:: My Favorite Find ::

An Interview With Serena

You know Serena Thompson from The Farm Chicks.  She's starting up a new venture, and has been teasing us about it for months!  Recently, she said she would answer some interview questions from interested parties, and I was intrigued enough to send her some.  Here, she graciously answers all the things I was nosy... I mean... all the things I asked her about. So, sit back and learn a little more about...

Serena, you've kept us on the edge of our seats for months now...  Can you tell us how you came to this new venture? -- and why the long wait for the "reveal?"

   I know!  It's been such a long journey, and I don't like talking about something before it's ready because I know that can be annoying, but I really needed to build some sort of a community of people who were interested, as it's a really interactive site.  I should back up. My Favorite Find is a website, sort of like a virtual show-and-tell.  You can seek, find, and share shoppes and events from around the world, and then show-and-tell your finds for everyone to see.  Nothing like this existed before this, and I saw a huge need for it -- all in one place.  I'm so excited about how much functionality exists within the site.  It's been extremely complex to build, and that's why it's taken so long.

As a "global" venture, it sounds a little (or a lot) different than The Farm Chicks.  What is the most important thing you want us to know about your vision for My Favorite Find?

   I've achieved a lot of success through The Farm Chicks and it was never easy.  I am so proud of the fact that My Favorite Find can help so many small businesses out there, as well as shoppers who want to find what they love - to make it easier for all.  I want for others to have an opportunity to achieve success with what they're doing - their events, their shoppes, whatever it may be.  My Favorite Find will be their opportunity.

What do you hope will be the most valuable part of My Favorite Find to us (as consumers)?

   Imagine you're going on a trip to Sacramento, California, and you want to know if there are any great shoppes to visit.  Or, you want to check out what yard sales, estate sales, and antiques shows are going on and then print out your itinerary and directions --anywhere in the world.  Or maybe you just found the "score of a lifetime" and you want to show it off to others who will share in your excitement?  It will all be possible on My Favorite Find.

Will The Farm Chicks continue (the website, the auction, the on-line store)?

   Yes, The Farm Chicks will continue on, business as usual.  I love what I do!

What are the best ways for friends and fans to follow the progress off My Favorite Find?  (website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or a blog)?

   Well, the best way is to sign up for My Favorite Find (via the website http://myfavoritefind.com  and you'll receive an email allowing you access to the site, once it goes live on Monday, March 19th.  If you want to stay connected via facebook and twitter, you can do that too.

You've given clues that FAMILY is/are involved in My Favorite Find.  Will that be true going forward, or just for the planning stages?  (It must be exciting to team up on a project like this!)

   My family has played a big role in the development of the site.  They're really great to turn to, as they're brutally honest and when something isn't great, they will always say it's not great.  Colin and the boys have tested the site after each stage, and their feedback has been invaluable.  My sister-in-law, Alison, was a part of the focus group as well.

Are there other people that you're collaborating with that we should know about?

   Over the years, I've built a community of other enthusiasts as well as other show producers and small business owners.  I included several of them in my focus group, as I want My Favorite Find to be something that is an asset to them.

"Global" makes it seem like you'll become a world traveler -- or that you have a great team backing you up.  Tell us more.

   I do have an amazing team that has worked with me to build this site.  Like I said earlier, it's been really complex, so they've been key.  The "Global" references are because My Favorite Find is available to anyone, anywhere in the world.  That's really exciting to me.

Serena, it's been great fun "chatting" with you.

I wish you all the best!  ~Sally xoxo

GOING LIVE MONDAY. 

Sign up for your notification/invitation HERE.

A Tip, A Turtle, & Twine

{tip} One of my favorite ways to take pictures of flowers in nature is from the underside - with the sky as the background.  It often makes for an interesting picture.  Sometimes you get a clear blue background.  Other times there may be interesting clouds that add to the beauty of the photo.

{turtle} We had a little surprise visitor at our house today.  Dear Hubby was out mowing, and then poked his head in the door to say, "Does anybody want to see a baby turtle?"  Well, YES!  We went hurrying out to the front yard where said visitor had made his appearance.

He was quite annoyed with us - even jumping from my son's hand at one point!  AND - just so you know, it's a TORTOISE that's slow, NOT a turtle.  This little guy could really move!

ALSO - it pays to look at things from every angle... Check out the pretty color of his bottom shell!  {Hmmmm, are you seeing a theme in this blog?  It's unintended, and I am chuckling to myself as I type this... (clears throat)  Moving right along...}

{twine}

Check this out. (Love it!)

