VH1 Best Cruise Ever – Day 1

I’m back from vacation and can’t wait to share all of the excitement we had while we were away. This definitely ranks up there for one of the best vacations I’ve ever been on and I’m so glad that we did it. I’m going through withdraw right now and wishing I was still out to sea (even though my living room has felt like it’s rocking since I’ve been back).


Us right before we got on the Inspiration

Early last Thursday, we flew into Tampa to depart for the ship. At the airport, we got in line for a cab and met another couple, Steve and Cathy that was going too. We split the cab and chatted the whole way to the port. We became friends fast and spent a lot of good times with them on the ship.

Our new friends Steve & Cathy

As soon as I boarded the Inspiration I remembered this ship from a cruise I had taken in my early 20’s. They did a ton of upgrades to the decks, including new pool area, water slides and adding a miniature golf course. The cabins were also redone, complete with a flat screen and more storage space. The rest of the ship still had a 90’s vibe, but overall it was really nice.

We started the trip out right and got a drink with Steve and Cathy at the first bar we saw. The rooms weren’t going to be ready for a little while, so we went to the Lido deck and had lunch at the buffet with them. After lunch, Geof and I made our way down to the cabin got settled and then went to explore more of the ship.

Miniature golf course on the ship

We walked all around, got familiar with everything and then went to checkout Carolina Liar on the Lido Deck stage. They sounded great and I love their single, "Show Me What I’m Looking For". After awhile, we made our way back down to the cabin and in the hallway saw a bunch of random dudes in their briefs and one in a banana hammock. I thought they were just bringing the party out to the hallway, but Geof informed me that it was all four members of Carolina Liar when we got back to our room. They stayed just a few cabins down from us and we ran into them several times.

The ship with Carolina Liar playing below on the Lido Deck

Cocktails at the Chopin Lounge. My Mojito was so good!

Later, Geof and I headed to the Carnivale Dining Room for dinner. We had the best dinner on the first night of shrimp cocktail, beef ribs and chocolate melting cake. Let me also say that one of the best things about this cruise was that there wasn’t any of that hokey typical cruse stuff. Dinner was open seating, casual dress and the wait staff didn’t dance around the dining room after the meal. I always hated that.


Chocolate melting cake

After dinner, we went back to our cabin and got ready for the night. We headed up to the Candlelight Lounge and caught the end of Parachute. We saw these guys in Philly back in January and they really do have some great songs. The lead singer, Will is quite talented and it was good to see them again. After they went off, we secured our spot for SafetySuit and I recognized a fellow fan, Amy from Twitter. She came on the cruise with her husband, Chad and we were great friends the entire cruise. They were at the concert with sisters, Jessica and Amanda and we also met another great couple, Liz and Josh. I could not have asked to make better friends on this cruise and we all made it the best time.


Me with Will from Parachute

As SafetySuit was coming on, we looked back and saw Jim Shearer from the VH1 Top 20 Countdown and introduced ourselves. He was a really great guy and so fun!


Me, Jim Shearer and Geof


Geof and I before SafetySuit

The concert started and our little group made it a blast by singing along with all of the songs and jumping around dancing. Doug came into the audience at one point right beside me and we rocked out to The Moment for a moment (sorry I couldn’t resist). After the show, we said a quick Hello to Dave and Doug from SS and then dashed off to the Paris Lounge for the ticketed 3 Doors Down show.


Dave from SafetySuit


Doug from SafetySuit


Safetysuit

New friends! Love you all :)

3 Doors Down was the headlining band on the ship and the only one that you needed a ticket for. Our seats weren’t the best, but it didn’t matter. Brad Arnold’s voice sounded great live and they played all of their greatest hits and then some. He made a mention about how much he appreciated our troops and you could tell that it was really sincere. He also made some of the songs a little more personal by describing the way he felt or what he was going through when he wrote them. It’s always interesting to get a little bit of a back story.

