GIVEAWAY

Today I'm thankful for love.
Yesterday was my 28th birthday. Holy cow I'm getting old {my mother is somewhere rolling her eyes}.
I have had a batch of pretty poor birthdays lately but this one was nice. I'm so thankful for sweet and caring friends and family who go out of their way to show kindness and love to me. My heart runneth over.


The day started with donut holes (and those crunchy nonpareils...it was my birthday...don't judge) and a workout (see, not all bad...whew it was a doozy too).





Then lunch w my buds, presents, shopping, and baby kisses.



Isn't he precious?!!


Dinner w/ my mom and brother rounded off a pretty sweet day.

*****

Now to the good stuff...
My First Giveaway
*Giveaway now closed*

Here's the scoop: I was at World Market today and thought these 3 little items would be great for my first giveaway.

We're talking small stuff here folks...don't get too excited. Homegirl's still gotta buy Christmas presents for the familia...but I hope these little treats will brighten your day.

• Pumpkin Spice Bar Mix (because the world can't get enough pumpkin)
• Texas Turtle Coffee sample (not sure this has anything to do w/ the Lone Star state really...but here it is anyway)
• colorful measuring spoons (because they're awesome)

Let me just say that you're lucky those measuring spoons made it into the pic. They almost found a new home somewhere next to my whisk.

RULES:
1. You must be a follower (yes I will check)
2. Leave a comment and tell me what your favorite holiday indulgence is (hot cocoa, cheesy movies, lights, etc).

That's it!


Giveaway ends Monday, Dec 4th!
Good luck.

I've decided...

I'm going for it folks. My first giveaway.
Last week sweet Michelle from Decor and the Dog (ammmmazing, hilarious, love her and her blog) gave me some great advice. Who needs a stinkin' number of followers to do anything?! Not I. I want to do a giveaway and by golly I'm gonna. {Thanks Michelle!}

Plus, tomorrow is my birthday and what better way to celebrate than passing the love on to you guys!

Be sure to stay on the lookout this week for the giveaway details.
I'm gonna be perfectly honest, I have no idea it will be yet. But rest assured I'll make sure it's something I would want to get (read: it's gonna be good). Haha.

Love you guys!

Tell me about your Thanksgiving.
Best dishes, favorite moments, weather...I want the scoop.

Anyone else forget

I woke up this morning, set out on my daily errands; then realized (as I pulled into the Target parking lot) that today was (dun, dun, duuuuun)
BLACK FRIDAY.

I've never been Black Friday shopping (that's right) so I forget every year...seriously...every year (nevermind the fact that everyone everywhere talk about it...I'm clueless. Selective hearing? Who knows.) Luckily it was about 12pm so most of the crazies were gone but it was still insane. What happens to people? It's a great mystery to me. Kinda like what happens to drivers in Dallas when precipitation (any kind...but especially the frozen variety) falls from the sky. I don't understand it...to save $20 on a toy or something? What is this?
Y'all help me if I'm missing something here. Nobody loves a great deal more than I, but I've never been tempted. Maybe I'm too lazy. Maybe I have no idea what I'm missing.

Anyone go Black Friday shopping? Is it a family tradition? You're first time? Hate it/Love it? Best deals? Insider tips?
Tell me. I need a schooling.

Peaceful Acres

Today I'm thankful for last minute changes.
Late last night our schedule was suddenly open so we packed up the car a day early and got on the road to my Papa's.



I was so happy to hit the sack last night and indulged a little this morning by sleeping in. I went on a walk with the dogs (where I took the lovely pic above) after breakfast and have spent most of the day just being. 
Isn't it great to just be somewhere?
Being in this beautiful place with my beautiful family is like medicine for the soul.

So forgive me for not posting much. I'm going to go enjoy my sweet/crazy family and hope you will too.

Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving friends. (And forgive a girl if this is grammatically/spelling challenged...I'm NOT proofing today...rebel.)

If you will indulge me a little more

I got a phone call last night from the daughter of my old boss' best friend (whoa that's a mouthful). Little background: I was a nanny from jr. year of high school all the way through grad school (took a 2-3 yr hiatus in betwixt...but a LONG time). Anyway, I still get calls from time to time and (considering my bday is next week and I love babies and I have nothing better to do) I accepted the 2 day job.

What this means dear ones is that I won't be posting much until Wednesday so I hope you won't forget about me.

Hope you are all doing well. Can't wait to be back (and catch up on my reading too...wowzers. Ok, let's be honest, it probably won't ever happen...)

