Could we get a drum roll, please???

Yes, as promised, the giveaway is now officially decided.......I ceremoniously made slips of paper with everyone's name on them.....ok, this is small town giveaway, I realize.....didn't really need a random number generator for this one..........so several of you had several entries based on the number of comments you've left over the past week. Some of you have some really interesting projects and plans going on......number one seems to be decorating, but some of you are generously giving to others....I applaud you for that. I hope your Thanksgiving was a blessing and your time was enjoyed. Right now I have the dining room COVERED with all the fall decor to be put away today.....and yes, I am realizing that some of you have me put under the proverbial table since your holiday decor is likely finished. But I will begin mine today. The tree won't go up until next weekend as we get a fresh one, and usually enjoy it about two and a half weeks.......

anyhoo, let's get on with the giveaway, shall we?????

And the winner is PUG1!!!! If you will send me your mailing info, I will gladly send it to you so you can enjoy a moment or more of relaxation! Enjoy the magazine, the book, the mug and teas, the magnetic list pad, and the notecards......maybe a few more little surprises!!!!

And later on I will be posting on a RE-DO of a faux arrangement that lives in my den. It had magnolias that were not real, of course that were getting way too yellowed looking....and needed to go! Remember the Hobby Lobby visit I posted about last week......well, I bought things at 50% off to enliven (if you can do that with a faux arrangement!) this basket in my den. I'll be back with pics later to show you what I re-created......see you soon!!!

Black Friday........

I slept in and upon awaking thought about all the shoppers that had been at it for hours already......hmmmm, not me. I actually bought a Christmas gift last night online, so I was a step ahead already. I really don't have that much shopping left to do. It can be relaxing on a morning when there are not a gazillion and one thousand folks trying to rake in the deals. Deals, schmeals...they are not worth fighting the parking lots, and the claustrophobic feeling I get by trying to squeeze through to the checkout lines, which are miles long. There will be other deals and I'll be a happier camper!



So it's Black Friday, and I have a giveaway to pay attention to.....I am going to post the rest of the giveaway, and then YOUR job is to comment once again, and get other friends to comment, sort of like a vote for you, but don't tell them. Their comments get you additional entries, don't you know! If they are good friends, then they won't mind!! ;)

So here's the last of the giveaway....remember so far, there is a Holiday Crafts magazine, a book by Debbie Macomber entitled A Good Yarn and .......those yummy tea bags....are you sensing a theme here?


Well, in case it's not obvious to you, and I'm sorry I cannot send the comfy chair and ottoman with this giveaway........the idea is for you to find a free hour or so and RELAX.......the magazine for inspiration (that's my game!), the book for enjoyment along with a mug of tea......and because you are going to think of ( a million) things you need to do while sitting there enjoying, a magnetic list pad to write them on, so you don't have to jump up and pay attention to them right then, and a pack of note cards to let a friend know you were thinking of them. Oh, I guess you'll be needing a pen, won't you??? (I am easily distracted.......) This is NOT to be confused with Christmas cards, which can cause undue stress if you're like me.....it's for a thoughtful note to encourage a friend, that's all. Or to thank someone for something they've done for you, or meant to you....you know something that brings a smile to your face and a warm fuzzy to your heart......absolutely NO stress involved in your hour, ok???? So enjoy, and I'll be posting tonight or tomorrow morning, depending on when my dinner guests depart! ;) Have a great Black Friday! I hope it's stress free!!!

Happy Thanksgiving......

Well, I cooked all morning long and we enjoyed a delightful meal with just the four of us. We missed my son and daughter in law, but it was a sweet time to be with the other two children. They are nearly grown, and pleasant company! We had a turkey breast I cooked in the crock pot, which frees up the single oven for the many dishes that require the oven! It can be difficult to juggle a holiday meal with only a single oven! Along with the turkey, I prepared a Bacon & Pecan Dressing, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes and gravy, carrot souffle, and the jello salad, which wasn't ready by the time we got the meal on the table! I thought it would take until about 2:00 to get everything prepared, but was pleasantly surprised to be finished right about lunch time......oh, but no Strawberry Pretzel Salad to go with the meal. We just had cranberry sauce instead.....and even though it wasn't perfect, it was delicious and enjoyable. Oh and now there's room for Carrot Cake (hubby's fav) or Pumpkin Pie, requested by my son. The third pie didn't get made either, but there's always tomorrow for that! Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day my friends!!!

A wish and a prayer and a delayed giveaway.....

I wish you a grand day tomorrow, and I pray you will find many things for which to be thankful! I know I can and do. I wish for you a meal that is a blessing and I pray that you are covered in blessings, knowing that you are well cared for and loved, and provided for.

