Birthdays and visits!

Ben's 25th birthday is two days away, and his parents are flying up that very evening for a weekend-long visit. We're so excited to see them and have our very first visitors up here! I've been busy the past couple of days trying to get things ready for both events.

Yesterday I went to Target to get a few groceries and pick out Ben's gift. I had some things in mind, but completely changed my mind when I saw a particular item(s) on sale. I'm very excited to give him this gift because I think he'll really like it.

Ben's gift, woohoo!

Of course my visit to Target had some mishaps along the way. I got a handheld basket instead of a cart (ALWAYS a mistake, but I never learn!). Every single time I go, I really do sincerely think that I will leave Target with a few small items. So there I was, lugging around the larger than I anticipated gift, a nice basket that for our bathroom (I have been looking at baskets, measuring baskets, thinking about baskets forEVER. And this one is the perfect fit and was also on sale! Now I want a couple more of them.), a flattened mailing box, plus a heavy basket full of stuff. Fun times, but I made it to the check out line in one piece and set most of my stuff down in the floor. Then I waited and waited and eventually got to lug my stuff over to another line. And then found out that my bag of chocolate chips had split open in the bottom of my basket! Luckily, I was able to grab another bag pretty quickly! It was just one of those visits. :-)

Happily, though, I got everything I needed for the gift, for our apartment, and for the CAKE I'm going to make. It's another lovely one from my "Southern Cakes" cookbook. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Today it's a little cloudy and gloomy, and I am working on getting small things in our apartment finished for our visitors. Things like making sure all the rooms have a lamp that will turn on when you flip the switch. And washing towels. And finding places for all of our random stuff! :-)