A Matter of Tayst (aka The Rehearsal Dinner)

We interrup this blog post to say something that isn't often in this southern gal's vocabulary:

IT'S SNOWING! And I'm talking those big honkin' flakes that look like somebody just shook a snowglobe on little ole Nashville. I see the creation of a snowman in my future. It's days like this that make me so very happy to have absolutley NADA on the weekend agenda - no thank you notes left to write (aside: in case I've forgotten someone, which I am rather terrified I'm going to do, and you happen to read this blog, please feel free to shame me in the comments section. I think I've been keeping good records, but I am a little paranoid I missed someone with the flurry of gifts that came in around the holidays), no wedding plans to finalize, no budgets to review and fret over, no nothing. I'm feeling so good, in fact, that I just might be a little domestic diva and make a gigantic pot of chili for the hubs and his buddies, so they can come over and watch the Vandy/UK basketball game. Now let it be said that I am not nearly as big a fan of basketball as I am of football (again, roll tide) but since Mr. T played basketball in college, coaches a little league of 7 year olds in YMCA basketball, and even continues to play in a winter league with a bunch of other has-beens (only kidding if you're reading this, dear - I know you guys are awesome) so needless to say, he definitely has an interest in the sport. So I guess the least I can do is be the dutiful, supportive wife that I vowed to be before God and 200 witnesses about three weeks ago, and watch the occasional game with him if it makes him happy. So that is exactly what I'm going to do tomorrow. Yes, that sound you hear is me patting myself on the back.

So on to other subjects, namely a recap of our absolutely wonderful, so very touching rehearsal diner at Tayst. Mr. T has ties to the fabulous chef, the highly acclaimed Jeremy Barlow, since Tayst is a proud sponsor of Vanderbilt Athletics, for which my hubby sells corporate sponsorships. So imagine our delight when he generously offered to let us use the entire restaurant on a Friday night all to ourselves - and on New Years Day to boot. I'm sure the staff hated us after their late shift on New Years Eve, but they couldn't have been better to us. We felt like royalty! Talk about starting the new year off on the right foot. Jeremy, we love you and the Tayst staff to death and can't thank you enough! And P.S. you should get a patent for your Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding. It is like a piece of heaven in your mouth. Not exaggerating.


Being the event planner that I am, I decided that while our wedding would be an all-white affair, I wanted to play on the beautiful rich red walls of the restaurant, so I pulled in lots of fun touches to play them up. However, you'll have to use your imagination because I was having so much fun I forgot to take a lot of photos. And our photographer also came up a night early to take pictures for our little Nashville Lifestyles feature (yay!) so I didn't think my little digital would matter much. Now I'm wishing I had been thinking about how great they would be for blog purposes! Oh well. For example, I took childhood photos of the Mr. and myself and framed them in rustic wood frames (bought half off at Michael's - score!) and hung them in place of the artwork that is usually displayed on the walls. I also found these to-die-for aluminum cowboy boots at Fabu that were painted red and had little star cut-outs - too perfect for welcoming folks to Nashville! We placed candles inside and used them as centerpieces on the bistro tables in the bar area, which you saw when you first walked in. The other item that was a major hit with our guests was our guitar that doubled as a guest book. I ran across this idea forever I go right after we first got engaged and decided right then and there I had to do it. We had silver sharpies for the guests to sign it with, and it was the perfect way to get signatures started with our family and close friends before we unveiled it at the reception! Check the little guy out...





I also found these ah-dorable placecard holders online, which added a nice little western touch...



And one of my MOST favorite things was the wonderful entertainment we lined up for the cocktail hour - a banjo and fiddle duet! One of these sweet gentlemen works in the Vandy Law School library, and ever since I discovered he played the banjo, I've asked him to play several times! The young and old loved hearng those bluegrass tunes played the minute they walked in the door, and I noticed many feet were tapping along!



We enjoyed some drinks to warm up from the winter weather and passed hors d'oeuvres for the cocktail hour and then sat down to a lovely dinner, complete with a hoppin' john appetizer of gourmet cornbread and black eyed peas for good luck (a tradition in our house growing up - every pea supposedly brought a dollar in the pocket in the coming year, so I was always sure to eat every bite of mine). We had the most delicious menu typed on parchment paper and beautifully placed at each place setting. Our selections included:

First Course:

Signature Salad
mixed greens, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, sundried cherry vinaigrette
-or-
Butternut Squash Bisque
topped with cinnamon marshmallow

Main Course

Chicken
chicken risotto, thyme~tarragon glaze, pumpkin seeds

Bison Brisket
butternut squash, greens, bacon, reduction

Lamb Leg
winter squash napoleon, cider reduction

Just For Luck…

Hoppin’ John
black eyed peas & cornbread

Sweet Course

Hazelnut Chocolate Cake
chocolate mousse, chocolate syrup

Roasted Apple
smoked caramel, vanilla crème anglaise, caramel lace cookie

Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding
doughnut, vanilla milkshake

Delicious, no? So after dessert was served, my handsome husband to be made a toast that basically started with him thanking both of our parents, went on to say how blessed he felt, and ended with him telling the story of how when we got engaged, we called our parents first. Mine of course knew what was coming since Craig had asked their permission, but his had no clue. So his Dad's reply to Craig? "I'm just glad you're not gay." Which Craig shared with the crowd. Nice...

