O-C-T-O-B-E-R

Hey Everyone! We are almost half way through with October and time keeps ticking.  I am so very grateful I have had an extended engagement! I don't know how people who get married in 6 months do it? 

I left off last time at the weekend of our engagement photo shoot.  It was so much fun to take pictures together and gave us a lot of great practice for the actual wedding.  Here are a few of my favorites so far....

So in a nutshell that is what we have been up to lately.  I spent last weekend up at Lake Toxaway (without Kevin as he had to work) celebrating my sister's 27th Birthday.  I was sick so I couldn't do much, but we had a lot of fun out on the boat. 

I will be hosting Amrita and Hrishi here in Atlanta this weekend! They are coming to visit with us and see Atlanta.  We have a few fun events scheduled for the weekend like the Roswell ghost tour on Friday night and a fun Italian restaurant in Innman Park on Saturday called Sotto Sotto.  We might even hit up the new movie Footloose, as for my 13th birthday, Amrita and I saw the play!

The invitations for our first wedding party went out this week.  It will be in Gainesville and is being hosted by some of my mother's close friends.  We couldn't be more excited about the party.  Now, I just have to find something fun to wear!

Next week will be a short week as we are headed to Athens (the first time I will have been back after getting engaged!) for my cousin's wedding.  We will be staying at the Hotel Indigo which is one of my company's hotels, which is always fun! We will be leaving on Thursday to head to Athens! We couldn't be more excited for this family wedding, the first big wedding on the Rentz side!

Hope all is well with everyone! More pics of Amrita and Hrishi's visit to come! XOXO

Happy Fall Y'all!

Well, we are in a completely different season it seems like since I left off last! So much has happened I don't know where to start!  Kevin and I have had some down weekends that were MUCH needed.  It seems like the last few weekendss of August were spent here in Atlanta which allowed us to get back to a little bit of normal.  We have been hanging out with friends, going to Braves games, and focusing on all that is ahead of us in the next two months!  We were invited by one of my dear friends that I met when I lived in Birmingham, Caroline Inge, to attend a restaurant opening of 5 Napkin Burger.  It was fun to hang out and dine on gourmet burgers! 

My Mom came to visit for an entire week and I was so thankful she did!

She came on Labor Day weekend and we had so much fun doing all kinds of wedding things! We met with several florists, ordered the invitations for the wedding, visited some rehearsal dinner locations, shopped for wedding event attire, found adorable flower girl dresses for the three flower girls, decided on church music for the ceremony...the list goes on and on...but we got a ton accoplished and that was a wonderful feeling! Here are some pics of the events throughout the week- the first is at a floral/event design shop and the second is at a rehearsal dinner venue.

The absolutle best part of our week together was a floral/event design walk through and mock up of the actual center pieces and tablescapes.  This was on Saturday the 10th and my sister had come down for this thankfully.  It was just amazing to see an entire room set up the same exact way that I had dreamed of! My face dropped when I walked in and saw my wedding vision come to life! I was a very happy bride!

Speaking of my sister, she was in town to accompany us to the floral mock up, but she ended up coming into town earlier than that as she had an 3rd round interview for a job at my company, InterContinental Hotels Group.  She ended up getting the job and we are all so excited that she is moving to ATLANTA! We will all be in the same city now! So the hunt for a place for her to live is in full swing as her first day is September 30th!

Last weekend, I ventured solo to the beach south of Panama City for my cousin Maggie's co-ed bachelorette party.  Jenna was supposed to come, but couldn't due to her looming move! So it was a long 6.5 hours in the car all the way down to Mexico Beach, but it was so much fun hanging out with the cousins and all of Maggie's bridesmaids. 

This weekend, Jenna is coming to Atlanta to find her new home away from home, as well as host a shower that we are throwing for Maggie at a coffee and wine bar called JavaVino.  Mom was invited as well so I think she will join us and then help Jenna on Sunday at her various appointments to see condos.  Fingers crossed they find something wonderful for Jenna.  Meanwhile, Kevin and I will be taking our engagment photos on Sunday afternoon.  The weather looks A-MAZING! We will be going to two different locations and will be doing a wardrobe change.  It's been fun and kinda crazy trying to get our outfits together for these photos.  I will share the pics as soon as the photographer gets them back to me!

