FGF - Hot mama earrings!

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

congrats to comment #9

Callie!

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:9
Timestamp: 2008-09-02 12:14:06 UTC

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Callie, please email me so that I can get you your prize!

Thanks to everyone for entering to win! Hope y'all had a great Labor Day!

***

If you have an item you make/sell that you'd like to donate and be featured for a giveaway, pleae email me!

Thanks!

maybe i'm in the mood of doing this cause school is back in session, but again, here are some notes you need to be aware of:

1) just a reminder...if you haven't received your swap buddy yet, please email me! we've had a few quirks with emails. also, if you have any questions on how the process works, please read through the email, and then email me if you still have questions!

2) let me know if YOU want to be featured on our Free Giveaway Fridays! Have something you make or sell? we'd love to feature your donation as a gift, and have everyone check out your site!!!

Now, onto the GOOOOOOD STUFF!!!!

ITS FREE GIVEAWAY FRIIIIIIDAY!

I am S-U-P-E-R excited/in love with this giveaway!

These Hot Mama Earrings are donated by RJ from her Etsy site, "Designed by RJ". The winner will have the choice of choosing from the Hot Pink, Forest Green, Sky Blue, Lavender or Chocolate earring set!

AND THERE'S MORE!!!

Go to Designed by RJ and non-winners get 25% off!!!

Discount code for 25% off: Potpourri
"Discount will be refunded immediately after the long weekend. Or let me know if you prefer to wait for a revised invoice. Happy Labour Day!"

So, since I'm totally not eligible to win these, I'm definitely going to be ordering some :) My fav color? hot pink! errr...chocolate :) oh wait...maybe the green would go best with my wardrobe...

***

wanna win? of course you do! here's how (and be sure to see the NOTE!):

Rules:

1) Visit Designed by RJ's etsy site. Leave me a comment answering the question below. One comment per person, please!

2) Please mention my giveaway and blog link on your blog!!! If you do so, you may leave ONE more comment on my page for an extra chance to win!!

3) NOTE***Winner will be posted TUESDAY morning at 9 am. You have until 8 am TUESDAY morning to enter to win! I will use random.org to pick a comment number winner. (Extension added on due to LABOR DAY!!!)

4) Tell alllllll your lovely friends to enter for a chance to win! Who doesn't want to win an awesome gift like this?

Question:

What was your favorite item on RJ's etsy website?

Thoughtful Thursdays: Alone Time

We're off to a late start here at The Pink Potpourri today...

First off, a few matters to post:
1) SWAP BUDDIES HAVE BEEN SENT!!! I emailed everyone their buddy yesterday, so let the planning begin! Please email me if you have not received your buddy, or have any questions :)

2) We have a winner for yesterday's funny contest! Thanks *j for your entry about the old lady at the grocery store :) Please email me your address so I can send you your prize!

3) This weekend is DECK WEEKEND 2008!!!! So be ready for lots of pics next week!!!

Now, onto our thoughts...

I was reading in Mark 1:35-39 where Jesus goes off to a solitary place to spend time with his Father. He gets up, while all are still asleep, and slips out into the quietness of the night. Its quiet. He's all alone. No one else is there. No disruptions, no questions, no needs...just him and God. What an incredible time! He is fully focused on what he is doing.

Now think about it...time like that is very precious...and all of us experience that need for time along. Jesus could have done anything he wanted! Kept sleeping, ventured off to the city, whatever he wanted. He chose to spend that time in prayer with God!

What do you do in your spare time? What do you do when things have calmed down for the day, or even in the quietness of the morning before the sun rises? What do you do with the quietness of your day, even if it is just for a few moments?

I hope you are encouraged as I was today to be thoughtful of how you can use your time...these precious minutes the Lord has given us each day. Next time I feel like watching a few more minutes of TV, I pray that God would put it on my hear to spend time with Him! Or use that time to invest in and bless others!

Hilarities: RD Laughs & Contest!

When I had my dentist appointment last week, my mom came with me (it always makes things easier when you have motherly moral support!). Well, during her 2 1/2 hours of waiting, she read through the latest edition of Reader's Digest.