I'm also a little overdue in my giveaway....I promised to have the giveaway on YESTERDAY.....where DID the last two days go???? But I've decided to make this a black Friday giveaway, as I'll be HOME rather than out with the many shopping, and I'll have plenty of time to post the last item, and draw the winner by the end of the day. The only requirement is to post a comment about what holiday projects/plans you have going on.....and if you refer someone, which I hope you will do!, have them tell me you referred them, and you get an extra chance to win! I'll try to post the last few items of the giveaway tomorrow evening, when I'm pooped from stuffing the family (I don't stuff the bird, wink!) and then I'll draw on Friday evening.

Most of all, I wish you a blessed Thanksgiving Day in whatever you are doing. Perfection is overrated, so just enjoy what comes your way!

To inspire....a new item in the giveaway

So ya'll are not telling your friends to come over and register for the giveaway.........the visitors are NOT coming in droves! LOL.....perhaps I should be giving away an extreme home makeover or something more exciting?????

So the next little item in the giveaway may just give away the theme....but here it is. Remember to tell your loved ones and friends to come on over and join in the fun. Have them tell me you sent them so I can enter you a bunch more times than them and you win......um, well, sort of.

I do want to meet new friends so maybe I shouldn't be making such promises!!! ;)

So here's the next item in the giveaway....a little refreshment to add to your cuppa......

the second item in the giveaway!

I'll be adding a second item to the giveaway and a third tomorrow....by the time you see the items, you may see the theme to this giveaway. Until then, I'm just showing you an item at a time.....gotta love a little suspense, huh? So without further adieu, here's the second item:

It's a good story and it's about creative women like most of you........easy read, so the winner will hopefully enjoy it!

Tell one, tell all.....come sign up for the giveaway........remember to have them refer to you and to one goal/project for the upcoming holidays.

See you tomorrow!

What's NOT to love about a giveaway????

And there are several going on right now.......
Here's ONE--over at TipJunkie

And one over at The Robin's Nest!

And then I've been thinking of doing one, too, so send all your crafty friends over to sign up......and tell me one thing they've made or plan to make for Christmas.....crafts, food, or just making PLANS! ;0

Here's what I am giving away!!! This is the FIRST thing I will give away. I'll draw on the 25th of November, and I'll be adding an item each day, so come back daily to see what else will be in the giveaway, comment each time you visit, and by the 25th, your name will be entered multiple times for this Holiday themed giveaway. If you refer someone over here to come and enter, have them tell me you sent them for an additional entry into the giveaway......stay tuned for more!!!

See you soon! Don't you just love giveaways???

Land Sakes Alive!!!!

* Disclaimer from the get-go....I do love Hobby Lobby. Not so much since I became a SLaHOME consultant, but I still NEED many of the things they have that I don't sell!!*


I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday intending to get some silk flower stems to update an arrangement I have in my den. You know the drill.......new carpet, get things clean and back in the room, and you begin to notice things that could use a little tweaking! So tweaking was on my brain! I got to Hobby Lobby, and lo and behold ALL the fall decorations were 80% off!!! So I found a few little goodies like a great white pumpkin and a cute little apple green one, some gorgeous fall leaves and stems and a little HARVEST sign. A huge bouquet of fall leaves and stems for all less than $20....at 80% off you can imagine/figure out what the regular price would have been!


And since the regular stems were 50% off as well, I got a whole bunch of stems to redo/refresh my den arrangement.....I was in BARGAIN heaven! Wahoo! I'll be sure and show a before/after picture of my refreshed arrangement! Stay tuned!!!
And get yourself over to HL today to score some of the bargains....next Fall you'll be glad you did!

Season of appetizers coming up.....

One really easy recipe that is a good "go to" recipe when you need something quick, easy and delicious is Pepper Jelly Dip or Spread.

It's a good one to fall back on when you need something for a party, when guests drop by, or when you don't feel like slaving over a long drawn-out recipe.

Here it is:

Pepper jelly dip

1 c. sharp cheddar, finely shredded

1 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. chopped green onions, green tops included

Enough mayonaisse to hold it all together in a mound.

Mound ingredients together on a platter, spread with red pepper jelly (I like the one pictured, but there are many other varieties either store bought or homemade), and serve with crackers. My husband actually likes it before I put the jelly on top, so I usually need to double the recipe! It's just so, so good!

Enjoy!

this shelf........

I knew WHAT I wanted, but when I went to Hobby Lobby, they didn't have exactly what I wanted. I knew the approximate length that would work, and I knew the look I wanted. All they had was RED and black......the red was what I wanted only in a beige or off white......SO, ok you can see and already know what I decided to do.......a red shelf CAN be a cream colored shelf, can it not??? So since they were half off (gotta love Hobby Lobby sales), I bought it and a trusty can of antique white spray paint. No primer was used....just several coats of cream colored paint. Then the Rub n Buff that has become our best friend was employed and applied to those lovely embossed areas and VOILA!!! I LOVE my new shelf, don't you????

