Kaleena's Bachelorette Party

Oh my gosh! 3 parties in 3 weeks. How did I do it? With lots of help & lots of sticky notes of to-do lists. This past Saturday was Kaleena's bachelorette party! It was an all day & all night event and a TON of fun.

This is Kaleena. She's a regular here at the Craig blog. You've seen all the pictures from her bridal shower back in May. She's getting married Labor day weekend in upstate New York. I'll be a bridesmaid (don't ask how many times I've been a bridesmaid- its sad).

From Kaleena's Bachelorette

We started Part 1 with a Taste of Carolina Food Tour in Durham. You have a personal tour guide that walks you around from restaurant to restaurant. Each restaurant gives you a little sample of whats on their menu. I had never been on a food tour before. My friend Heather had done it once and thought it might be a good idea for a group of girls for the bachlorette party. Well, it turned out to be a GREAT idea.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

Here is the group before the start of our tour. Some of us were strangers at this point but we all quickly became great friends and had a ton of fun together.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

The tour started out a little "slow". Most of us had not eaten and we were starving when the tour started at 1pm. The first few places that we started literally teases.

Our first stop was Scratch bakery. They gave us a donut muffin. It was chocolate donut mix but into a muffin ban and then sprinkled with cinnamon & sugar. I wasn't a huge fan but whatever. Unfortunately I was still starving.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

My younger sister was in town too so she joined us and it was a special treat!
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

Next stop was the Piedmont Restaurant.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

This was the restaurant I was looking forward to most. The Piedmont owns their own farm (which of course I looked up on my side and looks like we contact them twice a year for surveys). Everything they serve is local & usually purchased the morning of at a local farmer's market. So when they served up this "little" dish with literally one scoop of melon on it, to say I was a disappointed was an understatement.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

The 2nd dish @ the Piedmont was to die for but of course two little squash fish sticks wasn't going to do the trick either.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

But luckily, they gave us some champagne to hold us over.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

The Piedmont ending up being a great place for a photo opportunity with the bride & her hosts.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

Our next stop was Parker & Otis. This had to be my FAVORITE stop on the tour. One reason was that it provided our little hungry eaters like Jenni & Nichole a chance to get a real meal and they were both super excited about that. This would be Jenni flipping out about all the food she could have. I assume this was Jenni's favorite stop since they had little pigs everywhere as decorations. I liked it too- being the Hog stat that I am! I was tempted to count all the little hogs but though I'd better pay attention to the party! ha
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

The next reason why I loved it so was because it was a photographer's heaven. The restaurant also has a country store and there are a TON of cute things with bright colors to photograph. I was like a kid in a candy store when I walked in the door. To the point that it actually overwhelmed me. My mother-in-law is coming to Raleigh next week & I'm totally taking her here for lunch. Number one because I know she'll love it and number two so I can get all the shots that I didn't have time for on Saturday.
From Collages

And the 3rd & most important reason why I love Parker & Otis? Because the food is DANG food. Yep, I said dang!
From Collages

After that we were all feeling good & back on the road. Somebody said we actually walked 3 miles during the day. I couldn't tell because I was so entrapped by all that downtown Durham had to photograph. Its amazing that I didn't hurt myself while walking & taking pictures. I tend to be a klutz!
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

Our next stop- a authentic Mexican restaurant called Dos Perros. Dos Perros means two dogs. For someone who doesn't like dogs, this restaurant was DANG good too! Yep, a 2nd dang.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

We weren't actually suppose to go by Dos Perros but since one of our restaurants had to cancel because they didn't have any electricity, Dos Perros agreed to let us visit. And oh, was I glad that they did. They had chips with shrimp & cilantro, plantain balls & sweet potato empanadas and some pretty good margaritas to wash it all down. This is definitely a place that I'm going to take Todd. He'll love it!
From Collages

This is one of my favorite pictures from the weekend. This is Kaleena & her college friend Chrisi- or Shep as Kaleena calls her. Kaleena has 3 really close best friends that she knows from college. All of them are bridesmaids and all of them were suppose to be in Raleigh for the party. Unfortunately the weather was so bad along the east coast last Friday that 2 girls had their flights cancelled. Chrisi was the only one that was able to get out of New York & come to the party. We absolutely LOVED having Chrisi- she was great! And this picture shows you how much Kaleena loves her. I hate that the others couldn't make it but I look forward to meeting them in September.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