You know that slap-happy, everything is hysterical bug that explodes through your body at the most inappropriate, akward times? Well, apparently it joined mom in the waiting room with her Reader's Digest read. I could hear her laughing from the pateint room! She even called my sister on the phone to read her these hilarities :) I don't know if you'll laugh as hard as my mom did at these, but at least I hope they bring a smile to your face.

Or if you're like me, reading these things at work in the quite office, I hope the bug joins you :)

From Reader's Digest www.rd.com:

-A tour bus stops in Runnymede, England, and the guide says it was here that the Magna Carta was signed. "When did they sign it?" one passenger asks. "1215," the guide responds. "Dang! We missed it by 20 minutes." - William Ludewig

-It's really humid in the woods, so the two hiking buddies remove their shirts and shoes. But when they spot a sign saying "Beware of bears," one of them stops and puts his hoes back on. "What's the point?" the other says, "You can't outrun a bear." "Actually", says the friend, "all I have to do is outrun you." - Don Paquette

-I have CDO. It's like OCD but with the letters in alphabetical order, like they're supposed to be." - Hanan Rahman

-What did the airhead name her pet zebra? Spot. :)

-A group of guys are in the locker room when a cell phone rings. One of them picks it up.
Man: "Hello?"
Woman: "Honey it's me. Are you at the club?"
Man: "Yes."
Woman: "Well, I have news. The house we wnated is back on the market. They're asking $950,000."
Man: "Well, then, go ahead and make an offer, but make it $1.2 million so we'll be sure to get it."
Woman: "Ok! I'll see you later. I love you!"
Man: "Bye. love you too."
The man hangs up. Then he asks, "Anyone know who's phone this is?"
-Denise Stewart

***CONTEST TIME!!!***

Think you've got a funny? Submit it as your comment today! The funniest one will win a prize!!! It depends on how good the funny is as to the size of the prize! Get your creative juices flowing, dig up your old journal of jokes, or start suring the web, but give us your best funny!!!

Trendy Tuesday - Wireless Reading Device

Well, based on all of the swap entry info, a majority of you are avid readers. So how many books do you have piled up on shelves, the corner of your desk, stuck under your pillow, sitting in the console of your car, or propping a door open?

The infestation of books need be no more!!! Check this bad boy out:

It is called the Amazon Kindle: a wireless, portable reading device that provides access to more than 125,000 books, newspapers, magazines and blogs. Each book allows you to read the first 3 chapters for free of charge. This will totally lighten up my carry-on on my next vacation :)

***

ps...all entries for the swap have been received! with as many people that signed up, its gonna take me quite a bit of time today to match up everyone. so you should receive an email with your swap buddy wednesday or thursday, at the latest :)

Monday Mayhem - Art Class

A-L-E-R-T!!!

Today is the absolute LAST DAY to sign up for My Favorite Things Swap!!!

Alrighty you procrastinators, email me right away! And if you're visiting for the first time, I'd like to personally invite YOU to sign up for our swap!!! :)

Last week I had a dreaded dentist appointment. Dentist appointments are no fun in any way, shape or form, but they are ten times worse when you go knowing you have a gaping hole in your tooth and a filling (or two) is pretty much guaranteed :(

So before the appointment, my mom and I stopped by the junior high school where my sister works as an art teacher! We checked out her room, toys, art projects and took lots of fun pics :) I'm pretty sure ALL the kids have a blast in art class with Mrs. Smith!

Kelly and some sort of monster that lives in the classroom

Kel and I playing with some of her desk accessories. That's a crayola crayon thermos, in case you were inquiring...

How many items can you recognize on her bookshelf? Sadly, I admit that we too have a Napoleon Dynamite doll at our house. He stands guard on a shelf next to the door in my husband's professional office :)

Its always polite to leave a 'thank you for letting me visit' note. Its always more fun when they have a dry erase board to leave it on.

Kel busy at her desk!

Mom and Kel! Mom got her these flowers during her first week of school! They look beautiful on the desk!

FGF - Home Scents Collection

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

Congratulations to

Comment #8, Amy!

