Aren't my kids adorable? (please note that these are my nieces & nephews - I don't have kids of my own.) That cake by the way - the BEST icing known to man! My mom's fluffy white 7 minute frosting is so yummy it takes my breath away just thinking about it!
On Tuesday we loaded up and headed to California; Burbank to be exact. After a terrible 4 hour delay in Phoenix we FINALLY arrived! The Bob Hope Airport welcomed us with a warm evening and tons of other Bama fans milling about. After some shopping at The Grove, dinner at Morels and a beautiful clutch & shoes from Guess by Marciano & an awesome Prada bag from Nordstrom we crashed at the Biltmore in LA. By the way - a BEAUTIFUL hotel that was gracious, comfortable, historic, & worth every penny (you might note that it was quite inexpensive to stay there - surprisingly enough.)
Wednesday morning welcomed us with sunny skies, beautiful weather & a day of adventure on the horizon. After touring some studios in Burbank, wandering some random parks & landmarks we went back to the hotel for hair, makeup & dressup! Yep - we were heading to the PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS!! All I could picture was Chandler in the episode in Season 7: The One with Rachel's Big Kiss before his wedding to Monica where he wants a suit worn by a celebrity:
Rachel: Oh they are nice. We custom-make tuxedos for celebrities and then when they’re done with them they just send ‘em back.
Chandler: You mean like for award shows?
Rachel: Some of them.
Chandler: You mean these tuxes have been down the red carpet with people yelling, "What are you wearing?! You look fabulous!"
Rachel: Honey, might I suggest watching a little more ESPN and a little less E!?
Okay so here is how it worked: We had red carpet access.
After the red carpet we quickly slipped into the theater. Now they tell you that pictures are not allowed due to it being a Live Broadcast & the interference of flashes & such during the show. Okay I was okay with that - disappointed but okay. We were so close to one of the stages (there were many set around the room) and I knew that some pictures I could get would be AWESOME! Then the show started and the cameras (without flash) came out like crazy!
So yep that was Wednesday night! yeah... I was in entertainment fanatic heaven. lol Dinner in Beverly Hills at The Grill was wonderful! So good!
But the week was just beginning! Thursday we toured the WB Studio lot...The car from Harry Potter! It is actually a working car!
I will forever love our guide "D" for taking me here:
Also on Thursday we went here:
where somehow I stumbled upon the front row viewing of this:
My beloved Crimson Tide beat the Texas Longhorns and we were able to celebrate like this:
If your team won the National Championship where would you go? duh!:After California Screamin':
Then on the flight home Rob Dyerdrek sat behind me on the plane. Honestly it was just a banner birthday week for the Princess! I mean come on this week was crazy! We were so blessed and had such an amazing time! I love my husband - he really worked hard to make it everything I wanted!
So now for the Contest! It seems January is the time for contest! WooHOO! Here is the deal:
How to win:
In the comments tell me the one thing that comes to mind when you hear the word CALIFORNIA and why?
+3 for being a current Follower
+2 for being a new Follower
+1 for listing it on your sidebar or in a blog post (you must leave a link)
So what do you win? What do you win?
Some of you may not know that I not only love Books but I also LOVE PURSES & ACCESSORIES. Los Angeles is an accessory mecca so in honor of its plethora of shopping...
GRAND PRIZE:
1 Copy of The California Club by Belinda Jones
Synopsis: When Lara Richards jets off to glamorous Califronia, the last thing she's expecting is to find her old friend Helen transformed from a clipboard -clasping frump into a shimmering surf goddess. The secret of her blissful new life? The mysterious California Club. So the offer of guest membership - one wish, guaranteed to come true by the end of their stay - is one Laura and her friends can't resist. Could this be Lara's chance to win her best friend Elliot's heart after ten years of longing? Or does the fact that he's traveling with his brand new fiancee mean that Lara wil have to come up with a new dream...?
1 COACH Wristlet (with dustbag/bought in California)
$20.00 Gift Card to Amazon.com
SECOND PRIZE:
$10.00 Gift Card to Amazon.com
Sooo what are you waiting for? Enter to win!