So, that's what's going on in our world...Hope all of you are doing well!

XOXO,

Andra

Mrs. Kittery Van Sciver and SAVE THE DATES!

It's been a while but I HAVE to post pics and recall events from Kittery's wedding.  Kittery is one of my bridesmaids and close middle school/high school friend.  She is a dear friend and we were so excited to attend her Davidson, North Carolina wedding!  Here are a few pics that highlight the events!


Airport Arrivals of my best friends!



Rehearsal Dinner with BRIDEY:)

Getting Ready for the Wedding at my sister's condo

They are married!

Picture Time!

Gorgeous Reception location

Cake Cutting! So pretty!

It was such a fun wedding and seeing Kittery's family after such a long time was also a highlight! Can't wait to hang out with my best buds more during the next 8 months!

It's been quite an exciting week around here as we (ahem, my sweet Mommy whom I shall forever be grateful towards!) sent out our Save the Dates for the wedding! I am so thankful for those who reached out and commented on them- (Shout out to the Engelke's!) It's been fun to hear that everyone has received them! I personally designed them with a fabulous artist, Ashley Brooke Designs.  Mommy tied all the ribbons and while we were all having fun at Kittery's wedding she sent me this picture which got me so excited about sending them out!

........So, it looks like Kevin and I are finally going to be in Atlanta for a few weeks solid.  Next trip is to the beach for my cousin's bachelorette weekend in mid September.

UGA football starts next weekend! We are getting very excited around here! Hope everyone is doing well!

XOXO,
Andra

Tiffany and Parker's Wedding, Austin, TX

We had so much fun at Tiffany and Parker's wedding in Austin! We loved every minute...just wish we had more time to explore and play!  Kevin got more time to explore the city than I did, but we had so much fun and helped two wonderful people to the alter!


We hit the ground running on Thursday night at a group dinner of some family and bridal party.  Then we went to Tiffany and Parker's neighborhood to meet some more of their friends.

Friday was the big day for my mom and my Aunt Lauretta as they were giving the Bridesmaids luncheon at a beautiful mansion.  The floral centerpiece was quite a show stopper- they did a fabulous job and Tiffany really enjoyed it.  

The men came to scope things out while we were setting up...but then it was time to get outta there and explore UT's campus.

The men- in search of authentic Texan BBQ

The lovely Hostesses

Place cards that served as party favors! (and smelled really good too!)

The Bride!

It seemed like the bridesmaids luncheon flew by, and it was time to help Tiffany get packed up and checked in at the hotel! Then it was a quick wardrobe change and off to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner!

Daddy and Mommy!

Sweet Cousins Ryan and Megan and soon to be baby boy Fogg!

Dinner with lil' Steve and Aunt Linda

I was doing so well on photos up until this point! My duties as bridesmaid got serious the next day!  So these next photos are stolen from family members:)

Jenna and I had our hair done on Saturday morning and the rest of the day flew by! Tiffany looked absolutely gorgeous and we were so happy to be by her side!

Happily Ever After!

Now, onto the next wedding! Kevin and I are traveling to Charlotte tomorrow for Kittery Neale's wedding- she is also a bridesmaid in my wedding.  We are very excited to be picking up Amrita Ford and Whitney Smith tomorrow at the airport and start the weekend of festivities! We will also be sneaking in some time visiting with my sister! This weekend ends the world wind weekend travel schedule we have had since April.  We are so shocked that we will actually be in town for the next month or so.  So we are going to enjoy every last minute of Kittery's wedding- as attending our friends and families wedding has made it all the more real for Kevin and me!

Everything's Bigger in Texas...

