The excitement from the Saturday Night Fever wedding has finally subsided, and I quickly found that my passion for event planning could not go ignored. This could also be attributed to two things:
A consistent push from my mother-in-law to turn this hobby into a kinda sorta business venture.
Growing up in a house with Mama Dirt - the true professional DIY crafter
These two beautiful women in my life can be credited with giving me the courage to share my creative talents with the world.
HOW IT ALL STARTED........... After a full tiring day of wedding planning for Daisy Duke's youngest, the fumes of hot glue and the empty bottles of wine lead to a discussion of making event planning more of a full-time biz. Daisy realized she could officially count the weddings of her children on MORE than one hand and Big Boca Bob confirmed that she too had plenty of experience in her several roles over the years including but not limited to invitation designer, interior decorator, pianist and lead vocalist in the wedding band, bridesmaid(s), caterer, baker, etc. At the time, we may not have appeared to be the most professional of event planners and the original name for the business was created - Hot Mess Wedding Planners, Inc. Since that evening, Daisy and Bob have evolved into much more than what the original name conveys. Together they hope to share their enthusiasm for custom event planning with you and help make your event both successful and truly memorable.
Fever Pitch Events has been born - we even have business cards. This is for realz.
Sergeant Bob and Grand Puba are not exactly thrilled about their wives going into business together as both men have already been recruited as volunteer employees. Little did they know that by saying "I Do", they signed a verbal contract to serve their wives upon request for all future business ventures. I guess you gentleman should have read the fine print.
It has been established that both Daisy Duke and I still need a little guidance in the whole money making part of owning a kinda sorta business, but we are still in the learning process.
PLEASE check out our website (blog) here and share with all your friends and family! We are already having so much fun with the creative themes our clients are bringing to us. Seriously - check out these adorable Alice In Wonderland Theme Invites we just completed for a first birthday party. It doesn't get any cuter.
The creative juices are flowing and there are no limits to the partnership of Daisy Duke and Big Boca Bob (and several other recruits).
An update on the summer fun happenings at Casa de Bob:
I am a musical theatre nerd - a trait I inherited from my mother. After she enrolled me in tap dance lessons at the age of three, I have been obsessed with all things Bob Fosse and Broadway. Mama Dirt and I enjoyed a girls' day out at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. I haven't had the opportunity of venturing to many theatres in my short life time, but I must say the Fox is hands down the most beautiful stage I have witnessed. Behold the beauty. The pictures seriously don't even do it justice.
The day started with a stress free ride to the big city courtesy of Amtrak. We then headed to the famous Fox for a pre-show buffet complete with a dessert table. They were more than prepared for my arrival - the dessert buffet was stocked with churros. Ironic? I think not. We then headed to our mezzanine seats where Mama Dirt and I comfortably sat for almost three hours completely captivated by singing, dancing, and the Broadway nautical flair of "Anything Goes"
Our amateur review - Spectacular singing, impressive acting, and mediocre dancing (we are allowed to be a little critical after spending 20+ years at the Susan Basalay School of Dance) Overall rating? 4 stars - great experience with my favorite musical nerd buddy - my mama.
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Daisy Duke and yours truly are officially in business. I will expand on the state of our self-owned company in a later blog, but seeing as marketing is a must-have in the cut-throat business of event planning, I must make a plug. Please feel free to check out our website!
Once again, the brave Bob siblings and a few tagalongs attempted and successfully completed the Warrior Dash. A few bruised knees, a few scuffed shins, and a slightly jammed finger or two all lead to the following pictures. Man I love my family!
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Sergeant Bob and I have reserved a spot on the Bootleg Canyon ziplining tour during our Vegas vacation next month. I am 100% positive that I am more excited about this venture as I will be able to check another "first" off of my Summer 2013 bucket list. The countdown has started.
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STAY TUNED FOR MORE CASA DE BOB SUMMER FUN UPDATES!
El Aguila is officially a college graduate, and I am one proud hermana.
