Prizes and Swaps and Gifts, Oh My!

And it's not even Christmas yet! With all the worry that I do when I don't have time to post, I totally forgot to mention that I recently won two give-aways from some fabulous people! First, I won the cutest doggie mat from Modern June. Great Oil Cloth mat in the shape of a doggie bone. It's the perfect size for my house...we have two dogs, which means two dog bowls and a water dish. I apologize to the host of this give-away...I cannot remember who you are, so if you read this, please let me know so I can "edit" this post to give you full credit.

(photo courtesy of Modern June)

The other item I won is the Vera Bradley umbrella and cosmetic case. LOVE them! I also love Lauren Nicole Gifts, too (hostess of the give-away). I almost lost the umbrella when the ol' hurricane Ida came rolling through NC. I used it once...as I was afraid the wind would pull it inside out. I do love it. It's just adorable (see older post for picture). And who doesn't love to win, right?

I also recently signed up for my very first swap. My partner, Julie, and I chatted via email last night. We seem to have the same taste, so this is going to be a lot of fun. If you've never tried a swap, I highly recommend it. I think I'll be doing this again soon. It's like Secret Santa, but not so much the secret and you can do it anytime...not just at Christmas. Though the most recent swap is closed, check out the Goodness Girls blog for the next opportunity!

Gratitude: The quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful

As I was catching up on my blog reading (which is about as much as I have been doing lately), I came across Black Labs and Lilly's blog. She's posting daily gratitude posts this month in honor of the month of Thanksgiving. It really got me thinking about gratitude. I'm so full of gratitude for where my life is today. I almost wish that I had time to post a daily bit of gratitude, but honestly, I am too busy.

What I have found is that gratitude is an important part of my daily routine. I am grateful for all of the wonderful things in my life. Each morning, while my coffee brews, I list each of these things in my gratitude journal. Along with my gratitude list, there's a list of those that I know in need of prayer. By doing this every morning, it puts my life in perspective. My day gets off to a great start this way.

What are you grateful for? My gratitude list begins with my husband, my home, my dogs and my family and seems to just snowball from there. As the holidays approach, it's a great time to think about what spurs your gratitude.

Let's Play Tag.....

I'm it...

1. Where is your cell phone:
I think it's in the side pocket inside my purse

2. Your hair:
Ponytail under my new Ralph Lauren Chino Baseball Hat I received as a gift for working Private Sale (now through Monday on RalphLauren.com. Additional 15% off sale items Promo Code NOV0509).

3. Your mother:
One of my best friends, mother of four, grandmother of two, kind, sincere, loving, giving, artist

4. Your father:
Fisherman, friend, father of four, grandad of two, giving, loving, caring

5. Your favorite food:
Italian

6. Your dream from last night:
No memory of it

7. Your favorite drink:
Diet Coke

8. Your dream/goal:
To get in shape and run a half marathon. (I have no desire to run a full marathon)

9. What room are you in:
The living room

10. What are your hobbies:
Painting, crafting, knitting, hiking

11. What is your fear:
I'm afraid of heights, but only when I arrive at the top.

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years:
Living at the beach

13. Where were you last night:
dinner with my husband

14. Something you are not:
going to be guilted into doing something

15. Muffins:
are like mini cakes for breakfast

16. Wish list items:
new floor for the den, bathroom upgrade,

17. Where did you grow up:
North Carolina

18. Last thing you did:
brushed my teeth this morning and then fixed another cup of coffee

19. What are you wearing:
Old Navy fleece and some ratty sweatpants

20. Your pets:
Daisy--the wonder westie
Gracie--the smartest dog I've ever met

21. Your friends:
Wish I had more time to spend with them.

22. Your life:
GREAT!

24. Your mood:
It's my day off...so I'm feeling great and super happy!

25. Missing someone:
Always

26. Vehicle:
Jeep Liberty

27. Something you’re not wearing:
make-up

28. Your favorite store:
Target (I'd be fibbing if I said another place more glamourous)

29. Your favorite color(s):
GREEN--all shades---it's a healing color

30. When’s the last time you laughed:
Yesterday..I don't think I've been up long enough to laugh today.

31. When’s the last time you cried:
Yesterday. Crying is so freeing.

32. Your best friend:
He's getting dressed so we can head out to the Farmer's Market. It's date-day (Travelling Tuesday has been a bust the last two weeks)!

33. One place you go over and over:
The kitchen and outside the house...work

34. One person who emails me regularly:
My sister, Hollis.

35. Favorite place to eat:
Emerywood Fine Foods

Better Late than Never

Just ran across this giveaway....but it ends today. Got to Lauren Nicole NOW to enter this fabulous giveaway.

Giveaway Tuesday

I'll say it's a day for giveaways! I'm posting all these great giveaways in hopes that I'll be the lucky one! Check this out at the Preppy Princess. Create your own crest! That's my kind of giveaway. It's the second great Whitney English giveaway I've found today. Hurry! Don't get left out in the cold...enter to win today!

AMAZING Whitney English Giveaway

This is a giveaway you don't want to miss! Go directly to KAG. Do not pass go and do your best to collect this SUPER prize! It's the AMAZING Whitney English Giveaway. I truly hope that I win it, but I will not pout forever if I don't. It's a great offer and I wanted to share it with all of my friends. HURRY! It ends soon...as in Thursday. So, what are you waiting for?

Where The Good Toys Are

I have spent the better part of the last three hours surfing the net trying to find some unique Christmas gifts. Have you heard that Fisher Price has come out with Retro Toys? Not having a child, I was unaware. Hickory Dickory Dock Clock, the pull along phone, and much much more. How this excited me and brought back memories of my childhood. I just want to take a day off and play with all these toys. I wonder if Santa would bring ME some toys this year? These toys are available at Target and ToysRUs. For lots of other classic toys, visit Back to Basic Toys.

While walking down memory lane with these Classic Fisher Price toys, I would be remiss if I did not mention my favorite doll, My Friend Mandy. She was the IT doll of my generation. If I wasn't playing with her, I was playing Snoopies. 8" tall Snoopy came 'naked' but you could buy him everything from a rain coat to a pair of overalls. He replaced Barbie in my world....because you didn't have to keep up with those shoes!


I know this isn't a toy, but I love this child's turtleneck for Thanksgiving. I've got Macy's Parade on the brain now just thinking about Thanksgiving. This applique is adorable! I'm thinking my niece, Addison needs one. Pick yours up from The Pink Giraffe. You'll love this shop. While you're there, check out the lamps. I've blogged about them before. I think Eliza is fabulous and just love giving her a little plug when I can. She's also got some other applique shirts with huge daisies and monograms. Too cute!