And it was your second entry :)

***

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:8
Timestamp: 2008-08-25 12:47:38 UTC

***

Remember, if you or someone you know has an item or business you'd like to donate as a giveaway and be featured on The Pink Potpourri, we'd love to spread the word of your business!!! Just email me today!

Before you enter to win today's giveaway, check out our

Now, moving onto the FRREEEEEEEEEEE GIVEAWAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!

This week's gift is awesome. Our wonderful friend, Sandra is donating an Urban Botanic 3 oil Home Scents Collection!!! It comes with your choice of:

1. White Linen Collection:Wrap yourself in the scent of crisp, white linen. Fresh and clean, the perfect blend of comfort and classic style. Green Tea, Freesia, Waterlily.

2. Apple Pie Collection: Indulge in the perfect aroma of baked apples enriched with a buttery crust and rich apples. Cinnamon, Maple Spice, Green Apple

3. Lotus Blossom Collection: Create your own mystical retreat with exotic aromas that whisper peace and calm. Lotus Blossom, Asian Spice, China Musk

Aren't these amazing? I don't know if I could pick which collection I would want...so that's why I'm not entering to win :) Plus the fact that I am not allow :( Which is one more chance for each of you to win!!!

You can already smell your favorite fragrance, can't you??? Here's how to win:

Rules:

1) Visit Sandra's Home Collections site. Leave me a comment answering the question below. One comment per person, please!

2) Please mention my giveaway and blog link on your blog!!! If you do so, you may leave ONE more comment on my page for an extra chance to win!!

3) Winner will be posted Monday morning at 9 am. You have until 8 am Monday morning to enter to win! I will use random.org to pick a comment number winner.

4) Tell alllllll your lovely friends to enter for a chance to win! Who doesn't want to win an awesome gift like this?

Question:
What was your favorite item on Sandra's website?

Thoughtful Thursdays: Challanging Thinking!

Before I rattle your brains, don't forget to

SIGN UP FOR

clickity click click click right here on this here SWAP link and sign your good ole self up!

So, how smart do you think you are? If you're a genius (which clearly I am not) can you explain to me how this darn thing works?

Think, people, think!!!

Just click HERE, try it out, and come back and tell me how it works...

I'm losing sleep over this!!!

Hilarities: Bags

Happy Hump Day!!! Its almost Friday :)

HEY!! Have YOU signed up to be a part of My Favorite Things Swap???

If you haven't, click on the icon below!

Check out these awesome bags! What creative marketing people these companies have. I'll tell you, it definitely gets your attention!

Awesome? Huh? Which one is your favorite??? i can't decide between the hair pulling and the bird :)

And for an extra bonus today, I would love to share with you a funny story contributed by my mom. They have a pond behind their "resort" where this blue heron visits frequently. My mom was telling me this story last week about him, and we decided he needed a name. Bobee seemed appopriate :) So, here's the story and pic of Bobee (who will surely be featured again) contributed by my Mom!

Last night as we finished dinner, Grandpa spied this VERY large Blue Heron, who had flown in and perched himself ON TOP of a large tree across the pond. He looked like an unstable Christmas tree topper. He seemed to LOVE his new found position as he looked down upon the ducks! Well, this morning when I was awaken by Ms. Elle (our dog)...and YES, she does rise before 8!, I looked out over the pond and saw "Bobee" scaring the ducks (I think because of his large size) as well as doing his morning "fishing". Around 8:30, I glanced out again and was startled by what I saw. Bobee had now made himself "captain" of the paddle boat! The ducks just starred at him...and had no comment! I ran and got my camera and he posed for quite a bit but then got bored with the photo shoot and swooped his expansive wing span and flew away...Oh, poor Bobee and his multi personality traits! Hope you enjoy!

Trendy Tuesday - Disguised?

Just a reminder...if you haven't already signed up to be a part of The Pink Potpourri's

please click above to find out more info!!!

Now, onto Tuesday's Trend!

Check out this awesome patio furniture. We are so getting one of these when we finish the deck! Manly, yet stylish :)

Monday Mayhem - Favorite Things Swap!

