Something New & Exciting + Kudos to PS, Jr.

October 30, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Let me begin this blog post with a big CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! to my little brother! He finished the Atlanta Marathon this past weekend, and I think that I certainly cause for celebration! Wow! And here, all this time, I thought I was the crazy one in the family!?! 🙂

We are seriously super excited and proud of PS! Here’s to setting a goal, going after it, and reaching the stars!!!!

And along those lines…

I just embarked onto an opportunity I am SO excited about! If you know me at all, you know I love fashion, and everything that goes with it! I mean, I even majored in Fashion Merchandising at UGA! I must have a passion for fashion, huh? 🙂

I am now (in addition to my regular full-time position) a Merchandiser for an amazing new jewelry company called chloe + isabel! If you love beautiful jewelry at affordable prices, you’ll have to check it out here! I’m so excited to be a part of this company, and even more excited that I’m involved with something I love as part of a career!

In addition to all this excitement, if you didn’t notice on yesterday’s post, we now have our own YouTube channel! We’ll be uploading the short videos from our honeymoon, in addition to those from our vacation this past weekend already posted, and also will definitely be adding pictures AND videos from the wedding we are going to this weekend for our dear friends Josh & Julia! Such a beautiful couple!

Well, I must get back to work!!! It’s CRAZY around here today!! (As always – sigh!)

Love Y’all!

Pier & Craig

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A GORGEous (ha ha – Get it?) Weekend!

October 29, 2012October 29, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Our mini vacation to Tallulah Gorge and Clayton in North Georgia was just the getaway we needed together! The weather was terrific, and (as we always do together) C and I had a grand time!

Tallulah Gorge - Craig — Tallulah Gorge – Craig

Tallulah Gorge - Pier — Tallulah Gorge – Pier

If you’d like to make a trip to the gorge and falls yourself, you can get more information here. Aside from the more than 500 stairs you have to climb…it’s fabulous – and yes, my calves are still killing me today!

We also visited an attraction known as “Goats On The Roof”… Total tourist trap…but if you have children, or are grown-up children (like we are), it’s worth stopping in. Their homemade ice cream and fudge are (gluten-free) delicious, and you get to watch goats…on a roof. What could be better?!?

I also spotted a red truck for children that I begged Craig to get inside of for a picture:

He wasn’t too thrilled about getting inside for a picture until he saw this, and if you know C at ALL, you’ll understand WHY:

Goats On The Roof: Craig In The CaseIH Truck

After it was discovered to be, not just any old red truck, but an INTERNATIONAL, I was encouraged to take multiple pictures. 🙂

You can see all of our pictures from the weekend on our Shutterfly share site here. Craig took some (I’m sure amazing) pictures with his camera, and those will be posted when they arrive back in a digital format from California…I believe this roll includes some from our honeymoon, as well, so stay tuned! You can now also visit our YouTube page here.

We rounded out our weekend with Mass in the mountains at St. Helena Catholic Church, which was just breathtaking. Behind the altar was a wall of glass looking out into the hills beyond…You could feel God in every minute of the Mass. Just perfect.

Finally, before driving back, we ventured over to Tiger Mountain Winery. We sampled some delicious wines, and even bought two bottles of wines we thoroughly enjoyed!

It was a wonderful weekend through which it was easy to see God all around us in His creation, and to thank Him for bringing our two souls together. Absolute perfection. We hope all of you had a wonderful weekend!! And now…back to work!

XOXO,

Pier & Craig

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Betcha Didn’t Know…

October 26, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

In honor of my sweet husband’s post yesterday, I decided to dedicate a post on the blog today all to him. 🙂 You know Craig, but do you REALLY know him? Do you really know what a wonderful man I am lucky enough to have? Here are 10 things about C you may or may not know:

He makes my coffee for the next morning before we go to bed. Without him, I would be the frazzled mess I am ‘pre-coffee’ all day long! 🙂
He loves to sing karaoke with me! Just last night we spent the evening playing SingStar on the Playstation 3…C can do “Walking In Memphis” so well it would bring tears to your eyes – and it did to mine last night, but don’t tell him that! Shhh!
He is a roller skating champ – I mean really. How well he can roller skate would astound you. I can’t wait to go back to Sparkles (hint, hint) for some FUN exercise!
He writes beautiful poetry…♥
He loves lemon-flavored desserts…which I am not particularly fond of.
He doesn’t like his socks to be folded like a normal person…but rather, actually folded. This drives me INSANE when I am putting away laundry…Alas, the things we do for those we love. 🙂
Craig has the patience of Job…something I am trying to glean from him… 🙂
He absolutely HATES Wal-Mart…My thriftiness dictates I shop there for groceries and household items as much as possible, but as much of a spend-thrift as C is, he would avoid entering a Wal-Mart at all costs – literally. Especially the self-checkout…Want to test that Job-esque patience??? Suggest using the self-checkout at a Wally-World…Goodness gracious…
At some point on a Saturday or Sunday, you WILL find Craig at Mass. Whether he is on the road, we are on a vacation, we are exhausted from the week, or it’s a typical Sunday morning, he makes it a point to attend Mass – no matter what. That’s one of the top 5 things I love about my husband. He is the spiritual leader of our little family, and his love for God shines through everything he does.
He secretly enjoyed writing yesterday’s blog…and I’m fairly certain it wasn’t his last post. 🙂 When he and I began corresponding back and forth in the beginning of our relationship, one of the things that attracted me most to him – sight unseen – were his ‘letters’ to me…They weren’t just simple responses to questions I asked or pointed questions toward me, but flowing and sweet and thoughtful letters. So, whether he’ll admit it or not, I think you lucky folks have more reading of Craig’s notes ahead. 🙂

Well my dears, now you know! 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend all! We are heading north tonight to Clayton, GA and Tallulah Gorge…I’m sure we’ll return to post many gorgeous pictures of the scenery here and on our Shutterfly page. I cannot wait to enjoy ACTUAL FALL WEATHER here in Georgia!! Wahooooo!

Much Love Y’all,

Pier & Craig

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Bedroom or Room With a Bed??

October 25, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres3 Comments

The time has come for the much-anticipated post! Now I am not sure if everyone is more excited about the content or about who the author of the post is. I am guessing that more people are in shock. I will admit that this is my very first ever blog post and I would not want it to be anywhere else but on this blog right here! The last month and some days have been absolutely (there it is, my favorite word in the dictionary since it is the response I got on March 28th, 2012 when I asked Pier to marry me) the best days of my life. There have been some changes going on around the house that have been shared on the blog and today we want to share how our master bedroom is coming along. Now Pier warned me not to get too technical as she knows the followers of the blog and said that not many would know the difference between a half blind dovetail joint and a mortise and tenon joint so I am going to keep it simple and let most of the talking be done with the pictures. The bed and the

Dentil Moulding — Pier’s dentil moulding design come true and my hand cut dovetails are only a few of the unique craftsmenship in this piece. This would be the half blind dovetail.

night stands are the highlights of this post. The bed was just recently acquired and since it was a queen size it allowed us to put on the new duvet, pillows and the ~~fancy~~ toile bedskirt which are all perfect and we both agree that we feel like we actually have a REAL bedroom rather than a room with a bed. Also on the sides of the bed are the newly built night stands that we both designed and I built. They took forever it felt in my head so I know that it seemed like an eternity to my lovely wife but she was very patient through it all including the 3 coats of the final top coat which I am sure to her felt like 400 coats! The truth is I was just as excited as her and I could not wait to get them in the room as well. I like how we have collaborated much of US into the room. The hand painted picture by Pier that hangs above our heads. The night stands that we both designed with the lamps and night stands being built by myself. There is still more to come which we will show when they arrive. I can say that the refinished antique dresser is in the final stages of completion and may be put into its new place tonight and also some creative homemade drapes are in the making and should be up in the very near future. Have a good night everyone!

~ Craig and Pier

Bed and night stands — Complete with the monogrammed “L” on the pillow

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What A Weekend…

October 22, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

Oh. My. Goodness. This weekend was absolutely crazy…but everything ended up working out for the absolute best…Praise the Lord. Literally. I just can’t believe I actually made it back to my desk at work today. I should actually be curled up in bed with Daisy, getting the rest I never got…

Friday, before leaving the office, I heard a tiny thud and saw a blue stone on a printed out e-mail at my desk…Lo’ and behold, it was a sapphire from my wedding band…Never a good way to begin the weekend…Luckily, my sweet husband is working with the guy who made my engagement ring from Craig’s design to re-design my band and fix it all up. After it is all said and done, the ring will be much more structurally sound and just as beautiful as ever.