After that, several of our sweet friends made toasts as well, and words can't describe how touching they were to hear. I basically started crying at the first one that my best friend and MOH did, and didn't stop through the next six. I mean I was a mess. All those emotions and nerves and stresses from the last few days finally caught up with me, and I ended up laughing and crying for a solid thirty minutes. It went something like this: Friend Stands Up, I smile. Friend Starts Speaking, I feel tears forming. Friend Finishes, I am straight up crying. Friend Sits Down, we all toast at the table. New Friend Gets Up, process starts again.

So when Keith Colbert, a long time friend of Craig's family who was able to make the trip at the last minute, got up and said he would be honored if his son turned out like Craig, well Craig got a little choked up too. I've never seen the boy shed a tear (though he claims he had tears in his eyes during our vows - I couldn't see them because of the tears in mine) but I'm glad he can balance me out since I am clearly such a basketcase. I mean, the boy has a bet with me that I won't make it five minutes into Extreme Home Makeover before shedding a tear. I never do.

Anyway, all the toasts we showed a montage of our childhood photos that turned out perfectly. This was also done by the super fab Jennifer Fritz at Dynamic Video who did the sneak peek of our wedding footage that I posted a few days ago. I debated whether or not to include that in our dinner, since I had seen it done so much, but I think it is truly something everyone enjoys and I for one never get tired of seeing them. So here's the link to ours, in case you want to waste a few minutes of your Friday with a trip down memory lane. I must say, the song selections couldn't have turned out better. That last song by Keith Urban had me in tears the first time I heard it. Shocking, I know. Man, I am such a crybaby.

All that to say the night was simply lovely in every way, and we loved being able to celebrate such a fun occasion with the people who are closest to us. I can honestly say I will always remember those toasts, and I most certainly will always remember that evening. So, here are a few photos I did manage to capture. Hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoy reliving them.

With my new niece, Amber and sis-in-law, Treva

Chuck, Craig's brother, giving their dad some love



My sweet parents, Gail and John. Love them!

My brother, niece, and sister-in-law

Craig's mother and precious niece, Carly


Craig's other brother, Chris, and his son, Logan - such a ham!

All the way from Louisiana, my fabulous Aunt Martha Lou and Uncle Ron

Andrea, Catherine and my namesake Lilly at the Kids Table (don't feel bad for them, we gave them a kid-friendly menu and a bandana bag full of coloring books, crayons and candy.

One of my favorite people on earth, Aunt Margaret. Who prefers to be called Pretty Margaret.

McKenzie, Carly and Courtney in their matching dresses.

So you see, the recaps may be a long time coming, but aren't they worth the wait? Happy Friday!

Five, Four, Three, Two, One...Happy 2010!

What? It's January 24th and not 1st? Okay, so I'm a tad bit belated, but this is truly a case of better late than never. So as I mentioned before, Mr. T and I decided (more so I did the convincing) to host a welcome party for our Nashville friends and out-of-town wedding guests, to kick off the wedding weekend on a festive foot. I found the cutest invitation EVER on Wedding Paper Divas that I would love to share with you all. However, since I am not the most savvy blogger, I can't figure out how to do that handy-dandy trick where you blur your address out, just in case there are any crazies out there. And so, unless one of you kind souls can share that trick with me, you'll just have to trust me that it was, in fact, a-dor-able.

Anyway, so as Salt and Pepa says, back to the subject. Let me first mention that I finally established a regular physician at Vanderbilt on the Tuesday before our wedding, simply because that was the only appointment I could get within a two-month time frame. After sitting down with my new doc and discovering we were going to be friends (she's in her mid-30's and so very cool), I told her I was a) getting married in five days and b) we were going to Mexico on our honeymooon to which she promply replied "You've gotten your flu shot, right?" Well no, friends, I actually had not (what? I've been busy, Mom) so she promply pulls Nurse with Two Large Needles into the room to give me the seasonal flu shot in one arm and the H1N1 shot in the other. And truth be told, she was right, I probably did need those little suckers since I was going out of the country and all. The only problem was that about two days later, I feel that little prickle in the back of my throat that tells me uh-oh...something is coming. I drink OJ for breakfast, lunch and dinner, double up on my vitamins, and basically start praying please don't let this happen. But the Big Guy had other plans. He took my perfectly healthy body and rocked it with some horrible flu-like funk to remind me, "Look sister, I know you think you're in charge here with all the crazy control you've been exerting over this little thing called a wedding, but you're due for a reminder that I am in fact the one in charge, wedding or not, and don't you forget it." Well I was reminded alright. Just as New Years Eve day arrives, I am a puny mess with zero appetite, sinus congestion out the wazoo, and a severely sore throat. How fun! Even worse, it's practically impossible not to kiss your groom in the days leading up to the wedding, so I passed it on to Mr. T as well. Ooopsie!

