got that glitter on my eyes toes

it's a pArTy!
yesterday's carefully-laid plans (clean --> work out --> party prep) were derailed just minutes after i pressed 'post'! we were offered tickets last-minute to the duke game, and i encouraged josh to go with his friend m, because i had things to do.

then, while fastidiously loading dishes (an empty dishwasher = perhaps the most essential piece of party prep as far as i'm concerned), m's girlfriend k texted me with the proposal to get pedicures while the men enjoyed their man-date.

suddenly, all those things seemed like they could wait a bit.

matching pedis in ali's big night (OPI 'burlesque' collection)
the shade's name was appropriate given that i was preparing for a big night at our place! the lack of photos is a shame, given the photogenicity of the guests and the fun we were having. but it isn't so surprising: i was distracted by the music, the company, and the wine!

because the couple of candids i did take didn't come out so beautifully (and posting non-flattering shots of others mid-chew isn't very nice), i'll just leave you with a viewing of the inanimate evidence that yes, a party occured.

appetizer spread, although more was added as guests came in with additional treats
we now have approximately 10 lbs of leftover cheeses of various types in our fridge. hmm.

as advertised, i made two pots of chili. i promise it tasted better than this photo looks:

the recipes: white chicken chili and spicy vegan chili
i put out a bunch of toppings (scallions, pepper jack, sharp cheddar, greek yogurt, avocados, jalopenos) so that creations could be customized. both were nearly gone by the end of the night, so i think this went over pretty well!

the musical theme for the night was girl talk. it turned out that several party attendees were fans, plus -- really, almost anyone can find SOMETHING to like in GT's raucous mashups!

i learned that there's actually a GT concert coming up:

and apparently, we're going:

after all, it's on the calendar . . .
all in all, i had a ton of fun -- i hope you all did, too! shelby, drew, sara, melissa, liv, stevo, caitlin, jason, craig and lacey -- thank you all for a fantastic night!

today
i fear today is just going to pale in comparison! although there will be some mid-day excitement in the form of a 5K:

my attending described this as a 'punishing' course, so things may not go so well. i just hope it isn't pouring rain . . . report tomorrow, of course!