The Pink Potpourri is very proud to announce it is hosting its very first

Favorite Things Swap!

After reading everyone's valued opinions, thoughts and interests in the swap, I have decided that a Favorite Things Swap covers everyones likings and desires!!!

So what are some of your favorite things? Do you love recipes? Do you read a book a week? What are your gifts and talents? Do make anything homemade or have an etsy page? If you have any favorite things, you can be a part of this swap!!!

WHAT TO DO:
Being a part of this swap is very easy. You will need to choose at least three (3) or more objects that are YOUR favorite things to send to the swap partner I assign to you. It can be anything! Your favorite soaps you use, books you read, items you make, etc...things that you love to get for yourself! there are endless possibilities! Your items can be vintage, bought or handmade. Just be thinking when you're putting your items together, "Is this something I'd want someone to send me?"

Are you sitting on the edge of your seat, ready to find out how to sign up???

Contain yourselves, readers!!! :)

1) Email me your information to thepinkpotpourri@yahoo.com

2) Sign ups will be open until one week from today...Monday, August 25. You have one week to sign up yourself, and tell ALL your friends about this event!

3) Once I receive your "I want to be in the SWAP!" rsvp email, I will send you a confirmation email letting you know I've received your response.

4) What to include in the email:

* Name!
* Mailing Address
* Email Address
* Website/Blog (you must have one of these to be a part of the swap)
* Info about yourself (interests, likes, talents, hobbies, etc)
* Let me know if you're willing to ship internationally



After the deadline date of midnight, Monday, August 25th, I will email everyone their swap partners. You will have until Friday, September 19 to postmark your package!

Once you receive your package, be sure to take some pictures of it and email them to me! I will do a special post showing what everyone received :)

And finally, let's get as many people involved as possible! Please copy and paste the link onto your blog so that you can fashion this lovely Favorite Things Swap button!!!

To place a button on your site, simple copy/paste the code below into your blog!

Large Button

<a href="http://allieparkersthoughts.blogspot.com/search/label/Swap"><img alt="My Favorite Things Swap (Hosted By The Pink Potpourri) - Click here to join!" src="http://208.106.254.122/personal/swap_btn3.jpg" /></a>

Medium Button

<a href="http://allieparkersthoughts.blogspot.com/search/label/Swap"><img alt="My Favorite Things Swap (Hosted By The Pink Potpourri) - Click here to join!" src="http://208.106.254.122/personal/swap_btn4.jpg" /></a>

Small Button

<a href="http://allieparkersthoughts.blogspot.com/search/label/Swap"><img alt="My Favorite Things Swap (Hosted By The Pink Potpourri) - Click here to join!" src="http://208.106.254.122/personal/swap_btn5.jpg" /></a>


Note: For blogger accounts, you'll want to add a "HTML/Javascript Widget" to your page layout with the above code inside it.

FGF - Pull Up a Chair

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

***

Congratulations to Comment #21

Jim and Jessica!

***

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:21
Timestamp: 2008-08-18 13:19:02 UTC

***

Please email me your mailing address, and I'll send this on your way!

***

Thank you all for entering again this week. And just a reminder, we have TONS of fabulous donated gifts coming up the next few weeks. If you make or have something you'd like to donate and be featured for, please email me!

_____________________________________________________________

***Before we get started, I wanted to let you know there will be a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT on Monday Mayhem!!! So be sure to visit back!!***

ITS FREE GIVEAWAY FRIDAY!!!

I know you're smiling :)

This week's giveaway is fabulous! My wonderful friend, Lori Looney Keene, has recently written a book titled "Pull Up a Chair" and has donated a signed copy!!!

"Pull Up A Chair: You, Me and the Gospel of John" is a Bible study that walks you through all 21 chapters of the Gospel of John. It is written in a casual style which is ideal for one on one evangelism and discipleship. This is a great resources for someone to use when trying to witness to a friend or family member, as well as small groups of believers who want to strengthen their ability to confidently walk through a book of Scripture.

And here's a little bit about the author!

