wedding update: bridesmaids' luncheon

You guys! I'm married! What?! I have been overwhelmed with how to share all the images from my most amazing weekend-ever and I suppose starting with Friday only makes sense!


My Bridesmaids Luncheon at The Remington Suite Hotel:
Thank you to the lovely hostesses that kick started the wedding weekend with the most stunning bridesmaids luncheon a girl could ever imagine. The table arrangements, the flowers, the cake, the food, the chairs, the location, all of it was exceptional - but the true gift was getting to share this time with each one of you. I am filled with gratitude for your love and generosity. We (Mr. and Mrs. T) treasure you.

Pulling the Wedding Cake Charms - is this only a southern thing?

 These sexy ladies made my weekend! I love you ALL so incredibly much!

Aiden and Jordan flew all the way from Chicago for Mr. T and my big day! (she is only 1 month old! Bless her heart.) Katie had her aunt, whom is an amazing artist, watercolor flowers on our wedding invitation. I can't wait to frame and hang this in my house forever.

Frances came in from Missouri and celebrated her 30th birthday on my wedding day! I seriously have the best friends in the world. T's Aunt Maria had these Waterford candles sticks brought in from Ireland to bless our marriage. And these two on the bottom right -Chessi and Mrs. Karen- have helped me/coached me/calmed me down through the whole wedding process. Priceless memories and much love.

  Emily R's family came in from Houston and Thomas was our handsome ring bearer! More on that later. All of these ladies have been so supportive and I am forever grateful. Emily G came in from Baton Rouge and stayed at my mom's house with me on Thursday night.

Mom, Lauren and I began with at-home spray tans and wedding cake martinis; Chessi, Emily, Leslie and I stayed up late looking at old photos and drinking wine on the front porch. I will treasure that night for a lifetime.... now back to Friday!

What can I say about these two ladies? They helped raise me. They are truly the perfect blend between friends and mothers to me. 

A special thank you to the all the Hudson and Tison family members for your travels from Texas, south Louisiana, and Miami to be here! Leslie came in for 3 weeks from Zimbabwe for all the wedding festivities - thank you for all the moments we got to share together. Mrs. C - thanks for coming in for a whole month to share in the craziness that is me. I love you so. 

It means the world to us that so many people traveled from near and far, to share their time with us. What an experience to have all the people you love in one room.

mud fest...err, I mean jazz fest weekend!

10 of my girlfriends traveled to New Orleans for Jazz Fest in honor of my Bachelorette party. It was a large, but enthusiastic #focusedbatch, ready to meet the weekend head on. Our road trip crew was separated into 3 different cars, so the first order of business was meeting up in our hotel rooms where gift backpacks were awaiting everyone. Thank you Emily, MC, and Rachael for your thoughtfulness! This was the PERFECT bag for the weekend. (who am i kidding- I'm bringing it on the honeymoon too) Across from the Renaissance Hotel we ate at Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar for dinner. Burgers were split, shots were had - and then we were off to Frenchman! Rebirth was playing at d.b.a.'s and we found a little nook in the bar that was made for us! We laughed, we drank, we took pictures, we listened to the band, we made new friends from Baltimore/Boston....Friday night was our fun night for sure!

Saturday (the day of Jazz Fest), we woke up for brunch and located about 1/2 a mile from our hotel was The Ruby Slipper, we walked the streets of Nola until we bumped into people waiting in line... bloody mary's held us over until we were seated an hour later with our entire #focusedbatch! Emily drove in from Baton Rouge and met us there! Neither of us could believe it had been at her wedding 2 years ago since we had seen each other. Time- she is a-flyin'. We trolleyed to City Park for Jazz Fest. (well...ahem, some of us had to stop at Family Dollar) We got to hear Norah Jones band, The Little Willies, play. Then Phoenix came on and Lauren and I swayed to the music. "They came all the way from Paris, France just to play for us!" We met up with the other half of the group at the Fleetwood Mac stage. When I tell you it was muddy- I mean liquid sewage sludge a football field length long that smelled A LOT like cow manure. What were we gonna do? NOT see Fleetwood Mac? I don't think so!

Even my sis, Laur with her flip flops on, trudged through the muck of it to hear Stevie Nicks. This was the last show of the day and I'll say exiting with 11 women that have to use the rest room and are tired and hungry is interesting. Oscar, the VERY attractive city transportation worker, assisted us in providing bus transport back to Harrahs, where we decided upon a dinner location, Gordon Biersch. Somewhere between our appetizers being served and our entrees arriving- a little rodent friend decided to poke it's head out and run around the room where we were seated. Never in my life. Sometimes you just gotta laugh to keep from crying.

Exausted but determined, the girls hosted a lingerie shower for me in the hotel room. I have such lovely friends.

Sunday morning we departed the hotel for Baton Rouge, where Emily selected Beausoleil for us. It couldn't have been a more quaint spot for our brunch. As if they knew the running theme of the weekend, an acoustic guitarist serenaded us throughout the meal playing songs we all knew by heart. Instead of say bread or chips, an unexpected table food was served in a basket - cracklin'- and it was yummy! As Lauren recently said to me, "weekends like this are unforgettable, they are stamped in your mind forever." I consider myself a lucky lady to have such thoughtful, fun, and beautiful friends & sisters.

lately through the linz...

life lately using my mobile device :)

I'm off to a weekend in New Orleans with my dear friends for a little bachelorette party! EEEK! so excited!

Happy Weekend, dreamers.

bugs, babies, and beer!

What could be more perfect than spending a beautiful, relaxing day lake side with crawfish, friends, and little sweet baby faces?! (this is rhetorical, as there is no better way.) The Earnests were so kind to offer their lake house again for boiling crawfish and sipping beers with friends, but I will note that at the end of the day there were more babies on the lawn than beer cans!

{Briefly before a group boat ride, I snuck away from the crowd 

and took a little nap on that hammock... and it was a good day.}