The Twinery caught my eye the other day on the side-bar of Twitter.  I clicked, and I read that they sell 100% cotton, eco-friendly twine that is made in the U.S.A.  Who knew that twine could be so pretty?  This twine comes in colors like Honeydew, Charcoal, and Maraschino -- 11 delicious colors in all!  I scanned the screen over and over again, trying to rationalize a purchase.  The Twinery site suggests these uses:  "Wrapping Baked Goods, Product Packaging, Gift Wrapping, Embellishing Stationary & Gift Tags, Party & Wedding Decor, Scrapbooking & Card Making, Embellishing Favor Bags & More!"  How would YOU use it?

ALSO - you can visit The Twinery Blog for ideas, tutorials, projects, pictures, recipes, printables, and more!  They even have their own Flickr group so that people can share photos of creative ways they've used twine!

Recipe: Pizza Rice Salad

(and some giveaway info!)

I haven't shared a recipe in a while, so I thought I would share one that I stumbled across recently, and have been craving ever since.  It's super easy - but nobody in my household especially loves it, so I haven't made it in ages.  I decided to grab all the ingredients on my recent grocery run, and I made it for lunch today (tomorrow, and the next day -- unless somebody joins me!)  I confess to "sampling" it once I had all of the ingredients mixed together.  It was yum-o, but it'll be even yummier after I add that second 1/2 cup of dressing.  Oh my - is it lunch time yet?

  

Pizza Rice Salad - (original recipe from a Minute Rice ad in a magazine)
1.5 cups Original MINUTE Rice
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup sliced pepperoni, halved
1 large tomato, diced
2 cups sliced vegetables (green peppers, mushrooms, ripe olives, green onions)
1 cup Italian salad dressing

• Prepare rice as directed on the package; cool.
• Lightly toss rice with remaining ingredients in large bowl, using only 1/2 cup of the dressing.
• Chill.
• Just before serving, toss with remaining dressing.
• Makes 6 servings or so...

 

No Rules Blog Hop

And now for the giveaway info! 
This giveaway is now over.

                                                                                                                                                                            
Check this out.
(Love it!)
Do you know my friend Cha Cha?  She's got a giveaway going on at her blog "Sit Relax and Read" this week.  Cha Cha just got back from the Woodstock Outdoor Market, where she had a booth. You should see all of her special creations.  Her keychains (which she makes out of silverware) were her biggest seller.  Head on over to her blog, and read the post about her outdoor market experience and her giveaway.  Cha Cha wants to give away a fantabulous keychain to one lucky winner.



You can also head over to Cha Cha's Treasures (Etsy) to check out her Bible Memory Verse Pillows, adorable Rosette Brooches, and other goodies!

{The keychain winner will be announced Sunday on Cha Cha's blog.}

Take a Walk!

The other day, my daughter and I talked about the need to "get moving" this spring.  We decided to hold one another accountable to walk each day.  One mile.  More is okay, but one mile is the commitment.

Then, when it became this gloriously sunny day, I told her that we would go to the 1.2 mile path at church to walk.  Big grin.  That was like a reward for the work we hadn't even done yet!

I decided that I would tell-not-ask my son that he should accompany us.  I think he might have argued - except that it was such a gorgeous day.

When the kids were done with school, we got our act together and headed out the door.  My daughter, I noticed, was collecting things like her iPod.  Whaaaa--aat?  "No iPod!" I said.  "You're really going to make me walk along beside you guys without any conversation?  No."

I think she was a little put out.  Hmmpf.  Me too.

But we went.  We walked.  We talked.  It was great.  We even left our cell-phones in the car!  (Not as hard for me as for my son...)

TODAY, I read "Ways To Show Your Love To Your Children."  The very first idea says, "take a long nature walk together, at their pace, let them lead the conversation."  My suggestion?  DO IT!  Some of the other ideas on this particular list seem geared for little ones, but a walk?  That's perfect for any age.

And trust me.  Even if they are not happy when you are pulling out of the driveway, they'll be happy when you're pulling back in.  In the busy-ness of life, we sometimes forget that we can do something as simple as give someone an hour of our time to make their day a little brighter.

Believe me, I am not naive enough to think that my kids came home and started telling their friends that I made their day brighter.  But, grab the moments.  Take the time.  Maybe it will be your day that gets a little brighter!  I know mine did.

