Three Awesome Giveaways

Three of my favorite blogs are hosting great giveaways. Mel at Full Circle got to review and is now giving away an at home microdermabrasion kit from Personal Microderm. This kit is a $180 value. The system includes 1 personal microderm, 3 exfoliating discs (2 green and 3 blue), 1 electric cord (Standard U.S. Outlet), 1 facial cap, 1 body cap, 1 reusable filter, Instructional CD and Pamphlet. Talk about a wonderful way to take care of yourself. Go check out Mel's GIVEAWAY POST and enter.

The second giveaway is being hosted by Erica over at Parenthood For Me. She is celebrating gaining her 400th follower. She is giving away a super cool Envirosax Bontanica bag, a set of Key Kaps, and a set of PFM black and white drawings on stationery notecards. Head on over to Erica's GIVEAWAY POST and enter.

The third giveaway is being hosted by Colette at JamericanSpice. Thanks to the generosity of the folks at Rubbermaid, she got to review and giveaway a Rubbermaid Reveal Mop. This sounds like the perfect tool to make cleaning floors easier. Head on over to her GIVEAWAY POST and enter.

All these lovely ladies have fabulous blogs and you should read them even if you don't enter the giveaways.

The Sounds of Silence, BlogHer Style

My friend Rys from Confessions of a Clutter Queen has had another stroke of songwriting brilliance. Do y'all remember the warped Christmas carols? Well, those were her handiwork. But, she has topped those completely. She rewrote the words to Simon and Garfunkel's The Sounds of Silence(go listen if you are too young to remember it) with a BlogHer twist.

Hello Kristin, my old friend,
We get to share a room again,
At the Hilton in big New York,
and now I'm feeling like a real dork
And the conference
we've come miles to attend,
my best friend,
is known as Blogher

We entered through the doors and saw,
Ten thousand women maybe more,
I screamed "Holy hormones, Batman"
"I think I need to pop some Ativan"
The elevator crammed
while piped-in muzak played,
Our nerves were frayed,
In all the bustle
of Blogher

We went to seminars galore,
Met new friends at Sparklecorn,
"Did you get a lot of swag?"
"How will it all fit in my bag?"
While the bathroom lines
drastically increase in length,
I've got the strength
To wait my turn
at Blogher

Having to call my man was hard,
I think I maxed my credit card
Times Square and 5th Avenue,
I don't have a single clue
how to continue
after eyeing all that swank
And so my bank
just adores Blogher

We pack our things with a slight frown,
My bag weighs a thousand pounds,
After lunch with A.L.I.,
we said our goodbyes
embracing friends
we've just met face to face,
I've made my case,
to return
to Blogher

alternate ending:
How did we end up here in jail?
I hope our husbands can post bail.
Did it happen with our consent?
We meant no malicious intent
The experience would cement this in our brain,
While we refrain
from blame
at Blogher

I've turned off the comments on this post because I really want Rys to get some bloggy comment love. Please go tell her what you think of it.

Photo Friday: PLAY!

Welcome to Photo Friday sponsored by the brilliant and beautiful Calliope of Creating Motherhood. This weeks theme is Play! We do a lot of playing and generally having fun around here. Sadly, since I'm the one usually taking the pictures, there aren't any really good pics of me having fun. So, I'm featuring my trio of Master Players this week...
Marty playing chess at the
Marbles Kids Museum


My monkey boy Joey at the
Kids Together Playground


Kamikaze Gabe jumping off the
Kids Together Playground

Now, head on over to Calli's y'all and check out everyone's photos this week...and, break out those cameras and participate next week.

I still don't get it...

and I think this guy's observation about Twilight sums it up for me...
PS...I read the first book, enjoyed it while I was reading it, and then made the fatal mistake of stopping to think about what I read. My response when I thought about it was... WTF did I just read and why oh why did I read it. Literary crack.

The House on Teacher's Lane

Before I tell you about the book, throw on your shoes and RUN not walk to your local book store and buy a copy of this fabulous book. Or, click on over to Amazon and buy a copy of The House on Teacher's Lane. Go ahead and buy a digital copy while you are at it. I'll wait.

