Looking back on 2011

As we get closer and closer to the New Year...I figured I would do a little re-cap of all things 2011. Is it just me or did 2011 go by incredibly fast? Like lightening speed fast.

So, without further adieu...I give you 2011...Blonde Oklahoma girl style.

Ringing in 2011 with some of my favorite people in Ft. Worth, Texas. Billy Bob's...I love Ft. Worth,  I love Billy Bobs, and I love cowboys.

The day we flew back, Sara G...in the top picture found out she was pregnant with little Miss Mia.

Oh and before we end with January...we had a little thing I like to call a FREAKING BLIZZARD....where I was stuck inside for days, how many I don't remember. If I learned anything at all, it's to stock up on the wine.





February, Miss Football flew in for little linebackers first birthday and we all got to spend some best friend time together, with dinner, wine and a hockey game.

A wedding...at a hockey game?? Yes, it happened.The mascot was his best man and the cheerleaders were her bridal party.

March...I spent some good quality time with my favorite people, Nana and Papa and celebrated Papa's birthday.

April...baby brother turned the big 18

and we celebrated by taking him to his first Calf Fry in Stillwater.



May...baby brother graduated high school...so proud of him.







June was pretty low key...actually very hot...so my days were spent at the lake or pool.

July brought my momma's birthday and a camping trip for the girls over the Fourth of July....no pictures...but it was a blast!!

I also squeezed in a little NKOTBSB concert....my thirteen year old self was very happy that day.




At the end of July, the BFF's and I took a girls weekend trip to San Francisco...where we went wine tasting in Napa and ran in a little thing called the San Francisco Marathon. Three of us participated in the progressive 5K...but Miss Football ran her first Half-Marathon and we were all their to cheer her on.


I sang a little Karaoke



Our half-marathoner



Here's to my first half happening in 2012!!

August...I celebrated turning the big 27 in Kansas City with my mom, bestie and bestie's mom.

Little miss Mia was born in September...remember the friend who found out she was preggers on New Year's day...



Sporting her favorite school.

October..world's greatest homecoming celebration in my favorite town, at my favorite school, with some of my favorite people...





Oktoberfest party....





and just to add it in...not sure what month it was...but we had an EARTHQUAKE...several actually. Weirdest thing I have ever experienced.

November...Thanksgiving spent with the ones I love the most...my mom, nana and papa and baby brother. Fun times playing dominos. I seriously need to take more pictures....New Year's resolution...take more pictures.

December....Oklahoma State University beat the other school in Bedlam to become BIG XII CHAMPS FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!!

The best friends who were at the game...sadly I was not...but that's ok because I was waving my wheat from the comfort of my home, where it wasn't freezing cold.



Christmas....spent with my family...once again I have no pictures...and NYE 2012 will be spent on the mountains snow skiing!!

Looking forward to all the amazing, wonderful things to come in 2012!!

Party rock is in the house tonight

I'm pretty sure this title has nothing to do with the blog post. It's just that this song has been in my head for like ever. E.V.E.R.

First and foremost I need to say a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BFF MISS FOOTBALL!!!!



You should go over to her blog and wish her a very happy birthday....she is "Hella" 28!!!

So, this last weekend I trekked it on up to my Alma Mater, in the best town ever. Stillwater, Oklahoma for what I like to call the greatest celebration on earth.

Walkaround and Homecoming. Miss Football, please notice that I called it Walkaround this time and not walkarounds...apparently I was calling it wrong. My bad.

I also call barbed wire fence, bobbed wire fence. Tomato Tomahto

Back to the most important matter at hand. Walkaround

Like I said on Friday, it's complete and crazy madness. They estimated that about 80,000 people were at walkaround and I am pretty sure all 80,000 plus one were there. It was insane. So many people, so little space to walkaround.

We did get some great pictures of the housedecks though, which is the whole point of Walkaround. Some of these are courtesy of Miss Football's camera...she has a fancier one than I.

Keep in mind that the pictures you are seeing are images made from tissue paper and chicken wire. It's absolutely amazing what those two things can create

The theme this year, was "Where your story began"



One of my favorite's



"I've never been to heaven, but I've been to Oklahoma." Amen!

Another favorite of mine



"I've found something in Stillwater that I didn't find anywhere else" No words have ever been truer!

John Wayne, the ultimate cowboy



It says, "I'm looking for a man with true grit." Ya, you and me both!!

This photo below, shows the moving parts of the housedeck. The jeep comes out(in Stillwater we have a drive through drink place that is in the shape of a barn) The stone looking thing comes out of the ground. It was pretty cool looking





Man in chaps even when in tissue paper looks good to me...





My sorority's housedeck





After we walked for what seemed like eternity we ventured off to our old stomping grounds, also known as the Copper Penny...where our names used to be written on the wall, that is until they put a picture over it. I am SO NOT HAPPY about this and WILL BE having a talk with them next time.

