finally! brian, my boyfriend that i love so much, is finally 21 years old. so what did i do last night at midnight? i provided him with a classy duct tape outfit. yes. you read that correctly. i didn't make a typo. brian is wearing an outfit today made of duct tape. this includes a vest, a wallet, a belt, a sash, and tie. i would have made more including shoes and hat, but i'm no professional. it took about three hours to make these lovely pieces. it started with a trip to the store to purchase nine rolls of a variety of colors of duct tape and ruled out to be $38.50. i got back to school and brian was already anxious to hang out but what would he be doing while i'm making this the whole time.....sitting there.... with his eyes closed. i wasn't going to let him see it until midnight when it was complete. and have you ever peeled a strip of duct tape from a roll to cut it off? its not quiet. so of course i made him wait. during this long wait, my lovely neighbor, stephanie, was a dear and helped me make the wonderful vest that he's wearing today. oh yea - did i mention that he is wearing this ALL DAY! he's been informed that he needs to wear this all day during classes and later tonight when we go out to celebrate it the legal way...

here is a look of the final piece. There is a pocket on the vest that has been added since then that holds a marker. this way he can have signatures added to the lovely fashionable vest alllll dayyy long!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN!! I LOVE YOU!!

So. I'm really close to my family, especially my mom. And this past weekend was a kind of testament to how close we are. We spent almost 72 hours straight together- I mean, attached at the hip, never-really-being-apart kind of togetherness.  This past weekend was my 21st birthday. We all know what that implies so I won't go into that. But because I have only one sibling, my twin brother Alex, my parents decided to go all out more or less. It started at about 8 PM on Friday and lasted until about 6 PM Sunday. Friday we went to Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Yes, Ohio did pass the bill to allow the casinos to be built but obviously those aren't up yet. Well, we got there around 10 PM, found the buffet for dinner, and then went into the casino at Midnight. You're not allowed in the casino AT ALL if you're not 21 (so no little kids running around or anything). It was awesome. I got "happy birthday"ed by the casino people and that was really kewl. We played until about 3 AM, among other things *hint, hint* and then got up about 11 AM on Saturday to gamble until about 2:30 PM.  

Saturday was my actual birthday. Then after the casino, Alex and I picked up some of our friends and went to Hofbrauhaus in Newport at about 4:30 PM. It was actually a surprise birthday party for my Aunt Cookie, who was turning 60 (actually on Tuesday), so we celebrated our part of the party before she got there. Then it was all around chaos after she arrived. I even got carded while there. I was feeling special. lol :P Then after that, Alex and I with our friends went to Gameworks on the Levee. We stayed there until about 10 PM. I then went to my friend Nick's house, he turned 21 this past Wednesday. I partied with them until Midnight when I finally called it quits. On Sunday we, the four of us in my family, went to the Bengals home game against the Ravens. We won 17-7. It was a good game. Of course, I got carded there too. :P I was having a great time by the end of the game. And the whole weekend I was with my family- but especially my mom. My mom is one of the most special, if not the most, person in my life. For my 21st birthday she gave me a ring. See... when she was 16 she got a ring from her mother. It was a flower with a diamond in the middle and the diamond used to belong to her grandmother- my great-grandmother. So, for my 21st, she decided to continue the tradition. I got my grandmother's diamonds, her mother's. There are two small ones and one bigger one. I found this awesome swirl pattern in a book at Ashcroft and Oak and had the diamonds set into my own special design. It's not ready yet but when it is, I'll post a picture. I am SOOO excited about this ring! It is something I will treasure forever. I think it is a very cool concept. It is something I'll prolly end up doing for my daughter when I have one- which, as my mother keeps reminding me, won't be any time soon. lol :P 

And when I got back to the dorms, my roommates gave me their presents (they both went home for the weekend :( which made me sad but I couldn't stop them). Sam gave me movie tickets for the Esquire Theater and Maria gave me a set of margarita glasses. Again, *hint, hint.* But there's no alcohol in our dorm as per Mount policy (you can if everyone in the dorm is 21 but if they're not, then you can't- it seems fair enough).  But this entire weekend was something I won't ever forget. And I did it the whole time with my family. I loved every minute of it! P.S. This past week was also College Week Live online. I got to talk to a few people about the Mount and it was kewl to see some interest generated for the Mount. I had fun. This coming weekend is the Bridge Bowl hosted by the Mount on Saturday. It is when we play our rivals, Thomas More. We call it the "Bridge" Bowl because they are more or less directly across the river from us in Kentucky (I can see the Ohio River from my dorm). We won 2 years ago and lost last year so it seems to be a tradition that the home team wins the game that year. Hopefully we'll win again this year. :) You should come out and cheer the Lions on to victory! I know I will!!! :P 

i am so excited about Friday! me and one of my besties are heading out to chicago for the weekend and i can't wait! this is my first time heading home since my 21st birthday in the first week of july. this is megan's second time heading out to the fabulous city so its going to be a really fun weekend. i'm anxious to see my friends too! i haven't seen them since i was home and practically my whole family too! friday night we're planning on heading out to western avenue which is one of the best-known bar scenes in the chicago area. i love that it is only a few blocks from my house so we won't be calling any taxis either. i'm assuming we'll be going to in to the city during the day saturday so megan can get her city shopping in! saturday night we'll be munching on the amazing chicago style deep dish pizza and enjoying some refreshments out on the deck with some good friends and family with a great brunch the following morning before megan and i head back to the nati. i usually only go home 2 or 3 times a semester so its always exciting be home!

which is why i'm excited that i'll also be heading home for halloween weekend! two of my friends (twins) are turning 21 on halloween and so we'll be celebrating the best way possible. i've actually already been working on tshirts for the group going out together. the picture i've picked out is pretty awesome for the night!

check it out!!