Are you back? Good. Now I can tell you all about why you need to read this book NOW. The House on Teacher's Lane tells the story of the adventures and misadventures Rachel Simon and her husband go through while remodeling their house. While that alone would make it an entertaining tale, what makes this book truly amazing is Ms. Simon's masterful storytelling abilities and her knack for pulling you in so you feel what she's feeling. On top of that, Ms. Simon makes some truly profound observations about life, love, and friendship. I truly treasure my books and, while they always show wear and tear from being read and reread, I can rarely bring myself to mark in a book. Ms. Simon made comments so profound and so relevant that I found myself marking passages with a highlighter. For example, she says that "Family was the very house in which my thoughts had come into being, and they remained around and inside me all the time...But friends? In the house of me, my friends were the rooms themselves, each a private haven where I could be a different version of myself, as could they, each decorated by our unique camaraderie." I truly love that description of family and friendship. For me, it captures the essence of what family and friends are to me. And later, when Ms. Simon is musing about what brings two like souls together, "what gets us to recognize and speak to others who rhyme with us", she concludes that while she may never understand that, the one thing she can do is "Just keep paying attention. Look around. See all that you don't let yourself see." I think that is incredibly important advice for all of us. What I truly adore about this book is all these brilliant observations seem to just flow as part of the story. Not once does it seem like Ms. Simon is being preachy.

Guys, I could go on and on about this book but I don't want to tell you all the secrets about it. I want you to have the immense pleasure of discovering this book yourself. I do have one last teaser for you. Like any excellent story, there is a completely unforeseen twist near the end. Now, go pick up that copy of the book your rushed out to buy earlier and get reading.


*All quotes come from the book.
** The only compensation I got for this review was a copy of the book.

Congrats to the UPrinting Banner Giveaway winner

Congrats to bmolavi. You are the winner of the UPrinting Vinyl Banner Giveaway sponsored by Uprinting, Giveaway Blogs, and me. I hope you enjoy your UPrinting prize

The Vortex

You know that great sucking sound y'all have been hearing from somewhere in North Carolina? That sound that sounds disturbingly like something being sucked into a vortex...well, that has been my performance on this months ICLW. Y'all, I swear I really meant to do better. When I signed up, I didn't realize we would be going out of town for my niece's birthday and that I would be so wipe out when we got back. Honestly, I feel like I've been a total disappointment this month.

(back to writing over an hour later) Oh yeah, I was writing a post about how lame I've been and then my lameness cranks up a few more notches (does that mean my lameness is over achieving?) and I get distracted by all these blogs I should have been reading for the past 5 days and I forget I'm in the middle of apologizing. Damn. Oh yeah, oops. I just remembered how I got distracted. I was looking through my blogroll for a link I wanted to pass on to y'all.

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Ummmm, trying to focus here. I have a few shout out I wanna mention...

1. HUGE congrats to the awesome and incredible Calliope! She is a finalist in the 2010 BlogHer Voices of the Year awards.
2. A big, big thank you going out to Fertility Chick for the beautiful necklace I won in her giveaway. I also adore the socks she sent me with the necklace.
3. I just read a most incredible book called The House on Teacher's Lane by Rachel Simon. I'll be writing a review shortly but wanted to thank Cecily for putting me in touch with the people sending the books out to be reviewed. It is a seriously outstanding book.
4. I also want to send a HUGE thank you and a damn you look amazing shout out to the Batty Nurse! She sent me the sweetest gift and I forgot to tell y'all about it. Thanks and love you sweetie!
5. If you are plus-sized, get your ass in gear and get thee to an Avenue...either brick and mortar or online at Avenue.com. They have some great clothes on sale. Also, in addition to that cute black dress I showed you a few posts ago, I scored a great deal on some shoes at their brick and mortar store (5 pairs for only $45).