All that to say, you'll have to excuse my appearance in these photos, because I literally had just jumped out of the shower when the first guests started to arrive, andI look like quite a mess...and not a hot one. Thank goodness for the sequined tank top I extracted from the back of my closet...my hope was that it would divert attention from my chapped nose and watery eyes. However, looking back on these photos, I'm not sure it worked. At any rate, in an effort to remember the party that actually turned out to be fun despite my sneezing every five minutes, I have many fond memories from that night that I'd like to document. We had so many people show up (I think I counted 32 at one point, and our house isn't exactly a mansion) that it turned out to be a pretty excellent way to ring in the new year. And you can't start it much better than celebrating a wedding around the corner, introducing old friends to new ones, and being surrounded by the people you love the most. I might have had a 102 fever, but I sure had fun!

Amber and I modeling the champagne punch we collectively created. Please stop and zero in on these super-fun wine glasses, which were a gift from our Nashville friends, Liz and Adam. They were hand painted with cowboy boots, and even had rhinestone embellishments. Tres chic.

Amber and Justin - their save the dates just went out the week after our wedding and were shot by my favorite photographer, Evin Krehbiel, who also shot my bridal portraits at Cheekwood back in November. Get ready, guys. You have no idea the insanity that is coming your way! I mena that in a good way, of course. :)

And again with Justin. Notice our awesome Christmas card collection in the background. I was very sad to take it down after all the happiness it brought me.

Posing with Amber, Lauren and Erika, after we perfected our champagne punch. Never mind the fact that Erika mistakenly put a dash of red wine in the mix. We just used more champagne.

Practicing our midnight kiss!

Mr. T modeling his Miller Lite. I mean, Bride to Be.

My BFF and MOH, Stacy. One of about ten photos we took that night. We can never make one we're both happy with, try as we might.

The newly-expecting Robbins! They were married back in August and found out right before the wedding that a baby was on the way. So excited for them - they'll make excellent parents.

Stacy and Matt looking dapper And if you like Stacy's necklace, please know that it is actually mine that she borrowed for the evening. So please give the credit for her hotness to me. :)

All the way from NYC...one of Craig's best friends, Augie Niles, and his lovely lady, Sue. She's even wearing Virginia Tech colors (since they played Tennessee in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl that night) which I'm sure scored her major points with the boys.

With one of my favorite guys, Dan. Don't worry, he shaved for the wedding.

So there you have it, a very belated recap of our New Year's Eve Bash. One of the things I'll never forget is passing out champagne in Dixie cups (that's right, we do it up fancy for our guests) and toasting with all of our friends as we shouted "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" You just can't beat that feeling of knowing that all is right in your world. Even with a runny nose. :)

Next up - the Rehearsal Dinner at Tayst Restaurant and Wine Bar, also known as The Night I Never Stopped Crying. But in a good way. Someone should tell you how incredibly touching those toasts can be!

Sneak Peek of Our Wedding Video!

I'm watching this with big ole whopping crocodile tears in my eyes. And I think this is the sixth time I've watched it today. When those doors open and I'm on my Dad's arm, it gets me every time. Word to the wise, everyone: hire a videographer! I promise you will not regret it! Enjoy, my friends!!

Lillian and Craig Turman Wedding Sneak Peak from Dynamic Video on Vimeo.

I Wish Wednesday

I just discovered the adorable Kelsey at The Seattle Smith's and found a great idea for a hump day blog feature - Wishful Wednesday! Today she's discussing the Golden Globe gowns. I must admit, I am way more interested in the red carpet arrivals than I am in the actual awards. I told Craig that just one day I would love to get all dolled up in a gorgeous dress, have people fuss over my hair and makeup, borrow some over the top jewelry from a fancy jeweler, and work it for a day. Oh wait - I just did all that two weeks ago on our wedding day - HA! Wish granted. :)

But I still want to play Kelsey's fun game, so here we go...

I Wish I could have worn the gown that
Heidi Klum wore at the Golden Globes!





Umm, how many kids has she had? If I didn't love her I would want to kill her.

I just adore that mermaid shape - if it didn't emphasize my booty so much, I would have chosen that style for my wedding dress. Instead I went with the classic A-line, and I must say, I loved my dress. For me, there was just something about that shape I couldn't resist - the minute I put it on I felt exactly like I pictured in my head when I was a little girl. And who knows, maybe I'll have a daughter of my own one day who will want to wear it. Though I'm sure the brides of the 80's thought the same about their long sleeved numbers. Yowza.


