I don’t even really know where to begin in talking about this trip because it still doesn’t feel like it really happened. I’ll update again with some photos once I steal some from people.

Highlights:

Two Chicago girls and myself hopped on a plane to Vegas.

Add 1 lovely and stylish Canadian blogger to this room and you have the perfect roommate situation.

Walk 22 bloggers deep down to Caesar’s Palace where they are having dinner.

Tear yourself away from conversation with a Mr. 5280 about how there is no vagina at the buffet.

(What?)

Then off to see LOVE (full review soon!) followed up by a frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity 3.

The next morning, sleep late and hit the pool. Sneak in your favorite Katelin and her fiancee, Matt (who is so awesome). 

Next up is lunch (at 5PM, obviously) in the Venetian at San Marco Enoteca. Smashed potatoes, four cheese pizza and homemade peach gelato? Do you even need me to say how good that was?

Happy hour at Zefferino with everyone. This is where I proceeded to have a lot of wine and got a bit drunk.

People love Edie.

100 high fives.

One drunk phone call later talking about “OMG there are fucking dolphins!”, the Montecito, dudes who fall off 2 story escalators and my DJ cred. (the inspiration for this title obviously)

Waking up to early the next day and hitting the pennies with the lovely E.P.

Then said goodbye to most of my new IRL friends. That was much harder than I thought it would be.

A delicious champagne brunch buffet at the Bellagio with the girls, Katelin and Matt.

Then capping off a Vegas trip later that night with dinner at Stack in the Mirage with Amanda. Truffled penne pasta, tomato soup and grilled cheese and creme brulee? Fixed price menus are awesome.

26  people who just so happen to meet on the internets take over Las Vegas and there are no serial killers, train wrecks or drama?

I’m going to call that a success. 

P.S. This was probably the most amazing weekend ever. I loved everyone I got to meet and cannot wait for us to all get together again. Because let’s face it? We will be getting together again soon. It just has to happen.

P.P.S. Vegas > Chicago.

I got back from Florida late Sunday night. It was a very much needed break filled with sunshine, magic and rollercoasters.

Even at 25 21 years old, I can’t explain the feeling that initial walk down Main Street and first setting eyes on Cinderella’s castle gives me. (sorry for the dark iPhone photo, it had just finished raining as well)

It also never fails to make me feel like I was jipped out of my childhood. I never got run around Disney World dressed up as a princess like all the little girls I seen this past weekend. Damn it, I want a princess dress and I want it now!

(Halloween 2009: I’m stuffing my ass into a pink Sleeping Beauty dress. Princess party, bitches!)

The following day was Universal Studios. We crammed both parks in one day which was either incredible stupid or incredibly smart. Let’s just go with smart though, okay? I geeked out a bunch over the signs that boasted of Harry Potter’s theme park being built. You couldn’t see anything because everything was blocked off but I sure as hell tried while we flying around upside down on Dueling Dragons. Rollercoaster are high up so I figured I could sneak a glimpse. Too bad I forgot to factor in the upside down loops, going a million miles an hour and screaming my face off thing.

(I will be there when it finally opens in 2010 nerding out hardcore.)

That night we met up with Lauren and Alexis, as well as a couple of Jenn’s friends, for dinner at some Latin place on CityWalk. The food was kind of bland but there was great company and Alexis and I narrated the cheesy Spanish music videos that were distracting us while we were suppose to be mingling, then the fajitas set off the fire sirens and we left only to stumble across this:

Yes, that is a group of eight people with a balloon hat. And yes, you read that right HAT. An eight person balloon hat and all eight of those people were getting down to the live band that was playing.

Together. In their balloon hat. Connected. Eight people.

What is wrong with life?

But I will say seeing that kind of made up for the fact that our visit with them was so short.

(I wish you could submit photos to Fmylife.com, except in this case it would be this picture with FYL (fYOURlife) because you look like a goddamn fool.)

P.S. Going from 90 degree weather to 30 degree slushy snow in the same day really is depressing. Things like that should be illegal.

P.P.S. A million thanks to my guest bloggers: Tia, Alexa and Jess. You all are the bestest ever!

I leave Sunday for my super amazing Orlando vacation. Now while I’m hanging out boozing it up with Mickey and partying with Spiderman, I’m leaving the blog keys to Jenn. She promised to take care of the Lovely while I’m gone. Of course, I couldn’t leave this blog all barren and lonely for 7 days, so I’ve lined up some great, no – AMAZING guest bloggers to post while I’m away. Seriously, you will laugh and you might cry and you will curse the day I come back and take over control again because I will not live up to the awesomeness that was here while I was gone.

