Bachelorette Party

A few weekends before the wedding my sister (and also maid of honor) threw me the most fabulous Bachelorette Party ever!  I wanted the ultimate girly weekend; full of all of my favorite Nashville outings, and NOT quite so focused on the "going out" side of things.  I LOVE those types of bachelorette parties...don't get me wrong..however, I really wanted to just have a relaxing weekend with the girls.  Warning:  PICTURE OVERLOAD!

The weekend got started with happy hour/dinner at Zumi Sushi, which happens to be one of my favorite sushi restaurants in town.  Next up, we headed to Cabana, one of my favorite drink locations.  I have to admit, I MAY have drank a little more than I should that night and it MAY have hindered my drinking for the remainder of the weekend!  Still had a great time though!

All the ladies at dinner!

Laura and Andi enjoying the evening!

So glad Andi could make it into town in time to see me tipsy!  =)

Me posing with Kathleen!

This may have been the drink that started it all!

Or maybe it was this one...Alysia?  Do you remember?

Me with the next one to get married...the now Mrs. Ray!

After getting a much needed good night's sleep, Saturday started early with a mani/pedi at The Nail Bar.  It was so fun to relax with the ladies and have some pamper time!

Love the way this place is decorated!

Katie and I enjoying our pedicures!

I have claws!  Getting my shellac taken off!

Now on to the manicures!

Once again, the whole gang!

After the spa, it was time to head to the pool!  I can't think of anything better to do on a warm summer Saturday than laying by the pool with some of my favorite ladies!

Next up was time for the lingerie shower!  I have to admit, I was a little nervous about this part, but it was so much fun!  And I got some AMAZING stuff!  I think I got something to wear every single night of the honeymoon!

Pretty nighty! 

I love the black with the white lace!

My sister said she couldn't get me anything sexy, so instead she got me Hello Kitty PJ pants!  How comfy and cute!

My mom (who didn't attend the Bachelorette Party but sent a gift with my sister) thought it would be hilarious to give me a nightgown that had been given to her before her wedding! 

So funny!  I'm sure Patrick would have LOVED it!

After the shower, we loaded up the cars and headed down south to Arrington Vineyards for a night of drinking wine, relaxing, eating and enjoying each other's company.

The cake Laura made -- It was PINK velvet!

Me with the greatest Bachelorette Party Planner EVER!

Enjoying the beautiful sunset!

Some of the ladies hanging out!

One last group shot of the weekend!

Such a lovely place!

On Sunday morning, the weekend was wrapped up with brunch at MadDonna's!  I got the Captain Crunch French Toast and it was amazing!

Such a fun weekend and I couldn't ask for a better group of girlfriends!
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On a totally unrelated note, if everyone would do me a really quick favor and say a little prayer for my beau!  He is having arthroscopic knee surgery this morning and while it's very minor surgery, I'm sure he's not going to enjoy taking it easy for the next few days (he doesn't do that very well).  =)  Also, I could probably use a prayer or 2 also, since he's already started referring to me a Nurse Melrose.  =)

Thanks everyone!

Weekend Update!

Oh, what a weekend!  Monday, why do you have to come so quickly?  At least you tell your friends, Friday, Saturday and Sunday to have fun while they are here.

Friday night, I headed down south to Cool Springs after work to meet up with my beau and his co-workers for their End of Month Party at Dan McGuinness!  It's always so fun to spend time with everyone enjoying the end of both the month and the work week!

Saturday morning, I was up EARLY to run 6 miles...it wasn't the easiest 6 miles I've ever run, but I finished, and sometimes that's all you need...to be able to cross something else off your "to do list."  Speaking of to do lists...about the time I finished with my long run for the week, my mom arrived to help me with my long list of things that need to be done at my condo!  We pretty much spent most of the day cleaning and packing and organizing and even though we didn't get completely done, we made a big dent in the task and I feel much better about where things stand!

During the middle of the day on Saturday, I took a break from the cleaning and headed over to Chases' house for Zoey's first ever Puppy Shower.  Yes, you read that correctly...Chase just got a new dog and he hosted us all to his house for a Puppy Shower to honor his new pooch!  I couldn't stay the entire time, but I hear that both Korndog (Chases' new doggy), Zoey, and all the other animals had a great time!  Here is a pic of all the dogs!

  After doing a little shopping that evening with my mom, we pretty much passed out early!

