A WINNER!

I got back last night. What a beautiful city Savannah is. I haven't had time to get my thoughts together. But, as promised, I wanted to take care of the giveaway.  

Thanks to everyone who left kind words. Congratulations, Deb (Ladybug From Texas). Random Integer Generator pulled your number up. So you have won the countertop recipe flipbook that came back with me. Email me your address, and I will get it in the mail pronto!!

Pictures and some stories later.........

Savannah and a Giveaway!

Marilyn, two friends, and I are headed out this morning! I have wanted to tour Savannah now for several years, and I am so excited that I will finally get to see it. We fly out bright and early (6:55 a.m.) and will come home Monday night. We have 7 days of "stuff" lined up to do in 4-5 days. We will be staying in a row house similar to these.

While I am away, I will be hosting a giveaway for a surprise gift I'll be bringing home. Just leave me a comment. The giveaway will close Monday night, November 22, and the winner will be announced on Tuesday.

The Weekend and a Winner

This was a fun, busy weekend. It included a trip to Canton's First Monday Trades Day on Friday and "Christmas in Cowtown" in Fort Worth on Saturday. I am pumped.  I've got lots of new ideas for "Crafting Camp" coming up later this month.

Then yesterday we went to church and had fun time with the family.

And now.....

The winner of the "Pink, Brown and Blingie" giveaway is # 18........ Brenda (a Texas gal). Congratulations and email me; I'll get your package to you ASAP!

Have a great Monday!

How To Get A Day Off 

(And a Giveaway Reminder)

 
I urgently needed a few days off work, but, I knew the Boss would not allow me to take leave.
 
I thought that maybe if I acted 'Weird' then he would tell me to take a few days off.
 
So I hung upside-down on the ceiling and made funny noises.
 
My co-worker (who's blonde) asked me what I was doing.
 
I told her that I was pretending to be a light bulb so that the Boss might think I was 'Losing It' and give me a few days off.
 
A few minutes later the Boss came into the office and asked, 'What for Pete's sake are you doing?'
 
I told him I was a light bulb.
 
He said, 'You are clearly stressed out.'

Go home and recuperate for a couple of days.'

I jumped down and walked out of the office...
 
When my co-worker (the blonde) followed me, the Boss asked her, '..And where do you think you're going?!'

(You're gonna love this....)

 She said, "I'm going home, too.  I can't work in the dark."

P.S. I have many blonde friends! This was in no way meant to offend anyone. Just wanted to give you a good laugh this Friday morning.

You still have time to get in on my giveaway. Enter here!

Two Mailbox Surprises Yesterday

First.....I received two books from Linda at Mocha with Linda. I can't wait to start them.

Second...We received a thank you card. Not so out of the ordinary (well, maybe it is....). Except this was from a young couple that we had as July 4th guests. She had written a sweet note letting us know how much they had enjoyed the family, food, and fun during the holiday weekend. Very thoughtful.

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Full of WOWS 

I'm back! We had a great time touring many areas of New England. All I can say is "WOW."

Day 1

We arrived in Boston by noon. After we were settled into our room, Marilyn was in charge of getting us to MBTA station so we could get to Boston Commons as quickly as possible. There we took a guided tour with a character of the times to walk the "Freedom Trail." It is a 2.5 mile red-brick walking trail that leads you to 16 nationally significant historic sites. It is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond. It included the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, King's Chapel, Old South Meeting House and the site of the first public school in America.

We also had our first taste of local seafood at Legal Sea Foods as well as our first glimpse of the beautiful harbor. WOW!

And now a big WOW to Shelly!

My winner of the Red, White and Blue giveaway is Shelly over at "Lush." I just couldn't believe it this morning when random generator picked her number. Here's what she had said: "Seems to me everyone is ALL AMERICAN! WOW, I love the patriotism and tradition! I would serve up a batch of "GRATEFULNESS" for all who fought for our freedom and for the mother's/wives who sacraficed their son/daughter/husband/wife for the sake of all of us to even join in such a fun and wonderful contest! God Bless You for gearing up everyone's excitement to celebrate this great country!"

Shelly email me your mailing information.

A Quick Chat and Giveaway!

Just wanted to say "Hi" to everyone. We are having a great time. I had hoped to throw out some photos along the way, but our days begin early and end late. Tonight we arrived in Hyannis and will be ferrying over to Nantucket early tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to catching up with everyone soon.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE!

Red, White, and Blue Giveaway

By the time you have read this,  I will have left on a trip that will be taking us to some historical sites up in the New England area. It's been interesting reading up on names, dates, locations, and historical events that led up to our independence as a nation. Of course, I'll be taking plenty of photos. I hope to share a few with you along the way.

Anyway, as I was meandering through a store recently, this cute red, white, and blue stuff just screamed out at me and jumped in my basket. So...... I am sending it to one of you.

Included: paper plates, napkins, a cute little kitchen towel, two spools of ribbon, and even a 12 ft. flag banner. This should be just enough to kick start your own July 4th party! Yes, it's early, but it will be here before we know it.