I sure hope my hair gets more volume in Texas! Yep, we are headed to the great state of Texas tomorrow to celebrate my cousin, Tiffany's wedding to her fiance Parker.  This will be my second trip to Texas and Kevin's first.  Kevin and I were actually discussing on the way home from the lake this past weekend, that this is actually the first time we will travel by plane together! Odd, after dating for over 5 years- nonetheless, it should be interesting as they say traveling always is a good test of a relationship!

Thursday night is going to be fun once we get in- we are flying to San Antonio, renting a car, and driving into Austin.  Then Friday morning, my mom and aunt are hosting the bridesmaids luncheon.  We will have the rehearsal Friday night and dinner afterwards.  Then it's up and early as my sister and I are going to get our hair done together I have been trying to narrow down my options...I think I am going to go with something like this:

Then it's all about the bride and making sure she is ready:) We are so excited! I will be sure to post pics on twitter and on the blog after this weekend! Wishing Tiffany and Parker a lifetime of happiness!

XOXO-

It's been a while...

My apologies, I know- its been too long! I feel like I accidently took a summer hiatus.  And, the bad news is I am about to be out of pocket for another two weeks! So, I am sneaking in this post at work really quick before leaving to go to a co-workers Birthday lunch that I had planned today.

So I think I left off around my cousin, Tiffany's, bridal luncheon and bachelorette weekend at the end of June!  It was so much fun!  The cake that I had made was gorgeous and served as the center piece at The Swan House for the luncheon and for her bachelorette pre-party at my house.

 Kevin and I hopped over to our other cousin's wedding shower (Maggie and Greg who are getting married in October) from 3-6pm that Saturday.  Then we made it back quickly to prepare for Tiffany's evening portion of events...the Bachelorette party.  It kicked off at my house and then we went for fondue, followed by some dance clubs and bars.  It was really fun- and I hope Tiffany enjoyed every minute! It was so much fun planning the events with my sister, the MOH, and Tiffany's other bridesmaid, Rhonda!

The next weekend was 4th of July- which should have been renamed- the big RAIN of July.  We were up at the Lake in Toxaway and it seemed to rain all week long! The boat parade which usually has 10+ boats in it, had a measely 4 or 5.  But we got to sit on the dock and watch the fireworks and it was magnificent as usual!

Kevin and I went back up to the lake for July 7-10th.  It was a fun get away before the back to back weddings we have coming up!

A while back I asked my cousin's daughter, Madeleine if she would be a flower girl in our wedding.  She accepted (she is only 2) so really her mother, Ashley accepted.  Ashley was a flower girl in my parents wedding so this is keeping the tradition alive! So now we have 3 flower girls for our wedding and we couldn't be more excited about including them in our wedding!

This week we got the SAVE THE DATES in the mail which I had custom designed! I am so so thrilled at how they turned out! Can't wait for y'all to get them! I hope you love them as much as I do!

We also decided on our band for the wedding...keeping it a surprise because they are THAT GOOD! Kevin and I are so excited about their energy! It's going to be quite a PAR-TAY!

This weekend we are stealing in one more lake weekend (hooray we made it three weeks this summer to the lake!), then it's off to Austin, TX next Thursday for Tiffany and Parker's wedding weekend extravaganza! 

Then the first weekend in August, we are headed to Davidson for my bridesmaid and close high school pal, Kittery's wedding! We will be picking up my other bridesmaid's Amrita and Whitney and heading to stay with my sister for one night in Charlotte, then to Davidson for the big shindig! Kittery was so cute and already sent us girls our schedule of events for the festivities! We are so happy for Kittery and Artie!

So, that's what Kevin and I have been up to in a nutshell! Of course we have been going to a few Braves games and trying out new restaurants, but that is to be expected!

Hope everyone's summer has been great so far!

XOXO,

Our Whereabouts...

Kevin and I have not had one minute to catch our breath lately.  Last weekend was a lot of fun- so at least we are enjoying the time together even though every minute is programed to the max! Kevin admitted that he wasn't looking forward to our evening plan last Friday night.  We drove an hour and a half outside of Atlanta to Big Canoe to listen to a band that we were interested in for our wedding.  The band is famous for Sinatra-esque music.  Unfortunately for us, we were the only "young" Sinatra lovers in attendance last Friday as you can see from the photo below!