Make it Happen Monday.....

Do you need to make a list of all the dozens of things you need to accomplish this week? I know I do. Today my goal is to get some packages mailed, go help with the quintuplets, and go to physical therapy for my back. Of course I'll throw in a trip to the post office, and some laundry, and the heating of the soup and cornbread I have prepared for dinner. Ahhhh, how nice to have the meal prepared already for such a busy day! What's on your list of things to do? Let's help one another be accountable for our schedules, shall we????

Making our list and checking it twice......

A Bountiful harvest........I hope you feel life is abundant. I hope that you see all the blessings in your life. I hope the heavy burdens and cares do not choke out the realization that we are so privileged. We are well provided for, and well protected. Many of us have freedoms that are unusual. Many of us have abundance of things-- food, clothing, hobbies/crafts to enjoy, beauty of surroundings that inspire us. Many of us are blessed by our blogging friends that we've not actually met, but enjoy a relationship with!

Sometimes we just need a little prodding to bring perspective. I know I do. I need a regular reminder that the cares of my world are minimal in comparison to the plight of others. Many struggle with health, with depression, with the burden of the fear of the unknown. But I pray that YOU will know the ONE who holds the future, that YOU will be able to rely on HIM, and that you will enjoy the abundant life that only HE offers. Have a blessed, abundantly wonderful day!

I did it....I did it....but I didn't do it!

Whew! I did it! I got thru my Open House and Sample Sale. I did pretty well, but I found out I was competing with the Nutcracker Market in Houston....well, like I could really compete! It was scheduled to start the same day as my Open House, and I didn't know it. So no doubt, I lost some of my friends/customers to that. I had a reasonably good turnout, but last year had been bigger. And I was disappointed that my good friend Barbara, who is my right hand girl every year, helping me run the kitchen part of the Open House was not going to be able to attend....she has workers at her house taking down wallpaper and painting.......oh, we should have coordinated and had that same thing going on at the SAME time, since mine was being done just two weeks ago! So I was on my own. I limped along ok, but I sure missed her, her companionship and her help!

So needless to say, I didn't think about taking pictures until later in the day when things slowed down.........I took a few, but none when I had just gotten everything out on the table. The pictures you see, like the cornucopia, are after everyone had eaten. The cornucopia was a lot more abundant when I first started the day!!!

It wasn't exactly like I wanted it to be, but it worked out fine. Next year will be better!

Thanks for all your good thoughts and encouragement. I so appreciate it!

Let's see if I can tell you some of the things I fixed.......For sweets, I had Chubby Hubby cookies, Pretzels & Choc. Raspberry dip, Creamy Pumpkin Dip served with gingersnaps, Oatmeal Cranberry cookies, several quick breads, some of which were purchased and a lemon one that I made. For savory things, we had Marinated cheese, Chicken Salad sandwiches, Cheddar dip with Hot Pepper Jelly on top (YUM!, and I will share the recipe!) and some of those Deli Spirals from Sam's.......I'm sure I'm leaving off a few things, but this is the jest of it. It's always a hit. I served Coffee, with flavored creamers, OJ, and Iced tea, a blend of black tea and constant comment. It was a nice day! Wish all my blogger friends could have attended!

The little engine that could.....

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can be ready!!!!

.....I've been absent because I'm preparing for my annual Southern Living at HOME Open House and Sample sale......I simply cannot keep ALL the lovelies that I would like to. I'd really need a separate house to store it all in if I did. So since I'm not moving out, and we're not building another house right now, I share with my friends and customers good deals on some of the things I'm getting rid of. You're all invited, you know. There will be some goodies to taste and some bargains to be had, and of course some laughter and conversation. Wouldn't it be a fabulous blogger party???

I'll tell you my menu when it's all finished, and perhaps I'll even snap a few pictures to share. I do promise to show off my new kitchen when this is all over, too. So I'm off to run the vacuum, dust the stuff (do you KNOW how much dust is around after a remodel????OH LANDS SAKES ALIVE!) and cook a few goodies. I don't know if my family will get dinner tonight, but I'll have Chubby Hubby cookies waiting! I'll share THAT recipe, too.....oh my goodness! Have a blessed Wednesday!

Right place, right time....

Have you ever been in a position where you felt like you were just in the right circumstances at just the right time??? I know that God is in total control and uses ordinary means to bring about things........so I feel like sometimes God uses us to bring things to light/ to bring the right aid needed or the right word spoken. Perhaps when I tell you the two incidents that come to my mind, and I have been thinking about recently, you, too will remember an incident that spurred you to think you were in the right place at the RIGHT time.

