Final Great Giveaway!

The Beauty of Different Giveaway

This will be my last giveaway this month and it's the one I'm most excited about. I started the giveaways as a celebration and thank you for the past year of blogging. It seems fitting that I give away the book written by my friend Karen, without whom I would have never known about blogging & all of you.

Karen has written the most wonderful book, called The Beauty of Different: Observations of a Confident Misfit. It is substantial (both in subject matter and heft). It is beautiful, it is thoughtful, it is inspiring, it is something you need. I'm not just saying this because I'm in the book...although, that is pretty much one of the coolest things ever. I'm saying it because the book is truly worth it. I bought several copies and want to give one to you. I will also get Karen to sign it for you. There you have it, a GORGEOUS book, autographed just for you.

If this Beautiful book isn't enough, I'm also giving away several of my Favorite items from the past year. Plan on a few accessories, beauty products, maybe a snack or two. Just to thank you for being here and being part of my story.

Rules:

The contest will remain open for one week, ending December 7 at approximately 11pm CT. Winner will be selected through a random drawing. I'll email the winner and post here once the winner has been notified. You will get an entry for the following:

1) Leave a comment on what you think is most beautiful, where you go to find beauty, how you see beauty, or what makes you different. You must leave your email address if it is not linked through your profile.

2) If you leave a comment AND commented on the Scotch Tape giveaway (now closed), you will get an extra entry.

3) You do NOT need to be a follower. If you are a follower (or become one), you will get an extra entry if you comment.

Thanks again for being here & Good Luck!

*The giveaway is now closed. Sarah is the winner and I couldn't be happier, she's been a great supporter and friend. Thanks again for your beautiful comments.*

Anthropologie Giveaway

*Giveaway is now closed. Thanks for entering*

Friday Favorite Time!

To celebrate my first year of blogging, it's time for another giveaway...

It's Friday and time for me to once again share one of my favorites with you. If you know me, or remember my posts, you know that I LOVE Anthropologie. It's one of the few stores that I prefer to shop in rather than just order online. In fact, the picture above is from a display outside an Anthropologie store in Houston. When I thought about having blog giveaways, I knew I had to give away a gift card to Anthropologie. So, that's what I'm doing. Up for grabs is a $25 gift card to Anthropologie!

Rules:

The contest will remain open for one week, ending December 3 at approximately 11 CT. Winner will be selected through a random drawing. I'll email the winner and post here once the winner has been notified. You will get an entry for the following:

1) Leave a comment. Any comment. You must leave your email address if it is not linked through your profile.

2) If you leave a comment AND commented on the Scotch Tape giveaway (when it was active), you will get an extra entry.

3) You do NOT need to be a follower. If you are a follower (or become one), you will get an extra entry if you comment.

Thanks. Have fun & good luck.

*Comments are now closed. The winner is Jen, who was commenter #1. I guess it pays to be first in my contests! I can promise you that the drawings have been entirely random. *

The Best Thanksgiving Recipe- Tamale Stuffing

First, do not be dissuaded by the pictures, this stuffing turns out beautiful. Wonderful. Crowd pleasing. Delicious. I originally got the recipe from the San Antonio Express many years ago; I believe it comes from Central Market.

Tamale Stuffing

24 cooked tamales (husks removed)- I've used every kind of tamale and it all tastes super yummy. My favorite is venison tamales.

4 cups shredded cheese (I use the Mexican blend)

28 oz tomatoes with diced green chiles

1/4- 1/2 cup chopped onion (I cut this way down from original 2 cups)

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dark chile powder

kosher salt to taste

Directions

Steam tamales. In a large bowl (not kidding-large), combine all ingredients. Use a slotted spoon or fork to crumble the tamales and really combine everything. Pour into a greased baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

I've been making this tamale "stuffing" for years at the holidays. It is really more of a tamale casserole stuffed with goodness. It spices up turkey quite nicely and gives your meal just a kick of spice, not too much, just right. Enjoy!

Hill Country Getaway - Part 2

We had a wonderful extended weekend in the Texas Hill Country. We all got to enjoy nature and relaxing with good friends, "camping" and "hunting" (my husband took my oldest daughter out one morning but they didn't see any deer at that time), we fed the deer, and I ran into a Texas animal trifecta- a deer, armadillo, and Longhorn-just roaming free! We enjoyed beautiful sunsets, and capped off our getaway with margaritas and s'mores last night. Some may wonder why we love going to the Texas Hill Country so much. These shots should give you an idea of the slower pace, the natural beauty and easy life out there. Plus, it's just one big photo op... my camera is still in the shop, these are point and shoot-pretty fantastic subjects!

I'd love to know what your favorite getaway is- is it urban so you can see shows and have fabulous meals & shopping, or more rural, or the beach?

Hill Country Getaway

Who knew what you all wanted was a Target giveaway?! Thanks so much for your response and remember, you have until Thursday to enter. I also have two more giveaways this month, so stay tuned. Since the holiday rush is about to start, we took this weekend to escape to the Texas Hill Country. We're staying at our friend's ranch property and enjoying sunsets like this; proof God Blessed Texas!

Friday Favorite- Target Giveaway!

Image Target

It's no secret that I love Target. To celebrate my first year blogging, I'm holding a giveaway a week this month. This week's giveaway is a $25 gift card to one of my favorite stores, Target. You can get anything and everything at Target, why not get it for free?! It should be helpful for getting a jump start on holiday shopping, or just stocking up on toilet paper.

To enter:
1) Leave a comment with your contact information (if not linked to your profile)
2) If you entered last week's Scotch Tape giveaway, you have an automatic entry in this contest

3) Being a follower is NOT required, but if you comment and are a follower, I'll give you another entry.

The contest will stay open until Thursday November 25th (Thanksgiving), winner will be announced Friday.

That's it. I wanted to share a gift card to one of my Friday (EVERYDAY!) Favorites. Happy weekend everyone!

Comments are now closed. The winner is Shel-who was the first commenter! Congratulations, Shel. Thanks!

Love Thursday-Home

Our girls have been enjoying playing with bath crayons I picked p the other day. They've been quite busy...not sure how clean they are getting, but they are having fun. My four year old, M, drew the heart and then wrote the word "Home" the other day. When I asked her how she thought of those two things, she replied "We have lots of love in our home." Yes, yes we do. What a great reminder for Love Thursday.

*Those drops are colored drops from the crayons, not blood. Forgive the picture quality, my camera is still in the shop so all photos are coming off my phone.*