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Thanks to my dear friend Kristi, I have almost caught up with technology. Yes folks, I am the proud owner of a shiny red crackberry. If you're going to be at BlogHer or if I know you and love you, shoot me an email or leave me a comment and we can exchange numbers.

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And, lastly but not leastly (hehe), I have to share a quick but funny Gabe story. Earlier today when Joey had friends over, he had me doing something for him on the 'puter. When I finished, I called out for him (so I could show him how to do it for himself next time). He didn't answer and I said "Where is my twit child?" Gabe, who was standing nearby, turned around and said "I'm right here."


*PS...please forgive the scattered nature of this post. Sadly, I can't blame it on recreational substances or pregnancy. I have to fess up and blame it on my brain still being awake at 3:30 am (and, from the time stamp on this post you can see how distracted I got earlier).

Perfect Moment Monday: Sisterhood

Lori over at Weebles Wobblog says that "Perfect Moment Monday is more about noticing a perfect moment than about creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between."

I am truly blessed with a fabulous family. Like all families, we have our issues but we truly love each other and go out of our way to be there for each other. This weekend, my oldest niece turned 13. With the exception of my hubby and my baby sister's hubby, we were all there to celebrate. Despite teh awful heat, we had a great time at a local park on Friday...swimming, picnicking, feeding geese. Then on Saturday, after teh birthday celebration and thanks to the generosity of my parents (thanks Mom and Dad), the boys and I joined the birthday girl and her whole family at Carowinds. We spent the whole time in the water park portion (it was too hot for anything else) and Gabe insisted on being in the big wave pool, not the small one. It was so much fun spending all this happy time with my family. I love you you all.

Then, when I got home, I found this wonderful surprise from my bestest bud and sister by choice, Jennifer (Please, please click on them and read it. They will open in another window.)...
I think the reason it means so very much to me is that Jennifer and I have known each other for over 25 years. We don't have to prove our friendship to each other. I love you sister.

Go check out the other perfect moments at this week's Perfect Moment Monday on Weebles Wobblog.

Photo Friday: Unplugged

Welcome to Photo Friday sponsored by the brilliant and beautiful Calliope of Creating Motherhood. This weeks theme is Unplugged (whatever our interpretation of that is) suggested to us by the beautiful Chicklet of Bloorb.

My picture is simple, sweet, and self-explanatory. I LOVE seeing my boys like this.
Now, head on over to Calli's y'all and check out everyone's photos this week...and, break out those cameras and participate next week.

Gabe does the darndest things Part 2

Gabe has been at it again. Not that crazy Gabe happenings are anything new. He always seems to be up to something. For those of you who missed it, I wrote a post about Gabe and his antics about a week and a half ago. Go read it. It will give you a base of reference for this craziness.

The other morning, I heard Gabe calling me from the kitchen. This is what happened...

Gabe: "Mom, moooooommmm"
Me: "Just a minute. I'll be right there."

I come around the corner to see this...
What? You can't tell what's in there? Here, take a closer look...
Me:"GET OUT OF THERE NOW!"
Gabe: "Ummmmmmmmm, ummmmmmmmm, because I'm jelly!"

Sadly, I made the mistake of laughing. Now, at random points throughout the day, Gabe hops in the fridge and yells "I'm jelly!"

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Also, Gabe has a question for all of you. He asked me this question yesterday but seems to need a second opinion. He wants to know...
Are these my middle fingers?

Fun Stuff from my inbox

Hey y'all. I am way, way behind on welcoming any and all ICLWers to my blog today...SO HI! If y'all want to know more about me, look at the links up above.

Now that I've gotten that done (sorry again I was late), I have to share a few fun things I got in my email. First of all, for all you crafty types, the editors over at Knitting Daily had a brilliant and fun crafty idea in today's newsletter...making customized buttons from shrink paper (think Shrinky Dinks).

before shrinking

after shrinking

The detailed instructions are in the newsletter (check the link in bold above). I think this is the coolest idea. Now you can always have the perfect button to complete an outfit or something you've made. I see these in my future.

