Milestones

This weekend was filled with milestones!

On Friday night, Carolyn and I went to Mary Kay’s Bridal Grand Opening party for their new location, but they were also celebrating their 20 year anniversary! We had an absolute blast! We met some great people, had some amazing wedding cake AND were forced by the owner to try on dresses! It was so fun to put on those beautiful wedding gowns, even though I had no business being in one, at least Carolyn is engaged and she even found one that she loved!

Me and Carolyn with Mary Kay! 

Me and Carolyn with Mary Kay's daughter, Ashley!

On Saturday, Coffee Buzz celebrated our 2 month anniversary! I can’t believe it’s already been 2 months! We’re still open and we’re still alive!

 J was super smart and went to the website MeetUp.com, which is a site where people can set up different interest groups and plan meet ups to partake in activities within that interest. There are several different coffee meet up groups and Jason is getting in touch with the organizers of these groups and setting up meet ups at Coffee Buzz. On Saturday, we had our first one! It’s was wonderful! We had a great turn out of 20 people! Every one was super nice and we got rave reviews! With the group there and a few other customers we had every seat in Coffee Buzz filled for the first time!

Saturday night, J and I went out to Gluek’s downtown to celebrate his best friend, Colin and his wife, Sharisse’s 30th Birthdays! We had such a blast. It was so great to see so many people we haven’t seen in a while and have a fun night out together!

 Me and J with Colin and Sharisse celebrating their 30th Birthdays!

Today was the first day that J and I had a day off together since we opened. For the first time, we entrusted Coffee Buzz in our two employees. They said everything went great! I got a phone call from my brother who stopped by and he said they were doing awesome. It’s such a relief knowing we can trust them and that they can handle upholding the high standards we’ve set for ourselves and the store. It was like leaving a child with a babysitter for the first time. It was so wonderful to actually have a day to ourselves, and we used it wisely….we slept the ENTIRE day and then met my dad for dinner.

What a great weekend!

Another Busy Bee Weekend

Wow! Sorry for the lack of posts the past couple of days. It was another crazy, fun weekend here in Busy Bee land! It went way too fast but boy was it fun! Here’s a weekend review!
Friday night, J and I, celebrated our friend Per’s 30th Birthday. Per is my best friend Libby’s boyfriend and she planned a lovely birthday surprise for him. Now, if you knew Libby you would know what a HUGE deal this surprise was! Libby is not-so-much a “planner,” in fact in the past it was hard just to get her to show up to events. It’s a true testament to how much she loves Per because she put in a lot of hard work to put this event together and did a wonderful job! We met at Per’s house for a glass of champagne and some snacks then got picked up by a limo and had dinner at Café Lucrat. The night was super fun, Per was super surprised and I am super proud of the great job Libby did!

Angie, Steve, Per, Libby, Me and J in front of our limo!

Saturday morning was my time to fit some work into this jam packed weekend, but it sure didn’t feel like work! I had so many visitors at Coffee Buzz on Saturday and it made the day so fun and go by so fast! My mom came in, which is always nice, and she was soon followed by my friend Megan who just bought a townhouse down the street from Coffee Buzz. Shortly after that my friend Abby came in and after her my best friend's parents! What a great day! Just when I thought I couldn't have any more visitors my dear friend, Courtney, came in with her husband, mother-in-law and her 9 month old son, Brogan! Courtney and Josh live about 45 minutes from me, so I don't get to see them nearly as much as I would like to. It was so sweet of them to stop by and so great to spend some time with Brogan!

Me and Brogan!

Brogan promoting his favorite coffee shop!

As Courtney and Josh were getting ready to leave I got my final surprise guest of the day! Sharisse and Brody! Sharisse is J’s best friend’s wife and has become a good friend of mine as well. Brody was born in December and is such a cutie! I could not even believe my two favorite babies were at Coffee Buzz at the same time! I think J was worried my head might explode.

Brogan and Brody!!! My favorite babies!

