Inspire Me! Thursdays ~ Week #6

Welcome to Inspire Me! Thursdays

Each week I dedicate a day of blogging to showcase some of the best bloggers around and their crafty ideas! This is really a great way to network with others and see what is "hot" in the world of blogging! I hope you will stop in and check out their terrific blogs! You may even feel froggy enough to subscribe to their blogs and follow them to learn more tips and tricks from these great bloggers!

And now for this week's awesome blogs ... 

If you are looking for some super-duper organization tips, Kathy at Sparkles and a Stove  has compiled a great list to help get you started in the right direction. I love this post so much! Click Here to swing on over to her blog and check it out!  

 
Mmmm! Mmmm! Don't these look yummy? I'm sure they do if you love mashed potatoes! I can't wait to try these out! Kim over at Sunflower Supper Club has shared a killer recipe for Loaded Mashed Potatoes! If you have a big family, I think this will be a hit! Click Here to cruise on over to her blog and get the scoop on this dish! 

Oh yes, you read the picture correctly, Birthday Cake Fudge! Tash over at The Velvet Moon Baker got my attention right from the start! This fudge looks so good. I just want to devour it right now! I can't wait at all!!! Ok, calm down my friends and breathe, hehe. Click Here to jump on over to her blog and get the deets on the fudge!  
 
Check out {My} Kinda Party to learn more about my blog hops and link parties and to see where I'm doing a little front porch sitting at these days!

Be sure to Grab A Button and link up with my blogs and parties!

Let's link up! Show me your creative side!
{Feel free to share this blog hop on your page! Just grab the code at the bottom!}


From my front porch to yours,

Wordless Wednesdays @ Country Life

Sometimes the sky contains such beautiful colors that you just have to share them ...

Even in the dead of night!

How is your Wednesday looking? I hope you are having a wonderful day ... not an ole gloomy rainy day like it has started off here.

Boo for being up at 2 am with the threat of severe weather and tornadoes! Yep you heard me right, tornadoes and it's almost the first week in February!! Got to love Tennessee and 75 degree temps today!


Have you entered my first giveaway yet? If not, there's still time! You have until midnight on Thursday, December 31, 2013 to get those entries in! 

Click Here to hop on over to the Kenli Bows Giveaway post!

I'd like to say a BIG "thank-you" to Kellie over at Kenli Bows for allowing me to host this great giveaway!  



From my front porch to yours,

Valentine Crafts & Home Decor

Hello everyone and Happy Tuesday! Well, it's official, Valentine's Day is just around the corner! I must admit, I love Valentine's Day!! Blogging has really brought out my creative side, and I'm so excited to share my Valentine's decor with everyone.

I really, really love this hanging heart! I picked it up at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago. It has such a country feel and looks fabulous on my front door! It even has a little iron key hanging from the ribbon on the front! It's way too cute! Hobby Lobby really had some great decor items that are perfect for indoor or outdoor use. I love the store so much! We go there when we have time to look around and really enjoy a day out!

These cute little hearts I purchased at Dollar Tree. They are pink in color and full of glitter! I love all the sparkles! I got a pack of 5 of the hearts in various sizes for $1.00! Can't beat that deal!! I knew instantly what I wanted to do with them. I purchased the little owls, ladybugs and frogs in a craft pack at Hobby Lobby for $3.00, and then I got some red and baby blue glitter glue at Wal-Mart to decorate the hearts with. It didn't take me very long to decorate these hearts and make them totally adorable! I must caution everyone ... it does take a couple of days for the glitter glue to dry. So make sure the glue is completely dry before you hang your hearts up for decorations. Otherwise, the glue will run!

This is what my finished wall looks like now that the hearts are up! I really love it. When you walk into our house, this is the first thing you see! Before I added the hearts, all I had up on this wall was my cute mirror and our clock. It looked so plan. I love the blast of color that is up there now! I don't really anticipate on taking these down once Valentine's Day is over. I think they might stay up a little longer! If you notice, at first I had one empty heart with no writing. After a few days of having this up, I discovered what I wanted to write on the heart so now it looks different.