Deadline to enter is:
January 19, 2010 at Midnight
winners will be announced on January 20
Open to residents of the US & Canada
OMG YOU SAT ON THE COUCH AT CENTRAL PERK. I"M DYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Ryan Reynolds? I probably would have peed inmy pants....
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of the word California... I think of the Chili Peppers, lol.
And I'm adding you immediately to my contest post and my sidebar!
http://babblingflow.blogspot.com/2010/01/contests.html
(Will be up within 5 mins of my comment)
OMG this is the most epic post EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW amazing, love the pics, love what you did, love your thoughts and you are soooooo cute with your hubby, love it!!
ReplyDeleteSo California actually makes me think of belly dancing...its the belly dance capitol of the world, oddly (or not) enough:-)
So glad to have you back though!!!
:-)
Holy crap is that Mike Delfino from Desperate Housewives, my favorite show ever!?! You are SO lucky, it looks like you had an amaaaazing time. Happy birthday to you! My birthday is Sunday and I keep telling my boyfriend he better be nice since it's my birthday week, but he says he does not celebrate birthweeks, only birthdays! He could learn a lesson or two from your husband, it seems lol!
ReplyDeleteAlso, this is an amazing contest, so please enter me in.
When I think of California, I think of SUN and Disneyland!
Sadly, I've never been to Cali, even though my mom was born there!
I am an old follower.
stephaniet117@yahoo.com
Sara - I know...it was beyond anything I can even describe..I mean we sat. on. the. central. perk. couch. Yes we did!!! OMG! Thanks for the mention! love the Chili Peppers!
ReplyDeleteFrankie - IT WAS AMAZING!! We had the best time! Thanks, my hubby is a sweetie! my High School Sweetheart actually (13 years ago we started dating..yep..but only married 3 years ago). Really? The belly dancing capitol of the world? huh. Did not know that.
Steph - thanks! YEP THAT IS THE MIKE DELFINO - JAMES DENTON! HE was very sweet after his interviews and talked to those of us who were allowed on the red carpet. Very nice guy.
Um. Wow. That's a heckuva trip, good lady. Congrats on the fun!
ReplyDeleteI'll skip the contest, 'cause I already have a coach purse just like that, and anyway that color makes my eyes look muddy. Or something.
Welcome back!
Looks like such an adventure! What a star-studded weekend - glad you had fun :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I think California I think waves, sun and 90210!
dreamzz12{at}aol{dot}com
I follow you on twitter @deegee13 and on google friend connect as DG
ReplyDelete+2
dreamzz12{at}aol{dot}com
blogged! :)
ReplyDeletehttp://the-prestigiator.xanga.com/719983832/southern-princess-fun/
dreamzz12{at}aol{dot}com
How fun! Looks like you had a great time.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of California I think of LA. And when I think of LA I think of the Academy Awards, the Grammys and the beach.
Im a follower.
Added to sidebar - http://donnasbloghome.blogspot.com/
bacchus76 at myself dot com
Ok, I am so jealous!!! Carrie underwood, Taylor Swift, Central Perk. Talk about in heaven. What an amazing husband you do have and what cuties that stopped by for some 7 minute icing for our B-day.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of Cali, I think of Lake Tahoe. We went there for my honeymoon. It was insane we even had a bomb threat at Harrahs Casino hotel.
Cleverlyinked@yahoo.com
Here is the link to my blog post
ReplyDeletehttp://cleverlyinked.blogspot.com/2010/01/love-contests-love-coach-books-and-gift.html
I'm a current follower :)
ReplyDeleteCalifornia for me at the moment is of course an Alabama National Championship!!!
Traditionally, it is Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf as well as Pinkberry thanks to my California friends I;ve met in college talkin' about it all the time!
