Too Much Fun!

On July 9th and 10th, E and I were in LaGrange for a very special wedding. We came in at the last minute on this wedding as the MOB (Mother of the Bride) was basically suffering from the we-live-in Gainesville, the wedding-is-2 1/2 hours-from-here, last-minute, I'll-never-get-all-this-done, please-please-help-me syndrome. Very common. She actually had a very loving husband (FOB - Father of the Bride) who basically said, "enjoy the day with our daughter and hire someone to do all the things that need to get done that day." What a great guy.
That is, of course, where we came in. MOB gave us creative license with the Bridal Luncheon and boy, was that ever fun. The Lily Pulitzer Juice Bar pattern was the theme which I immediately fell in love with. E immediately fell in love with the charming little house where it was held, the bride's sorority house on campus.
After the Bridal Luncheon, we went straight to the reception site, the local country club, where things had to be confirmed, directed, tweaked, fluffed and made beautiful. Mission Accomplished. When the bride and the MOB arrived, they were beyond pleased and we were beyond thankful they were.
This family was awesome and we became fast friends. I know I say this every time but it is true. We continue to be blessed to work with the sweetest brides and families. We love, love, love our job.

Just a few details about this wedding. Because if you're like me, you adore the details.
Colors: Purple (Bridesmaids dresses), Ivory and Gold (table linens, chair sashes, wedding cake)
Bride's Shoes: Pink
Favors: Photo frames
Reception Fare: Ice Cream Bar - this was a BIG, huge hit! (It's July in middle Georgia after all)
Music: A Band that played fabulous music. BIG Hit!
The One Thing that Invariably Goes Wrong: Storm comes through, power goes out. No power = no air conditioning, no band, and melting ice cream. Thankfully, this didn't last too long and the ice cream was saved. Whew.

But the absolute biggest draw for this reception was this contraption below. I'm sure you recognize it . . . a photo booth complete with all the gaudy props you can imagine. Oh. Yes! E and I squealed like adolescent girls when we saw this. What could be more fun than getting in one of these things with those ridiculous accessories and making total fools of yourself? Not much. So after all our tasks were completed and the reception was running like a well-oiled machine, we just cut loose and put our own selves in there and had a huge time.




This speaks for itself. You can never, ever have too much just plain ole good fun.

Vacation - Final Installment

Well, I'm sure I've about worn out my welcome with these vacation posts but if you'll allow me just one more, I'd be most grateful.

Friday night was a fun, fun night! There was dinner and there was dancing. And I just have to tell you, I about pulled out my back cuttin' the rug with D. We had such a great time dancing together. That doesn't happen very often but when it does, we sure do enjoy it.

This was taken before the dinner. As you might notice, G and N coordinated their outfits. :)

Saturday night was the final night of the convention and it is the most formal of them all. I just have to say after all the tense moments with the bow tie, I think he pulled it off. And I like it. What a fashion confident man.

I just have to laugh when I look at this picture. E tells me this is the official "sorority girl pose." Apparently, they have perfected this look as the one that makes you look the tallest, thinest and most poised. So there you go . . .

Vacation - Part 3

Continuing on about the vacation. Wednesday was relaxing. No responsibilities. Pretty much one of those days you dream about. Biggest decision = what to wear to dinner. Love it.

Thursday was a big day because the GFIA Convention was now in full swing, D was busy with meetings and that evening was the Best Bagger Contest! This is the 5th year we have entered this contest and we had a state winner in the second year. Now, this may not seem like a big deal on the surface but considering we are competing with the big boys like Publix and Kroger, little ole JandJ, with its three stores, does pretty amazing.

Our best bagger, Sonata held her own with the guys (she was the only girl competing against four guys) but in the end, didn't come home with the prize. We, however, could not have been prouder of her. She's a great young lady!
Group shot:

Husband and children - oh, how I love thee.

Since the Last Post

I promise I have not forgotten to finish up the installments from the Vay-Cay but we just have to get caught up since the last post. We have had a big ole weekend of fun so I have to share. Oh, by the way, we will resume with the regular Thursday and Friday posts very soon. I just have to take a break every now and then.

So, Friday, I could hardly wait to get to the office because I knew that my girl and one of her bestest buddies were coming for lunch. Now, this is the weekend that E has been planning for weeks. In fact, she and I spent an entire day practically last week going over the details for this weekend. Yes, indeed, the Big Bachelorette Bash for E's best friend CP. CP will be tying the knot in Atlanta the last weekend in August and we are all pretty excited about that. In fact, I'm just making a weekend of it, going down early to assist our florist who is doing the flowers and then spending the night at the Marquis with my hubby. Oh the fun!
Anyway, lunch with these two amazing young women was beyond fun but time was short and they had to head on up to the mountains to get prepared. I hope I can show you some pictures very soon because this was some party!