Sunday was mainly spent going to church, then lunch with my mom and Patrick, and then relaxing the rest of the day.  Sunday also happened to be mine and Patrick's Engagiversary, and we decided to celebrate by having a nice dinner at Kayne Prime...and oh, man was it delicious!  I think we both agreed it may have been the best meal we've ever had...and definitely worth breaking the diet for one night!

What did you do this weekend?  Hopefully, it was as lovely as mine was!

New Motto

A little over a week ago, I decided that I need to make several improvements in my life.  I don't eat healthy enough, I don't workout enough, I don't work fast enough at the office, I don't get up early enough, I don't spend enough time with Zoey, and I'm not always the greatest wife.  I know, I know, we all have our faults...but I sometimes feel that everything is fighting against me rather than making me feel at peace and content.

One morning, I woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep.  I really thought about what the best ME would look like.  I decided that the list to become "perfect" was far too long, and instead of trying to fix everything in one day, I would create a new motto for myself:  Be better than yesterday's version of myself.

No, I can't change everything about myself that I don't like in one day...however, I CAN start each day by asking myself what about the previous day I would like to change..and work on that!

So, I've been doing this for about a week, and so far, so good...I can't say that my life has been perfect, but I can say I have made the following positive changes:  I've started back on Weight Watchers and I've actually lost some weight; I'm drinking my water every day; I'm working out much more than I had been previous to this change; I'm getting a lot more work done at the office; I have taken my beau on a date night to a restaurant of his choice; and honestly, I'm just happier.  I think the best change I have made through all of this is that I'm more positive and try to look on the bright side.

No, I know I'm never going to be everything that I would like..however, I can work to be that person every single day...and that's what I intend to do!

Weekend Updates!

Well, it's been awhile since I graced the ole blog with my presence, but it's been busy around the Sun Household.  

Three weekends ago, we celebrated Stacy and Chris' wedding!  It was a beautiful evening at the Noah Liff Opera Center, and we had an excellent time!  Too good of a time, seeing as how I spent most of the day on Sunday recovering!  Since my pics are stuck on my phone (apparently, I have misplaced my power cord in the combining of households), here is a pic I stole off Mickey's Facebook page:

Alysia, Kat, and me with the beautiful bride!

Two weekends ago, we attended a fundraising event for my friend Laura's 30 Under 30 campaign.  It was a super fun date auction, and Patrick and I even scored a date night of bowling in the silent auction!  

On Saturday, we had a few people over to cheer on the Vols to victory against the Gators...apparently, our cheers weren't loud enough because they came up short...however, Sweet Zoey was doing her part:

On Sunday night of last weekend, Alysia's mom made us the best home cooked dinner I've had in quite some time!  It was so yummy, I took a picture of it!  Thanks Mrs. Jones!

This past weekend was pretty girls focused.  Friday night was Laura's big 30 Under 30 Finale and she invited several girls out to enjoy the festivities.  It was a super fun event...and of course, my pics are stuck on my camera!  Sorry Laura!  I'll get you pictures as soon as possible.

On Saturday morning, my beau and I took Zoey to the Dog Day Festival at Centennial Park.  It was super fun and she had a great time.  Here are a few pics of the day:

She was dying for some treats...clearly!

It was hilarious how scared she was of this "dog!"

Look at this Mastiff!  The owner said he weighs over 175 lbs!

The rest of the day included a mani/pedi, some time hanging out at Chase's, and a bachelorette party for Katie.  

Sunday, we went to the most exciting Titans game ever and had a great time!  

Patrick and I finished the weekend off with a dinner date night.  The perfect end to an excellent weekend!

Recipe Binder

A few weeks ago, I discovered the cutest idea on Pinterest.  It was a link to Wifey's Notes, blog and she explained how to make the cutest recipe binder.  In my time off this past weekend, I took it upon myself to buy the supplies, gather up my favorite recipes and make myself a recipe binder.  Here are some tips for how I organized mine:

1.  I chose a really cute binder...I figured I would be much more likely to take care of it if I actually liked the way it looked.

2.  I also got really cute dividers...Afterall, I wanted to fully commit to this.

3.  I created each of the following sections so it would be easy to find everything:  Beverages, Appetizers, Salads, Vegetables, Soups, Pizza, Sandwiches, Pasta/Rice, Potatoes, Meats, Seafoods, Breads and Desserts.

4.  I also created a Tips/Tricks section for all those little things you read in magazines and cookbooks that you always wish you could track down at a later date.

5.  I used page protectors for each page so that I don't have to worry about those little drips that always happen in the kitchen.

6.  I also only used my favorite recipes and tried not to include items that I wasn't sure I would ever make.  In other words, I only want it to be recipes that I need on a regular basis.

