Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Living Room Sessions...


A glimpse into our home. 2 minutes into our Monday night walk this conversation took place:

Dave: Did I just see you DVR The Bachelorette?
Tiffany: You sure did!
Dave: That better not bump my recording of "The Hatfields & The McCoys"
Tiffany: It won't, but what are you gonna do if it did? (beginning to laugh) Besides, I'm NOT watching that.
Dave: What are you talking about? It's a lot better than the Bachelorette!
Tiffany: You know I don't like those bang-em-up-shoot-em-up kind of shows!! It's disturbing to me!
Dave: The Bachelorette is disturbing to me! And what's more disturbing is that you are 31 years old and you still get kicks out of watching it.

Touché Mendenhall. Touché.



Friday, May 25, 2012

It's Baaaaaaaaaaack!

And I could.not.be.happier.

Are you even kidding me with this? 4:01-6:00 I die of adorable overload. Even Dave watched and smiled majorly.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

My Truly Glamorous & Fabulous Life: Porta-Potty Edition

I'm a meetings and event planner by day and it always cracks me up that people think I have the most glamorous job. I can't argue that I get a few perk here and there...a free hotel stay won in a raffle that inspired the "Great Groupon Escape", a friends and family deal that inspired Dave's 30th birthday trip to Lake Tahoe (read: the best vacation ever!), and most recently...tickets to Sunday's game 1 of the Western Conference Finals with my San Antonio CVB friends...GO SPURS GO!! While that's all well and good, and you won't be hearing any complaints, the day to day to lead to the actual success of an event is always crazy business. My sister's wedding was NO different!

Having a reception for 230 people in your parent's backyard is no easy feat. You have to take into account every.single.thing. from every linen, to every fork, every wine glass, additional electrical, spraying for ants and mosquitoes (state bird of Texas), valet, and let's not forget the bathrooms. Let's rest there.

When Kristen set her heart on a backyard wedding parking and restrooms where one of the first red flags raised. The thought of 230 people coming in and out of the house to use 2 downstairs restrooms was a concern. We decided on "upscale" porta potties for the men and the women would be able to come in and use the house restrooms.

To make a long story short...mom looked at photos and ordered "nice" porta potties (if there is such a thing!) that had lights, a sink, and as my mom said, "smelled nice. Not like a porta potty."

Jump to May 18th. T-32 hours to "go time". The unit is delivered and it looks like it came straight off a construction site. Mom, Kristen, Nana and I were getting our nails done and my dad called in a panic. If Big Daddy thinks it's "nasty" you know you're in for it. Mom begins to panic, nail techs are talking about us in languages we can't understand and probably laughing uncontrollably at us, and the great porta potty crisis of 2012 is born.

Insert Bradley: My BFF, "day of" wedding day coordinator, and lifesaver swoops in. She found a double sided, clean, "fancy smelling" porta potty just in the nick of time! And by that I mean just before mom's full on melt down. The company was top notch and said they could deliver it within 24 hours.

Wedding day- I get up, get dressed and head over to my parent's house around 8am and as I'm driving down I-35 I realize I'm trailing a double sided porta potty. Could it be???

I got next to him and explained that, randomly enough, he was taking those units to our house and to just follow me since he would be taking them to the back gate. Bradley was laughing hysterically as we pulled up...
We proceeded to tell our new BFF Chad- the porta potty driver, that he was going to nee to off-road because we needed the toilets out of site to the general public. He looked a little concerned but was as nice as could be and gave it a try!



10 minutes, a near tip over, a close call with the back of the fence, and a re-positioning for easy entrance and all was right with the world! You're the man, Chad!!

In short, planning an event isn't all champagne and sparklers but it will definitely give you a few good laughs and some great stories! I can't make this stuff up.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Becoming Mr. and Mrs...

My sister is currently lying on the beach with her husband, sipping something frozen with a tiny umbrella in it, and I'm writing this over-photoed (I made it up, just go with it) blog post. It was such a fun weekend! My mom and dad threw a dynamite party, Kristen and Brad said their "I do's" and then shook their tail feather, and all is right with the world! It was everything Father of the Bride made us think it would be and so much more. I can't wait until she's back so we can relive it! For now I will share it all with you.

*Left photo credit: Amber Anderson
On Thursday, before the wedding, sweet friends threw Kristen and Brad a welcome party for their guests who had already made it to town. It was SO much fun! The perfect way to kick off a wonderful weekend of celebrations.

Me, Kristen, Nana and Mom....couldn't love these ladies anymore.


Then, Friday came! It was time to practice.

  

After the rehearsal, Brad's family threw a fabulous rehearsal dinner. Everyone had a blast and the weather was just perfect.


MOB and FOB. :)


Big Daddy- Giving the future Mr. and Mrs. a toast.


My how my family has grown in the last year!


 The "kids"


The BIG DAY!! The beautiful bride and me. Love you.


My mom's best friends threw the most wonderful and special bridal brunch. It wouldn't be complete with mimosas and Gigi's cupcakes!


 Fooooour Siiisters.....


It took a village to tie the chair ties....


 Time to get beautiful!


 The most gorgeous bride I have ever seen!

My "little" brother...so Draper.



 Mr. and Mrs. Brad Riddell!!

*Photo Credit: Amber Anderson

*Photo Credit: Liz Farrar
Everything was just stunning. Her dress, the cake, the romantic backyard...it was everything she and my mom had envisioned. 
And the moment I had been waiting for...the Father-Daughter dance. It went from this....

To this....
Big Daddy brought his A-Game!


*Photo credit: Amber Anderson
Above- My sweet friends!
Below- My wonderful in-laws

It was a beautiful, wonderful, blessed night that I'm sure Brad and Kristen will never forget. Congratulations to the newlyweds! LOVE YOU!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Who Has 2 Thumbs & a Birthday Today??

This guy!!

On the day you were born - May 2, 1980
  • Blondie topped the Billboard charts with Call Me
  • Joseph Doherty & 3 other IRA men arrested for murder
  • Pope John Paul II begins African tour
May 2nd over the years...

  • 1984 - Mattingly's single breaks up Lamarr Hoyt's perfect game bid
  • 1988 - Reds manager Pete Rose is suspended for 30 days for pushing an ump
  • 1992 - 118th Kentucky Derby: Pat Day aboard Lil E Tee wins in 2:03
  • 1994 - Dr Kervokian found innocent on assisting suicides
  • 1997 - Donald Trump & Marla Maples announce they are separating
  • 1997 - Police arrest transsexual hooker Atisone Seiuli with Eddie Murphy
  • 2011 - Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the September 11 attacks and the FBI's most wanted man is killed by the United States special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Some pretty crazy things have happened over the years on May 2nd, but none more meaningful to me than you making your big debut. Happiest of birthdays to the one my heart loves!