So, after I did the radio show on Friday afternoon, I ran home to change clothes because D and I were headed down with one of our favorite couples to see the Gwinnett Braves play. Let me just say, if you have never been to a minor league ball game, you should go. It really is so much more fun than the majors. And Friday night was fireworks night! I just cannot tell you how much I love fireworks. I don't understand squat about how something ignites to something else and then it goes way up in the sky and makes such beauty but wow . . . it was great! It was hotter than blue blazes but we were six rows behind home plate (thanks LT) so it plain just didn't matter. We had a fabulous time!

Then last night, I had a little surprise in store for my sweet husband. As soon as he got home, I told him to change his work clothes, we were going to Atlanta. I had found a restaurant I knew he was going to love and sure enough, he did and so did I. It is The 57th Fighter Group Restaurant and it sits right next to the south runway at Peachtree-Dekalb Airport. It has a WWII theme in decor, specifically honoring the 57th fighter group. They even have headsets so that you can hear the pilots talk with the control tower. And I haven't even mentioned the food which was incredible. They are famous for their Beer Cheese Soup which the server let us try a sample of to see if we liked. We weren't big fans because honestly, it tasted just like beer and we never acquired that taste. But everything else we put in our mouths was amazing: the Bunker Salad, the Center Cut Pork Chop and Winston's Chicken. If you want a great dining experience, I highly recommend. If you're interested, check it out here:

http://www.the57threstaurant.com/index.html

When we got home, we decided to make it dinner and a movie. We watched our NetFlix selection in the comfort of our p.j.s, curled up on our own sofa. Last night's choice: Couple's Retreat. Have you seen it? It wasn't bad but I'm glad we didn't pay $20 to see it at the theater.

Today, I've had to rest up from all the excitement. It indeed has been a quiet day after a wonderful church service this morning. This afternoon, I did, however, have to give back my favorite dog in the whole world who has been keeping me company this past week while her family went on vacation. I've asked her family if they would consider shared custody but so far, that hasn't happened. I can only hope.

Vacation - Part 2

The first installment of this vacation dissertation got us not quite through Monday of our vacation week. After dinner that night, D and I and his parents went to the Disney planned community of Celebration. You just have to love a town named Celebration. We were on a mission to see a movie and that was the closest theater according to our GPS. So when we got there, there were two movies showing. It took me awhile to figure out that a movie theater in the Disney town would only show Disney (Pixar) movies. So guess what we saw? Toy Story 3. I really liked it. It actually gave me that closure I desire as Andy is going off to college and Woody and the gang are no longer feeling significant in his life. Please don't think me hormonal but I shed a few tears.

On Tuesday morning, the boys had an early tee time so E and I went to the gym. I know, I thought it was a ridiculous thing to do on vacation too but we did it anyway. After that we prepared ourselves for a shopping adventure. But before we left, E came up to our room to do something she has always wanted to do - flat iron my hair. See for yourself the results below. I kept telling her, "as long as it isn't too flat on top." You've heard it said, the bigger the hair, the closer you are to God. So I adhere to that philosophy and always have a little fluff on the top. All in all, I liked it. Not sure I can do it myself so this may be the one and only time my hair looks like this.

Our first stop (always) was for an large unsweet tea from McDonalds. That will sure enough give you what you need to face the day. Since I've sworn off Diet Cokes, these large teas have been my saving grace. You'll also notice that our shopping trip was productive. We went to the local premium outlet mall and made a beeline to the Ann Taylor Loft. We are quite fond of Miss Ann's selections. We then found our way to our favorite store ever, Target and spent the good part of the morning in there. There is just something exciting about going in a Target you've never been in before: the smell of the popcorn, the exhilaration of discovering the different store layout and of course, the possibility of new selections in the shoe department. Oh. dear. It was so fun.

Before we left the room, E happened to look out the door and look who we saw? Our boys playing hole #4.

We met them for lunch and then did more of the same that afternoon: Pool. Read. Repeat.

I'm Back from a Bloggy Break

I just cannot believe it has been 2 1/2 weeks since I landed here last. But sometimes a girl just has to take a vacation even from her blog. Let me tell you, a lot has been packed into these past weeks - a trip to Savannah to see Paula, a wedding weekend in LaGrange and a week-long stay in the land of Orlando, just to name a few. And I just can't wait to tell you all about it but because there is so very much, we'll take it in installments. I'm sure the excitement of it all would be a bit overwhelming. :)

Let's start with last week - the vacation. It was my favorite kind of vacation - full of family, books, the pool and food. (We were at a food convention, after all). My absolute favorite thing to do on vacation is first of all, be with my family and second, to sit by the pool (or beach) and read. And that is exactly what I was blessed to get to do. Here is E's book for the week - "Savor the Moment" by Nora Roberts. It is the third book in the series called "Bride Quartet" about four women who are wedding professionals and work together for their company called Vows. One is a photographer, one a florist, one a planner and this particular book is about the one who creates the wedding cakes. As you might guess, E and I adore this series and can hardly wait for the next one to come out, except that it will be the last and we hate for it to end.

This was one of four books that I read last week. The interesting thing about this book is that it is set in Mimosa Branch, Georgia which is remarkably similar to Buford, Ga where the author actually lives. And doesn't Mimosa Branch sound strangely like Flowery Branch? A very cool read because it mentions Lake Lanier and Gainesville often as well as many surrounding towns.

