Give Me a Shot at the Night

Hello friends of #notinmod! As most of you probably know, a lot has changed for Chad and me over the last few weeks. I have had many requests for story details, so I thought I would share with everyone across the World Wide Web. #goviral

To start off, Chad and I have been talking for some time about moving in together and finally seeing each other more than 2 days/week. We have been in a bit of a holding pattern because we both own our condos and selling was going to be difficult. So we have just been doing our usual commute back and forth, hoping we could figure out something out soon. 

Our friends, Katie and Chris, got married last month and they asked Chad if he would be willing to rent his place to them. Chad and Katie had a few conversations about it, and they decided they would move forward with renting, pending a walk-through of the place. Chad had asked me to join the walk-through, which I thought nothing of and agreed to.

That night, I went over to Chad's house and Katie and Chris came over to see the condo. We did a walk-through, and then I suggested we all go downstairs to see his garage (side note: Chad has a 1-car detached garage). Apparently, unknown to me, I wasn't supposed to do that….

So Chad quickly jumped in and said, "I mean, it is a garage…why don't the boys just go look and you girls can stay up here." And since I am lazy, I clearly thought that was a lovely idea. Plus, putting shoes on sounded like a lot of work. So the boys went downstairs, and Katie and I sat upstairs talking bout their wedding, and then suddenly there was a knock at the door…

My first reaction was saying, "ugh, what?!" but then I realized that Chad must have forgotten his keys. I didn't want to look like a brat to Katie and Chris, so I decided to get up and get the door despite the fact that I was quite comfy on the couch. 

When I opened it, Chad was standing there with a sign that read, "SAY IT'S CAROL SINGERS" and that is where the roller coaster of excitement and emotions kicked in. With the Killer's song, "Shot at the Night" playing in the background, Chad reenacted HIS version of my favorite scene from my favorite movie, "Love Actually." One by one, he went through each sign. They read:

SAY IT'S CAROL SINGERS

WITH ANY LUCK BY NEXT YEAR

WE WILL BE LIVING TOGETHER

BUT FOR NOW LET ME SAY

WILL ALL MY HOPE AND ALL MY LOVE

JUST BECAUSE IT’S WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25^TH

(AND ON RANDOM WEDNESDAYS IN JUNE YOU TELL THE TRUTH)

TO ME YOU ARE PERFECT

AND MY WASTED HEART WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU

CARRIE WILL YOU GIVE ME A SHOT AT THE NIGHT

CARRIE WILL YOU GIVE ME A SHOT AT YOUR LIFE

CARRIE WILL YOU

And then he got down on one knee, opened a little blue box, and asked me to marry him!

With every sign that he dropped, I became more and more hysterical. I was laughing, and smiling, and was DEF doing the ugly cry. When he was down on one knee, I just started jumping up and down, crying and screaming YES as many times as I possibly could! As we continued hugging and jumping (me) he looked at me and held up the ring and said, “Did you want to see this??” In the madness of it all, I never even looked at the gorgeous ring he had in his hands!

As he put it on my finger, I honestly couldn’t even really look at it because I was shaking so much. But when I calmed down (awhile later), I realized what an amazing job he did. It is GORGGGG. And even better, he went to Carreen’s uncle (a diamond seller on Jewelers Row) to get the ring, so it is from "family"!

After the proposal, I was in so much shock that I remember hugging Katie and Chris and awkwardly kicking them out (sorry!). I didn’t know what I was doing, all I knew is that my heart was racing and I had never been more excited in all my life. We popped the bubbly, toasted to our future, and of course started all the family calls.

I honestly had NO IDEA this coming – we had just decided to move in together, I didn’t want to overwhelm the guy too much! But apparently he was planning to propose even before the move-in started rolling. I always said I wanted to be surprised, and since I am super nosy, that is hard to do. But of course, Chad found a way! The whole “walk-through” was just a rouse, but obvi we are still moving in together and they are still taking Chad's place. Also, with Katie and Chris there, we have the whole thing on video!