Lorie is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky where she earned a Masters of Divinity in Christian Education and is currently pursuing a PhD in Leadership and Education. Prior to serving the seminary as the current Assistant Director of Women’s Programs, Lorie worked as an ER nurse for 7 years and served in Poland with the International Mission Board for one year. It was through various opportunities that Lorie had to share her faith with co-workers and patients in the ER that Lorie wrote her new Bible study “Pull Up A Chair.”
Lorie was married to Stephen Keene in November of 2007 and currently lives in Pleasureville, KY where Stephen is the full time Children’s/Youth Minister at Pleasureville Baptist Church. Lorie works with Stephen in his youth ministry and leads a weekly Bible study to high school girls, along with leading the Women’s Ministry at her church.

Rules:
1) Leave me a comment answering the question below. One comment per person, please!

2) Please mention my giveaway and blog link on your blog!!! If you do so, you may leave ONE more comment on my page for an extra chance to win!!

3) Winner will be posted Monday morning at 9 am. You have until 8 am Monday morning to enter to win! I will use random.org to pick a comment number winner.

4) Tell alllllll your lovely friends to enter for a chance to win! Who doesn't want to win an awesome gift like this?

Question:

What is a life changing event that has happened in your life?

Thoughtful Thursdays: First Dates

So, I'm having one of "those days" where the wheels are barely spinning in my brain. "Wake up, hamsters!!! Run faster!!" :)

So, since I am faaaaarrrr from being full of thoughts today, how about y'all dig up some thoughts?

One of my favorite things to reflect back on in life is my relationship with my now-husband. Our friendship relationship, dating relationship, engagement and now marriage. I could seriously write a book on all my thoughts and memories on that topic!!!

So today, let's all clear out the cob webs in our archive filing cabinets of life and reflect back on our First Dates!!! It can be your first date ever, first date with your husband, a hilarious date, your worst date, anything!!!

So, to get us started, here's my story I'd like to share:

Zack and I had been best friends for 4-5 months. One Friday night, we were supposed to meet up with a group of friends to go ice skating, but we never found them (or at least that's what Zack said...he was driving!). So finally, we decided just to hang out on our own and do our own thing.

We went to the canal and looked at all the beautiful lights (it was Christmas time!). We even took a picture of ourselves! Then we went to the Gardens, walked around, talked, and laughed. At that point, we were pretty hungry, so Zack decided we should get a bite to eat. When the bill came, he realized he left his wallet in the car, so I ended up paying!!!!

Afterwards, we headed out to the restaurant playground. Remember, its December so it is FREEZING. we sat on the teeter totter for 2 hours and talked. We ended up holding hands, keeping each others hands warm :) I think at that point we realized it had turned into a date, because we had had those flirty feelings for each other for awhile now, and we both knew it :)

To this day, we still share with others and joke that I had to pay for our first date!

ok, your turn...

Hilarities: Super Stev

As I was collecting my hiliarities for today, my dad, Super Stev, called me and shared a hilarious story that happened to him yesterday. I asked him if I could feature him on The Pink Potpourri today, and he gave me his consent :)

So, my wonderful readers, meet Super Stev, pictured here with his 3 girls, and grand-dog, Fez.

The Resort (where my grandparents and parents live) has had a bad case of ants. Super Stev took care of the problem, and ended the project with caulk, which is white. The outside of the house is tan, so Super Stev decided to paint it so it matched.

He brought the 5-gallon container of paint out on the deck and shook the tar out of that bad boy to mix everything up. Now, the round plastic lid has those tabs you have to break in order to remove the lid. Probably something like this:Well, as he started pulling the lid off, one of the tabs stuck. And the lid flew off...

Are you picturing this scenario in your mind??? What do you think happens next? There are a million different ways this could go wrong...

The lid flies into the air, lands on the deck vertically, like a wheel, and starts rolling ALLLL the way down the deck, down the stairs, across the concrete sidewalk and 2 feet into the yard.

I am sure you are all relieved...NOT the worse case scenario. But wait..

