Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway

As you may already know, I am excited to be participating in the Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway. It's sure to be a lot of fun, so, keep reading for all the details.

Click here to go to Shannon's site and see links for all the bloggers who are joining in the giveaway. There will be tons of awesome goodies up for grabs -- be sure to check them all out.

Here's the scoop on my prize:

If you have read any of my blog, you probably know that I am a huge movie lover. My motto is "I've never met a movie I didn't like". Seriously, I love most all genres of films...dramas, actions, mysteries, romantic comedies, foreign films; I love them all. I especially love those obscure independent films, the ones that are not the big box-office hits that you see advertised all over the place. The little hidden gems that really touch me; that make me laugh or cry, or both. So, for my giveaway, I have put together a "Movie Night Gift Basket". It contains one new/unused DVD - I'll let the title be a surprise, but, it's a movie that I have seen and love, as well as some movie-time snacks (popcorn and candy). To have a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. When posting your comment, please be sure and give your name so I will be able to contact you if you are the winner. You will have until 8:00 a.m. EST, Sunday November 4. I will choose a winning name on Sunday afternoon (I'll be using a random number generator to choose the winning comment). Remember, you must comment on this post for your chance to win. And, again, you can click here to see all the Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway links.

My giveaway is open only to U.S. residents. Sorry, I do love my international friends, but, I must do this because of postage prices. And, I am not sure if American DVD's even work in other countries??? Also, you do not have to have a blog to enter.

NOTE: Just a small disclaimer (because I'm paranoid like that)...this gift basket contains butter-flavored popcorn, chocolate Whoppers, and cherry Twizzlers. If you win my giveaway and you or a family member have allergies to any of these items, please do not eat them. Also, this movie is rated PG; however, there is partial nudity and some mild language. Thank you!

So, happy fall, y'all! Let me see those comments and good luck!

~K

REMINDER

Don't forget to come back on Monday when I'll be announcing my giveaway -- it's part of the Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway. Go here to check out all the fun details. Here's a little hint for you: my giveaway involves something that I love doing and have posted about in the past. See you soon!
~K

Not the greatest company spokesperson...

My conversation today with the guy working behind the counter making my drink at Starbucks:

Me: Hi, how ya doin today?

Starbucks guy: Ok. (begins to prepare my caramel apple cider) You know, we don't get too many orders for these caramel apple ciders anymore.

Me: Oh, really? That's what I always order here, it's my favorite.

Starbucks guy: Well, you know, they changed the recipe a little bit, and I'm not too happy with it.

Me: Oh, really? I still love it!

Starbucks guy: I don't like the cinnamon dulce syrup they use now. And, I don't really like our caramel syrup either. And, I can't stand our whip cream.

Me: Oh, really?

Starbucks guy: Yeah, the whip cream is soooo full of fat, I just couldn't put that into my body. This whole drink is really so unhealthy and fattening, I just couldn't drink it. I hope we quit selling it.

Me: ....Could you make that with extra whip cream, please?

Starbucks guy: (Dumb stare) uh, ok


Geez, I mean seriously, how rude is that! And, I'm sure his boss would not have appreciated hearing him talk about their products that way. I just had to laugh. And, then I enjoyed every last drop of my delicious, fattening, caramel apple cider! So, if you haven't tried one, please order one the next time you are at Starbucks.

~K

Giveaway coming soon!

I was visiting Lisa's blog, when I read about the Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway. Sounds like a lot of fun, so I have decided to participate. Be sure and click on the Fall Y'all link to read all the details and decide if you would like to join in, too. And, then come on back over to my blog on Oct. 29 when I'll be posting my giveaway. Happy Fall, y'all!
~K

Out of the closet....

I'm officially outing myself. I am a closet head-banger. Yes, I do love me some bad boys of rock. Some who know me, might describe me as meek and mild, or gentle and shy, or a quiet homebody. They may be surprised to learn that I love some good old, loud, head-banging rock music. One of my favorite bands is Puddle of Mudd - love that lead singer *sigh*. I can't get enough of their new song 'Psycho'. The music video spoofs some classic horror movies (which I also happen to love). I think it's hilarious. So, for your Halloween viewing pleasure, please go check it out...

P.S. Help...apparently I'm too ignorant to figure out how to post a video on my blog. Advice? Anybody?