I could not be more excited to get to spend my life with Chad. He has made me laugh and smile every day since we first met. I don’t really believe in soul mates, but I believe in finding the person that you want to be with every day, whether happy or sad, in good and tough times, and that for me is Chad. He makes me feel loved every day, and I just hope I can show him the same in return.

We have not started any wedding planning (although I have been a bit more active on Pinterest) but we are just getting ready for the big move! Look out, Chicago – Lovegren is moving in!

Be prepared for the hysteria you are about to witness: Click HERE for the proposal video

What's My Age Again?

This weekend I celebrated by 30th birthday. That's 3-0. And it was amazing. 

With all the Facebook posts and text messages, I realized how lucky and #blessed I am to have such amazing people in my life. Year after year, I bring in my birthday with some of my favorite people - near and far. Most of us have been friends with for over 10 years, and we somehow made it through our 20's together. 

This video is dedicated to all of you.

I was having issues posting this video (I don't think it will play from phones/tablets) so let me know if it does not work!!

 If you cannot play the video, try clicking HERE from an actual computer.

Living in the moment, Living my life, Easy and breezy with peace in my mind

This past weekend kicked off the 2014 wedding season, starting in Atlanta for the wedding of Stephen Coxen and Jennifer Serafin.

I remember meeting Serafin (sorry, I don’t think I can ever call you Jennifer!) on the bus ride to Pi Phi before we even became sisters, and she talked about her great shoes and the care package her mom made for her. While we came to laugh about that later, I must say some things come full circle….At the wedding, Serafin was a stunning bride and she again was sporting some AMAZING shoes. Not to mention that her mom could not have been more full of love and pride for the woman she has become. The ceremony was beautiful – very intimate and personal, and the reception was a blast! I cried, per the us, but it was really special to see her marry someone that made her so happy.

Before the wedding, some of the girls (and Jeff) got to talking about how technology is changing the way people celebrate. The #weddinghashtags have replaced disposable cameras, giving the bride and groom a chance to see the fun candids throughout the night without having to miss any part of their celebration. Plus, who doesn’t love a good hashtag? #themorehashtagsthebetter

Some couples take a different approach, restricting the amount of social media used at their wedding. Their thought is: we are paying for photographers and videographers to capture the night so that you can relax, enjoy yourself, and just live in the moment! Plus, no one wants to look back at the pictures of the ceremony and see a bunch of arms in the air holding iPhones, with guests watching you through the screen.

Since I have never planned a wedding, I am unsure which side I would take…

#whoamikidding #teamhashtags 

But there is definitely something to be said for being present in the moment, and not relying on digital communication for your entertainment (this coming from someone that works for a digital company #theregoesmyjob). This week I was at a conference and they played this video to show how technology is changing the world. Watch it - it's good. 

To be honest, this made me realize how much time I spend on my phone. It. Is. Sad. On Sunday, I hadn’t seen Chad in a week and we were almost late for our dinner reservation because I was playing a game on my phone (2048 is addicting). Yikes. 

So today, I am going to vow in front of all 8 of you to try and live more in the moment. Now, I love a great post on The Facebook and Insta more than anyone – I will keep up with my #100happydays and will still take great pictures with the people I love. But I do not want to live with my head down in my phone. So if I am with you and playing too much on my phone, slap me. Or maybe just say, “Hey, Carrie. Pay attention.” That will work too. 

NOTE: This post is about practicing Moderation. Hope I don't lose any followers over this. 

I've seen it all in a small town...Had myself a ball in a small town

You have read in my last few posts how much I love the summers in Chicago. The funny thing is that my favorite thing about summer actually has nothing to do with this great city. My favorite city during the summer is actually Rome: A well-known, historic and beautiful city in Italy Wisconsin.

Doesn't that look relaxing?

