July 1: I'll be loving you... forever

By Ali Siegel
Metromix

I'll admit it. I'm a New Kids on the Block fan (better known as NKOTB to true fans). In my elementary school years, I rocked the NKOTB t-shirts and big buttons. I slept on NKOTB sheets (and when at a slumber party, snuggled up in my NKOTB sleeping bag). My walls were adorned with NKOTB posters, and full pages from Teen Beat. I read NKOTB books, watching the cartoon and begged until my family begrudgingly took me to see them perform live at Busch Stadium.

Fast forward a few years (ok... more like, 15 years, but who's counting?)... and NKOTB is on the road again--a few kids and divorces in their hats, but overall, not really worse for wear. After seeing them at Scottrade Center last winter (that is another blog in itself), the boys are back in town... tonight. And how do respectable 20 and 30-somthings prep for such an event? An old-school slumber party, of course.

Last night, several of NKOTB's biggest fans (if I do say so myself) gathered to pay tribute to the "five brothers from Beantown" (don't judge). In celebration of the boys, we rocked our NKOTB finest, dined on band members favorite food and drink (including lasagna, Twizzlers and club soda), played the NKOTB games (both the card and board games), watched the original cartoons (and their performances on the TODAY show), completed our trading card sets and so, so much more.

My personal highlights of the evening? I'll just give you my top 3... I could go on all night, but I have to get to the concert!

1. When the NKOTB dolls emerged from their boxes for the first time to perform "live" on stage (side note... the stage was constructed on my lovely hostess's coffee table).

2. Eating Rice Krispie Treat Me Rights (get it?). Not only were they super yummy (did I mention that my hostess was a chef?), but I thought that the name was cute. Sue me.

3. Completing the word game "How many words can you get from Jordan Nathaniel Marcel Knight?". The answer? Ninety. We ran out of lines. No fair.

Did you celebrate NKOTB? What did you do to show your love? Leave a comment below and let me know!