SIMPLE HAPPY SUNRISE

I'm ever so grateful that our summer drought is finally waning...

'cause that means there's finally enough moisture in the air to make some clouds...

'cause you gotta have some clouds...

if you want to have mornings like these!

60 HOURS

Well, the time has come for me to step away from the computer for a few days. All I have to do now is finalize my schedule/to-do list for the next three days, then I'm heading off to do something I haven't done in over ten years -- get a Mani-Pedi! (my friend Paula insisted) Wouldn't you know, I cracked my big toe on the coffee table a couple of days ago, taking a big u-shaped chunk out of the toenail, down into the quick. Not sure how they are going to make that look pretty! On the plus side, while I'm off having the royal treatment, dear Suzanne will be making my house spiffy clean for any visitors who might be popping in. This is the life, no?

In case you've forgotten, tomorrow around lunchtime the hubster and I, along with our daughter Alexis, and her entire wedding party, will be checking into this place -- the Cypress Falls event center here in Wimberley --  for the entire weekend!

So many cozy little places to hang out and have fun together.

Tomorrow night, being Halloween and all, there will be trick-or-treating for the little ones, followed by a rehearsal dinner here at the lodge, where costumes are encouraged! I wish I could tell you what my hubby is wearing, but he made me swear to secrecy!

Looks like it's going to be absolutely perfect weather for a sunset ceremony "down by the river" on Saturday evening...

followed by drinks on the terrace...

then it's on to cake and dancing in the "speakeasy" that inspired this wedding's theme, where most of the guests will, of course, be sporting 20s era attire.

Sunday there will be a "Morning After" brunch for the wedding party, and the next time you hear from me, I'll be a MOTHER IN LAW!

SIMPLE HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Today's Simple Happies include:

The gingerbread pancake at Magnolia Cafe on S. Congress...

enjoyed with friends who are just enough older that turning 61 seems young by comparison...

one of whom loves finding treasures at the Dollar Store, and sharing them with her buddies, and who made us "laugh-'til-we-leaked" when she spent all morning searching the car for several of her nails which had popped off, only to discover them several hours (and several shops) later...

HANGING IN HER HAIR!

WEDDING SNEAK PEEK

When we met up with the kids this weekend, Lex and Nate loaded up the back of Hubby's Prius with stuff for the wedding, as they didn't think they'd have room in their cars to make it in one trip. I thought you might enjoy getting a glimpse of what Miss Alexis considers vitally important to the success of her wedding. First of all, there is this...

which contains stuff like this...

and this.

Be Prepared! Right?

Next up?

500 food trays! Not that she needs 500, with only 100 guests. It was just the smallest amount she could order. If you ever need any, let her know. I'm sure she'd make you a good deal.

I guess this next crate falls into the category of "entertainment". Most of the wedding party will be staying there at the wedding venue all weekend long, with plenty of time to play games and hang out around the fire pit, which could explain some of this stuff.

Hmmmm, what's this in the last crate? I see some handmade paper flowers...

 and a cake topper...

and of course, two cases of Kazoos.

Wait! 100 Kazoos? What on earth would they need those for? Could it be that the wedding ceremony is going to require some audience participation?

Well, I did tell you that this wedding would be one-of-a-kind, did I not?
 

AUSTIN'S BIG BOOK BASH

 
Yesterday was one heckuva day. We started off by meeting our kiddos over in Austin at Red's Porch for lunch. We're on the final countdown to Lex's & Nate's speakeasy-style nuptials, so there was that to discuss.

But, before you can blink an eye after this wedding is done, we will be jumping headfirst into plans for this one!

Well, actually, two weddings for this pair! We knew that Austin and Areeg had finally chosen a date in October for a wedding somewhere in the Austin area, but what we just found out last week is that there will be a Sudanese wedding this summer, in Khartoum, and it looks like John and I will be going along on this adventure!

From there we headed over to the Texas Book Festival.

I've been hearing about this event, held on the grounds of the State Capitol, ever since moving here, but this was our first time to actually attend. I'd always pictured the front terrace filled with folding tables full of books that you could browse through, right? Bwahahaha! Not hardly!

Instead we found rows and rows of huge tents that spread their arms into downtown Austin!

In addition to tents full of authors and publishers, there was a music tent, where Shelley King happened to be performing...

a food tent, where local celeb Kate Payne was demonstrating recipes from her newest book, The Hip Girl's Guide to the Kitchen...

and of course, plenty of food trucks and tents.  Guess which tent had the longest line in front of it?

Why, our own Crepes Crazy, of course!

All in all, it was a wonderful event. Or, it would have been, if only it hadn't decided to get up to ninety-freakin'-five degrees yesterday, at the end of October! You wouldn't believe how miserable a nice shady tent can be if it's crammed full of sweaty people and there's not a speck of air moving around. I expect the organizers have been praying for weeks that it wouldn't be too cold and rainy this weekend. Like they say, be careful what you wish for!