And in the hair and makeup category, I choose the exotically gorgeous Penelope Cruz.





She nails it every time. She works the Latin look, and I've always said she is the one person I would want to look like if I got to choose. I love her that much.


OK, so I'm getting serious about my wedding recap post, people. Really I am. I'm just not sure where to start because there is SO very much I want to be sure and cover, so I procrastinate by playing fun little "Wishful Wednesday" games. I used to do this same thing all the time in college by waiting until the 11th hour to start writing my papers, and then I would gorge on Mt. Dew and pull an all-nighter and in a zombie stupor walk to class to turn in something I honestly couldn't remember writing at all, when all I really had to do was devote a little time to it each day.



So tonight after my small group with my lovely ladies from church, I've committed to seriously breaking it down, day by day, then starting my series with the day that kicked off our wedding weekend, which happened to be the last day of the year. And the decade, for that matter. We're talking New Year's Eve, people. And what did this little bride decide to do? That's right, tack on another party, a welcome party for that matter, because clearly an entire wedding weekend full of things to do was not enough for me to handle. I do think I turned a little crazy there at the end with all of my bright ideas that had Mr. T scrambling for a package of Oreos for the Oreo truffles I just had to make for the party. And want to know where those Oreos are? On the top shelf of my pantry, where they have remained since Craig brought them home from the grocery store and I realized that there was simply no way I could put my Donna Reed hat on and whip up some stinkin' truffles with about 30 guests arriving at our new home for the party. As if our closest friends who we never get to see really cared about some freakin' truffles. But in my mind, you see, I had to be Event Planner Extraordinaire and make sure I set the table like Martha Stewart. In my head I was thinking a nice little dessert bar to go along with nicely chilled bottles of champagne on a beautifully set table with silver decor. Instead we made a mad dash for strawberry and wedding-cake flavored cupcakes from The Cupcake Collection in Germantown and the girls and I made up our own Champagne Punch concoction in the beverage dispenser we got as a wedding gift (which I love, love, love) and I really can't tell you what it included. I do know at one point someone threw in a dash of red wine, when she really mean to use fruit punch. Whoopsie. But it did taste delicious, and that is coming from someone who had no tastebuds because that same someone got deathly ill two days before the wedding. Oh yes, indeed. I am quite the example for what happens when a bride takes on too much. Like I said, I kind of lost it thinking I could pull that one off. Anyway, more on that by week's end. My goal is to write it Thursday night after Grey's Anatomy and before the 10:00 news. It should be a comical post since that will be right after I get home from a girls' night happy hour, where I can assure you a cocktail or two will be imbibed with some of my favorite friends. Stay posted...it should be interesting!

Oh Happy Day!

Hi folks! I promise the recap is coming shortly - I'm just REALLY loving married life right now and trying to just relax a little and enjoy it. Which means no blog posts when I could be cuddled up with my new husband on the sofa watching The Bachelor with a shared bottle of Riesling. :)

But I had to share my new favorite picture from our wedding day. The fur jacket was too perfect for that cold winter day, and I loved how the black ribbon sash coordinates so perfectly with my handsome husband's tux. He is a hottie. And I am SUCH a lucky girl.

Holy Wedding Day...

I'm MARRIED! Back from our honeymoon in the Riviera Maya and trying to process all the pictures, sweet comments, well wishes and abundance of memories we made on January 2, 2010. Best day of my life. Recap post coming shortly - I promise! In the meantime, here's one of my favorite photos that captures what I felt right after putting my dress on. Priceless!

Christmas Recap

Ah, Christmas. This year it was particularly lovely, I must say. This post may be a bit boring for anyone who isn't family, but like I always say, it's more for me to look back and remember than anything. And besides, it's a nice change of pace to talk about something other than the wedding, which is now, you guessed it, only five days away. Eek!


With my handsome fiance in tow, we headed south to Alabama on Christmas Eve morning, with the car filled to the brim with Christmas presents and suitcases. Upon arrival in Tuscaloosa, we stopped in Midtown Village AND the University Mall, which were both complete and utter madhouses. It was actually a little scary seeing that many people on a misison to find last-minute gifts. We truly could have gotten trampled at one point. Like Billy Currington says, people are crazy.


For a nice change of pace, we made a pit stop to see the Lawsons (and to give Lilly Lawson, our flower girl, her gift for the wedding - an ivory fur stole, just like the one I'll be wearing!) and got to chat for a bit before heading on to see our dear family friend, Mattie Jackson (a precious lady that not only helped raise me, but also my dad). She has the biggest, kindest heart of anyone I know and I love her more than words could express. Mr. T has heard me talk about her a lot and all the fond memories I have of her from childhood, and it was so wonderful that I could finally introduce him to her.


