race to the altar!

Of course Gretchen and Al couldn't just relax and spend time getting ready on the morning of their nuptials, they needed to schedule some more (friendly?) competition.  

Guests rose bright and early to take part in a Race-to-the-Altar run down the island.

the bride and fab friend Tara writing up the signs Saturday AM

the 2 mile turnaround for the 4-mile loop

HYDRATE!

 Pardon the blurry pic - running and snapping is tough work!

The race finished at the Pass Club's beach house for a picnic lunch of sandwiches, salads and sweet little treats - all catered by the delicious Morsels Bakery - a fav breakfast and coffee spot for the bride and groom.

In keeping with the games-and-competition theme of the weekend, cornhole was also featured beach-side:

While Samantha and I opted out of the run, we were excited to get all dolled up to meet more friends and family for the picnic.

with cousin Wyler

(who was a total natural!)

with middle namesake Charlotte, the bride,

and my brother's lovely girlfriend Julia

the groom's fam, the bride and the MOB

the bride and grandma Judith

The event wouldn't have been complete without some wedding-logo koozies. :)

Before long, it was time to shower up and get ready!  

xoxo

KK

introducing mr. & mrs. mathews!

Just about one month and a week ago today, my little sister Gretchen tied the knot!

Gretch with her fabulous groom Al

The entire wedding weekend was so jam-packed with non-stop action and super thoughtful details that there is NO way for me to pack it all into just one post.  You'll be getting lots of updates on the happenings of the weekend.

Because this activity-and-game-loving couple can't stand sitting around, they scheduled a full itinerary of plans for their guests.  Along with their gorgeous invites (done by the lovely Holly Hollon), guests got a beautiful accordion outlining the schedule. 

First up on the wedding week countdown: Friday!

They kicked off with a golf tournament for serious golfers only in the AM.

the gorgeous Gasparilla Inn course

This obviously excluded Stefan and I but from what we heard, the course and competition was sensational.  While the winners were not announced publicly to avoid hurt feelings in this just-for-fun (but who-isn't-competitive-in-this-family) match, I congratulate them both - they know who they are. :)

Then it was onto a friendly tennis tournament Friday afternoon:

the bride crushing it

After some quick showers to clean up, we moved onto a gorgeous rehearsal dinner hosted by the groom's lovely parents.  We enjoyed yummy apps, classic Caesar, melt-in-your-mouth fish and a plethora of top-notch toasts.

the soon-to-be-married with the fashionable 

and oh-so-sweet mother of the groom

Complete with the Pass Club's famous "baked potatoes" - 

decadent vanilla ice cream rolled in cocoa 

topped with "sour cream" (whipped cream) 

and "gravy" (divine hot fudge)

After that, we joined the full crew for Welcome Drinks at the island's gorgeous outdoor public library.

Since it was Halloween, the groom's parents outfitted the crew with classy fun fare to spice up the night:

The bride with her besties:

Before we knew it, it was time to call it a night and rest up for another sensational day of action-packed fun on Saturday.  More details to come!

xoxo
KK

back at work

Today is my first day back at work.

I'm excited to get back into the swing of things, but I'm sad.  Real sad.  This little munchkin is one lovely babe to spend time with.

We've had a busy past few weeks - there has been so much excitement that I haven't had a moment to tune you in. 

The highlights include...

Having Stefan's lovely mother stay with us to explore SF, help out, and hang with Samantha:

Taking Samantha on her first flight:

Dressing her up for Halloween:

Celebrating my fabulous sister's incredible nuptials:

And spending some time in Milwaukee with my parents:

It's been a pretty incredible finale to this pretty incredible maternity leave.  More details to come I hope although I'm in uncharted territory here with the whole working with a baby thing.  I make no promises.

xoxo

KK

the macs on film

Speaking of the Macs: as you know, we headed to Charlotte and Scott's killer wedding back in June.  We had the absolute best time celebrating the newly minted, marvelous MacKenzies and toasting their new life together.    

In addition to having a great time, I had the very, very great honor of being the celebrant for their nuptials.  I was so beyond touched to play this special role in their wedding not only because I adore them both, but also because this is a marriage I couldn't believe more in!  I know it's sooo cliche but these two are literally PERFECT for each other.  It makes me so, so happy to help them seal the deal.

Their wedding video is ready and I couldn't help but share.  I was waterworks galore each of the 20 times I've watched it.  Be prepared.    

Check out the video here.  Password is "ayc".  

I promise it won't disappoint.

xoxo

KK

a shower for gretters

I have the great honor of serving as my lovely sister's Matron of Honor for her upcoming nuptials this fall.  While there are many important duties in such a role, one such obligation is that of the Bachelorette party - a critical rite of passage for many a bride.

Unfortunately due to Gretter's school schedule (she is a schoolteacher and is going to school herself) and my baby schedule (most airlines ground pregnant ladies ~1-2 months out for fear that they may go into labor mid-flight and force the plane to land), we couldn't find a date that worked.  After much discussion, we decided to have me opt out of said Bachelorette and instead have me host a more pregnant-lady-friendly bridal shower.

With the help of my party-planning-extraordinaire mother, we orchestrated a lovely get-together for friends and family at the condo Gretchen and Al recently bought in New Canaan, CT.  (What grown-ups!)