After work, I began my 42 mile trek home…Yes. My commute is 42 miles each way, and each leg takes me about an hour and a half. Gotta love it…ANYWAY, I rushed home as quickly as I could so Craig and I could enjoy dinner together before he flew to Dulles for the evening…I got home, said hi to sweet Daisy and my amazing husband, and enjoyed a much needed glass of wine as he finished cooking my a delicious, from-scratch, meal of Gluten-Free Chile Rellenos, with the poblano peppers we grew in our own little garden. It was a delicious meal, and before I knew it, it was time for Craig to fly away…So, he left, I did a blog post about our new sofa and then went upstairs to change out of work clothes and slip into my comfy sweats…I came downstairs and watched a great movie, enjoyed another glass of wine and our extra comfortable new sectional…And then decided, since I had a hair appointment in LaGrange the next morning at 9:45am, I should probably head to bed…Well, usually when I get into bed, Daisy is right on my heels…But not this time…And then I realized I hadn’t seen her since Craig left much earlier… I called her multiple times (she answers to her name), to no avail… I looked ALL over the house…No Daisy…Around 11:30, I put on warm clothes and walked all over the neighborhood crying like a baby and calling for my sweet kitty…At 1:30am, I was all cried out, and I went inside to go to sleep with no happy thoughts in my mind…Craig was very worried too and he assured me I should go to my hair appointment the next morning and he would begin to search for her as soon as he got home…Tearily and with a heavy heart, I agreed…I cried the entire hour and a half drive, until Craig called to tell me he’d found her!!!!!! My poor sweet girl had been underneath the ground-floor deck at the neighbors’ house the entire night…She was cold and covered in cobwebs and grass, but her sweet father had rescued her and brought her back inside. Whew.

Daisy was safely at home, so I enjoyed the rest of my hair appointment and visiting with Ralph & Cynthia, but I was concerned about my mother. She had not been feeling well all week…I’d called on Thursday night and woken her up around 9pm…That was unlike her…I had called Friday night to see if she felt any better and my Dad had answered the phone and said she was still not well…Then that morning, I had called to let them know Daisy was lost – before Craig found her – and I spoke with my Dad the whole time because she was so sick…

Well, I got home and Craig and I went to pick out our pumpkin as we had planned to do before, since Daisy was now safe and sound…We went to the grocery store to get dinner ingredients for Sunday evening, and to Target to buy throw pillows and a few throw blankets I had seen on sale. We stopped by Blockbuster to pick up a scary movie (my fave: The Shining), and while we were waiting in line, my Dad texted to let us know he had taken my mother to the emergency room and would keep us posted!!!!! Of course, I was very concerned. My mother hates doctor visits as much as I do, so I knew this was serious…but all I could do was wait. Dad said not to worry about coming down until he knew more… So Craig and I went to dinner at our sushi place, and while we were eating my mother called to let us know they were taking her into surgery around 10pm for an Appendectomy. We were so relieved to hear her voice and know that they had figured it out and she would be fine by the next morning!!!!!!!

With that relief, and the promise of a phone call from my Dad when all was said and done, we went to Folklore – a haunted house in Dallas. Let me tell you. I have been to my share of haunted houses and this one was well worth the price of admission! Extremely creepy and entertaining!! If you live anywhere nearby, this is definitely a must-do for the Halloween season!

When we had heard my mother was safely in recovery, we set to work on carving our pumpkin… Whom we had dubbed “Nerdkin”… So cute! We worked hard on this one, but in the end, I think it was worth it:

I think it turned out really well…and you should SEE all the seeds we got from the Nerdkin! Goodness gracious! An entire mixing bowl full!! We are roasting them with butter, sugar and cinnamon this evening and I am sure they’ll be delicious!!

Sunday we went to early Mass at 8am, met with a man via Craigslist about purchasing our old coffee and end tables (which he did – YAY!!!), and then headed to LaGrange to see my mother! Oh my goodness she looked fabulous! Seriously, like she had had surgery less than 12 hours prior, and looked better than I did. Unfair! 🙂 But such an absolute blessing!!

In all seriousness, we are truly blessed and although this weekend was a whirlwind, and complete insanity, throughout the entire time we prayed and prayed and prayed…Prayers of pleading for help and of thanking God for his mercy! So much happened, but God led us through all of it victoriously! Praise Him!

Please continue to pray for healing for my mother, and for Craig and I as a couple – that we maintain the strength to get through the good and the bad. 🙂 Thank you for all of your kind comments and your love and for reading our blog!! We are sooooo lucky! 🙂

Much Love,

Pier & Craig

PS – You’re all in for a treat…My dear husband told me last week he plans to do a blog post here on his own about our almost-complete bedroom, with pictures of our new bed, bedding, and the nightstands he built. 🙂 Stay tuned! xoxo

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Finally, A Place of OUR OWN to Sit!

October 19, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres5 Comments

It’s here; it’s here!!!

Well, I guess y’all have now had the full 360 of our family room! 😊 Once the art is up on the walls, we may finally be done!

We LOVE the new sectional and it is OH SO PLUSH AND COMFY!!!! I can’t wait to curl up with my glass of wine tonight and watch a scary movie since Craig’s out of town! He and Daisy got to enjoy it this afternoon while I was at work! 😉

Have a good night all and God bless!
Love,
Pier and Craig

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Happy Birthday, Daddy Dee!

