Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Party 2011 !!!

Welcome to the

Ultimate Blog Party 2011 !!!

 

I'm so glad you came!!!  I just love a party, don't you?  This (ultimate) blog party is brought to you by 5 Minutes for Mom .  They've been hosting this extravaganza since 2007, but this is my first year. 

This is a very relaxed and uber-casual party!  You can kick your shoes off if you wanna.  I won't mind at all.  You must have some of my Milky Way Cake while you're here! This cake is sure to keep you "prayed up".  Once cut, you need to ask the Lord for will-power not to eat the whole thing! Isn't it yummy?  And yes, I'll share the recipe!  (just click on the Milky Way Cake!)

Oh, where's my manners!  You've been invited to a party that you don't know the hostess.  Well, I'll tell you a bit about myself.  How's that?   I love to cook, especially bake...and unfortunately, it shows.  (sigh)  At a very young age I used to pretend I had my own cooking show.  I would share the secret to a perfect bowl of cereal with every bit of confidence of Ms. Paula Deen and wit of Emeril! 

 Not only do I share recipes on this site, I have a "sister" blog called Real Women Eat and this is a post I did on one of our "Cook-n-Critique" nights. Admittedly, we haven't been that active lately. "Cupcake" just got married and she's our Sargent at arms and secretary. (She does keep us in line. I've found we all are easily distracted). But, if you encourage me...maybe we'll be better about that! (hint, hint)   If you're so inclined, it won't take you long to read the whole blog! (I highly recommend it. All the cool kids do!)

As if you couldn't already tell by my blog decor, I love pink! I'm a bit of a closet diva too. When I was 8, the only way my mom could get me to play in my piano recital was to let me wear a tiara! Thinking back, I'd probably be embarrased to do that now (probably), but not then! I was a queen even then!

And now let me tell you about the love of my life Click here to read about The Day I Knew My Husband Loved Me.  and since I love Christmas so much I don't want to let go, how about I take you on a Christmas Open House tour? How about a little craft tutorial? Victorian purse ornaments. 

Oh!  and I have an etsy shop too!  I'd love for you to visit and if for all blog party guests, if use the code at checkout ubp2011 you'll receive %20.00 discount...on everything!

I'll turn you loose now.  Make yourself at home, look around and if you would like to come back for visits, You are always welcome!!!  AND... if you would like to follow, well, I'd be thrilled, and would love you forever!

 

Ultimate Blog Party Give-Away!

So glad you're interested in this give-away!  Here's what I am offering:

Re-usable "market bag" as seen in my Etsy shop  PLUS the book, BOGO!  Buy 1 Get 1 Free.   Save $100 or More Each Month On Your Favorite Groceries by Martin Sloane.
Value of giveaway:  Market bag $20.00
                              Book:         $12.99

Good luck!

There's gonna be a Par-Tay!!!

Do you know about the ultimate blog party?

It starts tomorrow!  April 1st...and that's no joke!    This blog party started in 2007 by 5MinutesforMom.com.  Last year there were almost 2,000 party go-ers!!!   It's a chance to meet new blogging friends and connecting, and driving exposure to your blog too.   There will be prizes!   Boy! Oh Boy! Will there ever be prizes!!!  

You might want to head on over to 5MinutesforMom.com and read more.  If you have a blog, you might want to sign up. If you only want some really great prizes and/or make new blogging friends, you still might want to sign up!

It all starts tomorrow, April 1st,  and as a double bonus here, that's also the last day to enter the giveaway I have going on!  You can see it here!

So, come back tomorrow and Par-Tay!!!

PRAYER REQUEST TUESDAY

Today is Prayer Request Tuesday

This is the day set aside for prayer for you.

If you have a prayer request, please list it in the comments below. You don't have to give any information you don't feel comfortable with (a simple "unspoken" comment is sufficient).


If you would like to pray, please pray for the comment above yours.

Also, if you would like to share a "praise" for a blessing you have received, please feel free to list those also! I'd love to hear of it so I can rejoice with you.

I have a serious crush… on pesto! I have to admit, in all my (clearing throat) years on this planet, I had never tasted the stuff until this December!

Jenn came to a Christmas party at our home with the rest of the young married Sunday School class and brought a pesto spread. Which is basically softened cream cheese, pesto and chopped Roma tomatoes. Bake it until is soft and piping hot. Oh. My. Goodness! I was hooked. She graciously let me keep the left-overs! (Did you know that stuff is good on baked potatoes too?!)

