Saturday, May 26, 2012

Ladies Night...

The past few months have been a whirlwind of showers, bachelorette parties, birthday parties, cotillions, girl's trips and more bachelorette parties (3 in 5 weeks!)

My sister and my last 3 wonderful friends all got married within 2 weeks of each other this spring, so it has been very busy and full of much needed Ladies Nights!
But who would've thought they would all fall this
closely to each other!?! ...crazy timing! :)
Thankfully Chad is super dad and has handled my absence well and watched over the girls like a champ!

It has really been a blast to spend such long overdue quality time with my fabulous college girlfriends and get to dance!!!
After my 3rd trip to the front row of the stage at The Stage, I got VIP status and knew the band members by name! haha! Kidding...well, kind of kidding :)
I was no VIP but I did know them and they were starting to recognize me, only because I insist on being front and center! hehe! If we're going to do it, we're going to do it right! :)
I did feel like a groupie and a 21 year old! hehe!
The most hilarious part is the lead singer still had a sticker on his guitar I stuck on there from the very first Bachelorette party!
good to know it didn't go to waste! 
It has been awesome, i'm still exhausted from all the fun, which quickly reminded me I am actually not a 21 year old! :)
and happily returned home to the play-doh and princess dress up parties I so love with my littlest girls...after a long nap!:)

Here is a just a snid-bit (ok, alot of pics as usual because I wait 3 months later to share all this)
of all the Ladies Night fun I have been having since March...

Starting out with celebrating Julie and her Birthday!
I had to share this picture because I was crying laughing and it still makes me laugh with tears rolling down my face when i see this again. obviously seeing her sombrero we had her birthday dinner at a mexican restuarant...well, the men came out singing, stuck the hat on her head and literally took her head and stuck her face into the cake! She was so taken aback...it was hilarious!
she's always such a good sport!!!
 GIRLS WEEKEND!!!
Alison, Veazey, Deedee and I decided since we are all teachers (even though I am still milking my maternity leave:) to take a Spring Break trip...so off to Nashville we went for a day of great shopping and a night on broadway!
it was SO! MUCH! FUN!!! 
Only Deedee would bring an apple to dinner with her! haha!

And only Deedee would really think THIS guy was Randy Travis and get her picture taken with him!
Oh my gosh...she is a laugh a minute!!!

 9 O'clock Cotillion
I know what you're thinking...
I thought this was all about my Ladies Nights...
why is Chad there? He's a boy! :)
Well, 9 O'Clock Cotillion is a couples event and here is my handsome date :)
 but I can assure you after dinner is served and Jessie's Girls starts to play...yes, that is the band's name! haha!
...good-bye hubbies and hello girlfriends!
 This is what the front row looks like at Cotillion...
the husbands come and go but they prefer to observe from the back... or the bar area...hehe!
 This is one of the funnest nights in Knoxville! 
We all dance the night away!
It was a much more enjoyable experience than last year when I was 8 month pregnant with Keenan and kept having to rest during through the "boring" songs because I thought she was going to make an early debut! :) and my doctor was also there advising to me "take it easy" haha! I don't know what that words means especially when music is playing! :)
Anne's sweet sister, Jenny, was the Queen this year!!!
Which is so neat, because Anne was Queen 8 years ago! Following in her big sister's footsteps!
Yeah Jenny!!!
PAIGE'S SHOWER(S)
my beautiful sister got married last weekend here in knoxville, which i absolutely love! Her new husband's parents live here, so I am hoping and praying they will eventually end up here! I am absolutely dying to have some family in my town!
She got to come here often for planning purposes, this is one of her planning visits and she had two showers. They got married behind us behind the meadow and in front of the gazebo. don't worry, her wedding pics will be a post all for it's own. :)

 
This is where she walked down ...it was straight out of a movie!
simply beautiful

i love showering paigey...
and another shower with munchie!