*B.S. in Biology
*Magna Cum Laude
*And arguably the most imporant accomplishment to note?
officially a ONE MAN WOLF PACK
Thanks to his siblings, El Aguila was gifted the following for surviving four grueling years of higher education.
I'm known for my slightly inappropriate gift giving abilities, and seeing as how Dancing Queen received ink upon her completion from high school, I saw it only fit for us to offer El Aguila the same opportunity. Knowing full well that he would not be interested in matching sister tattoos, I tapped into his psyche to find the next best thing.
El Aguila has a ridiculous and sometimes awkard addiction to the canus iupus species......otherwise known as wolves. Its weird. I'm not quite sure I understand the connection, and I will forewarn other inquisitive minds to not ask El Aguila for specific reasoning behind this affinity for the answer only leads to more questions. However, in my quest for the justification behind the Aguila - Wolf correlation, I have learned many interesting facts about these creatures including but not limited to the science of the "pack" and monogamous mating habits. If life's journey ever leads me to a seat across from Ms. Viera on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, I can assure you this man will be my "phone-a-friend" should a question regarding this species arise?
But I digress........
Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the official branding of my brother so I sent along Sergeant Bob for photography purposes. Keep in mind there is no man more afraid of needles than my poor husband, and I'm equally as upset that I missed the chance to see him witness several tiny needles puncturing human flesh. I'm sure the facial expressions were quite dramatic.
It was reported by both Sergeant Bob and Dancing Queen that El Aguila tolerated the pain with poise and only flinched a time or two during the hour long process.
Thank you, Sergeant Bob, for also making sure to photograph the extent of my brother's obsession. Sergeant Bob's detective skills led him to discover the secret stash of wolf t-shirts not so hidden in El Aguila's car. Apparently trying to decide on your wolf attire after receiving your very first wolf tattoo is one heckuva difficult decision and one that El Aguila struggled with until the very last minute. He had to bring several options for such an occasion. Dedication will get you places, mi hermano.
The road has not ended for the one man wolf pack. In fact, I am quite certain that his journey is just about to begin. Medical school will start in the fall at which time he will be buried in books and academia - way too intellectual to hang out with us less educated folk. I'm ok with it as long as a lifetime supply of free health care and/or medical advice are included in the familial contract.
My Dearest Brother,
I once read that in the medical field you will call upon your decision-making skills frequently. You will make "good decisions, bad decisions, decisions that will occupy a moral grey space in between, and even decisions to not make a decision and merely wait until circumstance makes a decision for you."
I am not going to condescendingly lecture you on life as an adult. You have already been making adult decisions for several years, and I have faith in those choices - past, present, and future.
Congratulations, mi hermano. For once - I have no advice to give as you are embarking on a journey that I have never ventured. Pave your own way and I wish you nothing but success, Future Dr. Aguila.
My husband makes me uber proud every day by waking up in the evening, lacing up his boots, keying up his radio, strapping on his duty belt, and heading out the door to a highly NON glamorous job while the rest of us in the central time zone are getting ready to put our heads to the pillow and drift off to dream land.
Officer Bob has a work ethic that rises above the majority of other men I've met in their late 20's. He has had the same employer for almost 5 years and has NEVER missed work or called in a sick day - even at the begging and pleading of his then girlfriend for a Sunday Funday at home. He is one of the most humble men I know and struggles with embarrassment every time I gloat about him, but he is truly deserving of all the praise he receives.
I have no doubts I will experience MANY proud moments as his wife in the years to come and the collection of those memories has officially started.
This past Tuesday Officer Bob brought home the following:
He nonchalantly sets a giant plaque on the table and says, "I got promoted today." It comes out like this is a no-big-deal occurrence that happens all the time in the same way one would proclaim "I ate breakfast today" or "I took a dump today."
