Ashley Nicole Style : 2022

If you've been keeping up with me on Instagram, you know that we just finished our seven week long summer vacation.

After being in Colorado for a month, we took the long way home and enjoyed stays in Santa Fe, Taos, Roswell, Marfa, and finally San Antonio. I'd been wanting to stay at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa for a while now, and knew the expansive property would be the perfect place to end our trip (and soak up some extra R&R before returning to real life).

The resort has so much to offer, and is great for families. It's situated on 600 sprawling acres and has great views of Texas Hill Country, as well as it's two golf courses. They have a nine acre water park, which includes a lazy river, two body slides and a beach. We loved having a cabana rental at the sand beach pool. It gave us privacy and comfort, as well as a place to get some relief from the sun. The sand beach pool was a lot quieter than the other pools, and was perfect for an 18 month old. The beach was great for keeping Wyatt occupied when we wanted a break from the pool. They also have a dedicated children's pool, which we enjoyed too!

The JW Marriott San Antonio has six different restaurants to choose from. We visited the Starbucks on-site each morning, enjoyed lunch in our cabana from the Rivertop Grill, and got to-go from 18 Oak two nights in a row. The gnocchi appetizer was phenomenal, and the steaks were delicious. We were happy we were in an executive suite and could enjoy dinner on 'our time' after Wyatt had been put to bed. Having the separated living room and bedroom was so convenient. Not to mention we had a balcony overlooking the pool, and at night we sat on our patio and looked and could watch as multicolor lights changed on the pool and lazy river.

Be sure to check out my video recap of our stay below! If you're interested in booking a stay at the resort, use discount code ZS7 to receive 10% off your stay and receive $50 in resort credit.

We celebrated Wyatt's First Fiesta at the end of last month, and it was so great to be surrounded by friends and family for his birthday. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that we have a ONE YEAR OLD! Time has flown by and it's been a joy to see how much he's changed, especially in the last few months. His personality is really showing, and no one can argue that he's growing like a weed, 24lbs and 30.5in high, to be exact.

Not only is a year a big milestone for baby, but it's a big deal for mom and dad too - we survived!!! Not to mention Wyatt and I have birthdays only four days apart, so I opted to look at his fiesta as a dual celebration for me too.

Venue

We held the party at La Grange, a Tex-Mex bar and restaurant in Monrtose. Of course we couldn't have a fiesta and not have Mexican food and margaritas, so it was the perfect fit. We also knew we wanted to have the party outside given Covid concerns, and they have a great outdoor patio that spans two floors and is really spacious. Outside events are tricky, even in Houston this time of year, but we lucked out with a gorgeous 65 degree day.

The menu for the party included tres salsas, queso, quesadillas, taquitos, and flautas. As far as drinks we had several options to choose from like margaritas (my favorite was the spicy jalapeño), sangria, beer and of course, Topo Chico. We really wanted to ensure that everyone attending was fed, considering the party was from 11am-1pm on a Saturday.

Vendors

Mariachi Tradicion de Jalisco

Of course no fiesta is complete without a Mariachi band. Hands down the #1 question I was asked at the party was "Where did you find them? They were incredible." My response, "Google!" Haha, and I'm so happy I did.

They were an incredible ensemble that literally took the party up a notch. They were personable and professional, not to mention played an array of genres, which I was not expecting. My favorite, "Imagine," by John Lennon. I loved the fact that it was a family affair, as well, and the two younger children really added a unique, fun factor. If you're in the market for a mariachi band, I cannot recommend them enough!

Dessert Gallery

Yum, yum and yummmm. I knew as soon as I started party planning that I wanted to have Dessert Gallery make all the goodies, including Wyatt's smash cake, for the party. It's my second time working exclusively with them (the first being at my baby shower last year), and it's easy to see why. Not only are their desserts incredible and tasty, but they really go the extra mile to ensure that the costumer is happy.

I knew I wanted to have Wyatt's face on the cupcakes for the guests, and they made it so easy by simply taking the image from the invitation. They also created the cutest thematic cookies for the party. The sombrero was my favorite!

Over the Top Party Events

I'm so excited to share this vendor with you. Rachel, the owner of Over the Top Party Events, clearly takes the name of her company very seriously because everything she did for Wyatt's Fiesta was OVER THE TOP. Every idea I had she took to another level. Anything I asked or suggested, she overdelivered on (a rarety these days).

A few days before the event I asked if she happened to have any serapes we could use as tableclothes. But of course she did! She threw in so many extras that went the extra mile - maracas, mini sombreros & pinatas, guitars, and cacti. A true dream to work with. I mean did I mention the life-size donkey?!