1. Happy Birthday!
ReplyDelete2. SWEEET! I'm so jealous! Taylor Swift? Carrie Underwood? Hugh Grant? *sigh*
3. FANTASTIC contest! Wahooooo!
4. Please enter me:
suitejuju(at)gmail(dot)com
+3 Old follower
Awesome contest! Please enter me!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think of the show "The OC" when I think of California :) Especially the title song.
+2 I'm a new follower.
Thanks for hosting the contest!
inthehammockblog (at) gmail (dot) com
I'm so glad that you were able to have such a wonderful birthday week! The post is awesome, when reading it, I can close my eyes and feel like I'm there. Thank you for letting us take care of your baby (Peanut); Sweet Pea has missed his company this week. I guess you could say that I have followed you all of your life (lol) Love you, Mom
ReplyDeleteYou know we missed you! I'm trying not to hate you right now, after that picture tour you provided - LOL!
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of California I think of San Francisco and the two times I've been there with my hubby and family.
LOYAL FOLLOWER!! :-)
OMG...I'm speechless...give me a sec....
ReplyDeleteOh my word. How...your husband, I mean...will he take a second wife? Is that allowed? I promise I won't tell if you won't. Oh my word. BEST birthday EVER. Seriously. I cannot imagine what he'll do to top this one for your 30th. And seriously, the People's Choice Awards? How did you not just die right there? I swear, I about had a heart attack just looking at those pictures. Amazing. Stunning. And you and your husband? Amazing, really, all dressed up and adorable and just...wow. Awwwwww....a birthday definitely fit for a princess. All of it.
Okay, California...always makes me think of the Eagles. Hotel California. And my Mom because she lives there for a while and we missed her. And my friend Aurora who is a Berkley girl, and a piece of Cali has always remained wih her. And now it also makes me think of conferences, because I'll be going to the SCBWI conference in LA this summer.
And you better believe I'll be blogging about this. Probably tomorrow. I have a whole host of contests to blog about, but man...this one really rocks. Oh, and your blog is already on my sidebar, but I can totally do a special mention of your contest on it, too ;) I'll follow up :)
OMG! This is like the best birthday ever!!!! How fun! Thanks for sharing all the pics and for hosting a fab contest!
ReplyDeleteOMG. that is insanely cool. I can't believe you got that close to some awesome stars. Oh, Johnny Depp and Jim Parsons (SHELDON!!)
ReplyDelete=Lauren
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com
+2 I'm a new follower. :)
ReplyDelete-Lauren
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com
Ok so Marcus.... There are no words to describe what he did for your birthday week!!! I'm so glad you had an amazing time and were able to see our Tide in action at the historic place where it all began for Bear, listening to our first Rose Bowl appearence on the radio! Normally I think of sun, orange trees (for their wonderful aroma), but honestly reading your post all I could hear between your excited exclamations was the Beach Boys singing California Dreamin,
ReplyDeleteLove you!
Oh and you are already linked, I'll put up a contests one again, and I am an old follower!
+2 for being a new Follower
ReplyDelete+1 for listing it on your sidebar or in a blog post (both) http://the1bookblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/contests-and-giveaway-much-more.html and on sidebar
Oh my gosh, I am so insanely jealous. When I think of California, I first think Hollywood :)
ReplyDelete+1 Link on sidebar: http://priyaganesan.blogspot.com/
priyagan(at)gmail(dot)com
SO JEALOUS!!!!!! When I think of California, I think celebrities. ;)
ReplyDeleteyou are so so so so so lucky!!!!
All I can say is: WOW. I'm so envious; that's got to be the best birthday present I've ever heard of! I LOVED the pictures. It was fun following your adventures and you and your husband look so cute together. Happy belated 29th!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for the great contest as well. :)
+3 current follower
+1 sidebar: http://booksatmidnight.blogspot.com
booksatmidnight(at)gmail(dot)com
OMG that is so amazing. That is like a dream trip for me. You are super lucky. =]
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of California I think of the sun and the beach. Sadly I have never had the chance to go but my older brother was actually there recently for his first time. Hopefully my first trip is somewhere near as awesome as yours.
Oh and I love the HP car. That is like my favorite series!
