Absolutely Flying!

Well – I’m convinced that weekends are passing faster and faster as the year moves along. I do wonder if this has something to do with the wedding. Everyone has told me that the day of the wedding will fly by, and I have to do my best to take it all in… and now I’m wondering if with just a little over three months to go, the weekends (and weeks) are going to continue to fly by? I know there is plenty on our calendar(s) between now and the weekend of November 11^th – something tells me it will all continue to fly by!

I’m rambling… as I’m known to do… the past weekend flew by and y’all, it was the next to last weekend in July! How is it almost August?!? *sigh*

Friday afternoon I was able to take a couple hours of leave and headed out from work at 1:00 to pick up my Momma, drop a sleeping bag off to Ryan and then my Momma and I headed through the Virginia countryside towards Charlottesville, to pick up my wedding dress! We were able to leave earlier than we’d originally planned and so we stopped off in Gordonsville for about an hour to have a small afternoon snack (delicious gelato) and peruse some of their shops!

We got our gelato (strawberry, Mexican coffee and triple chocolate) at Jackson & Company, a little shop with all sorts of edible treats! Across the street is Krecek Kakes – a favorite of ours! They always have amazing pastries, sandwiches, and breakfasts – so we grabbed a little something for later. We popped into a shop called Posh – and while I did find an adorable pair of sandals that will be perfect for our honeymoon, I wasn’t impressed with the owners. They sadly seemed a little too engrossed in one another and their wine & treats party in the back room. I love my shoes but can’t recommend the shop… *sigh*

 

Our appointment at Yady’s Alterations was for 5:00 and we arrived about ten minutes early – which was no problem! “The Dress” went on and it was perfect, everything in place and it fit like a glove, so we thanked Yady profusely and carefully zipped it back into its bag – finally we were able to take home “the dress” and I was just so glad to be reunited with my perfect dress for our big day! We made sure it was tucked away in the car and hidden away from view, then made our way to the Walking Mall to peruse some shops!

 

I was especially tickled with a shop called Darling x Dashing Boutique – I found the best tea towels ever; please see the Stranger Things towel – of course I bought it, and another thing that tickled me… The dressing rooms had small post it notes pads and you were encouraged to write notes of encouragement and stick them to the walls of the dressing room! Amazing!

We perused a few shops and while I really wanted a handmade shopping basket (seriously – it was so cute y’all) from Ten Thousand Villages, I refrained. We headed back to Gordonsville for dinner at The Champion Ice House and the food did not disappoint! My mom and I split several sides so I could sample quite a bit of the offerings and let me tell you: it was all delicious! Popcorn Chicken, Parmesan Truffle Fries, Black-Eyed Peas, Macaroni & Cheese, and Virginia Ham Biscuits with Apple Butter! It was all delicious!

Our final stop of the evening was Greenock Manor – it’s a wedding venue and also bed & breakfast in Orange, Virginia. We stayed at Greenock Manor for the evening and since there was still some daylight left when we arrived, we perused the grounds to check everything out. The house is from the late 1800’s and the property used to connect with James Madison’s Montpelier… amazingly my first thought wasn’t that the house must be haunted, ha-ha!

 

The evening was fine – although a slightly eerie situation was that we couldn’t quite get the lights in the bedroom to cut off completely. You had to cut the fan off completely (no way – it was the hottest weekend of the year) and we weren’t going to do that. I think we thought the lights would eventually go down all the way but nope – they stayed on all night. *shrugs* It was weird, but it didn’t keep me from sleeping! We had a lovely breakfast of yogurt, fresh fruit and croissants with coffee and orange juice on Saturday morning and after I embraced my inner klutz and fell UP the stairs, we headed toward Culpeper for the day!

I’m terribly sad to say that I have one or two pictures from our time in Culpeper. Culpeper is the cutest little town and has so many great shops: Pepperberries, Le Monkey House, Homeconimics, The Rusty Willow Boutique, the Frenchman’s Corner, the Cameleer… I know I am forgetting some great little shops! My Mom and I have already decided we must return ahead of Christmas to grab stocking stuffers and gifts! The little town is perfection! Our first stop was Raven’s Nest Coffee Shop, and I had a divine iced S’mores Latte before we began perusing shops! The only other picture I have is from The Frenchman’s Corner – those are chocolates y’all! So cute and tasty!

We had yet another lovely drive through the countryside to the house and honestly – I felt like I was in dire need of a nap! However, Ryan came home from camping with the men’s church group and soon enough we were in Men’s Wearhouse finalizing the details for the groomsmen and then meeting my parents for dinner at Longhorn! The rest of the night was filled with a very nice bubble bath and getting to bed pretty early! I know – so thrilling!

Sunday was the warmest day of the year (so far) and so; of course, Ryan and I decided that we should definitely spend our time in the great outdoors! After church and a quick lunch at Applebee’s, we slathered on sunscreen, picked up some kayaks from our neighbor Jan and headed out for our afternoon adventures! We spent about an hour and a half at the Sherando pool before making our way back to Lake Frederick and slipping the kayaks into the water… and off we were to explore!

It was so nice to be out on the water – very peaceful – and we even saw a deer having a little snack in one inlet and in another, a heron just chilling. It was absolutely enjoyable, and I am now convinced that Ryan and I need kayaks of our own because it was just the most fun! I’m so glad we went, and I am looking forward to going again soon!

Once we came home from kayaking, the rest of the night flew by! We had pizza for dinner, started laundry and tried to get ready for the week ahead! I feel like the weekend passed with the blink of an eye and I am already looking forward to the next one, ha-ha! Y’all have a wonderful week!