It was an outdoor music concert and you could bring a picnic and listen.  We got there extra early- just early enough to sit through the rain and wait for the concert to start around 7:30pm.

Kevin admitted after the night was over and we were safely back in Atlanta that it was really a lot of fun and he enjoyed our picnic and music- even if we were the only one's there under the age of 50!

Saturday morning we were on the road bright and early to head to Augusta for one of Kevin's collegiate friend's wedding and Father's Day.  Kevin's parents took us to lunch and then I did a quick change for the wedding and we were out the door for a 5pm wedding!  It was really neat to attend a wedding and experience all the details that the couple had put into making their special day come alive!  The reception was at a beautiful old southern mansion! 

We had a fun and relaxing Father's Day with Kevin's father and family-Always a treat to spend time together! Then we hit the road again to get back to Atlanta!  The weeks and weekends keep flying by!

This weekend my cousin and bride to be, Tiffany, is flying in to attend a shower that my sister and I are throwing for her at The Swan House.  We are doing a bachelorette party for her on Saturday night and she flies out on Sunday! I have been preparing all afternoon and Jenna and Tiffany should be here any minute! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

the DRESS....

This past weekend when my Momma and Sister arrived ...we BOUGHT my Wedding Dress! I had narrowed down my selections quite a bit and decided on a designer that I adored.  It was just a matter of selecting between several I really loved.  So, what's a girl to do when she likes elements of several? Design her own of course! Brides by Lori in Sandy Springs actually called the designer and we mixed and matched some of the elements on my dress with another dress that I also loved.  It was such a thrilling experience.  I don't think I stopped smiling all day!  It was definitely a long day, but the best part was that I got to prance around the store all day in the dress sample! Here's a sneak peak of my joy and happiness:

Straight from The ROYAL wedding, was TLC's Say Yes to the Dress moderator Monte Durham.  Couldn't believe he was actually at the store the day I was buying my dress.  He was a hoot and added so much spunk and creativity to our experience.  He told us all about British wedding traditions from Princess Diana's wedding to Duchess Katherine!  

It was an very successful day.  I even decided on a bridesmaid dress and color.  More details on this later.  Poor Jenn and Mommy had to stay over Sunday night since my wedding dress apointment lasted from 1 till 5pm on Sunday!~  We went out for Mexican afterwards and met up with Kevin.  It was quite a weekend of meetings and dresses, but so happy to dream about my dress and imagine the actual day!

Kevin and I are off on Friday night to hear a band that is performing in north Georgia that we are strongly considering for our wedding.  Then we are hitting the road on Saturday morning for one of Kevin's college friend's weddings in Augusta.  Then on Sunday we will get to spend Father's Day with Mr. Golden.  Happy Father's Day to all the Daddy's out there! Especially my Daddy who I love dearly!

Memorial Day Weekend

Last weekend was quite the trip! Kevin and I always love spending time with our respective families and it is always refreshing to see Kevin's side as there are a lot of little children that are so fun and cute to play with!

We ended up getting off around 2pm on Friday and started the trek down south.  Atlanta traffic wasn't terrible, especially when we had gorgeous country roads to look forward to as we got closer to Alma.  The first year that Kevin took me down to the farm, I had noticed a rural country road that was called "Rentz road."  I begged Kevin to let me get a snap shot of it this time, as next Memorial Day I won't be able to claim Rentz anymore!

Thankfully, my mom called right before we left Atlanta and told me to check the mailbox.  The newest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings was waiting for me and I was able to study the magazine on the way down.  Kevin gave Momma and me a subscription to the magazine when we got engaged.  One of the best parts so far of the wedding planning process has been talking to mom on the phone while pouring over the magazine together.  We both look through it alone and then dog ear the pages we want to discuss over the phone. 

