Spring Montage

It's time for a montage (I'm channelling the amazing song from Team American, World Police). It's spring. I took photos. That is all.

Knock-Out Roses in front yard

I just had to bring some inside!

Easter Table

Trapped!

Baker's Rack

Springtime Goodies

End montage.

~ Mari

Wedding Goodness (Beach Cookout Installment)

Sorry it's taken me so long to get around to posting wedding stuff! It was all a little overwhelming at first, but now that it's been a month, it is exciting to re-live everything!

This is the first installment of photos (taken by the amazing Sherri Aagenes). I apologize for the high-resolution-ness of them, but photos are so much more lovely when they are big. ;) Anywho, we did a beach cookout instead of a rehearsal dinner because... well... there was nothing to rehearse! We had no wedding party and we wrote the ceremony ourselves, so there was no need to have a big shin-dig to practice the ceremony.

Ryan's parents hosted a beach cookout at the Hunting Island State Park pavilion (next to a very old and very cool lighthouse) that started at 3:30 pm on Saturday, May 15, 2010. The weather was perfect, the food was amazing, and the company was great!

the beach at Hunting Island is littered with driftwood and fallen palm trees

the perfect setting for some pre-wedding photos

ryan and I - and our respective parental units

i got the idea for our "guestbook" canvas artwork on the offbeat bride tribe

each guest got a square to color as they so chose

the food was fantabulous - lowcountry boil & BBQ

mom & me

It was a fabulous day at the beach! :)

Ugly Little Cuties

We've got babies! No, not the human kind - the feathered (well, fuzzied) kind. Our mommy bluebird was quite busy building her nest for weeks.. and then we looked in there and 5 precious little blue eggs were nestled down in the straw.

And guess what's in there now?

They're so ugly that they're adorable! Their little gray eyes haven't even opened... and their balding. I mean, how cute can you get, right?

Hopefully we can get more pics as they get older (and less ugly)!

Yay for Spring!

~Mari

Spring Photoshoot

Who can write a blog entry on a gorgeous day like this? Exactly. So, I took photos instead! Even Mr. Yoda was posing for some spring photos. :)


Ready to pounce on a twig.

Cool shadow from our bench.

The willow tree is flourishing more and more each day!

Not sure why they curl, but I like them!

~ Mari

Mary Bland

I can't believe I'm getting married in less than 2 months. I'm really excited about it (of course) and am updating my checklist regularly (oh yes, I have a checklist). One thing I have really enjoyed about the whole wedding process is that, though I had a few influences along the way, no one told me, "You MUST do this, this, and this!" Thankfully, I (and the future hubby) got to make almost every single decision. I wonder if Mary Bland (my grandmother - photo above) had that luxury? Though her wedding was years ago, I'm sure some of the same social norms exist today that make it difficult for brides to actually enjoy their wedding and wedding planning experience. One thing I can say for Mary, is that she looks absolutely stunning in that photograph. I wish I could have met her and that she could be at my wedding in May. From what I hear of her, she had a great sense of humor and was an excellent cook (two traits I admire in anyone).

Well, I'm off to enjoy the rest of this beautiful spring day by eating bison burgers (yummers...if you haven't had one, I would highly recommend it) made by my dad (who learned to cook from Mary Bland).

:) Mari