The other fun thing I discovered in my inbox this morning is a game called Aequilibrium. My hubby gets the Kim Komando newsletters and she periodically highlights cool sites. Aequilibrium was today's cool site of the day. The whole point of the game is to remove all the red pieces without having the structure tip over. It looks really simple but it not only requires a quick hand but it makes you think things out.

Anyone have fun ways to waste your time online? I'm always looking for new and different fun stuff.

Post BlogHer ALI get together

Mel, the goddess of our ALI blogosphere, called out for help planning a Sunday morning/early afternoon post BlogHer get together. Since she asks for so little and does so much, I decided to step up and do what I could.

I called on my NYC expert, also known as Dora from My Preconceived Notion, and discussed possible locations. Dora said that finding a good location for a group our size (around 20) can be problematic in that area of NYC. And, since we are trying to keep it indoors since the weather could mess up an outdoor get together, we concluded that the hotel lobby and coffee/juice/etc would be the best option. As a rule, hotels are willing to hold onto luggage for a bit if there is a gap between your check out time and departure time. That means we wouldn't have to worry about our luggage while we enjoy each others company.

The only remaining questions are what time do we plan this for and how do you feel about children at the get together. I know many of you still haven't had the child you long for and the presence of little ones can be painful. I also know that a few of the people integral to this community will not be able to be there if kids are not welcome.

So, to sum it up:
Location: lobby of the Hilton (we can always move it outside if the weather is good)
Time: post check out (mention a time in the comments if you have a specific time in mind)
Kids or no kids: answer the poll below

EdenFantasys Review: The Serenity by Evolved Novelties NSFW

The wonderful folks over at Eden Fantasys gave me a chance to try out a brand new adult toy and all I had to do in return was review it for you my loyal readers. Yes, I was compensated for this review with the gift of the toy I'm reviewing. I quickly jumped at the chance and, after much deliberation, I decided I wanted to try out The Serenity by Evolved Novelties. The folks at Eden Fantasys are super quick with shipping and their packaging is extremely discrete (a USPS box and label from Web Merchants Inc). Luckily, I'd been warned how discrete the packaging is so I didn't end up opening this in front of the kids. There is a lot of good about this vibrator and, for me, some not so good.

Perfect Moment Monday: Bling for Mama

Lori over at Weebles Wobblog says that "Perfect Moment Monday is more about noticing a perfect moment than about creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between."

I've had a series of perfect moments while getting ready to go to BlogHer. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to wear and was trying to save money so I decided to deconstruct and remake an outfit I had. I was given an outfit made of beautiful blue material but the cut was totally unflattering. The shirt was a long sleeved shirt with a boxy cut and. the pants were kind of shapeless.After a few days work, I ended up with this (please ignore the poofy hair)...Then I went to Avenue's web site to check out some boots Miss Tori from The Winding Road to Parenthood bought and stumbled across their sale. With the coupon code, I got this dress for under $30...The, I found this awesome watch and bracelet...
and this costume jewelry set...and, I got both the watch bracelet set and the costume jewelry set for under $10.

Go check out the other perfect moments at this week's Perfect Moment Monday on Weebles Wobblog.

A bit of this, a bit of that...

Do you know why or how coffee came to be called a cup of joe? I didn't until this morning. Thanks to a blurb on Yahoo news, I found out. According to the website Origins of Navy Terminology,

Josephus Daniels (18 May 1862-15 January 1948) was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913. Among his reforms of the Navy were inaugurating the practice of making 100 Sailors from the Fleet eligible for entrance into the Naval Academy, the introduction of women into the service, and the abolishment of the officers' wine mess. From that time on, the strongest drink aboard Navy ships could only be coffee and over the years, a cup of coffee became known as "a cup of Joe".

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Do you know the difference between boys and girls? My friend Rys's daughter does. Her explanation is absolutely hysterical. GO READ IT

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I just bought a great dress for BlogHer. It's a classic black dress and I love that I can dress it up or down. Avenue is having their Semi-annual Sale with up to 70% off and you can find promotion codes here. I only bought one dress but found about 10 I liked.

