The REAL Royall Wedding

For the record, I did not attend this wedding. I have met the bride twice in my life (and the groom...none), but I LOVE her parents, her sister, and her sister's family in a way that could make my heart burst at the seams. So, naturally, I love her too.

Congratulations on getting hitched, Lane!!

Schatzel family on the left. 

Wedding couple in the middle.

Mama and Papa Phelps on the right.

Lauren (young mom on the left of the photo above*) shot me an email awhile back, asking for some tips on how to make a t-shirt for her upcoming little sister's bachelorette shindig. *not like "mtv's 16&pregnant"-young, just young looking. There's nothing I love more than making a good ole-fashioned t-shirt so I was more than happy to jump in with some iron-on tips (learn from my mistakes, friends).

But starting at square one.....what were we going to put on the iron-on?

Lauren mentioned the royal wedding of William and Kate that had just taken place and that her sister was about to marry someone with the last name "Royall". Could we do some sort of play on this wedding being the REAL royal wedding?

Well, sure! Why not!

Step one: 

Find official wedding photo of the royal couple.

Step two (part1):

find photo of the groom

Step two (part2):

find photo of the bride

Step three: 

applaud oneself for becoming facebook friends with a friend's little sister.

Step four:

photoshop and send for approval

Step five:

sit back and watch as wedding photos come in showcasing the fun!

on a shirt!

in a frame!

Congrats again to the beautiful couple. 

thanks for letting me play with your faces.

A note from the dog.

Packing = done.

Just in case you guys thought I was kidding about loving the most awesome toy ever, I'll have you know I have no love for other toys. The squeaker is still going strong even though I play with it every single day, I chase it into other rooms, I bring it to people, I sleep on it. Nothing else gets as much attention as my Chewish Bagel This one's the bee's knees. 

Thanks again, Christine.

Temporarily Meeting Up in Providence.

Finally meeting baby Adam!

August 2011.

Debi G. and I have been friends since one magical summer in the Pocono hills of Pennsylvania. There we set the foundation for a life-long friendship and through the fancy internet, we have done a terrific job of keeping in good touch with one another. I've watched her get fancy degrees, move up in the world of education, meet and marry the man of her dreams (ben!), conduct a hudson-inspired dog adoption, travel around the world, and BIRTH A BABY. Ok, so I didn't *watch* her actually birth Adam, but I got to see her grow (internal) and raise him (external) this past year.

As often and random as our visits have been the last 10 years, I never would have predicted to meet her son for the first time at Trattoria Zooma in the Italian-est of all Italian neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island. Especially while her husband told us various stories of mob-dealings in our temporary city (like straight from the movies, you guys). Omg, Ben, I've been giving every single business owner the stink-eye, suspiciously evaluating their businesses while convincing myself they're ALL fronts for mob activities. 

LK + DG meet-ups:

June 2000 - Met Debi for the first time in PA.

Jan 2001 - Debi hosted a few of us in NJ during a snow storm.

Jan 2005 - Debs was in SF.

2006 - Met up with debi and ant at some restaurant in Bridgewater, NJ (work).

June 2008 - Working for a company based in New Jersey continues to have its perks.

Feb 2009 - Loving NYC. (first time debi+i met ben+jamie?)

July 2009 - Still loving NYC.

September 2009 - Road tripping from Chicago to Michigan.

August 2011 - Debi brings her family through Providence.

am i missing any others, debi?

Kinda can't wait to see where we cross paths and hope Adam clings to me like this again:

his face!

Ali + Todd Got Married!

Miss Ali got married on May 1, 2011.

I got to have this conversation all day long:

Random guest: "Do you know the bride or the groom?"

Leslie: "Ali, the bride!"

Random guest: "How do you know Ali?"

Leslie: "Eleven years ago, a female Native American walked into my Pocono Mountains' cabin..."

Random stranger looks quizzical and walks away.

From top to bottom: Meryd, Me, Devon, Ali.

It's true. I had just arrived to the Pocono Mountains, summer before my last year of undergrad. I had signed up for 9 weeks as a sleepaway-camp-counselor away from the phone, computer, and any semblance of "real life". That summer I met some of my closest friends to this day, a crop of just amazingly fun individuals from around the world. It.rocked.my.world. 

The first person I met that summer (besides devon, high school bestie) was a second year counselor who pranced into my cabin adorned in her Pocahontas finest. I'm away from my camp scrapbook and uploadable hilarities so you'll just have to trust we had a fantastic time. :)

A few years of separate lives + Ali visiting CA from Ohio then deciding to move to SF=

Leslie deciding to move to SF to help Ali get to CA + interviewing for jobs + meeting her hubs.

A couple of years after I moved out with Jamie, Ali met Todd.

One year after my wedding, Ali and Todd tied the knot.

Here are some details:

I was her day-of-coordinator and all business.

Has someone already told me that it's so fun to boss people around at an event? I mean, really?! 

Aw, crap. Ali just posted these photos to facebook and I've gotta publish this post already.

No more stories for you!

 I'm happy to report our Ali was super giggly and happy all day long.

 Happy wedding day, Todd and Ali!

