#talkderbytome2017

**PLEASE EXCUSE THE TEENY TINY FONT BUT BLOGGER WON'T SAVE IT ANY BIGGER WOMP WOMP**

Hey there! I hope you all had a great Easter weekend! We didn't do much, since both of our families are out of state it was nice to just have a relaxing weekend! We did some shopping for an out of town wedding we have next weekend and then had some friends over for steaks and the Caps game!


Anyway, as promised I wanted to post a more detailed blog about the incredible time we got to go to the Kentucky Derby! One of Mr Tan Lines clients invited us and it was honest to goodness one of the COOLEST and fun things we have ever done! 

I'll also throw in some tips/tricks I learned while doing research for our own trip and things we learned along the way.

So maybe what most people don't realize is that the Derby is actually a two day, all day event. There are races all day on Friday and Saturday beginning at 10:30am and the last race being at 7:30pm (this is "the Derby" race), in total I think there were 15-16 races.

We arrived in Louisville on Thursday evening and checked into ones of the best hotels and apparently the designated Derby hotel, The Galt House. There were lots of celebrities staying here, the ones we briefly saw were Rob Gronkowski and some of the kids from Vanderpump Rules!

We turned in early on Thursday as we had an early morning on Friday for the Kentucky Oaks! The Kentucky Oaks is always hosted the Friday before the Derby and is when the fillies, or the girl horses get to race!

The neatest part is that the theme for The Oaks is PINK. All attendees are asked to prominently wear pink in order both raise funds and gain awareness to fight breast cancer and ovarian cancer. The wining filly is also draped in pink lillies, so it turns into "lillies for the fillies."

{THE OAKS 2017}

Here we are in our PINK outfits in the lobby of our hotel...the lobby I should mention, had a live band and bar set up beginning at 9am to get the party going. When we came down to meet our group you could just feel the energy and excitement!

I can't give you any advice as how to get to Churchill Downs, we had a private van to transport us to and from. What I can tell you, is that parking looked like a nightmare. There are several neighborhoods located only a few blocks from the Downs, so some people rent out their driveways for $40+. There is a large parking area, but I'm not sure how much parking was. Because of how crazy it gets I would 100% recommend Ubers, Lyfts, cabs, etc.

So the weather just wasn't going to cooperate all weekend, but there was NO WAY we were going to let that stop us from having the best time.

{Drinking a Lillie drink!}

{It was also cinco de' mayo so ya know, naturally}

Betting does have a trick to it, we did extensive research so we didn't look like idiots when we got there. There is basically just an order in how you place your bets at the booths. We found it easy and fastest to just use the booths with people working in them. I think you say like the number of the race, the horse, the place and then the amount (definitely could be in the wrong order, but it's something like that). You can also split the bet, bet for them to place (spots 1, 2) or to show (spots 1, 2 or 3) so yea, you get it that there is more to it then just picking a horse. But, after we got the hang of it we had a great time!

{Look at all that PINK}

{First official bet!}

Because attendance is much lower for The Oaks it was a great time to explore Churchill Downs and get our feel for the venue. There are drink vendors and stands just like at a football game, prices are MUCH higher. Drinks were $19 at a minimum, and went up from there, I think beers were $14, so yea, we stuck to those a lot :-P We turned in early again and prepared ourselves for the Derby!

Derby Saturday came and man were we excited! The weather was not going to turn, thankfully I planned on this so I packed ponchos and a nice long jacket/cardigan. The venue rules do say that cannot bring a bag in over a certain size, but the ladies in our group being vets of attending brought pretty big bags, some clear, some not with extra pairs of shoes, towels and umbrellas. I wouldn't bank on this, I think maybe the bad weather had the security a little lax. But we were thankful to have all of that with us.

{Galt House lobby}

{HAT HAT HAT HAT}

It was honestly SO MUCH FUN wearing a huge, fancy hat!

{Kentucky Derby 2017}

{Outfit brag}

Hat from Etsy, dress from Ralph Lauren and wedges from Target!

So I had my eye on this hat for weeks leading up to the race, but I had to find the perfect dress to go with it! I ordered some from Amazon, some from other stores but none of them worked, I eventually luckily found this dress at Macy's just in time! I then ordered my hat from Etsy and was all set! The best advice I was given was that it IS all about fashion, but also comfort, and these wedges are seriously the most comfortable things ever and I wore them with both outfits!