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It's haircut day in the Cruz household. Gabe needs a trim. Marty needs a major cut (shhh, but he has bowl head going on). And, since Joey actually does a pretty darned good job taking care of his hair, he will be allowed to keep it long.

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My hubby once again rescued us in the computer department. He put a good graphics card back in our computer and, when it turned out that the kids' computer needed a motherboard in addition to the power source, he scored a newer working computer off of Craig's List for only $50. I heart Craig's List. The Craig's List tally includes an $80 stove, a $150 fridge, and the $50 Compaq Presario 6000. I'm not sure which is the best deal.

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I think I'm feeling the need for a couple of book giveaways...one crafty based and one infertility based. Stay tuned for details.

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So, any good deals, great sales, or interesting stuff going on with you?

Oh goddesses of blogdom, help me!

My feed appears to be messed up (or maybe it is just blogger). I haven't signed up for feedburner or anything like that but I don't think people who are following me through Google Reader are getting the proper updates. For example, on sites that use the Comment Luv feature, it is still showing me post from last Tuesday as being my most recent post...Is this something I can fix or do I need to contact Blogger?

Just Those Few Weeks

For those few weeks -
I had you to myself.
And that seems too short a time
to be changed so profoundly.

In those few weeks -
I came to know you . . .
and to love you.
You came to trust me with your life.
Oh, what a life I had planned for you.

Just those few weeks -
When I lost you,
I lost a lifetime of hopes,
plans, dreams, and aspirations . . .
A slice of my future simply vanished overnight.

Just those few weeks -
It wasn't enough time to convince others
how special and important you were.
How odd, a truly unique person has recently died
and no one is mourning the passing.

Just a mere few weeks -
And no "normal" person would cry all night
over a tiny, unfinished baby,
or get depressed and withdraw day after endless day.
No one would, so why am I?

You were just those few weeks my little one
you darted in and out of my life too quickly.
But it seems that's all the time you needed
to make my life so much richer
and give me a small glimpse of eternity.

- Susan Erling Martinez

My dear friend Vicki over at An Abundance of Blessings posted this a week ago. It so perfectly captures the feelings I had with each of my losses and I wanted to pass it on to you all.

Photo Friday: My 4-legged, Furry Family

Welcome to Photo Friday sponsored by the brilliant and beautiful Calliope of Creating Motherhood. This weeks theme is pets or, in the case of my pets, our 4-legged, furry family.

We have 5 furry family members - 2 dogs (one a pound puppy and one from my sister) and 3 cats (one pound kitty, one from my mom, and one inherited from a friend). Our animals are true personalities and can be almost as maddening as our kiddos. I'd like to introduce you to our furry family members...
Jolie and JackJolie is almost 10 1/2 and she is our pound puppy. Although we don't have papers to show it, we are almost 100% certain she is a pure bred border collie. She has almost all of the traits that breed is known for. Jolie has decided she is my dog. She ignores half of what Vic says and she pouts and sulks whenever I go out of town.
Jack is half husky and half golden retriever. He's about 6 yrs old and acts like a puppy. Even though he has his wild moments he is unfailingly patient with the kids. Gabe adores him and has decided Jack belongs to him.
Snoopy

FreddySnoopy and Freddy belong to Marty. Snoopy is also about 10 1/2 and, just like Jolie, we got him when he was about 1 1/2. We inherited him from a friend who was too sick to keep him anymore. Snoopy promptly attached himself to Marty. Lately, Snoopy has gotten stubborn and has decided he wants to live outdoors. Since Marty missed having an indoor cat, he used some birthday money and adopted Freddy from the pound. Freddy is polydactyl (one extra toe) on his front paws and is a very talkative kitty.
Max in the BoxMax is the youngest of our furry family. He is about 2.I really think that he doesn't believe he is only a house cat. I think the extra long tail has caused him to believe he is really a panther. Max is Joey's furry friend.

Now, head on over to Calli's y'all and check out everyone's photos this week...and, break out those cameras and participate next week.

Lots to do...

