After really enjoying Brad Paisley's most recent album over the past several months, I was excited to dust off my cowboy boots and head downtown to see him in real life! Two of my mommy friends and I left the kiddos with the daddies and had a fabulous (and rare!) girls' night out. The night begin with a delicioso dinner and disturbing lively conversation at Vesta Dipping Grill. We missed the majority of the first opening act (Scotty McCreery... gag), but we did see all of The Band Perry's (I'm now a big fan!) opening performance.
We used the downtime before the big act to snap a couple pics...

Katie, a fellow displaced Southerner! 

Photography courtesy of the sweet, 

yet highly intoxicated girls behind us.

While waiting, we killed some time people watching... we were quite intrigued by some outfit choices, but my fave was a Santa Claus-like fellow who wore ginormous binoculars around his neck which he used for watching people in the crowd as if they were rare birds. We also got acquainted with the four drunk coeds who were sitting behind us/falling on top of us. (We got to know them a lot better as the night progressed.)
Once Brad took the stage, we had a ball singing along to the songs we knew, hearing some new faves, and texting during the songs that weren't quite our cup of tea can of PBR (seems like a more appropriate expression given the setting.) The energy really exploded when Brad began singing I'm Still a Guy. As he sang the first verse, the opening acts and their bands began lining the sides of the stage and in unison dropped to a 'Tebowing' position.  The Denver crowd immediately knew what this likely meant and went bananas as Tim Tebow took the stage and sang a line or two with Brad.

Tebow. 

Cool as a cucumber in his hoodie.

Brad had promised more than one surprise would be in-store for the night, so we he began singing the opening lines of Remind Me, his popular duet with Carrie Underwood, we all began wondering if Carrie could possibly be another surprise guest. As he sang the first verse, we saw the shadow of a woman walking across the back of the stage; I assumed it was a backup dancer or maybe even the female singer from The Band Perry. When the time for Carrie's verse came, a spotlight shined on the back of the stage. 

There. She. Was. 

The flowing blonde hair. 

The perfectly tanned and toned legs.

The VOICE.

Isn't she simply glowing?!?!?

When I noticed that I wasn't getting a great shot with my camera, I assumed it was because she was standing towards the back of the stage or because so many cameras were flashing at one time or because I had messed up the camera settings. So, I tried again...

Strange. 

No matter how she was looking on my camera, Carrie looked phenomenal on stage and sounded amazing. I decided to capture a bit of the duet on video.

Carrie was a crowd pleaser, for sure, and -as you can tell- the duet sounded extraordinary. The chemistry between Carrie and Brad was evident by the way they longingly gazed at each other. I couldn't imagine the concert getting any better, but I did cross my fingers that the band Alabama would make an appearance during one of my favorite Brad songs, Old Alabama. (This didn't happen.) 

During the end of the encore, we found it odd that Carrie didn't return to the stage for a final bow. This got our wheels turning, and we asked a woman in front of us if she thought Carrie had really been there. The woman replied, 'I know she was. My daughter went to this same concert in Minnesota, and she was there, too!'

Light bulb. We knew, of course, that there was no way Carrie was appearing at every show of the tour. But, we'd just seen her with our own eyes and heard her with our own ears. Hadn't we? Before we even made it out of the colisium, I found myself googling what seemed like an absurd phrase: 

Carrie Underwood HOLOGRAM

And, there before our very eyes was website after website detailing the use of a hologram during the Brad Paisley tour. We were dumbfounded, and I took it upon myself to begin shouting the news to random concert goers. (I didn't think it was fair for them to continue in their blissful ignorance.) Who knew holograms had so greatly evolved?

Truly Outrageous.

Favorite Things, Q4

2011 has come to a close, but not without me adding a few new things to my arsenal of favorites. Despite most of my shopping having been done for others during the final few months of the year, I did manage to come up with what may actually be my favorite, Favorite Things list of the whole year.
My Favorite Things of 2011, Q4, 