Check this out. (Love it!)
Walk Away the Pounds with Leslie Sansone
Walk in the comfort of your own home, rain or shine!

You Capture: Pink

A Pink "Coral Bells" bud

Easter eggs & a pretty cloth napkin

Pink hyacinth

Pink ears on Mom's traditional Easter Bunny cake

If you're "in the pink," come link up & join the fun!

Check this out. (Love it!)

"God didn't bring me this far to leave me."

Check out this free printable that Crystal at "Little Bit Funky" is sharing!

A Bird Tale

Since we home school at the kitchen table, we are able to do a lot of bird-watching through the sliding glass door, and out into our back yard.

Recently, we noticed black-capped chickadees checking out the birdhouse in the little rose garden next to our patio.  A garden obelisk stands beside the birdhouse, which is perched on a water pipe over our well.  The birds would fly to the obelisk, and one would enter the birdhouse, while the other waited.  Back and forth they would go.  It was so entertaining to watch.  Finally it seemed that their loan had been approved, and they started to move in.

Yesterday, I was out in the garden snapping pictures after the rain, and I heard a soft but quick knocking.  I thought for a moment that my family was playing a little trick on me from inside the house (not that they would do such a thing...) - so I pretended not to notice.  But then curiosity got the best of me.  I soon realized that the knocking was the chickadees -- hard at work inside their house!!

Well, today, the wind tore the house off the water pipe.  I wondered what the birds would do -- if they would return when I righted the house.  I took an old garden chair that we use for display-only in the garden, and sat it right next to the water pipe.  I then placed the birdhouse on the chair, and attached it with fishing line - around, and around, and around.  That house isn't going anywhere.  The chair would blow away first!

Then, it was a waiting game.   But it didn't take long.  I went inside, and was tidying up in the kitchen when I saw one of the chickadees on the obelisk.  Honestly, I just stood there and smiled while he tilted his head back and forth in wonderment.  Then he flew inside.  I say "he."  I'm assuming it was the male checking things out first.  Then came the female.

Next thing I knew there was that soft knocking again.  I'm sure it was the mama, hard at work fixing her toppled nest.  The daddy sat in our lilac bush and waited.  I'm sure she had kicked him out while she fussed.

What have you been taking note of this spring?

Check this out. (Love it!)
Here's a great post by Melissa (from The Inspired Room) about creating a home that reflects our blessings.  Melissa has such great style, and always shares awesome decorating ideas.

After the Rain

Today began with a hard morning rain.

By mid-afternoon, the sun was out, and all of the flowers were rain-soaked.

This is a close-up of teeny tiny flowers on a Brunnera plant

(also known as False Forget-Me-Not).

They are still glistening from the rain.

Check this out. (Love it!)

• Love this cool Easter Subway Art created by Chessa at "Antsi-Pants."  It is easily downloaded, and you can choose from three color combinations.
• And how about this "Amazing Grace" Easter printable from Madigan at "Madigan Made?"  It's subtle yet beautiful.  Again - easily downloaded.

Second Sunday: Dessert

You may have "heard" me mention before that our extended family gathers at my parents' house for lunch every second Sunday.  We've done this for about 18 years.  Typically, my mom provides the yummy meal, but every now and then she asks me or my sister to bring something.  This week, I'm taking dessert -- "Apriscotties" to be exact.

This recipe goes back to my days in high school Home Ec.  Our class was broken down into kitchen-groups, and each group had to prepare a recipe that nobody in the group had ever prepared.  One of our group members found this recipe in a pamphlet (if I'm remembering correctly).  We all enjoyed it.  Sometime after that when I prepared it at home, it was a hit too.  I've been making it ever since.

It's super easy, and you only need 7 ingredients.  I confess to being a little sentimental about this recipe --since it's history {in my family} begins with ME.




Apriscotties

1-3/4 c. quick oats

1 c. flour

1 c. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. almond extract

1/2 c. margarine

1 - 12 oz. jar apricot preserves

Grease and flour a 9" square or round pan.

Stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and almond extract.

Cut in margarine until coarse crumbs form.

Press 3 cups of the mixture into prepared pan.

Spread with preserves, leaving 1/4" margin along sides.

Top with remaining crumbs.

Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!  -- and Happy Second Sunday!

Check this out (Love it!)

I love this YouTube video link that a friend recently shared on Twitter.

It's an older gentleman talking about how he was encouraged by his parents to keep a journal....  Well, just watch.  It's priceless really.  What a legacy he is leaving to his family!