After hugging Mattie goodbye, and watching her wave from the door for a solid five minutes, love her, we headed home to pick up my parents for the Christmas Eve service at their church - a tradition that dates back as long as I can remember. There's something about those Christmas traditions that I just love and hope to pass on when day when we have kiddos. I was a little bummed they didn't pass out the candles and dim the lights to sing "Silent Night" like I remembered, but we got to do that at the candlelight service at our church here in Nashville, so at least I got my fix. And by the way, can I just say that I LOVE our church, Cross Point. I can honestly say it is hands down the best church I've ever been a part of, and it has truly rocked the way I look at religion. Our pastor, Pete Wilson, did a great series called "Rhythm" in December that focused on how we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas and lose sight of the joy. He had great visuals that could be used as reminders throughout the season - like every time you see a lit-up house or tree, say to yourself "May I shine." Or everytime you see a gift, say "Life is a gift." Simple, and yet so very true.


Anyway, so after the Christmas Eve service we headed over to a family potluck dinner for all the folks on my Dad's side of the family (my mom's family lives in Louisiana). My Aunt Margaret, who is all of 82 years old and is the definition of a pistol, took pride in introducing Mr. T to all the family, and telling everyone how handsome he was. She thinks it embarrasses him, but he secretly loves it. We headed home and opened some wedding gifts that my mom had been collecting, and while Mr. T watched football, I proceeded to make a fudge pie for the Christmas feast the next day.


On Christmas Day, my brother and his family came over to open gifts before the larger crowd arrived at noon to eat. I have four beautiful nieces, both inside and out, and all but one of them (the eight year old) is taller than me now! It's crazy how much they've grown over the last year. They're all pretty excited about coming to Nashville for the wedding, so I got them pretty patterned travel bags they can put their cosmetics and toiletries in. Buying for girls is so much easier than buying for boys, I think! I just think back to what I would have wanted at their age. My favorite gifts were the the hand-carved wooden frames my brother and the girls made for Craig and me, and one of them had our wedding invitation already mounted inside - so beautiful!


After all the family arrived, we sat down to a feast fit for a king. I was proud of two things this year - one, I finally got to sit at the adult table (guess that's what bringing a fiance gets you), and two, that I was able to limit myself to small portions and no second helpings, but I did enjoy a tiny bit of everything on the table. I hope my wedding dress doesn't hate me for it. And if it does, well, there's always Spanx. Once everyone left, we laid down on the sofa to watch - you guessed it- more football, which turned into the best after-Christmas nap I have ever had. I'm talking a solid two hours of the deepest, coziest, most satisfying sleep and it. was. heavenly.


Rejuvenated from the nap, we decided to head to the movies and catch this movie, which had just come out and seemed like the go-to choice.



Umm, I give it a B minus. I mean, it held my attention and all, and the action sequences were awesome, but I like a little more plot to keep me interested. And perhaps a bit more love story. Robert Downey Jr. is an incredible actor, though, and his English accent was perfection. I should mention that the first showing of the movie was sold out, so Mr. T and I had about 45 minutes to kill before the next one. We knew there was nothing that would be open on Christmas day, until a neon orange light beckoned us from across the road. What could it be? Nothing other than ye ole' Hooters, beckoning with the promise of fried pickles and buffalo wings. Did I feel a teensy bit icky walking in there on Christmas Day? That's an affirmative. But was a cold beer and a plate of fried food with my man the perfect ending to the day? Most definitely. We got to decompress a bit after all the chaos of the holidays, and just enjoy talking. You kind of forget how good it feels to talk about something other than the wedding in those last few weeks. The one thing we both agreed on was that if we had to change anything about this process, we would have made the engagement about two months shorter. Ten months was just a little too long for us!

We headed back to Nashville on Saturday morning and spent the evening unpacking all of our goodies and putting together the wedding programs - yes, it is an exciting life we lead, people. But we wanted to reserve our energy for the next night, because Santa had brought me what I had my heart set on - two tickets to see the Zac Brown Band at the Ryman on Sunday night!!! And it was stellar, my friends. Truly one of the best performances I have ever seen. I am now President of the Nashville Chapter of their fan club. Kidding. But I'm considering it...

Wow, now that is some recap. Can you tell I'm procrastinating all the last-minute wedding duties I have yet to do?

Oh, and a question for all of you ladies that are knowledgable on facials - is it wise to get one two days before the wedding? I thought it would give me a fresh, clean slate for the makeup gal, but I'm worried I'll end up with a gigantic breakout session on my hands. Don't facials tend to bring everything to the surface? For all of you who are recently married, let me know what to do!