As the lid is rolling, the paint is spraying EVERYWHERE!!! All over the deck, all over the brick wall, all over the concrete and all over the grass. Super Stev's first instict is to bring out the hose and scrub brush, which he does, and successfully removes most of the paint. But he only sprays the water as he goes, not wetting down ALL the paint at once. So the paint dried on the concrete.

Poor Stev.

Oh but wait...here's another one from the archives...

Back in high school, my sister and I worked for my Grandpa as secretaries. One day, Super Stev came down and asked us girls if we had any chapstick...

Now, Super Stev being an office man, I was pretty sure this joke would just be a "ha ha, you're funny" thing. Being the jokester that I am, I handed him a bright purple glue stick, and figured he would just laugh. You know, he would probably know what a glue stick looks like.

Not this particular one.

I look up at him, and he's heavily applying the glue to his lips, and then pressing them together to evenly spread out the glue...

My sister and I were staring at him in shock...too long to say anything to him before the damage was done...and then laughing hysterically :)

Oh, Super Stev...thank you so much for your hiliarites today!

Trendy Tuesday - Seats & Silver

Ok, I don't know why, but today I want to do 2 (tw0!) trends. And I guess cause I'm in charge, I can do it :)

First, how incredibly super cute is this!?! Do you have to have kids to legitimately purchase one of these Plush Toy Chairs???

This looks like a kids dream furniture. When I was little, I can remember stacking all my stuffed animals together and cuddling with them, jumping on them, or hiding under them. I have no idea how much one of these costs, but if your child has a bagillion (yes, I invented that number) stuffed animals lying around, and no one will buy them on Craigslist, you can totally make one of these chairs!!!

Trend #2 of today...
InStyle says that anything goes! Mix and match metals as you please...its looks great!!! Look at all those color, texture and size varities. You can't go wrong. LOVE IT!

Monday Mayhem

It's a bit brisk here at The Pink Potpourri headquarters. It was 62 degrees on the way in this morning. Brrrr...

*

But luckily, cooler temps make for the most wonderful days spent outside. Saturday afternoon, I "manned up", put on some gardening gloves and attacked the invasion of weeds in our front yard. It was a beast. Seriously.

*

Well, I got 3/4 of the way done, and almost collapsed. I had to go inside and lay down. Wuss, I know. But, safety first, folks!

*

Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed a family bike ride downtown. We went on the riverfront, over to the skateboarding park, and down the streets of the city.

Fez LOVES riding in the bicycle basket. He fits perfectly. We trained him with his leash on, and now that he's such a pro, he doesn't need it anymore. He's a big boy now. He's 3 :)

LOOK at this most beautiful chandelier! Look familiar? Well, how about if it was all black :) And look at those cute penguins!

Anyways, Happy Monday! And thanks to everyone for your Thoughts about the Swap! I'll let you know this week what the verdict is!

FGF - Beth's Stationery

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

:)

Congratulations to Comment #26

Amy!

*************

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:26
Timestamp: 2008-08-11 12:42:05 UTC

*************

Thank you to everyone who entered!!! Remember, we have a giveaway every weekend! And if you have/make/sell anything you'd like to donate and be featured for a giveaway, please email me!

_____________________________________________________________

Happy Friday one and all!!! Welcome back to The Pink Potpourri!

FYI...in case you didn't see yesterday's Thought-FULL Thursday, we are going to do a SWAP!!! I want to hear your thoughts and opinions on what kind of swap we should do, so be sure to visit yesterday's post and leave me your opinion!

Now...onto FREE GIVEAWAY FRIDAY!!!

Its giveaway time!

This week's Free Giveaway is graciously donated to us by my wonderful friend, Beth! She has donated this adorable 10 card "thank you" stationery set. It is one of her many super cute items from her Etsy page, BethaBee Designs!

Aren't those adorable? Here's how to win this week:

Rules:
1) Leave me a comment answering the question below. One comment per person, please!

2) Please mention my giveaway and blog link on your blog!!! If you do so, you may leave ONE more comment on my page for an extra chance to win!!

3) Winner will be posted Monday morning at 9 am. You have until 8 am Monday morning to enter to win! I will use random.org to pick a comment number winner.

