photos from alex's paella party.

the birthday boy with the chef extraorindares, heather & charlie aka colucci

ting and his new summer hair do with john, erinn's beau

arizona sunset scene

seafood for days. yuuuum.

alicia greeting the newlywed nicoli

scrumptious scrumptious meal.

dining al fresco on a warm (late) spring night

a food city cake the size of a small football field

pedro's party people

la mariachis! que buena! 

alex singing, drinking & iPad dancing with his colombian mom, fabioloa.

la bamba, perhaps? or was it the spin dry?

slow dancing under the full moon to a private mariachi serenade. pretty awesome. 

happy birthday, amigo! 

watch the paella party video here

our clowder of cats.

did you have any idea that a group of cats is called a "clowder"? yup. now you do. good trivia fact, huh?

it was funny to watch the comments in response to the "lion den" photo i posted on my instagram feed.

cats are polarizing creatures, aren't there?
i think cats get a bad rap. they're one of those things that people are socially allowed to dislike.
i'm kinda neutral about cats. i've never owned one as an official pet although we've "adopted" feral cats at each of our homes. i'm good with it. they keep the critters away & are kinda funny.

danny and i joke about how they look like lions all sprawled out across our lawn, walkway & patio.
and when it gets to be about 6pm, they definitely let you know.
the collective meows from a clowder of cats can be pretty intimidating.

...

sunday pool time at the saguaro scottsdale hotel.

the morning after the paella party, a group of us gathered at the saguaro scottsdale hotel for a pool party.

thanks to an Instagram photo, a longtime girlfriend and i were able to connect in scottsdale. 

heather, one of my lifelong friends, joined us at the pool. it'd been years since we'd seen each other. 

heather, me and carly, another LA-based friend who also happened to be in scottsdale for the weekend.

gotta love the girl photo line. 

heather / rachel / alicia  teri / angela / carly / heather / erinn

john & nicoli gettin' their holiday tan on.

alex was tossing rachel around like a "piece of styrofoam"

e-raaaayyyy in the house. 

tip: the saguaro scottsdale is an awesome option for pool-less arizona locals who are looking for a fun, but low-key, pool scene. and by low-key i mean that although it's in old town scottsdale, you don't need to have high-heels and full-face of make-up to attend. swear. the saguaro welcomes locals to enjoy the pool amenities. it's easy to get a comfy lounge spot without having to buy overpriced cabanas, the cocktails are tasty and the DJ plays a great poolside set. a great place to have some fun and escape the heat this summer.  

posts from past times we've spent at the saguaro scottsdale hotel here & here.

a full moon paella birthday party.

every weekend should be a three day weekend. no ifs, ands or butts about it.

on saturday night, a group of us celebrated our resident colombian (not to be mistaken for colUmbian), alex, with a huge and delicious paella feast (thank you, heather!) and a surprise mariachi band that was coordinated by alex's mom in colombia. 

maybe it was the full moon, i'm not sure, but there was something extra magical about that night. i know you've had those nights, too. the kind that are just so easy and so fun. the get-togethers that have people still buzzing days later about what a good time was had. that particular warm desert night reminded us of just how lucky we are to have made such a solid group of arizona friends. the kind of friends that allow you to come as you are and sing loudly out-of-key, who laugh at your bad jokes and gently tease back, and those who will hold your hand on the trampoline and groove right alongside your terrible washing machine dance moves.

a little bit of everything in this video from alejandro's 38th birthday paella party. xx 

Our Favorite Colombian Celebrates his Birthday with a Full Moon Paella Party from Teri Bockting on Vimeo.

exploring your town on two wheels.

when we decided to move downtown, one of the things we were most excited for was the opportunity to bike ride to tons of places. i'm happy to report we've done just that. 