Little Brody Bear chillin' at the Buzz

Saturday night, I hosted (along with the other Bridesmaids) my friend Brianna’s Bachelorette Party! All the girls came over to my place and we ate some amazing food, had our fair share of adult beverages and played some games. Then we headed out and spent the rest of the night at 508 downtown MPLS. We had such a blast and the party was a huge success! Brianna looked absolutely adorable and the night was full of tons of laughs, tons of drinks and tons of dancing….that’s my kind of party!

Brianna, the gorgeous Bachelorette!

The Bachelorette and her entourage!

Me and B

Sunday, I spent the better half of the day in bed celebrating my Mother’s Day with my little baby…

My little girl when she was only 4 weeks old!

…we snuggled and watched Father of the Bride Part II, it was marvelous. Then I went out to a late lunch to celebrate my mama. It was so fun! Me and Nate met her and Steve at Redstone and both of Steve’s daughters and his two grandkids joined us too. I think it meant a lot to my mom to have the whole “new” family there and we had a great time. I hope my mom knows how much I love her and how grateful I am for everything she has done for me throughout the past 25 years.

σ 'αγαπώ (I love you)

 

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my gorgeous mother's birthday, and although she doesn't like acknowledging it and certainly doesn't like any hoopla, I wanted to give her a birthday shout out! We are Greek, so I was thrilled when she decided to celebrate at Santorini Greek Restaurant! I've been spending the day catching up on sleep, my shows and all of the lovely blogs I follow, so a big delicious Greek dinner to celebrate my mama will be the perfect way to end this crazy week! I'll be back at work and back in the swing of things tomorrow, so my posts will be much beefier! And of course, I'll update you on our amazing trip to NYC and the gorgeous wedding I was apart of.

Happy Birthday Mama! I Love You!

How HOT is she?!

You Only Turn 30 Once

Thank all of you for your kind comments yesterday. I think I was just being super lazy the last few days. Today I finally got the pictures from J's party uploaded and edited! The party was awesome! I held it in a private room at a sports bar near our house where we go all the time. The room was perfect, the food was delicious and we had a great turnout. It was so nice to see so many family members and friends together to celebrate J. He is a very loved boy, that's for sure. The night started out a little more low key, a lot of socializing with family and people we haven't seen in a while, and then the night ended in complete mayhem....which was to be expected. Here are some of the highlights....

Thanks to prohibition, Major's has a special on the 21st of every month....21 cent drinks until 7pm and we were just in time! Yup, that's right...our first round of 14 drinks cost only $2.94!!!!!!!! 

J's friend Steve was nice enough to pick up the tab for that one. 

The amazing Mint Chiffon birthday cake from Buttercream! If you live in the Twin Cities and have never had a Buttercream cake....change that now and thank me later. But get this. As you can see I bought some super cute candles and was really excited to light them and have all our family and friends sing to J. Well, we couldn't because when I went over to light the candles half of the cake was gone and people were already eating it. SOME ONE CUT THE FRICKIN' CAKE! Isn't that like social manners 101....you don't cut the cake until you have permission from the host?! I could not believe it! I'm glad everyone was enjoying the cake but I was furious that we didn't get to light the candles and sing. I mean, seriously, WHO DOES THAT?!

Me and the birthday boy! Thanks for all your fashion help on Friday. As you can see I went with the strapless bra and did my absolute best not to tug on it unless absolutely necessary. And, it's hard to tell in this picture but I went with the ankle boots! Thanks to some last minute modeling and discussing with my BB.

Orlando Hudson from the Minnesota Twins made a guest appearance and was nice enough to pose with the birthday boy! 

My favorite girls! My best friend Libby and sister Natalie!

Me and J with his dad, step-mom and little sister. I LOVE this picture!

Shots for the last people standing...all of which stayed at my house that night. Pretty amazing group if you ask me!

No birthday is complete without a ridiculous dance party and I think our after-bar dance party takes the cake. Me and Seth dancing to "I Like You" by Enrique....which we danced to on repeat for a minimum of 5 times.