I am so excited. I am going to have lunch with one of my oldest and dearest friends today. I haven't seen her in years thanks to her royal asshole of an ex-husband (a long story for another day) and I am so thankful our friendship survived.

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I've been getting ready for BlogHer. I decided to totally reconstruct an outfit I had been given. In it's original form it was completely unflattering. I truly do NOT need anything that makes me look any bigger than I am and it did that. I LOVE the way it looks now. Pics will come later.

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I am knitting what I think will be a baby blanket. I love the colors but I have no clue who it is going to go to when I 'm done. Maybe it will go in the future present stash.

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I have another dress I made back in college that I am thinking about deconstructing and then I'll use the fabric to make a dress that will flatter me now. The fabric is a gorgeous white and gold brocade with real 24 ct gold thread in it. My mom brought it back from Asia (either Japan or Taiwan) .

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Am I totally crazy for thinking about making some Christening gowns and crazy quilts from my wedding dress and other formal gowns I own? I think it's a fab idea but my sister thinks I'm crazy for wanting to cut it up?

Can anyone explain this to me?

I checked. I really did. I didn't do any drugs. My hubby didn't do any drugs. Hell, we hadn't even had a beer. Yet, I saw this on TV last night. Can anyone please explain it to me?

Gabe does the darndest things

The more I live with this wonderful boy of mine, the more I become convinced of one thing...if Gabriel had been my first child, I seriously think he would have been my last. He would have scared me off from having more kids permanently. I love him. I truly do. It's just that he frequently pushes me to the brink of insanity and then beyond.

Gabe walked at 8 months old. He tried to climb the ladder to the attic when he was only one week shy of 11 months old...Shortly after he discovered the joy of climbing, he discovered the joy of kamikaze leaps and the bumps and bruises and scars began. His first kamikaze scar was within a month of the ladder incident...He would jump from couch to couch and, when that failed to entertain, he would stand on the arm of the couch and take flying leaps down the length of the couch. He chipped one of his front teeth when he scaled his high chair and leapt from the arms of it. Oh, we can't forget when one of the coffee table leaps lead to him getting a split on the back of his head about 1/2 to 3.4 of an inch long. Luckily, it was pretty shallow and the bleeding stopped quickly.

And, thank God for the bathing suits with the built in floats because Gabe FIRMLY believed he could conquer the swimming pool through sheer force of will.

Put simply, Gabe doesn't walk if he can run. He doesn't go around things if he can go over things. The world exists solely for the purpose of being Gabe's jungle gym.

Could you imagine what it would be like if I was not an attentive parent? I am with this little boy almost all day everyday. I watch him closely. Yet, if I dare to take a moment to load the dishwasher or clean the house, disaster can be (and often is) lurking right around the corner.

You will never guess what he did did yesterday. I will give you one hint. It did not involve physical danger (well, the act itself didn't).

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Gabe decided to scoop the cats' litter box with his Crocs (thank God for bleach). That alone was bad enough but he then decided to dump the litter into the bath tub. I seriously do NOT understand this child's obsession with litter boxes. In the past, I have found litter on the floor, on the bathroom counter (eeeeeew), in the toilet (at least that makes a screwed up amount of sense), and in the middle of the hallway. It wasn't until I was telling Kym (and, do you think she showed me any sympathy or do you think she laughed her ass off?) about this while we were talking on Facebook that I finally figured out why he used his Crocs to scoop it. I had lectured Gabe about leaving the litter boxes alone less than a week ago. During this lecture, I told Gabe he could NOT stick his hands in the litter because it could make him sick. At least he absorbed something from the lecture (even if it wasn't the most important point).

So, would a kid like Gabe be enough to scare you of from even trying to have any more?

Random Madness and a perfect moment

On Friday night, we had a disaster of cataclysmic proportions. The one working computer in our house died. Luckily, the issues were within the realm of fixable problems. *warning* techno-geekish talk ahead* We had power blips earlier in the week and the on/off corrupted a file vital to the start up procedure. We were able to restore it to the factory settings but this means we have had to reload tons of programs. We also ended up having to revert to the integrated video/graphics card which means certain things don't look quite right. * techno-geekish talk over* A huge thanks to my friend Rys for letting y'all know where I went.