I figured all caps should tell you how upset I am about that.

Can't go in to the Penny and not drink the infamous Limey





After about two of these, I realized I am know longer a college student and really really should stop trying to act like one. Because it ain't pretty the next day. Also, I should remember that unlike tequila(which is my drink of choice) vodka creeps up on you a lot later...THAT I need to remember.

Homecoming is always great and it's fun to run into friends you haven't seen in forever, but when you are at your old bar and you run into boys you used to date and then realize that most of them are married(some with kids) or are getting married and that you are still single...well, let's just say that this probably explains the reason I had a second limey.

And a shot of tequila. Oy vey.

Saturday was game day. We started off pimping in an Escalade golf cart, courtesy of Arby's...Bestie does marketing for them and we help with a promotional deal before the game.

We ride in style



Waiting for the players and coaches to walk by us



Did I mention that in Stillwater, we have orange water??



Traditional orange fountain picture



Cheering on our cowboy victory




All and all it was a great homecoming weekend!!

and I am STILL exhausted!!

P.S. Be on the look out for a post about how I will impress you with my football knowledge. It's scary how much I know about football...really, it is.

Do you sense the sarcasm : )

Ever you'll find us, loyal and true...to our Alma Mater O-S-U

It's FRIDAY y'all.

Can I get an Amen?!?

I am so excited for this day for many reason, not just because it's Friday but because it's HOMECOMING in the greatest place on earth. Stillwater, my home for 4 years of my life...I love this place.

Tonight is the night called Walkarounds, where literally the whole town shuts down an entire street and thousands upon thousands descend into Stillwater. It's seriously amazing. Alumni, current students, future students,babies of alumni, anyone and everyone who has ever loved OSU is there.

(Homecoming last year, our fountain even turns orange)

Walkarounds is intended for everyone to see what the sorority's and fraternity's have been working on all semester long. Huge housedecks are displayed in front of the Fraternity houses. It's scenes displayed based on the them for Homecoming. This year's theme is "Where your story began" Personally I LOVE this theme. It's so true, I know from my own experience that my story most definitely began at OSU, just like I am sure the majority of stories did.

I participated in the building of these housedecks and let me tell you as beautiful and astonishing as they are...it is a huge pain in the ass to make. See, because I was in a sorority, we were responsible...along with the fraternity to make these housedecks. Basically the boys do all the manual labor, as in welding the structure and getting parts to move and things like that and the girls were responsible for the actual prettiness of it...if you will. We would spent countless hours all semester shoving tissue paper into chicken wire. Yes, you heard me right...tissue paper into the teeny tiny holes of chicken wire. It was time consuming and like I said a huge pain in my ass.

(Sneak peak at this year's housedecks)

However, going to walkarounds as an alum, I sure do appreciate the beauty of it that much more. The night before walkarounds in called "24 hour pomp"...this is where the madness ensues. You have until about 5:00 the night of walkarounds to get your deck up and running and displayed. The judges, yes..it's a competition, will start showing up about that time. This is the time you for sure want your moving parts to move, after they judge your house, they could all fall apart and it won't matter. Just as long as they are running for that 10 minutes your house in being judged.

As much as I dreaded going into the night of "24 hour pomp" it was some of the best times spent with my sisters. Yes, I am not gonna lie, we had some knock down screaming arguments over where things should go and who is doing what, but really...that is expected with about 100 girls and 100 guys and no sleep. In the end, housedecks and walkarounds are part of an OSU tradition that has been happening for years. I am so honored and proud to have been a part of it. I will always treasure those memories and I can not wait for the day I get to take my husband and kids to walkrounds and show them what I used to do.

( Probably taken at 2 or 3 in the morning when the craziness of all night pomping takes place)

(our housedeck one year, we had a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory theme...my little Karisa)

(me working hard...at supervising)

(Oh goodness my hair was crazy)

Oh ya and there is a little thing called a homecoming game on Saturday too...not to mention how excited I am to be going back to my college bar for the night and having the world's best drink ever, made popular by my friends and I am sure. A limey. If you are ever in Stillwater, OK...stop by the bar called the Copper Penny and order this drink. Actually, if you are ever in Stillwater, just call me and I will meet you and have a drink with ya.

(Homecoming circa 2008, at the best bar ever with the infamous Limey)

Oh and one more thing that I am excited about, my boss is at the hospital right now waiting on the arrival of her second child. Baby Evan Christopher. Hurry up Evan...everyone has been anxiously awaiting your arrival!! Including me, who has packed on a few lbs along with your momma...all those damn cupcakes I had to go get her.

Hope y'all have a great weekend and I will most definitely be taking pictures of this years homecoming festivities.

GO POKES!!!