Early Christmas Gift

My fiance rocks. In a fit of frustration a while back after my camera took two photos on a fun night out before deciding to hibernate, I shared with all parties in attendance how badly I needed a new camera. I even pointed out one in particular to Mr. T at Target that I thought we should buy with any gift cards we received after Christmas, then thought nothing more about it. Oh how I love how that boy pays attention! Lo and behold, as we opened our first gifts last night (I say start early, and extend the gift giving a couple of days - no need in all that fun being bottled up for one morning!) here is the little beauty that greeted me...


And. I. luhhhhve. it. Hello, 10.0 megapixel resolution! Hello, face detection technology! Hello, red eye removal (which I always have)! And HELLO beautiful blue color! Doesn't it kind of remind you of this...



Me too. And that is a picture of exactly where we will be lounging in about oh, 11 days. Yes, that sound you hear is me singing the Hallelujah chorus.

Let me just tell you, my other camera was a piece. As in, it literally just quit working a few weeks ago. And when it would work, it would only last for about a nano-second before it ran out of juice. And need I point out that this is one of the most fun times in my life that deserves documentation? What timing. All these fun pictures you see on my blog? Well, they're not from me. Thank goodness I have camera-happy friends, or there would be no evidence of my bachelorette party, the 80's shower, or the Tacky Sweater Party for your viewing enjoyment (and also for posterity purposes - I do plan to look back on these in ten years and have a good, nostalgic laugh). So I plan to use it HEAVILY over the next week to make up for some serious lost time. Consider yourself warned, family members and photo-loathing friends. It's coming.

Speaking of photos, how about this for an early Christmas gift? The super-fab Evin sent me the images from our bridal shoot at Cheekwood last night, so without further adieu, here is one little bitty sneak peek...



Since you can't see my dress AND my hair will be different, it really isn't spoiling anything, right? And really I just want to showcase that gorgeous bouquet of fall flowers and give Caprice mad props for making magic like that. It was too perfect for that early November day, and as you can see, sunflowers really do make me smile.

Know what else makes me smile? Picking up the programs, direction cards, and pocket timelines yesterday from Midtown Printing and having them turn out perfectly. If you need to have anything printed at the last minute, Jan is your girl. She is just lovely in every way, and even gave me a "Christmas discount" that absolutely made my day.

Now all we have to do is find the right ribbon for tying them (I'm considering silver rope cord I found on clearance at Michael's last night-if you need ribbon for wrapping some last-minute gifts, that is your place), putting the little "Lillian and Craig" design on the cover, and we're done!

Tomorrow we're Alabama bound for Christmas with my family. I'm so ready to see everyone. My poor mother has 17 people to cook for on Christmas Day, so I've offered to make a dessert. I don't have a lot of confidence this will turn out as pretty as I'm envisioning in my mind, but the good news is it's a lot like a brownie, so we can put ice cream on top and no one will know the difference. Sneaky, yet smart.

And finally, because I'm clearly sharing every thought in my brain today, guess who fit in their skinny jeans this morning? Yours truly. You should have seen the happy dance I did. They are my favorite pair of David Kahn's and oh, how I've missed them so. I'm enjoying them for the day because after the Christmas feast, I'm sure they'll be right back to the back of the closet where they have resided since the summer. It's like my little clandestine love affair - we meet, I fall in love, purchase them on the spot, wear them happily, gain a few pounds, get unhappy, can't wear them, lose a few pounds, get happy again when I put them on and they FIT, feel pretty good about myself, then pretend they don't exist next week when I'm sure they'll be snug again after a few home-cooked meals. Still worth it for this very good day I'm having, though. I can live on islands of designer jean happiness. :)

May you all have the best Christmas ever! See you next week, the WEEK OF THE WEDDING!

Dear Weather Channel

Dear Weather Channel,


You are such a tease. Since we're now at the 12 day mark before the wedding, I thought SURELY your extended forecast would greet me this morning with the promise of good weather next weekend. But sadly, just as my mouse scrolled downward and stopped at December 30, three days short of where I need it to go, I realized you are just having fun with my emotions.

Deep in my heart, I'm secretly hoping for a white wedding. If you could make that happen, I will never talk trash about you again. Yes, I might freeze in my strapless dress and have my teeth chatter between takes, but this is the price we are willing to pay for some great photos.

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B:


Exhibit C: (they do look a bit happier inside, huh?)


This is a wedding that took place in Colorado, and was shot by the amazing Charlotte Geary. And I'm pretty much in love with every detail. Now you know why we decided on a winter wedding...they just seem to make everyone snuggle a little closer and find warmth in the food, drink and merriment around them, which is exactly what we want for our friends and family. And besides, what better way to start a new year than with everyone you hold dear together in one room. That nearly gives me goosebumps just thinking about how surreal that will be.

