Our Engagement - told by the Groom

When it happened

Thursday, March 20, 2014

How we got engaged, from Shai

After we got engaged, Shai sent an email to his friends and family with the details (from his perspective). I think he tells it well, so here it is!

On February 1, 2014 Kali and I entered a London Gold jewelry store for the sole purpose of changing my watch battery. To my total surprise Kali was at the back of the store checking out engagement rings, which we had never discussed before. As it turns out, Kali was suddenly trying on the ring of her dreams, everything she had ever wanted all rolled into one beautiful 2 carat oval yellow diamond with a halo and a double band. It was even on sale, but only for February. We gave the saleswoman our info then left and didn't discuss it again.

Two days later, I called and purchased the ring and had it delivered to my neighbor's house.

For 2 months the ring and photo books (showing the past year of our lives) were hidden in my neighbor's safe in an Amazon cardboard box. Two weeks before the cruise, I placed an identical, but empty, Amazon box in the garage directly in front of Kali's parking spot so she could subliminally get used to seeing the box and to ensure she does not inquire about it. The day before we left for Orlando, my neighbor executed our covert operation as planned and switched the empty box with the much heavier box containing the engagement ring and photo books.

I spent the two months prior to our cruise mostly avoiding discussion about engagement rings. At one point Kali even called London Gold and inquired about the ring, but I had already instructed the saleswoman to notify all the other sales reps to lie to Kali if she calls. After Kali told me she called and the ring of her dreams was gone, I, of course, apologized saying I had no idea that ring was so important to her and that no one ever called me about it. She insisted I was supposed to call them, not the other way around. I continued to manipulate any future conversations which culminated in me printing out some word docs that Kali had created and placing them into a special folder that "we would look at together once we're finally in Tampa with her family and have some time."

Two days before we left, I took Kali to get a manicure and pedicure (and yes, I absolutely got one too). She normally only gets pedicures but I talked her into getting a manicure and was even able to have her get that gel kind that apparenly will last longer. I didn't want to take any chances that she would pick the polish off and not be happy with all the pictures of her hand!!

The day finally arrived for us to head to Orlando for the cruise. I placed everything into my carry-on backpack and ensured It never left my sight while we traveled. At one point, Kali even asked what I had in there because she could see how full and heavy it was; "books" I responded, "lots of books." My next challenge was to make it thru airport and cruise security without having my backpack checked and my cover subsequently blown. As it turned out, my backpack was checked by cruise security but I managed to get Kali to wait by the conveyer belt while I whispered to the lady that there was engagement material for my proposal onboard the ship that night. She smiled and giggled then quickly checked my bag while ensuring Kali would not see its true contents. It was time to board the ship!

My Carnival Cruise agent, Manny (who has helped me cruise since 2010), had accomplished his best work ever in laying the groundwork and truly setting me up for success. He emailed the head Maître D' and the head Group Coordinator prior to our arrival and set in motion my entire proposal plan, which was to propose to Kali at dinner the first night while our song played over the loud speaker, followed by champagne being brought to our table, and the entire production captured by a photographer and videographer, and afterwards, waiting for us in our cabin would be chocolate covered strawberries and the photo book with a special card I wrote.

I boarded the ship ready to meet the Maître D and Group Coordinator at our pre-coordinated time as soon as I could get free from Kali. I immediately went to "change into my bathing suit" which took a lot longer than Kali expected. I eventually told her that the men's bathroom was closed and I had to find another one which was not so easy, but I brought back some good info on events taking place on the ship that night. The truth is I ran downstairs to guest services and talked to Maya, the Group Coordinator, and handed her the CD with our song and a paper I typed detailing the entire plan. Then I ran to meet Roland, the head Maître D at the dining room, and discussed the plan with him. Finally, I changed into my bathing suit and ran back to the pool to have a fruity cocktail drink with Kali and explain how impossible it was to find a bathroom.

A couple hours later, Maya called our cabin to confirm the price of the photographer and videographer. Kali was half-asleep napping on the bed when I picked up the phone. Maya immediately told me she planned to hang up if Kali answered. I made sure to speak to her as if we had not met before and as if I was not sure why she was calling. After I said "that's fine" regarding the cost, Maya hung up and I could hear the dial tone, but I continued speaking into the phone, "we haven't noticed any problems with our sail & sign cards but we'll be sure to let you know if either of them don't work, thanks for the call." Kali was too tired to even ask me what they were calling about.

