Miranda's Bachelorette Bash

For the last week I have been a little more exhausted and irritable than usual...why you ask?  Because I spent last weekend in Atlanta partying it up with Miranda for an intimate bachelorette bash...and let's face it, when you are pushing 30 it takes a week to recover.  So even though I have been a little off my game, it was all worth it to be able to celebrate with one of my very best friends.

Although we planned to leave Lexington around noon last Friday, we ended up getting a little behind schedule when Miranda got called back into work for a last minute firedrill at noon....we were waiting for her when she finally made it home, and threw our bags in the car and headed out.  The ride was going pretty smooth for the first hour and a half, and Miranda had even packed us little road trip gift bags with bottled water, magazines, advil, gum, sugar free redbull, and trailmix among other things.  However, not even 2 hours in, we hit stop and go traffic (okay, mostly "stop", not so much "go") that kept us on Jellico Mountain for TWO HOURS!  Needless to say, we were about to lose our minds, and someone in our car may or may not have peed in front of God and everybody on the shoulder of the road while in said traffic.  But that's neither here nor there.

We finally arrived at my sister's house on Friday night around 9:00...just in time to huff down a meal and a glass of wine before I could blink.  I kissed on my nephew for a bit and relaxed before we ultimately decided that if we were indeed going to carry out our plan of drinking all day Saturday, we better scoot on to the store to pick up all the fixins' for Mimosas. 

This was where we hit a little snag.  While at the store, we divided and conquered and all ended up at the u-scan all checking out at the same time.  While Miranda was digging in her purse to get her ID for the cashier, she got this horrified look on her face as she realized that not only was her ID hot in her purse, it was not in Atlanta at all.  It was actually sitting in the console of her car in Lexington....

Thus begins the bridesmaids' test of resourcefulness...what do you do when the bachelorette forgets her ID for her own bachelorette party??  I'll tell you what you do.  Step one is to sound the horn on facebook.  Step two is to decide on a plan B in case the ID cannot be recovered.  Step three is to have FedEx same-day ship it on Saturday for $350.  Wait...okay scratch step three...that was was a definite no go.  So I worked on plan b while Whit and Mir worked on finding a way to get the ID in-hand.  Luckily for us, when we got up Saturday morning, Miranda discovered that an acquaintance had seen a post on facebook and just happened to be flying from Lexington to Atlanta for a layover on her way to a tropical vacation.  She agreed to bring the ID to the security check point, and luckily the TSA agent was having a good day and passed it through the the eager bachelorette who was waiting on the other side of security at the Atlanta airport.

Crisis averted!  Of course, once we had the ID in hand, Miranda proceeded to get carded by exactly no one for the remainder of our trip. 

Miranda after getting her ID back!

The rest of the trip went pretty smoothly.  We successfully drank all day Saturday by starting our day with mimosas, drinking margaritas at Tacqueria del Sol at lunch and wine once we got to the hotel room and at dinner...

Breakfast of Champions...Blueberry Morning cereal, mimosas, and leftover Easter candy.

We stayed the the W Hotel in Midtown and were treated to a wonderful surprise of wine and chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us in our room.  The guy who checked us in at the front desk also agreed to send up the strippers when they arrived...and when we confessed that we hadn't actually ordered a stripper, he agreed to provide the male entertainment himself at the promise that we would "make it mist" by each throwing a $1 bill at him.  Once we had popped the wine open and indulged in some choco strawberries, we all had a toast and then promptly ordered 2 more white fluffy robes to be delivered to the room so the 4 of us could lounge comfortably until it was time to get ready.

We relaxed in the room for a couple hours before finally getting ready, sharing gifts with the bride-to-be, and taking a $20 cab ride one block to dinner at Gilberts in the gayest area of Atlanta.  No really...dinner was absolutely delicious, but we were for sure the only chicks there.  For sure. 

Me and my sister

The girls before dinner

Me and the bride to be!

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel while I blew a whistle shaped like a penis most of the way.  When we arrived, we promptly headed to Whiskey Park where we had ordered a drink before getting escorted into the velvet rope area where Champagne and bottle service were waiting for us.  I proceeded to dance like an absolute idiot (including a solid hour where I danced only with my elbows after some drunk B broke Whit's champagne glass with her elbow).  After a solid evening of mixed drinks, champagne, and touching the bar back inappropriately just for fun, we called it a night at about 3:30 am and got a solid 5 hours of sleep in. 

