My First Award!

How exciting is this....my first award!!! This was the perfect gift to receive after a hectic weekend with the out of town family! A great big thank you to Red Heads Craft More Fun!

The rules for accepting this award are:
1.Thank (and link to) the person that gave you the award
2.Pass this award on to 15 bloggers you've recently discovered & whom you think are fantastic
3.Contact said Blogs to let them know they've won
4.State 7 Things about yourself!

I have found so many intriguing, exciting and wonderful blogs that it's difficult to narrow this down to 15, but I must, so here are my winners of the Beautiful Blogger Award:

1. 504 Main

2. Vintage Bella Studio

3. V & Co.

4. Magically Ordinary

5. The Little Green Bean

6. Grosgrain

7. Out of the Notebook and into the Blog

8. Crafty Sisters

9. Jenny Matlock

10. Diana's Place

11. Crafty Schemes

12. Knit One Max Too

13. Lona de Anna

14. Mary Janes and Galoshes

15. Stone Creek Market

And last but not least, 7 things about myself:

1. I recently celebrated my 19th wedding anniversary!!

2. I play the harp.

3. I love to travel.

4. My cat and dog have me wrapped around their paws.

5. I am left-handed, and recently learned left-handed people have shorter lives, YIKES!

6. I love Peanut M & M's

7. I love the color green

Wild, and Wacky Weekend!

Today is the beginning of a crazy weekend. At noon my daugther and I are meeting my sister, husband and 4 kids at the Mall of America, they will be here for the weekend. My parents are coming tonight, possibly with my grandparents as well! Tomorrow we are going to an indoor waterpark, then coming home to 6 more guests and finally having my daughter's 15th birthday party. They all leave Sunday afternoon! By then I'll be too pooped to party!

I was going to post a tutorial, but between baking and cleaning I ran out of time...next week I'll have it posted as well as my book giveaway!

Now...it's time to decorate the cake!

Friday Blog Hop!

Happy Friday....today is Blog Hop Day...find great new blogs and meet even greater people! I have found so many awesome blogs this way! To join the blog hop and Friday Follow, enter your linky below!






And another linky for you to join!

Holey Donuts Teaser!

"Does the word "donut" and "low fat" sound like an oxymoron to you? Certainly a warm, freshly glazed donut isn't health food in anyone's book. But if you're committed to eating right yet salivate at the thought of a donut and a warm cup of coffee, there's still hope. Holey Donuts to the rescue! This unique company offers a stunning variety of mouthwatering donuts that are low in fat without trans fats that make snacking on a donut such an artery clogging experience. Would you believe the average donut from Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Creme has between fifteen and twenty grams of fat? No wonder Holey Donuts is making its mark on the dessert world with its low fat donut selection - donuts which contain only four grams of fat. Plus, it's reassuring to know they're trans fat free. These tasty orbs are also low in calories, averaging between 150 and 200 calories per donut - less than half the calories of a traditional donut."
Kristie Leong M.D.

Word has it that I'll be doing a review soon...and a giveaway??!! mmm, mmm, good, maybe you'll win, watch for more info. mid March! In the meantime, check them out at : http://www.holeydonuts.net/ if you sign up for their newsletter and mention my blog I'll be entered to win $500 for every email address entered!

Eat Your Peas

Do you remember your mom telling you to "eat your peas"? I know I've done the same with my kids, only I told them they were tiny little balls, which made them more fun to eat! How many times do we sound like our mom? How many times do we wish we would have spoken our love but don't?

Last week I was given the opportunity to read and review a wonderful little book called, Eat Your Peas for Daughters, by Cheryl and Mom Karpen. Cheryl has the cutest little storefront in Anoka, MN..if you're in the area stop in and visit her!

Anyway, I just love this little book, it is full of inspirational thoughts and as it says on the cover, "A little wisdom. And a lasting promise" How many times do you have something you'd love to tell your daughter but don't because of the little bird sitting on your shoulder telling your she'll just roll her eyes? It's all in this book full of positive affirmations that you can give her as a gift...a book full of love and promise.