This is what my hearts look like now! I love them so much. One has our name, our wedding year and the other has the names of our 2 four-legged friends; adding their names on the last heart really completed the look! My dear hubby and son even loves the hearts!

Ah, another project in the books  :)

The is my last decor project. I also purchased a red fringe heart at the Dollar Tree. At first, I didn't know how I was going to attach it to my hook. Then, I found some cute pink ribbon with black polka-dots at Wal-Mart. It totally worked! I love how it looks hanging on my utility door. I love how it's so simple to turn inexpensive items into great decor pieces for your home!

I hope you all love the projects! Feel free to share yours with me on Thursday during my Inspire Me! Thursdays link-up!


From my front porch to yours,

Blogathon Bash Time

Happy Saturday Lovelies!
This weekend I'm participating in
The Biannual Blogathon Bash!

This event is held twice a year to help bloggers grow their blog and clean up their to do list! Click the link above if you are interested in signing up ... there's still time! Blogger focus their weekend {as much of the 72 hour time frame as they can donate} to taking a "time-out" for their blog. You can use this time to clean out your inbox, catch up on replies, finish up giveaways that have ended, etc... You basically use this time to do what needs to be done or what you have been putting off!

My Blogathon "To-Do" List 

1. Write and schedule a few blog posts to have on hand.
2. Email monthly sponsors about participating in a giveaway.
3. Finish working on my advertising page.
4. Check blog for post comments and make replies.
5. Update {My} Friends page.
6. Post Facebook/Twitter shout-outs.
7. Make a sidebar area for Giveaways.
8. Work on updating layout
9. Check out Google sites and update AdSense. 
10. Fix a calender for upcoming guest posts. 
11. Clean out email account.
12. Do a little work on Bloggy Moms/SITS

Well, this is all I can think of for now! I'm sure I will update and add in some other things as I remember them! 

Good Luck to everyone participating! I look forward to reading your updates!!!

My Blogathon "To-Do" List Update!!

1. Well, I did end up getting some posts scheduled! I need to get a few more end, but I'm waiting to hear from some guest posters first! I also figured out how to schedule my Linky Lists! Oh Yeah!!!! Score!!!!!
2. I still need to email my monthly sponsors. I have been so busy replying to other emails that I haven't gotten to this yet!
3. I fine-tuned my advertising page a little bit. I'm happy with it for now until I get some other things under my belt. 
4. I do believe I have all my comments answered! Yay!!!!!!
5. I have the word document for {my} friends page ready, I just have to copy/paste!!! 
6. My Facebook/Twitter shout-outs are out for the month ... I may sneak another one in *wink, wink*
7. Sighs, I still have to do my giveaways in my sidebar! I did end up making and posting a new spot for Spotlight Advertisers. That's always a plus!!!
8. Ick, layout is still the same (except for what I added). I will constantly work on this, I'm sure!
9. I did a little looking at Google, but I didn't make any changes yet!
10. Calender DONE! I am so happy!!! You have no idea!!!
11. Email Account all nice and clear and organized! Go Me!!!
12. I still haven't found time to get over to Bloggy Moms/SITS ... I ended up finding more sites to go to instead! Oh well, nothing like more networking! 

I must say, I had a great time during the Blogathon! I met a ton of people in the last day ... that was the only real time I had to work. It was relaxing and fun and I really enjoyed it! 

 

I also won a blog design. I am really stoked about that! It's going to be great to have a custom design!! So, at the end of the day, it was all worth it! I can't wait to do it all again!!! 

 

From my front porch to yours,

"Give Him Some" Giveaway

I'm super excited to be participating in the "Give Him Some" Giveaway! This is a pretty awesome giveaway, and I know it will make someone a very happy, happy winner!

Good Luck to everyone entering!

 

Welcome to the "Give Him Some" Giveaway, hosted by Stay a Stay at Home Mom and co-hosted by Mamal Diane and Mom to Bed by 8. Wondering what you should get your hubby this Valentine's Day? Well, they say that the key to a man's heart lies in his stomach, so this year, why not give him something unique to eat that he will really love!