What my husband lacks in expressing emotion, I make up for in excess. I will have you know - this is a big deal - not only because it takes him longer to get dressed every morning since he has to pin on super important fancy schmancy Sergeant bars, but also because I have to make an OFFICIAL blog name change. This has never happened in the history of the Big Boca Bob blog, and I'm sorry to report that my request for a formal ceremony has been denied.
Congratulations, Sergeant Bob
I am 100% positive about two things:
You will excel in your new role.
I will enjoy serving as your super hot trophy wife.
I have lived in a small town the majority of my short 27 year life and I have lived in a small town ALL of my memorable life. Every single memory I have is a result of small town living and its effect on raising a family. I have called cities home, towns have been temporary addresses, but I currently reside in a village. The same village my husband has called home for over 28 years. To many this would mean I have been demoted in terms of residential living, but I must admit I spend most days very thankful that the population of my home town is over 50 times smaller than the maximum capacity of Lambeau Field. A young Hispanic woman does indeed stick out like a sore thumb in this town as proven by my initial welcome at the local watering hole and the persistence of neighbors needing to diversify their self-owned businesses. However, most days I put up with the less than mediocre and completely over-rated Mexican jokes spouting from the crackas I call friends because I truly love the camaraderie and comfort that comes from small town life.
I like to think my parents played a large role in this decision. I was much too young to remember the cross-country move my parents, older brother, and I made to central Illinois, but it was that choice that has influenced my opinion of rural areas. Thank you Mom and Dad for choosing to raise me right. Not too many children grow up knowing the name of every classmate (both the jocks AND the nerds). In fact - at my high school the jocks WERE the nerds. Not too many children are raised knowing the principal will come knocking on your door when you skip school or the town gossip at the hardware store beats anything you would ever find on facebook. Urban legends helped form my opinion of certain residents and the most scandalous events took place at the park next door. If your family is experiencing a crisis, there is a hot meal waiting on your doorstep every day until that crisis is resolved. When visitors ask directions to the closest grocery store, you direct them to the combination gas station/fast food restaurant/video store/local market within walking distance. These traits create the quaint environment that I could not live without and could only hope more Americans could witness even for a day.
However - I have but one small complaint regarding small town life. Small town politics are dirty - grimy, grody, disgustingly sleazy dirty. I believe during my adolescent years, I was too naive to notice the unfortunate happenings at city hall, but now that I am a home owning adult the rumors from town meetings are quite disturbing. I will admit that I am not a voice of change in the village and I have done little to correct the slowly building volcanic eruption of the village board so my complaints may fall on deaf ears. I am simply taking this time to vent my frustration with the politics of "who you know" decision making. I would rather be associated with a "what you know" democratic way of life, but apparently secrecy and pointing fingers overrule that citizen promise. If these types of morals and ideals are modeled in small town government, I will no longer question the acts of corrupt leaders sitting in much higher positions. I am happy to hear that dirty political decisions are starting to attract media attention, and I am especially happy that the same village I was bragging about in earlier statements is also home to several proud strong-willed residents who are not afraid to stand up for what is right. Even behind the ugly curtain of dishonorable debauchery, there are individuals prepared to take the stage armed with truth, facts, and knowledge of a distint difference between what is right and what is wrong. My faith in humanity is restored when those individuals receive the opportunity to step up to the podium and voice genuine concern for the future of our generally happy way of life.
Thank you, Small Town America, for you give me something to stand behind. I am hoping my future children will someday understand the importance of what it means to be a supportive neighbor and live in a town where truth and open communication trump secrets and negativity in the character traits of those holding office. I will continue to reside in my little village until those ideals become obsolete. Faith keeps hope alive.
With the tiny glimpse of warm weather this past week and my constant desperate need to get out of the house, I have recently started researching summer fun activities. Now that I am a wife to a third shift employee, it is totally up to me to create an affordable activity-filled itinerary for the upcoming months. This is where I am recruiting the help of my friends - both those I have and have not met. I would like to dedicate this summer to a series of firsts. This mindset was sparked by a recent purchase of a Vegas vacation totally made on a whim (But of course with my significant other's prior approval. Apparently you need that once you get married - total buzzkill for impromptu vacation planning.)