I think I am getting desperate for a break. I had a long involved dream about actually being at BlogHer. I dreamed I met and talked to Mel, Aunt Becky, and Anissa. Don't know why my brain picked these three lovely ladies out of all the people I'm excited to meet but it did.

I got to visit with some wonderful friends of mine on Saturday. We haven't been able to mesh schedules since August and I was so excited to have them over. Marty was thrilled to see he is finally taller than their teenage daughter.

I picked the first peppers from my container garden this weekend. The plants my sis gave me were labeled bell peppers but, these peppers obviously are not bell peppers. The taste a lot like bell peppers...not much of a bite.
Anyone have any idea what kind of peppers I am growing?

I finished the companion elephant to the one mentioned back in this post. Both elephants were made with the same pattern but the newer elephant was made with a thinner yarn and a smaller hook.

And, on Sunday, I had a perfect moment with my middle son. Joey brought me breakfast...and told me her thought it was the least he could do for me because I dealt with all the loudness and craziness of tons of people in the house on Saturday (when our friends visited). I thought that was one of the sweetest things anyone has done for me recently. You can check out this week's Perfect Moment Mondays at Weebles Wobblog.

So, what's going on in your world?

Solid Potato Salad

These are The Ross Sisters in 1944, and they ARE solid! Well, kinda, and also like Bendaroos. You need to watch the whole thing to see what I mean! Hubby said if I could do moves like this we'd never leave the bedroom.

Computeris Destructum

During Kristin's unfortunate technological circumstance (her computer's on the fritz), I get to be your most humble guest author. (insert deep bow here) I'm Rys from Confessions of a Clutter Queen, my fledgling little blog I write when I can.

Yesterday, Kristin asked you to send me support and love. I did not ask for, nor expect anything...but many of you came by with your thoughtfulness and bloggy love. It was a sweet and lovely surprise, and from the bottom of my heart I wanted to thank all who responded to her call.

My friend needs you...

Can y'all offer my friend Rys some support and love? She blogs over at Confessions of a Clutter Queen. She could especially use some support from people who have dealt with/are dealing with depression.

ONLY SUPPORT PLEASE...no criticism for anyone

uPrinting Banner Giveaway

uPrinting.com is now affiliated with Giveaway Blogs and that wonderful partnership is facilitating this month's giveaway.

uPrinting.com is allowing me to give you lucky readers a chance to win a 24"x36" vinyl banner. I am being compensated for this giveaway with a banner of my own but I would recommend uPrinting even if I didn't get goodies from them. I only support companies I believe in.

Now, I know many of you haven't seen anything uPrinting has made before but, let me tell you, they do amazing work. I have been thrilled with every product I have had uPrinting make me. This banner would be great for a birthday, a family reunion, or just to say I love you. uPrinting not only does phenomenal work but their prices are extremely economical. I seriously can not believe their cheap banner printing prices.

Giveaway Prize: 24x36 Vinyl Banner w/ Grommets
Shipping: Free UPS Ground Shipping
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents due to shipping costs.
Additionally, winners must be 18 yrs old or older.

Entering this giveway is simple but remember that EACH CHANCE REQUIRES A SEPARATE RESPONSE. What do you have to do to enter...

1. REQUIRED: tell me what you think you would get on your banner
2. Follow my blog via Google Friends Connect
3. Follow me on Twitter and tell me your twitter name
4. Follow uPrinting on Twitter and tell me your twitter name
5. Follow Giveaway Blogs on Twitter and tell me your twitter name
6. Tweet or facebook this giveaway and provide me the link to your tweet. Tweet example: Win a 24x36 vinyl banner from @dragondream , @uPrinting , & @Giveaway_blogs http://bit.ly/boBpUp Entries close on 7/23 #giveaway (can use this entry once a day)

This giveaway is open until 7/23 and the winner will be announced by no later than 7/26. Spread the word and enter.