Yes – Rome, Wisconsin is truly one of my favorite cities in the world. Wait, who am I kidding – Rome isn’t a city at all! It is a small unincorporated town in Central Wisconsin (about 40 miles north of the Dells) where I have had more experiences and stories than I can even remember. The town doesn’t have a post-office or a zip code, but it is home to 3 man-made lakes (Sherwood, Camelot and Arrowhead), one corner store (Pritzel’s) and 4 bars. My family bought a house on Lake Sherwood in 1983, and this summer marked the 30^th anniversary of “The Lake.” 

Being about 3 ½ hours from where I grew up, we spent all of our summers up at the lake. We would pack up “The Beast” (our blue conversion van – complete with velvet curtains) and leave a few days after school ended, returning with only enough time to hit up Woodfield before the first day of school. We would spend all day out on the boat swimming, skiing and tubing, and nights would consist of ski practice, ski shows, bonfires and pontoon rides.

Ski Practice and Ski Shows? You probably all know this, but my sisters and I were on a waterski team growing up called Shermalot. People always think this is really strange (especially people from the South) but show-skiing is actually huge in the Midwest, and Wisconsin is the Show-Ski Capital of the World! Yes, Wisconsin, where you can only ski from Memorial Day to Labor Day is actually home to some of the best show-skiers on this great planet. Being on the ski team gave us life-long friendships and teenage romances, taught us that life is not always fair, and mostly gave us an outlet to be ourselves. 

An old Shermalot Video - Look for Pam and Kim!

A list of things I love about the lake house/interesting facts – in no particular order.

• I met my best friend in the whole world, Carreen, at the lake 21 years ago. Though we were very different in size, we were both on the ski team and both wanting desperately to be cool (let’s be honest, Carreen). When we found out that we lived within 20 minutes of each other back in Illinois, we knew that our friendship was meant to be! Another fun fact – Carreen was the top of the 4-high pyramid growing up. Isn’t awesome?!?!
• I was at the lake house for Princess Diana and Michael Jackson’s funerals and watched both on TV.
• The Schmelters would spend every summer with us at the lake, and fell so in love that they had a house of their own across the lake for a few years.
• In the winters, we (Kellers and Schmelters) would often go to the lake the week between Christmas and New Years and walk across the frozen lake when our parents were too busy snowmobiling to drive us to friends’ houses. “Busy snowmobiling” in that sentence could also be replaced with “way too sauced.”
• We were at the lake when the Bulls 3-Peated and painted “Go Bulls” on our butts and tee-peed our Wisconsin friends’ houses. Because the lake is classy like that.
• I had my first beer, my first cigarette and my first kiss at the lake.
• I broke my nose at the lake after Kim ran over me with a wave-runner. Those things are dangerous.
• Drunk tubing with Carreen is one of my favorite past-times.
• The stars at the lake are IN-SANE. Literally, there are thousands of stars and almost every night you can see constellations, the Milky Way, and often catch a shooting star (although I have never been able to put it in my pocket).
• For years, our hot water heater would only produce 5-10 minutes worth of hot water each day. In efforts to give everyone at least 1-2 minutes of a hot shower, we would often shave our legs in the lake, shower in two’s, and always try to get in the shower before Kim (water-hog).    
• Patriotism is not optional at the lake. The 4th of July is a 3-4 day celebration complete with hot dogs, fireworks, a ski show, and lots of flair. Exactly how the 4th of July should be.
• Bunk Beds are only comfortable until the age of 16…unless you’re Christy Kremer.
• Boozing at the lake is pretty much not optional. Even when you say you are going to have a relaxing weekend with no partying, somehow you always have at least a few glasses of wine.
• Pizza Fries are ah-maze, and you can only get them at the lake. You’re just going to have to trust me on this.  
• At the lake, Bob Keller turns into a musical genius, singing the words to every song and playing his guitar like a boss. Ok, so he THINKS he turns into a musical genius – Bud Light and red wine will do it to ya. But he always keeps the party going, especially when he sings our favorite song from when we were little. This gem brings back memories of dancing to my dad’s guitar at the age of 3. “Please don’t burn the shithouse down, we worked so goddamn hard. Please don’t burn the shithouse down, we’ll have to use the yard.” It’s practically a classic.
• You can go anywhere in town in a bathing suit or pajamas. It’s amazing.
• One thing about the lake house is that it puts a curse on Keller girl relationships. Every time that we have brought a boyfriend or husband to the lake, the relationship has ended within 2 months. No one can really explain why, but my guess is that guys see what the Kellers are really like, and they just can’t hang. Keith and Chad (so far) have been the only exceptions to this rule.
• Sleeping on a cot on the porch is a privilege – that’s where all the cool kids hang out.
• One of the 4 bars at the lake “Trails End” in the last few years has gone from our least favorite bar on the lake, to our most favorite. They went through a huge renovation about 5 years ago and now is a favorite for a few reasons (yes, this is a list within a list): 1) Huge outside bar with bags tournaments. 2) Live music who always welcomes me up on stage for crowd-hyping. 3) Their Bloody Mary has a SLIDER on top. I mean, come on. 4) The most important thing…they have a bus (“The Drunk Bus”) that will pick you up and take you home from anywhere in town. While the driver is usually about 15 years old and/or a little buzzed himself, it always makes for a good time.
• If you need to find Larry, he is always hanging out in the garage…or on the drunk bus.

