desert. P and I ran our way around the city quite literally with the Great Urban Race in late 2012, but boy does seeing the sun rise over the Vegas strip paint this city in a whole new light.
vegas
Backing up from the whole why-are-we-still-outside-when-the-sun-is-coming-up thing, when your best friend since 7th grade decides it’s time to go to Vegas for one last fling before she says “I Do,” first you apologize to your back account, then you buy some Goldfish crackers and finally you hop on a plane heading west.
Upon landing at 10:00PM PST, Vegas very quickly made it very clear that we were not in control. This bachelorette weekend may as well have taken place in an alternative Vegas than my first trip around.
We landed, headed to the hotel, made our way to the bar and then (or so I hoped) headed to find a quick bite to eat. Food quickly turned into a jaunt over to the MGM Grand to see Rev Run DJ – starting around 2:00AM if my east coast body was keeping track. Nearly five hours later, I was crawling into bed saying small prayers to make it out of the next few days alive.
Let’s get one thing crystal clear. I’d heard it before, but it didn’t quite resonate until we experienced it ourselves. Vegas LOVES bachelorette parties. I’m fairly certain there’s a special club just for that. In fact, it may be called every club. And everything is free.
Three days in Las Vegas lead us to make eight new friends on a bachelor trip (who coincidentally were also from Atlanta), spend three mornings watching the sun rise while walking home heels in hand, enjoy a few too many poolside jello shots and spend one weekend with one little lady who also happened to rock a tutu and close down the club after the last of the confetti fell.

kristen1

If Vegas doesn’t invite me back, say ever, I’ll be OK with that, but I am proud and a bit humbled to have knocked a bachelorette in Sin City off of the bucket list, with countless stories to prove it.
#itneverhappened

Irish Blessings and Reminders

17th March 2013

Saint Patrick’s Day (or St. Paddy’s day as it’s known in my house) has always held a special place in my little Irish heart. With a namesake of ‘Dennihy’ and ‘Kelly’, escaping the world of claddaghs, clovers and celebration was never in the cards for me.

This weekend, I had the opportunity to experience the South’s best incarnation of the Irish tradition with a bachelorette weekend in Savannah, Ga. While the river may no longer be dyed green, the city did go all out for the 189th celebration. Dancing, drinks and debauchery ensued (to a very responsible degree mind you ;)) and we left the weekend with a renewed love for a fantastic southern city and plenty of stories to share.

 

The bride-to-be and myself

The bride-to-be and myself

Beyond the green beer and the shamrocks, I’m also reminded of a few great lessons my Irish heritage has lent me over the years.

Never take life too seriously.

Every Saint Patrick’s Day morning growing up we would wake up to find the leprechauns had wreaked havoc around the house by putting pictures on the walls upside down, placing furniture on top of each other and hiding toys within obscure locations. Did it make a giant mess in the house? Yes. Did my siblings and I love it? Of course. When I shared this story with friends this weekend, I learned it wasn’t as common of a tradition as we had assumed years ago, but I love that it’s something the leprechauns my parents always made a priority.

Keep an eye on the road ahead.

I was reminded of this one quite directly this weekend. Note to self, 5-inch wedges are not a great idea for late night cobble stone streets and there should be a medal for making it out of that city without breaking an ankle. On a more serious note, my friends and my family have always supported me to focus on the future. Whether that be placing one foot in front of the other quite literally, or setting goals for the future. Have a plan and then have the flexibility to throw it out the window from time to time.

Find faith through friends and family.

And of maybe a drink to two to share with both. Weekends like this remind me how many awesome people I’m surrounded by day in and day out. It’s every single one of those people that make St. Paddy’s Day, and the other 364 days of the year worth a laugh and a smile.

I’ll leave you with a little Irish blessing that graced the halls of my house growing up, and is one of my personal favorites. I hope everyone (Irish or not) celebrated in their own special way today. Cheers.

IrishBlessing