Our last & final stop was to the very cool & modern Revolution.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

We sat at the bar & they loaded us with tons of food. I was so full by this point that I couldn't eat. So instead of eating, I took pictures of the place. It was gorgeous. Not sure who the designer was but oh man. This place was modern, sleek and gorgeous. The lighting was too cool too.
From Collages

From Collages

That was the tour. Hungry? Well, we weren't. We were STUFFED!
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

If that wasn't enough, we still had Part 2 of the party- a bash back at my house.
From Collages

Not sure how we all continued but we did.

After a quick outfit change & a little application of some make up & deodorant we were ready for Part 2.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

We ate more (can you believe that?)and did a few games and then Kaleena opened some presents.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

The last & final part of the day/evening was my favorite (even though nobody else seemed as excited as I was). My husband is famous for his signs so I had him make a sign that said "Kaleena's Dance Party". I kept the disco ball from the Rockstar slumber party, downloaded some booty music and we proceeded to have a dance party for all of 15 minutes! I thought this was going to be a huge hit but I guess everybody was pooped from the day.
From Collages

It was a long day but such a GREAT time with great people, great friends & great memories.

I know Kaleena enjoyed herself & I hope she knows how much we love her. I'm proud that I'll be standing by her side when she says "I do" in just a few short weeks!
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

Love you!
Candice

And because you know I took over 600 pictures, here they are- don't worry, I threw out half. Enjoy!
Kaleena's Bachelorette

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And the winner(s) is....

Thank you all who emailed or put comments on the blog this help. I greatly appreciate it and it really helped me pick which photos to share with my class last night. I actually ended up printing 4 from each group. The picks were

Umstead: #2(water fountain), #3(patio furniture in sephia), #5(pebbles) and #10(flower with macro lens)

Urban: #1(Lucky Strike tower), #2(Durham buildings), #9(Revolution sign) and last but not least #7(colorful mural)

I really liked the pictures from downtown Durham but there was something about #7 (colorful mural) that I absolutely LOVE. (Everybody in class loved it too!)

From

When I went to Southeastern Camera yesterday afternoon, the guy who printed it told me about a book that they're creating and they want pictures of that their customers took. He wants me to submit this one. I think I will!

This shot was pure "accident". It was taken while we were walking between restaurants. My sister, Nichole (who is in the picture), saw it from a distance and went right up to it. It was a quick snap and I'm actually surprised it was in focus. She was taken by the colors and just wanted to touch it. When she moved on, I stayed behind and got some shots by itself. I cut the 'saying' off in the original picture & thought that I needed to get the whole thing. But when I was editing, there was something missing when Nichole wasn't in the shot.

I love this picture. I was pleased with how it came out. I actually printed it on a 16x10 and think I may frame it!

Thanks again for voting! Stayed tuned for our final week's assignment on Monday (can you believe its been 8 weeks already?)

Candice

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Umstead Hotel & Urban Landmarks

I have had so many parties lately that I have neglected my photography class on the blog. There are LOTS of pictures to share from the 3rd party that I hosted in 3 weeks but I need to focus on photography now.

So this week's lesson was double since we didn't actually have class last week. So you'll have DOUBLE the pictures to pick from! Instead of class last week, we took a field trip to the Umstead Hotel & Spa @ SAS campus. It was absolutely beautiful but pricey for a cocktail(before class). Unfortunately the hotel wouldn't let us take pictures inside but we got to walk around the perimeter. They have a cool pond with fountains that patrons can view from their back patio.

Here are a few pics for you to choose from for the Umstead assignment. Remember- you want to pick 3!

