Howard Smith Home Stories

HI!

2010-05-16T19:17:00.000-04:00

I wanted to quickly blog to remind you all to watch the Season Finale of Extreme Makeover~Home Edition tonight! It is the Williams family from here in Pine Mountain, Ga! They are such a deserving family and their problems unfortunately will not end with a new home as the husband has ALS and quickly takes lives and the son has Spina Bifida! I was there for the reveal and it was awesome and you could see how grateful they truly were and that was not re-recorded for the camera.......it was real! Please remember to keep them in your prayers!

Also I wanted to let you all know that the companies that built the home, Nationwide and Palm Harbor, they all used their vacation time and paid for their own travel and hotel rooms and they all were so happy to have done it and all they cared about was getting this house done for this family, not that they were not being compensated for their time! This was truly a blessing to have been a part of to see a community, family, and friends come together for a selfless act to help out some one in need! Hope you all tune in!

A Prayer Request

2010-03-15T23:24:00.000-04:00

We are asking for prayers for our Bloggy (and Cas's Words with Friends) Friends Laura and Erik! Laura's Dad has been having some medical issues that you can read about here. Laura is pregnant so we hope is gets better real soon because he will have a new Grand Son soon to spoil! Please say prayers for Laura's Dad and the rest of the family!

Wishful Wednesday~Wedding Gowns

2010-03-10T21:50:00.003-05:00

This week is about wedding gowns. Ahhhhh When I saw this I had to join in. Well since I am getting married in Septemeber I need to find one soon! I have tried on a lot and they range from average prices to higher end and plain to not so plain. I do know I do not like the ones that tie in the back and I do not like the ones that are fitted in the hips, but I do know that I want strapless and something with some sort of the vintage looking lace on it. After trying a bunch on I do know what I do not want! I am running out of time and I am afraid I am just going to have to settle on something. I really have found a lot that I really like but I do not feel that I will be able to wear it for 8 hours (the church does not have air conditioning in it) and be able to sit or dance in many of them! I really hope I find something soon! I can not wait to read all of your posts for some inspiration!

Real Fast

2010-02-26T23:09:00.000-05:00

I went in the house today and when I left after 9 tonight they were still working like crazy and had a fair amount to get done! I saw Michael Malone in the house, one of the designers. I met a guy that works for Disney that works for the show Handy Manny.

I am tired so very very tired. I have to get in the bed so I can do it all again tomorrow. I have VIP passes for the reveal tomorrow along with tons of other people. This should be interesting.

Here is the latest on the money they are trying to raise........Day Six. They are still a long way away from what they need. Even $1 adds up if you feel like donating $1!

Thank You LG for donating after I blogged about it!!!!!!

It has been an awesome experience this week. I am so tired and I know as I am getting ready to head off to bed there are people working around the clock tonight, many have not slept but a few hours here and there. Every person that I have talked to that works for NationWide/Palm Harbor will tell you they have had no sleep and it has been exhausting but they would not trade it for anything. That says a lot about what an undertaking these builds are.

Hopefully I will have more to share and some pics after I get to sleep.

Good Night!

HELP

2010-02-25T22:58:00.000-05:00

As you all know I have been out volunteering the past couple days at the site of the Extreme Makeover Home Edition and I am headed back early in the morning. I was able to go up and view the house today (don't have pictures of that because you are not allowed to take pictures). The family is being blessed with a beautiful new home that will meet their needs. The one need that has not been met yet is that they need a wheelchair accessible vehicle that can have a wheelchair lift installed for their son Jacob who has Spina Bifida. The wheelchair lift has been donated already so Palm Harbor and Nationwide Homes are trying to make this a reality. I was in the tent this evening when Dan came down, he is one of the higher ups on the project....I have been told his exact title with the company but for fear that I will give him the wrong title I am just letting you know he is of great importance to this project! Anyways he shared with us that they have set up a fund for this and are trying to raise the money by Saturday which is reveal day. So many people have brought it items and given of their time but they do feel this vehicle is a big thing that would drastically help them. The family does not have a vehicle to support their needs for their son. They are also trying to pay off their mortgage! When Dan was speaking about this I told him I would go home and get to the blog, facebook, and email with this. I know so many of you contribute to so many things but as he pointed out if you tell 10 friends and they each donate even $1-5 and then they tell 10 friends then the money will start to add up quickly to help this family out with one of their greatest needs. If any of you are able to just do a few dollars that would be awesome. If you are able to donate leave me a comment and there will be a surprise in it for you!

Go to this site here and there is a paypal link to the right. Dan is in that video above the paypal link. He is the guy on the right.

Here are a few pictures to share with you!

Dan with Nationwide Homes

This lady was donating this laptop to the family!

The two ladies are from Nationwide Homes and the guy on the right is with Extreme! He is the man that brings down the blue shirts. I am sure that is a job of many he does!

The Columbus Cottonmouths

Extreme Update

2010-02-24T23:02:00.001-05:00

I have not been home long and will be going back to Pine Mountain at 8 am in the morning folks so I am making this a short one. Long story short I ended up heading to the house after driving halfway through half of the Georgian counties because they did not need help at the high school because they were laying floor so other people really could not get in to do any work right then. So when I got there they asked if I would like to help them in the tent? SURE! It is the main tent. No one enters without going through the tent to receive their t-shirt, hard hats, badges and fill out release paper work. So I get to go back tomorrow and Friday to work up their with some fun ladies and the ladies from Nationwide and Palm Harbor. Not sure about the weekend though. We have a party to go to Saturday night although I would like to go to the "Move the Bus" Saturday. The Columbus Cottonmouths came through tonight to come help. It is really awesome to see all the people that have come out to support them and donate of their time and skills. One lady came in today and dropped off a bunch of toys for the kids. Her kids and nieces and nephews all pooled their money together to buy them for the daughter and son that will move into the house! How great! Good Night!

You can go here to read about the family and what all is going on!

Extreme News

2010-02-21T18:21:00.000-05:00

I get to go help on the Extreme Home Makeover this week!!!!! Yep I do! I saw where they were coming to our area and needed volunteers. I volunteered Cas (him the days he is off) and I both a couple of weeks ago starting today through next Sunday but they had so many volunteers in the end that I received and email to come Wednesday. They did not email me back about Cas though. I guess they had all they needed after the media coverage over it. We have been looking for ways to give back and when I heard about this I immediately got online and signed up! I will not be at the house site I will be at the "other" site. You know how many times they have another project going on. The Dad works at the local hogh school and is a coach and the athletic director so I am thinking that they are doing something at his school. I recieved the email about the family today and I will share it later this week. The design team and Ty always travel to the "other" site as well so maybe I will get to see them or the celebrity that is working with them. If not that is o.k. too because it is all part of giving back and "paying it forward"! The rules say that you can not take pictures inside the house but I don't know if you can take "general" pictures or not? I can not wait until Wednesday.....what Extreme fun!

We Are Around

2010-02-19T13:08:00.000-05:00

We have been so busy and it has seemed non stop since Thanksgiving. I have not forgotten about blogging! I have a lot of things to post when I get a chance this weekend! Happy Friday to you all!

Marriage Mondays

2010-02-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

#964 (Dealing with a Man) ~ You need to know if you come to him with a problem, he will tell you how to solve it, then get back to watching t.v. He will think his work is done.

I can't even get him to stop watching the t.v. while I am spilling my problem!

#199 (Marriage and Happiness) ~ You need to know men who marry are less likely to be arrested. They're busy doing chores. And that makes wives happy.

If he got arrested he would be there a while! I don't do cops or jails!

#800 (Dealing with a Woman) ~ You need to know she secretly believes that if you use her razor on your face, you will give her a staph infection. Somehow though, your razor is perfectly safe for her legs.

Amen.....he has the good razor and I have the cheap disposable so I use his often!

Wedding Wednesdays

2010-02-10T23:00:00.003-05:00

Not much to report this week. I have just been online looking at ideas. I do have two main colors and some ideas in the works and I will post those later for ya'll. We are going to Birmingham again this weekend so I can go look for a dress. I have found two that I really like but I want to try on more to find "the one"! I have always loved the Melissa Sweet dresses (not just because of the name) but I know that I am not getting one! Ladies who was the designer of your wedding dress and your bridesmaid dresses? Also what stores did you find your dresses at? A small shop or a chain store? Did you have a certain style in your head and then when you tried it on decided it was not "your style"? Where did you have the best luck? Tell me your stories, Bride to Bride!
Here are some rather interesting selections! LOL

Tips Tuesdays~Grocery Shopping

2010-02-09T23:00:00.008-05:00

Leslie over at Lamberts Lately is doing a new blog hop about tips and this week it is about grocery shopping.

I have blogged about this many time and it can be really fun to grocery shop once you realize how to get the most for your money and it is super fun when you are walking out with numerous bags and you hardly paid anything for them. It is kind of like legally stealing! Last night I saved over $90 at Publix. I had not done to much shopping lately since we have been gone so much since Thanksgiving so therefor I had not blogged about any fabulous deals.

* I learned in a coupon class that you should buy a paper for ever person in your house, so I buy two each week. Even if you live alone I think you should get a minimum of two papers or print out two coupons because when they have a BOGO sale and the coupon is for a % of of one item then you can use both coupons off of the cost of one item since the second one is already FREE! That is when you start saving a lot!

* You should make your menu off of what is on sale and not make your menu and then grocery shop because it is really hard to save money that way.

*If you go once a week (I Puffy Heart Publix so that is where I try to do most of my shopping) and use your coupons and get the non perishable items that you use anyways then in no time you will have a good amount of food to choose from. Then you are not always running out to buy an item here and there.
* I have many saving cites listed on the right side of my blog and I refer to them often especially when they are notifying me of FREE or close to free things. I do like iheartpublix.com
* I also have a very organized coupon book that is split up by categories. I have found that it is better to make your own list of categories depending on your needs and the easiest way for you to file things and find them!
*I try to get on the website of which ever grocery store I am going to and make a list of the things I need that are on sale and then I try to pull my coupons before I go to the store so that way I know if I have coupons for the item. The best way to save money is to get items on sale and BOGO and then use coupons on top of them!
* I buy a lot of our meat at Sam's (much to the dismay of my Father because he likes better quality meat...ha) because it is much cheaper and I can break it up and freeze what I am not getting ready to use. I also buy the large items there as well such as rice. Milk and eggs are super cheap there too! My tip for the best thing to buy at Sam's is the hoagie rolls that they bake fresh there. It is a little more than three dollars for 6 loafs and we use them for sandwiches and also use them as french bread with meals. They are so much cheaper than buying regular french bread and you can freeze it as well.
* I also am better at shopping alone so that I do not get sidetracked.

Happy Valentines to Me

2010-02-09T15:28:00.000-05:00

Well it will be when I ~~hopefully~~ WIN ~~I will I will~~ this fabulous giveaway! You see I have a great love ~~obsession~~ with those two candles Miss Laura has posted and they NEED to come to my house so they will have some companions ~~that I use sparingly because I can't bare to use them all up~~. If any of my friends win the giveaway then I will come sit at your house to enjoy the great smell of them burning ~~and if they dissapear well then I will have no idea what happened....honest~~. So go over and try to win the prize for you ME, today is the last day!

Marriage Mondays

2010-02-08T21:00:00.001-05:00

I am continuing with this again this week.

#267 (Marriage Problems) ~ You need to know if you are still mad about something that happened five years ago, it's a sign you're off your meds.

Ha.....I do not forget anything~I can't help it that is just my memory. I did not say that I don't forgive or I would be mad I just do not forget much!

#666 (Marriage and Counseling...the number 666 makes this sound doomed anyways) ~ You need to know if your marriage counselor is divorced.

Sounds kind of like calling a computer repairman that does not own a computer!

#687 (Marriage and Fidelity) ~ You need to know that having one affair will tend to lead to another.

Maybe Tiger should pick up a copy of this book.......just sayin.

What are your marriage tips?

Super Bowl

2010-02-07T18:28:00.002-05:00

We are settling in to watch the Super Bowl. I have made Spaghetti with turkey....the 1st time ever and I am about to make some banana pudding as well! I am not a huge sports fan ~~except I like hockey because people get smashed up against the plexi-glass~~ and if I am going to watch them I prefer to be there! I do like the Super Bowl though for the commercials and musical performances! Let me tell you how we have picked teams around here....Cas is pulling for the Colts because he likes Peyton Manning. I am pulling for the Saints because they have beignets, king cakes, Mardi Gras and fluer de lis! I know I know but a girl picks by food and symbols and events. You will see my thing for fluer de lis come up soon in another post. Too bad I did not buy some beignet mix to make. I do love Hank and Kendra and Reggie and Kim so I am hoping to see them on tv tonight as well. You can also see that relaity t.v. plays ~~consumes~~ a part in my life! We have actually been to New Orleans and Indianapolis together and gone past both of the stadiums. This should provide for an entertaining evening! Any of you have anything special going on? Go Saints!

Wedding Wednesday

2010-02-03T22:00:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we went to Rome (where we are getting married) to the Bridal show. Yep that would be four of us that went. My Dad and Mary and Cas and I. The men could have gone elsewhere but they stayed with us. They taste tested all the food that was out. I was able to get some info but after a while I was kind of over it. I am really really wishing we would take my Dad up on the offer of going away to the Bahamas or Jamaica. This is just too stressful. People put their comments in about what you should do or things they don't/do like. Well I will be happy to ablige that when they send a check! There is just too much to get done and it is stressful. I am trying to see what friends have left from their weddings that I may could use because a. I do not have to spend money on it but b. then I won't own it and I do not have to bring it back to this house to try to find somewhere to store it! I already have one box full of things. Let's not forget I have to figure out a way to get this all there! One of my best friends Leslie and her Mom have offered to let me come and look through their stuff. Leslie's last name is Smith (what mine will be) and so she may have some monogrammed things. Her Mom gives lots of parties and has a lot of items from her daughter's weddings that she said I could come look at. Her taste is great and she always has cute ideas too! My friend Charity has some things too that she said I could borrow including vases. I have not decided what I am going to do just yet as far as decor. That maybe because I have not nailed down a color scheme either!
My question to you this week is what do you think of when you hear September wedding? Do you think of Summer or Fall? When I first started thinking of wedding ideas in my head I thought our wedding would be in October so I had a lot of fall ideas in my head. Then when I went to book the church they only had September available. Are brown dresses still o.k. for September? I know people do this all of the time but what do you put with the guys black tuxes to make them look good with brown?

Not good pictures but as you can see there is a lot of wood and stone so I thought browns would look much better in here and plus my dress will be ivory not white. What other colors would you use with brown?

Who Says Ice Cream Is Not For Dogs

2010-02-03T01:24:00.000-05:00

While perusing the freezer section at Publix the other night I came across these little doggie ice creams.

Maggie gets some ice cream on occasion and whenever we take her to Bruster's they give her the doggie sundae that consists of vanilla ice cream and a dog bone. She eats all of the ice cream and leaves the dog bone! I was excited to find these since she loves ice cream and these are made for their tummies.

She gives it four paws!

Mmmm Mardi Gras

2010-02-03T01:19:00.001-05:00

One of the best things about Mardi Gras.....King Cakes!

Yes I realize the baby is sitting on top!

It was deliscious!

We have been a couple of years to Mardi Gras in Mobile...I can not find the pictures on my computer though.....and we love it! It is so fun to see what you get at the parades. We have seen Halloween and Christmas candy thrown out before. The Joe Cain parade is fun because the black beads are the coveted prizes. Renea and I have even been thrown Mardi Gras panties before! When I say panties I mean the cheap kind that are printed and would fit your baby doll! What fun! We really really wish we were going this year but with a wedding coming up we are not going to go and pay for a hotel room at Mardi Gras prices........Happy Mardi Gras!