Until Wednesday friends...

Miss Me

Apologies first: I drop a sad bomb on you and then nary make and appearance for over a week. I'm sorry (and ok). Just really didn't have much to say and decided to take a little time for myself. I'm back now though. Thanks for your encouragement and understanding.

Secondly, I'm thankful today for the ability to run. Sounds bizarre but hang with me. I hated running in high school (nevermind that it helped get me in pretty great shape). It was a chore. It didn't come naturally. I never understood people who "loved" it.  Really? My gene pool just doesn't paddle that direction. We're built more for the unique task of savoring pasta carbohydrate storage (same thing) than expending energy. I'm not a hard-core runner but I am thankful for it because: 1) It's helped me challenge myself and grow physically 2) Running = stress relief (can I get a witness) 3) It feels good to do something I don't want to do but that I KNOW is good for me (make sense?) 4) It's a privilege. I am healthy and have fully functioning legs and arms. I too often take it for granted. I CAN run. I GET to run. This is amazing. I'm so grateful (even though I don't always enjoy it).




In other news:
1. I got a new phone (it has a good camera!) I'm always the last one to board the cool train so this puppy is taking me some time to figure out. However, I hope/plan to take some fresh photos (possible recipes) and share them w/ you next week.
2. Nigel (yellow lab) has stopped escaping from the backyard...at least for now. I hesitate to tell you the means by which we secured his entrapment, but suffice it to say, everyone is safer/happier this way (and it's totally humane so don't freak).
3. I rearranged the living room. Yes, I've totally stalled-out on that project since painting the swatches (what was that, like July?). I need some motivation. Anyway, I rearranged but since at present I lack a second chair (you'll all understand later), I am using one of those camping chairs as a stand-in. Classy. Don't you wanna visit?
4. I'm toying around w/ the idea of doing a giveaway if/when I make it to 100 followers. Pipe dream...but still...who doesn't love a give-away?

Happy Friday friends!
Hope you have wonderful weekends!!!

Guest Post {Nifty Thrifty Things}

Today I'm guest posting about some of my favorite projects over at Nifty Thrifty Things. Vanessa lives in Germany w/ her Texan-born hubby.  She was kind enough to invite me to be one of her guest posts while she's taking a much needed vacation here in the Lone-Star state. Vanessa is super sweet and her blog is full of great ideas for the budget-minded (hello, all of us).

Make sure to stop by and check it out.

Holla at your girl. ;)
{That is so unnatural for me to say.}

Blog Feature {Believing Boldly}

I was floored last week when I got an email from Summer Jo over at Believing Boldly asking to feature one of my dessert recipes this month.  Unfortunately, due to my camera issues {hoping for a new one for my birthday}, I didn't have the chance to bake something new BUT I hope you'll check it out anyway.
Hint - this fall-inspired recipe brings in a LOT of traffic around these parts.

Make sure you look at all the other great bloggers/recipes there too.
I saw a recipe for salted dulce de leche brownies - oh my goodness! Divine.

Thanks so much Summer Jo!!

A vote

Today (all week really) I am thankful for sweet, dear; kind blog friends.  You have no idea how much your words and thoughts meant to me this week. Thanks for being an encouragement and for reminding me how great a gift friends can be...even if you've never met.
Seriously, I love y'all.

--------

Today I need your help again. You may remember a week or so ago when I signed up for Cookie Swap 2011.  I've been trying to narrow the cookie field down to a few choices.  I think (I say that with great trepidation as I'm having the most difficult time picking) these are the final three.  Help me pick? Pleeeease...

Option 1 - Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Option 2 - Red Velvet & Cream Cheese Swirl Cookies

Option 3 - My amazing friend Jessica's White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

 Which would you wanna get in the mail?

Honesty...

Today I'm thankful for honesty in difficult places.

Can I be real today?
I'm not doing well. Various circumstances in my life have just compounded on me today and I feel bad. I've cried and prayed and hurt...still am.

I know that's not really worth writing about. I debated whether or not to post anything today. But this is honest. This is real. Maybe you're hurting today too - isn't it hard to be honest with ourselves when life hurts? We want to be ok. We want to be good and have it all together like everyone else seems too. But I want to be transparent here. Sometimes life hurts. Sometimes it is difficult and confusing. And that's alright.
I used to pretend things were are ok when they weren't but it never really help.

So today I'm not ok...and that's ok.