I am sure many of you have that special place where you know the smells and sounds by heart, and they instantly bring back memories further back than you can imagine. To me, that is “The Lake.” 

Lots of anniversaries at the lake this year!
Mike and Jenny celebrating meeting at the lake 10 years ago!

Our 21st anniversary at the lake - watching the ski show where it all began!

Some of the Keller Fam - 30th anniversary of the lake!

Ok, not everyone gets to drink at the lake.
Pam and Pants boat-watching (exciting!)

Told you the Lake is very patriotic! The girls on the 4th of July

Papa, Na and Autumn cruising

Patriotism at its finest. 

Captain America has patriotism built right into his name. 

I wanna talk about me

It’s just that there is so much to do and I want to do it all. If there are that many cuisines available for takeout, imagine the number of events: rock concerts, comedy benefits, book launches, TV wrap parties, art openings, restaurant openings, theatre openings, even the opening of the mail is a fete if you add champagne. – I Totally Meant to Do That, Jane Borden

When I read the line above, I thought it was the perfect description of one of my self-diagnosed illnesses. I have mentioned before that I suffer from FOMO, and this summer was a doozy for me. If you ask anyone in the Windy City, they will tell you that Summers in Chicago are the best time of the year. As mentioned in this previous post, there are limited weeks each year where Chicagoans can put on shorts baring their white winter legs, and enjoy beer gardens, festivals and baseball games in the greatest city in the world.

This year, I had 3 weekends from the month of May-September where I did not have plans. And you what I did those weekends? I made plans. There was just so much I wanted to do! Outdoor concerts, Entertaining guests, watching best friends tie the knot, being lazy at the lake, enjoying a street festival, going on a cruise…the options were endless, and I didn’t want to miss a beat! Scratch that – I couldn’t miss a beat, because I suffer from FOMO and it is out of my control. I must do it all.

Let's start by talking about the concerts this summer...

Note: Needed to wear the Ball State tee because the White Old Navy V was too big of a risk in the rain.

Here is a picture of Chad from the Dave concert 14 years ago.
The guy you are afraid of in the back? That's him.

I think all of you know that Carreen (my lifelong bestie) is a huge Dave Matthews Band fan. She receives email alerts about the band, cried the day one of the members passed, and NEVER misses a summer tour. And this year all of the ants marching aligned, and the DMB concert fell on Carreen’s birthday (6/22/13). What could be a better way to ring in 29 than eating, drinking, and being merry with your best friends? So Carreen, Ed, Chad and I hopped in the Rouge (Rogue-Trip!) and headed to Indiana for the ultimate birthday celebration. We drove 3 hours through the sunny Hoosier State, and just as we pulled in…It. Started. Pouring. We didn’t let that stop us (no way!) so we cracked open a few cans, and waited for the monsoon to pass – there was still a celebration to be had, and celebrate we will. In addition to Carreen’s birthday, we were celebrating Chad’s anniversary of his last DMB show at this venue, which happened to be exactly 14 years prior to the day. Overall, the show was amazing, but the best part about it was celebrating the birthday of my best friend in a way that so simply was “Carreen.” Oh, I forgot to mention we ate at TGIFridays the next morning. Now THAT is “Carreen.” 

