Sustain // Nourishment for the Spirit

Anyone who has ever met my parents know how wonderful and generous they are. My mom makes flower arrangements for terminally ill patients and my dad is constantly trying to make our community better by bringing the word of Christ to those who may have lost their way. 

Last year my dad had a vision. That vision grew to become Sustain. Sustain is a thirty minute informal service every Wednesday at noon in the chapel of South Highland Presbyterian Church. 

We all know how hectic life can be and we sometimes lose sight of what is really important. The mission of South Highland is to be fully alive with the passion of Christ. The service encourages us through meditative prayer, inspiring music by the amazing and talented Brian Authement, and a short message led by my dad, Terry Slaughter. Take a moment mid-week to recharge, rethink, and renew your faith. 

Over the past year, I have had happy times and pretty low moments. But attending these weekly services really reminds me of how much Christ loves me and it truly keeps me going. I encourage everyone to attend and spread the word. Come on your lunch break, it is only half an hour! 

We would love to have you there! 

My dad posts his weekly message online, so follow along. They are inspiring!

Heather & Stewart // A Wedding to Remember

Two weekends ago I had the ultimate pleasure of working with the wonderful Jackie Rowell of Rowell Events.  She is a phenomenal wedding coordinator and day-of planner. I highly suggest her to any friends of mine who are getting married. You will not be disappointed. 

This particular weekend was Heather and Stewart's big day. The ceremony was held at Avondale United Methodist Church, which is such an incredible little church. It is quaint and proved to be such a beautiful location for such a loving couple to wed. 

After the wedding, the wedding party rode the Red Trolley over to Railroad Park to take a few last minute pictures done by the wonderful Allison Lewis Photography. I mean seriously, these pictures are breathtaking! Allison and her team are just so sweet and great to work with! 

The reception was held at Regions Field in the Banquet Hall. It was a clear and sunny day, which made for a gorgeous sunset over the city. The banquet hall has large floor to ceiling windows so the view was  amazing! Great ambiance!

There was dancing, eating, and more dancing. Once the party was winding down, Heather and Stewart had a sparkler send off! They had the cutest party favors. Cracker Jacks and ballpark peanuts! Great idea! Oh and not to mention the great coozies!

It was a beautiful ceremony and reception! I feel blessed to even be a small part of their big day! Many years of happiness to Heather and Stewart! 

Oh, and we can't forget about this gem. #coolguysdontlookatexplosions

Venue - Avondale United Methodist Church and The Banquet Hall at Regions Field.
Catering - Parkview Catering

Planner - Rowell Events
Décor and Design - Hothouse Design Studio
Photography - Allison Lewis Photography
Cakes - Dreamcakes
Entertainment - Brother to Brother via Music Garden/Ross Kinder
Invitation Suite - Fine Paperwork
Transportation - Red Trolley - Rare Transportation
Valet - Apex Valet
Departure - Coats Classic Cars
Men's Attire - Mr. Burch Formal Wear
Bride's Gown and Accessories - Ivory and White
Bridesmaids' Dresses - Bella Bridesmaids
Accommodations - The Historic Tutwiler Hotel and The Westin Hotel

Birmingham, Breweries, and Brunch

For weeks, a few of my friends have been talking about spending a Saturday at all the Birmingham breweries. Well this weekend was the lucky winner. Luckily, all the breweries are very close together!

We decided to fuel up at one of our favorite places to grab a bite to eat, V. Richards. The Picadillo Salad. Enough said. Go try it. Avocado, feta, and cilantro. Yum! 

Next up was Trim Tab Brewery. This is probably my favorite place to go and grab a drink. They have a great patio and inside there are couches – can't go wrong there! I usually order the Bankston 88. SO good. The rest of the gang went with the Raspberry Berliner Weisse. If you like flavored beer, this is a great choice! Trim Tab is a great place to bring your friends and socialize, plus they have games. Yes, you heard me right. Beer AND games. We chose to play Cards Against Humanity. If you have ever played this game, you know how wrong is it. And that is putting it cleanly. 

We played a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity and moved on to the next brewery. 

Cahaba Brewing Company is only a few blocks away from Trim Tab, so we chose to venture there next. Unfortunately is was closed for a private event. If you come to Birmingham, definitely try out Cahaba Brewery! I recommend the Kiwi Kolsh or the Cahaba Blonde. 

Since Cahaba was closed, we went ahead and made our way to Good People Brewing Company. This is a hot spot for our friend group before and after the Barons baseball games at Regions Field. Why? Because it is directly across the street. Talk about prime location! One the way there, we noticed the weather was getting very windy and the sky was turning black. We decided if a tornado was to come, at least we were with good company! When drinking at Good People, the only beer I really like is the Pale Ale. All the other ones seem to be too dark for my taste. 

 

We ended the brewery tour with Avondale Brewery. I LOVE Avondale. Not only because their beer is amazing, but the venue itself is phenomenal. They host events all the time and bring in big names such as St. Paul and the Broken Bones. Not to mention all the great food located in the area. We grabbed a Strawberry Saison (another one of my favorites) and ordered a pizza from Post Office Pies which is literally right next door. It was delicious! I wanted to stay longer, but the weather was nasty and we were pretty much ready to call it a day. 

If you are ever bored on a weekend, go to the breweries in Birmingham. They will not disappoint. But please make sure you have a DD. Do not drink and drive my friends!

Saturday ended wonderfully and I was excited to see everyone at brunch the following day!

Every other Sunday we all get together for potluck brunch. Everyone brings something different and we have a random array of brunch (and sometimes not) food. This week we had a smaller group, but great nonetheless. We had pork tenderloin, quiche (both big and small), chocolate chip pancakes, breakfast potatoes, and an AMAZING s'mores cake for dessert. Oh, and of course plenty of mimosas to go around. 

I am so blessed to have such great friends in my life that want to do fun and spontaneous (not to mention sometimes crazy) things with me. We are all different in our own way, but compliment each other daily. I love you guys. 

Thanks for an amazing weekend I will never forget! 

Till next time, 

-H