One good thing though - I bought a shuffle from a friend to use when I get bored on the treadmill. {I may save my workout habits for another post}. Anyway, I am so ridiculously behind the times when it comes to technology, music, etc.  Basically anything that's cool I won't know about for years.
For example, I just recently found The Civil Wars. They are amazingly good. Amazing.
It's all I've got on my running playlist right now...haha. I need help.
Any good music suggestions?

If you are in the dark like me, here's a little sample of this incredible duo to pique your interest. {It was so hard to pick a song...I ended up going w/ one a little more upbeat...just my mood - please listen to more.}

No, they don't even know I exist.
Also, I love how she dances - I do that all the time too. Makes me smile.

Twitter is for the birds

I don't really mean that. I'm bit of an actress today.

The following post is all about Twitter. If you don't tweet or don't care, I wouldn't bother reading any further:
Can I shoot straight with you? I'm embarrassed to admit it...prepare yourselves...BUT
with the exception of my own hashtags, I have NO idea what others mean...most specifically the abbreviated ones.
I mean NO IDEA. 

When I first started using twitter I thought there would be some sort of tutorial about those things. Imagine my confusion when, after clicking on my first hashtag assuming it would bring me to greener pastures, I saw before me a list of other {I'll go out on a limb and say cooler} people who used the same tag. T rest of it is pretty simple and I got it down quickly. But hashtags like #tc, #hhd #ff {haha Kelly}, #br, #lmnop....I mean seriously. I need help.

Can someone who's in the know make a dictionary or glossary of terms to assist the rest of us (I'm not the only one right) out? Also, if there's some twitter secret society that I need to join and/or know about PLEASE tell me.

This is how bad it really is: It literally took me 3 weeks to figure out what #ootd was. I finally had to google it and even then it took some digging.

So here's the deal - if you tweet something and I respond strangely, show your girl some love. Help her out. She's just using context clues and the inevitable smiley face to respond in the most cohesive way she knows.


In the meantime, unless written-out or commonly used, just expect me to have no clue what hashtags mean.

Breakfast Tacos

I woke up at 5:30am this morning to make breakfast tacos for David and his 4 co-workers.
No, I'm not normally that gracious...today is D's 29th birthday.

Apparently breakfast tacos are a Texas thing {most awesomeness is...I jest, I jest} but this should not be so.

Watch out. I'm about to change your life.

Eating breakfast for me is always a struggle, but wrap something in a tortilla and I'm golden.

via

There are a ton of great recipes out there (just take a look at the picture links for more on that) but my favorite breakfast burritos are either: 1) potato, egg, and cheese (w/ salsa on the side of course) OR 2) refried beans, egg, and cheese (maybe w some potatoes).

It may sound gross or weird but try it. Please oh please, just give it a shot.
It will open up a whole new and beautiful breakfast world to you.

This morning I made my simple bacon, egg, and cheese tacos {David's request} but the possibilities are endless.
Flour tortillas and eggs are always the base. Here are just a few options for the insides:

• diced potatoes, browned (my fav)
• hashbrowns
• vegetables, fresh or sauteed
• bacon
• chorizo (Mexican sausage)
• ground sausage of any kind
• beans, refried or black (both are awesome)
• spinach
• corn tortillas instead of flour
• cheese of any kind

To healthify it up some you can also use:

• Whole-wheat tortillas instead of regular flour ones.
• Egg whites instead of whole eggs
• No cheese, etc.

David didn't want to health-ify his birthday breakfast though, so I made the tacos this morning as follows:

Ingredients

• Taco-size (small) flour tortillas (I bought mine from the farmer's market where they're homemade locally)
• Farm-fresh eggs (again purchased at the farmer's market...they were beautiful. Is that weird to say?)
• Milk (optional - I use it in my eggs)
• Fischer's bacon (FM yet again. This bacon is from a small shop near my hometown. All of Fischer's products are amazing.)
• Reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• Amy's Organic Salsa (Salsa is KEY. I like a nice smooth salsa w/out big gross chunks or overwhelming cilantro flavor. But that's just my preference. I bought this salsa b/c we'd never tried it. {He said it was good}. You can also make your own OR use your favorite brand)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 {Yes, I make bacon in the oven...it works and NO splatter}. Line bacon strips on foil-lined cookie sheet and place in oven to bake. Keep an eye on it. Mine usually takes about 20-30 min for a whole package (yes, at once). Yours may vary depending on oven temps and how you prefer your bacon.
2. Meanwhile, break eggs into a large bowl and discard shells. Whisk in milk, salt, and pepper until thoroughly incorporated.
3. In large skillet on medium heat, pour egg mixture and cook until fluffy and no longer runny.
4. When bacon is to desired crispness, removed from oven and set on paper towels to drain.
5. Lightly heat or toast tortillas using either microwave or skillet (depending on preference).
6. When eggs are done, spoon desired amount of egg into tortilla, add a strip of bacon (no need to crumble unless you desire), a sprinkle of cheese, and top with salsa.
7. Eat immediately.

