What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday!  Thank goodness it's hump day!  I really, really have decided I don't like this day very much...the stress of the work week is in full force and the weekend seems sooooo far!  However, in an effort to make the best of it, here is what I'm loving today:

1.  That I only have 6 more work days left before I change my name!  Yippee!  I can't wait for a week off work...it's been too long!

2.  That today was the day that Anna Catherine, Kathleen, and I booked our first Girls' Trip in SIX years!!!!!  Yes, that's right, 6 years!  We are heading down to St. Pete in November to run in the Lady's Speed Stick Women's Half Marathon!  I've always wanted to run that half when it comes to Nashville, but September is just TOO hot to run here...in my opinion, anyway...I can't wait to get some fabulous sun and run a great race in just a few short months!

3.  That 3 weeks from tomorrow, my beau and I will be leaving on our HONEYMOON!!!!!  It will be wonderful to spend 11 lovely days touring all over Europe with my favorite person!  What a great way to begin our married life!

4.  Wednesday's off work!  Like I said above, I'm REALLY not a fan of Wednesdays...however, next week, it's like we get to skip Wednesday all together and instead get a mini-weekend right in the middle of the week!  Thank goodness for 4th of July!

5.  And always, I'm loving these 2 creatures:

What are you loving today?  Head over to Jamie's blog and share!

Weekend Updates

Well, hello blogworld!  Long time, no see.  I think it's pretty safe to say that the stress of wedding planning is kicking my butt!  HOWEVER, it's also safe to say that it's worth it and in the end, I'll be married!  So, what else could I hope for.  I'm saving this past weekend update for later in the week, since it was my big Bachelorette Party Weekend and deserves its own post.  However, let me catch you up on what's been going on the last 2 weekends.

Three weekends ago, was a big weekend for me...Friday night, my mom was in town and she and I had dinner with Alysia and her mom (Mrs. Jones).  It was so great for the 4 of us to spend time together!  We had a great time and a yummy dinner at Chuy's!

Saturday morning was time for me first dress fitting, then it was time for my Nashville shower (blog post coming soon), then that evening, Patrick and I attended our friends' Anna Lea and Wes' wedding.  The bride looked beautiful and the reception was a blast...which makes for a very successful evening if you asked me...a little later in the evening, Patrick and I decided to pull out the camera!

Me with my beau...

Junior Chamber Friends!

Patrick and me with Chase

Patrick having fun with the tamborine!

Patrick and I with the bride and groom!

On Sunday, Patrick and I played kickball in our last regular season game of the season and then we all headed back to my house to relax by the pool.

The following weekend started with a relaxing Friday evening at home, then I was up bright and early to head down to Bell Buckle for the Moon Pie 10 Miler.  I was originally supposed to run this race, but since I haven't been training appropriately, I instead just ran the first 3 miles with my friend, Anna Catherine, and turned around and walked back to the finish line to meet up with Mickey and Kathleen.  It was AC's first race ever (other than a 5K), and Mickey and Kathleen had a great time!  AND, I was able to get 6 miles worth of exercise!  Seems like a productive morning to me!

That afternoon, we headed out to Gooch Beach for Mickey's parent's annual pool party.  It was super fun, and I just love all of them!

Sunday was spent relaxing and then playing our last kickball game of the season...since Patrick and I were in the mood to do something fun...and not just spend the evening catching up on life, we decided to grab a yummy meal at The Other Place (a local neighborhood bar and burger joint) and then we decided to head to Grassy Knoll Movie Nights to watch The Sandlot.  It was the perfect end to a lovely weekend.

What have you been up to?

Happy Best Friend Day!



So...according to Carolina Charm's blog, today is Best Friend Day!  Oh, what a wonderful day to celebrate!  I am sometimes amazed at how fortunate I am to call soooooo many people my best friends.  Here is the list of all the special ladies (and gentleman) that I would like to celebrate today!  Love all you peeps so very much!

Laura, my sister and MOH

Alysia, my twin and good friend!

Anna Catherine, the one who made sure I got through grad school!

Kathleen, the one who made sure I survived moving to Nashville!

Andi, the one who made sure I survived my first job!

My Mama, the one who makes sure I survive those day-to-day stresses!

And finally, Patrick, the one who makes my life so much fun all the time!

Knoxville Shower

Do you ever have those posts that you want to be sooooo perfect that you keep putting them off because you want to make sure and take enough time so it's just the way you want?  Well, this is one of those posts!

I was so excited about my very first shower...like, way more excited than I should have been!  And it was everything I expected it to be!  It was hosted by one of my best friends and bridesmaids, Andi.  She took so much time to make sure everything was exactly right and there's no possible way it could have been more perfect!  Warning:  you are about to experience picture overload!!!!!

Here is all of the decorations and decor:

The drink and cake table

Cake pops!  These were chocolate flavored.

Red velvet cake and cupcakes and wedding cake cupcakes (these things were to DIE for)!

