thank you

HVD, Y'all

all the little lovebirds

sittin' in the trees

k.i.s.s.i.n.g

share a little hug

give a little squeeze

spread a little love if you please.

I Love Flash Mobs!

Happy Thanksgiving

Cooking with Martha

Sirius is offering another Martha Stewart cookbook for download -- it's free and Thanksgiving themed. Enjoy!

It's Beginning to Smell Alot Like...

Christmas....yes, Christmas. No, I haven't forgotten about Thanksgiving. But I wanted to share with you two of my favorite holiday scents before they fly off the shelves.

My first favorite is Frosted Cranberry, available at Bath & Body Works for the holiday season only. However, this scent is appropriate year round if you ask me. It is available in many mediums (plug-in, candle, etc). Don't pay full price - Bath & Body Works is notorious for having some sort of sale and some sort of coupon floating around. Leave some for me, though!




I also love, love, love Fresh Balsam, and it's in my house only at Christmas -- not something I would use all the time. It is by far the most realistic smelling, non-overpowering tree scent on the market. Don't go buying one if you're allergic to trees and all, but it is a nice background scent, especially if you have an artificial tree.

If I am lucky, Febreze will produce their Cranberries & Frost scent again this year. It is divine and I prefer their Air Effects version of it. I bought several cans of it at the end of last year (when they put it on clearance at the Target and all) and it has lasted well. Hope to see it on the shelf again soon.

And now, because I love these scents, and I love you, and the holidays are just around the corner, leave me a comment about what scent reminds you of the hollidays (any holiday will do) and you could win a Frosted Cranberry wallflower unit and a Fresh Balsam candle. Shout out before noon Thursday and I'll let random.org choose the winner and announce it on Friday.

Ready, set, go.....

*I am not being paid to promote these products. I love them and you should too and that is my only connection to Bath & Body Works and their stuff.

Happy 4th!

Easter Dress

Does anyone other than me remember what a huge deal it was to go shopping for an Easter dress when you were younger? I can still remember that is was most often white ('cause Easter officially kicked off the white clothing season and all), had some sort of eyelet lace somewhere (we didn't have the whole monogrammed craze back then), and most definitley was accompanied by white shoes, white lacy socks and more often than not, a hat (which either had a wide ribbon or stretchy piece of elastic for under the chin that held the hat on your head).

See what I mean...

Now, you have to be careful that flesh of the wing-joint-waitress-sort isn't on display for all to see in the dresses available today. It's just terrible and at total odds with our Southern heritage. It's like pound cake without the butter, or a garden without azaleas, or worse yet, tea without sugar. It just shouldn't be.

For the record, if you happen to see my daughter on Easter, I plead the fifth. Really, it's easier than pleading my case.

We're Bringin' It Next Year

We did not win the Christmas lawn decorating contest for our neighborhood. Of course (who knows better than me, right?), you can't win if you don't enter. But next year, it's game on. Beware house on the corner with the synchronized light and music display and house around the corner with the life-sized cutouts of your enitre family posing so gracefully around the lighted tree on your porch. Next year our oversized Christmas boxes flanking the front door will have new friends and you can bet your stockings our porch light will be on when the committee comes a votin'.

Merry Christmas

O Christmas Tree(s)

Tree number one sports a mink tree skirt and I admit, that's a bit hard to beat. But we found tree number two this weekend after a Christmas concert and we were able to get it decorated before I leave on business for the week. It's darling!

Those of you who know me well know I prefer all white lights on my trees. It's not that I think colored lights are ugly, I just prefer white. Several years ago I was overcome by the cuteness of these colored button lights, nice round bulbs and all, at my local Target. So I bought a couple of strands. Put one strand up and hated them. Loathed them. Complained for weeks about the three bucks per strand I had paid for them. But who returns Christmas lights, right? So I kept them stuck away at the bottom of one of the boxes of decorations.

