,

While the Boy is Away, the Girl will Play

Last weekend Nick and his five best friends traveled to the Outer Banks to celebrate a weekend of bachelorhood. From what I heard, there was plenty of poker and pizza and beer. And the ultimate highlight of the weekend — a surprise to Nick — was a deep sea fishing trip 40 miles into the Gulf Stream.

The private chartered boat left the dock at 5:30am, and they returned almost 12 hours later. While at sea, they caught nearly 250 lbs. of fish! Most of the catches were mahi-mahi, but Nick did reel in a trophy fish! The sailfish weighed close to 50 lbs., and Nick received an official certificate from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Just look how proud my man is (he’s the one on the left):

boys1

They all had a blast, and I think they decided to make it a regular trip.

boys3

So what did I do while Nick was away? I took the opportunity to catch up with girlfriends and go shopping with my sister, of course!

On Friday night I relaxed with a dear friend and her husband while their sweet baby girl slept soundly upstairs. And on Saturday morning my sister/maid of honor/fashion consultant helped to choose my attire for my upcoming bridal shower and rehearsal dinner. I’m so excited about my purchases!

This Ann Taylor dress is for the bridal shower:

dress21

And this one by Adrianna Papell (in turquoise rather than purple) is for the rehearsal dinner:

_5776994

That night I drove to Baltimore for dinner and cocktails with my best friend since second grade. She even gave me a bag of goodies, including a button that said, “Toast the Bride to Be.” (The official bridal shower/bachelorette party is in just 10 days, so this was a special treat!) It’s so rare that we have a night to ourselves, and we thoroughly enjoyed it! Here we are sipping strawberry margaritas:

girls11

Lately Nick and I have been so busy with wedding projects and planning festivities that it was nice to just kick back with our buds! I know we’ll continue to plan “boys’ weekends” and “girls’ weekends” even after we’re married. Of course, first it would be nice to see each other more often than just weekends!

What fun activities do you plan to do with your girlfriends — now and after the wedding?