What a whirlwind weekend! I don't know about you but I was busy every minute this week with some really awesome events. To start with I went to The New Standards Holiday Show with my dad. I went out to Primp Boutique at the last-minute to pick up this amazing sweater dress. I am so in love with it and it was super comfortable all night. I also used a new lipstick color I bought called Refined Ruby from L'oreal. I really liked that it was red but not a candy apple red. It was a bit darker for a bit more sophistication and less va-va-va-voom. dress 2face

The New Standards is a local jazz trio made up of Chan Poling, John Munson and Steve Roehm.  All three are from local bands from the 80s and 90s. John Munson was part of Semisonic (remember Closing Time? yea that  was them). I have seen them several times in smaller venues and they were so talented and entertaining. They make jazz funky and interesting. Their holiday show at the State Theater is their big, pulling out all the stops show. They bring in local acts and people from out-of-town to perform both Christmas and non-holiday music. I listened to an interview on MPR's The Daily Circuit where John Munson reported the songs they pick that aren't holiday explore the idea of love. He stated they keep it this way because he believes the Christmas story is all about love. Who can argue with that huh? Anyway the show was chock full of goodies including performances by Jeremy Messersmith, Craig Finn (The Hold Steady), and Dessa. One of their background singers Aby Wolf performed one of the most beautiful and unique versions of Silent Night I have ever heard. A few other fun surprises were show girls dancing during The Suburbs "Love is the Law" (Chan Poling's band), dancers dressed up as Christmas trees and some small pyrotechnics. Overall it was a great mix of Christmas classics, love songs and the punk rock personalities that make The New Standards so fun to watch.

[caption id="attachment_115" align="aligncenter" width="656"]IMG_0712 Aby Wolf rocking out with the Christmas Tree dancers to a disco tune[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_117" align="alignnone" width="656"]IMG_0709 The New Standards singing my favorite "Snow Day"[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_118" align="aligncenter" width="656"]IMG_0703 Singing The Suburbs "Love is the Law" with show girls and drummers[/caption]

On Sunday we went to the Vikings football game. I went with my husband and a few of our friends. The downside was we were not all together but the upside was ....we WON! SKOL VIKES! I have to say that in bold letters because it rarely happens these days. It was pretty cold but not as bad as it could have been. We got all bundled up and with the help of a few adult beverages we had a pretty great time. We made friends with a few people around us and celebrated loudly when Jarius Wright ran 87 yards to score a touchdown and win the game. Oh and Bud Grant was there today following the dedication of a street in his namesake, no big deal ;)

[caption id="attachment_110" align="aligncenter" width="500"]IMG_0732 TCF Bank Stadium[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_121" align="aligncenter" width="500"]friends Our friends staying positive for a Vikings win[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_112" align="aligncenter" width="300"]IMG_0725 My husband and I[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_111" align="aligncenter" width="400"]IMG_0726 Bud freakin' Grant[/caption]

After the game we decided to check out The Holiday Market. This is a new thing this year to replace the beloved Holidazzle parade. Let me be clear, I loved the Holidazzle parade. When they announced they were no longer doing this and replacing it with this type of market I was upset. However I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt before I made a judgement call. It cost $6 to get in, which I was a bit upset about but the benefit is it is essentially a season pass. Upon entering it is clear it is a German market with food, drink and goods. We had just eaten and had been indulging in beverages most of the afternoon so none of us wanted to try any of the food. The rest was small shops with Christmas and winter items to browse.  There was also a small carousel for children and a stage for a band. Overall, the market was beautiful but there was not a great appeal to it. There was also a tent and I saw pictures of reindeer so there is a possibility during a different time there is more to see and do. Meanwhile, I will have twinkly dreams of the people sprinting down Nicollet in holiday lit suits.

IMG_0740 IMG_0739

 

That's all for my weekend. Did any of you see The New Standards show, watch the game or visit the new market? What did you think? Leave a comment below and tell me about your weekend!