{Tourist photo shoot}

{Getting ready to see some horses!!}

<3 <3

{Winners roses!}

{So many cool things to see!}

{We went to stalk the red carpet and saw Katie Couric!}

{When at the Derby!}

{HI DATE}

{Dapper af}

{The BEST time!}

{Breaks in the weather}

{Our group!}

So like with any sporting event there are a ton of different seat options. We were in the lower level of the actual seats, only a few sections back from the track. There were covered seat options, and the best seats were up, like a few stories up! 

There are also infield tickets, there are no official seats here, you just bring your own chairs and coolers I think, but that is apparently where the party is!

So maybe like 20 minutes before the Derby race it just POURED, like we saw the clouds coming and just knew it was going to open up. However, we had already used all of our towels to dry the seats so we just decided, the ponchos are huge, let's just sit here and wait it out, and obviously keep our seats dry!

{DORKS}

And wouldn't you know that after that huge downpour passed, the sun came out, the clouds cleared away and we were READY! 

It really is the most exciting 2 minutes in sports and I can't even explain the excitement that was in the air!

{RACE TIME}

In closing, like I said in the beginning this was one of the MOST FUN things we have ever done and if you get the chance to attend I would 100% support it and tag along!!

Comment if you have any specific questions!

{Kentucky Derby 2017 in the books!}

2019 HI!!!

Hi!! 

So I want to jump on 2019 before it runs away from me like the last two years did and I'm stuck doing recaps!! It's not quite halfway through so yesss!

January, of course was Mr Tan Lines 33rd birthday and it was rather quiet this year, we went to play some golf (I caddy & drink, he plays) but it's a super relaxing think that we can do together!

{STUD}

In January we were also given free tickets to see Granger Smith and Kane Brown at the Colonial Life Arena and as luck would have it, our seats were RIGHT EXACTLY where they came to play us folks in the back a few songs! So I totally got my fan girl moment of touching their hands and taking pics like crazy!

{Granger Smith}

{Kane Brown}

In February we went on a couples trip to Asheville with J&J! We rented the cutest little house on VRBO and had the best time. We actually stayed in Hendersonville, which is about 20 minutes south of Asheville and it was perfect. We went to tons of breweries and ate so much much good food. Asheville is such a fun town you should definitely check it out! Here are just a few pics from the weekend!

{Sanctuary Brewing}

{Asheville}

{Besties}

In March we did that Get to the Green St. Patrick's Day 5k/10k that we did a few years ago with some of our new friends J&A! They moved here from Nashville a few months ago and we are so happy to have met them!

{The boys rocked the 10k}

{Girls stuck to the 5k}

A few weeks later we did another 5k called Get Your Rear in Gear, a 5k to gain awareness and funding for colon cancer! This cause is near and dear to our hearts! 

{Amy is our hero!}

{Because, fuck cancer amirite?!}

AND YES IT'S APRIL I AM CAUGHT UP!

Mr Tan Lines found a new hobby this year, he bought a fat tire and has been out riding a lot since getting it! Apparently, there are over 700 miles of dirt roads here in SC and he is aiming to try them all!

{My mountain man!}

April is also our EIGHT YEAR first date anniversary and look at us being babies!!

{4.14.11}

Stay tuned for my next fun, post!

2018 WYD??

Hello! Hello! Hello!

2018 FOR REAL flew by guys, like where did it go? Another year in the books full of amazing and unforgettable memories! Some of these posts will get special highlights later on, but here is a highlight reel of our fabulous year together!

As usual, January kicked off with Mr Tan Lines birthday! This year, I planned a game night full of beer drinking and agility testing activities that turned out to be so, so much fun!

We also went down to Georgia and had a delicious meal with S&R!

{Wine Tasting Room}

January also came with a new travel destination for me, San Diego! I got to go for a new employee training and orientation session and man, OH MAN was it a ball! It was awesome getting to meet other (mainly bad ass women) professionals out there in different parts of the country! And, of course, San Diego is beautiful! The weather was amazing for January!