One Sunday evening, about ten years ago, I was going for a quick walk around my neighborhood. It was a cool, crisp evening, and as I passed a house to my left, I glanced up into the driveway and saw flames. It quickly caught my eye, to survey whether they were grilling or burning something, but NO!, it was the back of their garage going up in flames. I quickly ran to the front door, and the best I can remember, I said to them...."do you know you have a fire in the back of your house???"...they did not, and I suggested that if they give me the keys of their car, that I would move one of the ones in the driveway out to the street to protect it, which I did. At that point, I didn't know them, and they were scurrying around doing things, so I left, going back to my walk. They didn't know who I was, but because I was in the right place at the right time, perhaps their home was spared.

The second incident I remember was once as I came out of the school where our church has held its services for the past several years (we are about to have our own building, YAY!) there was a young woman sitting in her sporty little car. I saw her talking on her cell phone, and all of a sudden she begins to cry, to wail, "oh, no, oh my God, no...." So I looked around and there was no one else around so I went to the door, and she handed me her cell phone......the man on the other end, was a policeman or patrolman calling to tell her that her parents had been killed in a car accident! I felt so much compassion for her. We talked a bit, and she said she had been on her way to have lunch with her friends, and pulled over to take the call. I felt the best thing to do for her was to help her get to her friends who could help her sort things out and begin to do what she needed to do. So I drove her car for her, over to the place where her friends were, and that was the last time I saw her. Come to find out, she had worked for a friend in our church at one time, and he called to check on her. It was just another incident where I felt that God had put me to help someone.

So how about you? Do you have a right time, right place story?????

We never know how God will use it wherever we are, do we?

A peek at the granite and backsplash....

Just after Tom finished the backsplash I couldn't wait to get the camera! Of course, this is brand new, pristine and without ANY of the accoutrements it takes to run a kitchen. This is why model homes look so great....no one LIVES there or cooks there! So I thought I'd give you a peek before I put everything back in.There are some funny shadows going on from the late afternoon sun, so that's what you're seeing..... Isn't it lovely?

A peek at the top of the cabinets....

As you know the kitchen in my house has been undergoing a few changes since Ike's visit. I am happy to say we are almost completely done! The backsplash was completed yesterday. Today I thought I would show you the fruit of my work re-doing the tops of the cabinets. What used to be up there just didn't seem to go in the NEW kitchen. So even though it took me TWO whole days to get it to that "ahhhh" completed feeling, I finally can say that it is finished. Of course the word finished in my mind means "until I decide to tweak it just a little more"......oh, but you know what I mean! I know you bloggers are crafty, creative people who like me, are Tweakers.
Anyway, enjoy the view, and I'll be back
with some views of the countertops
and backsplash, and the rest of the RE-DO.
Have a great Wednesday and relish the fact that
there are no more political ads bombarding your day!

THE cutest thing I've seen in some time.....

Some of you know I have a friend who delivered quintuplets in June.....and has been back home in our area since late August. I was volunteering at least once a week, sometimes twice to help with their feeding and care. Well, the hurricane hit, and then my daughter and I went thru some sickness that we certainly didn't want to share with them, and THEN my house was being repaired, so I've been unable to go over to volunteer. I've been missing these babies and their mamma! Today I got a chance to help a little today, and I cannot believe how much they've grown. I cannot believe how much I enjoyed seeing them and being part of taking care of them. I realize just what a blessing they've been in my life. So hopefully I'll be back on the volunteer rotation starting next week. How can one NOT love this little bunch??????

Bless the Lord....

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!

Have a blessed Sunday!

Birthplace scrapbook......

I decided the other day to search for some pictures of my birthplace.....Natchez, MS. Of course there are many on the internet because Natchez is famous for their antebellum homes and the Spring Pilgrimage, and the lovely scenery it provides to tourists. So did I ever find pictures! I've always said I want to go home and be a tourist, because one never fully takes advantage of hometown things like a visitor does. I've had a few tours of homes, been to the Pilgrimage a few times in my life, but now that I'm an adult (and yes, have been so for quite some time now, thankyouverymuch!) I feel like it would mean so much more to me now. Wouldn't you agree?

So in my search, I decided to make my own little scrapbook of Natchez, my birthplace. I have so many memories that my children don't really even know about. I want to share this with them. And yes, that is a sign of my advancing age, isn't it? One begins to think about geneaology, old memories, old stomping grounds, people that influenced your life, etc.......when one realizes you are getting older! At least I've HEARD that (wink, wink!)

So I thought I'd share a few pics with you and will bring some more later. Natchez, my birthplace. It's a great place to visit if you've never been.

What about YOUR birthplace???