Welcome to Margaritaville

For Rod's 30th, I decided to go all out. Rod knew that there would be a party, but I kept some of the details a secret. The party started with this invitation (in LSU colors).

Outside (back, front). Isn't baby Rod adorable?

(Inside, middle pages)

If you can't tell yet, Jimmy Buffett played a central role at this event. We blasted his music the whole night. I think Rod had so much Buffett we never heard the same song twice.

Other surprises included a taco cart--Rod's favorite taco cart--in our drivewaya margarita machine (and no, I don't mean a blender :) ), and a salsa bar. Terry, Rod's aunt, also sent us this adorable edible arrangements.

I also made 100 cupcakes, 50 red velvet and 50 coconut cake--Rod's two favorite flavors.

Rod was so surprised and delighted! The night was more memorable for some than for others.

It must be the free flowing 16 oz margaritas. :)

Happy Birthday Sweetheart! I'm looking forward to the next 30 years.

Unwinding . . . Finally!

This week (the fourth week in April) was CRAZY BUSY! We had something going on almost every day. Tuesday night, Rod's boss was in town from D.C. so we took him to the Red Iguana, a Salt Lake institution, for the city's best Mexican food.

Wednesday night was book club (my third one) the "Serious Book Club". In this club, reading the book is mandatory, the books are picked through consensus, and we're required to talk about the book for at least 20 minutes before breaking into normal conversation. :) Needless to say, it is much different than my other book clubs. Last month we read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a painful read about drastic measures to defy conformity. This month we read Revolutionary Road, an equally painful read about conforming to the point of insanity. Both books have been incredibly depressing. At least the addictive cookies Allyson bought were good.

Thursday was the big 30 Women to Watch Reception. It was such an honor to be recognized with all these amazing women. I was an even bigger honor to be surrounded by my amazing colleagues. Nancy Lawson, Parr's awesome marketing director, and her girl wonder, Rachel, arranged to have my table filled with people who have been influential throughout my career. It was overwhelming to see how many people took 2 hours out of there very busy day to support me.

By the time Friday rolled around, we were beat! Luckily my friends from book club (the original one) had arranged a celebratory dinner for me at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant: Mi La Cai. I veered from my usual (Bun--pronounced boon) and opted for the pho (pronounced Fuh). It was so nice to just chill with them and then call it an early night.

Saturday we hosted Spring Dine O' Round--one of favorite firm activities. Every Spring the firm's Auxillary Committee (a.k.a the "Queen Committee") recruits volunteers to host a dinner party at their house for a randomly assigned groups of attorneys and their spouses. It is such a great way to get to know your co-workers and their families better. This was our first year hosting, and it was so fun.

As you may have figured out by now, Rod loves to cook and we love to host parties. David and Sherrie Gee, our resident wine sommeliers, brought amazing wine for each course. Our menu started with a cheese and fruit tray. Our local market, Liberty Heights, helped me pick out the perfect cheeses: montbriac, a brie-like blue cheese; prima donna, similar to gouda but not as heavy of a taste (one of my favorite cheeses, which I discovered searching for pregnancy-safe cheese for my prego friend Kim); and berkswell, a parmesan-like sheep cheese. The Gees paired this with an excellent Kava champagne. Next, we moved onto a simple salad with field greens, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Our main course was Rod's never fail grilled chicken (grilled portabello for our vegetarian friends), which he made with a goat cheese and lemon pat, roasted fingerling potatoes, and green beans. For these courses, we had a choice between Chateau Ste. Michelle Eroica Reisling and Pinot Noir. We finished the meal off with strawberry shortcake and espressos. YUMMY!

We had planned on hosting the event outside, but due to rain, were forced to bring the party indoors. To decorate in a pinch, I used the awesome bouquet that my friend, Bean, bought me for making partner and 30 Women as our main centerpiece, and I also created a tulip centerpiece from an inexpensive grocery store bouquet.

The real icing on the cake, though, was the awesome group of guests. The conversation was non-stop fun, talking about everything from rafting, to Wicked, to Twilight, the new PTC lineup, the Red Butte Concert series and back again. Rumba also had a good time. She immediately took a liking to Sherrie and even tried to go home with her. Of course after she tried to swipe an entire wedge of cheese, we had to put her in time out. Naughty dog!