{Dinner & Drinks at Jake's}

{Figuring out how to become a beach bum}

March actually sent me on my second trip to the west coast for an annual work retreat, I got to stay at the Kipton Hotel that was beyond swanky and right in the heart of San Diego. I also got to do a little more exploring this time around :)

{Hotel Coronado}

{Kelsey Montague Art}

April brought on the first lake day down in Georgia with S&R, yes we were THAT anxious!

{Lake Days!}

We headed to Virginia in April for the boys' 2nd birthday! M&M hosted it at a local little gym for children where they got to run around and roll down things, it was the cutest thing!

{Happy birthday twins!}

{Hanging with the coolests}

Mr Tans Lines and I also headed into DC to the Smithsonian to see some art and enjoy the great weather! We were also feeling nostalgic as it was our 7 year first date anniversary, that we spent in DC!

I also got to meet the precious princess Kensey! It was so nice getting to see my bestie KH and meeting her beautiful baby who was born just a few weeks earlier!

{Precious girl!}

May came with hosting a bridal brunch for my bestie Jen and her best girl friends! I totally failed to take pictures of my set up or during the party for that matter, but we managed to snap a few once everyone left!

{Bride to Be}

{The gang! + Marley}

A week later it was time for the big day! The weather was great, the ceremony was beautiful and the party was poppin'! We had a great time sharing #milesofmemories with our favorites and were so thankful to be part of their special day!

{Getting ready!}

{Me & my forever date}

A few days later it was my birthday! And I FINALLY got to say "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 32!!" and it was amazing, from the beautiful flowers Mr Tan Lines sent, to all of the well wishes from my friends and family, it was a great day!

{ #idontknowaboutyoubutimfeeling32 }

Memorial Day Weekend was spent with S&R and my in-laws! We headed up to Charlotte for the NASCAR race and did some fun exploring!

{Private tour of the Panthers Stadium}

{No Cam sightings!}

{NASCAR Hall of Fame}

We went to both the Alsco 300 and the Coca Cola 600 on Saturday and Sunday, respectfully. It was HOT and I got so sunburned, but it was a really cool experience!

{Alsco 300 aka sunburn day of death}

{Pre-sun burn, feeling great}

{Notice the towel, trying not to faint}

{Day 2, exploring the in-field!}

We did get to go down to the pits and see the garages and the cars up close which was really neat. We also got great seats for the opening festivities!

In early June we headed back up to Charlotte with S&R and went to see Journey and Def Leppard! I sadly only knew a few Def Leppard songs...PHOTOGRAPHHH...they played first and then Journey came on and it was soo much fun!

GUYS I got yelled at from the people behind me for DANCING and they were like "we can't see anything" and I was like "so stand up?" but they just wanted to sit there like bumps on a log so sorry not sorry we all paid the same amount of $$$ to be here so you best believe I will be enjoying myself!

{I <3 the 80's}

I also got to do an amazing and fun thing in June and that was pet, play with and feed baby goats. Baby goats, the furry creatures I never knew I NEEDED in my life. They were only 3 weeks old and I freaked out because I was SO excited!

So there is this local place here called Goat Daddy's that raises goats, pigs, peacocks and other animals and then lets you come and pet and get to know them! It's awesome, check it out!

{Trying to figure out how to steal him}

July was spent trying to keep cool from the heat and attending one our good friends weddings with J&J! It was up near Charlotte and so much fun!

{The besssssssssst}

{MAN CRUSH}

August was when one of the best things that has ever happened to me happened and I will never, EVER, EVER be the same. Ben landed us SECOND ROW, yes, SECOND ROW seats to the Taylor Swift concert in Atlanta and I was about THIS close from fainting every day leading up to it.

This event will no doubt get it's own beautiful worthy post, but here are a few highlights!

{THE STAGE OMG THE STAGE}

{SO CLOSE HIIII BESTIE}

{Paul Sidoti her lead guitarist!}

{Yes, I got his autograph}

{Don't Blame Me one of the most underrated bops of our time}

{EPIC}

This was seriously the BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE and I will never, ever forget the memories, the fans, the tears, the songs ahhhhh. REPUTATION has been my favorite era thus far, we are just now getting clues for #ts7 and the first single is slated to be released on 4.26

I am not sure what our future holds swifties but it's gonna be amazing!!!!!!!

My parents also came to visit in August which was perfect and I love them so so much!

