Me, the coupon lady?

You know you’re a married woman when you’ve started clipping coupons to save as much money as possible. You know you might be getting a little bit obsessed when you’ve bookmarked sites like CouponMom and alphabetized tabs in a coupon organizer.

Seriously though, I used to make fun of people who did this sort of thing, and now I really see the value in it. My eyes have been opened to the money that can be saved if I would simply take the time to look for coupons and plan out meals according to deals I find on a weekly basis.

So…I might be obsessed, but at least we’re saving money!

Oldest Bible Digitized

The world’s oldest Bible, the Codex Sinaiticus, that dates back to the 4th century, is now available online.  Previously, this bible was held in four separate locations across the world. 

Amazing that a book written on parchment leaves could be restored in such a way so that readers across the world can view it online.  Check it out at the Codex Sinaiticus website!

Photo courtesy of Associated Press

DIY Wedding Project: Cupcake Stand

In my quest to find some great DIY projects on my latest assignment for DIY Bride, I found this great project.

Using terra cot pots and saucers, Laurie at Once Wed created a really cute cupcake stand that would be perfect for any wedding.  This would also be great as a cake or cupcake stand just for entertaining at home.  Check out the step-by-step instructions here.

More Wedding Photos

Check out our favorite wedding photos, courtesy of Jona Care, our photographer.  See them here!

Unemployment rate rises to 9.5%

As an unemployed person, it is really sobering to hear that so many Americans are going through the same thing I’m going through.  It’s not about the money…God provides, He always has.  It’s about feeling that I wasted my time in 6 years of schooling to come out on the other side empty-handed.  It’s about being newly married and feeling that I can’t contribute to my new household.  It’s feeling worthless.  I know I shouldn’t feel that way.  I know I have the skills and education to land a good job.  The problem is that the jobs just don’t exist right now.  Who knows when things will pick up?  I just hope things turn around soon.

Still waiting…

Still trying to figure out where I go from here. Don’t get me wrong, I am blessed. But I also thought things would be a little different right now, and sometimes I just can’t help feeling disappointed.

Told you she’s funny…

Just found this great video created by Anita Renfroe, whose book I featured in my previous post.  The quality isn’t great, since it was shot at a conference, but I can’t find it anywhere else, and it’s too good not to post.  It’s a parody of Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats.”  Check it out:

Song of Solomon Revamped

I have been looking for a good devotional to read with my husband for quite some time now.  Over the past weekend, a friend recommended John and Anita Renfroe’s Songs in the Key of Solomon to me.  I received it in the mail yesterday, and I’m already crazy about it!

Each devotional has five sections.  The first section gives you something to do with your spouse, like sitting down to a meal together, sharing a hot beverage or finding the craziest ad in the Classifieds.  The second section provides scripture to provoke thought and discussion.  The third section brings the scripture to life, tying in movie references or real-life situations that make the scripture applicable to our daily lives.  The fourth section has some thought-provoking (and fun!) questions.  The fifth section encourages prayer or things you can do after the devotional to remain in unity with one another.

After visiting the author’s website, I fell in love with her books as well as her personality.  She has appeared in the New York Times, and is a frequent comedy contributor to Good Morning America.  Her sense of humor, but also her zest for life, are really apparent within the pages of Songs in the Key of Solomon.  We can’t wait to start reading it!

You can order Songs in the Key of Solomon in almost any bookstore, but I would encourage you to head straight to the author’s website, where they are currently having a summer sale!  Each book is $5, and shipping is really cheap too!  Enjoy!

Going Green: Tranform an old set of drawers

Browsing through Country Living’s July issue, I couldn’t help but fall in love with this great DIY idea of re-using old dresser drawers to make a bookshelf.  As everyone knows, I’m constantly reading, so that means I have a lot of books and that I also do not always have the space for them.

That’s why this idea is so great.  You have an old dresser that you’re not really using, but you hate to part with it, this is a great way to recycle it into something usable, and will also make a great conversation piece.  Directions for the project can be found here.

I don’t have an extra dresser around here right now, but I think if I were doing this project, I would paint the drawers black or dark brown and use a great geometic wallpaper pattern to line the inside.  This would be a great idea for a child’s room too!  You could use pastel paint for girls and bold prime colors for boys.  Again, what makes this so great is that creativity really does go a long way here, and you can make it absolutely your own!

Favor Idea: Country-Inspired Honey Jars

In the spirit of country weddings (since that was Brantley and Virginia’s theme) I spent some time this morning looking up some favor ideas.  There are a lot of cute ideas out there, but I think the idea of giving honey jars as favors is one of the cutest.

I found this great website, Buck Hollow Apiary, that offers really cute honey jar favors, ranging in price from $2.50 to $5.00.  A more simple design can be found here at Beau Coup for 2.65 a piece.  Prices also go down as you order larger quantities.

For the true budget bride, if you don’t mind doing the work of assembling these cute favors yourself, you can order the pieces separately and assemble them.   These wonderful jars are available at Fillmore Container.  At 1.5 oz., they are the perfect size for any favor, whether you want to put honey or some other delicious treat inside.  160 jars are included in the case, and the case is $23.55.  Lids must be purchased separately.

A variety of jars are available from this website.  When ordering, make sure that you know what type of lid goes with the jar of your choice.   If you don’t like the jars on this website, do a Google Shopping search for honey or mason jars.

To assemble the rest of the favor, customize it to your liking.  Add some twine, or buy printable labels that you can customize yourself.  The possibilities are endless!