Don't Need Money, Don't Need Fame.
Do need to go to work the next day.

The next morning, we headed back to Chicago, took a brief nap, and rallied for another great concert. In the car growing up, my parents, always listened to “Oldies 104.3” (it’s more fun if you sing the jingle) and now I listen to it too. Except now the “oldies” is the best of the 70’s and 80’s, but I’ll take it. This year, the station hosted the first ever concert at Montrose Beach, which happens to be a short walk from my house. The show? Huey Lewis and the News…I know. I KNOW! I was just as excited as you are! Beach concert with oldies music? That has FOMO written all over it! So LT, James, Chad and I bought tickets to learn about the power of love. And you know what else we learned? We learned that Vodka Teas go down very smoothly on a walk to Montrose Beach. We learned that you can fit 2 of the skinny cans of Corona Light in each of Chad’s pockets, so buy them 8 at a time. We learned that cutting in line will get you told off by some mean girls. We learned that dancing in the sand is more fun if you are not wearing shoes. We learned that the heart of rock & roll is still beating (from what I see I believe ‘em). But the biggest lesson we learned, is that Sunday night concerts make for a rough Monday morning. That’s why I took off work following my Sunday show – Toby Keith. 

Red Solo Koozie is almost as good as a Red Solo Cup.
Proceed to Party!

5% of the reason I started dating Chad was for easy access to Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park. Ok, that is not true, but it certainly is one of the best perks to TP, besides TP only has 6% sales tax at Old Navy and Target. Looking at my summer, I was getting really nervous about the MWBA concert schedule – it seemed like I had a conflict every time there was a show I wanted to see! Plus Chaddy-poo is not that into country music, which limited the shows he would enjoy. Then it dawned on me…did I want to see Passion Pit? No. Did I go anyways because Chad wanted to? YES! He owed me one, and it was time for Chad to get drunk and be somebody at the Toby Keith concert. I mentioned that I’m not as good as I once was, so I took Monday off work ready to party. In addition to FOMO, I also suffer from a severe case of patriotism, so a Toby Keith concert is like a support group for people like me. This was not my first time seeing Toby, but every time I manage to tear up when he brings the men in uniform on stage as I belt out American Soldier on the top of my lungs….getting teary just thinking about it now. Even Chad said “the man entertained him for 2 hours.” Sounds like a good review to me, and a great way to kick off the 4^th of July week.  

So far I had seen some of my faves – country music and oldies…but something was missing. What music do I love more than any other? 90s music, of course!! (If you didn’t know that, how did you stumble across this blog?) And the BEST band from the 90s is inarguably Matchbox 20, led by the gorgeous and talented Rob Thomas….ah. This was the first time the band had toured together in YEARS, and the last time I saw RT perform, MB20 came out and joined him and I cried. Actual tears (Jen Zei can vouch). So clearly I was online and ready to be the first to buy tickets when they went on sale…and yet somehow both of their shows sold out in minutes! For any of you that are surprised by that, I should tell you that they were touring with the Goo Goo Dolls. If I die and go to Heaven, I imagine I will be greeted by the Dolls assuring me they won’t tell no-one my name, and then MB20 will hand me a raincoat. They’re always worried ‘bout things like that. 

This isn't from the show.

It is when I first fell in love with Rob Thomas.

