::GIVEAWAY TIME AGAIN::

Hop on over to

http://thenestuk.blogspot.com/2011/01/time-for-giveaway.html

Sweet Samantha is having a giveaway.

She is having a generous giveaway.  The lucky winner will receive one of her many lovely pillows like these below:

and

a set of of these heart shaped slate coasters

and a little sumpin' else just because.

You can check out her etsy to see what other kinds of pillows she makes.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/samantha2818

Good luck!

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::::GIVEAWAY WINNER!::::

Meredith from

http://welcometoheardmont.com/

is my giveaway winner!

Congratulations Meredith!

I will be sending this book out to you this weekend!

If you haven't stopped by Meredith's blog, you need to.  She has some great DIY projects.  So, stop by and tell her "hello."

Have a great weekend eveveryone!

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::HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A BLOGIVERSARY GIVEAWAY!!!::

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas.  I frequent many of your blogs and I see many of you had the privilege of having a "white Christmas."  We missed the snow this year....well, just maybe I did.  I really wanted to see some white...but it wasn't in the cards here in Louisiana.  We had rain and it was pretty balmy.

As we roll into the new year, I find myself as always trying to be better....you know, a fresh start.  Most of us say this is the year we are taking over our health and we will exercise more; this is the year I will read my bible more and so on. 

All this to say that my hubby gave me a wonderful gift this year.  He gave me hope.  I received this book from him.

I am here to tell you that I don't want to be a slave to debt.  I want to be able to send my children to college debt free!  No student loans!  I want to be able to have a savings account for those times when the water heater goes up or the car needs major repairs.  I want to be able to have money saved up for retirement.  I want to be able to have my house paid off.  I want to be able to give and bless others....just because; and in that spirit I will be giving away a copy of this book to celebrate my three year blogiversary.  

I can't believe that I have been blogging for three years.  When I started this blog I think I was writing to myself and slowly, I have had some followers who actually read my little ole blog.  To all you who read, I thank you.  It's nice to read comments, they make me smile.

I am passing on the blessing of hope.  If you would like to have the opportunity to win a copy of this book, leave me a comment telling me one thing you would like to be able to do if money were no object.

Dave's tag line in the book is
"Live like noone else so you can live noone else."

Well, this is the year that we start living like noone else so we can live like noone else.  It won't be easy, but it will be so worth it in the end.

Have a blessed day!
*****THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED****Pin It Now!

::MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A THANK YOU::

A little thank you to all who follow my little ole blog.  Your comments make me smile.  Your blogs  make me smile.  So, from our home to yours we wish you a blessed Christmas this holiday season.  May your time with family and friends be sweet and your New Year be a joyous one!

image by Kim Klassen

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a saviour who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

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::CHRISTMAS DECORATING CONTINUED::

I will be continuing on with our home decorated for the holidays.

Below is our tree. I am so excited about our tree.  It is real.  The hubs gave in again.  He really wanted to pull out the ole artificial tree from the attic, but I was really wanting a real tree again this year.  We weren't able to go to a tree farm and cut it down in 20 degree weather, but it was fun looking for it just the same.

We decorated it with a box of sentimental ornaments that I have collected over the years.  This tree is the first very full and tall real tree we have ever had.  So, I am thinking about making  some more ornaments to hang on it.  I recently was surfing a linky party and saw a tutorial where someone shared how to make dove ornaments.  Don't you just love my tree skirt???  HAHA, yeah, it's a white sheet.  LOL, nothing fancy here.  I haven't had a chance to sit at the sewing machine.  Maybe next year we will have a proper tree skirt.

Here is a closer look of the tree.  It's a Nobel Fur...or is it Fir??  Ha, I am not sure how to spell it , but that is what kind it is.

 Here is the mantle.  I decided to leave my Joshua 24:15 up.  I had wanted to do another piece of art that Luke 2:11 on it, but just didn't have the time before we had company or in between before we had our holiday party.  I just kept it simple.  Some garland and some pinecones and our stocking holders and my mason jars.

 To the right of the tree in the breakfast nook I chose to hang my barn star.  I also decided to place the piece that my hubby made me here.  As you can see, I have only got as far as priming it.  Sad, isn't it?  It was too hot to paint it during the summer and by the time I had a chance to get to it again, the temps had gotten cold.  Hopefully in the spring, I can put a coat of cottage white on it.

 I chose to put our Christmas music here.  We have a tradition of buying on Christmas CD every year and  around Thanksgiving we start to play the Christmas music.  I also chose to put our nativity on this piece as well as a red quilt to give warm to the lower shelf.

 Here is our dining room. See that big empty wall behind it?  I have a couple of ideas for it that I will share with you .  Maybe y'all can help me decide which ideas to use there.   I purchased that dining table cover at Target.  Love it!  It was only $16.00!  I think that is a pretty good price as it is a big one.  I think it's 6ft. by 120 ft.

 I chose to keep the center piece simple.  You know, so there is room for plenty of food and the plates.  : )  I just used these glass candle holders and some cranberries.  Love the red.  I also used some cream round candles I had to place inside.

And this, well, this is my kitchen.  pretty blah for now.  Haven't done much in here.  I just wanted to show you where I blog from.  I usually am on the end there blogging and making sure that I am not burning dinner while I blog.