Scattergories: Heat Wave Edition

From the brilliant and beautiful Calliope...

SCATTERGORIES – it’s harder than it looks! Play here or let me know in the comments if you play on your blog. (note to those new to the game: these don’t have to be actual truths. If it helps- replace the word “you” in the questions & substitute it with “someone”.) Play on & use your imagination! Use the first letter of the answer to the first question to come up with answers for the rest. There is no wrong answer!

1. What is your favorite cool drink? Soda

2. Something you would put on or take off when hot? sexy lingerie

3. Something you would yell if overheated? *Stop the Fiiiiire in my brain!

4. Some place you would love to travel to if the temperature was above 90 degrees? San Fransisco

5. Something you would do in a rolling blackout? sex

6. Something you would listen to with the top down? (I mean of your hypothetical convertible, but feel free to get creative) Sex Pistols

7. Something you would rather be doing right now? see #5

8 . Some place that will always be hotter than where you are today? Satan's house

9. Something that sizzles when it touches the sidewalk?

10. Something that goes well with a barbecue? slaw

So, head on over to the home of Scattergories: Heat Wave Edition and join in the fun.

*It's a quote from this movie

Wordless Wednesday: Independence Day

The heat has baked my brain

It is hot today. You know, the kind of hot that lets you bake cookies in your car. And, let me tell you, this crap about a dry heat not being that bad is pure bullshit. 101 with almost no humidity is still miserable. It is seriously frakking hot and it has baked my brain and zapped any desire to do anything from me.
Since coherent thought has fled my brain, I thought I'd share a few funny videos with y'all. Those of you who are nurses or in the medical field will really appreciate these. Without further ado, I bring you the Laryngospasms...

Happy 4th!

pictures found via google images

Photo Friday (on Sunday): Crafty Delight

Welcome to Photo Friday sponsored bythe brilliant and beautiful Calliope of Creating Motherhood. This weeks theme asks us to focus on what we like about ourselves. I think the thing I am most pleased with is my creativity and craftiness.

My creativity has allowed me to stumble upon the method that let me take pictures like this...

It allows me to create patterns like this...
and pass it on to a friend I love dearly.

And, I'm able to create quilts that bring the love of far flung friends home to someone who truly needs it...

Now, head on over to Calli's y'all and check out everyone's photos this week...and, break out those cameras and participate next week.

Wordless Wednesday: Independence Day

Check out my newest review...

Eden Fantasys has once again let me review one of their products. This time it's the Pearl Lotus. Take a moment to check out my latest review but please be aware it is *NSFW or nosy children. Eden Fantasys rocks because their service is quick and ultra discrete. Eden Fantasys is a sex shop I trust.


*NSFW = Not safe for work

Chocolate and peanut Butter...divine!

I found this recipe thanks to Creative2xmom. I think the cake is eeeeeeeevil because if you see it, you will want to bake it. Sooooo, I'm passing it on to you. The recipe can be found here but I've reprinted it below for your convenience (bwahahahahahahahahaha).

Buckeye Cake/Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cake (AKA Blow the Diet for this one Cake)

Image Credit

If you love chocolate and peanut butter and those wonderful buckeyes (chocolate covered peanut butter balls), you have got to try this!! I was looking for a yummy new recipe, so I tweaked it some to our liking and this is what I came up with.

My, oh my! I was told that if the cake was on top of your head, your tongue would be slapping the side of your head trying to get to it. LOL!

Blow the Diet or Buckeye Cake
Printable Recipe

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 2 9-inch round baking pans. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, butter and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

FOR PEANUT BUTTER LAYER:
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Beat peanut butter, butter, & vanilla in med bowl until combined. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Spread mixture on cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

FOR GANACHE:
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Heat cream in small saucepan to boiling; remove from heat. Add semi-sweet chocolate chips; let stand 5 minutes. Stir, refrigerate for 30 mins or until mixture is spreadable. Spread on top and sides of cake. Or Microwave on 70% power for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave additional 20-30 seconds on 70% power stirring after each.