Lake Havasu City + eShakti Review

Once upon a time, a young, newly single girl, got a job at a nursery.  Next door was a cafe, where she would run in for coffee. As the weeks went by, she became friendly with the staff and they started bugging her to come work for them.  The girl had never worked in the service industry and couldn't imagine having to go table to table TALKING to people for a living, so she kept turning them down.  Then they offered her a Barista position, where the only people she'd have to talk to would be the staff and an occasional walk-in customer.  She took the job.

At the same time, she was buying her first house and had a mortgage to pay, so she worked as many hours at both jobs as she could.  The Barista position eventually turned into a full-time server position, and whatdya know, she discovered she could actually converse with other human beings.

The Mom, soaking up some rays by the pool.

The Dad and I spent almost every morning here.

You've probably figured out at this point that "she" is me.  A 25-year old, trying to find her way in the world.

At this little corner cafe, there was a server named Danny.  He was probably one of the most outgoing people I had ever met and we chatted it up every time I dropped in, before I ever worked there. Shortly after I got the job, he mentioned one day that we should exchange numbers so we could hang out.  So the story goes (his story - I SWEAR I never remember saying this), I proceeded to respond with:  "We can hang out, but you're not gonna get any."
And so began a friendship that I will forever be better for.  

The Dad, Danny, The Mom, and our fellow Oregonian and flying companion, Jason Moore.

In Vegas, waiting for the Montana folk to fly in.

We went through the stage where we stayed on the phone all night, talking about millions of different things, one of us inevitably falling asleep, instead of just saying goodbye and hanging up.  He introduced me to the radio program Coast To Coast, which I still, to this day, listen to every single night to fall asleep.  

And then one day, he disappeared.  Stopped calling and essentially dropped off the face of the earth.  I had met a guy I was dating (The Dad) when he first started to become scarce, and while he was gone, I got married and had a baby.

Everyone finally together at the Vegas airport.
In the back:  Jason and Jason Moore.

In the front:  Danny, The Dad, Me, and Jason's wife, Josie.

Then, one day, I got a call from jail.  When he tells the story, he says mine was the only phone number he could remember.  I ended up getting phone numbers for both his parents, whom I had never met, so I could coordinate all that getting out of jail entails.  Those years that he was MIA were not good ones.  He's done a lot of work to move past them.  Maybe, one day, if he says it's okay, I'll tell the story of where the downward spiral began.  Not something I would wish on my worst enemy.

Danny, The Dad, and Me.

Danny and The Dad.

The day before the wedding, Danny's mom threw an amazing party for all the wedding guests at the house she was renting while in town.

There was so. much. food.  Picture me in my happy place.

Except, it was 980 degrees.

I pretty much sat, without moving, the whole day.  Just like in this photo.
Plus, there's the whole anti-social thing.

Fast forward 8 years...he's been in Arizona, where his dad and step-mom live, working toward building a life.  

He's the General Manager of one of the biggest restaurants in the city.

And he's rockin' it, like I knew he could.  And would. 

He reunited with his high school sweetheart.  They have a 3-year-old daughter, and on June 8th, I had the privilege of attending their wedding.  It was also a mini reunion with two of the other guys from that cafe where it all started.

 Those poor guys in all black.

It was SO hot.

 The happy couple, exchanging vows.

 The wedding party.

Danny, The Mom, and Karrie.

Life is crazy, kids.  We had an AMAZING vacation and it was so awesome to spend time with these guys, after all these years.  The Dad had only met Danny and one of the other guys from the restaurant once, but they were all like long lost friends.  I got to meet parents, family, friends, and I kept telling everyone that someday, we're bringin' him back to Oregon to be with us.

The three stooges.  

These guys do not suck at all.

Until then, we'll continue to be best friends over the phone.  

I love that human so dang much.  He's one of the most amazing people on the face of the earth.  

Really.  

He's the kind of person you want to introduce to everyone you know because you know they'll love him as much as you do.

And I'm so happy for the both of them.

They deserve it more than anyone.

The Dad and The Mom, in front of the London Bridge.

Enough about feelings, let's talk about that dress I wore to the wedding.  Months ago, I got an email from an eShakti rep, wanting to know if I'd like to order one of their dresses to write a review about.  I needed a new dress for the wedding, so I was like SUUUUURE.  Can I just tell you, I had the hardest dang time choosing a dress!  They are seriously all really, really, really cute.  I was askin' family and neighbors to help me decide. In the end, I went with my gut, and chose the one I kept going back to.

This is the photo of the dress on their website.

Source

The best thing about this company is that you can order anything on their website in a size 0 to 36.  Any of it.  Annnnd, if you really love a dress, but hate the sleeves, or the length, or the neckline, you can change it. Annnnd, if you're not an off-the-rack size, you can send them measurements and they'll make the dress to fit you.  What what?!  I fluctuate between about a size 6 and an 8, but finding a dress to fit that isn't stretchy material is hard, 'cause if it's small enough for my tiny little butt, my boobs don't fit in it.  If I pick a size that's good for my bust, it's too big on the bottom.  Soooo, I went with the custom measurements to see how they'd do. I couldn't wait for it to come in the mail.  I was so nervous when it came time to try it on.  I wanted it to fit soooo bad.  It was a little snug right under my armpits, so I don't know if that was my bust measurement or my shoulder measurement, but after having it on for awhile, I didn't notice it at all, so it turned out perfect.  I love it and would definitely order from them again.  They have shirts, skirts, and coats, too.  Honestly, once you get on the site, you'll be there ooohing and ahhing forever and I HATE to shop for clothes, so that's sayin' somethin' comin' from the likes of me.  They're on Pinterest, too, if you prefer "shopping" that way.  And if you're a Facebook "liker", you can find them here:  eShakti

Anywho, my overall review is positive and the dress I received was great quality, the prices are extremely reasonable,  and hello, it was custom made for me!

Win, win.

I received a free dress from eShakti to review.

All opinions are 100% my own.