{Hibachi!}

Labor Day weekend meant the return of college football! So, naturally, we headed back to Atlanta for the opening weekend for Auburn against Washington State. It was pretty weird being back in the Mercedes Benz Arena (that's where I saw Tay) but it was a great game and we won!

{WAR EAGLE}

{GAME DAY}

September meant more football, beer & friends!

{Tigers, Gamecocks & Bulldogs OH MY}

We also cracked open a bottle of some Napa wine as we were, ahem, preparing to celebrate big in October!

{GIMME}

October started off with more football games, Auburn vs Tennessee, still can't believe we lost!

{Auburn gang!}

I also went back to Virginia for a trip  to hang out with my nephews and family! They are growing so, so quick it's crazy!

{They LOVE when you read to them}

{And they LOVE videos!}

So October also meant it was time for Mr Tans Lines and I to celebrate our FIVE year wedding anniversary, talk about time just FLYING by y'all. We originally wanted to go to Hawaii, but since I'd been years ago I really wanted to experience somewhere new together, to make brand new memories, and then we decided, go big or go home...so we planned a 10-day trek from northern Italy to southern Italy, hitting all the major spots and planning to eat all the pasta and drink all the wine.

This vacation will also 1,000% get it's own detailed post, I took about 2,000 pictures so here are just a few from each place we visited. Overall, it was relaxing, it was romantic and it was unforgettable. 

We actually also started off the trip in style by flying first-class using miles! So yes, we got those seats that fold all the way down into beds, yes we got REAL silverware and plates and YES it was amazing and I get why people are so willing splurge for first class. We slept great and upon arriving in Venice at 11am we were refreshed and ready to explore!

{Could not act like we'd been there before}

{Not even a little bit}

{First stop Venice, it stole our hearts}

{San Marco Square}

Second Stop

{Verona, the city of love}

{Juliet's balcony!}

Third Stop

{San Gimignano, Siena, Colle di Val d'Elsa}

And also,

{Florence}

{Rome!}

{Sorrento}

Last stop, sadly!

Again, Italy was AMAZING we loved and enjoyed every minute of it and we hope to go back one day!

November was quiet but we decided to make a surprise trip up to Virginia and see my parents and family for Thanksgiving! My parents had NO idea we were coming and it was so much fun getting to surprise them!

{SURPRISE!}

{Guys, it's not fair but the boys LOVE Uncle Ben so much moreeee}

So finally December was here, and omg guys something amazing/scary happened! I was driving home from work on a cold, dreary December night when I spotted what looked like a white bunny rabbit on the side of the road! Once I got closer I realized it was a kitten! I made the fastest u-turn of my life and pulled over to pick the little guy up. Looking back now SO many things could have gone wrong, but luckily for me and this guy, he was sooo thankful and happy to be in a warm car, he snuggled in my lap and was just so thankful!

I ended up finding him the BEST home with someone who specializes in taking in Siamese cats! These pictures were taken in our garage where we made him a warm comfy bed and gave him bread and milk. His name is Manny, and these days he spends his time snuggling with his siblings and curled around his mama's neck! He is living his best life!

{Little man!}

{So sweet}

We also went to Mr Tan Lines' work birthday party at the zoo that was really fun as we broke out the karaoke once again!

{Lights at the Zoo}

In 2018 we spent the Christmas holidays with my other side of the family! We rented a compound in Black Mountain, NC, no really, it was a compound, it was composed of 3 separate large houses that worked out great for all of us!

{Ronkmas 2018}

One of the COOLEST things was getting Kayley Hill to come and sing PRIVATELY for us! Not only does this girl put on great shows for everyone in Nashville, but she had recently been on The Voice and made it onto Team Blake! She played for about an hour and a half and hit us with all of the acoustic classics and even came up with an on the spot song so cutely named "Ronkmas" Love her!

{My favorite Nashville star!}

We also went to the Biltmore as a group and did a candle light tour as well as a wine tasting!

{Merry Christmas!}

2018 left just as it came in, guns blazing and ready to be a force! We had a small party at our place with our close friends that turned into an epic and amazing night that we STILL talk about.

{MY FAVESSSS}

{Candle wax and polaroids on the hardwood floor, you and forevermore}

Well, that concludes todays' lesson kids! If you read this entire thing I truly thank you! I should be posting a recap of what has been going on so far in 2019 and then I can finally start doing some more in-depth posts again!

Stay tuned!