Finally, it was time to get ready for dinner. I insisted we dress up fancy every night even though the only real formal dress up night was Captain's Night the following night. Kali went along with the idea not realizing of course that I was anticipating us being on video and having a personal photographer take our engagement pictures all around the ship for one hour following the proposal.

Everything was perfect, and before I could remove the ring from the box and place it on Kali's finger, she grabbed it from the box and placed it there herself!

The rest of the cruise was amazing. Kali gave me an early birthday present which was swimming with dolphins at Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas and she bought me an "engagement" watch onboard the ship. Our fellow cruise passengers constantly congratulated us and the crew was wonderful. We played some Craps and Kali experienced what it feels like to throw the dice for 45 minutes straight standing at the end of the table as everyone around her cheers constantly as we are all making money together.

Fashion Finds - Badgley Mischka

The other day I was shopping on the dangerous site Rue La La and fell in love (and purchased) a gorgeous purple sequined Badgley Mischka dress that was on sale for $75 instead of the usual $700.

Score!

While this designer can be expensive when hot off the runway or at full price, there are amazing deals to be found if you know where to look. For some reason this year I have been completely drawn to sequins and so this is the third sequin gown from this designer that I have purchased in the last 12 months!

My first time wearing Badgley was this dress I wore on my birthday from Rent the Runway. If you have not checked out the site, it is a great way to wear designer duds for less - I wore this $500 dress for only $40!

The shoes were Badgley too, but those were my own, purchased from Saks Off 5th. Their shoes are almost always 50% off or more.

Rue La La has the brand on their site relatively frequently when they have gowns on sale and I purchased a cowl-back gold sequined dress off the site last October to wear to a wedding.

I felt so incredibly elegant in this dress and received compliments all night long. I spent about $300 for this dress on sale which was about 1/3 of the original price and, while a splurge, was completely worth it for me. 

A couple times a year Rent the Runway gives you the opportunity to purchase the dresses that have been rented off of their site to keep. I jumped at the chance to buy this silver stunner to wear to another wedding!

This dress fit like a glove and brought so many compliments. I normally hate wearing strapless dresses but this dress is made so well I was able to dance the night away in comfort.

I really have found that with a lot of designers, you do get what you pay for. When you spend the extra money on higher end pieces, they feel/fit better and really get peoples attention. For me, it is all about catching those deals on designers. Comment below on your favorite designer to get on sale!

Xx

Kali

Cleo at SLS

The SLS, while not in the best location, has been packed with delicious restaurants since the minute it opened. While I have been able to make it to several, Cleo has always been in the back of my mind and on my list to try. This week, when we were able to grab dinner with friends, I offered it up as a suggestion and was thrilled when they agreed. 

I love the entrance to the SLS

Cleo is a Mediterranean style restaurant that serves dishes that, while tapas style, are substantial enough for a meal. The menu of mezzes, salads, and vegetables alone is so enticing that I got a little overzealous and ordered more than I probably needed to. Nonetheless, I ate it all.

We loved the atmosphere of the restaurant - from the imposing "Cleopatra" at the entrance, to the colorful chandeliers, to the mix-matched plates - as Shai said, "this is your kind of place." He knows me so well.

The drink menu was full of such interesting drinks that the waitress had to come by three times before we made a decision (ok, maybe we were talking a bit too…) I went with the Clemintina – a drink boasting crushed basil and serrano chili. It was nice, but certainly not the star of the show. Unfortunately Shai’s drink – Melon and Mezcal – had way more serrano chili than mine (and we didn’t even notice it was there to begin with) so it was undrinkable. The staff was fantastic – first doctoring it up to make it sweeter, and when that didn’t work, they made the drink all over without the chili and without extra cost.


In fact, the entire evening the staff was impeccable. After we had signed the checks and remained at the table talking, the waitress continued to ask if we would like more water while we sat. If you think about that for a moment I bet you will realize how rarely that happens.  Really, every person we encountered at the SLS was on their A game, just really nice, helpful, and attentive.

Celementina

The menu doesn’t look daunting at first but the more I read the more I wanted to order. Everything sounded so amazing.

We settled on the Watermelon salad to start which was delicious. So many times in “watermelon salads” you are left wanting for it’s namesake. Not here. The watermelon was certainly the star of the show. And I really loved the candied nut brittle as a garnish for extra crunch.

We also had the potato latkes that they made gluten free for me. Nothing bad to say about those either. They were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and the smoked lebanah was a perfect topping for them.

