I headed to Bastrop, Texas, on Wednesday evening to connect with bride-to-be Jenn and several of her other bridesmaids. We partied it up on Sixth Street in Austin. The theme song for the outing was "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus. Cheap drinks and lots of dancing made for a good time all around.
I battled snow flurries on my way from Bastrop to Plano. I made it to my cousin Sarah's place before the snow stuck and promptly met her dog Woody and her cat Gus. Her place was expertly decorated with holiday cheer. Her neighbors and their 2.5 year old son (above) came over for a home-cooked dinner of standing rib roast, cheesy potatoes, asparagus, rolls, and holiday drinks. It snowed through the night, and we had a white Christmas.
I drove back to Houston on Saturday and finished my book on CD "The Mermaid Chair." I checked in with Wentworth and freshened up before heading to the rehearsal for Jenn and Robert's wedding, which would be at Ashton Gardens the following day.
After the rehearsal we all headed to the rehearsal dinner at the Doubletree by Bush airport. Robert's family is Mexican, so there was a mariachi band! A large portion of the attendees came in from out of town (or from across the border), so it was quite a festive affair. We went back to the rental house afterward and pondered what we would put in our engraved flasks (wedding party gifts).
Sunday was the big day. I went to church in the morning before primping at the rental house. The bridesmaids dresses were very glam: floor-length garnet-colored numbers with a plunging neckline and deep v in the back as well. Jenn's dress was very romantic with a long train and off-white lace. She also had a very impressive veil. She topped off the outfit with red cowboy boots in true Texas fashion. Though the picture below isn't the best, I thought it gives a good idea of the day's threads.
The wedding was officiated by Jenn's relative Jimmy, the same Catholic priest who married her parents. Mexican tradition was also integrated into the service with Lazos (a double rosary looped around the couple). After the ceremony, we danced the night away at the reception. They had yummy food, lots of drinks, a big conga line, cake cutting, a bouquet toss (I was not victorious), a garter toss, and more! I'm looking forward to decorating with my party favor ornaments next Christmas. Jenn and Robert bid us farewell and headed off to Banff for the honeymoon.
For New Year's Eve I went party hopping with Rice friend Sarah. In an effort to start the year off in a fashionable way, I was happy to be rocking out in my new Badgley Mischka dress, a $400 dress that I bought for $70 online. We started the night off at a Rice alumni house party in the Heights. Once the power hour began, we ducked out and headed to our second soiree downtown.
At Hearsay we met up with some of Sarah's coworkers and mingled our way into 2010. I was a bit surprised that there wasn't much of a countdown at this particular shindig. On New Year's day I went to Aaron's 30th birthday party at the place he shares with his fiance Amy. We ate steak, drank mojitos, and played a rousing game of Taboo. Gosh, I love board games!
