Brand New Awesomeness

I have a brand new wreath in my shop and I can't get over how cute it is!

Maybe it's just me, but I love the colors in this one - it seems like they just pop! "Floral Circus" is another mini wreath which will fit nicely in a smaller space where some of my larger wreaths would not. The wreath measures 17 inches tall, 17 inches wide and 6 inches deep, so it is not really "mini", I just like the way that sounds!

It has the perfect summer time colors and can actually be displayed through fall since it features mostly oranges!

Got Milk?

In order for us to keep our ag exemption on our thirty acres we ended up putting cows out there! I have wanted to take pictures of them for a while, but they are never near the fence whenever we got out there. And if you think I am going to trek out into the tall grass after my near fatal snake incident (okay so it wasn't near fatal - but it was really scary!), you are sadly mistaken! Luckily, the other day we went out to the land and they were hanging out right at the fence, so I was able to get some good shots! My niece, who turns five this year, named one of them "Princess" - how funny is that!

And yes, I know that these are not milking cows, but come on you have to admit that is a cute title! I just couldn't resist!

I've Been Featured

I've been featured on Lilly Eve Designs!

Thank you so much Lilly Eve!

She has a lovely blog and she designs beautiful jewelry! Check her out!

Vote for Me!

Please head over to Cat's Corner to vote for my photograph in the photography challenge! All of the entries are truly beautiful; it is going to be a tough challenge!

Mine is Photo #4.

Here's the link: http://amazoncat.blogspot.com/2009/06/let-voting-begin.html

Thank you!

Another Giveaway

Head over to Darling Domestic to enter my latest giveaway!

Want to see what you could win?

Here it is...

Isn't it adorable!

Such a sweet pink daisy, yellow buds and green leaves all attached to a metal hair snap clip.

The giveaway ends on Thursday!

Chocolate Bread Pudding Recipe Step-By-Step

I had never eaten bread pudding before, but I have always wanted to try it. Whenever I buy a loaf of french bread to go with dinner, we can never finish the whole loaf and it ends up getting thrown away, which bothers me to no end!

I had a loaf of french bread that I bought to go with our chicken tetrazzini, and I decided that I would search for a tasty chocolate bread pudding recipe to try. Here's where I got the recipe from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Bread-Pudding-107889. It turned out to be really good! And guess what...I took pictures of the process!

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups whipping cream
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 4 ounces French bread with crust, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bring cream, 1/2 cup sugar, and milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.

Add 1 cup chocolate chips and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk egg and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Cool chocolate custard 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add bread cubes and remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips to custard and toss to coat.

Transfer to 1 1/2-quart-capacity shallow oval baking dish. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over mixture. Bake until custard thickens and center is just set, about 50 minutes. Serve warm.

Land of the Free Wreath

Check out the newest addition to my Etsy shop! Introducing "Land of the Free Wreath"...

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays! I love that it is in the summertime so that includes barbecues, beaches and fireworks - is there anything better! I also absolutely love the decorations! The red, white and blue splashed everywhere, the flags flying, and remembering why we are free, and those that sacrificed for our freedom makes me proud to live in this country!

I can't wait for Fourth of July!

This was my Grandma's favorite holiday as well. I remember when we were little, we would always spend the Fourth of July weekend at her house. My uncle would barbecue, and Grandma didn't mess around when it came to decorating. There would be huge tents set up behind her house with plenty of tables and chairs for the whole family and then some. She would decorate the tables with patriotic tablecloths complete with matching citronella candles (to keep the mosquitoes away), the dishes and tableware matched as well. And there were always too many flags to count! One of the adults would take us to the fireworks stand where the boys would go crazy and buy all kinds of fireworks. Once we got back to Grandma's house, they couldn't wait to set them off - and they would usually get yelled at for trying to fire at the dog or getting to close to the house! After dark, we would head over to the beach and watch our uncles set off the "special" fireworks. I have so many great memories of the Fourth of July that is probably why it is one of my favorites!

This year we have plans to go to my parents house where my Mom's side of the family will be joining us! I am very excited and I am sure there will be plenty of pictures taken to share with you!

Photography Challenge

I have always been amazed by photography. I love when you can capture a spectacular image with one shot! We got our Canon Rebel XSI last October and I absolutely love it! I have been trying to learn all of the camera lingo and still much of it confuses me, but I guess I will will learn with time. AmazonCat over at Cat's Corner is having her very own photography challenge! I have never entered a photography challenge before, but I thought it might be fun - and I still consider myself a novice! Her theme is "On the Other Hand". Here is the photo that I am entering in the challenge.

This was taken at my husband's cousin's wedding in May 2009. This little boy whom I don't know came up to me and showed me a June-bug and wanted me to take a picture of it. He would not back up far enough for me to get his face in the picture and this is the shot I got. Then he ran off and I never got another picture of him - he was so cute!

** I only used "Auto Level" in Photoshop to get the colors right, but I did not alter this picture in any other way.

Our Houston Trip

This past weekend my husband, his sister (M), her husband (D) and I went to Houston to see Glenn Beck's live comedy tour! I like to be informed about our government and what is going on in the world, but I do not watch news religiously (like my husband does) it is just too depressing for me. So I had an idea, but really didn't know what to expect from this comedy tour. Let me tell you it was hilarious! I was laughing the entire time, some parts almost to the point of tears!