Marriage Monday

2010-02-01T17:00:00.000-05:00

I recieved the book above in my Christmas stocking from Cas this year. It is filled with tips in facts in twenty-three differant topics that deal with all aspects of marriage. So I thought each Monday I will share a few with you. Some serious, some sarcastic, and some funny but true.

#59 (Marriage Plans) ~ You need to know to make major decisions together. Don't buy a car or lease an apartment as a surprise. It will be.

We have already had a discussion about this because I do not really like surprises and I really don't like them when it is something that you are stuck with and can not take back! Hence why we have been picking out my ring together. The only way I would want to ever be surprised with a car is if we had just been there and I said FOR SURE that was the one!

#956 (Dealing with a Man) ~ You need to know he views the bathroom the way you view a library. It's a place to get serious reading done.

Really why? Just get in and get out, there are so many other things that could be accomplished in that time!

#786 (Dealing with a Woman) ~ You need to know you can't make her happy all the time, you can't please her all of the tme, and you can't understand her all of the time. You can, however, love her all the time.

Women or men......not going to be anything 100% of the time.....sigh, just love them!

Do you have any marriage tips you want to share?

Happy Monday!

Weekend

2010-01-31T23:24:00.002-05:00

Friday~Nothing much

Saturday~We cleaned and I did some laundry, then we went to Academy Sports to get some autographs from two Braves players and a coach. It rained so we could not get anything outside done. Had late lunch/early dinner at Momma Goldberg's~there is nothing better than a Momma's Love sandwich! Ran a few errands to pick up a few things which included make-up that I needed. Laura I am going on your recommendation of the Revlon. Came home to watch the 'Sunshine Cleaning" (o.k. but a little odd) and "P.S. I Love You" (cute) on On-Demand. Had dessert of popcorn and sugar free Jello. Got in bed and watched the Miss America pageant. I thought the girl that won looked a little like Beyonce.

Sunday~Slept later than we should. Drove to Rome, Ga for the Bridal Show. We ate a yummy brunch at one of new favorite restaurants in Rome. Went by the church we are getting married in to show Mary my Dad's wife and look at what all we are going to need for decor. Drove through the school campus where the church is. Drove back home. Cooked dinner. Watched Grammy's. I love Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles FYI. Now laying in bed blogging trying to watch the Duggars's special on TLC.....that baby is soooo tiny, the two young girls Jennifer and Johannah are a handa full, although hard to hear since someone laying next to me is snoring extremely loud and Maggie is dreaming under my arm and shaking it. 2 of the cats are in bed with us. Ahhh we need a King Bed......Hoping to drift off to sleep! Night

Wedding Wednesdays

2010-01-27T22:18:00.001-05:00

OK I am going to start doing a Wedding Wednesday post each week. I am going to make a picture for it but I do not have it done yet. So I will either come to you each week with an update of what I have accomplished that week with our wedding plans, show you pictures, or even ask for your advice or suggestions! I have so much to do in so little time!

Here is a basic checklist of what needs to be done 6-12 months before the wedding. Many checklists are way more extensive so I picked a simple one:
6-12 Months

Choose the kind of wedding you will have, date and time. Sort of done....
Discuss the budget, and who will pay for what. That has been done.
Consider hiring a wedding coordinator. Looking into one since we don't live there. Any of you use one?
Make arrangements with the officiator. We are looking for a church now.
Reserve the wedding and reception locations. Church is booked and reception is booked!
Select your wedding dress, veil and accessories. I have tried on dresses and liked two a whole lot! I do know what type of veils though! Yes I said veil'S! I fell in love of the look of a shorter one over a long one!
Choose the bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, and honored roles. Chosen but I have got to make my cards and ask them! I know I am behind but we have been gone. Any of you do anything cute or special to ask your attendants?
Have a formal black/white photo sitting for announcements. We are going to have this done at some point so I can use them for my save-the-dates.
Send announcements of your engagement to your fiancé's and your local and hometown newspapers. I don't think people do this much anymore....any of you do this? We off course sent out our Christmas cards as our announcement. Yes I checked ahead of time to see if this was appropriate. I recieved the answer of yes! I would also like to thank those close friends and family that called by telephone to say Congratulations. Even my Dad and Mary called to say Congratulations when they recieved the card even though they knew already. Everyone has gone to their Facebook and text messaging these days! Impersonal for some situations.
Meet with the florist, photographer, caterer, videographer, and D.J. or entertainment to discuss budgets and options. I do not have any of the following yet!
Discuss the guest list with fiancé and families. Cas and I have made a preliminary list. I am waiting on family list's.
Plan reception music.Working on that. I have what I want in my head.
Contact a rental coordinator for equipment reservations. We rented the country club so it comes with everything we need. Many places we looked at were high but then you still had to rent tables, chairs, linens, etc.
Discuss honeymoon and reservations. We have not decided where we want to go yet. Any suggestions? I do not really want to go on a cruise for our honeymoon. While Yes I do love cruising I just don't want to honeymoon with 2000 plus other people and children!
Arrange for time off work, if necessary. Don't know how long we will be gone yet.
Buy a wedding planner and envelopes to store brochures and notes. I received a wedding planner for Christmas and I have been collecting many brochures.
Develop record-keeping system for invitations, gifts, and thank-you notes. I will for sure do this! Thank you's are so very important. Especially Thank You cards. I have been to many showers and given some where I did not receive a Thank You card. I am already looking for some Thank You cards. If you are from the South you should know this is etiquette!

Like I said this is basic. Atleast we have the main two things.....the church and the reception!
Anything any of you found helpful when you were getting married? Please leave me a comment!

Sickly Weekend

2010-01-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

I have not been very productive today as I have been sickly this week and I have just kept going but last night it really hit me and I have been on the couch most of the day watching WE TV! Watching wedding shows mind you! While my Dad was here this week him and I rode to the town that Cas and I are getting married in (which is where my Mom and Dad were from) and looked as possible reception sites. I do have to say that some of the places people list on their websites and suggest as places to pay a lot of money for and call it your reception are totally not worth it! Kind of scary actually. Anyways I really liked two places and I wanted Cas to give his approval first. Of course he said "go with whatever you like!" I still wanted him to see the places and give his approval and like it so we rode to Rome, Ga yesterday to look at it and look at two possible places to have our rehearsal dinner at, one of which would be at the same place that we are going to have the reception at. I know that we want a place that is just for us and that we don't want to be sitting in a restaurant with half the town and then the party gets split in half. I really want to rent out a place for all of our guests and not just the wedding party because everyone will be from out of town and it is the right thing to do but I have other wedding issues to cross off of my list first. But Cas and I will pick out the place we want. So last night I started feeling really yucky and between being sick this week and being gone a good bit I have yet to go to the grocery store yet since we have been back from Virginia! So meals have been interesting. Hopefully I will be able to go tomorrow. I have not planned out our menu yet anyways. I went into our room earlier and asked Cas what he was doing and he had cleaned the bathtub and was getting ready to make me a bath but he could not find any bubbles or bath stuff. He said thought it might help me feel better ~~or maybe it was his way of saying you need a bath~~! I have caught up on some of my DVR'd programs so we are headed off to bed to lay around and watch some more tv! Anyone else have a more exciting weekend?

Five Question Friday

2010-01-22T22:37:00.001-05:00

1. What is better: Growing old without any money or dying young and being rich?

Well as I have read a lot of the comments and I agree with the answer off.......can we dye old and rich?

I guess I would have to go with old and poor ~~maybe between now and then I will be rich in between~~.

I have a fear of dying and I fear dying and leaving my children because it happened to my mother!

2. Who takes the garbage out at your house?

Um the man! Isn't that a mans chore? No really I put it in the trash can inside but when it is full the hubs to be takes it out to the outside trash can and this ~~horrid~~ place that we live does not have trash pick up so you have to drive it off to the trash dumpster so he does that too, obviously because he has a truck and that smelly stuff ~~thanks to cat litter~~ is not going in my car. Him and Maggie and usually me take it off once or twice a week! She likes to ride so that is her special treat!

3. Have you ever had the same dream numerous times?

Yes, I can not pin point any of the specific dreams at this minute

4. Can you play a musical instrument?
If I tried to you probably would leave the room! So um no! I took violin lessons when I was young!

5. If you owned a store what would you sell?
Well I have lots of ideas!
Our town needs a good bakery, but more than likely it would be the cute kind of store that carried Vera Bradley and tons of cute things for your house, jewelry and purses and lots of monogrammed things. Kind of like Heartstrings here in Auburn which is no longer Heartstrings. But something like that where I could bring home one of everything for me!

Thoughts From the Road

2010-01-15T00:08:00.005-05:00

* We are in VA after spending the night half way in NC last night.
* Maggie had surgery this morning and I am soo sad that we are away from her but all went well and I left her lots of treats so they could spoil her!

* There is still lots of snow on the ground around here and in all the fields (which there are a lot)

* We are in Charlottesville VA~a cute little college town.

* We are thinking about going to Monticello in the morning

* South Carolina smells~I have noticed this before when in South Carolina! They should look into some mass air freshining!

* I have been in 5 states in two days.
* I stopped at a TJMaxx in Gastonia, NC today! I left with nothing :(

* Virginia is known as the "State for Lovers"! Interesting!

* We had a great dinner and drinks at a brewery down the street tonight with my parents and one of my brothers best friends. Great conversation and great food and drinks!

* One of the conversations was that "the wedding is about the BRIDE and GROOM~exactly I can't agree more but I will get on this soap box later!
* The friend that ate with us uses the company Cas works for for his teleconferencing !

* I can't wait for the party tomorrow night! Their are fraternity brothers lined up to tell stories and it is an open bar! This should greatly amuse me!

* I learned something cool tonight~one of their fraternity brothers* We are in VA after spending the night half way in NC last night.

* There is still lots of snow on the ground around here and in all the fields (which there are a lot)

* We are in Charlottesville VA~cute little college town

* I learned something new tonight. A fraternity brother of Tom's drowned while they were all together at a lake and my ~~step~~ brother was the last one to stop diving to look for him after everyone had worn out and he also wrote a check to build a memorial for him in front of their fraternity house at Alabama!

* My heart is braking for the people in Haiti! I wish I could go help!

* I had to stomach Al Sharpton and Rush Limbaugh on the news this morning~bleh, Rush said we are only helping out because Obama is black and so are the Haitians! Wow what stupidity. I have watched news in NC and VA today and boths states were missing people from their states that had happened to be there for school/work/charity. So for his info half the people that we are helping are Americans moron! And even if they were not it is the right thing to do as humans! Let me jump off of my soap box of closed minded people.
UPDATE~The news said that 45,000 Amercians were in the country of Haiti!
* I am excited about going to Richmond after this to see my cousin!

* I will change my background when I get back :)

* Oh and I did get my video done! I did ALL the work and Cas burned it to a DVD! :)

* I am getting ready to crawl in this comfy bed at the hotel and watch "The Real Housewives of the OC" on our flat screen tv! Nighty~Night!

P.S. Also LG gave me an award of sorts last week so I will post that and share my answers to my quetsions that go with it when I get back! Thanks Laura

What Would You Wear~Help!

2010-01-08T00:11:00.001-05:00

OK so as I have mentioned one of the brothers is getting married next week in Virginia......please picture the freezing temperatures. Well I have not found a dress yet. It is an evening wedding and the Bride has listed on their Knot page that the dress is semi-formal. So would you wear sleeveless? My arms are fat and pasty if that paints a pretty picture! Well last time I went by the rules of what you should wear to an evening wedding there were people there a lot more casual than me. I was just going to find something black and not worry too much but then it dawned on me that at some point I will have to be in a picture and my Dad's wife also has mentioned using family pictures from the weddings of the year on the 2010 Christmas card. Argh.....so I am asking all of you ladies what would you wear to a evening wedding in cold weather? PLEASE send me your comments!

My Snow Day

2010-01-07T22:51:00.000-05:00

* I did see a few flurries and little ice pellets while I was waiting in line at the bank today to make the house payment.

* I did buy milk and bread today because we did need them, not because I am fearful of spending a week snowed in!

* I did purchase some items to make "Will You Be My Bridesmaid Cards" ~~cause I need to get on that~~ and after getting all of the stuff to make them, thinking I would save money, I know realize had I bought the ones off of Etsy I would HAVE saved money! Frankly I am too tired and freezing to start on that project....another day.

* I did score a super cute Lilly Pulitzer notebook, this exact one in fact for a few mere dollars. I also scored the mousepad with tear off paper that has the Bees Knees pattern on it too! I found these at TJMaxx! That somewhat made up for the screaming child that's Mother kept trying to bargain with him. Lady he screamed a loooooooong time. Why would he stop if you are just going to continue to bargain with him and overlook it while you are perusing cheap name brand clothing! He screamed so much that there was a group of ladies who did not know one another that were tallking about her parenting.

* I picked up a few things at Target on the way home which included a pizza for dinner! For heavens sake it is yucky weather outside~I am not cooking ~~really we are leaving for the weekend and did not want leftovers~~! Cas pulled the pizza out of the freezer to put it in the oven and started griping because it was DiGiorno.......he got sick one time after he ate DiGiorno and so he thinks he will always get sick. He expects me to remember that, I didn't and just picked up what they had at Target. I provided food. There is one thing made around here and you can eat it or starve. He ate it and to my knoweledge has not made a mad dash to the porcelain thrown!

* Friends that live in our area keep posting on Facebook that it is snowing at their house. So inbetween Cas watching the game he keeps walking out the door to see if it is snowing. It is not. It is just sleeting and it is letting my heat out of the door! I am freezing and currently have the heat set on 73! Wow what the electricity bill will be!

* I am having to DVR Real Housewives of Orange County because of this football mess on tv. Yes I realize it is trashy reality t.v. I must have so many hours a week! :) It is like credits you have to take a semester!

* I am not saying Roll Tide even though they are in the SEC. I live on the outskirts of Auburn. That is a sin.

*Off course the media today has shown some of Alabama's (the state) finest people making the state look stellar! As usual.........

* I would love some snow but do not think we will have any....sigh. I am just ready to go curl up under the covers with some hot chocolate. I sure do wish we had bought an electric blanket that I have been wanting. I am registering for one....fo sure!

While I sit around and wait on the great snow storm of 2010 here are some pictures from the snow we had this March!

Happy Snow Day

She had her heavy coat on but it kept coming off as she was drudging through the snow

I love this picture! She had a good time playing like a reindeer!

pretty I know.....

The Wrapping Paper He Will Never Forget

2010-01-07T11:17:00.001-05:00

We all know Men are not into gift wrapping, cute bags with tissue and especially not bows! In the past the step-brothers have wrapped their gifts with whatever Mary (their mother) has left over. Well now that one brother is getting married and he has a woman to point out such holiday things you should do so he was sent out to buy their own wrapping paper and get their presents wrapped before he arrived to the house!(she was at her parents since she had to finish up some wedding details)

Said brother is on the right....

So while perusing the tree my Dad points out that Christie has him wrapping gifts and to go check it out.....mmmm ok sure.

One of them is right begind that snowman gift bag.

Notice? Stellar Wrapping Job :)

I will tell you that this paper provided some laughs to other brother in the left of the picture above! He said he just walked into Wal-Mart and grabbed a roll! I am pretty sure their is still half a roll left for next year!

(This is in no way, shape, or form to offend anyone)

Rub-A-Dub and Snug as A Bug

2010-01-06T23:21:00.001-05:00

Maggie has been trying out some of her gifts Santa brought her

Going from smelly to squeeky clean

You must have a robe when you get out of the bath tub

She always wallows when she gets out of the tub! I guess she does not prefer cleanliness!

