Cleopatra, Elton John, & chocolate

(yeah....this was supposed to get posted last week, but somehow slipped my mind. Maybe a chocolate coma...?)

This weekend was a busy one--local artists, a "food" festival and a legend!

Friday night I had the privilege to watch Ballet Nebraska in their season opener, Cleopatra. I've been hearing all about the show for weeks, so I'm happy to have finally watched it! It was also wonderful to have Kelsey's parents come for the weekend. So much ballet love! I somehow made it out of the theater without taking any pictures with any cast members (perhaps because I didn't want a close up of the blue make up...? ;)--kidding!), but it was fabulous nonetheless. Amazing job, Claire and Ballet Nebraska!!

We prepare for Elton differently...
one representing some of his best musical work
& the other representing his fab-u-lous & fashionable sense of style! 

On Saturday, we headed to see Elton John. I heard somewhere recently that he was going to stop touring so much so he could see his kids grow up, so I grabbed the chance to see him before he was done. Whoa. What a concert! It was a solid 2.5 hours of him performing. It's pretty impressive that he's been at it for 47 years now. I can understand the desire to slow down on touring after that long too. He wore a sparkly suit and I was elated that we matched (AND gold shoes which were amazeballs...do you think he'd share them with me?). My friend Laura even wrote a column about the experience.

Bennie and the Jets

Philadelphia Freedom  

Crocodile Rock  

On Sunday, my parents joined Laura and me for Omaha's Chocolate Festival. While I think the whole Sharrick clan was hoping for more chocolates, instead of so many chocolate desserts, it was overall delicious. We decided that chocolate tea--no matter if it's flavored with caramel, raspberry, peach or some other mystery flavor--tastes mostly just like tea. Our favorite booth was the Iowa Western Culinary student booth because they brought truffles around the whole place for people waiting in lines and because they were teaching the kiddos how to make chocolate roses. It's a little bit disappointing that they didn't offer to teach Laura and me, but still their truffles and other chocolates were delicious. They even had a little tasting booth where you could take bitter or dark chocolate and put different spices on it--cinnamon, ginger, and others. It really was an informative booth. My second favorite was the Stam booth because 1. I've always loved them and 2. it was nice to catch up with a friend from college's parents who own the store--Hey Laura B-M! My Dad called me as soon as they got back to Hastings to inform me that he had consumed all of the chocolate except for the 3 pages of fudge he purchased. That man is truly a legend and should be an inspiration to us all.

my haul

Jim's haul (plus things already consumed & fudge)

Deb's haul

chocolate teas

my tiny chocolate mousse mug!