Watermelon Salad

The mushrooms were FANTASTIC. You may think mushrooms are more of a topping as opposed to a main star but in this dish with dates and puffed rice, they were insane. I would definitely order this again. I am dreaming about them now as I write this.


Shai had the Chicken Tagine. I’m not sure but he may have licked the bowl. I didn’t try the chicken but I did sample the rice and was in love with the flavor.

Mushrooms

Our friends ordered just as delicious looking dishes as we did, albeit they were full of gluten so I could only admire from afar. The Clam and Noodle looked particularly interesting and it looked like they really enjoyed it as well.

Clams and Noodles

I can’t wait for friends to visit so I have another excuse to visit this restaurant!

As for the fashion, if you will, my camera’s battery died so I was forced to use my iPhone.I was really excited to wear my new Jumpsuit from Urban Outfitters. (You can order it in solid here)

I have really been loving rompers and jumpsuits this summer and it was fun accessorizing this one.

With this Jumpsuit, I don't think you can take it many directions but "boho." I added a gold braided belt for a little extra definition at the waist and wore the headband over my hair instead of under. I would have preferred a solid beige purse but surprisingly have zero solid purses in my collection so I went with the neutral colored Gucci. I had a crocheted should shrug as well but didn't need to wear it much.

Jumpsuit from Urban Outfitters

I have had the same white cork wedges since high school and have been looking for new ones for over a year. When I found these Vince Camuto wedges on sale at Saks Off 5th I was so excited. They are so versatile and comfortable. (They are no longer on the site but if you want something similar, BCBG makes a cute one too, here). Sometimes you want the height without the extra hassle of a thin heel, am I right?? 



Wedges - Vince Camuto









Xx
Kali

Wednesday Wants - Chocolate Martini

I said last Wednesday when I started the Wednesday series that I was open to suggestions and the first one I had was for Chocolate Martinis! Yum!


While I love martinis, my experience with the chocolate varietal is slightly limited. All of these pictures are from Yelp/Trip Advisor but I put the effort into the research to find what I think are Four Fabulous places to drink away your dessert!!

The Chocolate Bar 

at New York-New York is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 am. Located strategically next to Hershey's World, this bar can pretty much handle any chocolate martini your heart desires (and they have Chocolate stouts for you beer lovers). Seriously, I did not even know this place EXISTED until I started to research this but I am putting it at the top of my list. Just look at what they offer!

Photo from Yelp

Order the:
Hershey's Kisses Chocolate Signature Martini (Three Olives Chocolate Vodka, Absolut Vanilla Vodka, White Creme de Cacao)

Death By Chocolate (Three Olives Chocolate Vodka, Marie Brizard Chocolate Liqueur, Dark Creme de Cacao, Chocolate Syrup)

Peppermint Pattie Martini (Absolut Vanilla Vodka, White Creme de Menthe, Creme de Cacao, Fresh Mint)

Hexx Chocolate & Confexxions

photo from Yelp

Hexx has taken over where the Sugar Factory used to be at the Paris hotel. So you're trading sugar for sugar. The menu doesn't have drink pictures because they seem to be focused on the real stuff here - they roast their own cacao beans to make the chocolate on site. If you're not in the mood for a martini, you should still stop by for some of their daily chocolate tastings.

Order: THE HEXX (Stolichnaya Vanil, Tempus Fugit Dark Cacao, Luxardo Angioletto, Cream).

107 lounge

photo from Yelp

The 107 lounge has 2-for-1 martinis for Happy Hour which puts it about $7.50 a martini - a hard price to beat in Las Vegas. It has awesome views of the Strip and is generally a go-to location for me to start when I am taking friends out on the town. The Chocolate Masterpiece is your classic chocolate martini, but when you add in the price and view, it is a hard one to beat.

Order the: Chocolate Masterpiece (Van gogh chocolate vodka, godiva chocolate and white chocolate liqueur)

Blue Martini

thank goodness we all take pictures of our drinks for Yelp

True, it is a chain, but there is a reason it has done so well- the martinis are great and the happy hour is even better. I wouldn't recommend you come here if you asked me for a glass of wine, but for a chocolate martini, I don't think you will be disappointed

Order This: THREE'S COMPANY (Three Olives Chocolate Vodka, Dark Chocolate Liqueur and Cream)
OR: ALMOND JOY (Three Olives Vanilla Vodka, Bacardi Rock Coconut Rum and Chocolate Liqueur, served with Coconut Shavings in a Chocolate Rimmed Glass)

Let me know what you want to see on here next!

xx

Kali

The shoes were made for walking...down an aisle!