Dori's Bachelorette Party

Dori got married April 21st on the Big Island in Hawaii, which is where the Lei'd part comes from. Sadly, none of the martins got to go, which was heartbreaking!
Mary Carlisle was asked to be an honorary flower girl which meant so much to me! Dori has done such an incredible job making Mary Carlisle a priority in her life and getting to know her despite their distance, which is so touching to see from such a great friend and even more from someone as busy as Dori. She is like trying to keep up with the president! haha! ...i'm serious! :)
she is an amazing event planner, hence the adorable stickers cute labels on everything for her and peeroti's bachelorette parties.
This is the sticker I stuck on the lead singers guitar!
Right before Dori & Meg got on stage to show him how to properly dance to rocky top!


Peeroti's Bachelorette Party
Peeroti is the final wedding, coming up this weekend, june 2nd, in Memphis. Her bachelorette party was perfectly timed the weekend of St. Patricks Day, her favorite "holiday".
We all dressed in green, had dinner at Dori's and headed out to none other than The Stage!
 Lucky Charm party favors & more adorable stickers to pass out to our fans throughout the night! :)

 We thought we were so funny sneaking stickers on the bachelorette's booty!
Just like our old East Scott days where we lived in college 
 Peeroti wins the most enthusiastic bachelorette award!
She was so excited and eating the attention up! Posing all night long! She would open a lingerie gift up and instantly turn to my camera like the paparazzi was following her and pose...she is hilarious and made for an entertaining bachelorette!
 Perfect example....showing off our "rings"
 how could you not love this girl!!?
the ladies in our green and sporting glow sticks!

Jennifer, her maid of honor, and Dori headed up this great partaa!

 Dori even got Chi O cups for the good ol days!!! Haha!
Such a NO NO :) we definitely would've been sent to standards drinking out of these in college! haha! 
 i couldn't get enough of these glasses!
and once again...Deedee brought her own snacks, the lucky charms, and pulled them out while we were dancing.
Always prepared! hehe!
 Last but not least...
ROOMIE'S BACHELORETTE PARTY!!!
80's Style!

Agh!!!! hehehe!
What a GREAT idea! I wish I would've made my friends do this. There were literally 24 of us and we were ALL dressed in 80's!
it was a hilarious site to see!!!

 I have to say i have never had SO MUCH FUN crimping my hair, putting on bright pink lipstick and eye makeup so much!!!
I am definitely going to pull this back out for halloween just so i can crimp my hair! haha!
The 80's Rock! Anything goes in the 80's ...there was no judgement back then! haha...i mean, there couldn't have been...look at us!!!! :)

Lisa and Her Bridesmaids
Thank goodness she picked out such beautiful dresses for us and not these for the wedding!  
Fwew!!! It's been busy and so fun!
I feel so blessed having such amazing friends and getting to be a part of all of this excitement!
Congratulations to each and every one of you beautiful brides!
 I am so sad the parties are over. I am going to have to start planning my own parties now so I can play with my friends some more! hehe!

Maybe host my own 80's party  hmm...stay tuned! :)

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Lisa and Kyle . Palmetto Bluff

Where do i even begin this post? i kind of feel like i shouldn't even write anything and let my pictures tell the story of this amazing wedding weekend! lisa and kyle got married this past weekend at the inn at palmetto bluff in south carolina. now, i know lisa well enough to know everything she does is in the best taste and style, but i don't think i realized just how beautiful this place was really going to be. absolutely amazing! 
i feel i have been pretty privileged by nice places, but this one takes the cake! 
some signs i know we are at an amazingly nice place...
1)  everywhere we went, they greeted us by saying
 "good morning mr. and mrs. martin! what can we get for you today?" .
umm- how do you know my name? and where did you just come from?! :)
forget the "ritz carlton experience"...this is the palmetto bluff experience!  