We are SO excited that nearly 200 guests will be joining us next weekend (yes, that means all RSVP's are in!) as we become husband and wife. In a season of so much to be thankful for, I have truly never been more grateful for all the great things in my life. It's almost overwhelming how much joy you can find as the final days approach, knowing what an amazing thing is about to take place. Even though I still toss and turn some nights thinking about those pesky little details, the one thing that puts me at ease is the thought of seeing Mr. T at the end of that aisle, and knowing that as fun (and stressful) as the wedding planning has been, it will all culminate in a little chapel next Saturday. Preferrably with snow outside. Just saying...

License to Wed

Wow, that sounds like a really bad romantic comedy from the 80's - License to Wed. Anyway...

Look at what we did yesterday! That would be Mr. T signing the ole wedding license form. It's getting real, people. Look, he even has a little smile on his cute face. Probably because he was making fun of me for taking a photo of documentation at the county clerk's office, but whatever, I found it blogworthy... :)





It's official! See our pretty little signatures?




And the best part? Our sweet little minister, the highly acclaimed Ralph Griggs, gave us a certificate for completing pre-marriage counseling (which actually consisted of watching The Story of Us, one of my favorite movies of all time - you can't beat that kind of homework) which got us a whopping $60 knocked off that $99 marriage license. $40 bucks later, we're practically married...

16 days!

My 50th Post...and Exciting News!

In honor of my 50th post (I like to celebrate the minor milestones!) I have big news to share with you, dear friends and followers. You may or may not know that the two magazines I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on when they're fresh off the press are UsWeekly (it's an obsession that has begin to rub off on Mr. T - ask me how many times he has come home from the grocery store with one in hand, pretending it's for me) and the prized publication of Music City, Nashville Lifestyles.





Now I also look forward to the occasional Glamour for a long flight (reading it front to back will last me a good two hours) or Food and Wine for some cooking inspiration, but those two are my go-to's in terms of good reading.


Insert anecdote: before I moved to Nashville, I was interviewing for my current job and got put up at the Loews the night before my big interview. I crawled in my big comfy bed with the issue of Nashville Lifestyles that was brimming with new restaurant openings and must-see happenings that were going on here, and it made me think even more that Nashville should be my home one day. I read that magazine front to back and dozed off dreaming of how much fun my life would be here. And now, it's a reality. :)


Fast forward to a few weeks ago (which is actually rewinding, but whatever) and here I am at a recent private tasting at tayst, one of my favorite restaurants in town, where they showcased an amazingly cool concept called Local Kitchen Catering. Basically it's where Chef Jeremy Barlow (one of the best chefs in Nashville, truly) comes into your kitchen and cooks dinner for a group of your closest friends, using local ingredients the guests bring themselves (so they feel like they can contribute something). What you may not know is tayst is the only green certified restaurant in Nashville, and one of his claims to fame is that all of the food he serves is locally grown. He even has a blackboard listing the local farmers he has used for that day's menu, so you can rest assured you are supporting the local man, which I just love. So anyway, I'm having a glass of wine and chatting with the kind bartender about how excited we are to be having our rehearsal dinner there (they rarely do private events, but luckily Mr. T and Jeremy are good buddies and do business together, so they made an exception for us) and this kind, petite, blonde woman overhears me saying this, introduces herself as an Assistant Editor for Nashville Lifestyles, and asks if we might be interested in having our rehearsal dinner covered in their next issue of the Nashville Lifestyles Weddings magazine! Go ahead, pick up your jaw, please. Are you kidding me?!?





Now, knowing what you now know about me, you can imagine how hard it was for me to not spit my wine out all over her face in disbelief and excitement. But I tried to keep my utmost composure, casually said that yes, we would be interested in doing that, and we set up a time to meet for coffee so she could interview me for the article. We met at dose, the fab new coffee shop on Murphy Road (with the most delicious apple cider you've ever tasted) last week and chatted about what inspired us to choose tayst, and how special events are trending towards a green movement, even in the wedding industry. Now I am no tree hugger, but I do think we should be mindful of how we treat the world while we're lucky enough to use its resources, so I thought it was so very "Nashville" to have a restuarant like tayst showcased among our friends and family, to let people know that even though we're the Music City, we have some pretty amazing restaurants around as well, and they're doing some pretty amazing things.


As an event planner and now a planner of my own wedding, I've tried to be more mindful of how many times I can use my flowers (I love Perenity, a service provided through Hospice which picks them up and takes them to patients so they will brighten their rooms and hopefully their spirits) and things of that nature, but I can honestly say that my experience at tayst has truly has encouraged me to think more about what I eat, and where it comes from. And apparently, others are taking notice as well.


So be on the lookout for us in the upcoming spring issue, peeps! How excited are WE?!

Tacky, Wacky and Too Much Fun

This past weekend was the 4th annual THSP for our Nashville Crew of brave friends, also known as the Tacky Holiday Sweater Party, also known as the most fun you can have in the ugliest holiday sweater you can imagine. Mr. T and I met with our videographer down in Franklin last Wednesday, and while in the area, we made a little pit stop by SteinMart to see what they had in store. You should have seen his eyes light up like this Christmas tree when he took one look at this little beauty...