When I was trying on dresses, one of the things in the back of my mind was which shoes I would get to buy. I do not buy shoes very often, and I never buy shoes if they are not on sale. But I thought maybe just maybe I could rationalize a splurge on shoes. My imagination drifted off to a land of Christian Louboutin, Prada, Badgley Mischka, amidst rainbows and unicorns and $6000 wedding gowns

In almost every wedding album I see on Facebook or Pinterest, there are pictures of the shoes! Whether it is the bride in pink heels to match her grooms pink VANS or the ring sitting gently inside the shoe, placed strategically above the embroidered designer shoes.the shoes are everywhere. And since pictures matter the most to me, a part of me really wanted that shoe picture too! 

 And then I forgot about it. Thinking about how much everything else in the wedding was going to cost, I could no longer rationalize my $600 shoe dream. It really isn't like me to splurge like that on myself, and I rationalize the wedding cost in that it is for every person we are inviting as opposed to being "for me or for us." So I put those Louboutins back in dreamland with that $6000 Ghalia Lahav gown. I even went to DSW and looked in stores like Express to find the shoes that would take me down the aisle, but I was simply let down. 

 And then.something magical happened! A friend posted on facebook about this wonderful deal on shoes she had gotten from Neiman Marcus Last Call by purchasing the Living Social for it! The same Living Social discount I had been strategically ignoring so that I would not end up making superfluous purchases on things I don't need or saving $25 only to spend another $300. According to her facebook post, I was wrong to assume that! So before making any commitment with my longtime love of Living Social (& Groupon), I went on to the site to snoop around. 

To my glee, everything online was an EXTRA 20-50% off!! I quickly scanned through all of the shoes, hoping to find something appropriate and BAM! BAM! BAM! Beautiful shining shoes everywhere! BCBG and Neiman Marcus and Steven by Steve Madden and.Badgley Mischka!! I double checked they had my size - they were out of it in a couple shoes - and then found a lovely 3 inch heel! 

 You may be asking, why a 3 inch heel Kali? Have of your shoes are at least 5 or 6 inch! Well, when we purchased the dress, I was trying to be practical and assumed that a 3 inch heel may be more suitable for a long evening of walking and dancing - after all, its not like I can just drink so I can't feel my feet - gotta be a classy bride. ;-) 

So a 3inch was decided upon! Back to the shoes. It was a $215 Badgley Mischka shoe marked down to $139 plus an additional 30% PLUS the $50 from living social that I purchased for $25 and suddenly it was a $47 shoe! (total with Living Social =$72).

I was so excited! It was the perfect balance between my desire for a well-made and higher end shoe and my absolute need for it to be on sale and a reasonable price!! I could have (some can argue should have) stopped there, but there was one other shoe that I really loved except it was 5 inches. It was $234 Badgley Mischka shoe marked down to $189 and then an additional 50% off! Plus the Living Social (I bought another one!) and it came out to $44!!! (total = $69 with Living Social). I easily rationalized that between the bridal shower, engagement party, and rehearsal dinner, these shoes would earn their keep. Plus, I do not have any other shoes that are really appropriate or similar. 

 You may be asking why do I need shoes for the wedding now, when it isn't for 9 months and the reason is because of this little deployment I start next month. You see, I have very little time to shop for anything between now and then, and as soon as I return from my deployment I will likely be off to Florida for my first dress fitting, bridal shower, and a bachelorette party. I will have absolutely no time to shop beforehand and I absolutely have to have my wedding shoes for the fitting to make sure the height is appropriate! 

See! I'm not crazy! 

 I was so excited about this deal that I had to share it with you!! They have all sorts of wonderful deals on the site right now and I am not sure how much longer that Living Social will be available!! 

Current Obsession - Chrissy Teigan's Cookbook

Current Obsession - Chrissy Teigan (and her cookbook)

**all pictures on this post are from her instagram account.

snap of @chrissyteigan's instagram account

With all the food websites and apps (like I talk about here) out there today, it is a wonder that people are still making and buying cookbooks. I know I have loved going through Barnes and Noble's clearance racks in the past in order to find some awesome cookbooks but I have not even done that in a couple years, and I am pretty sure I have NEVER paid full price for one.