1. Bailey Bow Uggs... I noticed these darling little fushia Uggs as soon as the first fall fashions appeared in stores. Immediately I thought they were the most adorable little people boots EVER but was pretty sure that last year's version would last Pookie throughout the winter. Well, when she commented that her boots were feeling a 'yittle tight', I knew the perfect replacement. So I headed to Nordstrom and requested a 'Size 8, please,' only to learn that there were none in stock in the entire store. I further learned that there were none in stock in any store, anywhere, even online. Their popularity (though, to this day I've never seen another child wearing them) only increased my desire to find a pair; it felt like a bit of a challenge. Well, after ordering what turned out to be a fake pair from an 'UGG' website, I randomly found them at a locally owned kids' shoe store. I have never seen Pookie's feet look any cuter than when they're snug as a bug in her Uggs! Cerise Bailey Bow Uggs
2. Lite House Freeze Dried Herbs... one tiny downside to having a hip bound child who's madly in love with her Mommy is that the completion of some basic household tasks becomes quite difficult. Some chores, such as ironing, I don't mind so much avoiding while placing the blame on the babe. (Oh, darn! I guess Murphy doesn't want Mommy to press the cloth napkins today! ;) Other things, like cooking dinner, I actually miss (and though he never complains, I'm sure my hubby does, too.)  Since my recipe list for all of our holiday festivities included several items that would need to be chopped, sliced, and diced, I was intrigued when I spotted these jarred spices and vegetables in the produce section of my Super Target, so I decided to give them a try. I was quite pleasantly surprised when I opened the containers of onion, cilantro, and basil to see and smell what completely resembled freshly chopped foods. I was able to cut out a lot of kitchen prep time, while utilizing nap time, and still make some of our family's favorites ( shrimp ceviche and hearty corn chowder) as well as try a new recipe or two (spicy corn dip.) I will definitely be keeping these as staples in my pantry until Murphy Girl decides to spread her wings and take a quick flight from the nest. Lite House Freeze Dried Herbs
3. This is Country Music (by Brad Paisley)... as a general rule, rather than buying new CDs for my audio enjoyment, I either rely on iTunes downloads of favorite songs or assume that I'll just be listening to hip-hop nursery rhymes and kids' read along books anyway. When I saw Brad Paisley on an episode of The View performing two songs from his newest release, I knew that I wanted to hear more. I picked up the CD a few days later and have to say that it was well worth breaking my typical pattern. The album quickly became the soundtrack to my fall (mostly when driving sans kids), and tracks like 'Old Alabama' reinvigorated my love for classic country music. This is Country Music by Brad Paisley
4. Candy Cane Hershey Kisses... As I browsed the candy department looking for yummies to fill up our Christmas candy dishes, I was judging the candy strictly on the basis of cutest wrapper. I was drawn to the silver and red design on these and thought they would look just perfect when paired with the solid purple, red, and green wrappers on the dark chocolate version. Well, I had no idea that, after one taste of these delectable creations, I would be hooked addicted to their creamy goodness. While not a huge fan of either white chocolate or peppermint, something about these melt in your mouth morsels is pure candy delight. Rarely did I mange to walk past the candy dish without picking up one or two for a little indulgence. I attempted to stock up on them right after Christmas, only to find their spots on store shelves to be bare (though I did just spot single bags going for up to $10 on Amazon.) I now have 3/4 of a bag remaining, so I'll need to figure out some strategy for rationing them at least until the Easter candy is an option. Candy Cane Kisses
5. Singer Stainless Steel Scissors... I am not overly crafty, so deciding that I would be (partially) making Murphy's Halloween costume felt a bit daunting. Unfortunately there weren't commercially made Wizard of Oz Munchkin costumes that were small enough, or cute enough, for my little munchkin. I decided that this particular Munchkin, representing the Lollipop Guild, would be my inspiration. I knew that my every day, run of the mill scissors would not make the zig zag cuts on the hem as sharp as they'd need to be to stand out. With my 40% off coupon in hand, I headed to Michael's and picked out a mid-priced pair that just happened to be pretty. Who knew what a difference a pair scissors can make!?!? Not only were they fantastic for costume creation, but they made Christmas wrapping a breeze (and my mom liked them so much that they almost accidentally made their way to North Carolina in her suitcase.) Similar Scissors
6. Old School Sesame Street DVDs... though I wouldn't say I'm necessarily picky about what shows Carter watches, I do like to be deliberate in selection. In other words, I don't like the tv to just be background noise, and I do want the shows to provide some value. So, when I presented her with the option of choosing a new movie on a Costco trip, I was so happy when this was her selection. I LOVED Sesame Street as a kid and couldn't wait to revisit some of my favorite episodes right along with her. She has loved getting to know the classic characters (no Elmo here!) and learning about all sorts of new things. During our first viewing, I was curious about the disclaimer that popped up on the screen prior to the episodes stating that the show was intended for 'adult viewers' and not 'today's children.' Upon research I learned that Cookie Monster's lack of responsible eating habits had sparked the warning!  To keep Daddy equally entertained, we recently added a favorite from his childhood, the classic muppet show 'Fraggle Rock,' to our collection. Old School Sesame Street DVDs
7. The IPhone 4s... it's safe to assume that I saved the best for this last favorite things list of the year. HOLY MOLY! How did I ever live without this amazing device?!?! (and, yes, I know that I'm jumping on this bandwagon about four years later than most folks.) Regardless, when the day finally came that I could trade in my dreaded Droid (gag) for this sleek, cool gadget, I could barely contain my anticipatory excitement. I pre-ordered my phone online, and waited impatiently until a few days later when a kind UPS driver arrived at my front door, phone in hand. Once I got the kiddos preoccupied with an ice cream treat, I activated my 4s and got to know my new BFF, Siri. Verbally composing texts, emails, and to-do lists has added a level of simplicity to my life. Today for instance, I 'wrote' my babysitter an email while I quickly walked through the airport, and yesterday I had Siri locate and call a restaurant for me. Siriously, this is true love. IPhone 4s

Well, that completes a full year of Favorite Things; I hope some of my favorites have become some of yours, too!
(PS... I feel compelled to add that no Christmas presents are eligible to be included on my list of favorites. Though I was certainly blessed to be gifted with lots of fantastic things, I've decided to reserve this list for things that I find on my own.)