~K

Fall Book Swap Part 2

Yesterday I mentioned the Fall book swap that I joined. The book that I sent to my swap partner is called The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier. She is one of my favorite authors. I discovered her when I heard about a movie called Girl with a Pearl Earring. I remember seeing the movie preview, thinking that it looked like a movie I would enjoy. When I learned that it was based on a book, I went to the library to check out the book (I prefer to read the book before seeing the movie). Well, I fell in love with that story, it was so full of passion and rich in history. Incidently, I also loved the movie. I went on to read and love her other books, The Virgin Blue being one of them. This book was particularly interesting because it tells parallel stories of two different women - one in sixteenth century France, the other in present day France. Although centuries apart, the two women have historical family ties that bind them together. Stories that take place in far-away lands and far-away times are so easy for me to get caught up in. Tracy Chevalier's books have love, passion, mystery, sadness, history...they are great! I hope my swap partner, Pina, enjoys her book.
~K

Fall Book Swap

I participated in a fall book swap hosted by a fellow blogger over at her site Zazazu. We were matched up with a swap partner, and were to exchange one book and a few little items that remind us of fall. My partner is Pina who happens to live in Slovenia. It's been very exciting for me to get to know her and learn about her country. I think that it's pretty amazing...someone whom I would have never had the chance to know or meet, but, because of the wonderful world of blogging and swaps, I now have a new friend who lives in another part of the world. I received her awesome swap package yesterday and had so much fun opening all her little goodies...some tea, chocolate, candles, bath cube, seeds, and more. She really sent a wonderful package! The book that she sent is called The Howling Miller by Arto Paasilinna. One of the points of the swap, was to send your partner a book that you love, expose them to a particular author or genre of reading that they might not otherwise have read. I've not heard of the title that she sent me nor of the author. But, it sounds like an interesting story and I'm anxious to begin reading it. I sent her a novel by one of my favorite authors. I will post about the book tomorrow, as I'm not sure if she has opened my package and I will let it be a surprise for her.

Thanks to Karen at Zazazu for hosting this swap. It's been a great experience.

~K

Here's where I'm at right now....

I've been MIA for a few days. Had the reunion this past weekend, it was a total disaster. But, that's a story for another day. Not ready to get into that. Just trying to work through some problems between DH and I. Why do things suddenly change and become so hard?? Also, oldest son is going through some issues as well....grades not being what they should, he's tired of his extremely demanding football schedule and just not liking school in general. I know it's just a phase, but, it is so hard to see him struggle and being unhappy. He's such a sweet and funny kid. Seriously, his sense of humor has me rolling on the floor all the time! I guess adjusting to high school has been a little harder than we thought it would be.

In other news, the rest of my kiddos are on fall break this week. Yesterday, DD and I went with some friends to a nearby art museum and to see an IMAX film. Then we ate lunch and walked along the riverfront. It was a nice relaxing day with lots of laughter. Just what I need right now.

My house is a mess! I just can't seem to get motivated to do anything around here. Of course, I think it's hard to get housework done when the kids are off from school. Hopefully, next week I will get my butt in gear and clean this place up. I feel like, because of things that have been going on in my life lately, I've really let our home go. I just keep telling myself "tomorrow I will take care of that" but then tomorrow comes and goes. Sorry. Sounds like I'm turning this post into a pity-party. I think I'm going to crawl into bed and finish the book I'm reading. Goodnight.
~K

Girl Talk

This is a shopping site that you have to check out - The Happy Woman Store - I've shopped there in the past, and they always have the most hilarious items. Magnets, mugs, tote bags, notepads...perfect gifts for your girlfriends. Seriously, I crack up every time I look. These are two of my favorites.

She also carries jewelry, soaps, bath salts, books, cds - just a bunch of really neat and fun stuff. I wouldn't mind having this bracelet for myself. I'm totally loving these cute wine corks and this cookbook. And, how about this clever little knitting kit. Go see it all for yourself. Remember, there's only 73 days until Christmas.
~K

P.S. Off topic, but, does anyone watch Big Shots? Comes on after Grey's Anatomy...well I just about laughed my a$$ off tonight. I found it rather hysterical, actually. And, those guys are very easy on the eyes, too.

Another fun contest

Jenny, at Chased by Children, is having a fun contest in honor of her 100th post. To enter, read all the rules in her post, then leave a comment on her blog that finishes this sentence: "If Jenny at Chased By Children wore a slogan tee it would say...."

Here's my suggestion for her tee:

If Jenny at Chased by Children wore a slogan tee it would say "Blahgitty, blahg, blahg, blahg"

Go check out her site. She has a wicked sense of humor and her posts always make me smile!

~K

Today

Today I went out with my mom for lunch and shopping. We had a wonderful time. I was looking for shoes and jewelry to wear to DH's high school reunion, which is coming up this weekend. I also needed some new undergarments for the occasion, LOL! It was quite funny looking at all the different options available. The very first girdle-type contraption that I picked up stated on the tag "Lose 10 pounds in 10 seconds"....oh, I'm definately buying that! Actually, I ended up getting a "light lift gel padded Wonderbra" and something to wear on the bottom called "instant slimmer firm comfort controlwear". I'm all about holding stuff in and pushing stuff up;o) Seriously though, I spent more on those two pieces of underwear than I spent on my dress. It's been so long since I shopped for something (other than my usual jeans and tees) that I was amazed to find some of these things. It's true that I'm most comfortable in a nice worn-in pair of jeans and a plain old tee shirt. But, looking at all the awesome fall fashions today, I became wistful. I want to be the girl who wears the cool skirt, funky tights and boots. Or, the elegant high heels with a pretty sweater and belt. I just feel like someone playing dress-up in stuff like that. I think my shopping trip today is just the motivation I need to change my style a little. Get back to my workouts and try to lose a few pounds. Then, I can reward myself and go shopping for some of these things that I really want to wear. There's nothing wrong with jeans and tees, I love them; I just think I need a little change. Perk myself up a bit. I've always been a huge fashion magazine junkie. I can sit and just look and look at all the pictures. I save pages of particular outfits that I like. I literally have stacks. So, I'm challenging myself to become a little more of a fashionista. I'll let you know how it goes.
~K