So you better check in every day and leave my guest bloggers some love!

Secondly, I was checking my little blog stat thingy and came across a delightful surprise. Turns out I’m up for a Blogger’s Choice Award! The always fabulous Lisa of The Lisa Show nominated me for Best Blog About Stuff. Blogging directions are over-rated which is why I’m all about the Stuff. I think that describes this little blog very well. Many thanks to Lisa!

While I’m telling you to go vote me (which you should), I’m also asking you to vote for my friends! Seriously, if everyone voted for our 20SBs who have been nominated, we’d sweep the Blogger’s Choice Awards. Go register and vote for all of them. It doesn’t take too long! If I missed anyone, let me know.

Oh! How Lovely!

Margot to Bed

The Larissa Monologues

Keep Your Receipt (here too)

Surviving Myself

Distracted Spunk

No Ordinary Rollercoaster

Must Love Geek

The Lisa Show

Beyond Megapixels

Vote or Die.

With that, I’m off for some magic in the Land of the Mouse. Catch me on twitter, maybe, if I’m not too busy spewing fairy dust and falling over from one too many times on the teacups.

Two weeks from today, I visit the Land of the Mouse. Two straight weeks of work and 3 days off (including weekends) and I get to take a break from Chicago, a break from my family and unfortunately, a break from my baby puppies. I can’t even lie, I’m really looking forward to it. A week of sun, roller coasters and Disney magic with my favorite boy and his family. I’m counting down the days until Tuesday because then he comes home from four days in Las Vegas with the boys. I miss him like crazy!

This weekend was lovely. I seen Sex and the City with Jenn. I thought it was good, I wasn’t to thrilled with Jennifer Hudson’s story line, I thought it was pretty cheesy and irrelevant. Saturday was a gorgeous day in Chicago and we hung out around Millennium Park and ate some ice cream. Strawberry, thank you very much! And yes, I’m aware I look like a chipmunk so shut up.

This week I will be treating myself to a haircut which is ridiculously overdue. Bangs are in. I made an appointment last week and will be sticking to it despite my hair anxiety. I just have to keep reminding myself how even more fabulous my hair will look once it is done.

I need to get some pre-Florida vacation shopping done before I leave too. Shorts? They are the devil. My thighs curse the day you were born. I hate hate hate shorts but I’m not trying to walk around in 100 degree weather wearing jeans. I guess I will have to make it up to myself by buying some Marc Jacobs sunglasses. Thighs can’t hate me if my face is in Marc Jacobs, right?

Since I know everyone was keeping track, I am on Season 6 Part One, Disc 3 of my Sex and the City bible.

Because I love her, you get an Edie picture too. I know she is all over this blog but she’s adorable and I can’t help it!

When I was younger my family would occasionally go on vacations- more like “vacation”. I was probably about 7 or 8 years old, still young enough not to know we weren’t really going on vacation. My mother was never a fan of the Mouse so automatically that was ruled out. My dad doesn’t like to fly because of his anxiety. When you live in the Midwest, have 3 children and don’t like to fly, vacations are kind of hard to do. Of course, we hit up The Dells every now and then and that was always fun. We’d also go camping, but that is another entry in itself. Trust me.

My parents favorite thing to do was pack up the car for a weekend and drive to some random place, like LaPorte, IN and we’d shack up for the weekend at a Holiday Inn. Ta da! Vacation! Of course at 7 years old, I thought this was the coolest thing ever. We’d get to hang out in a hotel room! Room service! Gift shop! Game room?! No way! And OMG a pool!

I remember wandering in the hotel gift shop thinking everything was so amazing. Rubber stamp sets? I needed them! I never got my rubber stamp set. The other thing I remember, was this little pewter treasure chest that had a necklace inside. I needed that necklace so bad. It was my souvenir. You would think after taking me to hotel in boofoo Indiana and telling me it’s vacation, I’d at least get some rubber stamps out of the deal!

After swimming, eating free continental breakfast and playing pinball to my little heart’s content we’d head home. Back to south Chicago. I know better now, but then my fake vacations were pretty cool.

I finally got to Disney World at 22 years old and again the year after, I’ll be making another trip there in June. It really is my favorite place in the world. I have San Francisco in July for BlogHer and then hopefully rounding out the year with another trip to Vegas in the fall.

What vacations do you have planned for the year? Fake or real.

Will you bring me some rubber stamps as a souvenir?