The next day, I went to breakfast with my best friends Carley Anne and Alicia. Alicia came from Idaho to help the very pregnant Carley Anne pack her hospital bag. I cannot believe she is going to be a mom in just a few short weeks! I am so excited for her.

A Wicked Weekend

Our next weekend (the third weekend in April) was just as packed as the last. We had an early start Thursday night, with a mentoring social at Cafe Molise. Then Friday, our good friends, Carrie and Joel, had us over for dinner at their cute new house. Saturday I went to watch my bad ass friends, Misty and Val, run the SLC Marathon.

Misty ran the half with her husband, Glen. Awww!

Val ran the whole thing in almost exactly four hours.

Rockstar!

Her cute niece, wearing her medal

Way to go Val and Mitter!

Although I have zero desire to ever run a full marathon (my knees would definitely not take it), I was inspired. In fact, at book club that night, I had a weak moment and agreed to run the Law Day 5K, just two weeks away.

I'm now in three book clubs. I know how insane that sounds, but I love to read and am always looking for a good book. Also, at least two of the book clubs are more about hanging out with friends and drinking wine than reading and one of the clubs meets only once every other month. Anyway, this book club, my original book club's book of the month was Sarah's Key. I don't recommend it. The best part about it is the half second of historical fiction sandwiched in between the rest of the book. That part is about France's participation in the holocaust. The French police actually rounded up french jews and sent them to termination camps. After that part was over, though, the rest of the book is incredibly predictable and unbelievably convenient.

After book club, I coerced Rod into going to another party with me. Cass and Tracy's birthday parties are infamous for being wild. This year was (much) tamer than last, but did not disappoint. Luckily I did not have to be up early the next morning. :)

Me with one of the Birthday girls, Tracey.

The other birthday girl (Cass).

Sunday, we had matinee tickets to Wicked. Yay! Most people had to wait in line for hours to get tickets to this show, but my awesome friend Todd got us tickets without any lines or waiting. I went in with high expectations; I had read the book (for book club) and loved it. I was not disappointed. Even Rod enjoyed it (and he doesn't usally like going to the theater). The set, acting, plot, were all great. The play diverged from the book quite a bit, but I didn't mind it as much as I usually do when the book and the play/movie are different. The book went into the whole racial prejudices aspect more, but the play had a holocaust tie-in (persecuting humans because they are different pretextually because they were responsible for the great drought) that was not in the book and which I thought actually worked well. It also tied in a lot more of the characters in the Wizard of Oz, who were not present in the book. I definitely recommend it if you haven't seen it yet.

It looks like the Broadway Across America series is going to be entertaining next year. The line up is The Wedding Singer, Avenue Q, Legally Blonde, and The Lion King. I haven't gotten season tickets for the last couple of years, but I'm considering it next year. Anyone interested?

30 Years

I interrupt your regularly scheduled program to wish my totally hot, caring, smart husband, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Thirty years ago today, this adorable little boy entered the world (not in this exact outfit):

One of my favorite Rod stories happened when he was about 4 years old. Apparently after taking a walk around the LSU lakes, his parents took him to a frozen yogurt shop to get a cone. When the lady behind the counter tried to help him, asking him if he wanted one flavor or another, he answered, "No, I want to go to Haagen Dazs and get some real ice cream." :)

We're doing a big party with friends on Saturday, but we did a little celebration tonight at The Metropolitan.