A couple of weeks ago on Twitter someone posted a link to Good Cheap Eats for a Feta and Pesto salad. I was all over that! It looked delicious but one look at the recipe ingredients and I knew my man of the house would have “issues” with that. The man calls the bread I eat “sticks-n-twigs” bread! (sorry honey). I left out the dried cranberries and sunflower seeds. Sometimes, ya just gotta make sacrifices, ya know? But here’s the recipe as Good Cheap Eats listed it:

Pesto & Feta Pasta Salad with Cranberries

12 oz. rainbow rotini, cooked, drained, rinsed and cooled
½ cup basil pesto
½ cup feta cheese crumbles
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup sunflower seeds

In a large bowl combine the cooked rotini and pesto. Toss well.
Add the feta cheese, cranberries, and sunflower seeds. Toss gently and serve.

So, now that I have this new found infatuation with Pesto, I'm looking for more tried-n-true recipes using it. Do you have any recipes using Pesto? I’d love to try ‘em! Leave a comment and, if you have one, a link!

Paris Charm Necklace Giveaway

*** The Give-Away is now closed***

Rose from Today's Woman won the Paris Charm necklace.  Congrats Rose!





I've decided it's time for another giveaway here!  I made this piece of jewelry and am considering selling them in my etsy shop  (SweetJeanette - Bags, Tags & Girly Things).   I'm not sure how they'll do, but I thought I'd offer one to you first! It's on a 24 inch silver-tone ball chain and is a French inspired graphic.

Just leave a comment and you're entered!   You don't have to do any of the following, (tweet about it, facebook it, blog about it with a link back here...)  but if you do, come back and leave another comment which just increases the number of entries for you!  (remember, it's not necessary...the only thing you absolutely have to do is... well,  comment!)    Oh!  and (shameless plea)  If you want to just happen to follow this blog...then I'd love you forever! 

The winner will be chosen April 1st. 

PRAYER REQUEST TUESDAY

Today is Prayer Request Tuesday

This is the day set aside for prayer for you.

If you have a prayer request, please list it in the comments below. You don't have to give any information you don't feel comfortable with (a simple "unspoken" comment is sufficient).

If you would like to pray, please pray for the comment above yours.

Also, if you would like to share a "praise" for a blessing you have received, please feel free to list those also! I'd love to hear of it so I can rejoice with you.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

For St. Paddy's day, my neice Mackenzie, drew me a picture. Today, we're having a play date.  I'm picking her up from school and we're probably going to Chick-Fil-A.  She informed me, "Aunt Nette, if you don't wear green, I'm going to pinch you".  It was then I realized - I DON'T OWN ANY GREEN CLOTHING!!!

At any rate, in honor of her and good ol' St. Paddy, I'm sharing her card with you.

I'm pretty sure that's "Shamrock Dance", but it's cuter this way.

aaand... the back of the card.

 Am I saving this?  You betcha!  I've scanned it and saved it.  One day, I'll have a digital scrapbook of all the things my neices and nephew give me and maybe make them an album.

So, from Mackenzie and me... Happy St. Patrick's Day!     ...now to find something green...

Sort of a Wordless Wednesday - Pictures from the wedding

Wordless Wednesday - sorta!

This past Saturday was the wedding for my cousin, who is also a member of the "Real Women Eat" group.  It was an outdoor wedding at a bed and breakfast in Auburndale, FL called Town Manor.

It was so beautiful and drenched in the fresh smell of orange blossoms!  A note of warning if you want to find this place...  don't blink!   You'll pass right by it if you're not careful, (ask me how I ---and several other guests ahead of us-- know!)

The wedding was held at 4:30 pm and, sorry I don't have more pictures to share but we were all facing the sun so most of the pictures of the wedding party turned out to be shadow figures with my poor little camera.

I just thought it was funny to see everyone shielding their eyes. (Thank you Town Manor for providing the fans)

I did shoot a good one of her coming down the aisle with her dad (my uncle)

  

ooooh  that dress was gorgeous!

and, a group of some of the cousins together at the reception...

in front- left to right:  Donna, Darlene

in back - left to right:  me, Karen, and Kim.

like any good Southern wedding, in those goblets?  Iced Tea!





PRAYER REQUEST TUESDAY

Sorry this post is late... I scheduled it for 11:49 PM last night, but as of 5:17 pm tonight it still hasn't posted.  If you came here earlier for the Prayer Request Tuesday, I apologize.

Today is Prayer Request Tuesday

This is the day set aside for prayer for you.

If you have a prayer request, please list it in the comments below. You don't have to give any information you don't feel comfortable with (a simple "unspoken" comment is sufficient).

If you would like to pray, please pray for the comment above yours.

Also, if you would like to share a "praise" for a blessing you have received, please feel free to list those also! I'd love to hear of it so I can rejoice with you.

Why I am compelled to love Him

 I know of no other who would, or even could do what Jesus did for me...for you.
I never deserved the sacrifice so great.  I am compelled to surrender to his sweet, sweet love.

It's my birthday - and I'm featured!

It's my birthday!!!

Yep!  It's MY day, and it's all about me!  LOL    It's special enough, but the cherry on top is that I'm featured on Shop Happens today too!!  I do hope you'll come visit me there today and please, oh please say "hi" !!!