Over At My House ~1

Over at my house, I'm reading Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman.  Up next: Who Do I Lean On? by Neta Jackson.

Over at my house, it's been a productive day.  I got a lot of laundry done -- and some purging.  Simplify is the word of the day.

Over at my house, I'm still wearing sweaters, but looking forward to spring-time, and wearing lighter and brighter clothes.

Over at my house, I'm enjoying this: 

Over at my house, I'm warming up a "goulash" casserole.  I made the recipe a few weeks ago, and it always makes enough for two dinners.  All I had to do today was pull the second one out of the freezer. 

Over at my house, I'm watching the re-run of Oprah's interview with George W. Bush, and thinking what integrity he has, what faith.  Glad I got to see this, as I missed it the first time around -- and I so admire the man!

Over at my house, I'm giving up scrapbooking with my mom tonight in order to take my kids to hear the band Gungor in concert at church.  Looking forward to great worship.

Over at my house, I'm borrowing another great idea from Ali Edwards.

What's happening over at your house?

Check this out. (Love it!)
Kellogg's Share Your Breakfast
Kellogg's says: "We believe in the power of breakfast and its ability to bring out the best in each day. And yet, one in four children live in food-insecure households, making breakfast hard to come by. So when you share your breakfast with us, we’ll help share breakfast with kids in school who might otherwise miss out. Our goal? To help share one million breakfasts by the start of the 2011–2012 school year."

To help, just share a photo OR a description of your breakfast!  How easy is THAT?  You can share as often as you want to help them reach their goal!

Hope Springs Eternal

So, with the rains, the snow has gradually melted away.  The biggest piles still remain, of course.  The air is very cold -- but there is something about being able to see the grass again, and having the sun out that makes you hope for springtime!  Today is that day.  I did a circle around our house and yard, and found these few bits of green.  It's so amazing to me that they are here -- after just being completely covered by snow less than a week ago.  What a mighty God we serve.  How amazing is his creation?  How awesome is it that He shares these bits of green with us long before the due season -- just to give us hope!

Sweet Woodruff ground cover

Daffodils! (and incredibly...weeds!)

Love this bright green mound of moss!

And would you believe -- strawberries!

This time of year is filled with wonder for me.  I love to "follow" all the little buds as they develop, and snap lots of pictures along the way.  One of my favorite things to photograph is flowers.  (You never have to ask them to sit still or smile!)  Start looking for little bits of springtime!  See how they encourage you!  Maybe you've already seen signs.  What have you found at your house?

Check this out. (Love it!)

Speaking of green:  Check out these re-usable canvas gift bags at in2Green.com.  Use them over & over for gift-giving.  Now that's a good idea.  As much as I like a pretty gift, it kills me to think how much I spend on wrappings when they only get torn off and destroyed or disposed of.

Pumpkin Bread

This recipe is from my friend Tammy.  She shared it with me ump-teen years ago, and we've been making it at our house ever since.  The original recipe suggested adding 1/2 c. walnuts and/or 1/2 c. raisins - but those don't really "fly" at our house.  Typically, I make it without the chocolate chips (our addition), but when I feel like dressing it up a bit, I add the chips.  We love it that way as well.  Enjoy!

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking POWDER

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. baking SODA

1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. margarine

2 eggs

1 c. canned pumpkin

1/4 c. milk

1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (if desired)

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, baking soda, and cloves.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together brown sugar and shortening until well combined; beat in eggs.  Add pumpkin and milk; mix well.  Add flour mixture to sugar-pumpkin mixture, mixing well.  (Stir in chocolate chips.)

Turn batter into a greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool thoroughly on a wire rack.

<UPDATE/TIP:  If you want to finish up your can of pumpkin, but don't have the 1 cup needed for this recipe, fill the remainder of the "1 cup" with applesauce!  I've done this a couple times, and it always turns out great! >

I made some Pumpkin Bread this week for my daughter's birthday breakfast!

-AND-

I'm linking up with Mique @ Thirty Handmade Days for her weekly Pity Party,
and with Lori @ Paisley Passions for "Fun with Food Friday."

Check this out. (Love it!)

As I was "touring around" over at Paisley Passions (a new find for me), I found this AMAZING Linky Library with lots and lots of Linky Party Information.  It's a Linky Party Linky Party!  What a concept.  The Linky Parties are organized by day of the week.  There are ALL KINDS of links: crafts, food, photography.  Check it out!