4) Tell alllllll your lovely friends to enter for a chance to win! Who doesn't want to win an awesome gift like this?

Question:
Go to BethaBee's Etsy Page. Look around, come back here and leave me a comment telling me what your favorite item is on her etsy page!

Thoughtful Thursdays: Thought-FULL!

So, I'm changing things up a bit for today's Thursday post. Instead of the regular Thoughtful Thursday, its going to be ThoughtFull Thursday... a Thursday FULL of Thoughts!

Now, here are my thoughts: Let's do a Pink Potpourri SWAP!!! I've had all sorts of thoughts of what kind of swap we should have, but I want to hear from YOU what kind of swap you'd like to do!
So, let me know YOUR thoughts on this...what kind of swap would you be interested in doing? Here are a few suggestions...

-Favorites swap

-Homemade swap

-Book/Magazine swap

-Recipe swap

Or maybe more specific:

-"Color" swap (ie. Pink & Lime Swap...everything you swap has to be those colors)

-Knitting Swap

-Stationary Swap

Anyways, those are just some ideas to get your minds rolling. PLEASE let me know what you think! The more people who get involved in this, the more fun it is!

Hilarities: Falling

I am a BIG fan of America's Funniest Home Videos. I used to watch it every Friday on TGIF! (Along with Full House and Family Matters!). I am a BIG fan of their video montages set to music. This video is full of my favorites...all of the above, plus the perfect outdoor, summer, swimming themes this video is packed with! So it's perfect!

I hope you enjoy laughing at these people's miseries as much as I have :) Don't worry, its ok to point and laugh...they can't see you :) Plus, they're proud of their falling accomplishments...it could possibly win them $100,000!!!

Trendy Tuesday - Exfoliating Scrub

One of the big trends I've noticed lately in my magazines is everything going natural and organic. It's amazing to read some of the things in non-natural products that we put on our skin. So, I figured it was time to try some of these new trend products.

In one of my recent magazines, they featured a product by Burt's Bees called Peach and Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub. So, I figured I would by it and try it out.

It is awesome! Very softly scented, I could feel the exfoliating finely ground peach stone removing the dead layers of skin. But its featured ingredient is Willowbark Extract, which "contains natural Beta Hydroxy Acids, which work as a natural skin exfoliants to help unplug follicles and pores." After rinsing it off, my face felt incredibly smooth, with no irritation. Burt's Bees has a lot of incredible products!

Have you tried any? Any recommendations???

Monday Mayhem - Fez's 3rd Birthday

What a busy weekend...mom was in town, we ate at fantastic restaurants, did some wonderful shopping, relaxed, and had a great time together! We also had a college cookout this weekend, and Zack was able to baptize one of the college students at church on Sunday!!!

Friday was Fez's 3rd birthday. He's growing up to be such a wonderful, young dog *sniff* :) Every year (all 3 of them) we take him to Sonic to get a dollop of ice cream and then over to PetsMart and let him "pick out" a toy of his choice! Here are some pictures from his birthday part-ay!

Now, at PetsMart, Fez's little 10 lb body gives him the advantage over most other dogs to be able to crawl under the shelves and eat all the food and treats that have fallen out of the bags. It's his favorite part :)

Here's a big treat he found under this shelf...

Next, Sonic Run. We let him look over the menu to pick out anything he wanted. But it didn't take him long to stick with his regular Vanilla Ice Cream Dollop...

This is my favorite...it looks like his eyes are about to pop out of his head. Sheer excitement? Or brain freeze??? Hmmmm....

After his birthday ice cream, we headed home, where Fez enjoyed an evening with his new birthday present toys, and a full belly of food and ice cream.

Moving on, LOOK at this most beautiful Teapot and Creamer set my mom and I found at TJ Maxx! Have you ever seen anything more beautiful??? I am hoping there is a sugar bowl that goes with this set somewhere, so if you ever find it, let me know!!!

And finally, the porch update: Totally demolished! Zack and his friend finished this project this week. Now all we have to do is clean out the concrete, and get started on the deck!ps...don't worry...we didn't forget about the Fez! Zack made him his own stairway so he could still reach his dog door :)