On a different note, I wanted to quickly wish two of my dear friends a very Happy Anniversary! Two years ago on Monday my friend's Matt and Jessi were married and I was lucky enough to be a part of their big day! It was without a doubt the most fun wedding I've ever been to and cannot believe it's already been two years! I love you guys....Happy Belated Anniversary!

If you don't already follow Jessi's blog Real Housewife in Minnesota...you need to!

Weekend Recap

This weekend was another jam-packed, fun-filled, Busy Bee crazy time. Please allow me to recap the madness.

Friday night we celebrated my friend Robyn's birthday! Read about how much I love her HERE. We went to 1029, a small-town style karaoke bar in Northeast Minneapolis. We love it there! The best part, my friend Katie, now works there and runs karaoke!

The gorgeous bday girl singing Hey Jude

 My friend, Katie, hard at work

Robyn, Sarah, Angie and I in our classic pose

 My sister came!!!

Me and my boy with my girl

If you really want to be entertained, feast your eyes on the amazing video of me rapping my favorite song: Shoop, with my girls Robyn and Sarah backing me up! It's hard to see because it's dark, but you sure can hear it!

Saturday, I worked all day which normally isn't bad on a Saturday because it's our busiest day. This Saturday, however, was slow. It was a good day for a week day but not for a Saturday. So that kind of stunk. But, after work we went to my friend Megan's brand new townhouse that she just bought with her boyfriend. It was a Housewarming BBQ and it was a blast! I got to see a lot of high school friends I don't get to see very often! I am so mad at myself though because I did not take one picture the entire time I was there, not a one! I am so bummed, that's totally not like me. I guess I was just too busy chatting away. 

Sunday, I worked in the morning and in the afternoon J helped me cross off one of the things on my 30 BEFORE 30 list!!! Woohoo! 

14. Go to frickin’ Target Field since I am the only human in Minnesota who hasn’t been there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One down, 29 to go!!! Our baseball team, the Minnesota Twins just built a brand new, super beautiful outdoor stadium and I FINALLY got to see a game there! It was amazing. The stadium is FABULOUS! The cheeseburgers are delicious! There's not a bad seat in the house, everything about it is wonderful. Well, except that we lost yesterday. Other than that it was awesome, and I was so glad to have an afternoon to spend alone with my honey. It was a much needed date day.

Outside the gate, ready to go in!

 Our beautiful new stadium!

Lovin' life!

 Added bonus! My little brother just happened to be at the game too! 

After the game, J and I met my dad for dinner so that he could help me map out my New York trip! My dad always taught me never to go to NYC without what he calls a "blueprint." The city is so big that is you don't organize your plans by what is near each other you'll spend your whole trip in a cab, trying to get from one place to another. So, my dad and I strategically mapped out all the places my mom and I want to go and made a fabulous itinerary! I can't wait! I cannot believe I am leaving tomorrow morning! Hopefully, the second half of this day will speed up so I can get home and pack! I've got some fun stuff scheduled to post this week while I'm gone, so make sure to check that out! All of you lovely followers have a wonderful week!

Miss Nicole

J’s younger sister, Nicole, was my best friend growing up and the first best friend I ever had. Our families are so close and we have had so many great times together. We used to dress up and do each other’s hair and makeup and then dance to George Michael! When we got a little older we loved to get our walkmen and walk to the nearby Jerry’s grocery store and just hang out…we can’t figure out why we did this and J likes to give us a hard time about that one. Nicole has always been like a sister to me and now that I’m dating her brother, we definitely have that special bond. 

Cole & I, back in the day when we were super cool!

Cole & I, a couple of summers ago

On March 1^st, the day we opened our doors for business, Nicole left for her own life changing adventure. She packed up her life and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Nicole has a friend who lives there and was able to move in with her, but other than that she left not knowing anyone and not knowing what this adventure would bring. Nicole moved with the intention of getting a job working on or with the yachts in the area…a job she didn’t know would pan out or not. Just a few weeks ago Nicole found out that this major move was going to pay off. She got hired to work on the yacht of one of the writer’s for the Wall Street Journal. She will be on the yacht (which is more like a mini cruise ship) from May 11^th until early September. She is going to get to sail all over; New York, Martha’s Vineyard, Boston, Nantucket, and Washington DC are just a handful of the places on her itinerary. Nicole will be working as an assistant to the captain and yacht owner, she won’t know the specifics of her day-to-day responsibility until she gets on board, but man is she excited!

