Our Wedding in KY Bride Magazine

Holy Moly have I been keeping a secret from y'all!
If you follow me on instagram then you already know that

OUR WEDDING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED!!!!

Let's back up to about February - That was when our wedding had been submitted to Kentucky Bride Magazine. I was then notified mid April by the magazine editor that I had made it to the 2nd round selection for publication.
Say what?!?!?

Time marched on and I hadn't heard anything.
In the back of my mind I had started to find peace that it just wasn't meant to be, and that was A-okay.
Then on a friday morning this email came in right before I was about to walk into my next client's house. I could not believe my eyes.

I know it sounds so silly, but I was overcome with so many emotions.

They picked us?!?!

 I was speechless, honored, blushing and smiling from ear to ear! I sat there and read the email at least 20 times.

I immediately called Kev.

He couldn't believe it and was so happy for me, because he knew how much it meant to me.

I then called my mother and we both were shrieking over the phone. Screaming at each other and startling my dad who was in the car with my mother at the time.

We had both, along with Kev, put so much blood, sweat and happy tears into our big day.

I was notified early last week that the magazine should ship mid week. I was frantic about checking the mail every day. We ordered lots of these beauties to go around for family and friends and I knew they would most likely be delivered at the doorstop. I called Kev Friday at lunch to check on the latest mail status, sadly still no magazine.

and then this was posted to pinterest







link here

- followed by Kentucky Bride announcing the magazine was now on sale at local newsstands. (Target, Meijer, Barnes and Noble, Joseph-Beth, Kroger, etc)

I though about just waiting till the mail man brought our multiple copies of the mag, but I just couldn't. That friday afternoon at work I stopped with no luck at one Target, 2 Krogers, but finally made my way to Joseph-Beth Bookstore. And low and behold.....there she was!

I literally squealed out loud with excitement.
You see, Kev and I had no clue what to expect. We had no idea what photos they had chosen, what the layout would be....nothing!

I took a moment by myself on a corner bench in the back of the bookstore ....and......

SWOOONN
I fell in love with our wedding all over again.

 There we were....Uggie Sue and Bailey included.
I couldn't believe it.

And that's just it - it meant the world to me.

But not because we are "published in a glossy magazine," but because of what wedding planning and our wedding meant to me and still means to me.

Let me break it down.....

1. Our Wedding - at the risk of sounding cliche, it was the greatest day of my life to date. I married the man of my dreams, my best friend, partner in life and future father of my children. We got to have all our close friends from different walks of life and our families under one roof celebrating our love and commitment to each other. It was such a good day. A special day. The best day.

2. Wedding planning - I have been planning my wedding since I was 16. All that was missing was Kev. I would have piles of bride books in my teens and twenties, call me crazy, but I have always loved all things wedding. I am a forever bride, still obsessed with the latest wedding trends in all the mags.

So for 9 months my wedding planning consumed me. Not in the bridezilla way...at least on most days, i just loved it.

Like LOVED it.

I loved spending hours on pinterst and etsy, talking to my mom about this or that every single day, crunching numbers with kev, the DIY, the excitement building up to it, meeting with vendors, the showers, the to do lists, and finally, seeing my vision come to life.

I knew exactly what I wanted and it was just fun for me. I can honestly say that I truly and thoroughly enjoyed planning my wedding. The day it arrived, it was everything I had wanted.

3 - and then there is Kentucky Bride Magazine

I have always looked through it's timeless pages, long before Kev and I, and long before an engagement.

It's always been special to me because the majority of the wedding professionals showcased in this magazine were right at my fingertips in Kentucky.

I know how inspirational and helpful this magazine has been as a resource to me in making my wedding dreams come to life.

These were real Kentucky weddings and that has always been my favorite part.

I am so proud to be a part of magazine that is so special to me and to so many future, past and present brides across the Bluegrass State. I can't remember an issue of KY bride that hasn't sat on my kitchen counter of coffee table.

The fact that some little girl or young lady may look at our wedding and admire it, find inspiration from it, fall in love with it or just enjoy our gorgeous photos - is so nostalgic for me.

 This whole experience has truly has made a dream of little girl turned bride, and forever lover of all things wedding, come true.

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Below is "Our Love Story" that is published in the magazine

Whitney and Kevin Winchester 11-18-2012

Kevin and I met in 2009 in Lexington while living at the same apartment complex, when I came across him and his dog on his front stoop. Being the dog lover that I am, I of course asked to pet her. He introduced himself - and the rest was history. On a weekend in February we traveled to my hometown to visit my parents. It was on top of a snow covered Eastern Kentucky mountain, that Kevin got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

When planning our wedding, Kevin and I both knew we wanted to focus on a laid back country-chic/rustic atmosphere with our closest friends and family. We both loved the idea of getting married in a barn. We wanted our wedding day to be full of southern charm and homemade character. The Ca”barn”et Barrel Barn at Talon Winery had that perfect “down home” feel for the backdrop of our big day.