That is all about to change the minute Chrissy Teigan releases her new cookbook.

I know some of you are probably thinking something along the lines of "I thought supermodels only ate lettuce and drank green juice" or "what could she possibly know about food" but I reeeeaaaalllllly have to disagree with you here and urge you to read on (and check out her social media). Her recipes have some serious kick!
I am obsessed with her making a cookbook for several reasons

The most important of these being that I am really just obsessed with Chrissy Teigan. If you haven't heard of her, I am sorry lol. She really started to pop up with scoring a spot in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 2010...but her marriage to the hunky John Legend has not hurt her star power either (he wrote All of Me for her.. *swoon*).

She is stunning (obviously) but more importantly she is HILARIOUS and so real. Have you seen her on Lip Sync Battle or Hollywood Game Night?? (If the answer is no, I urge you to remedy the situation asap). Seriously, put her at the top of my list of Celebrities I want to be best friends with right now.

How many super models post pictures of their stretch marks on instagram? Exactly. She does.

And she posts super sexy pictures that instagram takes down, so she re-posts them, and when they take them down again, she posts two more just sliiiiightly less racy. My kind of girl.

She posts almost as many pictures of her dogs on instagram as I do, which pretty much makes us kindred souls.

I first found her insta page when I saw a picture of her tomato basil soup (which she makes quite often it seems) and found out that she has an adorable food blog that I, of course, get the newsletter for. She cooks with her mom which is so sweet and the categories on her blog are "Stuff I Eat, Stuff I Make, and Stuff you Made". Simple and to the point, right? I love it.

But about this cookbook. I have to say, I wasn't really going to buy it at first (after all, I have her instagram and blog with pretty easy access) until she started posting pictures of the food staging for the book and I was sold. Clearly this is not your grandmother's cookbook. It looks like its going to be a combination of a memoir/cosmopolitan magazine/cookbook - and I love all of those on their own!

I have a feeling this book will be an excellent conversation starter and possibly even a new incentive for the hubs to cook with me. What do you think?

Anyone else excited for this gem to come out??

Relaxing in Flagstaff

After traveling so much this month, there are few places to tempt me driving 4.5 hours to get there...luckily our friends relaxing cabin in Munds Park near Flagstaff is one of those places.

We had hoped to be able to go for a hike but the weather was on and off drizzle so we just spent the weekend relaxing and drinking wine. Not the worst way, eh?

Both mornings we woke up and had coffee and fruit outside on the patio. The temperature was sublime after these triple digits in Vegas. There is something so peaceful about curling up on a couch outside with a cup of coffee surrounded by tall trees, don't you think?

While I could never live in a small town, I always love visiting those towns with a distinct "main street" with all the boutiques and kitschy stores lining the roads.

How fun are these knitting-covered bicycle racks? These are the cute things I love about towns like Flagstaff.

Since we weren't sure if we would be able to hike, I wore an outfit that was fit for shopping and hiking! My trusty skinny jeans are always good for gentle hikes so I paired them with some fun hiking boots I have, a cozy light sweater from gap, and my awesome new hat from Nordstrom to keep out the sun AND rain! I moved my purse into my backpack I purchased in Nazareth to be a bit more functional.

Always carrying my trusty water bottle

We had a bit too much fun in a vintage/thrift store and ended up with halloween costumes for the next two years!

If you're wondering, the answer is no...I could not see out of these....

We grabbed a delicious salted chocolate caramel apple to go. Always a great decision.

I was able to finish a book I started Friday called "Cut me Loose: Sin and Salvation after my Ultra-Orthodox Girlhood" that was just fascinating. I love memoirs and had read an article from the author about how she was ostracized even further after writing this book. I am always fascinated by the different extremes of religion and how people deal and develop under them so this book was a quick and interesting read.

I love having weekends with nothing to do but read and relax...the weekend went way too fast though! I hope you have a great week!

xx
Kali

Wednesday Wants - Fashion wants

I've decided to start a new series of posts for every Wednesday. 

Hump Day (as it is affectionately called) can be a struggle for most of us. It is that day that we want to be over almost as soon as it begins so we can start the countdown for the weekend.

In order to give the day a boost I have decided to start "Hump Day Happy Things" or "Wednesday Wants" or "Wednesday Wanderlust" - I haven't decided a title, so I may just use them all depending on the theme! I will keep each post short - just FOUR items no matter the topic, and hopefully mostly pictures and minimal words.

