nainadg

Whats New? ….All caught up with blogging

November 11, 2007November 12, 2007 nainadg

October was a weird month for me where I have been so busy that I have sort of neglected this blog. This gets rectified, starting now with some photos and highlights

1)J and I bought a brand new 42 inch HD LCD TV with our wedding money. We also bought a new entertainment center to show it off. This has resulted in us having a really nice living room which we love.

2) We had a 15 hour party. We met up with Y&DS, J and F and some other people and went to brunch one Saturday morning to the Watts Grocery Store. We then went on a tour of Triangle Brewing company, the newest brewery in Durham. They gave us free beer before and after the tour and it was a really fun party in this loft space. After the tour we headed back to DS and Y’s house and hung around making cocktails with the wedding present DS and Y got us. It was a set of bar tools, home made bitters, a cocktail recipe book that DS wrote just for us and many little hard to find accessories for our bar. Afterwards we shifted the party to our house so we could watch the World series game. Needless to say that lasted well into the night and I think we finally halted the festivities around 2 in the morning.

Prizes lined up at a booth

A storm coming in

3) J and I went to the State fair with my work people. We saw the pig races during which the ducks and goats also raced. We ate tons of fair food like giant mozzarella sticks, fresh cut fries, frozen cheesecake etc.

Fair Food * pic by J

J and his frozen cheesecake My funnel cake with Chocolate sauce

Signs at the fair

One of my fave photos that I have taken in a while.

Halloween

J and I had a very mellow Halloween this year, this being the first year we didn’t go to Franklin street with friends. I think the main reason was that I had a night class on Wednesday and didn’t even make it home till 9 pm. So instead we dressed up in some half assed costumes and went off bar hopping in downtown durham. I dressed up as Agneatha from the 70’s group Abba and J was a Safari Guide. We first hit the Joyce, which was completely dead and then we went to a bar on 9^th street called the Dain Bar. That place was pretty rocking and we ran into some friends who had had the same idea as us. Overall, it was a nice, mellow Halloween.

I had also made some Halloween crafts earlier this month, so here’s a picture of them.

Life

A little bit about Goldgirl

October 30, 2007October 30, 2007 nainadg

Yes, yes , I know, I still haven’t posted photos and details about the wedding yet…but its coming, no really, I will do it as soon as J leaves on Saturday.But, I got tagged by my good friend HotHotJJ to do this post and it seemed really fun, so here goes

I Am…
a strong woman, still a child, serious student, a party girl, a hermit, the luckiest.

I Want…
to be a better writer and a better artist. I also want to be a mom somday.

I Have…
the most wonderful group of people- friends and family who always make me feel loved.

I Wish…
to be fearless and live a life without regrets

I Hate…
doing laundry, cleaning the house, looking at my bank statment, being yelled at.

I Fear…
waking up one morning alone in the world , or waking up one morning and realizing that I have missed something important in life.

I Hear...
voices, I love chatting, talking, socializing.

I Search…
old bookstores for vintage mysteries, 2-3 letter scrabble words, so that I can always beat my husband at scrabble

I Wonder…
about the past and what it would have been to be alive in a time period other than this one. Also why my husband says I’m beautiful, even on the days I know I look like crap.

I Regret…
leaving people behind. I also regret not white water rafting the Zambezi, when I had a chance.

I Love…
J, the laylster, my books and my new dishes.

I Ache…
for beauty, for love, for freedom and for those moment when you feel like your body can’t hold in your emotions

I Always…
try to remember the grace in my life, write my name on take home containers and cry while reading a good book.

I Usually…
sleep in late, stay up late, wish I could travel more.

I Am Not…
good at quitting. Anything.

I Dance…
all the time, alone, with friends, with my family and I love being a dorky dancer.

I Sing…
in the car all the time, ocassionally karaoke (only if I am really drunk)

I Never…
say never. My motto is I will always try anything once.