Maggie and Momma's Ducks

Off to warm up and nuggle with Mom and Dad

Christmas Is For Those With Four Legs Too

2010-01-06T23:10:00.003-05:00

We treat our pets like our babies so they also get Christmas presents and have stockings! ~~No one role your eyes!~~

Excited to see what Santa brings!

Twas the night before ~~night before Christmas Eve~~ and Maggie was all snug in her jammies and 4 cats piled on Cas's side of the bed

While visions of pigs ears and cat nip danced in their heads

All the stocking were laid out with care

Cause Santa had been there

On Tillie

On Snittens ~~trying to dig his catnip out~~

On Snoogans

On Possum

(notice her wrapping paper and bags~they were from the $ section at Tarjay and they had Weenie Dogs on them!!!)

And Maggie!

They ran through the house excited about it all!

Now dash away dash away all!

They sprang through the house with their news toys and treets until the were lost from their sight

They wished everyone a Merry Christmas~now if they would only let us sleep at night!

Our Family Is Growing

2010-01-06T22:07:00.001-05:00

As of a week from this Saturday I will have a new Sister-In-Law Christie! We will be traveling for the wedding next week. I am so excited to have another girl at family functions! Although she has no idea what is in store for her! She is a lawyer as well as her hubby-to-be!

Also Cas's sister is pregnant with her third child~a girl!

That is her in the purple

Cas's cousin Coley is pregnant with her 2nd child~sex not yet known!

That is her in the floor in navy

And also Cas's cousin Brent's (brother of previous cousin) wife Melissa is pregnant and due this month~with a boy!

It is already standing room only at his family functions! So we have a lot of new family members on the way in 2010!

I Am Over Technology

2010-01-06T14:53:00.000-05:00

O.K. so I said that I would be in front of this computer for the past two days! Well when I said that I was telling the truth but EVERY time I lay out a plan of action for anything in my life something throws me off track! Well Monday I skipped off to Best Buy bought my much needed Apple upgrade software ~~maybe priced some other Apple products and drooled over the DSLR's~~ and returned home about the same time Cas did. We came in the office to quickly load up our new software and we were DENIED! It says you do not have enough RAM. To make a long story short Cas spent a long time on the phone with Best Buy and they did not have what we need so the next option was the Mac and More store in Pratville (1 1/2 hours away) so I had to get up yesterday and drive out there. Well another shortened story was when I got there they said it would 3-5 days! That was mentioned the night before and I let them know about their customer service! So to get the matter solved yesterday I had to pay $75!! just to move to the front of the line to have more RAM installed so that I could install my new software! All I can say is that I was not very thrilled with my day but atleast there was a TJMaxx in the same shopping center! Thank You Jesus! Before I was even done with my parusing of the store they called to say it was done! I won't share the total with you, but lets just say they make ALOT off of 30-45 minutes of work! We finally were able to get everything installed last night and our computer is so much faster! After all of this we could have had half our laptop but I want a DSLR before a new computer! If only we could have all of our needs/wants! Sigh.....Back to work self!

I Shall Be A Slave to My Computer This Week and Other Weekend Ramblings

2010-01-04T15:41:00.001-05:00

Yep I shall! As I mentioned earlier I have volunteered my time and sorta-kinda computer knoweledge for a wedding slideshow project! Plus my sorta-kinda is more than the parents nothing-really knowledge! I spent some time with the Apple-AllKnowing LG last night and she was gracious enough to make me a little how-to-video on a Mac program that I have never used! So sweet! Well we have the older version so the hubs-to-be has agreed to let me do a little Best Buy shopping this a.m.! Now I would like to say that I would not have to be making a mad dash to Best Buy this morning had we been updating our software when Apple puts out the latest and the greatest upgrades. So I was emailing LG and I told her hubs-to-be works on a computer (normally with multiple screens running) all day so when he comes home he rarely ever uses our little apple. I told her the case would be that if he used it like I do ~~because blogging, wedding planning, facebook, email, etsy are all very IMPORTANT~~ then he would have this thing to the highest of it's potential! Well a few minutes later hubs-to-be even spewed it out of his mouth that "yeah if I used it more then I would make sure it had all the latest updates and newest software on it!" Remind me to put "I Cas do promise to keep the computer updated ~~or buy her a new MAC~~ for my wife during the course of our marriage," in my wedding vows! He did have me looking up Mac Laptps last night because he is envious that Laura has a Mac Book Pro! Once we get married and start on the babies that leaves us shutting down the office and turning it into the guest room and making the guest room a nursery. Well that insued the hubs-to-be to start measuring out rooms last night! We don't want to spend all this time finishing painting and decorating the office ~~with my cute black/cream/tan toile~tear~~ if we are just going to undo it! Yesterday as we were working on putting away all the Christmas decor we started re-arranging the back half of our den. Well before Cas and I bought this house he decided to go out and buy a desk from Ashley furniture not knowing ~~or bothering to find out~~ that I come with two desk's! One desk is my childhood desk that my parents bought for me that my Dad sent with us when we were moving in! It was really just his way of saying you don't have a lot of furniture yet so get this out of my house cause we need to room and find a place to stick it! So we did and now that desk as of yesterday afternoon has moved to a new place to make room for a new piece of furniture! We need a buffet for storage of the tons of pieces of glassware/dishes I have and will be getting so I am taking a piece of furniture that is really a dresser and making it a buffet! So instead of just putting away Christmas yesterday we re-arranged and pulled furniture out and vaccumed and mopped! Wow it is amazing what you find under your couch! Anyways since we have that desk in the den we may just end up putting a laptop in the den or moving this current one and Cas has some elaborate plan to make some network of "stuff" so there are not any wires! Personally I like this idea that Shannon did! No we won't be needing a baby room any time too soon but I also have a set of furniture that was my Mom's when she was little and I have got to move it out of my old house to sell and I will be using part of the furniture for our children so we wont be using the office as an office for too long! That also means a lot of of Cas's Peanuts collection, shot glasses, sports memorabilla and our other random items in here will have to find a box to live in and we will have to store some shelves and a desk until we move to a bigger home. After our day of reorganizing and packing up we had to make a return trip to Target. Well this week they had a copier/printer/scanner on sale for cheap at Target and since I needed a scanner for the mentioned photo slideshow project and will need one for our wedding stuff we went ahead and bought it so that I did not have to borrow a friends scanner! Well hubs-to-be started taking it out of the box and did not notice ~~care~~ that apparently it had been taped back up and that it looked like something was missing. So he goes to hook it all up and guess what there is not any ink or the install disks with it! So apparently someone bought it took the ink out and returned it! CLASSY! So we had to drive back to Target and swap it out for an un-thefted one! So now I am in business of scanning pictures! Might I add that when you scan wallet size and 4x6 pictures you have 3/4th's of the screen that is white so then you have to go in and crop that out! So since I shall be sitting here this week I am going to work on blogging and updating from the holidays ~~in no particular order~~! Each picture takes 3 minutes to scan! The Bachelor starts tonight so I will have to break for that! Gosh I wish we had bought that t.v. for the office last summer! I am excited to see my finished project though! Hope it turns out o.k.! I may be charged and hourly tech-support rate from LG! I realize I am skipping around in this post but that is how my thoughts are running right now!

Our 2009 Christmas Card

2010-01-03T23:31:00.003-05:00

I am just know getting around to posting about the holidays! Here was our Christmas card for 2009! Make sure you read the message!

Video/Photo Programs

2010-01-02T19:25:00.001-05:00

I am getting ready to embark on a project that has to be completed in a little over a week so I am coming to all of you for some advice! My step-brother is getting married 2 weeks from today and Cas and I (mainly I) are going to be putting a video together of all of their childhood to recent pictures together in a slideshow/video that will have music to it. So my question to all of you is do you reccomend any certain programs to do this in? I have used Powerpoint numerous times (but the music factor is kind of tricky) and we have a Mac computer which has I Movie on it but I have never used it so I am not sure how user friendly it is. So I need some suggestions of either FREE or cheap programs that are user friendly to make a video out of scanned pictures and uploaded pictures! I would love to hear all of your suggestions! I have seen a lot of you do amazing things! Remember we have a MAC and it has to be something that can be burned to a flash drive! Thanks!

Good-Bye 2009 and the Whole Decade

2009-12-31T21:47:00.000-05:00

As this is probably my last blog for 2009 ~~because I have a lot to blog about and catch up on but frankly I am not going to do it tonight because Cas and I are about to be planted on the couch~~ I just wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year and decade! I hope you all are enjoying the ones you are with and having a great night! Cas and I picked up Chinese take out because I have been dying for it and now I am sitting in some pants with elastic in the waste because I ate too much! We spent part of the day puttting Christmas decorations away and now we are about to relax on the couch and watch some New Year's Eve specials and provided I am not already asleep ~~because I love to sleep and will fall asleep is I sit still for long~~ at midnight we will ring in the new year and decade with some wine and I am sure a ton of the neighbors fireworks that will send Maggie into a nervous breakdown! Ah then off to bed to prepare for the next 365 days that are for sure to send me into a nervous breakdown! More on that this week! I have been in a blogging funk due to "things" but I will be blogging a lot more hopefully! Hope you all have a happy evening and a blessed 2010!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T19:05:00.001-05:00

I hope you all have had a Merry Christmas! I am blogging from a blackberry in Birmingham so when I return I will blog longer and share some photos. I hope you all have a very Merry day!

Wouldn't This Be a Great Christmas Present

2009-12-23T21:41:00.001-05:00

Today is your last day to enter for the HP Touchsmart computer that Kelly is giving away! Go here to enter! I love the recipe box feature she talks about that would be really neat to use!
If you want another chance go over to McMama's blog to enter!

A Christmas Photo Shoot of Sorts

2009-12-18T23:34:00.000-05:00

Last week we had a friend come over and snap a few pictures for us so that I could use one or more on our Christmas card this year. I just picked them up today......yes a week before Christmas! Let's not judge others during this Christmas season....K? Thanks! Anywho I thought I would share a couple of the out-takes....unedited mind you! I will post the actual card after they have been sent out!

Trying to get Maggie to look in most of them was a chore! Also, as you can see the color on most of them came out looking terrible! So off to bed I go to start addressing envelopes!

A Christmas Funny

2009-12-17T18:47:00.003-05:00

It was a romantic full moon when Pedro said, "Hey, mamacita, let's do Weeweechu."

Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" , said Rosita.

Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.

"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon." , replied Rosita.

"Please, corazoncito, just once, do Weeweechu with me."

Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu."

Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang.....

"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

Gold and Green

2009-12-16T22:35:00.001-05:00

I finally picked this up today! I know a Christmas CD a week before Christmas, right? I don't buy many CD's but I LOVE Sugarland so I had to get it! I highly reccomend it! Any other Christmas CD's you have to have or reccomend?

My Life~My Trees and My Cookies?

2009-12-11T14:33:00.000-05:00

OK Bloggy Buds and Peeps I know I have missed last Friday and currently am missing today for Show Us Your Life at Kelly's Korner because well frankly if I show you my life it will look like a HOT HOLIDAY MESS! So once I get back from Cas's family Christmas and I get a few things picked up and have some time to upload pictures and make you think my like is peaceful and organized then I shall share the Christmas Love! I do have some cookies to share with you and a a tree or two or 6 with you. So Happy Friday and Merry Christmas from a Howard, a Smith, a four legged Princess, two Siamese, a Momma cat and her wild child cat! Maybe the cats that have taken up outside wish you the same too but frankly it is too cold for me to go ask them so just assume they sent you Cat Christmas Wishes too or ~~Bah Humbug~~! Ah let the Christmas Chaos begin!

Five Question Friday

2009-12-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

Five Question Friday

1. Does Santa wrap the presents he leaves at your house?

When I was growing up all my "Santa" presents were left on the fireplace or in a group at my Grandparents house depending on where we were. Santa even brought my presents to the beach one year as my parents decided that would be a good place to spend Christmas????? We don't have children yet but Santa will leave the presents unwrapped......may we have a fireplace by then! Dear Santa could you bring me a house with one?!!!

2. When is your "Big" Christmas Celebration?

Well since Cas's family is so big we always have Christmas at his family's a differant weekend so we are actually in the midst of baking, wrapping and packing as I type ~~look I took a 10 minute break okay~~. We have an all day family Christmas party at his Granny's on Saturday. Everyone eats all day and most of the kids go on a Scavenger hunt to get them out of the house. Then afterwards we will open presents. It starts with the youngest to the oldest. There will be about 30 (and growing with two babies on the way) people there so you do the math on how long that will take. Then we will have Christmas at Cas's parents and Sister and Brother-in-Law and their two boys on Sunday. Then on Christmas Eve morning Cas and I do our Christmas and then we travel to Birmingham to my Dad and his wife's house. Our big meal and opening presents in on Christmas Day once my two Step-Brothers make it to the house! I can't wait til one of us has children so we will have some little ones. Ahh that tires me just typing all of that...

3. Are you big on keeping tradition every year?

Well I would like to but as we have so many Christmas's and we just started our hom last year our Christmas traditions are slowly changing and/or evolving. Once we have children I will for sure start traditions and try to keep them up!

4. Colored or Clear lights?

Well we have a couple of trees. All of them have clear lights except for the Peanuts/Snoopy Tree and colored lights are more fitting for it! I think clear lights are more elegant and I love them but then on fun or childrens tree I think colored is cute

5. Do you decorate outside?

Yes. I have wreaths on the windows and on the door and I have a sleigh with deer and a Santa and the I have two more snowman on and some lit up trees on the other side. I dont have anything big for the yard. I have been looking for something pretty but have not found anything I like.

Happy Friday

Operation Christmas Child Stories

2009-12-11T09:55:00.001-05:00

I meant to share this a few weeks ago but I have not gotten a chance yet. You all know we participated in Operation Christmas Child for the second time this year! We went to drop off our two shoe boxes on our way to Birmingham for Thanksgiving. Our drop off point was a large church in Auburn and I asked the ladies if I could take a few pictures while I was there and they were so nice and said "of course"! So I wanted to share with ya'll and show you.

These are boxes that are full waiting to be picked up to travel all over the world

Checking my two (green boxes) o.k. so they are a little full but she had rubberbands to go around them

My boxes with some others waiting to loaded up to start their journey to make a child smile

Discard my face! I just wanted to show you my stickers. This was early and I did not fix my hair nor apparently had I fixed my face! at this point. This is real life people and as I blog this I don't have time to edit this photo to make me look better ~~nor do I think there is a program that would help~~! This location said that they had recieved over 3,000 boxes on the day before the last day when I dropped off. Last year they had reacieved over 5,000. They knew they would be down some because of the economy. I had blogged before that I am going to collect things as I see them on sale or have coupons for toiletries (you can normally get most free with coupons especially the travel size) through the year that way we will not have to go buy around the holidays. Hopefully all of you will join in next year!

I also wanted to share this email with you. My Dad's wife who works for the Board of Education in the county where I went to school sent me this. This is from the High School I attended.

Chelsea Students Help with Operation Christmas Child Project

A group of 44 National Honor Society members from Chelsea High School, eight parents, and teacher sponsors Carlene Hooper and Nancy Stroup traveled to Atlanta, GA on December 4 to work at the Operation Christmas Child distribution center. This ministry, began by Franklin Graham, enables thousands of children in some of the world's poorest countries to receive a Christmas box filled with joy and hope. Over 850,000 shoe boxes prepared by civic clubs, churches, and individuals had been packed for children.

Students processed each box, removing donations made for shipping expenses. They also removed items that cannot go into certain countries and replaced those items with other suitable items. Finally, they helped tape and pack boxes into crates to get them ready to be shipped all over the world. The Atlanta Distribution is one of six located in the United States. This was the third annual trip made by Chelsea High School's National Honor Society.

