Bachelorette Bash in Big D

Last weekend was pretty fantastic. I took Friday off, and headed to Dallas, Texas, to meet up with some of my favorite girls in the world. We were all Tridelta sorority sisters together and we're a pretty tight-knit group! You see, my sweet friend, Meredith, is getting married in a few short weeks. You may also remember when she got engaged and we all surprised her! Well, we surprised her once again. The whole weekend was a secret, and every activity was revealed in clues and hints as the weekend progressed.

Here are the details and pics of the fab celebration!

I arrived on Friday and joined Stacia, Collin, Meredith and Kelsey. We hit the pool, where I managed to totally crisp myself in the sun. I hadn't been in a swimsuit and in the sun yet this season, and I did not use enough sunscreen. Rill dumb.

After pool time, we embarked on an afternoon of fun around some Dallas hot spots. Each location was somehow tied to an ex-boyfriend of Meredith's. Once we arrived, we gave her clues and then a picture of the old beau. It was hilarious!

Here I am with Stacia and Collin

First stop: a very random taco stand, but with the best tacos you'll ever eat! From left, Meredith, Kelsey and Collin.

This is gas station with a car wash, convenience store, taco stand, shaved ice and a karaoke/DJ in the parking lot (?). RANDOM...

...But, delicious.

Next stop, a precious soda shop (from left: me, Stacia, Meredith, Kelsey, Collin)

Mere poses at Dude, Sweet Chocolates. Such an awesome place! We got to sample gourmet, crazy chocolate samples. I brought home something with fungus in the name...it has mushrooms in it. Yes, mushrooms and chocolate, and it may be one of the best things I've ever eaten. Trust me.

We hit up some other great spots, but then it was time for dinner:

The bride-to-be in white!

Alena joins us as we dine at Victor Tangos. YUM.

Mere and Collin say cheese!

Ok, dinner was pretty fun and not just because of the great food. Before we went to Dallas, Stacia emailed the groom with a list of questions (ranging on a variety of topics from their relationship) that he had to answer. Over dinner, we asked Meredith the questions and she had to guess what Ryan's answer was. It was a hoot and half. Great idea!

Afterwards, we headed to The Beauty Bar for some cocktails:

Kelsey, Meredith and Stacia

I love and miss my Kels. A lot.

The rowdy ones in the gang, Stacia and Collin, keep things exciting!

The bride shakes it!

Collin and I share a little cuhwanberreh drink :)

Then, we headed across the street to a fun joint with some games you could play. We chose the giant Jenga and had a blast!

Kelsey sizes up the situation.

Meredith makes a risky move. 

Yes, there are dirty things drawn on the blocks. Darn those people that like to graffiti!

You can do it, Collin! Oh yeah, by now we had attracted a crowd.

I am a very precise Jenga player. Don't mess with me!

Of course, it eventually fell. Oh, what fun. I want a set for my patio now!!

The next day was packed with more good things. First up, the Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Dallas. This is luxury baby!

The gang in our cozy robes before our spa treatments: body scrub, massage and pedicure, thankyouverymuch!

This is how we all felt afterwards!!

Ok, now for the very best part of the whole weekend (in my opinion). We REALLY surprised Mere here. Lucky for us, Kelsey lives in Dallas, so we didn't have to splurge on a hotel. Her house is a swanky, modern townhouse - seriously cool. It's so fab, it makes me wish I was modern! Anyway, we arranged for a chef from the Viking School to come to Kelsey's house for a night of cooking! SO FUN!

Putting Kelsey's chalkboard wall to good use in the kitchen. This was our menu! We spent 3 hours cooking, laughing, sharing and learning.

Kels did such a great job of decorating! It was so cute and looked effortless.

Adore the mason jar treatment. Adore it!

The lingerie table was very fun. There were little things wrapped in pink, a very funny cake, cookies, and bananagram letters. Yes, we made dirty words with the letters. When else would it be acceptable?! :)

The naked Ken doll was too funny. Especially his discarded clothes on the side.

Mere LOVES purple, and our gifts do reflect it!

Cooking time begins! Stacia and Collin start with watermelon margaritas.

Meredith and Alena whip up some mini peach pies. So cute.

I work on some cucumber cups. Something I had never done before!

Now, THAT'S a margarita!

Kelsey makes the smoky gazpacho to go into the cucumber cups.

Kelsey, Stacia and Collin pause for a photo op.

Once the margaritas were polished off, we made some of the best mojitos I've ever had!

Kels and I slurp them up!

Chef Dawn and I discuss next steps.

Ok, now for our final dishes!

Smoky Gazpacho Cups

Mini Shrimp Tacos with Grilled Corn Avocado Salsa

Pork Tenderloin with Plums on Herbed Biscuits

Lemonade-Glazed Fish Kebabs

Mini Peach Pies

The group with our creations.

I must say, everything was absolutely fantastic!

What an amazing weekend. What a great bachelorette party!

It's such a blessing to have the kinds of friends in life that you know you will forever count on. These are friends like that. We may be all over the country. We may only see each other once or twice a year. We don't talk as much as we should. We get busy; time passes. But, it doesn't matter. We never miss a beat. We never question our friendship. It will always be there.

These big life moments we share: engagements, weddings, career changes, moves, and (future) babies are all the more special when you have wonderful friends, and in our case, sisters, to share it with. Congratulations, Meredith. We can't wait to celebrate the big day soon!!