Just leave a comment here and tell me something you would like to serve on the cute plates. The winner will be announced June 9!

Entertaining Made Easy

Woohoo! I just won Suzanne's giveaway. It's a great entertaining bucket. You ice down your beverages and then the handy tray keeps all the condensation off the table or counter. This jewel will be out and ready to grab at all times.

Thank you, Suzanne!

Suzanne is a consultant for SLaHOME (soon to be "willow house" I believe). Her blog is such an inspiration. Hop over when you get a chance and say "hello."

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Ok, I'm headed to do my civic duty this morning. Recently got that little dreaded jury duty notice in the mail. Guess I shouldn't have said "dreaded," huh?

Isn't it great to get something "special" in the mail?

No, not talking about something marked IRS or your tax statements. But a real something you can get excited about. That's the great thing about giveaways. Sometimes we get to be the sender, and other times, if we are so lucky, we might just get to be on the other end.

Well, I just got something special from a blogging friend of mine. I won Thena's Super Bowl party package! I'm all set after going through everything. I have plates, napkins, and even a table runner. As you can see, she also included a very nice football chip and dip tray. Then to make it even a "hotter" deal, she threw in some Old El Paso peppers. What more could we need to prompt us to have a Super Bowl Party? Yes, we will be sad our Dallas Cowboys fell out! But the excitement can still be there. So bring it on; let's party!

Check out Marla's great giveaway over at Always Nesting!

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I don't usually do the "tagging" thing. But recently Tara at New Day New Seasons tagged me. Since she's also a "Season" lady, I decided to play. It was an easy one. I was to look in the fourth picture folder and find the fourth picture. So....this is it. I took this a couple of years ago while on a ladies' trip to San Diego. We had a great time!

A Big "Thank You"

Thena had a giveaway recently, and I won 50 custom cards from Uprinting.com. It was so easy to upload pictures and complete the order. Shipping is usually done within 24 hrs. of the proofing. Pretty easy, huh?

Thanks again, Thena!

Taking Care of Business

First, I'm participating again in Keelie's TWOC. She did a great job detailing Christmas foods around our place. (We always have the traditional meal on Christmas Eve.)

I'm going to share several recipes for some old favorites of my mom and mother-in-law on our family recipe blog Pass Your Plate. Head on over there and be sure to follow along if you're a fan of good southern cookin'! These are going to be salads although they sort of taste like dessert!

Also wanted to mention that I enjoy getting in the kitchen and doing alot of baking this time of the year. Obviously, my last giveaway was all about desserts! I've already started trying the posted favorites of some of you fine ladies!

Here's my slab of  Cranberry Crunch Bark (Amy's) I just made. Yum cranberries and almonds!

I could eat the whole slab!!!

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Traveling Longhorns (Red Hen) passed this cute little thing on over to me. She remembered my bathroom redo and wanted me to have it to go along with the room. Thank you!

Here are the rules of this award: Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
Pass the award to bloggers who like to smile and/or laugh. Hey to my readers this morning, would you like it, too? Then grab it.

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Thena at Patiently Waiting passed this precious award to me. Although I have been slow to get it out here, I am appreciative of her kind thoughts.

As it has been passed along to me, here are the rules of the "One Lovely Blog" award:

1. Accept the award.

2. Post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

3. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award. So I'm just taking the easy out...I am passing it on to any of my readers who need a little "pick me up" this morning. All of your blogs are awesome!

Ok........I think I'm caught up!! Have a great day! We've got the umbrellas back out--more rain today.

White Chip Pumpkin Spice Cake

This cake recipe from "Very Best Baking" is so perfect for Fall and is so yummy delicious. Did I mention easy, too? It's just perfect for any occasion this time of the year! I'm so impressed with it I want to link it up to my own giveaway. Is that against "giveaway rules" around here?

1 pkg spice cake mix
3 large eggs
1 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
2/3 cup Evaporated Milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup White Chocolate Chip Morsels
White Chip Glaze (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour bundt pan.
Combine cake mix, eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, and vegetable oil in large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until moist. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes; stir in white chips and pour into bundt pan.
Bake 40-45 minutes . Cool in pan on wire rack for 25 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Pour half of glaze on cooled cake; serve with remaining glaze.
White Chip Cinnamon Glaze:
Heat 3 Tablespoons Evaporated Milk in small sauce pan and heat over medium just to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1 cup white chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

ENDS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 AT 10:00 PM

When Life Gives You Scraps..............

Not sure whether you will think I've lost it or not!  I'll chance it! 

The flowered material was an old dress of days gone by. The yellow fabric was scraps of an old pillow case. 

Put the two together with just a few straight seams with the cute little.............

And WAALAA. I had an apron!

I was sort of proud of my first attempt. Hopefully, when I hook it up to the great sites below, they won't suggest I not come back! Keep your fingers crossed for me. I was sort of thinking about my second giveaway. I have lots of scraps and other patterns. Hmmmm....

P.S. Don't forget to share a favorite dessert recipe with us HERE. (You can make it an easy post, too, by just getting that good one out of your archives.) This 2010 Pillsbury Calendar along with other goodies just may be yours!

