Monday, August 31, 2009

Sorry for yesterday's Sunday Dinner!


I am so sorry for not doing a Sunday Dinner post yesterday. I was just bombarded with the giveaway, the Treasury post, the contest, and most of all, orders that were due to go out today. Sigh. So I apologize. I promise to do a yummy post for Sunday Dinner dedicated to the upcoming Labor Day weekend. Lots of grilling involved and yes - I will be making that burger shown above.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

In a Treasury!


My Happy Flower Headbands for fall are featured in a Treasury this week!
Hip, hip, hooray!

The Lily Poppet Giveaway! (ENDED)




Meet Angela - the creative genius behind Lily Poppet's beautiful line of perfumed oil and luxury soaps:

"I make perfume oils by hand and they are available at LilyPoppet on Etsy. These scents are truly unique,aren't going to smell like anyone else- I promise! You will never find a plain jane vanilla scent in my shop- my specialty is blending scents together to create interesting combinations. Plus, there is nothing in my shop over $10 so you won't feel guilty about treating yourself or someone else!"

Just take a look at some of the items in her very unique shop:






She just opened up her beautiful new website for her oils. Visit her here and receive 10% off when you purchase something from her website (use the code GRANDOPENING).
Don't you just feel like pampering yourself with her products? Well now you can! Angela isgiving away a bag full of goodies that include these:


Honey Oatmeal Buffing Bar


YOUR CHOICE of 5ml Perfumed Oil


And sample vials of all the other perfumed oils in her line!!!

Seriously - wow, wow, wow! What a generous gift set!

Here is how you can enter (please leave a different comment for each entry):

1. Visit Lily Poppet on Etsy and choose and pick a favorite
2. Follow Angela's blog, Lily Poppet Beauty
3. Become a follower of my blog (if you are a follower, you state that in a comment)
4. Grab my pretty button for your blog
5. And for extra credit, you can suggest a new fragrance for Angela's perfumed oil line . Who knows? She might just create it!


* If you don't have your email on your blog profile, please include it in one of your comments.

Good luck everybody! The winner will be picked through random.org on Saturday, September 5, 2009.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for all the entries!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

I HEART MY DOG + contest




This is Wendy. Our 7 year old weimaraner and a precious member of our family. "Puppy" or "Pup-Pup" as she is affectionately known to our kids. She LOVES our kids unconditionally - taking body slams, and ear and tail pulling like a champ. She has never once barked, growled, or bared her teeth to any of her "babies" no matter what they did. She is their playmate, protector, and their "pal" as Skylar often refers to her.

So to celebrate the bond between humans and canines and the unconditional and unlimited love that we feel for them, I would like to hold a contest - an I HEART MY DOG contest.

This contest is only open to my blog readers so please follow my blog if you would like to enter. Two winners will be chosen. One for a comment entry and another for a photography entry. All photos submitted will be posted on my blog at the end of the contest.

The winner of the comment entry will win a bag of Wendy's favorite organic dog treats from Grandma Lucy's Diner :


Organic Blueberry

And the winner of the photography contest will win a CUSTOM NEEDLE FELTED SCULPTURE of their dog from talented Etsy seller BenMcFuzzyLugs. Like this one:



To learn more about Pam's needle felting world, visit her shop, BenMcFuzzyLugs and her blog here.

Here is how you can enter:

1. Please email me a photograph of your dog (with or without human family) at skylars.candyclips@gmail.com

AND / OR

2. Leave a comment on this post briefly describing why your dog is so special


*Remember to follow my blog if you are not already doing so (this is open to my blog followers only). If you are only commenting, please include your email if you don't have it on your blog profile.

The winners will be chosen on October 1, 2009 and the winners announced that day. Thanks everybody!

WINNER! WINNER! WINNER!



Congratulations to #48 The Demilles for winning The Kate Williams Designs Giveaway!
Enjoy your beautiful and stylish new crayon holder!

And if you didn't win, there is another giveaway coming tomorrow.
I promise that it will be another good one!

Friday, August 28, 2009

It's almost time...


It's almost time for KINDERGARTEN.



Where Skylar's picture will soon be on this wall...


And she gets to hang her coat up and retrieve all the mail and school projects for mommy and daddy here...


Where she will fall in love with new books...


And learn to make new friends...


And even if I won't be there to wipe every tear and kiss every boo boo, I know that she will be okay. She will grow, find herself, open up new doors, discover exciting things and LEARN.
She'll be fine. I'LL BE FINE.


Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Sharing the cuteness (more Candy Clippers!)



image courtesy of Love, Luci


image courtesy of Plum Tree Studio


Adorable, aren't they? Need I say more? Warning: looking at these pictures may bring a permanent smile to your face. Enjoy the cuteness!




image courtesy of Blue Lily and Christine Arrocena

image courtesy of Blue Lily and Christine Arrocena


image courtesy of Milky Milk and Mary Janacek


image courtesy of One Bored Mommy and Courtney Hutson

image courtesy of One Bored Mommy and Courtney Hutson



image courtesy of Cookie Sundays Ice Cream Mondays and Heather Mattos

image courtesy of Cookie Sundays Ice Cream Mondays and Heather Mattos

* If you would like to submit a photo of your own Candy Clipper, please email me at skylars.candyclips@gmail.com

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Kate Williams Designs Giveaway! (ENDED)




Meet Kate. The creative mama behind Kate Williams Designs.


"I am a stay at home mom of a two year old little boy and have a baby on the way! I was inspired to start creating baby and toddler items after shopping and not finding the hip and trendy items I was looking for. All items are sewn by me, using high quality fabrics that have been chosen by me".


Her shop is filled with all these amazing goodies. From beautiful roll up crayon holders to one of a kind diaper bags and gorgeous baby blankets. Just look at some of the items she has in her shop:













Don't you just love everything in her shop? What about those awesome crayon holders? Just in time for back to school, Kate is giving away this Retro Dot Crayon Holder complete with crayons!!!





Here is how you can enter (please write a different comment for each entry)

1. Visit Kate Williams Designs on Etsy and pick a favorite
2. Follow Kate's blog
3. Become a follower of my blog
4. Grab my pretty button for your blog

*If you don't have your email on your blog profile, please include it in one of your comments.

Good luck everybody! The winner will be picked through random.org on Saturday, August 29, 2009.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for all the entries!

Sunday Dinner - week 7

(image courtesy of Williams Sonoma)

Brown Butter Risotto with Lobster

I love, love, love risotto. You can make it with different kinds of ingredients. As a side dish with asparagus or mushrooms. Or as a complete meal such as this one that I am trying out. I just found this recipe on food network. It looks a lot less complicated than a lot of risotto recipes that I've found. I once tried one from a Williams Sonoma cookbook and the ingredients list was two pages long!

The only thing different I am going to do is add 1 cup of lump crab meat and 1/2 cup chopped roasted asparagus for extra texture. If you do this option, do this on step #10 and stir in with the risotto before you garnish with the lobster.

1 pound frozen lobster tails thawed (about two tails)
4 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
4 tbsp. butter, room temperature
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium high heat. Add the lobster tails and let boil for 8-10 minutes until the tail curls and meat turns white. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool for 15 minutes. Chop into 1/2 inch pieces.
2. In medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil and keep hot over low heat.
3. In a large saucepan, melt 3 tbsp. of butter over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to foam and turn brown (about 1 - 1/2 minutes).
4. Add the onions and cook for about 3 minutes.
5. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter.
6. Add the brandy and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated (about 3 minutes)
7. Add 1/2 cup of stock and stir until almost completely absorbed (about two minutes). Continue adding the stock 1/2 cup at at time stirring constantly and allowing each adding to absorb before adding the next.
8. Cook until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite (about 20 minutes)
9. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese, the remaining butter, 2 tbsp. chives . Season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Transfer to large bowl and arrange the lobster meat on top of the risotto and garnish with remaining chives.


If you end up trying this recipe, let me know how it works for you! Enjoy your Sunday Dinner!

WINNER! WINNER! WINNER!


Congratulations to #40 TiLt for winning The Paper Addict Giveaway!
Enjoy your beautiful Fall inspired notecards!

And if you didn't win, there is another giveaway coming later today.
I promise that it is another good one!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

A sweet arrival...




About a month ago, I commissioned a fellow blogger and etsy seller Heather to make a blanket for my sweet niece Haley. It came yesterday and look how beautiful it turned out. It came beautifully wrapped in ribbon.




And with her unique signature:



Heather is an inspiration. She was one of the organizers who made the Cora Paige Project a reality, an awesome mom (just check out the fun stuff that she posts on her blog!) and a great crafter (check out her shop). I admire her so much and am really thankful that she took time off her busy and hectic schedule to help make this sweet blanket for Haley.

Thank you Heather.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

REUNITED and it feels so good...

(Deacon and Luke )

(Skylar and Mia)

This is Skylar and Mia. Friends since they were two weeks old. We lived down the street from each other up until two years ago when Mia and her family moved to Pennsylvania. We missed them terribly. The girls were such good friends. They were born just two weeks apart. They even have matching baby brothers (the boys are only three months apart). So imagine our excitement when my dear friend Cate called to say that she was back to visit. Hurray! The kids were back to playing as if no time has passed.

The girls then...




and now...



The boys then...



and now...


Childhood is a beautiful thing. It passes by in the blink of an eye. Keep your friends close to your heart. You might have a friendship that lasts a lifetime.