Our table set up!

And so begins the hour where I photobomb all my own photos...

Another photobomb...and a lovely face.

Blowing my penis whistle...I would later blow this in every stranger's face that dared to pass me by...

All in all it was a pretty wonderful night altogether, and hopefully a good time had by all.  The bachelorette had fun as well, and was a real fashion trendsetter by wearing her bachelorette sash several different ways throughout the evening!

Anywho...I successfully caught up on no additional sleep this weekend and am fairly confident I won't for another month at least.  Hope everyone had a great weekend!

What I'm loving, What I'm Doing, and What I'm Wanting Wednesday

Even though I am still reeling from exhaustion after celebrating Miranda's bachelorette party this past weekend in Atlanta, there are many things I am loving, doing, and wanting this Wednesday.  So, with that said, I thought I might link up and with Jamie at This Kind of Love for What I'm Loving Wednesday and share it all with you!

First up, I am LOVING my new Erin Condren planner I got from Miss Whitney for my birthday.  I literally do not know how I have made it this far in my LIFE without it, let alone through 10 months of wedding planning.  Well hello there organization and to-do lists...it's oh so nice to meet you!

I am also loving finally getting my thank-you cards from my Bridal shower, and really loving that it's been like Christmas around here for the last week with all the shower gifts that were sent directly to our house.  Love it!

I am loving way too many of the Coach Handbags in the new spring/summer collection that it is making it hard to decide which one I would like to spend my birthday gift cards on.  What I am not loving is the price tag (obviously) and trying to convince myself that it is okay to get the one I really want and pay the difference...

 

I am also loving the Penzey spices that my sister got me at my bridal shower...and for sure loving that I didn't even realize that I spelled the word "Penzey" wrong in the thank you card I sent her as well.  She hand-picked 8 spices that she knew I would love, and they are all amazeballs.  

Also loving that not only is our honeymoon booked and paid for, I also got my passport in the mail!  Mexico here we come...in 2 more months that is!

Lastly, I am love, love, loving the spectacular weekend I had with these gals (more on that to come in the next post)!

Happy Wednesday friends!!  What are you loving today??

He said, she said...

At my bridal shower this past weekend, we played a little game of "Who knows the Bride best?"  Our gracious host, Lainey had asked the boy a series of 20 questions to see how well he knew me, and she shared the same questions with all the attendees as well to see who of all the gals knew me best.  It was really fun to see who knew which things about me and who didn't (i.e., my future husband). 

So without further ado, here is the little version of he said, she said that we played at the shower:

1. Where did you two meet?

He said: We met at [work].  The story goes: Taryn had just started with [the company] and was at my store for training.  I introduced myself to her in the back and said "Hey I'm K" and she says, "Hey I'm Taryn."  Then she WHIPS around and walks away and all I remember is a wave of blonde hair hitting me in the face.

She said: We met at work...I think I asked him to help me with the fax machine. (I still maintain that I do not remember meeting him that day in his version...)

2. How long have you dated?

He said: We have dated since October 2010, so that...carry the one...18 months

She said: Trick question.  Depends on if you're counting from when we started dating again or for the first time.  Either on and off for 4 years or for a year and a half.

3. What is Taryn's favorite color?

He said: purple, easy...

She said: purple

4. When is Taryn's birthday?

He said: March 30, 1984...I have come close to having that tattooed on my forehead.

She said: March 30, 1984

5. What is her favorite restaurant?

He said: I would say Harry's simply because of the chopped salad

She said: I don't know!  I was trying to guess what he may have answered...so I said Bonefish Grill or that restaurant we ate at in Savannah.  Or Malone's simply because we go there or because of the chopped salad.  And I'm loving Table 310 right now too.

6. What is her favorite vacation spot?

He said: For Taryn it would be the next vacation (Mexico for our honeymoon), or I feel like we both enjoyed Hilton Head.

She said: We haven't been on many vacations together, so maybe Savannah...but in all honesty, anywhere on the beach.  Dream vacation would be Greece!

7. What is her favorite type of music?

He said: Pop music, and some country...she still needs to learn some Hank, Willie and Johnny songs.

She said: Not country.  Favorite music would be anything of the Dave Matthews, Marc Broussard, Amos Lee, James Morrison persuasion...love anything in that genre. 