The Best Laid Plans...

...often get messed up, and you have to "settle for" Krispy Kreme!

Wow, that doesn't sound half-bad, does it?

Here's my story (and I'm stickin' to it!)  

On New Year's day, our family set off on an adventure to the local outdoor ice-skating rink.  It had rained earlier in the morning, but the rain had stopped, and the temperature was a balmy 55 degrees.  I was imagining that this would be a perfect day for ice-skating -- NO FROZEN TOES OR FINGERS!  Along the way, we noticed all of the places on our route that were closed for the day.  Of course.  It's a holiday afterall... of course.  I started thinking to myself, "hmmm - I didn't check to see if the rink was open."  I confessed that out loud to my family, and they all did a little eye-rolling.  But, we were on an adventure, and so we forged ahead.  The streets of downtown were, umm, let's just say - deserted.  That should've been our sign.  We turned onto the ice-rink street, and let's just say there were lots of good parking spots.  And then - there was the rink - empty, closed, of course.  What was I thinking, you ask?  I was not.  I'm just an over-eager mom - trying to take advantage of any opportunity for the family to do something together.

Well, my husband is big on adventures.  I love that about him.  You'll laugh at what came next.  He kept on driving to nowhere in particular, and we passed a cemetery.  I said, "Oh, I think that place is the oldest cemetery in the city."  And my husband turned in.  Really.  The next 15 minutes or so was filled with "ooh, look at that one," and "over there!" - as we read dates back to the late 1800's, and names that were familiar to our city.  As we pulled out of the cemetery, I started recognizing names of streets, and realized where we were... close to the only Krispy Kreme store left in town.  Another thing that I love about my husband is that he is good at taking hints, and he loves Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  {Okay, that's two things.}  By then, the kids were catching on, and urging my husband to head to Krispy Kreme -- which he did.  Guess what?  Krispy Kreme is OPEN on New Year's Day.  Bless them.

Warning!  Doughnuts out of focus contain the same amount of calories as doughnuts IN focus!

 "Doughnuts" backwards in neon.

p.s.  It wouldn't have been a good day for ice-skating after all.  On the way home from our abbreviated adventure, it poured.

So, what did YOU do on New Year's Day?

Check this out. (Love it!)

Meadowbrook Farm - a beautiful blog!  I love that Teresa leaves all of her colorful flowers in her header all year long.  Wait until you see all of the gorgeous pictures on her site.  You will want to LIVE at Meadowbrook Farm!  This is eye-candy at it's best.

Choosing JOY

And my word for 2011 is... (drum roll, please)  

J O Y

Do you love words?  I DO.  Through the Christmas 2010 season, the word "JOY" has shown up over and over again in my life.  Most of the time, it was delivered by fellow-bloggers who had great things to say on the subject, things that I really took to heart and tried to apply in my own life.  It showed up in lots of other places too.  It was interesting to see the JOY that was all around me if I was just more aware of it!  I gave a lot of thought to what brings me JOY, and what robs me of JOY.

So, why not carry on with the idea for 2011?  I want to be intentional about the way I live, and the way I react to life around me - and that doesn't just have to be at Christmas-time, right?

In the mean time, I'm looking for something that will be a tangible reminder of my word.  I'm keeping my eyes open, so I'll let you know what I come up with.

Check this out. (Love it!)  
Our Friend, Ali Edwards has another surprise up her sleeve.  Actually, it's no surprise that she has come up with another creative idea.  This one is all about WORDS.  You can read about Ali's idea HERE.

December 17th ~ Random Musings

* I am still rather new to the blog scene, so I was really excited to see a link to my December Daily project HERE.  And, might I add... it is right next to pictures of (gulp) Ali Edwards' pages!

** Do you know Susie Davis...the good news girl?  Today, she shared an awesome photo of "coming home for Christmas," as well as great poetry (on the same subject) by Elizabeth Bowen.  Go take a look.  It will put you in the Christmas spirit, in case you're not already there. 

*** And, just to keep things in perspective during this busy time of year, here is a song that brings me to tears every Christmas.  It may have something to do with that little person's voice - there is nothing like the sound of children singing to Jesus!  Enjoy.

Check this out. (Love it!)
If you follow this blog, you know I admire just about everything that Ali Edwards comes up with.  She is one creative soul, and I love her style.  She has come up with a way to save your Christmas Cards (specifically the photograph ones, but you can add a few other decorative ones for good measure.  Click HERE to see what I mean.

