Hello!  Wow…I can’t believe I have not posted anything since May.  Actually, yes I can.  First, “May”hem hit, with all of its glory (class parties, field trips, sports, etc.), then my computer crashed and I had to get a brand spankin’ new laptop, followed by lots of vacations, swim team, EmeryBodie LLC orders AND my children being with me 24/7.  Whew!  This summer was glorious, but it kicked my a$$.  It was a whirlwind!  We are back in school now and I’m loving the routine.  We’re busy, sure, but it’s somehow more manageable when on a schedule.

I hope to spend the next several weeks playing catchup while sharing lots of EmeryBodie snaps, but I’m going to kick things off with a recap of my incredible weekend in Nashville.

See that gorgeous girl in between my sister and me?  The trip to Nashville was a surprise party orchestrated by her husband to celebrate her big 4-0.  Katie is one of my dearest friends.  We met at Notre Dame and were instantly inseparable.  Fast forward twenty years and nothing has changed.  We’ve stood by each other through weddings and babies and rough football seasons.  I love that when we meet up, even if we haven’t seen each other in a year, nothing changes.  Even better?  I adore Katie’s entire family, plus her friends from home, so this trip was extra special.  It was a giant reunion in one of my favorite cities.

We surprised Katie in the hotel (Loews Vanderbilt–very nice) Friday afternoon and immediately headed downtown to Broadway for some drinks and live music.  Our first stop was Tootsie’s, which is always a good time.

After Tootsie’s we walked across the street to Bridgestone Arena for KEITH URBAN!  Holy smokes!  He is one talented man.  And incredibly gracious.  I am so excited that Keith was nominated for the ACM’s Entertainer of the Year.  His concert was phenomenal.

Keith played for several hours so we headed back to the hotel after the concert, but not without stopping at Hattie B’s for some spicy fried chicken and delicious southern sides.  I do not have any pictures of this adventure, but it’s definitely the right call to make after a night of boozing.  Plus, we needed fuel for the next day…..

We spent much of the day shopping, which is such a rare treat these days.  Draper James was, not surprisingly, a huge hit.  I think most of us left the store with one of their pretty blue bags.  Oh, did I mention that Reese came onstage with Keith the night before?  With Nicole Kidman?  NBD.  Also?  Carrie Underwood sang with Keith.  Seeing a concert in Nashville is unlike any other concert experience.  I’m ruined now.

After our shopping spree we all got ready for dinner at Sambuca in The Gulch area of Nashville.  Dinner was lovely and I am so happy Katie was able to spend her evening with her closest friends, her parents, brother, sister and husband.  What a special night!

I did a horrible job taking pictures.  I guess I was too busy having fun.  This is Adena, me and Katie’s mom, Janis.  Adena and Katie have known each other since middle school.  Always fun getting to spend time with Katie’s hometown friends.  And her mom.  Janis is a trip!  Katie’s roommates at Notre Dame loved when Janis came to town.  Look closely at the photo below and you’ll notice that Janis joined us at the bar until LATE.  Love it!

We headed back down to Broadway after dinner to hit up my favorite spot in the city, The Stage.  This place always has the best bands, and Saturday night was no exception.  Again, I did a craptacular job with photos.  We were treated to a show by The Skallywags and I’ve been Insta stalking them since.  Fingers crossed they make their way to SC sometime soon.  The two guys in the background are Katie’s husband and brother-in-law.  They were such good sports all weekend and really went out of their to make this trip all about Katie and that everyone had am incredible weekend.

I whipped up this cute little cowboy cup for Katie just before I left.  Katie’s family surprised her with beautiful turquoise boots as a birthday gift, which I knew about ahead of time.  I wanted to gift Katie with a little something to commemorate our time in Nashville, so the vinyl boot decal seemed like a good choice.  Plus, I’m obsessed with the Bubba cups.

I guess this is my summer of concerts because two weeks ago I took Emery to see Taylor Swift in Atlanta.  Em and I were joined by two of my best friends and their daughters.  We stayed at the Ritz, ate a delicious dinner at Atlanta Grill, and celebrated our girls turning nine.  I think it’s safe to say that their first ever concert experience will be a tough act to follow.  I have no idea how I’m going to ever top this.

That’s a pretty good start and getting caught up, right?  I’ll be back tomorrow with a bunch of photos of orders I’ve completed recently.

Good night!  My alarm will be buzzing before I know it.