Also, I am a follower.
katieb206@gmail.com
Oh you lucky duck! I am frothing at the mouth just looking at your pictures!
ReplyDeleteCalifornia reminds me of sun and beach and the old TV series CHiPs!
I'm a new follower.
lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com
Wow. What a fabulous birthday. Way to go hubby of the year! So many great pics but I clapped when I saw Sheldon from BBT. I LOVE him so much. Your nieces and nephews are adorable. For a sec I did think they were all your kids. lol.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of CA I think of my childhood summer vacations. My parents took my brother and I there every summer for like 10 or 11 years straight.
Glad you're back. :)
Click for My Blog
The first word that comes to mind is "convertible" cause when my parents visited California they rented a beautiful red convertible that they constantly talk about!!
ReplyDeletessummmer(at)gmail(dot)com
** and as Sara mentioned.. I too would have peed in my pants at the sight of Ryan Reynolds!!! :)
I am a new follower
ReplyDeleteentry #1
ssummmer(at)gmail(dot)com
I am a new follower
ReplyDeleteentry #2
ssummmer(at)gmail(dot)com
I have things for you...
ReplyDeletehttp://frankiediane.blogspot.com/2010/01/vlog-3-and-happy-awards.html
One thing that comes to mind when I hear CALIFORNIA is definitely sunshine, beaches, and warmth! Take me now! (Your pics are AWESOME! So lucky! And btw I am wiping drool off my face over that Coach wristlet, LOL) Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDeletehether78(at)gmail(dot)com
I am a new follower!
ReplyDeleteENTRY #1
hether78(at)gmail(dot)com
I am a new follower!
ReplyDeleteENTRY #2
hether78(at)gmail(dot)com
I listed this giveaway on my blog post! +1
ReplyDeletelink to my post:
http://hether78.blogspot.com/2010/01/coach-wristlet-amazon-gift-card-copy-of.html
hether78(at)gmail(dot)com
OMG. So cool!! I am insanely jealous right now.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think "California", I think The OC. The show, not the place. I also think of Arnold Schwarznegger (OMG, how do you spell his name?) and how he is the governor.
California means family and the Wine Country to me.
ReplyDeleteMy mother is from there and my husband and I love the wine country.
Also one of our best friends lives in the LA area. I also worked in the LA area for about a yr after graduation from college.
msgb245 at gmail dot com
Sorry I'm so late to the party--January has been INSANE for me. Sounds like you saw the best of the Cali experience and had an awesome trip--I'm SO happy to hear it. I wish I had more time to comment on all the awesomeness in this post, but I must get back to editing.
ReplyDeleteSo I'll just say when I think of California I think of home. I've been to a lot of really cool places, but what I love about California is that I still love coming home. Even with the occasional smog and the relentless traffic and the high cost of living, I love it here. And while I sometimes dream of being crazy and moving to London, I'm not sure I could. I'd miss it here too much.
Awesome contest idea. Thanks for the opportunity. :)
Hate I missed the birthday party! That cake looks Yummy!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of California, I think 90210 and the beach.
Love Ya!
In The Comments Tell Me The One Thing That Comes To Mind When You Hear The Word CALIFORNIA And Why?
ReplyDeleteThe One Thing That Comes To Mind When You Hear The Word CALIFORNIA Is Hollywood. Because That Is Were Most Movies Are Made And When I Was Little I Wanted To Be An Actress. California Just Seems So Glitzy And Glamorous.
+2 For Being A New Follower.
I Am A New Follower.
http://skyla11377.blogspot.com/
+1 For Listing It On Your Sidebar Or In A Blog Post (You Must Leave A Link).
I Blogged About This Giveaway.
http://skyla11377.blogspot.com/2010/01/southern-princess-blog.html
skyla11377(At)AOL(Dot)Com
When I think of California, I think of fun!
ReplyDelete+2 for being a new Follower
+1 for listing it in a blog post
http://aik-friendsnfamily.blogspot.com/2009/08/list-of-worldwide-giveaways.html
aikychien at yahoo dot com