December 13th ~ A "Baked House"

Well, who wouldn't love to come home after a "hard" day to the smell of baking, and dinner being prepared?  Now I know what my husband means when he says, "I love coming home to a baked house!"  On Saturday, I put in a full day of Christmas shopping.  I really got a lot accomplished, and when I got home, I was surprised to smell something baking.  (Well, okay not baking just yet, but rising, and well -- I wasn't really surprised.  My husband loves to bake - and he had the kitchen all to himself while I was gone!)  Anyways...he was on a mission to bake "Pesto Spirals"  - a recipe from Father Dominic - of PBS fame.  This is what came out of the oven.

Yum-my!  Boy, were these ever good!  We had lots of laughs over them, though.  Before my husband opened the pesto, he thought he might add some garlic.  Upon opening the jar, he realized that probably wasn't necessary.  And then while they were baking, we joked that at church on Sunday, they will do an intervention on our behalf and tell us we need to lay off the garlic.  It was THAT strong.  (Excuse me while I flick the icicles off my eyelashes - can you say "airing out the house?")  The finished product, however, was truly wonderful, and not overwhelming at all.

To top it all off, my husband then made dinner: Parmesan Chicken (not to be confused with Chicken Parmesan, my daughter tells me).  Yes, he is that good.


Check this out. (Love it!)

Scrapbook.com commercial & adorable aprons!

Today, I saw the cutest commercial on YouTube.  I'll link you to it in a moment.  But first, I want to tell you to watch for the CUTEST EVER aprons.  I spotted them right away, and thought of my Mom who is a huge apron fan.  Watch the video.  If you love the aprons too, you can come back here and click on the link to scrapbook.com, where you'll find a nice collection of colorful & "flirty" aprons.

Scrapbook.com Commercial 

Flirty Aprons

December 11th ~ A Surprise in My Mailbox!

Everyone loves a surprise, right?  My daughter brought the mail in yesterday, and excitedly asked me if I had "won something else?"  I couldn't think what she might be referring to, but then I realized she held a fat yellow envelope in her hands.  Inside I found this:

There was also a lovely letter from Mary Englebreit reminding me why on earth she had sent this to me.  Many months ago, Mary called on her fans, needing favorite slow-cooker dishes to compile a cookbook.  I sent in the recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup that I make in our crockpot, and it made it into the book - along with a nice little note that I wrote about the recipe!  I'm on page 44 & 45 along with a darling illustration by Mary.

So, with a nod to Mary Englebreit:

Check this out. (Love it!)
Shop all things Mary Englebreit!

Here's one of my favorites (found under Christmas, then books): 

December 9th ~ Thinking of My Gram

"City sidewalks, busy sidewalks -- dressed in holiday style.

In the air there's a feeling of Christmas."

~Silver Bells

This was one of my Gram's favorite Christmas songs.  I can just hear her singing it in her deep (probably tenor) voice.  I think of Gram so often at Christmas.  She had such a system to everything she did for Christmas - and life.  There was a place for everything, and everything in it's place.  Decorations (and everything else she owned) were in their original box, if possible.  If not, they were in another box, and labeled well with a big, stinky, black, permanent marker.  SHE was organized.  Comparatively speaking, I sort of fly by the seat of my pants.  I own a big, stinky, black, permanent marker -- but I don't use it much - which may be my problem.

And Christmas shopping?  Well, Gram would be finished by now, certainly.  Her gifts would be wrapped, and stashed for the time being.  I, on the other hand, just got out for my second shopping trip last evening.

Are you still doing some Christmas shopping? -- or are you one of those organized sorts who are already done?  Well, I applaud you if you're done.  If you're not -- hang in there!  We still have more than two weeks.  Just think of the things we can accomplish in that time.  (Nevermind why we haven't accomplished it up until now!)

Would you like a chance to win a beautiful apron from The Hip Hostess, and a copy of Sandy Coughlin's new book The Reluctant Entertainer?  Go HERE to read more, and to leave your comments for the giveaway.  These would make great gifts, but I'm pretty sure they would also be hard to part with once you've seen them!  You can't win if you don't enter.  (Sandy's book is definitely on my wish list!)


Check this out. (Love it!)
Christy Nockels CD "Life Light Up"
You can find "A Mighty Fortress" (posted 12/5 on my blog) on this CD.
This is on my Christmas wish list too!