I also received some fun little cards with sayings from the books, just perfect to put into a card, actually, she sells cards too! Or you could slip the cards onto a loved ones' pillow, lunchbox, the ideas are endless!

Cheryl sells a whole line of Eat Your Peas books for daugthers, mom's, in-laws, etc. She also has quite a few other wonderful products just calling out to be gifted! You can visit her website at: http://www.gentlyspoken.com/ tell her I sent you!!!

I have not been compensated in for my review, I just love these products!

Thanks, Cheryl...I'll be in to see you soon!

Spring Value Blog Tour!

Secrets
by Robin Jones Gunn

Jessica arrives in a new town with a big secret. Can new friendships survive with untold truths, what will happen when the truth comes out? Jessica's new boss would like to see her leave town and tries to uncover Jessica's secret. Sometimes a small town is not a peaceful as one would like, Jessica learns to dream and finds strength as she learns to deal with her past so she can move forward and have a future.

I enjoyed this book, down to earth and very real, we all have secrets, the difference is what we do with them and how we live with our secret. In Secrets, we learn how our life could be torn apart as well as how we can mend.


Beneath a Southern Sky
by Deborah Raney

Daria Camfield and her husband are in the mission field, when her husband is reported dead, Daria returns home, pregnant and alone. As Daria mourns the loss of her husband she thrives with the birth of her child and as she grows stronger she finds a job and moves forward with her life. Finding love once again, Daria is starting life anew, but what will happen when she receives a telegram stating that her 1st husband is alive?

This is a wonderful, yet heartbreaking story. You can vividly feel the pain that Daria suffers as she is torn between two families and two loves, with each turn of the page you find yourself torn as Daria must be in her decision.

To purchase these books visit http://www.waterbrookmutlnomah.com/

I received these two books from WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House to review. I did not receive compensation for my review.

Vintage Shopping!

For my daughter's birthday I thought it would be fun to go to the 'uptown' area and do some shopping with my sister-in-law! So yesterday we hit the road. We didn't buy much, we went to some vintage clothing stores, but nothing with much more than clothing. I found a great dress but the arm pitts....whew. But isn't my daughter's hat CUTE?

We went to a glorious French Restaurant and no...we didn't eat the entire roll in the photo! And the flower...well, lets just say I thought it was pretty neat, so I bought it, but it is so very LARGE! I'm sure I'll find the perfect use for it!

So, 2 hats, one very large flower, a cute plaid skirt, a funky scarf and a cinnamon roll....all in all we had a successful day just because it was FUN!

Friday Follow

Let's join up and have some Friday Fun! Meet new friends and read some great blogs, join me in Friday Follow!

I just have to share this contest with you!

Do you ever long for that perfectly wonderful piece of jewelry or a beautiful hair accessory that is going to set you apart from the crowd? Look no further, click here for your chance to win this beauty!

Happy Birthday To My Beautiful Daughter!

Today my daughter turned 15...I can't believe it! How time flies...it seems like just yesterday I was changing her diapers and now she's driving...yes, driving. First thing this morning I took her in so she could take her test to receive her Drivers Permit...she passed, she drove home...YIKES, SCARY...I only had one minor lurch of the heart! Babies are fun, I remember crying every time she hit a milestone, then I decided I was being goofy, gave up the crying and have enjoyed every moment. I can't even pick an age that's been my favorite simply because each and every day that you have a child(ren) is special and every age and stage they go through is simply wonderful. The ups are awesome and the downs just make you appreciate the ups a little bit more!

The Cats' Meow

Can you believe our kitten has lost her "Meow"? I mean really, my kids don't lose their voices, my husband doesn't lose his....but the kitten, the one who is the quietest loses her voice. She opens her little mouth to "Meow" and nothing comes out...it's kind of sad, but hey if the rest of my family caught her ailment that would be ok!

Really though, have you ever heard of a cat losing her "Meow"? I'm wondering if she'll get it back or if she'll forever be lurking around corners ready to pounce and scare me half to death without a sound.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my wonderful followers!