Look closely, friends. Those are indeed little kitty-cats on his sweater and little balls of fur on his zipper. And you guessed correctly, this is no man's sweater. No, my man only shops in the women's section for this special occasion. More pictures, you say? As you wish...

With sweet friends Lauren, Steph and Miss Firefly :)

Dan the Man, Justin, and Mr. T. wearing their attire proudly


Posing with my four-inch hair bow, and still not even close to his height


The host with the most!


The Newly-wedded Wenzels - nice dickey, Justin.

Taking a break from the dance floor at Legends with Justin and Amber - their wedding band was playing and they are going to be awesome. "Beverly Hills - that's where I want to BE!" Favorite song all night.



Loving on some L Wade. Because contrary to popular belief, country music makes everyone happy.


A very excited Lindsey in her sassy sequined vest, posing with Steve. Too bad you can't see his sweater, he had cows on it. Between his cows and Craig's cats, the theme was animal this year.



And finally, one last look at the engaged couple before our 18 day away wedding. I probably won't be posting much in the next few weeks because quite frankly, I'm ready to stop documenting the process and for the day to just get here! And in case you're wondering, that whole theory of relaxing for the last few weeks and sitting back to enjoy the whole process is a bunch of malarkey. But Mr. T is doing his best to make me try. Which is why when I battled a migraine all day Saturday and wasn't the most excited person in the world to get dressed up and head out for the THSP, I zipped my lips, donned my attire, and took two Excedrin. Because I have never seen ANYONE enjoy the Tacky Holiday Sweater Party more than my man. He had a perma-grin all night long. And that's really what love is all about, right? Merry Christmas, all!

Ravishing Ruffles

Because white felt ruffles SHOULD go on a wreath for a nice change of pace from that prickly green garland. Or perhaps a winter wedding. See the complete tutorial here. Thank me later. :)

Pretty as a Pinecone

Don't you just love how something so simple can be so chic?

This is my kind of DIY - five little materials, three little steps.

Get the step-by-step tutorial from Twig and Thistle here.

To. die. for. And so much better than multi-colored flashing lights. :)

Can I get a ROLL TIDE?

After being inspired by Miss Kristin's celebratory post over my Monday morning cup of coffee, I've decided the focus of this post will NOT be on the rapidly approaching, now 25 days out wedding that I'm trying very hard not to freak out over, but will instead pay tribute to my favorite football team, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Because we're headed to the National Championship, baby! This is turning into the best year of my life - engaged to the love of my life in March, bought our first house in May, and winning the SEC Championship in December! Now, if we could just arrange for a light dusting of snow on our wedding day, just for pictures sake. :)

And wouldn't you know it, the game falls on January 7, 2010, which just so happens to be Day 5 of our honeymoon in Riviera Maya, Mexico and also Mr. T's 35th birthday! So since we can't make it to Pasadena to cheer on my boys - though that would be a great wedding gift, if anyone is interested in splurging ;) - we will most definitely be finding a bar in Mexico that carries the game and hopefully watching the Tide dominate over Texas while sipping on a Corona with the sun on our back.

So just in case you're curious, here's how my week looks. Welcome to the holiday season, folks.

Tonight: Meet with Mary Alice, Wedding Coordinator Extraordinare, to finalize all details
Tomorrow: Mr. T's Work Christmas Party
Wednesday: Meet with Videographer, bring photos for rehearsal dinner montage, celebrate she is available at this late date by heading to Arrington Vineyards Appreciation Party afterward
Thursday: My Work Holiday Soiree
Friday: Staff Margarita Party, Shop for Tacky Holiday Sweaters (probably not the best idea to do this after having a margarita)
Saturday: Print Programs and Directions (really procrastinated on this one) then head to Third Annual Tacky Holiday Sweater Party

Umm, yeah. Notice there is zero time allotted for a workout (which my blah winter body is desperately needing) and let's not even talk about what kind of calorific food and drink will be served at the aforementioned functions. Not to mention I'm still recovering from my lovely recipe shower last week that my sweet girlfriends from church were so sweet to do and the Oreo truffles that I just can't seem to resist. So now I have all these amazing new recipes to try, a kitchen loaded full of wedding gifts to cook with, and a wedding three weeks away that is reminding me daily I have a wedding dress to fit into. Fabulous.

That said, I am definitely enjoying this holiday season more than ever and trying to savor every single minute of it. I don't know if it's because Christmas felt like it came early this year with all the wedding gifts and well wishes that have been arriving on our doorstep for the past several weeks or just the general good feelings that come with being surrounded by our friends who have been celebrating such a special time with us. All I know is that everyone who called me crazy for planning a wedding during the holidays can take a hike - I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. January 2nd will be the exclamation point at the end of an amazing holiday season. Can't think of a better way to start a new year than that!