"It's amazing to think that what we did here today will make such a big difference in a child's life," said student Lauren Swee.

"Everyone was overwhelmed at the generosity of so many Americans, and, indeed, agreed that they discovered the true meaning of Christmas in a huge, drafty warehouse in Atlanta," said teacher sponsor Nancy Stroup.

Cas's Mom also said the had a lady in a local church (his Dad is a preacher) come to some of the churches and speak to try to get some involvement from the members for this charity. She had been a recipient of a shoe box when she was young and the thing she was most grateful for was a wash cloth and soap that she received! Wow things we all use everyday ~~I really hope~~! Hopefully this will inspire you ahead f time for next year! Merry Christmas!

A Tar-Jay Giveaway

2009-12-10T11:39:00.001-05:00

My great bloogy friend and friend IRL Sus is giving away a gift card for her 100th!! blog post! She is giving away a gift card to Tar-Jay (Target) for the winner. Now if you feel like you would like to enter and you don't reallly want the gift card email me and I will send you my address and you can send it here! We take all forms of gifts cards, cash and checks here at the Howard Smith Household! I love Target and I would love the giftcard. Chances are I might have the $25 dollars spent before I leave the dollar section so I might not even make it to the rest of the store! Ha! So go on over here and enter! You only have until tommorrow night at midnight to enter so if you don't hurry well then that greatens my chance of winning! :) Good Day Ladies!

A New Look

2009-12-10T11:02:00.001-05:00

Last night ~~this morning~~ around 2 am I found a few minutes to decorate our bloggy home for Christmas. The stockings that are hung on my frame with care are for Cas and I (far right) Maggie and Tillie on the left and Snittens, Possum and Snoogans at the top.....all of the four legged children! Can't leave anyone out!

The Bussiest Time of the Year!

2009-12-09T23:48:00.001-05:00

Really I still blog! I swear I do ~~will~~! We have just seemed to have become very busy with little things to do during the holiday season! We had so much to get done for Thanksgiving and it has not stopped yet! My great friend Sus even emailed to check to see if we were still alive since she had not seen a blogging obituary on me! I still have decorations that have not been put out and I keep moving things around and there still is even one tree that is not put up and it is one of my favorites so we shall see if it comes together! I still have yet to blog any of our Christmas decorations, Thanksgiving or even some of the things we did in the fall! Ahhh one day bloggy buddies.....one day! I do have a lot to share I just have to find time to sit and write it! We had a friend come over and take pictures for us tonight for our Christmas cards.....yeah I realize we are a little late on that too! We always do Christmas in Macon (where Cas's family lives) a different weekend that actual Christmas and we are having that this weekend. That is right I have a crap load of presents to wrap AND NONE.....NOT ONE FREAKIN ONE of them is done yet! Then there is the baking I have to do before we go. All the women bake or cook like 5+ things to bring to Granny's Christmas so when I get through blogging I have to go and look through some books to finalize what goodies I will be making therefore I shall be going back to the grocery store tomorrow. We are supposed to be going to a Christmas play tomorrow night too.

Sigh........As Clark Grisswold says......"Tis the Season to be Merry"

Cyber Monday

2009-11-30T13:30:00.001-05:00

OK sorry for the lack of posts ~~NONE~~ all last week but I was KIND OF busy! We have had three Thanksgivings! I have so much to do this week as well as I MUST finish Christmas decorating! I will post later and let you know what all we did last week but I must share with you that today is CYBER MONDAY! I have wanted a subscriction for Southern Living foreva and ya'll know I am cheap so I was looking at deals today on Amazon and they have SL foe $5 dollars!!! Oh that is something I ~~Cas~~ will be getting me for Christmas! I just had to share the deal! It looks like they have some fab deals!

Five Question Friday

2009-11-20T22:30:00.009-05:00

1. Are you a Black Friday Shopper?

Yep! I started 4-5 years ago and I get up very very early and go shopping by myself. I usually head to Kohl's 1st! I love a deal but I do hate the crowds!

2. What was your favorite childhood toy?

Well the Easy Bake Oven is a sore subject with me because while yes I had plenty to play with I NEVER had an Easy Bake Oven! My daughter will get one very early! Ha! I played with Cabbage Patch Kids and Barbies. I even had a lot of little cars I loved to play with and I would ride them up and down the fireplace and the individual bricks were parking places.

3. Favorite Christmas Movie?

Christmas Vacation~Hysterical

Charlie Brown Christmas~Classic

4. What is the must have item on your Christmas list this year?

Money!, laptop, I-Phone, Columns for the House (the dream list)

Maggie and I are getting matching pink snuggies! I usually get perfume and I love getting pajamas and socks! Love some fuzzy socks!

5. Do you go all out with the decorations or do you keep in simple?

Since we bought our house last year and it was our 1st Christmas in our house together I went all out! Each room has a tree! Even the bathrooms have a little one and there is one for the pets in the laundry room! Each room has somewhat of a theme/color. Now if only I could get all of it put out and get these boxes put away! I told Cas the next house we buy I will be scoping out if it has good places to put trees! I want a big window for our main tree!

Show Us Your Life~Pets (4 legged children)

2009-11-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

It is show us your life~Pets this week at Kelly's Korner! As all of you know that read this little blog we have a four legged daughter Maggie!

I have had her for 10 years and had her before Cas and I met. She is a purebred Daschund and actually came from near where we live now. She is very spoiled.......see below

She loves to ride in the car with us and depending on where we are going we like to take her with us! She sleeps with us every night and is "The Queen of the Queen Bed!" She has a vast wardrobe and loves her Momma and her Daddy! She loves to be in the kitchen under your feet while you are cooking hoping for food to fall because one of her favorite pastimes is to EAT! We love her dearly!

We also have four cats!!!!

Snoogans~Blue Point Siamese (bottom~I did not name him! His name has to do with a movie)

Snittens~Chocolate Point Siamese (top)

They came from the same breeder and are half brothers with different mothers and the same baby daddy!

They have a love hate relationship but we are always very amused by them and their big personalities ~~attitudes~~! Snoogans was a surprise Christmas present from me to Cas a few years ago! Then we got Snittens the following Spring. Yeah I know you are thinking it is strange for a guy to have a cat but he has always preferred cats over dogs (that is until the Mags) and Snoogans loves him and sits by the door waiting on him when he hears his truck pull in in the evenings.

Snittens as a baby

Snoogans as a baby

They are talkers!

They are in Cas's lap here in the car. We used to take them in the car when we went to Cas's parents in Macon until the most horrific car ride ever! It was a trip for Christmas and I ended up standing on the side of the road in some teeny middle of no where town crying! Snittens foamed at the mouth the whole way and between the two of them they got sick and and messed up my new coat and some of the wrapping on Christmas presents. It was about midnight and I told Cas just to either leave me or them on the side of the road! Obviously as you are reading you can see we all made it back in the car but we ceased the family vacays!

Tillie~Just a Itty Bitty Kitty

I have had her for a while and I had her ever since she was about 6 weeks old, she is the oldest kitty child. It is hard to tell by the picture but she is tiny, about half the size of the rest of the cats. She is definitely a different kind of cat! She also eats more than anyone in this house and will sit at the food bowl when it starts to get low to make sure that you are informed that she is gonna need food! She also LOVES some men! The second Cas sits down she is in his lap and rolls around and purrs. Anytime we have male company over she likes to sit with them as well!

Possum~Tillie and Snittens had a litter of kittens last year so he is technically half full blooded Siamese!

Last year as a kitten

As the youngest of the house he is definately the "Wild Man" of the house! He through the house and jumps over furniture very often! You never know what he is going to do next! He loves to wrestle with the other kitties and he loves Maggie too. They often nap together!

There you have our "clan"!
It is rarely quite around here!
Melissa and Cas plus 5!

Plus 6????
This is Shadow who technically is "Not Ours" but she lives here! She belonged to someone at some point and she has taken up residence here. Yes we feed her. She sleeps on our front door mat every night. She also runs up when you pull in the driveway and she follows us around the yard.

The END!

OCC~Operation Christmas Child

2009-11-20T02:21:00.001-05:00

I have my shoe boxes ready to drop off in the morning. I just need pencil sharpeners which I have not found yet. I checked the Dollar Tree and Dollar General so I will check WalMart or Target in the morning. It is still heartbreaking to me that this is really all some of these children get and there is only so much you can fit in a small box! I am soo excited that Susannah, Mrs. LG, and Renea are all participating in this as well! If everyone that blogs just did one.....Wow that is a lot of shoe boxes!

If you want to participate you still have time to put a box together. Some locations are excepting them through the weekend. You can go to the Operation Christmas Child website and type in your zip code and it will tell you the drop off locations near you and it will tell you the times that someone will be there to accept boxes. So you can go and look and see if you would still have time to make a box and drop it off in time! Don't forget to read about the suggestions for your boxes. They have things you should put in and things to leave out such as candy that will melt and don't forget to print out your label that you mark boy or girl on and what age range. Also don't forget to put your $7 in to cover shipping.

From their site:

INCLUDE YOUR DONATION

Please donate $7 or more for each shoe box you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online by using our EZGIVE option, or you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the gift items inside your box. If you or your family are preparing more than one shoe box, please make one combined donation.

I did just read that it says no liquid items.......I have bubbles and Sus and I both have shampoo. I guess I will ask when I get there! It also says that soap should be in a plastic bag and candy should be in a bag. Well now I guess I shall go re-work my box...hmm I had my candy in a bag and then it did not fit so I took it out.

This one made me cry! The children are so sweet and they want to help and how awesome is it that they are being shown at an early age the spirit of giving to those less fortunate!

They also receive a book of gospel in their language with their boxes!

I am also going to include a small letter and a picture of us if I can find one! If you are participating in this leave me a comment!

I will definitely start putting things away for next years boxes. I hope we can do many more next year!

In one of the videos they make the comment:

1 box = 1 child = 1 life = 1 salvation

Thanksgiving

2009-11-18T21:00:00.001-05:00

I have posted and shown my Fall/Thanksgiving decor and shared about Thanksgiving but I am going to post the links to each because I am linking up with The Bunnie's Bungalow and Its So Very Cheri

~My Fall/Thanksgiving Decor Post~

~My Thanksgiving Traditions Post~

Thanks for stopping by!

Internet Down

2009-11-16T13:22:00.001-05:00

Our internet has been down since last night and this girl has things to do that require it! Trying to read blogs on Cas's blackberry is not working too well! Hopefully it will be back up today sometime!

Sunday Sayings

2009-11-15T15:55:00.001-05:00

My great friend Sus is starting a new game! Two weeks ago I won! She posted in her blog that the first person to know the the actor that said a certain line and the movie it was from would win a prize. I answered correctly and I recieved a little goodie package in the mail a few days later! It is the first blog contest I have won. I enter many giveaways but the blog gods have not been on my side for winning! Here are my goodies!

The gummies were gone within an hour ~~15 minutes~~ of me opening the package! I love gummy candies! I always need gum for my purse and I always keep pens and note paper by the computer so I can write important blog reminders! Ha! You don't want to forget an awesome blog address or etsy store! So ladies be on the lookout for her to post today for your chance to win. Isn't it so much fun to get personal letters and packages instead of bills and junk mail! Happy Sunday!

P.S. Also don't forget to go and buy papers for the coupons. I buy two!

It's Starting to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2009-11-15T00:31:00.001-05:00

Well really it just looks like this right now!

Maybe by December it will look like this!

Yea right I wish! I wish I had a fire place and mantle.

We started pulling the Christmas decorations out tonight so that I can get started because we will be gone the next two weekends and I want to get it all done. Cas put ALL the trees together.....umm that would be 4 of them! A 5th and 6th stay put together because they are small. We have a live tree in the den so we will make our annual trip to pick that up the first weekend in December! So yes there is a tree in everyroom! Whew a lot to do! Our tree in the den was a GORGEOUS 9!!! foot tree last year. We had to open both of the back doors to bring it in and still had to cut some of the top off and it still touched the ceiling! That was a few months after we moved in and we didn't have as much furniture as we do now so I won't get to bring my 9 foot beauty home this year! Don't worry I will have my sites set on 8 1/2 footer! ;)

P.S. those ugly curtains are gone and I think I am going to try something new with the gold in the tree this year. It just didn't have enough umph!

The Worst Sweet Tea~Ever!

2009-11-13T10:17:00.002-05:00

Last night when Cas came in from work we finished getting dinner together and I said "we need to make tea"! So I went ahead and made it! Then the DB poured it in the pitcher and added water and sugar. After eating some of my food I grabbed my tea and drank a big gulp of not so sweetness! YUCK! Cas looked at me and asked what was wrong and I was like "OMG our tea tastes like coffee!" I thought we really needed to clean our coffee maker because that is some foul tea! Not to refreshing NOR sweet. After finishing the DB got up and cleared the table and went and looked in the coffee maker and exclaimed that "I(me) was such a dummy because I didn't take the coffee grinds out from that morning!" Well he being a dummy too would have realized that if I had just made tea there would have been tea bags sitting in there as well! I sat there and thought back a minute and realized that I had emptied the old coffee grounds and then went back to start the TEA and I played the motions back in my head and I realized that I grabbed more coffee grounds, because they sit right next to the coffee pot, and I put those in there instead of grabbing tea bags! WOW! You know he mixed up the "tea" he didn't realize it didn't smell so "tea-ish"? Gosh really? I can't be responsible for all of my own actions! Yes this is a true story and Yes I brewed coffee to go with my delish roast I slaved over ~~crock-pots are the best~~ ALL day! Thank You, Thank You! I think I might should up my vitamins or something else;)

Operation Christmas and Compassion

2009-11-13T00:54:00.002-05:00

I set out to start getting some of my items for my shoe box's today and it is harder than you think. I know you are thinking what is hard about finding some $1 items and filling a box. Well when you think about what they really need it would never fit it a shoe box, a full size moving box or even a refrigerator box! I did off course pick up pencils because that is one of the things that they love to get because they are far and few between and they can write or draw with them. How many of you have given your child a stack of paper and a marker to draw or write to keep them busy? That is not even something that some of these children get to do. Cas and I were talking tonight about this and some other things such as the Compassion Bloggers trip to El Salvador that I am sure many of you have read about at Kelly's Korner as she has had the honor of traveling with them on this trip and is blogging about it. I also came in to check blogger in time to read that Angie Smith had posted about their being a live feed interview with all of the Compassion Bloggers tonight so I was able to watch a good bit of it. I had been watching the CMA's and came in here to check on something during a commercial break and read about that so I tuned in and I listened to the rest of it not even going back to the CMA's. There stories are just so much to take in. Last season on 18 Kids and Counting with the Duggar family they went to El Salvador as well and I have watched that episode a number of times and I have listened to them talk about the poverty there and they showed many of the children there. The biggest thing of that episode that has stuck with me was when they went to an orphanage and they showed all of the precious children that are orphans and technically should be adoptable but they said it takes 7-8+ years to adopt a child from there if at all. It sounded like the government just doesn't make them a priority. I have been reading Kelly's blog all week with her stories and I a have also been following some of the other bloggers that are there as well. They have asked for people to step up and sponsor a child or children through Compassion for the cost of $38 a month. Sometime in the next year or two, when things are financially better I would love to be able to do this! I went to Compassion's website and they have all of the children that need sponsors and I looked at the children in El Salvador, you can look at a list for any country, and I noticed a lot of the pictures have hearts on them. I looked to see what that meant and it stated that they have been on the list for over six months for a sponsor! It is sad to read and see list after list of them! So if any of you are able and would want to sponsor a child go visit their website. I will tell you that I have cried while reading their blogs and watching their videos they have posted. What a blessing for them to be able to go over and witness to these families and children!