After 3 Doors Down, we went back to the Candlelight Lounge and ran into Amy and Chad. We also saw Jeremy from SS and talked to him for awhile. The next band taking the stage was 7daybinge and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like them or not because they’re a little harder, but they knew how to rock. It was nice to hear some fresh music and get familiar with a newer band. After the show, we headed up to the lido deck for a late night snack and called it a night.

View from our seats at 3 Doors Down

Steve and Cathy had much better seats. Thanks for the pic!

Cutest Hair Straightener & A Giveaway!

Not only do I get to review this fabulous Hana Professional Hair straightener from Misikko, but I also get to give one away!

I suffer from what I like to call in-between hair. It’s not straight and it’s not curly. To get it straight, I need a flat iron or it isn’t going to happen. I’ve had trouble finding the right one. I always seem to have to go over certain spots again and again. This was not the case with my new Hana Professional. First of all, let me just say that it came in perfect condition and I was so pleased with the little extras included. The straightener itself is pink and it comes in an adorable pouch with bow! If that wasn’t enough, it also has a pink mat to keep it on so that it doesn’t burn the surface that you’re using or create a fire hazard.


Great presentation and packaging


It got my hair so straight. Please excuse me without makeup!

The company also carries the coveted Chi hair straightener, FHI flat iron and a wide range of professional hair dryers. It truly is a one stop shop for all of your hair care needs. They’re also friendly and professional and the website is incredibly easy to navigate.


You can win all this too!

Now onto the fun part. I get to give one of these away to you!

To enter this giveaway:
1. Leave a comment on this post. (1 entry)
2. Follow Misikko on Twitter (1 extra entry)
3. Blog about this giveaway or post a link to it on your sidebar (1 extra entry)
4. Join Misikko Newsletter (3 extra entries)
5. Follow my blog or let me know that you’re already a follower (1 extra entry)
6. Tweet about this giveaway mentioning @ChicnPink (1 extra entry)

That is a total of 8 possible entries!

Rules:
This giveaway is open to US or Canadian Readers only
Giveaway closes on 4/21/10 and I will announce the winner on 04/22/10

Good luck!

Weekend recap

Friday, Geof got back from a week long business trip and I couldn’t wait to see him. It’s been awhile since he’s been gone that long and I missed him like crazy. We went shopping at the mall and then came home and made tacos for dinner. We relaxed the rest of the night and caught up on some shows.

Ridiculous 80’s stuff I got for the cruise

Saturday, I cleaned the house and then Kristen and Sean came over for our double date night. She brought me mini cupcakes from Cupcakes Gourmet, which was incredibly sweet. We were going to Delaware for the SafetySuit concert and stopped at a pub nearby called, McGlynn’s. It was in a beautiful spot right on the water. We had a few drinks, got some apps and had some laughs. We left from there and headed to Wesley College for the concert and we’re surprised to find that it was taking place outdoors. Half the money from the tickets went to the Make-A-Wish foundation, so I thought that was really nice. The opening band was just finishing up and then SafetySuit came on. They were fantastic and we had an awesome time.

Cuppycakes from Kristen

Us at the concert

SafetySuit

Dave posing for the camera

Doug

Chico their tour manager playing a song on the guitar

After the concert, we headed back to PA, but on the way we noticed a Sonic. I’ve never been to one, so we stopped in and I had my first Route 44 diet coke (with cherries) and a cheeseburger. I thought the Route 44 diet coke was some special thing, but now I realize that it’s just the size of the soda, which was huge. Geof and I shared it and I loved the fact that it had crushed ice.

When we got back to our neck of the woods, we went to a bar around us called McBride’s for our friend Kelly’s 30th birthday. It was nice to see everyone and celebrate. Our friend Cory even made it out. We hadn’t seen him in forever, so it was nice to catch up.

Kel's 30th

Lauren, Kel, me, Kris

Sunday, I slept in late, did a bit of work and relaxed the rest of the afternoon. I made yummy chili for dinner and then Geof and I took the dogs for an extended walk, since the weather was nice. Overall, we had a fabulous weekend!