Oh dear friends, keep these wonderful recipes coming. You actually have until Friday, October 23, to get one. So that' s a whole week from now to dig in the recipe box or through the archives to find that one you want to share! Keep them coming. I'm stocking up on sugar and flour!

So for the details ....................scroll down!

Ok.....Fall is here! I know we have all started to think holidays--Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! There are great ideas and giveaways popping up everywhere. As promised, I've got another couple of them myself.

I wanted to make these two giveaways easy, fun, and useful. For any of you that know me just a little, I thoroughly enjoy food and baking! Thus, the birth of the first of two back-to-back giveaways.

Here's what the winner of this giveaway will receive!

A "Pillsbury Dessert Recipes"16-month 2010 calendar

A Fall Notebook/Journal

Homemade Salsa and Jelly (made by ME!!)

So.....To enter, do your own post about one of your favorite recipes for a fall or holiday dessert!! Might be a cake, candy, bars, pie, or cookies. Basically anything that has sugar in it works for me!! Then just come back here and hook up to Mr. MckLinky with me.

Now by entering you not only have a chance to win this gift, but you get to see each other's favorite desserts right here. Think of how many you can browse through when you want to try something different.

And the second way to get an extra entry is to just send someone else over for the contest. The more the merrier! You'll get credit for how many you send. Just tell them to mention your name.

Giveaway Time!

Ok.....Fall is here! I know we have all started to think holidays--Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! There are great ideas and giveaways popping up everywhere. As promised, I've got another couple of them myself.

I wanted to make these two giveaways easy, fun, and useful. For any of you that know me just a little, I thoroughly enjoy food and baking! Thus, the birth of the first of two back-to-back giveaways.

Here's what the winner of this giveaway will receive!

A "Pillsbury Dessert Recipes"16-month 2010 calendar

A Fall Notebook/Journal

Homemade Salsa and Jelly (made by ME!!)

So.....To enter, do your own post about one of your favorite recipes for a fall or holiday dessert!! Might be a cake, candy, bars, pie, or cookies. Basically anything that has sugar in it works for me!! Then just come back here and hook up to Mr. MckLinky with me.

Now by entering you not only have a chance to win this gift, but you get to see each other's favorite desserts right here. Think of how many you can browse through when you want to try something different.

And the second way to get an extra entry is to just send someone else over for the contest. The more the merrier! You'll get credit for how many you send. Just tell them to mention your name.

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I'm hooking up with DIY Show Off. I'm going to link up a recent bathroom redo. It went from yellowed wallpaper (ugh!) to some lightly applied texture, paint job, animal print, and feathers.

I am certainly enjoying the new look! Check it out!

Cheesecake Bars and HO HO HO!

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

(Martha Stewart)

FOR THE CRUST
20 chocolate wafer cookies, (half a 9-ounce package)
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING
2 packages bar cream cheese, (8 ounces each)
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.

In a food processor, blend cookies with sugar until finely ground (you should have about 1 cup crumbs); add butter, and pulse until moistened. Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and press gently into bottom. Bake until fragrant and slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, flour, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; process until combined. Set aside.

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted. Add 1 cup pumpkin mixture; stir to combine. Set aside.

Pour remaining pumpkin mixture into prepared pan. Drop dollops of chocolate mixture onto pumpkin mixture; swirl. Bake until cheesecake is set but jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes.

Cool in pan. Cover; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Using overhang, transfer cake to work surface. With a knife dipped in water, cut into 16 squares. Serve.

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I am participating in Keelie's TWOC. Here's my very, very general list of things I will enjoy during the holidays. (Obviously, some of these could be broken down into more detailed "lists" and probably will be in the near future!)

Decorate the house
Bake goodies
Make Christmas crafts with the family
Go to church Christmas programs
Watch hub put out the yard stuff
Enjoy fires in the fireplace
Be out and about in town (no pressure--shopping will hopefully be complete)
Buy last minute stocking stuffers
Have family meals
Listen to Christmas music
Watch Christmas chick flicks

And the Winner of.......

is Brooke @ Keeping Up with Hunter. 

Congratulations, Brooke! (Be sure and hop over to visit her.) I've had a great time and as always wish everyone could have won. Be sure and get in on the fun of all the giveaways of our blogging friends 'cause you  just never know! You might be the lucky one some day. Don't forget about Keelie's giveaways, and I can promise I'll be having a couple more REAL soon!

HEY, YA'LL!

My friend, Thena, at Patiently Waiting was hosting a great giveaway. It was just announced that I am the winner of her Paula Deen cookbook. How awesome is that! Thank you so much, Thena! You should hop over to her blog when you get a chance. She's a wife, mother, nana, and faithful follower. And my goodness, she's just got to be the sweetest thing--she grew up in Savannah!

And speaking of surprises...... tonight, I will close my own giveaway so that I can in turn surprise someone else. It's such a delight to give and receive! 

So last call for anyone to get in on the GIVEAWAY.  Good luck and "Best Dishes!" (Just couldn't help myself.)

Have a great day!