8. What does she do to relax?

He said: haha...a glass of wine, computer on her lap, contacts out, wrapped up in a blanket laying on the couch, with the tv on but not watching it because she wants noise in the background.  I could paint you a picture.

She said: Pretty much that, except he left out that I take a bath every night after I work out.  And definitely the wine.

9. What is the longest period of time you haven't spoken because of a fight?

He said: We drove back to Atlanta from Savannah not talking most of the way, and we were both so mad neither turned on the radio.  It was a quiet ride on a two lane interstate with nothing but Georgia pines on either side of the road.

She said: I don't think we've ever gone a day without talking, but we have stayed mad at each other over a fight (very short, one word conversations) for two or three days before.  (Side note...when I heard his answer I did agree that that was a particularly brutal 4-hour car ride in complete silence...).

10. What is her favorite curse word?

He said: I believe sh*t, but she is well-versed in all of them.

She said: f*ck....there is really no excuse for him getting this wrong...even my grandma got f*ck right.

11. If the house was burning down, what is the one thing she would grab to save?

He said: Wine, cell phone, laptop.  Sawyer, Jax and I would have to fend for ourselves.

She said: Apart from him, I would grab the dogs.

12. What is her favorite thing to do for fun?

He said: Tell me what I'm doing wrong.

She said: I really like eating.  Or maybe running/being outdoors.  Shopping.

13. What was the name of her first pet?

He said: Before I met her, I am not sure...but she had a cat that didn't have a name so I called him "shit for brains" and "shakespeare"

She said: We had a cat named Abby, a cat named Crystal (yes, these are names a 6 year old picks out for their animals) and a dog named Carl....before I met him.

14. What is her favorite flower?

He said: Roses.  That's what I always get her.

She said: I like roses, but probably hydrangeas for my favorite.

15. What is the name of the perfume she wears most?

He said: I don't have a clue.

She said: Probably the Alabaster perfume (he got me for Christmas) from Banana Republic, and the Jasmine Aviv perfume I got as a birthday gift from Sabon in NYC.

16. What year did she graduate from college?

He said: 2007

She said: 2006

17. Who is her best friend?

He said: Brynn, Whitney, Miranda

She said: Whitney, Miranda, and if sisters count...Brynn.

18. If she could live anywhere, where would it be?

He said: California

She said: I'm already living my dream in Nicholasville [insert sarcasm here].  Probably one of the Carolinas...close to the beach but still close to family :)

19. What is the first thing she would buy if she won the lottery?

He said: A new car.

She said: Liposuction....or a new car.

20. What time is the wedding?

He said: 6:30pm July 7

She said: 6:00 pm, July 7

So, clearly we still have plenty we need to learn about each other...thought y'all might get a kick out of that!

Bridal Shower Weekend

Hey kids...I bet you $20 your weekend wasn't as good as mine.  Want proof?  Well for starters, I took the day off on Friday to get some wedding details taken care of, so right there you know I'm already winning...4-day work week is tough to beat.  We went to the rental company to look at tent lighting and checked out the florist as well, among other things.  I was absolutely amazed at the minutia of both really cool things as well as total crap they have at this rental showroom.  I never understood why someone would need to rent life size figurines of animals until later in the weekend we saw a full size metal horse wearing a top hat in Kroger...why?  Not sure, but I bet they got it from this place.  Also there was the rhinestone cat below...wonder how much this bad boy goes for?

The good news is that they have some beautiful chandeliers that may work for our tent...fingers crossed. 

Friday night was spent drinking a lil vino and anxiously awaiting the arrival of my sister, aunt, and nephew Mason, who were coming up from Atlanta to attend my shower.  It had been over two months since I got to kiss on his sweet little cheeks and it was pretty hard to contain myself.  I kid you not when I say that I had serious concerns that my sister had picked the wrong child up from daycare...that's how big he's gotten!  We pretty much fought all night over holding him and talking in our ridiculous "baby" voices.  I could not put my phone down around him - literally.  I have about 10 videos of the kid from the weekend and countless pics.  Check some of them out!