A wedding related highlight of the weekend for me was being able to ask our adorable Flower Girls to be part of our wedding! Kevin's cousin's children, Grace and Emma, are the most adorable little girls and we were so thrilled that they accepted our invitation to be Flower Girls at our ceremony.  Grace and Emma along with another cousin's child on my side will be the Flower Girl troop.  I had a flower girl cookie made for Grace and Emma, just like I did for the bridesmaids.  Katy, my future sister-in-law was so sweet to take some shots on my camera for me of the moment when we asked the girls.  They were so excited and seemed to enjoy the yummy sugar cookie!  Emma- the younger one kept telling me about a dress that she already had that was white.  Hopefully, they will still be as excited 11 months from now!

And last but not least, the mile high hummingbird cake was delicious! I highly recommend the recipe.  However, make sure you think ahead and test out how high your cake dome is.  I had a to leave off the top two layers as the cake dome was not tall enough to accommodate the mile high height! The white chocolate cream cheese icing was heavenly!  It is definitely going to be a repeat recipe in our house!

Kevin and I are about to hit the road for the weekend yet again! We are headed to Augusta this weekend to stay with Kevin's parents and attend an engagement cookout party for one of Kevin's high school friends.  One of Kevin's groomsmen and his wife will be there and we look forward to catching up with them! 

Happy Friday everyone! Love to all!

Another check mark for the to-do list!

Yesterday, Kevin and I met for lunch as we sometimes do since our offices are so close (on the same road!).  We met with a purpose yesterday.  We had an appointment with our jeweler who helped Kevin design my engagement ring.  This was our second appointment with her to look at wedding bands.  We have been busy looking around at options, but decided to purchase our bands with Brittany at Ascot Jewelers.  She has been such a joy to work with and we are so excited that we have taken this step with her to help us along the way! My band of course matches my ring and Kevin's matches his personality so very well! We are so thrilled to have done this together and check it off the wedding "to-do" list!

Note: These are not our rings- just loved how cheesy this is!

We are headed to Alma, Georgia this weekend as usual for Kevin's family gathering on his mother's side.  I am looking forward to all the Southern food!  I am currently in the process of making a mile high 8 layer hummingbird cake! I have never made this recipe before, so wish me luck as I cut the 4 cake layers into eight tonight before I frost the cake! The recipe is from Oxmoor house which is affiliated with where I used to work (myrecipes.com) Hopefully it will look like this:

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice
• 2 (18.25-oz.) packages white cake mix (we tested with Duncan Hines)
• 2 (3.4-oz) packages vanilla instant pudding mix
• 6 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups milk, divided
• 2 cups canola oil
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 (4-oz.) white chocolate baking bar, finely chopped (we tested with Ghirardelli)
• 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
• 2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
• 2 cups chopped banana (about 3 medium)
• White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
• Garnish: toasted pecans

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
• 2. Drain pineapple, reserving juice for another use. Squeeze pineapple well using several thicknesses of paper towels to remove excess moisture.
• 3. Combine cake mix and next 7 ingredients in an 8-qt. mixing bowl. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes; beat at medium speed 3 minutes. Fold in pineapple, white chocolate, and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into 4 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
• 4. Bake at 350° for 34 to 36 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
• 5. Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 8 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. Repeat procedure 6 times. Place final cake layer on top of cake, cut side down. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Cover; chill in refrigerator overnight. Garnish, if desired. Store in refrigerator.
• Note: Cover cake in an airtight container and freeze up to 1 month in advance. Thaw in refrigerator overnight before serving.
• Test Kitchen Tip: To prepare a 4-layer White Chocolate Hummingbird Cake instead, use half of all ingredients in both cake and frosting recipes. Follow cake recipe as directed in Steps 1 through 4, except use only 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. In Step 5, slice the 2 cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Follow White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe as directed except microwave white chocolate morsels in Step 1 for only 1 1/2 minutes. Assemble cake as directed. Both the 8- and 4-layer versions of this delicious cake slice best after they have chilled overnight.

Oxmoor House
MARCH 2008

Happy Memorial Day weekend to ALL! Safe Travels!