Well, hope you enjoyed the tour.
Have a great evening.Pin It Now!

::: I AM BACK....:::

I sure hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  I can't believe it's been that long since I posted. 
Sue, thanks for asking if I am all better.  That was sweet.  I am indeed feeling better.  I got over the pink eye ........and would you believe five days before Thanksgiving  and a house full of guests I got strep throat????  Oh my, I hope I am done with being sick for the winter season.  I was able to get antibiotics and am all better now.  We had my husbands family vising for  a couple of weeks and then I had a house full of guests from work for a Christmas Party.  So, that meant that I had to decorate the house for the holidays.  Our house here isn't as big as our old house, so I didn't put out too much, but just enough to get us in the holiday spirit and have it be cheery.  Enjoy the pics below.


Welcome to our home for the holidays!
We've kept things simple outside.  Just a simple red wreath on the door.  I purchased this at Target for a pretty reasonable price.  Of course if I had time I probably could of made one.  I have seen Martha Stewart make these before.  But I was on a time crunch to get things decorated.

As you come in the front door the first thing you will see is our living room.  We have an open floor plan which we love.  It's great for entertaining.

This is our living room and it's the first thing you will see as you come in.  I am standing by the french doors taking this picture.  The opposite side of the front door.   To cozy up this area for the hoidays I added some red checked pillows to the sofa.  I also have a quilt that I want to lay on the back of the sofa.   Behind  the sofa is our kitchen and to the right of it is our kitchen dining nook.   Between the french doors and the kitchen nook is a small wall and this is where we chose to put our tree this year.

Later this afternoon I will post the rest of the decorating pics.  Blogger is being grumpy with me and not allowing me to add pics at this time.

So be sure to stop by later on.Pin It Now!

::SICK::

Down sick with pink eye in not just one eye, but two.  Blech!!  So, while I am recooperating and getting ready for some holiday company I want to share some linky love with you.

I was blog hopping last week and found this blog.  She has a sweet idea on making your own gift tags for the holiday.
Take a look at

http://gettingmycrafton.blogspot.com/2010/11/simple-homemade-christmas-gift-tags.html

Check out this one for some nontraditional way of wrapping gifts.  Very clever ideas and yet they are simply elegant.
http://craftberrybush.blogspot.com/2010/11/simplicity-saturday.html

  Love it!

I will be back after the holidays. 
Happy Thanksgiving!Pin It Now!

::WINNER OF CSN GIVEAWAY!!::

Hi all!

I am sorry I wasn't able to post earlier this morning who won the giveaway.  I work a part-time job and had to fill in for someone and didn't get home till late.

Thank you to everyone that stopped by to participate in the  CSN giveaway!   Since there was  only a handlfull of entries I chose not to use random number generator.  I put everyones name on a slip of paper in a bowl and mixed them up and picked one out.......and the WINNER IS.......

Tracie from
http://flutterbygones.blogspot.com/

Tracie, drop me an email so I can get your info to get your gift certificate to you.

Have a great evening everyone!Pin It Now!

::CSN GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Hey everyone!

I am so excited to share with you that I am hosting  a  CSN giveaway!   

If you haven't heard of CSN stores, you are missing out.  They have a variety of things to sell.  They have everything you need to accessorize your table for the holidays, home decor, cookware and more.  With Christmas just around the corner you will want to be sure that you have a beautifully set table.  Take a look at this beautiful drop leaf table they offer.

I love the finish and the styling of the legs.  Nice clean lines.  A great funcitonal piece of furniture that you can use anywhere in your home.

The folks at CSN have graceiously offered a $35 gift certificate for your shopping pleasure.  If you would like to enter for a chance to win, all you have to do is leave me a comment telling  me what you would buy if you won.


I will accept entries until midnight  November 2nd, Central time. I will announce the winner on November 3rd in the afternoon.

NOTE:  I am extending the time to enter.  I will accept entries until midnight on November 7th Central time.  I will announce the winner Monday, November 8th


 That's it!
Good luck!Pin It Now!

::A BOOK REVIEW::

Hi there!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day wherever you are.  A big shout out to anyone living out in the midwest.  Hear they are having some awful storms out that way.  Y'all stay safe.

If you have never sewed before or have minimal experience and would love to learn more.  Than Deborah Moebes book is for you.  Sorry, the pick is not clickable.  It is the only pic I could find of the cover from Amazon.

This is the best well done begining sewer book I have ever seen hands down.  She covers everything from the basics of sewing to why we should prewash our fabric before we sew.  Each of the projects in the book is photographed every step of the way with welll written clear directions.  Ladies, this is a first for me to see in a sewig book with this many projects in it.  She starts with very small beginning projects and has you work up to harder things like sewing zippers, etc.

This is a must have for your sewing library if you don't already own it.  I am planning on buying the book next week.  I have also contacted Deborah in hopes of her possibly giving a signed copy away here on my blog.  So, hopefully that will pan out.  So keep your eyes peeled for that. 

Additionally, I have been chatting with someone from CSN and I will definitley be doing a giveaway here.  Just not sure when.  Hopefully soon though as it sure would come in handy to a lucky winner for Christmas gifts, wouldn't it?

I am working on a tutorial to share with you all.  It is of  a sewing/quilty nature. 

Enjoy your evening!Pin It Now!