Downtown Houston

We left for Houston Friday afternoon, and made it there just in time for work traffic, which I was expecting to be much worse than it actually was. The trip up there was filled with laughter thanks to my husband - the stand up comic (according to his sister). We made it to the hotel with a couple of hours to spare before the event so we decided to eat, change clothes and meet M&D down in the lobby. Oh yeah, our room was on the 20th floor - how cool!

M&D

Me and Hubby

The Verizon Wireless Theater, where the event was being held, was only about four blocks from the hotel. We weren't sure if they would let us have cameras in the theater, so we left them in the car - stupid! Everyone else had cameras and we didn't feel like walking all the way back to the car, so we didn't get any pictures!

We ended up getting back to the hotel around 10:45 that night and ordered some yummy room service right before they closed!

The pool on the roof of the hotel

That next morning we woke up and took part in the complimentary continental breakfast and then played a game of pool in the billiards room. It was too bad we didn't know about that room the night before, it would have made for a fun place to hang out! After breakfast, we went up to the roof level where the hotel swimming pool was. That was the only time we took pictures on the trip! We didn't end up swimming because we only had about an hour before check-out time, but we stuck our feet in the cool water!

Me pretending to shower

The water was cold at first - he didn't know I took this picture!

It ended up being a nice mini-getaway which I think we desperately needed! Thanks again M&D for inviting us!

Blog Giveaway at blueberryshoes

Check out the lovely giveaway over at blueberryshoes: http://mermaidscloset.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-first-blog-giveaway.html.

I just stumbled upon her blog and not only is it adorable, but she is having her first ever blog giveaway! The winner will receive a beautiful brooch handmade by her. Head over to her blog for more details on how to enter the giveaway.

Top Chef Masters

I am so excited that Top Chef Masters premieres tonight!

I always enjoy watching the Top Chef Episodes on Bravo, and now that there are world renowned chefs battling for their own charities and for the title, it makes it even more intriguing! The challenges and some of the ingredients they use are creative to say the least and I always find myself hungry after watching each episode. My husband even likes watching Top Chef with me - and there are very few shows that we watch together. Anyways, 30 more minutes before it comes on, and I am giddy like a schoolgirl!

Last Chance for the Giveaway

Last day to enter the hair accessory giveaway at http://mustardseedbycarollai.blogspot.com/!! Hurry in for your chance to win a hair accessory of your choice from my shop.

Here's a little eye candy to inspire you to enter the giveaway:

The giveaway ends tonight!

Lovely Blog Award

I have received the One Lovely Blog Award from both Chicy Creations and Expressions in Silk! How sweet is that!. Thank you so much and let me just say that you two have lovely blogs as well!

In my acceptance of this One Lovely Blog Award, I am posting the Rules of Blog Award acceptance:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

It is my honor to pass the One Lovely Blog Award to:

One Little Bird

The Bear Bunch

California Blue

My Two Seasons

Tile Me Beautiful

Sew This is My Life

Sew Inspiring

Sweet Cuddlecakes

I am Just One Person

Mere's Lair

The Simply Made

La Marquise Des Anges

Elegant Bloggery

Pampering Beki

My Journey Home

You all have lovely blogs and I enjoy your posts!

Another Hair Accessory Giveaway

I have some awesome news...Carol over at mustardseed is featuring me on her blog! I will be giving away a hair accessory to one lucky winner!! For more information visit Carol at http://mustardseedbycarollai.blogspot.com/.

As for me, I will be leaving for Houston right after lunchtime for a mini-vacation! Have a great weekend!

Blooming Treasure

I have been so focused on making my hair accessories that my wreaths and arrangements have kind of fallen by the wayside! I guess just because it takes much longer to create the wreaths and arrangements and I am all about the instant gratification that is involved when making the hair clips!

The other day I decided to go to Hobby Lobby and check out the floral department. Oddly enough, they had some vases on clearance, so I picked out three of them and found the perfect flowers for the arrangements. I also bought materials to make a lovely Fourth of July wreath!

Here is the first arrangement I created -- "Blooming Treaure". I am in love with it! You can find it here in my Etsy shop.

I still need to photograph the other arrangements and the wreath, but I will post them here as soon as I get pictures.

My Sweet Girl

This is my sweet girl Izzy. She is almost two years old, and it seems like just yesterday she was a puppy. You don't realize how much of a miracle this picture is - the dog does not sit still for anything. She also tries to jump up and get whatever it is that is in your hand, but I decided to brave it and try to get some pictures of her.

It has been so long since I have taken any pictures of her! We got Izzy right after my first dog died at only 8 months old. She was going into the vet's for a routine spaying and never came back. She had to be put back under anesthesia after the surgery due to some complications and then suffered kidney failure and passed away. I was so upset; my husband offered to get me another puppy, but I was still grieving and decided to wait awhile before getting another one. I waited a couple of months and then took him up on his offer. I was checking our local paper for puppies and then came across an ad for some Labrador puppies. Izzy was the only yellow lab they had, the rest were black labs. She was so tiny and adorable - I fell in love right away! She is such a sweet and lively dog, and she always makes me laugh!

Turkey Wraps

We found these awesome tortillas at Target, so for lunch today I made turkey wraps.

I just had to take a picture of them since they turned out to be so pretty (and delicious). I just used the spinach and herb tortillas and then spread some onion and chive flavored cream cheese over that and added shaved turkey breast, sliced Monterrey-jack cheese, tomato and lettuce, and wrapped it all up! It goes perfect with a nice little fruit salad too!

Oh yeah, an update from the last post: we went back to the land the next day, but there was no sign of the snake so I couldn't get a picture, and thank goodness we haven't seen any alive out there since then!