As far as Operation Christmas Child my friend Susannah is going do some boxes as well. You can go read about it here! As Cas and I were talking we decided we can go ahead and commit to this for next year as well. Since I have been getting so many things for Free with my couponing and a lot of them are toiletries I can start putting some aside for next year. Sometimes I see the Freebies or the next to nothing deals and I don't get them because we don't need them but I can go ahead and put them away as well as collecting pencils, etc during the after holiday sells when they have everything marked off! If you decide to do this you can read my previous post on it and go to their website and you type in your zip code and they will tell you where to drop your box or boxes off at. There should be a church or school close by to you! God Bless You ALL and to ALL a goonight!

Here is Something to Keep You Busy...

2009-11-11T14:00:00.003-05:00

This lady compiled a whole list of things on sale at Wal-Mart. There is a 119 of them under $1 and 18 are FREE! I am at a stand still on printing out coupons since I ran out of paper. I must get some today! Between the Sunday Paper coupns, magazine coupons, coupons from the sores, and all the ones I have printed out I have a lot of them to file. I have cute most of them so that is a start. Let's just say if we had a $ for every coupon I have right now, we would have some serious Christmas money!

And her Target list.

Things you made need for your Thanksgiving meal.

Oh What A Day

2009-11-10T23:00:00.001-05:00

Oh what a day for the nasty rain...........

Gosh I don't think it ever stopped. Thank you Ida! Now where do I send the receipt for the row boat and rain boats I need to get from the house to the car? Oh and convinceing Maggie to go potty in the pouring rain was a "boat load of fun"! I had to lasso her up and go stand out in the middle of the yard with her while she shook until she decided she better go because Mamma was not taking her back in until she went. Meanwhile I was getting soaked! When Cas left for work yesterday he told me not to go anywhere because he did not want me out driving in the downpours because he knows I hate driving in the rain. It has ended up bad for me before! Wellllll I decided to save more money and get more items around here I was going to have to start shopping at Publix!

Oh what a day for savings.................

Well we don't have one here in town yet. They are supposedly building it but they need to build faster. We have some within 30 minutes of the house. Their sales go from Wednesday to Tuesday like Winn-Dixie. I have shopped them before when I in town I have just never made a habit of going. Well if you read a lot of food saving blogs Publix seems to be a phenomenal place for savings. So I suited up in my raincoat and rolled the bottom of my jeans up ~~don't you just hate when they get wet and then your whole leg gets wet.......?~~ and grabbed my coupon novel along with the plethora of ones I found online for Publix and ones that went with their BOGO's of the week. I set out in the downpour to drive to LaGrange because it was the last day of the sale and there were a lot of things we needed so I had to get there come hell or HIGH water! And high water I did see. So I gripped the steering wheel and prayed to get to the grocery store to tell about it ~~blog about it~~. The Publix I went to, I clocked it, it 30 miles from our house. Normally I get to LaGrange pretty quick when I go visit a friend so it is really not that big of a deal. I have to drive no matter where I go grocery shopping. I made a list off of their website of all of the BOGO's that I had coupons for and I set out to only get that stuff, other than milk because we needed it.

The Tylenol was FREE and the tape was almost free. They had a $3 coupon in the Publix coupons inside the store and $1 off online and each box is only $3.99! Pup-Peronis are for Christmas! LOL I am really sad I did not go ahead and get the chocolate chips that were a major deal. I have some but I will probably need more for holiday baking! Sigh.......

It is hard to read but it says I paid $37.46 and saved $74.13!

I am pleased but still not thrilled! I know it could have been better!

A friend of mine, who has a husband and three boys to feed went yesterday and spent $29.70 and saved $124.93!! She also said had she realized she could have saved another $13.00 on top of that! Now that is what I am talking about! Until we meet again next time ~~this week~~ Publix!

Everything Has A Place

2009-11-10T19:30:00.002-05:00

AND EVERYPLACE HAS A ~~LOT OF~~ THING~~ssss~~!

Little Blue Baskets to match the paint color and they came from Dollar General for .50 cents on clearance! That detergent is thanks to BOGO and coupons! Sweet!

My plethera of cleaning products that I have stocked yet again to fabulous deals! Every crafty women keeps 15+ cans of spray paint around....No? It bothers me that the paper towels are upside down!

This is a peak inside our hall closet. I had just tried to stop opening it for fear of what I would see or worse, what would fall and give me a concussion or the worst......death from a falling tool! I don't think Maggie would be able to handle becoming an orphan from a "closet catastrophe"!

I found the shelves at the DG on clearance from there back to school college dorm room type stuff! They were going to be for the Man's closet but I found them a new purpose in life! Little buckets contain tools and electrical cords, etc. Give them a week and who knows what will have married into my little black buckets of beauty from the Dollar Tree.

Oh and I did crop out all the coats that live in their too! On blueprints to houses they really should label these little nooks with doors "Crap Closets" and not the formal name of "Coat Closets"! Really you want to tell me you JUST put coats and jackets in there? LIAR! LIAR! PANTS ON FIRE!

Bucket O' Bug Spray! Apparently they are shaking in their 6 little legged bodies cause those dad blam ants won't get the heck outt'a here!

Under our kitchen sink where each tub has a certain category of items. Funny I should say that.....cause I gave the run down on the goin's on of my method and before I could get these pictures posted I opened up the cabinet and it didn't look so much like this. Only one other person has posable thumbs in this house! Guilty???

Pour Some Spices on Love

Take a Bottle Shake it UP.........

(we love some Penzy's)

And last but not least this little beauty! I came up with this a few months ago for all my little backing items, popcorn, salad toppings, etc. A friend of mine visited this summer and she loved the idea since she didn't have much room in her pantry. This one came from Target for a few dollars and I hung it with 3M's because I didn't like the look of the metal hooks showing that came with it. Also, they were scratching the outside of the door.

Cause I need 10 25 more boxes to fill!

If Cas ever goes missing you should check in the rubbermaid boxes.....things tend to get stored ~~shoved~~ in them! If you put all your junk in boxes and stack them ever so pretty then it looks much better then a pile of junk thrown in the corner or crammed in a closet! They don't teach that in decorating 101 in interior design scholl? What? Really?

There you have "Project Organization"! Does this project ever end?

Operation Christmas Child

2009-11-09T22:54:00.002-05:00

Have any of you ever heard of this or participated? This program is part of Samaritan's Purse. It is where you fill a shoe box up for a a child somewhere in the world that otherwise would not receive anything for Christmas, much less anything all year? I included a video at the bottom that shows the gist of it. The website will show you much more! We have participated in this before when our friend Renea was challenged to do this as a project for a college class to receive extra credit. Yes it helped her but we did it for the fact that a child would get something for Christmas! We did two boxes a couple of years ago and we will do two boxes this year. One for a boy and one for a girl! You decide if you want to do a girl or a boy either ages 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Here are the exact guidelines! We have the boxes that Samaritans Purse provided to us but you can use any standard shoe box out of your closet or you can even use a plastic shoe box that you can buy at ant Dollar Store or Wal~Mart. Some of the things that they say the children love are toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap~all personal hygiene items. Things that we walk into our bathroom everyday and use some of these children have never had. I know you can especially get some of these items close to free with coupons. They also suggest pencils! The kids love them! Any kind of hard candy, toys, maybe even something to wear. You could spend $10-$15 and have your shoe box full of stuff that would mean so much! The Dollar Tree and the Target Dollar Section would be great places to find things for your boxes. I was watching a video on this program earlier and there was a little girl that looked to be 6-7? and she received a doll in her box and she said that "she had prayed to God for a doll and had always wanted one"! I am pretty sure all of the ladies reading this had numerous dolls growing up. I know I did. If you think you would want to participate in this I would encourage you to! You can go to their link that I posted at the top and you can print of labels for your box and it will tell you everything that is suggested and not suggested for your boxes. You are also to include $7 to help get it across the world! Also, on their link you will need to look up a drop off location. You just give them your zip code and their should be a local place to drop your box off between November 16-23. I am in no way suggesting that you do not participate in local charities as well. We have participated in Giving Trees and Toys for Tots in the past as well! We are on a budget at our house but for $15 we can make a child smile with stuff that we would take for granted! I hope all of you participate! If you need to know more or what to do leave me a comment! If you participate in this leave me a comment also!

A Coupon Missionary

2009-11-07T20:52:00.006-05:00

Of sorts.........First off all I would like to say "HELLO ANDREA" if you are stopping by! I was in Kroger doing my deal shopping this evening after another stellar Wii game shopping trip, more on that in a minute! I was sitting with my mega coupon binder over by the Gatorade because I had just snagged 10 of them for $5 dollars, I keep them in the pantry for the DB (Darling Boyfriend since in blogland husbands are referred to as DH~Darling Husband) when he is playing sports and doing yard work, and sometimes I crave them ~~even though I know they are completely bad for you~~ when the sweetest last approached me. She is a young Mom who has just started couponing after she learned about how much her friends were saving. She asked me a coupon question and I happily answered. I told her about Southern Savers off of the top of my head. I know I read a lot of sites but I could not remember the names of all of them. She said she had hardly paid for much since she had gotten started couponing. I told her a few things I do and she was very thankful and we both went on our way! I went down a couple more isles and I kept thinking about this women I just met and how excited I have been with these fabulous grocery/toiletry/supplies deals lately and I just felt like I had to share more. I really felt guilty ya'll! I had to go witness to her about some more super saving sites! No you won't find me knocking on your doors or out in a picket line with my info so don't worry! I stopped what I was doing and went back towards the direction I had come from looking for her! I found her and asked her if she had a pen and she did so I wrote my blog address down for her. I knew I had some fab-U-lous sites on the side of my blog that have helped me out so much lately and I wanted her to know about them. Like I mentioned earlier she is a Mom and not only do I read about great savings of household items I read deal after deal on childrens toys, clothes, etc. and what a better time to know about them with Christmas coming up! I in no way care if she even reads the blog as long as she is able to use to sites on the side which I don't write. Hardworking ladies, and even one Dad write them for ALL of us to benefit from so I know they feel just as giddy when we are scoring deals that they have blogged about! I also shared with her that a great place to get coupons is out of the "ALL YOU" magazine.

This is obviously not this month's magazine! The only place I have found this magazine is at Wal-Mart but that is not to say it is not other places I just haven't gone on a wild hunt for it! Here is the list of all of the coupons that were in this month's issue. This magazine is cheap and it always has great stuff in it! A tip I received from the Coupon Queeny at The Southern Women's Show was buy a Sunday paper for each person in your household to get the extra coupons. That is her rule of thumb. She also has older children and she said to keep them occupied in the store she sends them, as a game, to go around the store and has them collect all of the coupons that are in the little coupon machines around the store. She also mentioned if you have certain things you need coupons for ex. diapers and you have friends that don't use diapers ask them to save the coupons for you or trade them for coupons you have that they might need! A great thing she shared with us also was that when she finds a deal on things they don't use or need that may come out FREE (or maybe super cheap) then she gets the items and donates them to the food bank! I watched a lady on the news this Summer and she does the same things but puts the stuff up at her house and helps out friends that need help. She herself did not have much but she said it's FREE so get the items because someone will need them! Aren't those great ideas!? Another thing that lots of people don't know about is that you can buy coupons on Ebay! It is illegal to charge for the coupons they can only charge for postage! So you could get a huge coupon for the price of a stamp! Anytime I go anywhere I try to look online for a coupon before I go to use on top of a sale. Old Navy, Bath and Body Works, you never know so it never hurts to look! I am in no way a coupon blog writer but when things are too good not to share I just can't contain myself! When everyone needs to feed their families and keep the laundry washed and house cleaned and there are ways to do that for super cheap then why not!? There were times when we all just went and bought everything we needed and the bill was probably sickening and the more things that happen in our lives and money is a BIG issue you have to make some changes. Not feeding your family is not acceptable obviously so why not keep your pantry stocked the cheapest way possible! My grocery bill was $40 dollars tonight for 40 items at Kroger! That is including 10 boxes of potatoes, 2 pizzas, 8 stouffers items for me to make dinners out of, 10 gatorade, and a few other items! A friend and I had a conversation a few months ago about how great we felt when our pantry's were full and the fridge/freezer was stocked. I know the feeling of we have nothing to put together for a meal and it is not payday yet! It is a sick feeling! That was before the couponing FREAK in me came out! Any of you watch Jon and Kate? Do you remember the episode where they had just moved into the new house and she found out he went to Home Depot without taking and using the coupon they had for the store and she went off on him? People said that was horrible.......but truth is that is me ~~in a nice way~~ now! If you have money to save on something you have to buy anyways then that is like flushing money down the toilet. I carry my coupon binder everywhere with me now! My friend Briana likes to make jokes and call it my Trapper Keeper! Make jokes Sista! :) Cas and I went to Wal-Mart the other day which I don't do that often anymore. They may have "Everyday Low Prices" blah blah blah but they don't have BOGO and they have been a pain to me every time I have tried to use coupons there so really it is not the place to buy groceries. I just go there for other clothing, gardening, decorating, etc. Anyways I didn't take my coupon binder in with me because we picking up something that I knew I would not need/have a coupon for. While we were there Cas said "oh we need syrup." O.K. fine but make it cheap. There was a brand there that was cheaper that the Great Value. It is called Log Cabin. O.K. that is cheaper lets move to the check out! The next day I was filing coupons and I came across a $.50 off coupon for Log Cabin syrup! I was soo mad! :) Also let me tell you that most things that are not name brand taste just like the name brand. So don't be so haute ladies! There are a few things that I do buy a specific brand of but.....I did learn that Winn Dixie green beans are growdy! I do have to say that even if money was not an object around here on the Howard~Smith home front I would still take advantage of the coupons and the great deals because why not?? and it is actually super fun to me!

Andrea the site I told you that I use is The Grocery Game. It is a minimal fee every two months and she points out what is on sale and the coupons on top of that and if it is a good deal of not, etc. You can use if for a Kroger, WM, Winn Dixie, CVS, Walgreens in our area. I use it for WD on top of blogs!

Old Navy had scarves for $1 today and I had a %15 off coupon that I got off of Old Navy Weekly.com (they normally reset on Th). So I was able to pick up a few for Christmas presents! ~~I will in no way admit to getting a feeeew in colors to match everything!~~

As I mentioned earlier in my post I scored another sweet deal at Target tonight! I went back for more Wii games. Scenario~3 Wii games @ $14.99. The promotion this week was Buy Two get the Thrid FREE. So that is 2 @ $14.99. Then I handed her 4x$10 off coupons! Ya'll do they math! That girl looked at me with a stunned look on her face and said......"You just got all those for free..you didn't pay for any of them!" That is sooooo right chicky! If I had only been brave enough to have used more coupons last night! I am just glad I have been able to use these great deals for Christmas presents! That does not mean I don't love you any less babe because I didn't pay for them! It has been a true blessing!

So go on and share your knoweledge with others that don't know! They will Thank you later when they realize all the money they hand over and they don't have to!

Andrea if you are reading this good luck to you and my email is mph4au@gmail.com if I can share the coupon love with you any further!

Saturday Things Worth Sharing

2009-11-07T10:06:00.004-05:00

Old Navy is having $1 fleece scarves today! Today only and you can buy up to $5. I also found a coupon on oldnavyweekly.com so you may can score a coupon on top. I like to have a lot of differant scarves to match different colors!

Don't forget to go buy your Wii games! If we go back today I am going to have strength at the Dollar Bins! Luckily for Maggie they have put their doggie winter clothes out at the 1-2.50 section! Will post on that later!