Cruise Attire

I’m getting ready for our trip and need to start packing. I played on Polyvore to put a few outfits together with some things that I have already, minus the 80’s outfit. I need to work on that this weekend.

There are 2 theme nights. One is an 80’s theme night and the other is the standard formal night that they’re calling “Red Carpet Night”. I’m still on the fence about the dress I have, but didn’t want to be too formal.

Here they are!


Cruise pool day by Jules7127 featuring Old Navy dresses


Cruise Dinner by Jules7127 featuring Steve Madden clutches


Casual Day Cruise by Jules7127 on Polyvore.com


Totally 80's by Jules7127 featuring Forever21 accessories

Easter weekend recap

Friday, I was off and spent most of the day running errands. The weather was gorgeous and any excuse to be outside, I was okay with. Geof and I got a ton of grocery shopping done and then my mom came over to visit. We ended up watching The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and it was a nice movie night in.

My little garden is growing and there is nosy Chase & Mandy at the door

This movie makes me never want to have a nanny!

My mom also brought over an early Easter basket for Geof and I

Saturday was another beautiful day. Geof and I stopped at Old Navy and he was able to scoop up a couple $5 polos. After that, we went Philadelphia Soft Pretzel Factory and each had a pretzel. Later, we went to the driving range and hit a bunch of balls of the upper deck. I’m not very good and would eventually like to get golf lessons. Geof used to work at The Golf Channel and played all the time when he lived in Florida. He tries to show me some tips and tricks, but I think I should stick to miniature golf. I would love to play at a 9-hole course just for fun though. After the driving range, we headed to Outback for an early dinner. It was tasty, but I was so full. After dinner, we came home and took the dogs for an extended walk. We stayed in and took it easy the rest of the night.

Getting ready for the hunt

The happy couple

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom!

Socialite Saturday

I have officially been accepted into The Preppy Mafia and crowned a Socialite by Beth at Social Climbers and Jeannie at que sera sera. Thanks so much, ladies! In reality, I’m far from a Socialite, but appreciate the honor.

The rules:
1. Click on the above button and paste onto your blog/website
2. Answer the below questions
3. Pass onto 10 bloggers that you Love, go to their blog and let them know they've been tagged

1. Who is your style icon? From the past, I would say Audrey Hepburn. Her signature updo, pearls and big sunglasses are timeless. From the present, I would say Reese Witherspoon. She is always classy and current. From cute dresses to cardigans and denim, she always looks fantastic.


Elegant Audrey. I love that even back then the LV Speedy was popular

Reese looks great no matter what

2. What is your favorite socialite lit book? Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes

3. Favorite party theme? 80’s themes are always fun.

4. Go to Halloween costume? Cheerleader

5. Extravagance you cannot live without? Regular manicures and pedicures, good handbags.

6. Living person you admire? My mother

7. Greatest fear? Snakes

8. Trait you deplore in yourself? I can be too talkative sometimes

9. Which talent would you most like to have? To sing well and be able to play an instrument or two.

10. Greatest achievement? Buying our first home together.

I am going to pass this along to the following 10 bloggers:
1. Confessions of a Control Freak
2. Vynuss Vision
3. Join The Gossip
4. Just a Happy Housewife
5. Peeptoe Pumps and Pearls
6. Reasonably Swanky
7. Nautical by Nature
8. The Company She Keeps
9. The Pink Tutu
10. Powderpuffs N Pearls

Cheese & Chocolate

Two of my favorite things! Last night I had the pleasure of dining with a great group of ladies at The Melting Pot. This is one of my favorite restaurants and definitely an indulgence (it’s a good thing that morning was weight in day and I have another week to work it off). We dined on cheese and chocolate fondue, a well-balanced meal in my opinion (just kidding).


Delicious dippers for dessert!

It was great to meet some new friends and chat about everything from men, careers, favorite book of all time and life in general. Conversation was easy and a good time was had by all. I don’t think it’s ever too late to make new friends and I’m really glad I joined this group.


Kim, Allyson, me, Sue


Keren and Siobhan