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

Less than a year out...

We are less than a year out and things couldn't be more crazy. The wedding planning has progressed slowly over the past two weeks.  May has been quite a busy month for us.  We were up in GORGEOUS Lake Toxaway for for the first two weekends of May celebrating my Mom's birthday and Mother's Day, and I just got back from New York for work on Friday evening.  It was a weird realization that I would not be spending my Mom's birthday with her next year as Kevin and I will be on our honeymoon.  We enjoyed a lot of family time and explored some amazing new hiking trails at Gorges State Park. 

New York was a blast, but it really made me appreciate living in Atlanta.  I was very happy to come home!  I went alone for business and had hoped that Kevin would join me, but we never got it to work out.  Unlike others, I don't mind eating by myself or traveling by myself.  I went up Wednesday afternoon for meetings that started on Thursday, so I found myself with an open evening in New York.  What's a girl to do? I luckily was staying at the InterContinental Times Square, literally a block away from the theater district.  I made my way to TKTS and scored a 50% off ticket to Phantom of the Opera!  Kevin was quite jealous as that is his favorite play.  It was awesome and a great evening! (solo traveling is not so bad when you have a theater right outside your hotel!)

Yesterday Kevin and I ventured to one of my favorite Atlanta entertainment spots, the Dekalb Farmer's Market.  Kevin had not visited and he was quite intrigued by all the food!  It is really quite a site.  If you ever come visit, it's somewhere I will take you- just for fun!  We came home and made lobster tails for dinner together- something about cooking in the kitchen together- quite therapeutic! 

Then we went to go see "Something Borrowed," the Emily Griffin movie I have been dyyyyying to see.  We were running a little late to our show time and me, being the anal person I am about time got a little anxious about the movie being sold out.  Kevin thought it was hilarious that I was getting so hyped up about a movie! It took us a while to find a parking spot which added to my worry that I wouldn't get to see the movie!  Thankfully, we made it in and found seats.  It was a phenomenal movie which I highly recommend.  Kevin said, "as chick flicks go, it was pretty good!"

This week will be pretty fast as I have a team building day on Tuesday for work.  The two options for the day that our team voted on were:
a) Braves game and lunch
b) Lunch outside and each person receives $20 to "pay it forward" in some form or fashion
I voted for option b as I really love the idea of "paying things forward."  As of Friday there was a tie 7-7 on the selection.

Mom will hopefully be in town this weekend to finalize my wedding dress selection.  I am so excited about this as I have narrowed down some GORGEOUS dresses!

Why is it that time goes by so much faster lately?