More cake pops!  Some of these were chocolate and some where yellow cake flavored

The food table!

Such a beautiful centerpiece!  Andi asked so many questions about my colors, etc, and I had no idea she was going to make everything coordinate so perfectly!

Yummy veggies and fruit!

Centerpieces at each of the guest tables...again, sooooo pretty!

Next up, a few pics of the guests and me:

Me with my mama!

With Laura...my sister and sweet MOH!

Me with the hostess, Andi!

Laura with my cousin, Kelley!

Sweet Kennedy made an appearance at the shower.

Aunt Carole and my cousin Kelley!

Just one more picture of the youngest guest at the shower!  She's so flippin' adorable!

Next up...gift opening!

Opening my first gift...and SOOOO excited!

Showing off my new towels!  

Laura fulfilling her MOH duties by recording all of my gifts in the notebook my mom bought me!

I'm cracking up in this pic because my cousin, Kelley, gave Zoey a gift and wrote the cutest poem to go along with it!

The only gift I didn't open at the shower!  It was too beautiful and I thought it needed to come back to Nashville in one piece!

It was truly a wonderful day!  I can't possibly imagine it being any more perfect!  The one thing that Andi did that made it so personal and sweet is that she took my picture with every guest at the shower.  Then she had each guest sign a photo album and write words of advice to Patrick and me.  She printed all of the pictures, put them in the photo album with the corresponding entry and sent the album to me the next week.  Here are a few pics of the album:

The front of the photo album!

A copy of the beautiful invitation is mounted on the first page! 

A sampling of the type of words some of my guests wrote to Patrick and me.

The first page!

So excited to get to do all of this over again this weekend as Kathleen, Alysia, and Anna Catherine throw me a shower for all of my Nashville friends!  Can't wait!!!!!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy, happy Wednesday!  This week, I'm changing things up a bit for What I Love Wednesday and making it all about weddings!

1.  I'm loving that all the hard work I have been putting in is FINALLY paying off and I'm seeing the number on the scales decreasing!  I have my first dress fitting this weekend, and I SOOOOO wanted to be at my goal weight for it!  Well, I'm happy to report that even though I didn't reach my exact goal weight, I am only 2.8 pounds away!  I have been hoovering at the 5 pounds away mark for SEVERAL weeks, and this week was definitely a break through!  Those last few pounds should definitely come off by the wedding! 

I am also loving that despite the fact that it has taken me wayyyyy longer than I intended to lose what I consider a small amount of weight (i.e. less than 10 pounds), I feel like I am making a true lifestyle change...one that can stick with me AFTER the wedding, too!

2.  I'm loving wedding parties!!!!!  And man do I get to spend this weekend celebrating!  I have my work shower on Friday at lunch (this one Patrick gets to come to, also) and then I have my shower with all my Nashville friends on Saturday afternoon.  I can't wait to spend several hours with some of my favorite people...both work peeps and non-work peeps! 

3.  I'm loving friends who throw said showers!  I'm realizing more and more everyday how fortunate I am to have so many friends both professionally and personally.  All of my girls are so important to me and I'm so fortunate for everything they are doing!

4. I'm loving Weddings! Yes, that's right...in keeping with the theme of this post I have to say that I'm loving all the weddings that Patrick and I have been invited to this year...and the first one kicks off this weekend! Our sweet friends Anna Lea and Wes are tying the knot on Saturday and Patrick and I intend to get our dance on and have a great time at their reception! Congrats guys!

5.  And finally, I'm loving my future groom!  He's so supportive and always willing to compromise!  With all the bad stuff I've heard lately about marriages ending and bad things happening in relationships, I can't help but sit back and realize just how lucky I am to have this guy in my life!

What are you loving today?  Head on over the This Kind of Love and tell us!  Oh, and while you're there, congratulate her on finding out she's having a sweet baby boy in a few months!

Wedding Invitations

Because I'm almost 100% certain that all of our guests have received our wedding invitations, I decided to do a little "reveal" on the ole blog.  We ordered them from Prim and Paper in Franklin, TN, and Melissa Sledge did an excellent job and was extremely reasonably priced!  I would definitely recommend her if you are looking for great looking invitations!

The actual invitation!!!!!  So exciting!

RSVP cards

The total package!

All boxed up and ready to deliver to the post office!

And now, for my favorite part...I found a link to Carolina Charm's blog a while back on Pinterest and I was instantly interested in this idea...she and her husband sent a wedding invitation to the president!!!!!  We decided to give it a try!  Apparently, he and Mrs. Obama will send Patrick and me a congratulatory letter.  We haven't received our letter, yet, but you better believe it will be framed and hung in our house as soon as we do!  So exciting!

So, that's our wedding invitations...very simple, yet, also very classic!  So exciting!  Even though this whole process has been very fun and real, sealing those envelopes made it even more real and official!  I can't wait for July 14!