 Handmade touches to the decor.

Food trucks:

Chairman Bao

Senor Sisig

It was so neat to spend such quality time with my old roommate and her new husband!

look at this face.

Whoops.

Speaking of funny emails, check this one that showed up this morning.

"OMG, I accidentally shipped this to your address!!!"

so excited for this shipment. :)

New Freaking Hampshire goes all worldy.

First we had the Devon+Piper Surprise Ambush Weekend and now I shall share some more recent fun when another visitor came to the Upper Valley!

Trish came all the way to New Freaking Hampshire!!

As if I have to remind you, one of the mainstays of our existence here are the social events at Tuck. While there are truly things going on every single weekend, Trish happened to come in at the end of the school's Diversity Conference. The conference brings in alum and prospective students for a variety of events and seminars during the week, culminating in a HUGE International Party in celebration of all the hard work folks have done!

You'd be proud, Goats.
They thought I was Canadian.

wait....are you REALLY canadian?

Hold up, gotta pause here. About this kickass Canadian hoodie I'm sporting? Well, without mincing any words.....I stole it. Yup, you read that right. I totally stole an article of clothing off of a friend's back. I mean, I gave her some American dollars for it (eventually), but I basically s.t.o.l.e. the thing right off of her....like while she was wearing it.

You can see friend Amanda originally wearing HER hoodie in this photo:

November 6, 2009.

But don't blink, because here's a photo of the other side of the room:

Stolen! Ha!

It's an official Vancouver Olympics red hoodie that I NEEDED to have and one I thought Amanda could easily replace back in Vancouver upon return from our Oklahoma trip together. Turns out....not as easy to replace. It was a huge sigh of relief to find out when she was actually able to do so.

But c'mon, can you blame me? The hoodie clearly makes me SO happy!

Later that November '09.

Ok, enough about the sweatshirt and back to the party.....

Each country & associated students were given a budget to showcase a typical food/drink combination and while some booths went all out with their foods (read: Indian = HOT, fun curry!), most countries seemed to spend their monies on the more celebratory consumables of their country (read: BOOZE). It was super fun!!

Thumbs up to Trish in NH!

Ian, representing NAFTA.

Here's Trish with two people who steal clothing off of others.

(Laura had just taken this Tuck vest from someone)

DJ J.Rivas bumped the euro-trans deep into the late hours.

Trying my hand at blending in with the Japanese booth.

Jose's table served drinks with raw egg....bleagh!!

This is how I choose to represent Canada....all night long. 

The UK table served beverages all prim and proper.

Lots to drink...not as much to eat....
unless you count the chopped up fruit in Sangria/Valencia.

This place is treating us kind....
more trish visit photos to come....

Chief Information Officer.

Two guesses on what career path I'm trying to convince Trish to head down...
she likes books.


~that'd be a career in library sciences for those who weren't able to click on the link~
lots of masters programs for library sciences make you take a course in social networking.
can you imagine*?  AWESOME!
c'mon, Trish! be like my 2nd library sciences friend!

*uh...hello, class registration office?
yes, i'd like to sign up for that 3 month Facebook class?
thanks.

Favorite role = Crazy Auntie Leslie.

---Photos totally stolen without permission from Devon.---

les looks like she's in heaven!

(i was totally in hog heaven)

she was cracking des up!

(he was cracking ME up!)

How cool is it that so many of my friends have or are having babies right now?? I can't help but fall in love with every one of them and it gives me such happy feelings in my tummy to know that I will get to watch each of them grow up in their own unique way.

This is the ultimate favorite role that I've had the opportunity to play so far in my life.  I've been:

• rebellious daughter
• awesome older sister
• fair-weather friend
  
• gold-star student
• defiant employee
• compliant patient
• and rambunctious girlfriend/fiance.

But the role of CRAZY AUNT LESLIE is the very best; getting kiddos all riled up, making faces, dealing with yucky diapers, and giving their parents their much needed break?  Sign me up. 

We are choosing not to have any children at our wedding and I'm feeling sad about that decision as I stare back at little Desmond's squishable face.  The secrety-secret venue is simply not conducive to little munchkins running around and we don't want to make any kiddos uncomfortable.  Also, I tend to flat-out ignore any adult conversation when in the presence of friends' kids and that doesn't seem to vibe with this whole "wedding etiquette" thing.  Talk to guests?  Fine.Miss.Manners.  If you insist.

Extra hugs + smooches to Des and Ben today.

She who steals babies.

If I couldn't stay in Oklahoma, I figured I could try to take a piece of it with me....

If I start running now, I might get away with this.

Ohhhhh, you're watching me?

Ha.   Ha.   Ha.

I was totally kidding you guys.

Whyyyy would I take two babies.  That's just crazy talk.

Give Auntie Leslie a kiss instead.

Maybe next time, boys.  Maybe next time.

Let me make this implicitly clear, while I would love to see Jamie's face if I came home from a trip with a couple of children (can you imagine??), there's nothing that would ever cause me to steal a child from its rightful guardian.  NEVER.  EVER.  EVER.  Borrow, maybe.  But never outright steal.