More party pics

Here are a few more pictures from my sister's surprise 50th birthday party.

this is DH and I

our kiddos

my sister with her granddaughter

polka-dot cookies

the party room

Thanks for looking!
~K

Surprise party!

Yesterday, my neice and I threw a surprise 50th birthday party for my sister. We've been planning it for awhile now, and were worried about pulling it off. We held it at church; my sister thought she was showing up to a scrapbooking get-together for the youth group at church. Boy, was she surprised! There were around 45-50 guests. One of her oldest and dearest friends flew in from Florida, which was another wonderful surprise. They usually only see each other about once a year. She cried. We kept it fairly simple, but, I thought I would share some of the pics and other details.

First, we ordered some adorable invitations from Etsy. You can see a sample here. I thought they were so pretty and I love the wording on the invitation. Our decorating theme was "black, lime green, and polka dots". For the table centerpieces, my niece wrapped boxes in brown craft paper, painted black and green polka dots on them, and tied them with ribbon. She also did a whole stack of boxes to spell out my sister's name (Kathy) as well as a huge banner to display near the food table. The cake was white with black and green polka dots and there were round polka dot cookies. We took some old photos of my sister and had them made into 8 x 10's. We placed them in black frames and sat them around the tables.

I made the little black and green cards. We asked the guests to use them to write messages to my sister -- either advice for turning 50, sharing a special memory or funny story about my sister, or just a birthday greeting. They were fun. My son, Connor (9) wrote this on his card: "Kathy is a great ant because she lets us swim".
ant.....how cute is that!

((Blogger seems to be acting up and will not let me post pictures????? I will be back later to post more pics.)))

New banner

Thank you, to Kris, for my new blog banner! I love the way it turned out and she was so friendly and helpful to work with. Check out her fun and creative blog, Blissfull Elements. Thanks again!

T.V. catch-up

After the week I've had, I decided to be totally useless today. The kids were out of school for a teacher's professional development day. We had planned on sleeping in, but, my oldest son had to be at football practice at 9:45 this morning for a prayer meeting and to go over plays before tonight's game. So, I had to drag everyone out of bed to make the 30 minute drive to his school. My dad is going to pick him up for me tonight after football, that's so nice. And, DH is working at the firehouse today (24 hour shift). We came home from dropping off boy1 at school and the kids surprisingly went off to play together, without fighting or anything. They were content to play together all afternoon. How wonderful was that! I started watching t.v. around 11:00 and basically haven't stopped yet (just taking a little break to blog). I had recorded several shows this past week and never watched them. So far, I've watched two episodes of Prison Break, one episode of K-Ville, Survivor, and next up is Grey's Anatomy. It's sad, I know. I'm a total t.v. junkie! I admit it. I LOVE to watch t.v. Oh, I did manage to stop just long enough to bake some cupcakes for the kiddos. I better run. My DVR is calling;o)

~K

Front door

(Before and after front door pictures)



After much deliberation, we have finally chosen a new color for our front door. DH painted it a couple days ago and I think it looks so much better. I must have looked at a dozen or more colors trying to decide. It's a Ralph Lauren color called crab apple (it's a beigy-taupe,we had it color matched to Behr paint). Before, with the dark brown door, I felt like you didn't really notice the front door; that it just blended in with the brick. Now, I think it stands out a bit more. We're very happy with it! (please excuse my old empty flower pots sitting on the porch...now that the door is painted, I need to spruce up my front porch with some fall decor. Just haven't had the time or energy to get around to it yet).
~K

A dress

Well, I broke down and bought a dress to possibly wear to my husband's 20 yr. high school reunion next week. As I mentioned in my previous post, I dread even going. But, it means alot to DH, so I have to go. (I've been kinda hoping I might come down with appendicitis or something, but, I realized that's a bad way to be thinking) I've just had such a case of the blah's and have been so down in the dumps. I really hate to complain and whine again in my post, so i'll try to stay positive. Back to the dress. I think it's so pretty and I generally feel good wearing these colors. But, I'm afraid maybe it's too busy (especially since I'm trying to camoflauge all the weight that I have gained since the last reunion, LOL). And, it's probably not as formal as most will be wearing. Anyway, here's a peek at the dress. It was very inexpensive. Now I think I should go splurge on some kind of wonder-garments that will hold everything in and push everything up, and some sexy little strappy heels...then maybe the dress will work;o)
~K