I have started a list of potential "firsts" I would like to accomplish this summer. This is where you come in. I need your help and expert advice for some of these. Any tips or suggestions for the following would be much appreciated:
VEGAS VACATION - National Lampoon Style
*reservations made* HOLLA!
FULL DAY HIKE (Picnic Lunch Included)
*any hiking hot spots you suggest?*
NOODLING aka Hillbilly Handfishin'
*I could not be more serious about this one and I MUST find a way to make it happen*
WINERY TOUR
*can you believe I've never done this before? possible girls' day? anyone wanna join?*
GO TO DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATRE
*do these even exist anymore?*
ZIPLINING
*there has got to be a place somewhat local, right?!*
VISIT SMALL TOWN FESTIVALS IVE NEVER BEEN TO
*let me know of any good ones*
BIKE A CENTURY
*ride 100 miles in a day* I need help planning a route.
Any other ideas? Activities should be somewhat affordable, somewhat out of the ordinary, and somewhat entertaining for a soon-to-be 27 year old gal and her friends (if she can recruit them)
What does your summer schedule look like? Can we cross anything off our bucket lists together?
Every summer has a story. The memories are just waiting to happen <3 p="">
If there is one thing the family of Mr. and Mrs. Bob know how to do, it is throw one rockin' party. Seriously. Props to the hosts - Mama Dirt, Osama Bin Father, Daisy Duke, and Grand Puba. The food was fantastic, the dancing was delightful, and the party was one for the ages.
Following the vows, the wedding party hopped in the limo for a blissful ride (for most) to the reception hall.
Chasing RumChata with Miller Light was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Absolutely refreshing.
Don't let the smile on Officer Bob's face in the picture above fool you. Approximately 20 minutes into the slightly winding rock star limousine ride, I look over at my very pale, very uncomfortable husband of less than an hour. Motion sickness has been somewhat of an issue for the better portion of this man's life and unfortunately it reared it's ugly head on such an important day. An emergency phone call was made to the father of the groom and the new Mr. & Mrs. hopped into a slightly less glamorous ride for the remainder of the trip. I for one did not mind as my large dress in such a small space created somewhat of a cocoon suited perfectly for a beer drankin' passenger.
We made a pit stop with the photog for some candid photos.........
and arrived right on time for our grand announcement.
"Ladies and Gentleman, presenting Mr. & Mrs. Officer Bob!"
In true Bob fashion, the reception hall was decorated to the nines. Custom movie posters lined the head table, movie-themed favors and movie-themed centerpieces adorned the guest tables, and thanks to Grand Puba, guests were able to pose in a truly authentic Academy Award head-in-hole cutout. Two words. Sa. Weet.
The Karate Kid
Top Gun
Nacho Libre
Oscar Winners
The multi-flavored film cake made a beautiful cameo. Which by the way, Officer Bob was surprisingly very polite in his feeding of the bride - a shocking discovery to most.
The Matron of Honor gave a touching speech, the Best Man gave a humorous speech, and the Maid of Honor made an entire room of mothers, grandmothers, and sisters cry. It started with a song and ended in a blubbering mess. Thank you, Dancing Queen. I hope to return the favor some day.
Dinner was served. The bride and groom made the rounds, and the DJ made the formal announcement for the first dance. This is the point at which I must squash a few rumors. The first dance was COMPLETELY and TOTALLY and ABSOLUTELY Officer Bob's idea. I understand I tend to have a flair for the dramatic, but Officer Bob was the creative mind behind the montage of movie dances ridiculousness. I have yet to receive video documentation (calling all guests), but as soon as I do, I cannot wait to burn that baby and lock it in the vault to be shown at all future family events. My husband is one helluva white boy dancer and ladies - he's all mine! I'm not quite sure the amateur photos do it justice, but they will have to do for now.