This year, they have a home on a cute little tree in our living room. (The mink skirted tree lives in the breakfast room, standing regal and all with its coordinated ornaments.) Note: Little here is important, because we went from an 11 foot tree last year to a 5 foot tree this year. HUGE difference. But, little trees need love, too, right?

I decided that if we were going so radical on the size, we'd really stir the pot and use colored lights. And it works. I'm not totally in love with the lights just because they are so different from what I am used to. But they are kinda nice for a change and look right at home with all the Hallmark ornaments we've collected over the years. There are no other ornaments on the tree. Just colored lights and Hallmark ornaments (yes we have enough to fill the tree).

I wonder if the ornaments in the other eight boxes in the attic are lonely? (Yes, there are more...what can I say?)

If I Were a Rich (wo)Man

If I had lots of money, I'd buy myself these.

If I had even more money, I'd buy this. (Boy, is it gorgeous.)

But I don't have a lot of money, so I'll buy some of these. (This will almost make up for not having enough money for the first two...)

Whhaaaatttt?

Look closely. Move a bit closer to your screen. See that there under the tree? Not the dust bunny, and never mind the bare lower branches (I'll work that out). Look carefully at the tree skirt. It's mink.

Yes, mink. And my grandmother's head would roll on her shoulders if she were still alive. "Whhaaaatttt are you doing with my wrap unduh your tree?"

Forgive me, my dear grandmother, but the fur is staying right where it is -- under the skinny tree in the breakfast room in a house full of holiday cheer.

Holiday Hits

In the market for some entertaining holiday flicks? Check out the ABC Family channel's 25 Days of Christmas for a neat line-up of classics and new films.

Thanksgiving Traditions

As far back as we can remember (well, at least the past 11 years or so), we've spent Thanksgiving morning in our jammies eating breakfast and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It is so endearing when your oldest still asks if we're going to play Parade Bingo like we have for so many years. (Yes, there's still a little guy somewhere in him...) It's just a fun little game where you look for certain things during the parade and mark your Bingo card when you see them.

I thought I'd share our traditional breakfast casserole (no idea where the recipe came from -- I've had it for yeeaarrs; if it's yours, thanks!) and the Bingo cards. Might just start a new tradition in your family. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Thanksgiving Day Parade Bingo

Our Favorite Breakfast Casserole
2 (8 oz.) packages of diced ham
10 pieces of white sandwich bread, cubed
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups milk
6 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Spray 13x9 in. baking dish with nonstick spray. Add bread cubes in an even layer. Top first with cheese and then with ham, distributing each evenly. Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over bread/ham/cheese mixture. Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, remove from fridge and let set at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degree for 45 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Liberty

The Statue of Liberty's crown reopens to visitors today. It has been closed since the attacks on 9/11. For a really neat virtual tour (unless you just won the lottery and are headed for an in person visit), visit the National Park Service website.

Happy 4th! Celebrate your freedom today. Wave a sparkler for me!

Celebrating Dads

Certainly you knew that June was the month Linus debuted his blanket in the Peanuts comic strip in 1954. Or that National Doughnut Day is always the first Friday of June and June 11 is King Kamehameha Day in Hawaii. Perhaps need reminding that Flag Day is June 14 and National Ice Cream Soda Day is June 20. Who could forget to celebrate National Fruit and Vegetable Month and National Dairy Month in June? Did you know the first Sunday in June is National Cancer Survivors Day followed by National Rocky Road Ice Cream Day on June 2?

In your celebratory state of mind, wish your dad a Happy Father's Day today!

Happy Valentine's Day

Candlelight, soft music, a good meal, a smooth glass of Sauvignon Blanc...another Valentine's Day at home. We've long since given up on a romantic dinner out. One, it's too expensive. Two, restaurants are too crowded. Three, my sweetheart can grill a steak to rival most places in town. And finally, our kids just love to be part of the festivities. Cody is in charge of the music and candlelight, and Madalyn handles dessert. She was quite proud of her first attempt at decorating the two-bite brownies shown above. We all agreed they were a sweet end to a day full of love.