We wrote our own vows and were honored to have one of my closest girlfriends marry us. She made the ceremony so special and sentimental. There was hardly a dry eye in the house. We replaced traditional wedding music during our ceremony with bluegrass tunes by Newtown. I walked down the aisle to “When You Say Nothing At All” by Alison Kraus. Our dogs joined the bridal party - one wearing a tutu and one a burlap bow tie. Kevin’s best man sang acoustic versions of our first dance, mother/son and father/daughter dances.

My bouquet was wrapped with lace from my mother’s wedding veil and the buttons placed on it were from my Granny’s wedding suit from 1948. I had my Grandfather’s handkerchief sewn into my wedding dress for my something old, as well as a blue heart from my late papaw’s robe in remembrance of those who could not celebrate with us. I wore my granny’s diamond ring on my right hand as my something borrowed.

Our bbq buffet with country fixin’s made guests feel right at home. Guests also sipped sweet tea, Kentucky beer and local Talon wine out of mason jars. My mother’s homemade dessert bar was the perfect complement to our wedding cake and groom’s pies by Martine’s. My mom also handmade our wedding favors – her apple butter in mini jelly jars. She also made the ring bearer burlap pillow and flower girl/program baskets. Kevin was so hands on in wedding planning too, there with me every step of the way for all the DIY projects. He did all the calligraphy for our wedding invites, designed our programs, made the labels for our favors ,and Kevin and his dad made the wooden wedding signs we used around Talon. The homespun details meant the world to me.

My favorite part of the day was by far seeing Kevin’s face light up like a Christmas tree the first time he saw me. I will cherish that moment for the rest of my life. I also loved dancing the night away with my groom and all our close friends and family. We had a blast!

Wedding Planning/Day of Coordinator – One Fine Day

Band: Newtown

Catering: Dupree Catering and Events

Flowers: House by JSD

Cake and Groom’s Pies: Martine’s Pastries

Photographer: Amy Campbell formerly of Angela Anderson Photography

Hair and Makeup: Ana Crane of ACS

Venue: Talon Winery

Rentals: Purdon’s Rental

Wedding Dress: Wendy’s Bridal of Cincinnati

Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Geno’s Formal Affair

Videographer: In Motion Video Productions

Bridesmaid Dresses: Bridal and Formal

Rehearsal Dinner: Ramsey’s



Dinning Room Upgrade

So the dinning room has needed a little spicin' up

I have hated the shelving

hated the curtains

needed a runner

etc

etc.

So i finally got my booty in gear in the home decor department and we went from this......

to this!



What we did:

added these chairs from pier 1 that i have been obsessed with since spring
and dang it they are now on sale! arrrgh

added this bar accent piece to display what else but Kev's Kentucky bourbon and our nice glassware/bar ware we received via wedding gifts. Obsessed with our ralph lauren and lenox glasses.
Oh you fancy huh?!? Not really ha..

added this vase that Kev picked out all on his own at pier1
this runner via pottery barn

and with the help of miss Jill - i DIYed these prints with some frames from pier1 and burlap and chevron prints from a local fabric store.
(no joke - jill talked me through three stores that day via text. she's got all kinds of DIY up her sleeves)
It tied the blue accents in perfectly.

(that's my cute momma on the right!)

Still waiting on the right curtains to tickle my fancy. I have an off white linen/cotton blend up currently, but not completely satisfied.

I love the nice, crisp and clean lines in the room.

It's exactly what we had envisioned.

and I be loving my cute Kate Spade dishes and serving ware overflowing the hutch that we just got out of the closet 8 months post wedding.

I have no excuse.

 Officeand Dinning room ....check!

Operation Yard Work

While Kev was in ATL for a work, my sweet momma came to spend a few days with me. With everything that has been going on with both of my grandmothers, you can say we needed it in a really big way.

First things first - we sent momma to the spa Monday morning for six hours of pampering. Kev had purchased her the princes package at a local spa that included a massage, facial, pedi, mani, hair cut, blow out and style, lunch and makeup application. She never does things like this for herself. She was like a kid in the candy shop and I am so glad we were able to provide that experience for her.

We then worked our tails off in my yard. When I say work, I mean work.
Yard work is hard y'all! Especially in the July humidity in Kentucky.
All of this needed to be done back in the spring, but with all the crazzzzziness with the grannies it had been postponed.

Holy Flowers!

I was really proud of my hedger that I have been needing for far too long.
Baby bro gave me a lesson in hedging and I have conquered my boxwood hedges .... piece of cake.