via

I adapted this a little for today since D was transporting these to the office.
In step 6, I omitted adding the salsa and immediately wrapped each taco tightly in pre-cut foil squares (some may not want salsa and it can make the taco soggy). Then I placed them in a large tupperware container with lid, with the salsa and a plastic spoon included.
David said they kept warm and were perfect for easily serving when he got to work.

*     *    *    *    *

OH! I almost forgot...today I'm grateful for birthdays. They've always been important to me {a fact made slightly humorous by the fact that my bdays typically resemble pond sludge...dramatic?} but I love celebrating other people's days. They're always a time to reflect, rejoice, and dream. I'm also very aware that birthdays are blessings. Not everyone gets to enjoy or see their next one. I want to savor every moment w/ the people I love and care for, never taking a moment for granted.

Wanna join the Be-Thankful November Challenge? Find out how here...

Cookie Swap 2011

It will hardly surprise you...but today I'm thankful for
COOKIES and friends to share them with. 
{Wanna join the Thankful November Challenge too? Find out how here}


Courtney shared something on her blog yesterday that made my insides effervesce like champagne on NYE.

Have you heard about The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2011?




Sounds amazing right? I am tickled beyond belief.
I LOVE a cookie swap.
Plus I love getting fun mail {oh how I miss a good handwritten letter - not bills...boo...or junk mail full of strange catalogs I've never heard of.}

The general premise is this:

• Sign-up (it's free)
• Receive the addresses of 3 other bloggers
• Send each of the 3 bloggers 1 dozen homemade cookies.
• Receive 1 dozen homemade cookies from 3 other bloggers.
• Write about it on your blog.

It could not be 1) a better idea...seriously or 2) more simple.


I already signed up...who's with me?
You have until November 18th to register.

The only thing I'm sad about is having to wait until Nov. 21st to find out who my matches are. 

Now to scour my recipe books for some great cookie recipes.
Any ideas?

Thankful November Challenge

The sweet sisters over at Paisley Print Shoes offered a challenge and I accepted.
Every post during the month of November I will share something I'm grateful for.

I have to admit, I am a bit nervous about this. I've been a little, er, shall we say off lately so I know there may be days when this is a challenge.  Gratitude is important though but far too easily forgotten. This is going to be good for my tired, worn-out heart.



To start things off today I'm thankful for time.
I used to run at such a hurried pace I felt like I was disjointed and never fully invested anywhere.
I still struggle to balance my time well, but I'm grateful for this season of life {though difficult} where I have the ability to wrestle, sit, wait, linger, and really be...wherever I am.
Time really is one of our most precious resources. I want to steward it well.

What are you grateful for today?
If you want to join the challenge with me make sure to stop by Paisley Print Shoes, grab their button and let them know you're joining up too.

No camera means...

My camera is broken, my phone teetering on the edge, and I've got a birthday at the end of this month.
sigh
November might a long one.

Here are some of my most recent favorite-room finds.
Enjoy the eye candy {put down the post-Halloween stuff}.  :)


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The perfect laundry room.
(I don't need the 3 washers though).





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Office.
Gorgeous desk. Gorgeous walls. Gorgeous floors.




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Dining Room.
Not a huge fan of the pink and green but I love the clean, contemporary wallpaper, the settee, oval table and crisp white chairs.




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Kitchen.
Love it all. The only thing I might add? A little more color. Maybe in the dishes or a rug...





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Living Room.
Love that velvety blue/green sofa. So impractical for my life...but so lovely.






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Master.
White linens (a must) and books (a must).





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Another Master.
Love the clean white linens, the windows; the floors.





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Master Bath.
Obsessed w/ penny tiles.




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Master Bath.
Obsessed I say.






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Guest Room.
I can't get over twin beds in a guest space. Love, love, love, love, love.





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Guest Bath.
Plaid tile, old vanity, vessel sink; that mirror...need I say more.






What are your most recent favorite-room finds?