Compliments of Uncle Eddie . . . Today in History - April 30
Today is Thursday, April 30, the 120th day of 2009. There are 245 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
One hundred and fifty years ago, on April 30, 1859, the Charles Dickens novel "A Tale of Two Cities" was first published in serial form in the premiere issue of All the Year Round, a literary magazine owned by Dickens. (The novel was presented in 31 weekly installments.)
On this date:
In 1789, George Washington took office in New York as the first president of the United States.
In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for 60 million francs, the equivalent of about $15 million.
In 1812, Louisiana became the 18th state of the Union.
In 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition opened in St. Louis.
In 1909, Juliana, queen of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1980, was born in The Hague.
In 1939, the New York World's Fair officially opened with a ceremony that included an address by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In 1945, as Russian troops approached his Berlin bunker, Adolf Hitler committed suicide along with his wife of one day, Eva Braun.
In 1948, the Charter of the Organization of American States was signed in Bogota, Colombia.
In 1970, President Richard M. Nixon announced the U.S. was sending troops into Cambodia, an action that sparked widespread protest.
In 1973, Nixon announced the resignations of top aides H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, along with Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst and White House counsel John Dean.
Ten years ago: A bomb exploded at a gay pub in London, killing three people and injuring more than 70. (David Copeland, a white supremacist, was later convicted of murder for a series of bombings in London and sentenced to six life sentences.) The Rev. Jesse Jackson met with each of the three U.S. soldiers being held prisoner by Yugoslavia.
Five years ago: Arabs expressed outrage at graphic photographs of naked Iraqi prisoners being humiliated by U.S. military police; President George W. Bush condemned the mistreatment of prisoners, saying "that's not the way we do things in America." On ABC's "Nightline," Ted Koppel read aloud the names of 721 U.S. servicemen and women killed in the Iraq war (the Sinclair Broadcast Group refused to air the program on seven ABC stations). Michael Jackson pleaded not-guilty in Santa Maria, Calif., to a grand jury indictment that expanded the child molestation case against him. (Jackson was acquitted at trial.) Former NBA star Jayson Williams was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter in the shotgun slaying of a limousine driver at his New Jersey mansion, but found guilty of trying to cover up the shooting. (Williams faces retrial on a reckless manslaughter count.)
One year ago: The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for a seventh straight time, reducing the federal funds rate a quarter-point to 2 percent. An avalanche in Italy's northwestern Alps killed five French ski-mountaineers.
Today's Birthdays: Actress Cloris Leachman is 83. Singer Willie Nelson is 76. Actor Gary Collins is 71. Actor Burt Young is 69. Singer Bobby Vee is 66. Actress Jill Clayburgh is 65. Movie director Allan Arkush is 61. Actor Perry King is 61. Singer Merrill Osmond is 56. Movie director Jane Campion is 55. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is 50. Actor Paul Gross is 50. FIU coach Isiah Thomas is 48. Country musician Robert Reynolds (The Mavericks) is 47. Actor Adrian Pasdar is 44. Rapper Turbo B (Snap) is 42. Rock musician Clark Vogeler is 40. R&B singer Chris "Choc" Dalyrimple (Soul For Real) is 38. Rock musician Chris Henderson (3 Doors Down) is 38. Country singer Carolyn Dawn Johnson is 38. Actress Lisa Dean Ryan is 37. R&B singer Akon is 36. R&B singer Jeff Timmons (98 Degrees) is 36. Actor Johnny Galecki is 34. Singer-musician Cole Deggs (Cole Deggs and the Lonesome) is 33. Attorney, Chef and Bon Vivant, Rod Smith is 30. Rapper Lloyd Banks is 27. Actress Kirsten Dunst is 27. Country singer Tyler Wilkinson (The Wilkinsons) is 25.
Thought for Today: "Upper classes are a nation's past; the middle class is its future." — Ayn Rand, Russian-born author (1905-1982).

Happy Birthday Honey! I love you more than you know.

Happy Easter!

Is April seriously over? Our month was so jam-packed that I have not had a minute to write. Well . . . maybe I had a minute, but I didn't want to spend it writing. Sorry!

For Easter, we went to Idaho to surpise my grandparents. The night before we left, my mom flew in from Denver. My grandparents had no idea she was coming and were SO surprised when she walked in the door. :) With as many health problems as my grandma has had recently, it made my day to see her smile. The weekend was a bit of a blur.

We went to dinner with my Uncle and very pregnant cousin (who wouldn't let me take pictures of her),

dyed easter eggs with Mom Dena and Jordan,

celebrated Grandpa's Birthday, took Rod to see the new colt at my family's farm (Ellis Supreme Arabians), somehow fit in a trip to Easter mass, And . . . I still had one more suprise up my sleeve:

I had candy and something special for everyone.

What Easter would be complete without the Easter Bunny bringing Easter baskets?It was so hard to say goodbye. This is a picture of my mom's, my grandma's, and my hands.