We worked for two days - non stop. I had even taken a day off from work to get it all done.

One day we were in Lowe's by 730 and were outside till dark,(at least 10pm) with only a 45 min break for lunch the entire day.

It was worth every second and I loved being able to spend time with my momma who has quite the green thumb. I was so happy to learn from her.

20 hostas

2 rose bush transplants

2 hydrangea bushes

8 ornamental grasses

10 plus potted plants (zinnias, petunias, vincas)

3 hanging flower boxes for the fence and

1 herb box   later.................

we did it!

Thanks to my sweet momma, I have found a new love for digging in the dirt.

I got a Facelift

That's right, this lil bloggy right here got all fixed up by the fabulous Jenn at  Munchkin Land Designs . She did a fantastic job. Jenn is fabulous to work with and I highly recommend her to you ladies who don't have a clue what HTML is - ummm kinda like me :-)

I hope you all are enjoying the new scenery around here as much as i am.

Happy Monday!

Summer Dessert - Caramel Apple Cheesecake

 

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

I don't know about y'all, but I like to have a little something sweet up my sleeves to take to summer cookouts and gatherings. This one will knock your socks off and you can appear to have been Betty Crocker-ing it up in the kitchen for hours. It's easy peasy. My momma taught me this one first handed and it is always a hit.

I think it was key in Kev falling in love with me. I had him after the first bite.

(pic via)

What you will need

1 (21-ounce) can apple pie filling

1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust

1/4 cup caramel topping

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature ( i use reduced fat)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

12 pecan halves, plus 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spoon 3/4 can apple pie filling into the crust. Add the remaining 1/4 can filling to a small saucepan and mix with the caramel. Heat over low heat until melted and spreadable, about 1 minute.

Whip the cream cheese in a large bowl until fluffy.

Add the sugar, vanilla and eggs and beat until smooth, a few seconds. Pour this over the pie filling.

Bake until the center of the cake is set, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Spoon the apple-caramel mixture over the top of the cheesecake and spread evenly. Decorate the edge of the cake with pecan halves and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

Lordy - it is soooo good - I advise you  to eat on a cheat day because I guarantee you can't just have one bite.

Enjoy!

(recipe from my momma's kitchen slash her paula deen cookbook, same recipe can be found on thefoodnetwork.com, unless they have already removed it do to the little..... ummm...... shall we say incident?)

Red, White and Boom/Bust 2013

Kev and I continued our holiday celebration through the weekend.
1st stop - dinner with one of my favorite couples on the planet, our friends Caitlin and Paco.
Unfortunately, Caitlin and her adorable hubby were in town from Texas due to a death in her family, but that still meant I got to see her. We planned dinner on their last night here downtown Lexington at Shakespeare and Company.

I love this girl to pieces. Our friendship is so easy and so fun!

We didn't let the torrential downpour outside damper our spirits. I am talking monsoon! We sipped mint juleps and mojitos and seriously had the best time.

Caitlin and I got silly and reenacted our engagement photo session. The photo on the left was taken just a few tables over. 

HA!  

After dinner Kev and I had plans to attend Red, White and Boom, or as I started to call Red, White and Bust by the end of the night.
It's an annual country music concert held at Lexington's minor league baseball field. It included

Rodney Atkins, Craig Morgan, Randy Houser, Cassadee Pope to name a few.
The weather sucked with a capital S-U-C-K-E-D! Rain Rain Rain Go AWAY!

Y'all know I love me some rednecks, but when you only charge 9 bucks for this thing and your kiddos get in free, you better believe people are coming out of every holler to get in on this action. Let's just say the people watching was intense.
We posted up in the restaurant/bar area and enjoyed the music from afar where we remained dry and mud free. We even missed our meet and great.....whoopsie.

All in all, we still had a great time with some friends we had not seen in a while.

and the best news of all - at the concert they announced that these guys are coming to Lex in October. this has my name written all over it!

Florida Georgia Line y'all!

We will be there with bells on - gettin our 'shine on :-)



4th of July

 KR and I spent our first 4th of July together as husband and wife this year

Summer holidays don't really exist in health care, but I actually had the day off. Yay!

Kev's parents invited us to their house for a cookout however mother nature did not cooperate. Kentucky has been SLAMMED with rain since Wednesday. Non-stop!

That didn't stop us from heading down I-75 to spend time with family. We still chowed down on cookout food inside the house and we didn't let a lil rain ruin our parade.  

It was a laid back kind of day spent around hot dogs, hamburgers, and potato salad with family and good conversation.

(hubs and his momma and daddy)

Hope y'all had a wonderful holiday!

Happy Birthday America. You make 200 + look good.