And we’re off again! This weekend, we’re heading to Miami for the Justin Timberlake and Jay Z Legends of the Summer concert. I’ve seen JT in concert a few times now, and he is amazing. I could not be more excited about this concert. And beach time. Much needed.
images via fourth lake
Sasha was in Austin all last week for class, so I drove to meet him on Thursday. We spent Friday eating breakfast at Kerbey Lane, working from the AT&T Conference Center (where we were staying), then getting lunch at the flagship Whole Foods, going paddle boarding on Town Lake (so much fun!!!), getting drinks at Abel’s on the Lake, then cleaning up and meeting some of my favorite people for dinner at G’Raj Mahal (amazing). After dinner, Sasha and I walked back to Town Lake to watch the sunset on a dock, then trekked across downtown Austin to go back to the hotel (via the Capitol and TCBY, naturally).
On Saturday, we were back at Kerbey Lane for breakfast (it’s that good), then headed to San Marcos to visit one of Sasha’s fraternity brothers. They live on this amazing 100 acre ranch with the most gorgeous Restoration Hardware inspired house. They have two gorgeous blonde girls of their own and have adopted three beautiful kids from Africa. I honestly did not want to leave.
Afterward, we went to Gruene for lunch at the famous Gristmill restaurant, next to Gruene Hall (Texas’ oldest dance hall). We walked around this quaint Texas town after, then got in the car and drove to San Antonio (hence, the Tour de Texas post name). I met two of Sasha’s high school friends and their precious three kids – a newborn who I didn’t want to put down. We went to eat at Scenic Loop Cafe and Bar, which was delicious – great outdoor dining spot with live music and gorgeous strung lights.
We woke up early on Sunday and headed back to Houston. We arrived home to the West Elm storage bench we ordered ages ago. Hoorah! Not many more pieces to go until The Manor is complete. The busy weekend ended with family dinner at Indika (one of my favorites, as expressed in my ‘Best of Houston: Restaurants and Coffee‘ post). It’s Houston Restaurant Weeks – my favorite time of the year.
Happy Monday!
I am so blessed to have a best friend whose boyfriend is equally as talented at picture-taking as she is, or else I would have no photos to share of the wedding until I get our official ones back from Ryan in a few weeks! Sophee and Johnny captured some precious moments from both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding day. Sasha and I got married on July 19 at The Carneros Inn in Napa, and while everything didn’t go as expected (to be explained momentarily), it was the most perfect day of my life…
As mentioned last week, I fainted during the ceremony (honestly, who does that?). All of those warnings to eat food, drink water, bend your knees, etc. are not to be taken lightly. Fainting runs in our family, so neither of my parents were surprised when 15 minutes into the ceremony, Sasha asked me, “Are you okay?” To which I replied, “No,” then subsequently fell onto his shoulder and he placed me on the ground. A whole two minutes later, I wake up to a host of very capable people putting ice on my neck and holding me in the right position. I had two doctors and a paramedic at the wedding, so I was well-taken care of. After going inside to cool off, we returned outside – to continue the ceremony seated (with parasols – see pictures below). I was in good spirits about the entire event – you truly cannot let anything ruin this special day. It also helped that Sasha scooped me off my feet to carry me inside, which his groomsmen swear was all planned to make him look like a knight in shining armor. The rest of the evening went without a hiccup – the speeches, food, drinks, company, and dancing were all incredible. I cannot wait to share Ryan’s pictures with you when they arrive. In the meantime, here are some that Sophee and Johnny took. Thank you to them both! Love y’all so much.
Our Rehearsal Dinner was on Thursday, July 18 at Gundlach Bundschu – we invited our bridal party and family to the dinner, then opened the event up to all guests for drinks at the end of the night. I honestly couldn’t have envisioned a better way to start the wedding festivities. I got to meet some of Sasha’s extended family for the first time and saw some of our Scottish friends whom I haven’t seen in years. A very relaxed evening and a perfect segue to the Big Day.
Location: Gundlach Bundschu
Florals: Julie Stevens
Catering: Marks the Spot
Our pictures arrived last night from Ryan in a gorgeous wooden box, with a beautiful card, and the pictures wrapped in ethereal, pink ribbon. Sasha and I sat down and went through each picture (there were about 140!), and he was giddy and I was teary. I think Ryan is amazing. Hopefully you enjoy our selection! 12 days to go.