Placemat Gift Bag Tutorial

Make a gift bag in under 10 minutes for under $3.00!

(this is my first tutorial so let me know if something doesn't make sense!)

This is a hand made gift bag made from a placemat. Total cost after adding straps and embillishment: $2.50 many time I will buy a cute napkin ring to use as an embellishment, there are many cute ones out there, and you can find some great items on clearance at Kohl's!

You will need: Placemat, embellisment, needles, scissors, ribbon or cording, sewing machine!

I think you could do this by hand as well.

1. Sew up the sides of the placemat, I do a 4/8 in seam

2. Once your sides are sew you form the base by sewing folding the seam you just sewed into a triangle. Lay the bag flat with one corner on the top, open the bag matching the seam you just made with the bottom of the bag. Starting at the tip, run your ruler down to about where it measures 4 inches across, pin and sew across.

3. Sew across the 4 inch line you just formed, don't forget to back space.

4. This is what your bag will look like, do this for both bottom corners.

5. This is what your bag will look like standing up!
6. Next, cut your ribbon or cord for the handles, I cut mine 16 inches long....cut 2

7. Sew the handles onto the purse, approx. 4 inches from the side seam. I like to pin the handle so my seam will line up with the seam already on the placemat from the factory stitching

8. Purse is done, add your flower or other embellishment if you would like!

I would love to see your finished bags if you make one, there are so many different things you could do with these!

Friday Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Friday Blog Hop, a great chance to read new blogs and meet new people....come join in the fun! You never know where you may end up!


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A little knitting quiz

One of my knitting groups posted a quiz, I thought I'd share it with those of you who knit! Take the quiz here

Good luck!

Book Review: Firewall

This is the second of the Henning Mankell books that my daughter gave me. I think I enjoyed this book more than the first, and the first was very good! The reason I liked this book more was simply because it had more of a diverse plot, it took much longer in the story to learn who the killer was, even then he was in the shadows making you not certain. This story line made me think more deeply and the plot was very realistic.

Dead bodies, power plants and computers all share a common thread in this well-placed thriller. You can see why this is another #1 International Bestseller. Wallander works at his usual pace trying to solve the mysteries, finding that they are linked in some way, but how? As Wallander fights against his co-workers and allegations that could end his career, he unknowingly lets a dangerous force into his life, will he be able to keep another person from being murdered? As the plot unravels you will find yourself deep in the mystery right along with the characters.

Top 10 Reasons to Knit

Kathleen Cubley at Interweave wrote a list of 10 reasons why she loves to knit, I am in total agreement, here it is:

1. It fills my life with color.
2. It encourages my creativity.
3. It keeps my hands busy.
4. It introduces me to new people who share my love for the craft.
5. It loves to travel.
6. It likes the same TV shows that I like.
7. It keeps the same schedule as I do; if I want to knit in the middle of the night, it's there for me.
8. It likes to change bags as much as I do!
9. It challenges me.
10. It keeps me company, even when I'm cranky.

My husband cannot understand how I can knit AND look out the window at the scenery when we go on road trips!

If you haven't visited Interweave online, you should, they offer great patterns a newsletter, and more!

10 Good Things About Winter

Here's my attempt to feel good about the season!

1. Cuddling up next to a warm fire

2. The snow is beautiful
3. The cool air is refreshing after the summer heat....cool? Let's go with frigid!
4. Change of season keeps life interesting
5. Can make a snowman
6. Skiing
7. Snowmobiling
8. Ice Skating
9. 5 long months for wearing sweaters
10. It ends!

Birthday Gifts: the GOOD, the BAD, and the WEIRD

Thought I would share some gifts since we're going through birthdays around here like crazy. My birthday was in December, my husband's and daughter's are this month. We all go through the same thing....what to buy for a gift, we want to be original but yet buy something special, something the recipient is going to love, at least that's what I do when I'm shopping! So here are a few of the gifts:

THE GOOD (for me from Sister-In-Law)

I love this gift, something beautiful that I can use year round!

