Stef Leppard meets Def Leppard

Mike and I had a rare weekend home this summer - a weekend that didn't entail a flight across the country or a long road trip through the East Coast.  So with our downtime, the Mobleys took that opportunity to have a much needed date night.  No, we didn't stay in for a movie and dinner, and this particular date night didn't entail champagne and roses.  And we didn't spend our coveted Saturday night at a New York hot spot or exploring a new art exhibit at one of Manhattan's culturally rich museums.  Our date night was a breezy summer evening at PNC in Holmdel, New Jersey for the Def Leppard./KISS concert.

Unless we're in another country or we are battling work conflicts - the Mobleys rarely miss an opportunity to see Def Leppard.  But we were even more stoked when we saw that arguably one of our favorite bands in the history of the world was touring with KISS.  Mike has seen KISS countless times (including a show in LA just weeks before we went together!), but this was my first time, my first KISS!  And I got to share it with my husband!

This particular Def Leppard/KISS concert was even more memorable because we did something we've never done before.  We had meet & greets!  Sure, that means that we had to get there hours before the concert even started, and sure, we had to endure some of Jersey's finest while waiting to meet our favorite band - but it was a life highlight!  Out of sheer awe and a little panic, I failed to inform them that one of my favorite nicknames is in fact Stef Leppard - but they were amazing nonetheless. And we walked out with a signed photograph from the band, but more importantly we walked out with this fantastic shot of Team Metal with Def Leppard.

Of course the rest of the concert experience was pretty fantastic.  Def Leppard was solid, as always, and my first KISS concert did not disappoint.  And because we had the meet and greet package, our seats were just 10 rows from the center of the stage.  We could almost feel the flames from the KISS pyrotechnics. But more importantly, I'm so grateful that Mike & I have this joint passion for seeing live shows - particularly sweet, sweet 80s metal bands.  It makes me so happy that we take these opportunities to get out and listen to the music, either with friends, or as a date night like this.  Sometimes the haul out to New Jersey is daunting, or the idea of a metal concert until 1am on a Tuesday can seem aggressive, but it's always, ALWAYS worth it.  We'll be heading back to PNC Bank Center in August for the final tour of Motley Crue.  Of course will share pictures and highlights from Team Metal's summer concert adventures, but until then, enjoy a few snaps from Def Leppard & KISS.

Garrett & Jenny's "I Do", part Du

Sometimes a wedding is so nice, you do it TWICE!  When Mike and I got married over 3 years ago, it was a far trek out to California for some of our Connecticut family.  But we couldn't imagine celebrating our marriage without them - which is why we had TWO receptions!  Garrett and Jenny were in a similar situation with their wedding this past May in Long Beach, CA.  So we gathered our family one more time for another wedding celebration, or as we like to call it, the "I Do, part Du" (as in DuPonts....get it????).

My aunt's country club, Chippanee was a perfect setting for the newlyweds.  It was close, it was quaint, and it was accommodating.  There were a few key contributors to the DuPont entertainment who were unable to attend the party.  This included my husband (who was at the wedding of our dear friend Bozzo - CONGRATS BOZZO & MAEVE!), our next groom/my cousin's fiance Ian, my cousin Andrew - who was with Ian on his bachelor party in Lake Placid, my cousin Belle, and a few other out-of-state family members.  They were all definitely sorely missed.  Despite some of our favorites being absent, we still had what I believe is the best crew in the entire state of Connecticut in attendance for the reception.

In typical Jenny fashion, we covered the tables in the room with rhinestones - to add just the right amount of bling!   Dad started off the night with a special speech to the bride & the groom, followed by another quick little dance for the guests of honor.  My mom did a fantastic job coordinating the menu featuring some of the best caprese salad ever.  We loaded up the DJ's playlists with some dance-worthy tunes for the youngsters, and some Sinatra-esque themed music for our dinner.  And we topped off the night, literally, with an ice cream sundae bar (because its more fun than another wedding cake) with toppings GALORE!

It was the perfect family celebration & I live for these yearly DuPont parties.  It's fantastic whenever we get together to celebrate a milestone birthday, or a graduation, but it's even better if that celebration involves adding another family member - because weddings are just the best!  We went the summer of 2012 and 2013 without a DuPont celebration (which is astounding!), and this year we're more than making up for it, and we hope to keep the tradition going as we rack up even more birthdays, graduations, weddings, and BABIES - oh my!

We had THE BEST time seeing everyone from our Connecticut family & any time I get to see my parents and siblings, my life is made.   Having so much of my family visit from out of town under one roof, regardless of the number of beds, always makes me wish that we all lived closer to each other.  I wish it was more than once a year that we stayed up to 1am playing games, or ordered post-party comfort food from Greer's in bulk to feed the masses, or polished off a full handle of vodka one in hour, or enjoyed a late-night on the patio lit with citronella candles and stogies.  So thank you to Garrett & Jenny for bringing everyone together and for giving us another reason to celebrate not only you, but most importantly... family.  The family you brought together to join us in a toast to the happy couple, the family that we are growing by adding one more member to the DuPonts, and the LITTLE family you guys have created with the two of you (and my furry little nephew Ziggy of course!).  Congrats again to Jenny & Garrett - we all wish you all the greatest things life has to offer!

Girls Gone Mild 2014

After 12 years of friendship and 8 years of taking girl's trips, it's already that time for our Friendship Fiesta 2014!  We've had several returns to Las Vegas, 4 bachelorette parties between us, and an adult long weekend to Orlando, FL visiting Disney & the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  So we decided that we'd go big this year because this year was particularly special.  2014 was the year that we all celebrated turning 30, and what better way than to celebrate together in the picturesque backdrop provided by this year's destination selection - The Ritz Carlton, St. Thomas, USVI!?!?