It's April, Fool!

As great as March was, April has been pretty fantastic too. The first week of April was jam- packed with fun. Wednesday, April 1, was an unsurprise party for the Super Cool Alex.

Ari invited us all to Alex's house. We started arriving while Alex was still there, but he didn't know that it was planned until more people showed up. His Mom put together this fantastic spread.

Thursday night I went to Dial 'M' for Murder with the usual suspects and Inga. Friday, Rod and I decided to stay in to watch Slumdog Millionaire. The next day, was the best Saturday EVER.

Rod and I have totally different music tastes. My iPod is filled with punk rock,The Cure, Depeche Mode, and NIN. His is filled with bluegrass, americana, and alt country. One of the very few bands we agree on is Better Than Ezra. It helps that they are from his hometown and that I had never heard of them until we started dating. Apparently BTE never made it to Idaho Falls. :) So even though the rest of the world got sick of BTE in the 90s, they are brand new to me. For years, I have been trying to talk Rod into taking me to see BTE in Baton Rouge. But this weekend, BTE came to us AND it was FREE! The concert was at the Canyons. We got there late (because I had a fabulous sushi lunch catching up with my college roommates who were in town for a wedding), but it was perfect timing. We still got close to the stage and only had to wait ten minutes before the band came out. They were even better live! Half way through the concert it started snowing. It was so fun dancing in the snow singing at the top of our lungs. I didn't want it to end!

Sorry the sound isn't better. Here are some clips from their new album and some of their old hits.

After the concert, we met back up with Autumn and Val (the college roommates) for shopping at the outlets and dinner at Red Rock.

To round out our perfect weekend, we spent Sunday skiing.

We ran into Kelly and Seth and spent the rest of the day skiing with them.

The sky was as blue as I've ever seen it (and I got fried!). I did my first black diamond (on skis). It wasn't pretty, but I made it without hurting myself. :)

Ted the Lawyer, Woman to Watch, Still Rising, a Partner and other random things rounding out my March

Early in the month, our good friends, Clem, Joanna, Allison, and Scott, invited us to the annual Jackie Chiles Law Society Dinner. In addition to Sam Lloyd (the attorney from Scrubs), the dinner featured a presentation by my favorite law professor (Bill Richards), another law professor rapping to Vanilla Ice, an explanation by a very funny law student about why lawyers aren't good conversationalist (funny, but true), and (THE HIGHLIGHT) Clem almost peeing his pants laughing at Sam Lloyd.

Later in the month, I got a lot of great professional news. I am one of Utah Business Magazine's 30 Women to Watch, Superlawyers' Rising Stars (for the second time), and Parr Brown's shareholders (partners). It was such a good month!

March was the best month ever!

Between being incredibly busy, taking up a new hobby, and now being sick, I have barely had a chance to write about what was the most amazing month. In addition to the concerts and plays that I've already written about, Rod and I also got in some amazing ski (yes, I said ski) days.


For those of you who don't know, I am a boarder and have been one since high school. Until a couple years ago, I had never even been on skis. I grudgingly agreed to take up skiing because Rod wants to do more backcountry stuff. Until this year, though, I have not taken that promise seriously. I have switched to skis only during the last, already exhaused hours of an okay ski days. But in March I had my first full ski day ever. It helped that my friends Cynthia and Cristina had free passes to Deer Valley (where they don't allow boarders). The skiing was posh and may have ruined me for other resorts. The runs were all really wide, perfect for learning, the mountain hosts were incredibly helpful, and the turkey chilli rounded out a perfect ski day. I also graduated to my first blue run. It wasn't pretty, but I did it.


Then, just when it looked like it was never going to snow again, we headed to Big Sky to see what Montana had to offer. We were actually there to visit our friends and their adorable new baby, but the nearby ski resort was certainly a plus. Chris and Katie were only in Big Sky for a month while Chris did a rotation in the medical clinic. They just had a new baby, Adeline, in November. They had a beautiful cabin on the river.

The first couple of days, the snow was not great, but on the last day it was storming, filling in all of the bumps. Great day! Chris and Katie were such great hosts, we had such a blast.

More about our great month tomorrow (or when I get around to it :) ).