New Cards

It's a little hard to read because I took the picture with my phone, but I got my new business cards today. They have both my new name and my not-quite-as-new title on them. I can't wait to use them once I get back to work. So far, this is the first thing that has made me smile this week.

Our First Wedding Gift

When we got home Tuesday night, we had a pick-up slip from USPS in our mailbox. This morning, I made Jim go get the box. Then I had to wait for 2 hours from when I got home until he got home to open it.

Oh, look more boxes inside the big box. I wonder what they are?


What a pretty bowl and picture frame. Thank you so much, Aunt Linda and Uncle Mike.

Hair Trial

I had my second and final trial run with my hair stylist for the wedding. I like it much better this time. These pictures are after three hours and a ride home with the car window partially down. Seems to have some staying power.

Yet More DIY Projects

Our office was closed yesterday for the Fourth of July holiday, so a co-worker and I made a field trip to a restaurant for real southern cooking and then to IKEA.

Several things - First, the restaurant was the bomb. I had fried whiting, mac and cheese that was to die for, string beans with some kind of hot sauce on them and cornbread. All delicious. Jennifer (hi, Jennifer) had black eyed peas that were the best I've had in a long time and sweet potato pie that would make an excellent breakfast item.

Second, you should never try to go 95S on a holiday weekend, so I googled a back road way to get to IKEA. This turned out to be the best decision ever and I may never take 95S down there again. If we had gone that way, we might still be sitting on 95. If you are in the area and want the directions, let me know.

Third, I should never be allowed free rein in the IKEA. We had a great time and I found exactly what I was looking for. I also found several other things that I wasn't looking for. Which brings me back to DIY. I was able to get a ridiculous quantity of silk hydrageas for a fraction of what they would have cost at the craft store. So last night, I made my first pomander ball for the pews at church. I had ordered some from etsy.com, but the post office lost my package and I was resigned to doing without. These really don't take that long to make (about an hour and half) and I don't need that many, so they are back on the agenda. I think it came out very nicely.

The last big check

37 days and today we crossed off the last big check - the only thing that we had to do. We went to the courthouse and got our marriage license. We are all official now and can proceed to get wedded. Just wanted to let you know; you may resume your regularly scheduled activities now.

Wedding DIY Number 3

45 days to go.

This is my third DIY project for the wedding. We took Hershey bars and wrapped them in heavy duty foil because they don't make the candy bars that way anymore. Now they are hermetically sealed and tamper resistant, but I like the way they used to look. Nostalgia rules!

Then we put a new label around them with our names and the date of the wedding. The label background is blue hydrangea which we are using as the flowers in the bouquets.

This picture shows cut down labels, a foil wrapped bar and one completely finished candy bar.

Manassas Battlefield

Last Sunday after church, we drove over to Manassas and walked around the battlefield. This was my first trip to a civil war site, even though the are everywhere in Virginia. Jim hadn't been since he was in school, either. We took the one mile walking tour of the first battle of Manassas. The weather was great and I learned more about Civil War history than I ever did in high school. We'll have to go back sometime and take the tour of the second battle.