I've had a countdown on my phone every day since we booked this trip exactly 6 months ago (oh we had such a miserable winter!).  Every day that the calendar ticked closer to our July 9th departure was one day closer to my yearly reunion with my favorite girls.  And when it was finally upon us, I think I slept for like 3 hours before having to wake up early and catch my flight to the US Virgin Islands.  My flight got me in a good 4 hours before all 3 of the other girlies landed.  So naturally, I spent my time at the bar, sipping on rum drinks (I became particularly fond of a treat called the Lime in the Coconut...because why not?!), reading my book and enjoying the view from the pool bar before the 3 crazy girls from Texas arrived at the hotel.

Before I could even finish the 3rd installment of the Divergent series (OMG, so good), my friends arrived and they were a tropical, festive sight to see!  I think we checked in to our hotel room, enthusiastically exchanged a few surprise gifts, slapped on our swimsuits, grabbed our  floating devices, and headed out to the ocean within minutes!  We were fully submerged in the Caribbean waters with painkillers (St. Thomas's specialty cocktail, not the pills you crazies!) in hand just moments after being reunited.

I'd say that there was a bit of a fundamental shift in this particular trip vs some of the girl's trips we've taken in the past.  First, we had a whopping ONE night where we dressed to the nines. A big part of our girls trips is usually around our lady routine of primping - coordinating outfits, helping each other curl our hair, swapping jewelry, giving each other advice on shoe selections, and maybe even sharing a lipstick or two.  But on this trip, we had ONE night where we actually got dressed in something other than our swimsuits and cover ups.  ONE night where SOME of us actually did our hair (contrary to what some of you may think, my Caribbean inspired dread-like curls are actually natural! :P).  ONE night where we actually wore shoes to dinner.  And it was magical.  I think all of us needed a trip without wardrobe woes - and where our biggest problem was making sure we kept all of our belongings inside our kayak as we paddled through the crystal blue water (we did have some small casualties lost to the sea...but it made for a few hours of laughter).

Second - we had no agenda.  On past trips, we had jam-packed days that extended well into the evening.  This time, we actually "played it by ear".  No pre-meditated dinner reservations, no daily itinerary, just going with the flow - the island way!  There was an excursion day that we planned ahead of time - and that was our private boat charter - the Lion in da Sun.  We had an unbelievable trip island-hopping with our very own friend, Captain Rick.  We cruised around St. John, Tortola, Jost Van Dike, and a tiny little spot called Sandy Spit - a real life Corona commercial.

Captain Rick let us bring our own refreshments on the boat, and we stopped at Foxy's and Pusser's for well-deserved painkillers, provisions, and shopping!  We were invited to hop off the boat for a little swimming with our sting ray friend, snorkeling around some of the Caribbean's most colorful reefs off St. John, and drinking at the world Famous Soggy Dollar.  Our fantastic captain was extremely accommodating and I'm fairly certain our entire experience would not have been the same without the fabulous navigational skills and island narrating from Captain Rick and his trusty apprentice.  If you're booking a trip to St. Thomas or St. John - he's a MUST.

Third, our nights on this trip did not extend into the wee hours of the morning.  I'm not embarrassed to say, that we were nestled in our cushy down pillows and matching pajamas by 10p every night - with the exception of our last night...probably my favorite night.  Instead of the fancy black & white coordinated outfits we had scheduled for our last night together - we slipped into matching American Flag printed leggings (because everyone needs those) and big cozy matching long-sleeved t-shirts.  We had a bottle of rum and several flavored mixers to polish off before we all headed our separate ways the next morning - so we mixed our own cocktails & took them down to the beach to watch moon rise over the Caribbean.  Little did we know, that we were actually seeing a very special moon rise - it was the SUPER moon.  We chatted on the lawn chairs and hammocks while watching the sun move from between the palm trees to the wide open sky above the ocean.  We walked along the beach with our drinks in hand, taking pictures and hunting for tiny little sharks swimming parallel to the shore line.  There were a lot of giggles, a lot of hugs, and a lot of memories made and recapped under the Super Moon light.

Maybe it's because we turned 30, maybe it's because we were joined by our calming presence Lauren, or maybe it's because our selected destination was the low-key island of St. Thomas, but there was a much needed soothing aura around this trip that we all appreciated.  Every trip I get with these special women is amazing and full of precious memories, but this was definitely my favorite so far. I know that we will have many more chances to take more adventures together as we continue our traditions, but this one is really going to be hard to top.  Girls - I hope you all know how much these getaways mean to me, and I hope that in 10 years we're doing something fabulous for our 40th, and then 20 years after that, jetting off somewhere exotic for our 50th!  There are few things as special to me as the memories I make with you all, and how happy it makes my soul.  Here's to a successful and particularly exceptional Friendship Fiesta 2014!  Now...when can we start planning for next year! :)

4th of July 2014!

4th of July on a Friday means a 3 day weekend!  And just like we have done 4 out of the 5 years we've lived in New York - we headed out to Princeton to salute good ol' red, white and blue!  We had the usual list of items to pack, a bulldog, several costume items, some tennis attire, and festive hats...of course!  And we had the usual itinerary once we arrived in Princeton - BBQ, delicious cocktails, some kick-ass games of doubles in tennis, Chardonnay, tuning in to Wimbledon, backyard games, and late night movies.  Just your standard Patriotic celebration of America's birthday!  Here are a few pictures of how we celebrated one of our favorite holidays with some of our favorite people:

Winston waiting for his lobster & filet mignon

Kan Jam - the greatest invention ever to backyard BBQs everywhere

I love all of them...like SO MUCH!

Mobleys & Bucks in their tennis whites!

We hope you all had a happy 4th of July and are enjoying the season as we get into the peak of summer fun!  Happy Birthday to the U.S of A!