Nut Lover and #weddingskills

I attended a beautiful wedding on Saturday night. A stunning bride, a beautiful church, a nice ceremony, a festive reception, delicious food, an open bar, a fun crowd, an adorable ceramic squirrel…and, of course, great wedding hashtags! #weddingskills #skillmanandwife 

In all seriousness, Natalie and Jonathan's wedding was gorgeous and it was a spectacular evening with a wonderful couple! I was happy to be a part of their celebration! Here are a few pictures so you can be a part, also…

  

The ceremony was beautiful, and it was especially meaningful that Natalie's dad, who has been battling cancer, was well enough to walk her down the aisle! And the flowers were the most bright and vibrant that I have ever seen…they were incredible!

Nut lover almost got left in the church, but Jonny and I rescued him and brought him to cocktail hour.

 

When we arrived at the reception, held in Natalie's front yard, the details were absolutely amazing.

 

We hung around and enjoyed the speeches and fellowship, while, of course, enjoying cocktails and admiring all the beauty that filled the place.

The brand new Skillman couple appeared on the balcony and realized white doves, the symbol of peace and love, to fly away in honor of their new marriage.

 

Jenga and Corn hole were quite the hits.

There was an illustrator who beautifully watercolored the events of the evening. Natalie and Jonathan will receive a book of her paintings. Isn't that a neat, different way to capture the precious moments of your wedding day? Of course, Nut Lover had his portrait made.

 

Dancing and Nut Lover were the highlights of the evening. Every guest hit the dance floor and every guest was loving on Nut.

Ali, Nat Attack, Nut Lover, and myself. What a lovely wedding.

xoxo

Steeplechase!

There are two days of the year where I am extra, extra proud to be a Nashvillian. Thanksgiving Day and Steeplechase Day. This past Saturday was Steeplechase, and it was a blast as always.

Its hard to explain why Steeplechase is so fun. Was it the fact that it was supposed to rain but turned into a beautiful day? Was it the wonderful company? Is it the running into old friends? Is it the sunny, spring weather? Is it the alcohol and tailgating? Is it the horses whizzing past? Is it the people watching and the crazy hats? It really is not any one of those things, but the day as a whole that makes for an exciting, entertaining event! Here are a few snaps to see a glimpse of our day.

 

 If you have never experienced Steeplechase, it is a sight to see! I look forward to it every Spring!

xoxo

Summer Goals

It suddenly feels like Summer and I am loving it. It stays light so late and we have been walking our three mile loop and enjoying the warm weather. Today was my last day of work until August. This weekend kicks off wedding season for me. The smell of Summer is in the air and I am loving it.  

So…here is my goal list for the next several months.

Thoughts? Can you think of anything I must add?

xoxo

Cable Hiatus

For the past week, we, here at The Grut, have been without cable. No internet, No television.

I am not going to lie, there were times that it was aggravating. But, on the whole, it was nice. It encouraged more conversation, more walks, more porch sits…

It made me want to take a break from my phone. Lately I have found myself feeling bogged down by the constant steam of texts and the need to "keep up" with friends by texting about nothing, instead of having a face to face conversation where we actually catch up. I know phones are handy and useful, but I am just contemplating taking a little absence from mine.

xoxo

Happy Mothers Day to my Stellar Mama!

My mother deserves to be celebrated, today and everyday. 

For giving birth to four kids in five years and raising us all well…. 

for being an incredible example of Jesus Christ for us….

for teaching us to appreciate the beauty of life…

 for instilling in us a love of others and a love of adventure….

 for being the best cook around….

 for cheering, cooking, supporting, fixing, sewing, welcoming, cleaning, and driving at all hours of the day and night….

 and for genuinely loving and caring for us so incredibly well.

I love you, Mama. It has been a joy living in the same city as you this year!
Happy, happy Mother's Day!

xoxo

Happy Friday!

I hope your Friday is as happy as Aunt Bea's. And have a lovely weekend!

Xoxo

African time, African driving

I have spent a good bit of time in Africa. It is a different world. The smells, the people, the concept of time, the food, the lifestyle, the driving, the atmosphere…it is so different from any other place I have ever experienced. As different as it is, it is wonderful. I love it. I love the calmness, the beauty of the land, the people. I even love the absurdity of it...the fact that I went six weeks without taking a shower. I loved adapting to life without running water or electricity. And after a while, I even grew to love the crazy drivers and "African time".

This was the view of Mt. Kenya from the yard of my host family, where I lived in the summer of 2011.

When I saw this video, it took me straight back to my summers in Kenya. The crazy mutatus, vans packed with people and animals, blaring bad 90's music and driving like maniacs.

For anyone out there who has spent time in Africa, particularly Kenya or Ethiopia, I hope this video sparks crazy, hilarious, dangerous stories from your past like it did mine.

xoxo