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From Umstead Hotel

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From Umstead Hotel

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From Umstead Hotel

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From Umstead Hotel

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From Umstead Hotel

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From Umstead Hotel

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From Umstead Hotel

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From Umstead Hotel

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From Umstead Hotel

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From Umstead Hotel


The next assignment for this week is Urban Landmarks. We are suppose to photograph famous landmarks but come up with a unique perspective of the subject. This past weekend I helped host a bachelorette party for my friend Kaleena. It was an ALL day & ALL night event. We started out the day @ the Taste of Carolina Food tour in Durham. It was AWESOME! If you are in the Raleigh area & have never done a food tour with these guys, you've absolutely got to. And a wise tip: eat just a little before you go.

I didn't know this but apparently Downtown Durham is the mecca for awesome food & awesome photography. I got so many good shots of the old tobacco bars, new buildings & beautiful sky. It was a great day, tons of fun and I got to fulfill my class assignment in the process. So here are the takes for Urban Landmarks. Remember- pick 3!

1.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

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From Kaleena's Bachelorette

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From Kaleena's Bachelorette

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From Kaleena's Bachelorette

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From Kaleena's Bachelorette

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From Kaleena's Bachelorette

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From Kaleena's Bachelorette

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From Kaleena's Bachelorette

9.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

10.
From Kaleena's Bachelorette

Ok- you know the drill. Leave a comment with your top 3 for both the Umstead & Urban Landscapes. I have class on Wednesday night so I need all comments made by Wed afternoon.

Thanks!
Candice

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1st ever 2nd Annual American BrewAQue

Does that title confuse you? Don't worry- you're not alone. This past Saturday we hosted the 1st ever 2nd Annual American BrewAQue at our house. Yes, this was the 2nd party in 2 weeks and next weekend I'm hosting a bachelorette party and it will be the 3rd party in 3 weeks. We're just a bunch of party animals over here.

Anyhoo, just like last year- we did the "Brew" part at a local brewery and then did the "Que" part at our house. My mama who is better know around here as Mother Therese or Momma T flew in from Texas to be the official cornhole tornament judge. Todd had suggested that she get a judge outfit so she showed up in with a referee shirt & whistle. Like last year, she was FABULOUS, crazy funny judge! But I'm skipping ahead.

From BrewAQue 2011

So we started the day out at the Aviator Brewery in Fuquay Varina, NC.
From BrewAQue 2011

The brewery is about 15 miles from our house and its only 2.5 years old. The owner, Mark, goes us a private tour of their very small operation.
From Collages

The tour was a great lesson in agriculture and we learned about the barley, wheat & hops that are used to make beer.
From Collages

I think our group had a great time and we really appreciated the beer more after our tour was over. Cheers!
From BrewAQue 2011

Once the "Brew" part was over, it was time for the "Que" part back at Chez Craig. Todd worked very hard on Thursday night in prep for the party. He spent hours making a thing were Mother Therese could keep the cornhole score and even made a trophy for the winner which he called "The Golden Hole". Yep, if you're thinking he has too much time on your hands, you're right. And because no Craig party is complete without a sign, he made another huge sign above the garage. He was so proud of himself!
From Collages

After Spurger burger hamburgers, hotdogs, yummy sides and some freakin awesome desserts from Victoria, it was time to play some cornhole.
From BrewAQue 2011

Everybody signed up as a team of two and play against another team in their "bracket". The winner from each bracket moved on unto the next round until we got to the final 2 teams.
From Collages

These were the final 2 teams that would be fighting over the championship.
From BrewAQue 2011

Yep- that would be me and my husband (a.k.a. Team Tandice) and our friends Kasey & Lindsey Butler (a.k.a. Team Foxy Butt). Now, last year I carried MY team (a.k.a. Tandice) into the finals and eventually won the tournament. I had a serious conversation with Todd earlier in the day about how he needed to "contribute" to the team this year- in other words, score some freakin points. Unfortunately Foxy Butt was more than we could handle and we ended up losing the title and the Golden Hole trophy this year.

From BrewAQue 2011

But have no fear, Tandice will be back next year & will reclaim the Golden Hole.

Thanks everyone for coming out and making the 1st ever 2nd annual American BrewAQue such a success. We are so blessed to live in this country & have the freedom that we do and we are so blessed to have you all as friends. Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Until next year!
Love,
Todd & Candice
From BrewAQue 2011

P.S. You know I took a ton of pictures so if you want to see them, click the album below.
BrewAQue 2011

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