The kitten loves it too....I just found it laying on the floor, she's been sniffing the flowers, her guilty look was pretty cute. The vase is very well made, not a chip or break after falling onto our hardwood floor!

THE BAD (for husband from his parents)

Grocery Gift Card....Very strange gift for a married man, guess I'll buy him steaks with it! I was impressed, he pulled this off very well, just wondered what his parents were thinking after they left!! At least this is a gift he'll use, not like the weird hat his dad gave him last year!

THE WEIRD (for husband from his sister)

What man doesn't like steak? Very original, and I must admit, good idea!

Blog Tour: John and Stasi Eldgredge

John and Stasi Eldredge write another great book, Wild at Heart was for men, Captivating for women, and now, Love & War for married couples. The authors write with openess and discuss their own marriage, true at heart this book is wonderful because they admit and talk openly about their marriage problems and what they have done to overcome them.

Marriage is not easy, we all know that, but John and Stasi help us learn how to look to God and be able to work through problems. Marriage is real there are going to be ups and downs adn this book will help you grow and work to make sure your marriage is strong, beautiful and full of deep joy. Sometimes we have to fight for what is good in life and Love & War teaches us how to do just that, this is a great book perfect for the upcoming Valentine weekend!

To purchase this book go to:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385529808

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

Rambling Thoughts of a Tired Mom

It's a Friday Mood

It's snowing out.....like crazy, kind of pretty, but I'm tired of winter...at least it's kind of warm. If you think the upper 20's is warm! It's all relative, isn't it? At least it’s pretty and a fresh coat of snow keeps things clean.

Sunday the in-laws are coming....should I clean? I cleaned, now I feel better! White lasagne, salad, some kind of jello thingee, and peanut butter pie are on the menu!

Every time my daughter takes a shower and washes her hair she breaks out in a rash, we've tried 4 different shampoo's nothing seems to help, aargh.

Just carried in a VERY heavy antique claw foot tub and put it in my new bathroom...how exciting is that? Now we just need to put the door on and get it varnished, then guests can use the bathroom instead of going upstairs into the teenage zone! Little things make me so happy!

Why is it that my son cannot sit and learn his algebra without talking in a weird voice and being strange? Whenever we sit down to learn algebra, this week it's fractions and percents, he takes on an alien form.

....and more on math.....ok, so my kids attend a virtual academy, yes, they're SUPPOSED to have teachers, but yet, here I sit, stressed out because I simply cannot help my daughter with her Geometry, and the online lesson simply does not explain. So...she understands the lesson, then gets to the test, what happens.....the test has questions never explained in the lesson. How can you call a virtual teacher...yes he's a real person, and say, "Hey, I'm taking the test, can you help?" Oh...and the test times out....aarrgh!

Can you tell I'm NOT a math person!!!

Book Review: Sidetracked

Sidetracked, by Henning Mankell is a #1 National Bestseller and is now a Masterpiece Mystery Series on PBS!

My daughter gave me 3 of Makell's books and this is the first mystery I have read in a long time! The book begins on a disturbing note, but how many murder mysteries don't? This is a thrilling story, terribly awful, in a good way with a mixture of teenage prostitution rings/slavery, scalpings and axe murders, if you enjoy murder mysteries, you'll love this book!

Set in Sweden, this book takes on a different tone, I have no idea how to pronounce some of the characters names, but when reading a book based in Sweden it makes you realize that regardless our culture, we all face the same problems, thank goodness this is just a story of a greatly disturbed young boy and a stressed out cop, we don't have to lay in bed at night and fear that the story will play itself out in real life, just possibly our dreams!

Can't wait to begin the second book: Firewall!

Let's Have Some Friday Blog Hop Fun!

Drivers Ed

My daughter started Drivers Ed. last night! I'm not sure how I feel about it...happy, sad, a little bit glad....but I'm not going to feel old! At least not until she gets behind the wheel! Really though, it is a bit sad, but it will be nice when I don't have to run around like a chicken with my head cut off to get to events! All I know is that I'm about to become a better driver, all the laws of the road will be fresh on my daughter's mind whenever she gets into the car with me!