Saying good-bye to Nicole was hard for all of us, especially her dad and big brother. Nicole is such a loving and giving part of the family and it’s hard for any of us to imagine not having her around all the time. I can’t say enough how proud I am of her for taking on this huge change and just going for it. I definitely would not have the courage to do it! I hope everything works out wonderfully for her and that she has the time of her life. I just hope she doesn’t love it too too much because I’d like to have her back here in good ‘ol Minnesota!

Happy Birthday Kara!

Yesterday was my baby sister's 13th Birthday! I cannot believe my little Boodge is a teenager!!! Since I'm 12 years older than Kara I got the opportunity to babysit her when she was super little. My favorite Kara memory comes from a time when me and my best friend Libby were babysitting. We decided it would be hilarious to dress Kara up like Britney Spears (keep in mind she was like 4 years old at the time). We found a little plaid skirt and a white button up which we tied up to show her belly, then put her hair in pigtails. Needless to say, she was NOT happy. She cried and screamed and do so until my parents came home. It was absolutely hilarious! One kind of cool thing about Kara and I is that we were born on each other's half birthdays....Kara's b-day in June 12th and mine is December 12th, so we were born exactly 12 and a half years apart! In honor of my little baby being a teenager, here are some of my favorite pics of me and my little sister!

 Isn't it crazy how much we look alike?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOODGIE!

Sunday Fun Day

Oh my gosh, yesterday was the best day! J and I woke up at about 9:30 (which is an absolute miracle on a Sunday morning, usually we're up at noon) and decided to head to my old stomping grounds, the University of Minnesota campus for breakfast. We went to Steaknife which was one of my favorite places back in the day, and they have GREAT food. Plus, we recently found out the owner Tony (who I've known for years) lives right by Coffee Buzz and is now one of our regular customers, so it was great to return the favor and support his business (even though I pretty much kept him in business while I was in school). After breakfast we decided to walk around campus, and along the way we saw these new bikes from the BlueCross BlueShield "Do" campaign that are available to rent. For only $5 you can rent a bike for the entire day....so we did!

Neither one of us had been on a bike in years, so it took a while to get used to it. Once we got cruising, we were absolutely loving it. We rode around campus and made a stop at TCF Bank Stadium, the home of my Gophers!

From there we rode through the Northeast Minneapolis neighborhood, which is a super fun area of town. Then headed down to the Mississippi River through an area called St. Anthony Main, which is so beautiful and one of my favorite areas in Minnesota. We ran smack into a Polish Fair, which was filled with people and also got to see a bride and groom taking their pictures by the water. After that we crossed over the river via the Grainbelt Bridge and went into downtown Minneapolis. We stopped right by my old apartment to get a powerade and reminisce about my old neighborhood. Then we rode right down by the river near the Mill City Museum. I realize if you're not from Minnesota these landmarks mean nothing to you, but trust me when I say this was a BEAUTIFUL bike ride! And the weather could not have been more perfect!

Then we crossed the Stone Arch bridge, went back through Northeast and back to campus. After our bike ride we stopped at Gold Country, which is a store carrying all the essential and non-essential Gopher sports apparel items. I was very proud that all I left with was a super cool painting. I have a really hard time passing up Gopher paraphernalia. From there we went back to Steaknife to enjoy a much deserved beer.

After that we went back home to watch the Twins game, take a nap and eat some yummy turkey burgers, tater tots and baked beans for dinner. It was seriously the best day. Sundays are always such lazy days because we're exhausted from the week and are usually out and up late on Saturday nights. It was so wonderful to spend the day with J and really enjoy each other and our amazing city of Minneapolis. I think in our really busy lives we underestimate how important it is to really spend quality uninterrupted time with each other, just the two of us. I'm still giddy from how wonderful the day was!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well!