I Rarely…
say no to good food, good friends and good conversations

I Cry…
a lot, I am a cry baby, I cry during books, movies, commercials, simpsons…and it goes on.

I Am Not …
always organized. I can be super messy at times.

I Lose…
my car keys, my cell phones and my sanity around midterms

I’m Confused…
why I lost 5lbs even though I have been eating a ton lately.

I Need…
love, happiness, me time, friends, family, books, movies, music, diet coke and my morning coffee. Not always in that order.

I Should…
exercise more.

Love, Travel

Leaving Utah

October 21, 2007November 12, 2007 nainadg

Sunday, everyone left early in the morning. J and I hung out in Solitude till the afternoon and ate a awesome brunch at Creekside in Solitude and went hot tubbing. While we were driving down the canyon, the view was so beautiful that we had to stop and take pictures.

View outside the Creekside Restaurant. I love to compare this photo with the Alta First snow pic.

View of our Condo in Solitude

Fall colors while driving down the canyon.

Friends, Wedding

And on the day after….

October 20, 2007February 3, 2008 nainadg

The day after the wedding was very mellow! We met up with our set of friends who had stayed in Brighton and went to breakfast at the Silver Fork Lodge. After breakfast we met up with everyone at the Lodge and spent the whole day like a snow day. Everyone just relaxed and played pool, or blackjack or watched a foot ball game. Some people relaxed and gossiped around the fire while other people cooked delicious meals. It was a wonderful, warm, family day and J and I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

We found cans tied to the car and the windows decorated with ” Just Married” the next day.

Watching the game late at night

Playing pool on a snowy night

We know how to win at Black Jack

Early morning breakfast

Wedding

My Wedding Day

October 19, 2007March 6, 2008 nainadg

I spend the night before the wedding in one of the bedrooms with KD and JE and I had to sleep with the henna on my hands to ensure that it would color up right the next morning. I remember waking up that day and feeling “This is it!” We started the day with breakfast and then we headed up to the Cabin to start decorating it. After getting a few initial ideas, I left the decorating committe and left to get ready. It was quite amazing how quickly the hours went by that day, I almost ran out of time for writing my vows. We had a quick rehersal of the ceremony that afternoon and then it was crunch time.

By mid afternoon , it was snowing quite heavily and the roads had definitely started accumulating snow. BD and a few other friend were in charge of the shuttle and drove people from the parking lot to the cabin. I spent the afternoon getting my hair and make up done and then I drove up to the Cabin with my parents and BD. I was left in the car , while they queued up and walked during the ceremony. I think that was the most nerve wracking part of the day for me.

Soon, BD came out with an umbrella and I walked in the snow into the cabin and then I grabbed my fathers arm and walked down the aisle. I had no idea what the inside of the cabin looked like up until then and seeing it transformed into a fairyland was a magical feeling. There were bright colorful sarees and flickering candles and christmas light all over and it made me feel like a princess. The walk down the aisle was entirely too short but it was worth it because it was ceremony time.

The ceremony went smoothly and the readings our friends had chosen was beautiful. When it was done, J and I walked our recessional and ended up in the men’s restroom because there was no where else to go. After that it was a party….woooo!!!! There was good food, great toasts and lots of dancing. THe party ended around 10 offically and by 10:30 J and I made it back to the condo for some alone time.

There were a lot of people who took photos at my wedding and I need to post those. But these are the ones I took and moments I thought were important to capture after everyting was over.

J, relaxed and enjoying some of the personal music.

My bouquet at the end of the night.

My favorite photo that came about completely by accident. Ihad Scotchie take this photo outside in the snow, after most people had left for the night.

Left over cake, with the vanquished ninja and pirate.

J plays drums on trashc ans with Svs

KD finally gets a moment to eat, after working all day.

Family, Love, Wedding

And on the night before…

October 18, 2007November 12, 2007 nainadg

Thursday was also another beautiful and bright sunny day, seeing the weather that day made it impossible to believe that forecasts were calling for snow on Friday- my wedding day.