we've challenged ourselves to "two-wheel weekends" -- no driving allowed. it's been really fun and we've found bike riding to be the optimal way to get intimately familiar with your 'hood. you're not distracted, the fresh air is great, you notice things you wouldn't in a car, i have a much better sense of direction and we've been forced to try new restaurants, bars and boutiques because some of our go-to's aren't in biking distance. give it a try this weekend.  

aunts vs. uncles :: part II

remember this photo series spotlighting mine and danny's polar-opposite interaction with niece makaela? 

here we go again...

just two girls eating raisins, looking at themselves & taking photos in the mirror. 

and then uncle d rolls into the room and plays "boing boing" aka jump on the bed.

short video snippet recorded using VINE via @teribockting / @dancendan 

angela & nick's fijian fiesta wedding.

Angela + Nicoli

Saturday, May 18, 2013

it was a multi-cultural affair at the dream manor inn atop a hilltop in globe-miami, arizona. 

the mexican bride + the fijian groom

there were mariachies, borongs (sheer tops the guys in the bridal party wore), bula shirts, beans & rice.

200 brightly-dressed guests raised glasses to the best man's irish toast before dancing la grand marcha.

the warm, breezy spring day was the backdrop to just the right amount of brightly colored decor.  

it was a day that so many of us have been excited for,

and it was truly the blending of two unique individuals and families into one. 

when the bride spoke, she acknowledged the wonderful feeling of having everyone in her hometown.

when the groom took the mic, he encouraged guests to mix and mingle because, 

"you're all surrounded by amazing people tonight."

everything was authentic to the core. 

angela looked stunning. nick was glowing.

it was a wedding where you could feel the love. 

the view from the lovely dream manor inn.

program fans made during our DIY nights. 

miss kristina & rachel. my matching coral ladies.

pretty ribbon tassels blowing in the breeze. remember all this ribbon and lace? 

almost every female guest embraced the springtime, bold, fiesta theme. it looked really pretty together. 

three of the sweetest ring bearers ever. angela's blonde godson, dominic, was so proud. 

nick's parents up front rockin' the traditional island attire.

sand ceremony in honor of the islander side.

 "queue the mariachis" yelled the bride as she walked down the aisle!

gorgeous cocktail hour setting.

signature bride & groom cocktails.

brad surprised all the guests when he belted out a song with the mariachi band!

angela's aunt & uncle on the left and nick's mom dancing with angela's dad on the right. so cute! 

lace-covered seating board frame for all 24 tables! 

the bride got her beans and rice (told you)! a true g-town fiesta.

oodles of pretty florals in thrifted multi-colored vases. the groom is the ultimate goodwill shopper.

miss rachel's mister couldn't attend, so she was my sister-wife for the evening.

"my sweet love" mini candy bags as favors. 

stunning reception space. 

first dance as mr. & mrs. to "god blessed the broken road." it was pretty emotional.

the sweetheart table with the same lace tablecloth danny and i had on our wedding table. 

maybe the most gorgeous wedding cake i've ever seen and it was made by a friend - alicia's sister, emily. 

so so so beautiful and perfect. inside was red velvet and every. single. bite. was eaten! that never happens!

time to boogie! outside dance floor. honorary maids in blue.

nick's niece was the best dancer there - for real. she had rhythm and moves like no other.

love this novia. 

fantastic DJ who extended the party an extra hour! everything from traditional mexican songs to daft punk and bob dylan. 

i may have had a request or two.

alicia, andi, camille & moi. 

i love a bride & groom who like to boogie.

rachel, erinn & me.

"clip it, d!" - angelism #1,490.

and then my shoes came off. and lived on the DJ table. 

girls-only dance party with the bride! 

few of the bridesmaids had up-do meltdowns that resulted in a bobby-pin covered dancefloor.

and thheeeennn the party continued back at the apache gold casino. 

me & wee wee winning big and keeping things classy at the casino.

the navajo nation has excellent taste in carpet.

... can't say the same about 2am snack bar food. yes, snack bar. 

nachos. fries. chicken nuggets. jalepenos. ranch for days.