After recovering from the marathon of a first dance (I no kid when I say the exact length was 7 minutes and 22 seconds of fast pace footwork), I was able to share a genuinely touching dance with my proud papa. It's no secret that Mexican men have a natural rhythm. Dancing with my dad will remain at the top of my most memorable lifetime moments. Truly meaningful.
Officer Bob shared an equally beautiful dance with Daisy Duke and her long gorgeous locks!
Garter removed? Check. Garter tossed? Check. Bouquet tossed? Check. Bouquet caught by beautiful Maid of Honor and sister of the bride? You betcha! Isn't she purty?!
Bullet Points from the remainder of the evening:
Dancing began with the much anticipated dance-off between Big Boca Bob and Punkin. Punkin had the task of selecting the song. Sexy and I Know It provided the soundtrack to some pretty intimidating moves from Punkin. It was clear from the first cartwheel that she was NOT about to let the bride walk away with a victory just because it was her special day. It was a sweaty battle of kicks, turns, bumpin', and grindin', but ultimately Punkin walked away with the W. Splits just weren't happening in my spanks and Punkin's lack of concern for displaying her undergarments to a room full of strangers gave her an edge up. Punkin was presented with her mirror ball necklace and Big Boca Bob, though slightly disappointed, made an effort to recover from the loss.
Daisy Duke and Mama Dirt were both groped heavily by a few drunk gentlemen. This is why I love our friends.
One guest chose to consume the entire stale popcorn contents of at least 10 centerpieces on the second floor.
The infamous YMCA spotlighted props of all sorts including but not limited to police officer apparel, construction hats, and flower girl dresses worn as head dresses.
Titty Baby performed his rousing rendition of "Baby Got Back" for possibly the last time at a family wedding.....until Pebbles ties the knot of course.
Mexicans mingled. Lots of Mexicans mingled.
Officer Bob spent the majority of the evening reminiscing with old frat buddies..........
While Big Boca Bob spent the majority of the evening tearing up the dance floor.
The Bob's were incredibly overwhelmed with the support and true love of family and friends surrounding them.
The red carpet is no longer and the stars are enjoying life as newlyweds.
From the bottom of our hearts........
A sincere thank you to all those that made our day so incredibly special. I am crazy in love with the man of my dreams and I have every single one of you to thank for being party of our insanely beautiful life.
Brace yourselves. The much anticipated final review of the premiere of the year is officially published. I have been married for exactly 24 days, and if they are a sign of the rest of my days as a Mrs. I am totally not prepared for this.........just kidding! Married life is bliss. Right Officer Bob?
Without further ado..........
I give you a somewhat complete, occasionally exaggerated, and frequently biased review of SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (through the eyes of the bride).
*NOTE: Official photography is yet to be released. Facebook has provided the amateur photography you are about to witness. I appreciate your understanding.
Ahem........
We will start by completing skipping over the details of the evening of the rehearsal dinner. I kinda sorta maybe had a hard time keeping my cool as I felt as though I was drowning in wedding details. Here's what you need to know.
Dinner was delightful (Thanks, Grand Puba and Daisy Duke!).
Quality time with family/friends was incredibly entertaining (per the usual)
The eve before my wedding day was spent with the most loving, thoughtful, beautiful people I know and I am truly fortunate to have been able to create forever memories.
Mexican cousins = Love.
Bridesmaids = Family.
Mama Dirt and Dancing Queen gave me a cute little girly sleepover that night and though I can't say I got great sleep, I will admit that the thought of saying "I Do" to the only man that holds my big 'ol Mexican heart kept me in an oddly relaxed state through the hours leading up to the vows.
SATURDAY MARCH 23, 2013
Wake up call: 7:00AM - However, it was reported this was slightly earlier in Pebbles's room as she was more than ecstatic to roll down the aisle on her Uncle's big day.....or maybe it was the thought of free movie theatre popcorn. Can you blame her?
The lovely ladies headed to the salon bright and early to get their pretty on while the manly men slept in and waited to partake in a 5-star Grandma breakfast served late morning.