The day started with a big family breakfast , after which Jeff showed up and we started the caravan up the mountain, taking along all the wedding necessities. The Brighton Chalets -Manor house worked out beautifully, it had bedrooms on the ground floor and a big living room with a fireplace, pool table, big kitchen and dining area upstairs. That night we had a rehearsal party, where J’s parents, sisters and my family and friends gathered for some good food and music. During the rehersal, Tauji also gave us my Amma ( grandma’s gold ring) and we decided to use it as my wedding ring during the ceremony the next day.

When the crowds started dwindling down, D mashi started doing Mehndi for me and bridesmaids. She was a real trooper because we just had old fashioned cones and no stencils so it took a long time to do them, especially mine. After the henna party was over, we moved a smaller party over to the Condo at snowbird and we continued to have a good time late into the night.

Friends, Wedding

All things Bridal

October 18, 2007February 3, 2008 nainadg

Wednesday Oct 3rd was a complete opposite from my gruelling tuesday. It was a beautiful, sunny , fall day in the mountains and it was also the day of my Bridal Shower! We ate a fabulous breakfast at our hotel and then my mom and I drove to downtown SLC, near Uprock Records for my bridal. I chose to do my bridals near graffiti walls and gritty urban backdrops and my photographer did a fantastic job of it! I had originally been really hesitant about shooting bridals but it was a really fun photoshoot and i enjoyed feeling like a model!

After the photoshoot was over my mom and I spent some alone time and got a manicure and pedicure and soon after that it was time for my Bridal Shower!

My Bridal shower was hosted at my friend KD’s house and it was cohosted by HotHotJJ and KD. HotHotJJ had sent out invitations in advance with a surprise theme! The party started with everyone eating delicious appetizers of pears and cheese and socializing. Then KD asked 3-4 people to go into a room to work on a “secret project” We also had a delicious dinner of Pasta and Salad and a cheesecake for dessert. Everyone seemed to be hanging out and having a good time. At the end of the night KD and JJ showed me their secret project, which was a handmade scrapbook and each page was designed by a different person and had wedding advice for me.

It was so wonderful to be with all my female friends and relatives all under one roof and I love having a handmade book of advice.

P.S J’s friends were also really creative about his bachelor party- They set up every kind of musical instruement that they had in a room and all the boys just had a really long jam session. From what J told me, it was apparently really fun.

Life

The Night Adventure

October 18, 2007 nainadg

A few days ago I blogged about my Vegas trip but I didn’t finish the story of how Vegas ended. After our night of partying at the PollyEsthers at Stratosphere, KD and I decided to go check up on the car before leaving to drive back to SLC the next morning. We took the car for a spin on the strip and before we had gone even two miles the car had overheated.

It was now 3:00 in the morning and we were panicking b/c i had to be back in SLC that afternoon for a wedding/family function. We decided that I would fly back to SLC on a buddy pass from KD’s sister and KD would try to get the car fixed and drive back to SLC later in the day. I got tickets/buddy pass for the flight 3 hours before departure and then had to sneak in an hours worth of sleep , rush to the airport for a 7:00AM flight. I had about a 3 hour layover in Long Beach CA and then I finally made it to SLC.

Needless to say, Tuesday was a super gruelling day for me! I was tired and cranky and feeling the stresses of family and the upcoming wedding.

Friends, Travel

Vegas Baby Vegas

October 15, 2007October 15, 2007 nainadg

After the wedding festivities were over, J drove me down to SLC on sunday over to my old haunt and now KD and her husband’s home on Capricorn Way. We spent an hour or so figuring out our ceremony and then it was adios to J and we were on our way to Vegas.