Also, they are having a giveaway for $25 to be used at The Monkey See Boutique. Go and check out the details! Click on the "giveaway" 1st. They have some ca-uuuuute stufff! I would like one of everything Dear Santa!

Maggie is hoping I win this giveaway so she will receive some new bling for Christmas! These handmade pet tags are super presh!

If you want something that will make you laugh go read this and keep reading her blog! I found it this morning and was very entertained! I entered the give-away for the camera strap cover cause I soo need one! Yes in-deedy I do! After that click on her archives and read 1-800-shoot me! I laughed out loud!

*I may be adding to this throughout the day!*

What is everyone doing on this pretty Saturday? I would love to hear!

Show Us Your Life~Thanksgiving Traditions

2009-11-06T21:30:00.001-05:00

This week at Kelly's Korner everyone is sharing their Thanksgiving traditions.

Every year we have two seperate Thanksgiving's. One in Macon, Ga where Cas's family lives. His Mom and one of his Aunt's(nurses) and Brother-In-Law(cop) all have the same weekends off so it depends on the weekend they have off. One year we didn't make it because we had Auburn/Alabama tickets! They have Thanksgiving and Christmas other weekends than the actual holiday since the family is rather large and that way everyone can go to the other side of the family on the holiday. At Cas's family Thanksgiving we have tons and tons of food. So much that you will feel full just looking at it. Everyone is assigned dishes to bring and it is an all day long buffet! You eat until you look like they Turkey in the Thanksgiving Day parade! There is one Granny, 5 sisters, their husbands, 11 grandchildren and their spouse/signifigant others, 3 great grandchildren and two more on the way! That equals lots of people! There is never less than 30 people in one house. We take turns eating at the tables. You must wear your deoderant cause your gonna be close with one another for the day! I don't have many pictures :( but I do know this picture was taken for us last year. We had a cousin-in-law do a mini photo shoot for us so I could send out Fall cards with our new address on them!

This was us last year in Macon on his Granny's front porch

Then we go to Birmingham for actual Thanksgiving to spend time with my Dad and his wife. We have a much smaller crowd there! 2 parents, 3 children (me and my two step-brothers), Cas and my step-brother Tom is getting married so that is one more. We also have a family friend that joins us so usually we have 6 and now we will have 7! We all fit around one table in the dining room. We have the usual turkey, green beans, sweet potatoe casserole, etc. We also have two types of dressing. One is a southern dressing and the other is more of a northern dressing. The guys watch football all day of course. I like to get up and watch the parade and I start scouting the sale papers for the best deals on Black Friday. I make my list of where I have to go 1st and what is most important to try to get for fear they may go quickly.

This was us last Thanksgiving in Birmingham

Cas setting the table

My Dad cutting the Turkey.....the skin is my favorite part! I know it is fattening!

This is Calico.....she literally came up to the dining room window while we were having our Thanksgiving meal two years ago. We were eating and I looked over and there was that extremely scrawny, at the time, kitty sitting in the window out in the cold. Luckily for her there was turkey leftovers and I with a soft heart for animals! I snuck her some of the goods!

That is right you go ahead and thank me......."Thank you for convincing those parents of yours to take me in and spoil me...meow meow.......I am sorry for the times I have bitten you and clawed you....I shouldn't do that you fed me and these people gave me a forever home.....meow meow!

This year the Auburn/Alabama game is on Black Friday so Cas will be with the boys and I shall be hunting for deals or window shopping!

This is just a few weeks away! We are doing Birmingham Thanksgiving and Macon Thanksgiving all the same weekend this year. Lots of driving!

What is your favorite thing about Thanksgiving? What is your favorite recipe? I just love some southern sweet potatoe casserole with the brown sugar and or marshmellows!

I Got The Best Deal I Can't Contain Myself!

2009-11-06T21:04:00.003-05:00

I read lots of deal and coupon blogs, etc. but when I find something outstanding you know I must share with all of you! O.K. see the add above? This week they have buy two Wii games get the third FREE! Well then you go to this Target link that has Christmas coupons on it and you print out the coupon for $10 off of two Wii games! Print off a few and stick them in your purse! Well here is where the deal got even sweeter.....I used FOUR coupons equaling $40 dollars off! I asked the guy (I am glad I had a young guy check me out, they are game for anything) if he thought it would take more than one? He said he would try and it worked so I handed him a third and fourth coupon! I had more since the stack of coupon books were sitting there I could have grabbed more but I was afraid at some point the register might decide it had had enough and he might have to re-ring me up and I might not get to use as many coupons!? I have thought about it a lot this evening how many I could have used? :( Now they have a lot of $14.99 games too that are great for the kids so you could certainly walk out of there spending hardly anything but the games that Cas really likes were all 49.99. They also had a large section of the $14.99 ones up near the registers FY1!

I spent $65.98 and saved $89.99!!!!!

The promotion is only good through the end of tomorrow (Saturday) and the coupon is good through November but if you are wanting Wii games for Christmas then I would certainly use them on top of each other for the maximum savings! This is when you buy things when they are on sale/promotion and a coupon on top of that! Now I can't gaurantee anything as far as how many coupons you can use but because somethimes things happen differantly at differant stores! Ahh I think I almost wet my pants I was soo excited! I may certainly go back and get three of the 14.99 ones and that would have me coming home with three games for the price of one!

Ahh I luuuuuuuuv a super great deal!

I wore these today! I paid $8 dollars for them at the Payless sale I blogged about last week!

Meg yeah for your shoes you bought too!

Five Question Friday

2009-11-06T20:37:00.001-05:00

I am playing along over at My Little Life!

1. What is your dream job?
Teacher or event planner
2. What song could you play over and over?
Right now? Hmm probably Party in the USA just because it is upbeat and I can sing to it!
3. Do you prefer to talk on the phone or text (or email)?
Calling is quicker than texting but I text a lot if it is short. If it is long and I don't want to call then email because I can type fast!
4. What is your must have beauty product?
Lip Gloss-I like the Bigelow?? stuff at Bath and Body Works

5. What is your favorite Michael Jackson song?

The day of his memorial service I could't get "Man in the Mirror" out of my head! I actually like a lot of them!

Thank You Ladies....

2009-11-06T00:55:00.002-05:00

I want to apologize for being in a blogging fog! Ha what is that you ask? When you don't realize people have been leaving you super sweet comments! How did I manage this? Well I changed some of my settings. One of them was to publish comments without my approval. Well I did not realize that it would stop notifying me that I have comments! Well sort of.......normally it shows me on my dashboard where all of my blogs (because I have three) are listed. I just realized that they are all posting but it is showing on my list of all my blog posts! Ahhh but why can't it still tell me when I have new comments incase someone leaves me a comment on older posts? I had to set it up on email so I don't miss out on all of your sweetness! So Blogger I just need you to add an option that notifies me on my dashboard but where I don't have to approve the sweet comments!

So Thanks Ladies!

Shout outs to some new ladies!

Bonnie at The Brown Family and

Summer at Summer's Story

Mommy Harris we would have so much fun bargain shopping together!

Ya'll go check out her blog for all you Christian Momma's (that includes you pet Momma's and Christians that are not Momma's yet!) Her and I went to school together!

Sus Thanks for the sweet reminiss about my Momma! I know I can dig up some pictures on us too! Anytime you want me to come help you with your holiday decorating I am there! For real! No lie! That stuff is pure excitement for me!

Ain't no mountain high
Ain't no vally low
Ain't no river wide enough, Sus
If you need me, call me
No matter where you are
No matter how far
Just call my name
I'll be there in a hurry
You don't have to worry

O.K. I will quit singing and embarrasing you in Blogland!

Meg I will be trying some of the recipes Thanks!

Maggie appreciates your sweetness too! She hears you have a tall strong single man at your house!

Target and I are Becoming Very Close

2009-11-03T16:00:00.002-05:00

Lately I have been getting a lot of super deals at Target. I follow a lot of coupon blogs and they tip me off on some of the great deals. I also had a bunch of BOGO coupons from the super sweet P&G savers a couple of weeks ago. I used all of them and stocked up! Now I just need someone to come and use them! I like to keep things stocked and if I always try to do it when I can get thing BOGO and use a coupon on top of it. It is really exciting to me! Also I used these coupons and went Monday after all of the Halloween candy was 50% off and stocked up on goodies. We have enough candy to last us til next Halloween but Cas may have it gone by New Years! There is also coupons for Halloween Oreos which I bought two packs off 50% off with a coupon on top off. My biggest find was a bottle of Margarita Mix that was $2 all because it had a pumpkin on the label!! They had soo much stuff that din't even neccesarilly look Halloween-ish like the plain blacks frames that were 50% off just because they had an orange sheet of paper in them! I am sad that I put them back now! I can definately see me making these after holiday sales trips a must when we have kids. There were so many cute things that you could put away for the next year. I always got fun goody baskets for all the holidays. This week they have a special where you buy two Wii games and get the thrid FREE! Plus there is a coupon here for $10 off of two! Hmm maybe the honey will recieve some games in his stocking!

Sunday

2009-11-01T11:38:00.002-05:00

For Soup ~~Saturday~~/Sunday we are having the yummy potato soup that I mentioned before from soupsanddips.com. I went to Christmas in the South Friday just to buy some along with a couple of other fantastic flavors! Yes I do make alot of soups from scratch but I like to have these on hand too! I just love making soups on cold days. I can also go about what I need to do and not have to worry about cooking and soup is loved around our house. Hope you all have a blessed Sunday!

Interrupted Halloween Blog

2009-11-01T02:26:00.002-05:00

As I have spent numerous hours on the computer editing pictures and writing I now have nothing to show for it. I hit post and in and instant all my hard work was gone. It is late and I have not more energy to "fix" it. I will redo it all in the morning!

Happy Halloweenie!

2009-10-31T19:00:00.088-04:00

We hope you all had a Happy Halloween! Here is what Halloween at the Howard-Smith's look like! A little like a funny farm? Hmm maybe

I just had to do it!

Her sooo cute Halloween dress!

Our little pumpkin!

This was already in her wardrobe

And because Old Navy had them on sale for $2 and I love Bee things

Tillie says Happy Halloween

So does Snittens

The only holiday he likes is "Snoogan's Day" and since Hallmark has not officially recognized that as a holiday yet he hissed something about Halloween......but I am not sure it was happy

And after alot of scratching and fur flying we finally got this little guy Possum to pose! You see he is a little skiddish of Halloween after the great incident of Halloween 2008 where his brother (one of the 4 kittens we had during the Summer, two already had homes) ~~we were trying to find a good home for him and I know the home he went to was not suitable since he has probably been dropped from high places and shot at with redneck devices~~ was given away ~~not be me because I thought it was heinous~~ to a trick or treater the only trick or treater we had and he came a night early mind you! After much a fuss ~~screaming, crying and yelling~~ by me I would hope this little guy knows I won't let anything happen to him! I have his ~~extremely furry~~ back! I only wish I was making this up folks!

O.K. maybe a little funny farmish........sigh

Cas's Pumpkin

My Pumpkin
This is the 1st year in a long time we have not carved pumpkins with Jason and Renea :(

And to top it all all this would be Shadow who has so graceously made her home right smack dab in the middle of our front door mat. She was apparently abandoned and I guess she decided we were the suckers to prey upon. Wonder why? She just wants to be loved and fed. Fed she is and loved also until she starts drooling on you. Ugh! I do feel sorry for her on cold nights. I am going to have to come up with a kitty house for her!
O.K. fine we are THE funny farm, but it does make for some good laughs every now and then!
We didn't do to much today other then run a few errands and I had to go use some great BOGO coupons for cleaning products that were expiring today. We also went to Sams and enjoyed our lunch of food samples! Today is our anniversary. Is today the day we met??? Noooo......but that is a whole other post ~~blog!~~ We turned down Auburn tickets due to the rain and went to Logan's for dinner and luckily we were finishing up as all of the football fans coming from the game poured into the restaurant! This evening we had 4 trick or treaters. Three belong to a co-worker of Cas's and one little girl stopped by. We don't live in a neighborhood so we don't get much traffic.

All this has worn Maggie out!

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

Click It!

2009-10-29T23:54:00.001-04:00

See that pink ribbon on the right of my page? If you are reading my page please take just the 30 seconds it will take you to click on it and then click the big pink rectangle! That is all you have to do! Please do it for the women in your life!

Thanks!

Fall and Halloween Decorations

2009-10-29T16:00:00.000-04:00

I have been meaning to share some of my Fall and Halloween decorations with everyone.

This is the wreath that greets you at the front door. I bought the wreath last year at Big Lots and then I found the sign at Old Time Pottery and then I added in the orange ribbon

This is the Scarecrow version of Cas and I ~~we look sad~~. They are on our porch with some Mums that I promise looked much better a few weeks ago!

I made the "S"

This little lady greets you on our porch too. I already had her and I found this little wagon at a yard sale this summer. I had been looking for one for this purpose.
FYI.....I don't keep my silver polished as I like it shabby chic :)

The decorations on the table that sits behind the couch. Yes I am aware that there are two frames that remain pictureless! :)

My entry way table. This table was my Moms and I just love it. It always hold cute things for the holdidays. Right now it has a cute leaf bowl with caramels for the guests or whoever may be passing by. Also in my apothecary jar is walnuts and their are some old keys in with them.

This little basket sits there as well with pumpkins and a cute scarecrow. We bought this tree at the Biltmore years ago and we have been raising it since. Still alive....yeah!

This little tree adorns the desk. I had the vase and I just went and picked up sticks from the yard and wrapped these cute leaves from Hobby Lobby around them. You can see I have pecans stuck in there as well.

And for .25 cents this little guy got to come home from the thrift store and sit in my tree!

Truth be told I own another one exactly the same. He came from the after Christmas clearance at Target last year as I had been picking up similar types of birds to stick in our Christmas tree. When I started decorating for Fall I wished I had left those birds accessible so I was super excited when I came across my new .25 cent owl friend!

I have a ton scarecrows from a previous job and lots of the leaf garland and mini pumpkins and gourds thanks to the Dollar Tree.

This is what rests about our t.v. armoire. I bought those cute little blocks and pumpkins last year at Hob Lob and decided to sit them on some candle sticks that I already had this year for the staggered look! I already had the garland so I found those flowers and tins and the Dollar Tree and put those little arrangements together to join the other decor.

Love pumpkins, love silver and luuuuv cloches

Some more fall decorations on our table in the kitchen. I added more pecans to my apothecary jars that have the "real silver" silverware in them.

The mirror above. I found these little nests at the thrift store for .25 cents and stuck in some leaves and an acorn I found 50% at Hob Lob

My table centerpiece. Instead of candle on the candelabra I used pumpkins and garnished them with leaf garland and ribbon. There are candles stuck down in the middle as well.

The kitchen light above my pumpkin centerpiece

This is really a picture stand that I found at an antique store and I use it for mini holiday ornaments.

In our guest bath
In the past I have done mostly Fall decorating and a little something for Halloween. I bought Cas this Peanuts Halloween village years ago and we put it out every year. This year I made a whole table of it.

I love this little set. Notice the FREE decorating in the background. This year when they had "The Great Pumpkin" in the comic section in the paper I cut it out and put in on some scrapbook paper and put it in a frame that I already had.

This was my tree before I put the spider web in it. I think I like it better this way! I already had the vase. I found sticks in the yard and spray painted them black. I found the cute orange and black ornaments and the orange and black filler at Hob Lob. I just put it all together and threw in some black tulle. I keep several rolls of the tulle ribbon around the house that comes on a spool at Hob Lob. It always comes in handy.

