They call me Mrs. Collins

I got my door plaque at work today. It's the first "official" item with my soon-to-be new name printed on it. It was a monumental moment in my life for sure. I like the looks of it... what do you think?

Now I feel like a bride!

Sunday, my Aunt Mildred, Aunt Tina and cousin Katie hosted my bridal shower at my mom's house. It was wonderful! My friend Brittany Dunlap (who recently got married) told me that her bridal showers were like a reality check: Guess what? NOW you're a bride! And that's exactly how it felt.

It was a day filled with good company, good food and GREAT gifts! Jonathan and I are very excited about all of our new goodies. I can't wait to clean out my kitchen cabinets and give all of our new china and glassware a home. Maybe that is something I can focus on after the wedding and honeymoon. Only 39 days 'til the BIG DAY!

Here are a few of the highlights from the shower...


The wonderful hostesses: Aunt Mildred, Cousin Katie, me, Aunt Tina

Pretty decorations in the living room

Food table

Mom and me

Me and Lori, my gorgeous (and fabulous) Matron of Honor

A couple of the Maids, Brittany and Sheryl


Reunited with AMBER! I love her so much!



Whoa... look at all of those Williams-Sonoma boxes on the gift table! SO exciting!

Game? What game?

The University of Tennessee had a much better football team when Jonathan and I were in college. Ahhh, the good ol' days of close calls and overtime panic attacks. Fun times.

This season the games aren't even close. The team isn't exactly competitive, and I am less than compelled to pay for a ticket... ever again. Sad times.

Nonetheless, I've decided that the anticlimactic football season doesn't really matter. Who cares about the game? Tailgating with a good group of friends is much more fun than actually watching the game.


Jonathan and I tailgating

Such good times! Sheryl, Rachel, me, Britt, Becca and Will

With our boys

Big Ed (Brittany Edwards Chaudhari) made an appearance! YAY!



Then Mini-Me (Emily Anglin) made an appearance

Azbury Band playing in front of the Beta house... Good Tunes... Good Times...

So Long Summer!

Jonathan and I bid a proper farewell to summer this past weekend. Our friends Brad and Ashley Coulter invited us to join them for a fun weekend at Norris Lake along with their good friends, Aaron and Jodi Fetrow. Between three couples we rented a four bedroom house boat and set sail for a weekend of roughing it on the water.

So long summer!!! You will be sorely missed.

Jonathan and I hanging out on the deck

ABC (Ashley and Brad Coulter)

The second boat we were supposed to rent... but the boat sank.

So... we opted for a little speed boat instead...

Me water skiing for the first time. I did it on my second try!!!

Jonathan water skiing. I obviously I don't have great zooming skills.

You've Got Mail!

Remember back in the day when everyone had America Online for internet service? You'd type in your AOL password, listen to the sweet sound of screeching dial-up, then hear those magic words "You've Got Mail!" It was so exciting to receive mail (even if 99% of it was junk mail)!

I had forgotten all about that "You've Got Mail!" feeling until this week when we started receiving RSVP cards for our wedding. Every afternoon I eagerly walk to the mailbox, open it, and -Ta-Da- WE'VE GOT MAIL!

I immediately bring in the mail and take my little stack of cards upstairs to the office and open our handy-dandy Microsoft Excel guest list organizer. Then, one by one I tear into the RSVP cards. Attending. Attending. Attending. Attending!!! So far I've only had one"Not Attending" card. This is absolutely fantastic!

Today, I got a double whammy on the "You've Got Mail" front. Of course I experienced my usual RSVP card excitement. BUT today I was extra excited because the UPS truck also stopped by our house! You know what that means: wedding gifts! I swear, I felt like a kid on Christmas.

Receiving RSVP cards and our first round of wedding gifts makes everything seem very real now. WE'RE GETTING MARRIED... and the big day is approaching very quickly!!!

Our first round of wedding gifts:

They're wrapped and ready to open!

My Uncle Gamon, Aunt Grace and Cousin Linda sent one of our gorgeous Williams-Sonoma Apilco Zen dinner plates. Our friend Sheryl sent the Williams-Sonoma All Clad measuring cup set (LOVE them). And our friends Russ and Brittany Dunlap sent the gorgeous crystal vase. We absolutely love everything!

Milestones

I think Jonathan and I are entering a phase in our lives where we will experience many milestones in a short period of time. Our engagement. Moving in together. Wedding planning. Marriage planning. Our first home. Career changes. Life is progressing at a record pace... and it's always exciting.

What's even more exciting is that we're not alone. Our friends are simultaneously experiencing many similar milestones in their own lives.

Amber and Shawn:
I've known Amber since college, but we truly became good friends when we both worked as Associate Producers at WATE-TV. I graduated a year before Amber, so while she finished up school and continued to work at WATE, I moved to Johnson City for my first on-air reporting gig. About six months later, Amber graduated from UT and joined me at WJHL-TV.

We were two ambitious reporters living "the dream" when along came a mysterious photographer named Shawn. Somewhere between liveshots, Taco Tuesdays, News Channel 11 Weekend Edition, our gym/Panera dates... Amber and Shawn fell in L-O-V-E. I witnessed the whole thing. Their love is quite lovely... And now they are GETTING MARRIED!


Shawn and Amber celebrating a very special edition of Taco Tuesday... It was Shawn's birthday!

Chris and Regina:
Jonathan and I have both known Chris for... well, forever. We all went to middle and high school together. After high school we never lost touch, and Chris remained in our group of friends. Actually, Chris is one of our best friends. He and Jonathan lived together for a while. Chris is also a groomsman in our wedding.

In 2003 Chris met Regina. A few years later they moved in together. In May 2008, they found out they're expecting their first baby (a girl!). And last week... THEY GOT MARRIED... IN VEGAS!

Regina and Chris at Ocean Isle beach, summer 2004.

Shawn, Amber, Chris and Regina are certainly not the only special people in our lives who are experiencing significant milestones in their lives. To all of our friends who are falling in love, getting married, climbing career ladders, buying homes, having babies, and REALIZING DREAMS --- Congratulations! We love ya!

Dinner at the Collins Cafe

I think Jonathan missed his calling. After an amazing homemade dinner last night I told him I would fully support him if he ever decides to quit his job and go to culinary school. If our mortgage would pay itself, I think he would probably mail in an application to the Culinary Institute of America tomorrow.

Unfortunately, the magic mortgage fairy has yet to visit our neighborhood... So, for now, Jonathan creates romantic dinners for two at the Collins Cafe.

The Salad:

Mixed greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette with maytag bleu cheese, fresh pears, cranberries, and candied walnuts.

The Entree:

Pan seared sea scallops with warm bacon vinaigrette, accompanied with corn and portobello mushroom saute with leeks and fresh herbs.

The Atmosphere:

Gorgeous roses at our table for two. No special occasion needed... just because he loves me!