2) we pulled into the beautiful 2 mile entrance to palmetto bluff to see these...
oh yes! Those are Aston Martins!!! they were having some sort of aston martin owner party or something. Hey! if it is nice enough for them, it's perfect for me! haha!!! Me and my Tourag :)

Reason #3 - Luca, my new best friend! I am not sure where this guy is from, or what super human traits God gave him, but since you cannot actually drive around the property only travel by bike or golf cart (awesome!!!) i would pick up my cottage phone and say i need a ride and this guy would be there in about .5 seconds to pick me up! He'd have a cold water ready for me , Gilbert the Gator for mary carlisle, and made personal deliveries for me on more than one occassion. After someone's dancing heel went into my foot at the wedding, he EVEN offered to get me an ice pack!!!...say what?! 
 Chad didn't even offer that...agh! haha!!! no ice pack, but if i could just pack him up and take him home with me as a full time assistant!!! please!!! he was amazing and accomodating to the say the least!

 mary carlisle & i are heading to the rehearsal. she has gilbert the gator with her :) i think we came home with 4 of these little gators :)
 
Chad and Mary Carlisle heading to the pool in style!
i absolutely love places where you have to bike everywhere and a golf cart is pretty awesome too!
This was our cottage! It had everything i would want in a cottage! it was PERFECT and so quaint!

and to sum up my reasons how i knew this was an amazingly nice place...
#4) any place that has THIS scenery is AMAZING...

the lake behind our cottage

 the palmetto bluff chapel

the pier overlooking the bay to hilton head

beautiful moss and bikes....ahhh! perfection!

GOD IS GOOD!!!

there is a neat story about this place and this is what was left of the mansion that burned down years ago...
you should go to their website http://www.palmettobluffresort.com/ to see even better pictures other than my attempts at being a photographer :)  
but this is where the bride and groom said their i do's
it's so artsy! i love it!
The best view of all...MC's Booty! :) hehe! She spotted a turtle!

AND NOW FOR THE GOOD STUFF.... the wedding festivities!!!
Bridesmaid Luncheon with Lil Roomie...She is seriously the MOST photogenic person i know. this bride never takes a bad picture!

yes, i have bicycles on my dress...other than seaside where else can you wear a dress with bicycles!? haha! it was perfect for her big event!


 is that A for Alabama or Abbey?!?!?
everything down to the perfectly placed flowers were beautiful!

REHEARSAL DINNER
The Beautiful Bride & Handsome Groom 

Kyle ended the night saying one of the best toasts i have heard from a groom. it was so genuine and heartfelt!
...very touching to hear!
i loved the "good and wholesome" night celebrating these two! :)
 

WEDDING DAY!!!

 Lisa looked amazing!!! So beautiful and stunning! 
She was the calmest bride I have ever been around...no surprise!

strike a pose roomie!
we laugh, because she is a poser and SO good at it!!!
it is obvious the camera loves her!

 Where are my petals? hehe!
mary carlisle practiced tossing her petals out of her purse...
 

I love these two beauties!!!
So PROUD of my flower girl!
She did a great job walking down the aisle and scattered out her flowers. she still had half a basket of petals left when she got to me, so she walked in circles around me several times and dropped the rest ha! so sweet! my area of grass looked extra pretty! :)
 by the time lisa walked down the aisle mc decided she had had enough and needed to go pee-pee. pulled up her dress to show me exactly where she was talking about (haha! thanks bc this word pee-pee is new to me) :) chad takes her to the potty and by the time they are done, lisa and kyle are walking out, so mc decides she wants to join the wedding party again. she comes strolling back in across the crowd like she owns the place with a graham cracker in hand (thanks daddy) and walks out behind paul and i munching on her cracker and holding gilbert the gator in her flower basket...boy oh boy. its a good thing she is a cutie! hehe!

 sadly, keenan didn't get to make the trip and stayed home with my mom. it was good for mary carlisle to get some mommy and daddy time, but we sure missed our little mouskawitz

mc can't get enough roomie love!
 

THE RECEPTION
FLASH MOB!!!
Their birmingham friends put together a flash mob dance- it was great and they had no idea!
haha! look at lisa's face! she is trying to keep up and has no idea what is going on! :)

It was hilarious!!! Lisa and Kyle kept dancing with them like it was the electric slide or something...finally, someone got them to stop dancing and watch!
Our little dancing queen!

A small clip of someone took of mary carlisle footage.
we were so busy with everything we forgot to give someone our camera. :( but at least we got a little!


It was an incredible weekend had by all!
Thank you Lisa and Kyle for getting married at my new favorite place! We will definitely be heading back for their Cinco De Mayo Anniversary party (invited or not!) haha!!! :)

Congratulations to the Abbeys!