More tulle and orange and black filler. I just love the little witch hats sitting inside them! They were meant to be floral picks but I just pulled the stick off and sat them inside with some letters I printed off the computer

I just love these guys.
This hear I helped my friend Briana and I put some fall decor together for her.

Her mantle

All the fall decor we found at the Dollar Tree!
Thank You all for stopping by and sharing some of our decor with us!

Good Bye

BOO-Tiful Treats

2009-10-29T15:03:00.002-04:00

I have made a few Halloween treats this week! I made the first two treats to send to work with Cas today!

Did you guess they are ghosts?? I have mad these before and I think they are so cute and they are sooo simple! All they are is Nutter Butters dipped in white chocolate and then you use candies for the eyes.

1 pack of Nutter Butters

1 whole tray of white bark

Candies for the eyes, I used Hershey's Triple Chocolate Dessert Toppings found with Ice Cream Stuff

Tip: Instead of melting your chocolate in the microwave, because it usually burns that way, use a large pot on the stove and fill it with water. Find a glass bowl that sits down in the top without falling in. Put your chocolate in the bowl and turn the water on to heat. The chocolate will melt this way and not burn!

Oreo Balls

Cas's Aunt makes these and we got the recipe from her. Super Simple!

1 pack of Oreos

1 8oz box of Cream Cheese, leave out until soft

1 package of Chocolate Bark

Any toppings of your choice or you can leave them plain (I have done them in white chocolate as well for Valentines and drizzled with pink chocolate)

Put 1 package of Oreo's in your food procceser and one box of cream cheese in with them and mix until everything is crushed and mixed together. Roll into small balls and dip them in the chocolate and then garnish them with any seasonal topping of your choice!

I also made this cake this week to take to Jason and Renea's for dinner. Renea bought me the pumkin shaped cake an last year so I made this cute cake. Excuse his crooked smile :/

Momma Needs a New Pair of Shoes

2009-10-29T14:26:00.003-04:00

*UPDATE* IT IS 50% OFF OF YOUR TOTAL PURCHASE!

Blue Suede ones? Mmmm
maybe not but I do need some casual black ones. Preferably some that will not eat the skin off of my feet like almost ALL shoes do! Anyways I was online this morning and I read about Oprah having Christian Siriano from Project Runway on her show today. He is now a big designer and has a line of shoes coming out at Payless so they are offering this coupon for 50% of anything in the store!! They already have budget friendly shoes at Payless so just think of what you can get! This coupon is only good until tomorrow the 30th so hurry! If you have two Payless stores near you could get two pairs! You could even make the hubs stand in line behind you with a 2nd pair paying seperately off course! Laugh.........Cas and I have done that before when I needed a set of lamps at Hob Lob and I checked out with one lamp and a 40% of coupon and he checked out with a lamp and a 40% of coupon. Normally I would have just gone back the next day but I didn't want to risk my lamp being bought!

While you are out shopping you can use this coupon for 15% off at Old Navy! ON will have childrens costumes on sale for $2 on the 30 & 31st. There is also a coupon for a free travel hand sanitizer at Bath & Body Works! They have anti0bacterial hand soaps on sale for $3 right now!

Stocking Stuffers

2009-10-29T13:57:00.000-04:00

I know it isn't Halloween yet but if you are like me you like to get things ahead of time and especially when they are much cheaper! So here is one for you for the kids!

Hungry Hippos Travel Game $4.99
(found in the luggage section)
Use the $4 coupon from here or here: IE or Firefox
Final cost $0.99!

I picked one up yesterday for our nephews. You can't beat 99 cents!

Also if you have anyone to buy a book for Christmas then use this coupon! Cas has asked for a book for Christmas so I could use this! It is only good until November 2nd! You could use it for anyone and add a book in their stocking.

Busy Times

2009-10-28T11:44:00.001-04:00

Good Morning everyone! We have been so busy around here lately that I haven't had much time to get ALL of my blogging done! That doesn't meant that I haven't still been reading all my other 100+ blogs I read! So much to read so little time! I was up forever late last night editing pictures! It is not that it takes so long for a few pictures but I have a LOT. Do ya'll realize we went on a cruise in August and May and I have not posted the pictures because there are so many ~~back off people~~! I am going to get them edited and posted soon, I have been working on it. With Fall here we have been busy with the usual fall activities of pumpkin patches and festivals, when you live in the South they have a festival around everything. A few weekends ago it was the Hummingbird Festival, this past weekend it was the Syrup Sopping Festival! That's right I said "syrup"! It is a major condiment in the South! Ha! In South Alabama this week they are "festive"aling about the peanuts this week at the Peanut Festival! The leaves are starting to change so we will probably do our usual drive through the mountains to ooh and ahh about the colors and take pictures! Also, I have some fall baking I want to do. I found a recipe for some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and I have never had any so I am going to try to make those hopefully today. I have to do something with all those cans of pumpkin I bought when the t.v. was broadcasting about "the great pumpkin shortage" this year! The panic set in, LOL! It was almost as scary as when we were running out of gas here a few summers ago! I said almost! My email is filled daily with fall recipes using pumpkin or apples and there are so many I want to make but gosh we need to be on a diet around here! What is a girl to do????? Oh and we are going to try to squeeze in carving our pumpkin tonight too! Happy Wednesday!

Buy the Breast Products!

2009-10-28T02:33:00.001-04:00

Hi friends and fellow bloggers this is Maggie the resident fur baby of the blog! I wanted to remind all of you that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. They always put out lots of cute stuff to support this cause and lots of it especially this month! Mom says most of it is pink too! Who doesn't need pink stuff that supports a cause??? Tell me who? So rush out there and pick some stuff up I know ya'll need some things. Mom says they even have pink swiffer dusters and cute little dish washing detergent tabs that are pink! I know all of you need to dust and wash dishes! Well I am just sayin..... The Breast Cancer Site has some super cute things too! Mom has lots of things from coffee cups to ornaments and even has a Breast Cancer Barbie! This disease has affected my Mom as her Mom had this disease. Thank of you all shopping for the cure!

Poochie-Hauntus

2009-10-28T02:05:00.005-04:00

Here is Maggie and all her Indian Princess glory! This was for Howl-O-Ween 2009! She was sooo cute but maybe I am a little biased!

When I took these I didn't realize that I put her headpiece on backwards

While I was in a store Cas and Maggie ran into a little boy indian. She was way cuter! :)

She gave him a look as if to say.....your Momma didn't add beads and feathers to your costume! Woof!

Momma's Pride

The fam

The Schoonhovens with Tag

Two of the cutest things we saw!

Can't wait til next year!

Howl-O-Ween (2008)

2009-10-24T01:35:00.004-04:00

No I didn't spell it wrong......it is Trick-or-Treating for puppies, pooches, doggles, our 4 legged child! Every year Downtown Opelika has this event and everyone brings their dogs dressed up, some in full costumes some in just a t-shirt or bandana. They have food and doggie snacks and the money you spend goes to help out an animal rescue program. We took Maggie last year and she was soooo cute! Everyone wanted to stop and look at her. Since it was right before the elections I ordered a Uncle Sam costume and glitzed it up. I mean really ya'll thought I was going to leave something plain? Uh no I painstakingly hot glued sequined stars on top of all the stars that were on her cape and she even had a special piece added to her hat that lit up and blinked! She was blinging! Moi, her Mom also made her a sign that said "McCanine for President"! LOL If I only had a second dog we would have had "Sara Pawlin" as well! Ahh I kill me! Yes I amuse myself, I guess that is all that matters! We did see another dog in her costume last year but it was "as is" from the package.......I did see Maggie shoot them a look as if to say "Eww Boring" but I raised her to be a lady! I had been looking for something this year and found a bunch of cute things. I found mostly animal costumes, a pig, skunk, ladybug, etc. They were all really cute but most of the dogs dress as animals so I had to find something differant. I found something that I didn't see last year and believe me I saw every gosh darn costume there was to see online last year! I am not going to share with ya'll what it is yet. You will all have to wait until Monday to see! (I did tell one person what it is and she better not leave a comment :P Ha) We waited kind of late to get it so I have to work on it this weekend. Yes Dog Mom of the year toted Maggie's costume to Hobby Lobby today to match up some colors so I could add some accents to it! I will tell you it does have a headpiece to it that she wasn't digging the other night as she modeled for her Dad! So while some of you are searching for just the right costume for your children this is what I have to consume my time! Can you imagine what my real babies will be put through? Ha

Howl-O-Ween 2008

The Fam! I don't know why Cas looks so disgruntled he isn't the one wearing a top hat and sequins!

Getting ready to make her debut!

How Presh is she?

Her extra bling I found at Wal-Mart during the Halloween season! Who knew? It lit up and blinked so everyone was sure to see her!

Yep the cape was all white stars......boring, so I hot glued all those stars on a few hours before we went (I glued her fingers a couple of times too!)

The side view

The back view

I tried to get her to sit in front of my fall display but she wasn't having it. She was soo over the hat and wanted it off!

She is ready to go this year! It really is cute because they have the stores downtown open and they give the dogs treats and usually throw in a coupon for the adults! She hopes you all have a great weekend. She is going to be working on her blog and will be updating more often.....she is a few months behind! Happy Tails to you all!

-Mom and Mags

Trouble?

2009-10-23T11:29:00.001-04:00

Has anyone else had trouble with Blogger this week? I have tried to get some things done on here and write too and it hasn't let me :(

Soup Saturdays and Sundays

2009-10-18T00:39:00.002-04:00

I decided with Fall here and Winter coming that I would plan to make soups on Saturdays and or Sundays. Some weekends we are gone one of the days or we are in and out. If we are here then usually Cas is watching football and I am either on watching another t.v. or working on a project ~~only 500 more to go~~! The crock pot and I are total BFF's! I throw food in her and she cooks for me! She doesn't talk back or want anything ~~except a bath~~ in return! So far I have made our favorite Taco Soup a couple of times, Potatoe Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Chilli, and this past weekend I made Renea's vegetable stew!

Homemade Chilli with Cornbread

Potatoe Soup garnished with cheese and bacon bits! Delish!

I will post the recipe for Taco Soup soon! The Beef Stew I made was Renea's recipe, Cas was really wanting me to make a beef stew. The Potatoe Soup and the Chicken Tortilla Soup come from a company online www.soupsanddips.com. I add potatoes to the potatoe soup and add chicken to the Chicken Tortilla and add tortillla chips. It is one of my faves as well! I bought these at a show but you can just as easy go online and get them! They are cheap and easy and great on a cold day! What soup shall I cook next?

Fall Blooms

2009-10-17T00:34:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to share some pictures of our pretty Iris's with everyone. We bought this Iris at Easter time. My Mom loved Iris's and we saw this at Home Depot during Easter so Cas bought me this pretty one. The name of it has something to do with "memories", I can't remember the name of it exactly but it was perfect! We thought since it had bloomed in the Spring that it would not bloom again until next Spring so we were excited when Fall started and our pretty Iris started blooming. Cas's Mom bought this bird bath for him last Christmas and Cas bought me the little statue sitting in the middle of it. We were at a nursery in Birmingham and he found it, it is an angel holding a rabbit! My Mom collected rabbits so this was perfect! We started on this project this Spring and moved the bird bath in the middle of the yard and and started planting Iris's and purple(one of her fave colors) flowers around it. We just have to find a bench to put out there. So Summer is nice because we always have a bunch of pretty flowers blooming but it was just as nice to have these fall blooms!

Game Time

2009-09-26T23:08:00.003-04:00

Tag Your It!
My friend Susannah from The Edwards Edition tagged me to play along! Her and I grew up together!
The rules:

1. Respond and re-work: Answer these questions on your blog. Replace one question you dislike with one of your own invention, and add another question of your own.
2. Tag some friends to play along!

1. What's your favorite article of clothing?

Yoga pants that have elastic (in love with elastic so things don't touch me) in the waste!

2. Who was the last person you hugged?

Cas I guess

3. What's your favorite dinner?

Prime Rib

4. What's the last thing you bought?

Chilli seasoning and kidney beans

5. What did you cook today? (my question) I made homemade Chilli and homemade Coke Cake!

6. What's your favorite weather?

Fall

7. What is your least favorite season?

Summer due to the heat other than that I love to be out in the sun and the water

8. What's in your purse?

Wallet probably without any money!, make-up, deodorant, brush, sunglasses, gum, occasionally my camera and a load of other crap that floats around the bottom consisting on hair clips, ponytail bands, receipts, nail files, nail polish, sometimes clothes! You would have had a much shorter answer had you asked what is NOT in my purse! I like to be prepared people!

9. Say something to the person who tagged you.

"Hello Sus"! I wish we still lived in the same town so we could hang out! I know we would have lots of fun ~~stay in trouble~~ together! Thanks for making me laugh with your blogging and your love for Miley! LOL

10. What is your favorite dessert?

Anything chocolate and Key Lime Pie

11. What did you want to become as a child?

A teacher, a wife, and a mother!

12. What do you want to be now?

A teacher, a wife, and a mother!

13. What is your favorite song?

Party in the USA right now-yes, I'm 30 and I love Miley. (This is Sus's answer and I have to agree)
I love lot's of music! I have Christian, Pop, Rap, Rock all on the Ipod

14. What is your favorite country/state?

I like alot of things about differant states! I like Tennessee for the mountains and we love Chattanooga it has special meaning for us! I also love going to Florida but wouldn't want to live there due to hurricanes!

15. If you could go anywhere in the world in the next hour, where would you go?

Australia~to see the cute animals! Italy~I bet the food is fab! Anywhere but here!

16. What are my most challenging goals right now?

Making enough money to pay for all of life's neccesities!

17. What is your five-year plan?

We are gonna go back to being a teache, wife and mother

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?

Auburn football if I must watch. I prefer to be at a game if I watch. I like going to the Braves game's too

19. What show would you be a cast member of?

Extreme Home Makeover so I could help others! Cas and I could do a show like Bill and Guiliana!

20. What is your most prized possession?

My Mother's Wedding Ring

21. Name a favorite childhood memory.

Shopping with my Mom and going to Smith's and Sneaky Petes for hot dogs and Grapico

22. What is your favorite book of the Bible?

Corinthians

23. What is your favorite quote?

No bees no honey, no work no money

24. What is your favorite book?

Skippy John Jones~A children's book about a Siamese that thinks he is a Chihuahua

25. Now let's tag some lovely people:

Renea at Baby Makes Three

Joy at The Brunson Family

Meg at Our Army Life

Courtney at Court's Thoughts

Charity at Charity's Chatter

Lacey at Heath and Lacey

Susannah also did a post today on vaccinations for all you Mom's that would like to read. Very interesting!

Have fun!

FYI

2009-09-25T15:31:00.001-04:00

I am playing around with backgrounds and headers today so please excuse the hideousness of it for the time being. I am not loving what I have done so far. I liked what I had before but everyone had MY background plus it looked too Summery. I am still pondering professional help!

Show Us Your Life-Desserts

2009-09-25T13:16:00.001-04:00

It is Friday again and Kelly is blogging about desserts today! So I have a few to share!

One of our Favorites is "Better Than Sex Cake". If you are taking it to a church function or to some older folks you might want to refer to is as "Better Than Anything Cake".

This of soo simple, did you expect anything less, ha! So here is the run down:

1 Box of Devil's Food Cake Mix

1 Can of Condensed Milk-It calls for one but sometimes I put 1 and 1/2

Caramel Syrup-normally I buy the regular jar last time I bought the big bottle so I could put more on

Large Tub of Cool Whip-a regular size doesn't seem to cover it for me

Candy Topping-I like the Heath Bar bits but the BF doesn't so I grate the Hershey Bar

Make Cake according to directions

When it comes out poke holes all over the top

Pour Condensed Milk over it while warm and let it soak in

The add Caramel

After this has absorded into the cake then cover the whole top with Cool-Whip

Then just add your topping of choice to the top

Waa-Laa you have a great cake! It tastes even better after it sits in the fridge for the night!