October 17, 2012October 17, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

My late Daddy Dee, with my mother and uncle standing in front of him.

Today, October 17th, would have been his birthday! I remember him oh so fondly, and miss him all the time! So sad Craig never got the chance to meet him…He and Daddy Dee would have LOVED having long conversations about how things work, tractors, motors, and both of their favorite topic: God.

Rest in Peace, Daddy Dee, and Happy Birthday!

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Time Is Love: Our One Month Re-Cap

October 17, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres6 Comments

Our first month as a married couple has come and gone! Yesterday, October 15th, marked our 1 Month Wedding Anniversary – and I would like to thank my sweet mother, and Craig’s mother-in-law, for her sweet Happy Anniversary e-mail! It made our day, and we both had the same response to it – mine to her when she sent it, and Craig to me when I forwarded it to him: Best Month of My Life!!!

We celebrated last night with dinner at a new mexican restaurant in town, a respective glass of chardonnay and a brandy, an episode of our guilty pleasure – Teen Mom 2 – and ended the night with a prayer of thanksgiving for being led to one another and celebrating such an amazing month together! It may not have been anything fancy, but it was so US and just perfect.

This past Saturday we had the pleasure of being guests at some of our best friends’ engagement party, Ashley & JW – hosted by some of our other best friends, Randall & Lauren (who could actually beat the ever-living snot out of Martha Stewart in a creativity competition!). It was gorgeous and a wonderful occasion to celebrate the happiness and love A & J have found! We are so excited for them and can’t wait for all the upcoming showers and parties, and most especially their Wedding Weekend! True love is certainly something to celebrate!

We spent Sunday afternoon shopping for a new dryer – which was MUCH needed!! Our old and decrepit dryer from my sweet husband’s bachelor days was DONE. Oh my goodness. It can take as many as THREE cycles on HIGH heat to dryer a normal load of laundry!!! So we were super excited to purchase a new dryer on Sunday which is being delivered today! Yay!

And to round things off, Craig got a call this morning our long-awaited RH sectional will be delivered on Friday! Another YAY! Cannot wait to post pictures of our completed living room, minus the painting I am currently working on for above the sectional on the long wall. 🙂 98% completed!

Seriously, this really has been the best month ever. C & I couldn’t be more complementary to each other’s personalities, and I don’t know how it’s possible to love him more and more each day – but I do. I wish all of you the same happiness, joy and love we share, and thank all of you who had a hand in ours!

Lots of Love,

Pier & Craig

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Nesting Into Autumn

October 10, 2012October 10, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres7 Comments

After ~~nagging~~ asking Craig to shop for Autumn/Halloween decorations with me for a few weeks, we planned to meet at Michael’s last night and then go out to dinner after I finished at the office. I got to Michael’s around 6:15pm and waited and waited and waited and waited… My sweet husband had stopped on the way to help 3 elderly women load an entertainment center and tv into a truck. He then made a scheduled stop at AutoZone to replace the battery in my car (in which he had already changed the oil that afternoon)… So, there was no way I could complain about shopping alone…BUT I was a little bit sad we weren’t able to shop together 😦 Don’t worry, Craig, there’s always CHRISTMAS! 🙂

Anyway, once we finally were able to get together, we had a great evening – culminating in my decorating and Craig’s replacing my car battery and changing our door locks. Yep, we are an old married couple now! 🙂

Our Transitional Fireplace Decorations, which I plan to keep up through Thanksgiving with a few additions.

Note the “L” Pumpkin, Made by Me: ~~Martha Stew…~~ Pier 🙂

Front Porch, with Halloween Wreath & Raven Display (Again, I made both!)

Raven Display – You’ll have to ask Craig about his first encounter with the Raven. Let’s just say I had it on the kitchen table while I was making the wreath and he saw it and since he hadn’t been with me when I was shopping… LOL

Zombie Cameo Halloween Wreath – I am in love with this ribbon!

Well, that’s it so far! Craig was sweet enough to take pictures for me this afternoon so I could go ahead and do the post during some (unheard of) downtime at work.

Love Y’all!

P & C

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Cannot Get This Song Out of My Head!

October 10, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

This song reminds me of roadtrips when I was a child…We had the Jim Croce Greatest Hits cassette tape, and I loved the whole thing! Have no clue how, but this one has been stuck in my head on repeat for 2 days now – so I had to share!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yOpSPIsQeo

Watch for another post this evening! Craig and I decorated for Autumn/Halloween last night and I have pictures to share! 🙂 Have a great Wednesday all!

XOXO,

Pier & Craig