The drive to vegas just flew by that day, since KD and I had so much to talk about. Since we left slc in the afternoon we reached Las Vegas at my favorite time. Driving on I-15 there is a hill about 20 mins away from vegas that lets you see the whole city ahead of you just glittering in the vast wilderness of the desert. Plus since travellers come up on it suddenly, it serves as a great introduction to vegas.

In spite of our quick drive and beautiful view we did run into some car problems right as we hit the strip, the car had overheated and thankfully we were able to make it long enough to pull into the hotel. After puttin some coolant in and deciding to let the car rest for a bit, we checked in and decided to head out for the night. I dressed it up to the nines and wore my green dress that I had originally planned to wear to my nonod’s wedding and KD dressed up in her super hot black shirt. We stopped by a 50s style diner for a late dinner and then hit the strip.

Drinking Whiskey and Coke at Carnival Court

Outside Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce.

KD at the HotelM lobby.

The first place we stopped at was a outdoor bar in front of Harrahs called carnival court. They had a cover band playing and the place was rocking. We drank some whiskey and cokes and danced and ogled the super hot frontman. We then headed down the strip to Mandalay Bay, we were looking for a specific club but we ended up at at place called Ivor Kane’s Forty Deuce. This place had previously been out of our budget b/c there was a $25 cover charge, but since it was sunday and not a busy night they let us in for free.

This place had a completey different vibe, it was super upscale and whenwe ordered our vodka and cranberry drinks, they only gave us top shelf vodka. We made our way to the dance floor bar where it seemed that something was about to start. That something was a burlesque show! Yep, KD and I got to see a super cool, old school style, jazzy burlesque show for free in Vegas. It was an awesome show and the two girls were simply amazing in their acrobatics and of course they were gorgeous.

Drinking at the Pool Bar

The Stratosphere tower and hotel from the pool

Free Martinis at the C Bar

We spent the next day in Vegas just hanging out by the Stratosphere pool and enjoying the free buffet that we got. It was bliss, just lying in the sun, reading and drinking fruity drinks. That night was the night of the Blue Man Group and since I had never been to a BMG show before, I had no idea what to expect. It is something thats definitely different from what one expects , but for the better. I think not knowing anything about it made the show seem really cool, so I won’t write anything more about it, but the picture should suffice.

Start of the Blue Man Show

At the Venetian

Vegas at Night

Family, Life, Love

The Country Western Wedding

October 11, 2007October 15, 2007 nainadg

Saturday was the day of the actual wedding for my nonod and her fiance. The day started out really cold and chilly and by mid morning we had freezing rain coming down. After breakfast, I headed out to the Ranch where Nonod and Nondoi(younger sister in law’s husband) were getting married and helped decorated the arch that was going to be their backdrop. Their original plan had been to marry in a pasture, have dinner in the little Ranch cafe and they also had a tent set up for their band and the dance floor. However b/c of the weather they decided to scratch the pasture idea and just get married in the tent.

The bride walks in with an orange umbrella! So cute!

Exchanging vows

The wedding was at 4 in the afternoon, it was freezing by now and we were all bundled up in our warmest winter gear instead of dressy wedding clothes. J was in the wedding, so I was in charge of taking pictures for two people in the wedding. The bride walked in to everyone in the audience playing “here comes the bride” with their little kazoos. The ceremony was beautiful and silly and just amazing. Afterwards, the bride and groom also walked out to kazoo accompaniement.

After the wedding, the family took pictures and i used to this opportunity to snap some shots of the nearby animals and farms until it was time for dinner. For dinner we had BBQ chicken , baked beans and baked potatoes , it was delicious. We also did the toasts and cake right after the dinner was over and then it was off to hear the band.

J and I in front of the Ranch stables

The band was a local bluegrass band and they were a fun bunch of guys. Other than bluegrass they also played some classic rock and country and pop. J was super sweet and even slow danced with me a couple of times. After the band was done, we hung out by the fire pit for a little while and gave a ride to some people and finally ended the night. They had a lovely wedding and we were so glad to be a part of their day.