Dear God,
Thank you for blessing me with family/friends willing to consume a few alcoholic beverages at 8:00am.
One word. Verdi.
One of the best decisions in the entire wedding planning process? Splurging on the flaw-hiding, ugly face curing, airbrush makeup. To all future brides - DO IT. For realz.
I do updo? Check. Picture posing with beautiful bridesmaids? Check.
Off to the theatre!
Completing Maid of Honor duties, Dancing Queen zipped me into my surprising comfortable princess dress...........
Handed me a brewski.......
And sent me on my way to the altar.
This is where things start to become a blur. I will offer a bullet point list of the memorable moments/things learned leading up to the kiss.
After prepping for official photos, the wedding party was running approximately one hour and 45 minutes behind schedule. Whoops!
Itineraries are pointless on wedding days. The groom will do whatever he wants.
Mexican families can fill up almost half of a small town theatre on their own.
A movie themed wedding is super fun when the guests get popcorn, candy, and 3D glasses.
Parents barely know their children in regards to movie trivia.
When deciding on hostesses to walk children down the aisle, it might have been a good idea to pick individuals who are more kid-friendly.
As a perk to all blog readers, I would like to offer the chance to allow you to view what guests had the opportunity of witnessing on the big screen before the classier moments of the day.
REPLAY SAVE THE DATE
Be prepared to Awwwww.....Officer Bob was one cute kid!
Laughter and oooo's and ahhhhh's filled the theater (or so I hope) as I emotionally prepared to make one of the most important and memorable walks of my life.
Cue the moms who both looked as gorgeous as ever!
Cue the groom and groomsmen.
Cue the best 6 women in my life.
Cue the hostesses/flower girls who greeted the guests with the occasional "HI" while making an entrance stealing the hearts of 99% of the guests. It would have been 100%, but one of the hostesses isn't exactly prepared for motherhood proven when she bribed Beans not to cry by tossing popcorn in her wagon and barking orders to "eat and be happy")
Cue the emotionally overwhelmed bride and her strong, proud, happy father. Yes. I said happy. I realize the moment I stepped into the spotlight, my eyes should have instantly met the eyes of my future husband (and they did) but I took a moment to look into the eyes of my father first. It's no secret that being happy is a struggle for Dad and his personal fight against mental illness. At that moment in time, I saw happiness in the depth of his eyes. Happy to be there in the moment with his daughter and family from many miles away. Happy to be alive. Happy to be the Dad I needed him to be at that exact moment. Happy to be himself. No anxiety. No fear. No worry. I will NEVER forget that moment on that day. Items # 5 AND 23 crossed off the bucket list. Have my father walk me down the aisle and witness my dad be truly happy for a day. Whew!
......back to the emotionally overwhelmed bride witnessing her super adorable groom sporting a hunky tux and tennies ready to take her hand. Huracan and El Aguila provided the perfect guitar soundtrack to the walk down the aisle, and I promised myself I would pause and truly take in that once in a lifetime moment. Pure magic.
Rev. Jamsa began the service, and only those in attendance will ever be able to truly understand the raving enthusiasm and true showmanship he offered in his role as officiant. Seriously.
He said "I Do." I said "I Do Too." He cried real man tears. I may have done the same. (Only because he started it) And two became one. Officer Bob, mi amor, became my husband. I became Mrs. Bob, and I am still grinning ear to ear as I say it out loud. True love exists, kids.
As our anthem Night Fever blasted through the theatre speakers, the stars of the show exited in true Bob style. The small town streets lined with adoring fans waiting to meet the happy duo and as we made our way back down the red carpet, guests showered us with popcorn and love - which in hindsight, popcorn, though very fitting, may not have been the most practical choice for celebration.I was still picking kernels from unmentionable areas hours later.
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
Five stars.
A must-see for all ages.
Next Up? An uncensored review of the post-premiere party. I promise it won't disappoint.
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