I also read "The Help" which was fabulous. It is set during the early 60s in Jackson, Mississippi. And I read "Fireworks over Toccoa." This book was set, as you might guess, in Toccoa, Georgia. I guess there is theme here for the week with the Southern authors writing about Southern towns. The last book, "The Kite Runner," however was set far, far away from north Georgia in Afghanistan. Not a light read but good. Oh, how I love a good book.

This was the view from the pool at our room. We were on the 7th floor right there on the corner.
Pretty in pink! This pic was taken Monday night before dinner. Two beautiful women!

We couldn't leave our handsome men out! G and his friend hadn't arrived on the scene yet because they stopped on the way down at their favorite fishing hole, Amelia Island for another quick trip out to sea.

This is what D and I looked like most of the week. It was heavenly.

What I love about July 2010!

Happy 4th of July!!! Just remembering those who have served and are continuing to fight for our freedom today! Thank you to all those men and women!

Well, I'm kinda bummed this morning because I really should be in downtown Atlanta watching my husband and son-in-law run the Peachtree Road Race. But guess who came down with something, I'm not sure what, last night and feels yucky? Yes, me. I started running a fever about 6:00 p.m. and from then on I could hardly put one foot in front of the other. Who knows? I went to bed and feel some better this morning but could hardly get up at 4:30 a.m. when the alarm went off to go to the road race. I've been getting updates from E as she is quite the woman and went down with her in-laws at the crack of (before) dawn to cheer them on. Let me just say this, I'm quite impressed with my husband. He is one disciplined man. He eats only healthy foods and exercises on a regular basis. He's running a 9-minute mile and he's . . . 50-something. :). I can't wait to hear how it went!

I have so much to tell you that went on last week but I'm going to control myself and save that for another day!

So, what up in July?

1. Today, of course is the 4th! We are planning on going out on the boat this evening, having dinner there and then watching the fireworks on the water. There are several of us going so my contribution involves grilled vegetables, a green salad and the paper products. So I thought I would be festive and do this:

After that, I really got in the spirit and decided to do some chocolate covered "sparklers" (inspired by Martha Stewart). I'll give these as favors for all to take home.

Here's D's official "badge of honor" for the road race this morning.

2. This week is loaded with tons of good stuff on the calendar: Bible study, shopping with E, meeting with a young lady who I'm honored to mentor, a hair cut (woohoo!), office work, radio station, etc. Life is good and so fun!

3. Then on Friday and Saturday, we are headed down to LaGrange for a wedding! We love our job so much! I'm so excited about this wedding I can hardly stand it. The bride's family is from Gainesville but the bride went to school in LaGrange and met her groom there. Oh, they are doing some very cool stuff . We are helping with the Bridal Luncheon, held at her sorority house and it has a Lily Pulitzer theme, which I adore. Then we'll be working with the reception, held at their local country club. In addition to all of the traditional elements, she is adding an ice cream bar and photo booth. I just love how every bride's vision for her wedding is different. We are so blessed to be a part of this weekend with this family.

4. I will return late late on Saturday night only to leave at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning to go on VACATION!!!!! I can hardly wait! We are headed to Orlando and will have a few days of fun in the sun before the Georgia Food Industry Convention begins on Wednesday. It is so fun. You want to know the best part? All of my children are going! At one point in the planning, none of them could go. I love it - one week of fun with the family! yea! The best bagger from the store and her friends are going to come down to participate in the best bagger contest on Thursday night. And that is a blast! I'm so ready for this week I can hardly stand it!

5. Later in the month, we'll head down to the Mart in Atlanta to do some heavy duty buying for the WindowShop. It's time to think about Christmas so we'll be knee-deep in trees, wreaths, Santas and ornaments right here in the middle of July.

6. I've got to admit the rest of the month is pretty quiet which is just fine because August is already proving to be quite the busy month. I have some cleaning goals for those last two weeks of July. Our home office is a mess. Things are begging to be cleaned and organized. This will be a project but it has to be done.

Also, I am finally finishing up the guest bedroom (E's old room). G has agreed to take on the painting portion of this project for which I am extremely grateful. My goal is for the room to be completed by the end of the month. I got a beautiful bed from the Paula Deen collection. I also have a chair and bench in there but they both need to be recovered. I have a nightstand/table that I got at a yard sale that I love but it needs to be repainted. So there is lots of work to be done.

Have a safe and wonderful 4th!!

Food Friday

Wow, this week has flown by! I'll be back soon but I wanted to leave you with a great recipe for this weekend. If you've never made this recipe, you will want to stop what your doing and go make it. It is just that good . . . and easy.

Hope you enjoy it!

Corn Casserole

Ingredients:
1 15 1/4-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1 14 3/4-ounce can cream-style corn
1 8-ounce package corn muffin mix (recommended Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Shredded Medium Cheddar Cheese

Directions
1. In a large bowl, stir together the two cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and butter.
2. Pour into a greased casserole.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Top with generous amount of cheddar cheese and return to oven for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.