Saturday my sister, my aunt and me got up and went for a 3.7 mile run.  We made a great pace and were out the door on time (for the first time in the history of the universe) for my bridal shower.  Because of our busy schedules and having so many people in different locations, I just decided to have one wedding shower and leave it at that.  It was so amazing to have so many women I love in one place at the same time!  I loved being able to catch up with everyone and just relax for a few hours...it was really a great afternoon!  I felt like I was opening presents FOREVER though.  I am really glad I don't have to open the wedding gifts in front of an audience...I don't know why, but I found it a little uncomfortable after a while.  Am I crazy?  In all seriousness though...we got some amazing things!  I would say at least half of our registry has been fulfilled at this point which is amazing!  We are truly very blessed!

Chattin' it up and drinking some delicious white sangria :)

catching up during brunch

Me and Aunt Patty

Aunt Patty and Whit

AP with Grandma Jane

Before games and gifts...

My grandma being a great sport about being dressed up in toilet paper!

Miranda in her TP dress....gives her actual wedding dress a run for it's money!

My mom in a toilet paper wedding dress

Pottery Barn :)

My ribbon bouquet my sister made!

As you can see...my shower was pretty much amaze-balls.  When I got home from work today, I had another shower gift waiting for me on my doorstep along with my April birchbox!  A great day for mail if you ask me!

It was pretty tragic saying goodbye to my nephew on Sunday afternoon, but lucky for me I get to see him again this next weekend when me and the girls head to Atlanta for an intimate bachelorette bash for Miranda...can't wait!
P.S...just in case it wasn't as obvious to you as it was to me...isn't my little nephew nugget the CUTEST???

Birthday & Easter Round Up

Howdy kids! Its been an eventful few weeks round here.  I celebrated my birthday on March 30 by working a full day at the office! Yippee!  Lucky for me, my coworker got me into the birthday spirit, by decorating my cubicle!

Hilary also gave me some bath treats from Lush and what is by far the biggest and cheesiest birthday card I have ever received.  I  must have played this at least 15 times throughout the workday to my coworkers' dismay.  I even went so far as to send this little video to Hilary last Friday morning before work just to pump her up for the day.  

Yes...I am weird like that.  Unfortunately the balloons that decorated my desk didn't make it more than a couple days without becoming ridiculously inappropriate.  The long balloons...well, let's just say within a day or two they looked a little phallic and had to be removed.  The smaller balloons made it through about a week before they looked enough like breasts that I had to remove them from my workspace and graciously hang them on Hilary's desk.  It only took a few minutes for us to unanimously decide that we were surrounded by way too much balloon erotica for one week and in the trash they went.

See waht I mean??

Anywho...even though I was working, the boy still stopped by the office and brought a carton of milk and a cookie cake for everyone to enjoy.  After having an inappropriately large slice, and sharing with everyone at the office, I decided the remaining cake could not come home with me and insisted the burly men at my last appointment of the day enjoy it.

I read somewhere that calories don't count on your birthday...dang I hope that's true.

To round out a great birthday, the boy surprised me with roses, a Coach giftcard, and a birthday dinner at Bonefish Grill (I die for their house salad).  So, all in all it was a pretty great birthday!

I got three of these little gift cards (thanks Brynn, K, and Miranda!!) and will soon be purchasing new new little bag to tote my goodies in.  I also got some of the lovely Aviv Jasmine perfume I have been lusting over for a year.  Now I smell delightful! 

After bday dinner with my roses!



We celebrated Easter this past weekend with a nice 3.5 mile run followed by the late service at Southland, immediately followed up with an excruciating headache.  We had intended to run by the house after church and grab the fruit I cut up for the Easter shindig at with the boy's aunt and uncles house...however I insisted he let me lay down for "5 minutes" while the 4 Advil I took kicked in....needless to say, 5 minutes turned into 45 minutes and we arrived pretty unfashionably late.  It was not late enough to miss the mountains of food which I did not hesitate to pile onto my plate. 

 During lunch Keith's cousin Hannah and I agreed that we should have a separate Easter egg hunt for the big kids where we hunt for eggs filled with $20 bills.  Then I got to thinking, what else could be in the eggs in an adult Easter hunt?

Ryan Gosling?

 



Booze?







Hmmm...I think we might be onto something with this adult Easter egg hunt...thoughts?? 

All in all a great birthday and Easter weekend...we are very blessed!  My nephew, Mason, true to form spent his Easter being adorable in his new hat.  Can't wait to kiss on those little cheeks this weekend at my bridal shower!

Lil heartbreaker :)