Needless to say, I wasn’t surprised that the tickets sold out. After a “ticket-liquidator” debacle, I got 3 tickets to the show for the ultimate sisters night a Ravinia, where you bring your own food and wine, and (if you are really fancy) table centerpiece. Kim is also a huge fan and turned me onto MB20, and Pam is a lover of all 90s and anytime she can eat and drink outside. When RT played Bright Lights (Trivia – my #2 fave song of all time) I did not know what to do with myself. I belted it out until people were staring while Sober Pam took a video. Turns out Pam didn’t get to drink outside… That was “Babys’ First Concert,” and the first time Pam would use the pregnancy card to skip the shuttle line. I bet Pam will deliver the babies at 3am. Just a guess.       

I tried to make a pizza. I failed. 

Wrigley Field is one of my favorite places in Chicago. And second to drinking a few too many beers in the bleacher seats, one of my fave things is going to a concert at Wrigley. Being that it is 4 blocks from my house, I host a little get together before and we all walk over together. This year’s show combined 2 of my faves – Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean. Kelly holds a very special place in my heart. The Season 1 American Idol star was the reason I pierced my nose, she helped Pam and I get through the beautiful disaster Summer of 2003, and whenever “stronger” comes on during one of my workouts, I can always run for a few extra minutes (seconds). Her show was incredible and I’ll tell you what, my life would suck without Kelly Clarkson. Jason Aldean also put on a great show, from what I recall…things were a tad hazy at this point. But one of my favorite things about that concert? The attempt to cook a pizza when I got home, which resulted in a burnt and cheesy potholder (what did I do?) and then recapping the night with Kim and Schmelter, who were lucky to be alive based on their tales…per the us.   

My last concert of the Summer was a tribute to the city that contributes to my FOMO – Chicago. As a belated Mother’s Day present, we got my mom tickets to the Chicago concert at Ravinia. We learned from our past experiences and brought more food, more wine, and got there early. Just a Saturday in the Park (it wasn’t the 4^th of July) filled with hours of drinking in the sun with my family – Mom, Kim, Pam, Keith, Autumn, Schmelter and Chad. You probably don’t think you know many Chicago songs – you are wrong. Just YouTube them and I think you’ll be surprised. “You’re the meaning in my life, you’re the inspiration. You bring feeling to my life, you’re the inspiration…” See? You’re singing along! The horns echoed through the park as Keith got "geese" and we sang and danced, especially Autumn. It was that nugget’s first concert and I think she liked it almost as much as the ranch dip.

This little dancer loved the showwwwwwww.

Music, sunshine, and the best company I could ask for…that’s summer in Chicago.

This post was brought to you courtesy of the red, white and blue.

Happily Ever After

February. 

Every year you wonder “Will the Groundhog see its shadow?” “Will I have a Valentine?” “Will I have to work on President’s Day?” But in Chicago, one thing is for certain. You will be going stir crazy in February.

Chicagoans spend months wrapped up in scarves and pretty much avoid going outside at all costs. The one plus - with the cold weather comes nights of curling up by the fire (if you’re lucky enough to have one), having a glass of wine or Hot Tottie, and watching a good movie. And by “good movie,” I am clearly referring to Rom Coms.

Now, who doesn’t love a good romantic comedy? You know, the movies where two people are brought together by a unique situation (usually involving a secret). They have a long courting session of extremely romantic dates, and as soon as they have sex for the first time, the secret comes out. Next comes heartbreak, crying on the shoulder of the token sarcastic best friend. Both parties try and move on, but let’s face it….they are MFEO. Soon enough they realize that love conquers all, they end up happily ever after, with a jazzy tune playing in the credits.

Recipe for an AH-maze movie. Seriously, how are these never part of the Oscars? I just don’t get it.

So I have compiled a list of some of my favorite Romantic Comedies to get you through the Winter. What are yours? Which have I missed?

Sleepless in Seattle

Love Actually

Jerry Maguire

The Holiday

When Harry Met Sally

Pretty Woman

Serendipity

The Wedding Singer

Dirty Dancing

Titanic

My Best Friend's Wedding

And Chad's fave....

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