My First Award!!

I've been noticing alot lately on other blogs, people receiving different types of "awards" and I have to admit I wondered if I would ever get one. Well, guess what?
I got my first award! A big thanks goes to Melanie @ You Made That?

Here are the rules:

1. You have to thank the person who awarded you & Link them back in your post. Let the "giver" know you accept the award.

2. Tell everyone 7 random facts about yourself.

3. Pass the award on to 15 new found bloggers and link their blogs to your post.

4. Contact each blogger and let them know you've passed the award on to them.

Here are my 7 random facts:

1. I was a dancer for 12 years & still miss it terribly!

2. I am petrified of spiders!

3. I've had the same best friend, Carrie for 18 years!

4. I have 4 children & would have 2 more if we could afford it!

5. I am obsessed with photography/camera's & trying to get my own little business started!

6. One of my dreams is to visit Ireland someday.

7. I am absolutely hooked on the soap opera General Hospital! I have been watching it since I was 16.

Here are the blogs I am giving this award to:

DIY By Design

Cottage Blessings

Counting Our Blessings

Craft Couture

Don't Waste Your Homemaking

Ink Blots & Polka Dots

Just Me

Living Life Crafty

My Happily Ever After

OCD

It's Sew Lisa's Life

The Knotty Boutique Co.

Yep, They Are All Mine

"The Kubeczka Family"

Art @ Home




Allison

Wordless Wednesday - My Little Model

Linking up here:

Allison

My Thrift Store Finds....

I went to our local Goodwill store this morning. My intentions were to maybe find something to put here beneath my chalkboard in my kitchen. I feel it's too open & needs a little something. I had no luck finding anything for the space but I did find some other cool things.
These are the first things I found. They are those message boards for hanging pics or whatever. I was so excited! I love these things & they were only $1.30 each. They are in perfect condition too! I'm going to put them in the basement which we will be turning into a kids/family room soon. Whatever artwork they bring home from school/do @ home I will tack up on these to display.

Next I found these cute little wicker chairs for $2.80 each. I bought them for LuLu to use with her American Girls dolls. She loved them when she saw them! I'm going to spray paint them white. I'll show before & after pics once I do it. Aren't they the cutest?

I then found this. I believe it is supposed to be a CD rack. But I loved the look of it & it was only $1.30 so I bought it. I figured I could use it for something. I've thought of maybe as a toilet paper holder? I also tried putting some hand towels in it but didn't really like how it looked. Please if you have any ideas on what I could use this for I would love to hear them!!!
I love when I find awesome deals! And it only cost $10 bucks!! I may have to try going to the Salvation Army tomorrow; maybe I'll have some more luck!

Allison

Sunset Pictures

My sister-in-law has asked me to take a few winter scenery pics & frame them for her. So, while the oldest was at dance class I drove out to one of our local lakes to see if I could get any shots. There is so much snow though that I couldn't get close enough to the lake. I only got a couple shots from standing on my tip toes in the parking lot. The sky is looking pretty cool!


This is of some houses that are right on the lake.

This one is my favorite! It came out awesome!


Allison

Bargain Shopping!

We received our State refund check yesterday so we took the kids to Super Bounce at our local mall. After we did a little shopping. And I am so excited because I got some great deals! First we went into Target because I've been wanting to buy the Instyler Flat Iron for a while now but couldn't afford the $100 price of it normally. We get to where they are & I see there is a red clearance sticker on it, the price said $70 because it had been repackaged. Well the 13 yr. old was not liking the idea of getting it if it had been on someone elses head. So we called over a worker who informed us the packaging had been ruined a little through the mail, therefore they had to fix it in the store & sell it for less because of that. I was like Yippee! $30 less, heck yah! Next we went to get the hubby new sneakers that he desperately needed in the Shoe Dept. He got these New Balances for $35 normally $50!

Then Lauren wanted to check out Journey because they were having a boot sale. Not that I was planning on buying her any but told her she could look around. Then we got in there & LuLu saw these cute pink ugg shoes that she had seen before & wanted, but I refused to buy them for her because they were $70 bucks! Well the male employee informed us they were on sale for $40. So of course she begged us for them, batted her eyes at Daddy & he gave in of course! They are adorable on her & she was super excited! Especially because I had originally told her no uggs until she was 10. But I really couldn't pass up this deal!

Of course Lauren has been wanting a pair of these ugg slippers too. She really wanted them in tan but they were not on sale only the black were for $ 70 originally $100. So we gave in again & bought her them. Spoiled these 2 girls are I tell you! It's worth it though to see them so happy & they did thank us right away, a few times actually!
Sometimes I'm so good at finding deals & I LOVE it! Altogether the items would have normally cost me $320 but I paid $215. A savings of $105!!! YaY!!

Allison

Wordless Wednesday - My Boys!

Allison

Carrot Souffle

I know I had said I was going to post this yesterday but I didn't even get a chance to get on the computer yesterday. So here it is! I made this as my side dish for Friday's meal & it was awesome! I got the idea from Allrecipes.com.

• 1 lb. of carrots, chopped or I used a bag of the baby carrots.
• 1/2 cup of margarine or butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups of white sugar
• I also added a dash of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender, 15 - 20 minutes.

Drain & mash. Stir in margarine, vanilla extract & eggs; mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt & sugar; stir into carrot mixture & blend until smooth. transfer to casserole dish.

Bake for 45 minutes. And that's it! It comes out so light & fluffy!
If you like carrots you will LOVE this dish! A great way to get kids to eat them as well! Enjoy!


Linking up here for Debbie's newbie linky partay!!