So here goes. This is my list of Wednesday Wants. Things I have had my eye on for a while now but are either way out of budget or on the line but I can't convince myself to spend the $$$. Lets admire them together =)

1. The Valentino "Rockstud" Pump. *swoon* I have talked myself out of buying this shoe several times now (and bought these Halogens to pacify me in the mean time) but I am keeping my eye out on Rue La La and Gilt for if they ever bring them out on sale....

2. A long luxurious trenchcoat...Like this Jason Wu Camel-Hair Capelet Trenchcoat

3. A pastel coat. While the Jason Wu above is from dreamland, this Guess Double Breasted Boucle Coat is on sale (as of the time of this post) and in a more reasonable price range. I have had my eye on it for a month now and keep talking myself out of it...for some reason, the last 6 months I have really wanted pastel coats and shoes...

4. Is there any girl who doesn't dream of a classic Chanel bag? The classic quilted flap bags are so iconic. A girl can dream.

So those are my current lusts for the week. Think of something you would like to see on this series? Comment below!

Why we love the Centurion

When Shai hears someone raving about a product, more than likely he will buy it or try it. So when we were at a Halloween party 2 years ago and heard 2 couples talking about the American Express Platinum card and all the awesome perks it has, the most important being that they waive the $450 annual fee for military - we were sold. 

There are tons of perks to the card but that's not the point of this post. You can read about those here. I am just going to talk about the one I get the most questions about - The Centurion Lounges at the airport.

Dining in Las Vegas

When you travel as much as we do (three round trip flights this month alone), you really start to appreciate customer service - pretty much because it is so rare at airports these days. American Express is all about the customer service. There are 6 Centurion Lounges in the country right now - Dallas, Las Vegas, LaGuardia, Miami, Seattle and San Francisco. We are lucky to live in Las Vegas so we really get maximum use from the lounge.

The Centurion is not just a place where you can sit and charge your phone - we will literally plan to arrive at the airport an hour earlier than we need to just so we can relax, eat a meal, and enjoy a couple cocktails before passing out on our flight -- all for free. When was the last time you wanted to spend MORE time than you have to at an airport??

The meals are catered by some serious Chef's - Vegas is currently showcasing Scarpetta's owner and chef, Scott Conant. Breakfasts have included Ricotta Pancakes with chamomile scented whipped cream and fresh berries and dinner may include Lamb and Beef Börek  or Quinoa Salad with chickpeas with  feta and lemon. The menu changes  monthly so we are always trying new things. My favorite breakfast is the baked polenta with mushroom, egg, and parmesan cheese. *swoon*

Salad, grilled zucchini, sweet potato soup, and Airmail and melon-infused water

Our favorite drink to order at the bar is the Airmail - 10 Cane Rum, Domaine Chandon Brut, Lime Juice, & Honey Syrup, but Vegas does have a complete bar to cater to every taste!  

Airmail

In honor of national tequila day, we ordered a Paloma on our last flight (Don Julio Reposado Tequila, Grapefruit Soda, Lime Juice). 

Paloma

If you aren't in the mood for a cocktail, they have an espresso/cappuccino machine and artisan teas as well. 

The décor is fresh, modern, and relaxing and the staff is always friendly. One of the little things I love are the baskets of fresh fruit all throughout our Vegas lounge - I have had fresh blood oranges, pomegranates, gooseberries (yes!), kumquats, Asian pears, nectarines, apricots, and lychees! Sometime I feel like I am grocery shopping for free when I leave with 4 or 5 pieces of produce in my bag for the trip!

Raspberries with lemon curd

Each lounge is a little bit different. The Seattle Centurion is actually a "Studio" so they have smaller dishes and snacks as opposed to heftier entrees and stick to the wine and beer list as opposed to cocktails. We actually checked out the Studio the week it opened! Just happened to have a layover in Seattle and our gate was right across from it! Happy coincidence !

Some of the Lounges, like Miami and Dallas, have spas and private shower areas while San Francisco has a Napa wine-tasting area!

Even if you aren't flying first class, for the time you are sitting in a Centurion, I have to say, you kind of feel like you are. While traveling can be insanely stressful at times, it is really nice being able to start, end, and sometimes break-up flights with some time in the Centurion. 

I even love their soap and lotion!

PS I found another article on why you should get it, even if you have to pay the fee, here -   " The $450 annual fee is an investment that'll pay for itself and then some if you use the benefits."