Here are two more I really like on my Cooking Blog.....stiiiilll to be updated! I want to redesign it!

Orange Juice Cake and Chocolate Chip Pie

Happy Friday~Enjoy!

A, B, C, and D From ME

2009-09-24T01:33:00.002-04:00

A: I will be in Birmingham for the day tomorrow at the Southern Women's Show. I will be by myself so if you are going call me! Kate Gosselin will be there at 1:00. I wonder if you are supposed to bring something to get signed or do you just get your picture taken? Hmm...things to sleep on.

B: Please don't forget about going to Cold Stone Creamery for the Make-A-Wish event being held tonight September 24 from 5-8 CST. Everyone loves ice cream so why not have a treat and help children out at the same time! For the a couple of years while I was a Director at a day care I had a little boy by the name of Daniel (only 3 years old) at the center. He was a precious and energetic little boy and last fall almost a year ago he was diagnosed with Leukemia and in August he was granted a trip from Make A Wish to go to Disney World with his parents. So without donations and fundraisers such as all of you eating ice cream, these things are not possible!

C: Sus, I got the game and will answer and post hopefully tomorrow night! Friends you may be the next to get tagged!

D: It is after 1:00 in the morning and I am tired so sleep tight and I will fill ya'll in on other happenin's tomorrow!

Love Thy Neighbor?

2009-09-23T17:00:00.000-04:00

I know Jesus said too, and for a HUGE part I am great with that. But did he know this guy would be my neighbor?

I went to Target Wednesday afternoon to get some ink for the printer. I made a pit stop at the dollar section too.....very dangerous, very dangerous! That place is a trap. You can't go in without looking at the great cheap stuff and you can't get out without stopping by Starbuck's and buying a Pumpkin Spice Latte'! Anyways when I returned home I checked the mail and there was a great big postcard that reads "SEX OFFENDER NOTIFICATION"! We had already checked the list on-line after we moved here last year and it is very scary! This guy's card reads that he has been convicted two differant times and his last victim was a 6 year old relative! Horrible! I mapquested because we new it was right around the corner according to the card. Mapquest says this Mr. Crawford ~~Mr. Creepford~~ lives a mere 52 seconds and .32 of a mile from us! God please deliver us from this town!

TV Madness

2009-09-21T23:37:00.001-04:00

With all the new shows starting we have already ran into issues ~~fighting over the DVR~~! The other half has the DVR set to record all the shows he feels he has to watch and so that leaves me not be able to watch Dancing With the Stars. Yes we have numerous tv's in our house but I can't cook from the bedroom! I am having to push back watching Jon and Kate too! I know...you are rolling your eyes! The problem is that you can only record two shows at a time....I am thinking we need to be a two DVR household! Atleast we can agree on Jay and Chelsea which we are cracking up at tonight. They just informed me too that Khloe Kardashian is getting married this weekend? What the? I am always up on my reality gossip and I have not heard that! I must do better!

We will be glued to the tv tomorrow night watching The Biggest Loser! Anyone else watching it? There is a lady on there that lost her daughter, 2 week old son and her husband all in a car crash a few years ago! I can not imagine going through that! We are pulling for her!

Giveaways and Recipe

2009-09-21T22:56:00.004-04:00

As I was "Blogging It" today I came across Angie at Bring the Rain and Kelly at Kelly's Korner are both giving away the new David Crowder Band cd! Who doesn't love a give away? Just this week I was downloading some of his praise songs! I luuuv "All That I Can Say" by DCB!

Simply Mommy is giving away giftcards in support of Breast Cancer. Go check it out!

Simplified Bee is giving away a great book on photography.....which I love!

If any of you know me you know I LUV jewelry! So of course I would love to have this necklace that Julie of Julie Ellyn Designs is giving away!

Craft Queens this giveaway will make your heart pitter patter! The Mod Podge Rocks blog is awesome!

Also, Shannon at Bless Our Nest has a Fall giveaway as well! I have not had any luck winning anything yet but I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Lastly I read one of my bestest friends Renea's blog all the time but she also has a cooking blog that I have linked on my cooking blog.....her cooking is way more advanced than mine.....but I read it today and found she had blogged about my birthday and the ice cream she made for me. So you can make it too! Please invite me if you make it!

Last Day of Summer

2009-09-21T22:17:00.001-04:00

Today is the last day of summer......... While I do love the colors, smells, and traditions of fall I do enjoy a lot of things about Summer. Now I HATE ~~loathe with a passion because it makes me wan't to vomit~~ the humidity of the South! We live right in the midst of it in Alabama too! I hate to sweat and our bedroom stays 120* in the summer! But I enjoy such things as eating watermellon on a hot day, making homeade ice cream, love wearing ~~obsessed with~~ flip flops, sleeveless shirts and capris, sundresses and sandals, swimming, the lake and the beach, grilling out, 4th of July fireworks, going to the farmers market, and planting colorful summer plants! We have lots of fun planting pretty bright colored flowers in all of our flower pots. I can spend all day at Home Depot and Lowes and a few specialty plant nurserys just picking out plants! Another thing that gets me excited is when they start putting all the summer items out at Hobby Lobby. Really I should tell the truth on that too.....I like when they put out anything new at Hobby Lobby.....that is why I must visit weekly a ~~couple of times a week~~! I love going for cool treats like ice cream and Sonic drinks on a hot day! My favorite season of the year is Fall but there are so many things that you can only enjoy during the days of Summer! What are your favorite things about Summer? What will you miss? I have started working on my Fall decorations around the house and I will share some of those with you later in the week. Good Bye Summer! Until next year!

Diva's

2009-09-21T01:15:00.001-04:00

I haven't done much this weekend because it has poured rain. Cas went to the Auburn game last night and Mags and I burrowed in the bed listening to it storm and we watched the re-run of Diva's on VH-1. Of course one of our faves Miley was on there and we love most of the ladies that were on there! Mags is a Diva herself so she can relate!

Another Diva I love to watch is Jeff Lewis of "Flipping Out" on Bravo. In case you have never seen his show you may be questioning why I have a man listed as a Diva....well just watch!

He is so dramatic but he cracks me up! Of course Bravo is the home of Diva's! The Housewives of Atlanta and Orange County are my favorites of all of the housewives!

And last but not least....this Diva! I am traveling to Birmingham Thursday to the Southern Women's Show to see Kate Gosselin. I will be attending a coupon class and a cooking class too but this is my main reason! Anyone else going to it?

Who is your favorite Diva?

Friday Night When You Turn 30

2009-09-19T00:53:00.001-04:00

What does a 30 year old women do on a Friday night? Um downloaded all of Miley Cyrus's songs to her Ipod from her new cd! I downloaded them for free though. Back off all you who are judging right now! If you don't like her good for you but you can't even begin to tell me that when this song comes on in the car you don't sing along! Maggie likes it too! She moves her hips like yeah and wags her tail like yeah!

My friend Susannah has blogged about her love for this too and she is my age so hah! Check out this parody she put on her blog! Too fuunny! I do lover her songs! I am not walking around with a Hannah Montana shirt on or anything so I haven't gone over the edge! And I might have looked to see if she would be performing anywhere in our region........sold out.........darn 6-14 year olds!

Haaa-larious Happenings-This Stuff Really Happens on a Cruise People!

2009-09-18T23:11:00.008-04:00

I finally have the 900 plus pictures from our trip downloaded since we had to buy a external hard drive last night because our computer was FULL! Yeah I take a lot of pictures! I took a couple of videos on board as well and thought I would give you some humor to start off your weekend!

The first three videos were taken at the past guest reception. Oh yeah we were invited by special invitations! Please focus on the precious older man in the tan jacket! I cracked up watching him! What a good sport he was! Sorry for the poor video and the fact that the camera moves around a lot! There may or may not have been free drinks at this function!

Pah-leeze watch right when they say "Hands on Your Knee's"

Again sorry for the quality of this video and we also tried to rotate it but had no luck.....but let me preface it for you! A couple of nights the head and assistant waiters put on shows for the guests at dinner. Also let me mention that most of them are from Indonesia, etc so their singing accents are pretty funny! On our last cruise they sang "That's Amore'" so when "Apple Bottom Jeans" started blaring out of the speakers and that was followed by 100 plus Indonesians singing and dancing I thought I was going to fall out! I was soo not prepared for that! I would like to add that they all are so happy to be there and I know they do not make nearly enough to have to dance to this!

I have got to invest in a Flip video camera! This summer Amazon had them for $40 (I knew that because a money saving blog posted it!) and I thought about getting it because it was so cheap and now I wish I had!

Hope you all get a good laugh!

Party on the Block

2009-09-18T23:00:00.001-04:00

Tonight Cas and I went to downtown Auburn to the Block Party. It is something they are having now the Friday night before the home games. They have a different band each week and they had people out painting children's faces and yes one grandma's too! I think she was supposed to be a tiger but when she smiled and showed her teeth it was more like a big rat! So..... go rats! She was also the Mom to the lady that was dancing with her husband and I am pretty sure the dance they were doing was from a work out video! If only I could have turned on my video camera without anyone noticing! Ahh the free entertainment! One of our main reasons for going was because James Dean the artist that does Pete the Cat was at Auburn Art painting and signing pictures. We have a few and we bought one as one of Cas's Christmas presents (to be put away until then) and he signed it. I have another one picked out for him too! I also took a few pictures of downtown while I was there too! We had a good time and it was something differant to do on a Friday night.

Show Us Your Life-Dinner Recipes

2009-09-18T22:20:00.006-04:00

I read Kelly's Korner religiously. I have been following her since before she had her daughter and I absolutely love to read her! She is great! Every Friday she does a "Show Us Your Life" post with a new topic each week. I have thought of joining in on a couple of them that pertain to me but I seem to forget or get busy. Anywho today it is dinner recipes. I am sharing with ya'll one of my all time favorites! My Mother made it growing up and I loved it then and I make it because it is so simple and it reminds me of her. I enjoy making things that were her recipes since she is not still with me for us to cook together! I sure wish she was! I would give up everything to be able to!!!!!!
Chicken Escort is one of my all time, quick and easy recipes! I am going to be updating my cooking blog soon as I have been working on taking pictures of my cooking!

This is another one of my all time faves too! But I know ya'll don't need a recipe for that! We had this last week and my eyes are always bigger than my stomach when I make my Taco Salad! In case you are wondering about the dressing.....It is the Hidden Valley dressing mix in the packet that you add mayo and buttermilk to! That was another thing my Mom made for us growing up and I won't make it without it!
Here is another one of my SUPER simple meals! Pineapple-Teriyaki Chicken. Pour a bottle of Pineapple-Teriyaki sauce (found near dressings) over chicken and top with pineapple and bake til done and put over rice! It doesn't get any easier than this! The recipe is much better than the picture looks! Ha! I promise I do cook many more in-depth things but I had pictures of these on hand!
I hope you all do your post of your faves and link it to her blog so we can all get ideas and some great recipes. I probably have over 100 cookbooks in this house but I am still always on the hunt for a good recipe that I don't have to take all day to make!
Happy Friday!

Ice Cream and Their Dreams

2009-09-16T16:31:00.006-04:00

I thought I would share with all you this that I just received in my email: I know we have two locations here in town. Enjoy a treat and help a cause!

Cold Stone Creamery supports the
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Georgia and Alabama!

Cold Stone Creamery® will host the "World's Largest Ice Cream Social," a fundraising event to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America and its chapters across the country.

On Sept. 24, 2009, from 5-8 p.m., Cold Stone Creamery stores invite ice cream lovers to experience the joy of ice cream at a nostalgic event that promises wholesome family fun and lots of ice cream.

This year's celebration includes a 3-ounce Creation developed by 5-year-old wish child and 2009 Junior Tastemaster™ Jack. He combined sweet cream ice cream with brownie, sprinkles and fudge to create his special treat.

From 5-8 p.m., customers will receive a 3-ounce serving of Jack's Creation in exchange for a donation to this worthy cause. Donations that night and all month long will benefit the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

Krazy Kanye

2009-09-14T15:41:00.007-04:00

Argh...I am soo tired of Kanye and his antics! He always has something to say and it is usually uncalled for! He puts his two sense in when it has not been asked for! A few weeks ago, in case any of you missed it, he named himself the new "King of Pop" since Michael Jackson has departed. Umm isn't the fans decision? Any who I feel sorry for poor Taylor and for Kanye himself for thinking he is better than everyone else! I hope he comes to his senses. Even his peers don't think too highly of him right now!

At A Stand Still

2009-09-14T15:26:00.006-04:00

I am at a stand still on my blogging that I promised to do! Not because I am being lazy but because our computer is almost full and I can't download the almost 1000 pictures off of my camera! Argh! Cas and I are going to the good 'ol Best Buy to see if we can find a remedy (hopefully cheap) for this! I have recipes to share and most importantly I would like to share our pictures from our Mexico cruise and my birthday in New Orleans!

On another note Fall t.v. is starting up! Jay Leno comes back tonight and I am sooo glad because I do not really like Conan and never have.
Cas and I are also really really excited because the Biggest Loser starts back tomorrow night! We started watching that together after we moved in this house together and that is one of the shows that we both love and enjoy watching together! We have also started watching the Shark Tank that will come on the same night. It is where people have a unknown product and they try to convince investors to give them money for a certain percentage in their company. Pretty interesting! Happy Monday!

What t.v. shows are you most excited about?

Just When You Think.....

2009-09-12T11:27:00.004-04:00

It is going to be a good ~~descent~~ night because you hear and sing to "It's Gonna Be A Goodnight" by the Black Eyed Peas on your way home...... It happens----You realize heh maybe it is not going to be such a good night. What tells me that you ask. Well when you are carrying the pizza sauce, that you just bought no less that 30 minutes ago, to the pantry to put away and it gracefully plummets to the floor shattering and exploding causing there to be pizza sauce fireworks from the kitchen all the way to the den! It the midst of this glass was all over the place and sauce went everywhere possible including in the crack of the back door, all over the pantry, covered the floor and even so nicely made it on to my chair in the den. Just flipping grand! It also covered my feet and legs and the bottom of my pants. Apparently the glass bottle was thoughtful enough to cut me up to as I realized this when I looked down and was bleeding from both legs! The bottle was not that big to have that BIG of a mess! Wow starting this pizza tradition on Friday's isn't going so well!
*The bottle that was harmed was for next Friday night as I had bought two! Now I get to add that back to the shopping list! I will post pics of our pizza when uploaded!

Always Has to Have the Last Scratch

2009-09-10T16:52:00.001-04:00

We did Pet-A-Cures around here tonight and this little guy wasn't happy about it!

I was holding them and Cas was clipping and he got loose and scratched the **** heck out of me!

This isn't a good picture as I took it with my phone. I know I look very scary without make-up! There is two deep scratches and when I put make up on it looks like Halloween make-up! Swell!

A Birthday Suprise

2009-09-10T00:34:00.012-04:00

When we came in at midnight from our trip I found this note from my friend Renea!

Then found a cute pink gift bag with this in it! A great Ben and Jerry's recipe book with any kind of ice cream in it that you could want to make and these super cute ice cream bowls!

Then there was a note in it to open the freezer! Renea made me homemade Key Lime Pie ice cream! She knows I love Key Lime Pie and really love Key Lime Pie Ice Cream! Isn't she the best!

Just earlier in the day I feasted on this at LuLu's in Gulf Shores!
Yummy!It was so nice to come home and find this birthday treat! It was nice to be thought of. Some people don't even call you on your birthday anymore!