We opted for a low-key brunch with lots of yummy goodies catered by a local spot:

We did make-your-own yogurt parfaits, 

to-die-for mini muffins and scones, 

made-to-order lattes and cappuccinos,

fluffy, decadent baby quiche, and 

- since no bridal brunch is complete without some bubbly - assorted Mimosas.

Note: custom linen napkins with Gretchen and Al's wedding logo on them

Who doesn't love an excuse for Champagne at 11am?

After chowing down (and drinking up!), we watched as Gretters opened up some top-notch gifts - many of which would be put straight to good use in their brand new place!

There's nothing like some good place mats!

Note: coffee cups with G&A's wedding logo stamped on -

you know how I love stamping

We chatted and sipped and chatted some more as we showered the soon-to-be bride with advice, gifts, wisdom, and love.  While not quite a Bachelorette, the morning was a charming celebration of this lovely soon-to-be bride.

xoxo

KK

the mackenzies

Greetings friends!

It's been awhile.

Since I've chimed in here last:
we've had bridal showers and baby showers, 
this bump has gotten a whole lot bigger (t-minus 6 weeks!), 
I finally took my miserable test, and 
my best, best friend tied the knot!

There's lots to report back on but I'll start by filling you in on this past weekend: the sensational nuptials of my fab friend Charlotte.

After some picnic-ing and tennis playing Friday afternoon (both the bride and groom are athletic all-stars), we rehearsed our ceremony duties and got cleaned up for the Friday night festivities.  

The rehearsal dinner and welcome drinks Friday evening were a total success.  Top-notch toasts, amazing appetizers, thoughtful touches, a delicious dinner, incredible ice cream, and lots of celebrating.

some of the maids with the bride during cocktail hour

the mother of the groom went all out 

with her "perfect match" theme

Saturday I carried out my very taxing duties as a bridesmaid:

sending the bride off on a morning run,

getting my hair done,
getting my make-up done,
eating lots of delicious food,

hanging out with the bride,
lounging about in a comfy bathrobe,
getting my picture taken.

It was a really tough day.

At 5pm the bride and groom sealed the deal in the most gorgeous of settings:

They then surprised all of their guests with an adorable, perfectly choreographed dance number that charmed the whole lot. 

I was waterworks galore watching them tear up the dance floor.

Again, the party was a smashing success and full of fab moments, best of which was watching how over-the-moon happy both the bride and groom were.

Sadly, the weekend was over just as soon as it started and I was back on a plane to SF.  Luckily, my fabulous husband spoiled me with a business-class upgrade (one of the few pros of him traveling all. the. time.) so I nursed my sadness with warm nuts, a made-to-order ice cream sundae, and lots of on-demand movies.  Had to take advantage of my last pre-baby flight! :)

More news on happenings here soon.

xoxo

KK

apples and a ring

In other super exciting news, my little sister is engaged!   

For most of you, this is old, old news.  (I really have dropped the blogging ball these past few months...)  But regardless, I thought it worthwhile to share their adorable engagement story, told from the source herself: Miss. Soon-to-be-Bride!

Starting about a year ago, Al and I instituted date nights where we would plan surprise dates for each other just for fun. It was, and has been, a super fun tradition, but I did need to institute some rules after it became apparent that Al thought all dates should be BBQ-themed.  While this girl loves BBQ, she also loves wearing white (not ideal attire for this BBQ eater) and varied cuisine once in a while. 

Anyway, a few weeks before THE day, Al mentioned that he was going to plan a day date on 9/21. I thought it was a great idea and didn't think much more of it. After some seemingly false alarms where I thought there may be proposals in sight (i.e., a surprise vacation to St. Lucia), I have opted not to read into his sneaky/crafty date ideas.

So I woke up on Saturday and got ready as I would for any other date. Once I was ready, instead of being told what we were doing, I was handed an envelope with directions for pit stop 1: Starbucks. Smart, Al - don't take this girl anywhere without her AM coffee!

Post-Starbucks, I received envelope #2 that mentioned driving North for some fun fall festivities. I figured maybe a beer garden or hike? But instead we drove and arrived at a gorgeous apple orchard in upstate New York. Now that I am a teacher, apples were only fitting. ;)

We spent some time meandering the farm, trying different types of apples before Al asked if I wanted to walk over to a secluded bunch of Macintosh. Still, I was thinking Al just wanted to take a walk - not totally out of the ordinary for this athletic, energy-crazed man. 

As we walked over, however, he handed me my next envelope. I opened it and was immediately in a wonderful state of awe: it said how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. He got down on one knee, popped the question, I said yes, and he put the ring on my finger. It was super surreal in the most exciting way.

Though alcohol was not allowed on the orchard, Al snuck in some celebratory spirits and we toasted our engagement. I then received another envelope which lead us to an adorable brunch spot in Pawling, New York where the excitement really began to settle in. Over Champagne and frittata, we celebrated the special day.

Then, once in the car, I received yet another envelope - what a planner! It informed me we were headed to a beautiful colonial house that overlooked a secluded lake in New Milford. We walked the hills of the cute neighborhood, called family, cooked dinner, and had a low-key, romantic evening.

To continue the celebration the next day, Al had made reservations at a gorgeous golf club and we played a round of golf in the beautiful fall weather before heading to a sports bar to eat lunch and watch the Pats - who won in our honor of course! 
(Or so I tell myself.)

And that is the story. It was perfect for me and for us. So excited to share it with you!

Congrats Gretters!  We're so excited to celebrate with you on gorgeous Gasparilla Island!!

xoxo

KK