7.  So, for my first Pinterest organizing project, I was pretty pleased!

Nashville Shower

On Saturday, June 9, my Middle Tennessee BFFs threw me the nicest shower.  Alysia, Anna Catherine, and Kathleen all came together and hosted a great event.  There was really yummy food, delicious cupcakes, a recipe book that was assembled with favorite recipes of all the guests, and some really fun games.

Some of the games were "Who Knows the Bride Best" and a celebrity couple matching game.  However, my favorite was when Alysia asked me questions about Patrick and then to find out the answers we all watched a video she had recorded of Patrick answering the same questions.  It was really funny...especially since I didn't answer MOST of the questions correctly!  Apparently, when THAT happens, I had to chew a piece of double bubble...needless to say, I could have blown a serious bubble with all the bubble gum I had in my mouth!

Here are some pictures of the wonderful party!

A Banner That Read "Best Wishes Melissa"

The Delicious Food

The Cupcake Collection - My Fav!

Me With the Lovely Hostesses!

Me With My Mama!

A Few of the guests!

More Guests Playing a Game!

Clearly I'm Pretty Excited About Opening Gifts!

And the Excitement Continues!

Miss Abby Got to Help, Too!

Me Opening the Painting that Kat, AC, and I did together back in the spring.  I was the only one who thought the pic wasn't terrible, so I a "surprise..."  I get a set of three of them!  Oh, joy!  Won't Patrick love having these hanging in our dining room!  =)

At the end of the shower, my beau stopped by to help carry home the gifts!

It was a great shower, and I had a wonderful time!  These girls are all 3 very special to me, and I couldn't have been happier with the way everything turned out!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Hi lovely ladies!  How is your Wednesday?  Here is what I'm loving on mine:

1.  Weddings!  Patrick and I have another wedding to attend this weekend for our friend's Stacy and Chris!  We are so excited for them and I can't wait to dance the night away with my beau!

Thanks Stacy, for allowing me to steal this from your Facebook page!

2.  Organizing!  My beau and I spent most of our Labor Day weekend working in our house and it feels so good for it to finally feel like home!  We have organized most of the major rooms we use on a regular basis and while we still have a ways to go, I am so pleased with how it's turning out!

3.  Football Season!  Every year it sneaks up on me, but every year, I am so happy to welcome it with open arms.  Yes, being from the south, football is ingrained in my soul.  I love my Saturday afternoon Vols games, my Sunday afternoon Titans games and of course, my all girls Fantasy Football league!  Heck, I even got up early this past Saturday morning to watch ESPN's College Gameday.  Yes, some may call it a sickness, but I call it a way of life!

4.  Running 5Ks!  I MAY have been accused of enjoying running in 5Ks a little often recently...well, just to explain, I am training for another half marathon in November, and to be honest, registering for 5Ks holds me accountable...yes, I know they are usually at least $30, and I also know that all I get for them is a t-shirt that I may or may not actually wear out in public...but there is nothing more fun "exercise wise" than running in a race...besides they almost always benefit a charity...so there!  =)

5.  And finally, I'm always loving these 2!

What are you loving on this lovely Wednesday?  Head over to This Kind of Love and tell us!

Busy/Not-So-Busy Weekend!

I told Patrick earlier today, that I have no idea how a weekend can seem both busy and relaxing at the same time, but that's exactly the way this one went.  It started when I left work early on Friday for a MUCH needed haircut!  Wow, does it feel better to finally have a fresh do!  After that, I met up with Patrick and some of his co-workers to watch my Vols beat up on NCSU!  It was a great game and I was very proud of how my alum mater played!

Saturday morning, we decided to head out for a yummy breakfast!

I love Fido!

After that, it was time to relax at home for the REST of the night!  It was wonderful!  I got so much done, too!  I made a recipe binder (blog post to come) and I also made a yummy dessert of Toll House Pie (again, blog post to come).

Sunday was much like the day before, except we got a ton of stuff done!  We finished organizing our kitchen, I also organized our remaining wedding gifts, and we also took a marathon trip to the grocery store. Sure, a little on the dull side, but it was wonderful, and exactly what I needed.

Monday, I was up early to run in the Franklin Classic 5K and then I spent the afternoon running errands...including a trip to Target with Patrick to spend more of our wedding gifts cards!  Woohoo for free stuff!

Again, it may not seem like the most exciting of weekends, but to me, it was heavenly..I knocked a ton of stuff off my to do list and I also got to spend some time with my favorite guy!

How did you spend your Labor Day Weekend?