Here's your chance to tempt his taste-buds with:    

(4) Sirloin Buffalo Steaks (shipped on dry ice, ready to cook or freeze) Retail Value $28.99

(2) Bags of Jerky - Teriyaki Buffalo
(2) Bags of Jerky - Chicken Hot Wings Style
(2) Bags of Jerky - BBQ Turkey
(2) Bags of Jerky - Peppered Beef Retail Value ($6 a bag) $48 

$50 Amazon.com Gift Code For anything his heart desires ...      

Give him a great treat and make him happy! And tell him to skip the flowers and give you jewelry this year! You deserve it!

Wondering about the fabulous company behind the jerky and the buffalo steaks? Well, the company is Jerky Direct, home of the $12 business opportunity. If you are looking for a way to make money at home, check them out. New distributors can get started for less than the cost of a pizza. (and it tastes a whole lot better too!)

More info on the $12 Business Opportunity

Enter to win by filling out the Rafflecopter below. Giveaway runs from Jan 26 at 12:01am to Feb 15 at 11:59PM EST. a Rafflecopter giveaway The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. We are not associated with any of the companies in this giveaway. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received. This promotion is no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, and is compliant with Facebook TOS. To qualify to win, you must fill out the Rafflecopter entry. Must be aged 18+ to enter and win. See Rafflecopter for complete eligibility requirements.  

From my front porch to yours,

High 5 For Friday!

Wow! I can hardly believe it is Friday again! This week has flown by! I hope everyone has something great planned for this weekend!! Last Friday, I found H54F over at my friend Lauren's blog. I really had a great time participating in her link-up so I'm back again this week sharing my highlights from the week. If you have never been over to her blog, you can find her direct link at the bottom of my post.

Before I jump into this week's favorites, I'd like to take a minute and share some of Country Life's fabulous sponsors with you! I've been swapping ads with these ladies for a few weeks now, and I love all the new visitors and friends that have stopped by for some front porch sitting! Please take a minute to swing by their place and show them some great southern hospitality!

Laura @ Calm Delight and Jessica @ Forever and a Day are two of my newest friends and are extremely talented bloggers! I'm in the process of working with them on some blog collaborations. Be sure to keep your eye out for those in the near future!!

Kelsey @ Keeping up with Kelsey and Chloe @ Rainbows & Honeysuckle are some of the first girls I met when I started blogging. They have terrific blogs as well! I'm sure you've seen me mention Kelsey's name on here once or twice already! Chloe is expecting a little one soon so be patient if she's MIA!! I will be helping her during her down-time by hosting a guest post soon! If you'd like to do the same, hop on over to her blog and shoot her an email! 

My ad swap sponsors this month are Becca @ Faith Love & Babies, Natasha @ Serenity You and Jamie @ Just Stuff for Fun! I've enjoyed having these ladies link up with me this month, and I hope they'll be with me for many more months to come!

Hello Friday :)  It's time to share your joys!

1// My lovely family on the hubby's side! This picture was taken during our trip to Clarksville this past weekend. We had a really great time! We are hoping to make this a yearly tradition!!!
2// My honey and our little clown Lucas. They were all sacked out in the chair making silly faces at me and looking at dinosaur books.
3// My Valentine's Day hanging heart! I finally got the ribbon attached to it!! I will be sharing this along with my other Valentine decor in a post next week. Be on the lookout!!
4// Have you entered my first ever giveaway yet? If not, what are you waiting for? This bow is handmade by one of my good friends Kellie over at Kenli Bows!! She has a ton of options at great prices! Click Here to navigate on over to my blog post featuring the giveaway.
5// I had the prettiest icicles on my mailbox this morning! I just had the share this most perfect picture!
6// My baby boy makes me so proud each and every day! This is a picture of Logan from Awards Day last Friday at school. He received the Terrific Kid Award and Golden Honor Roll Award for having straight A's! This is the 3rd 6-weeks he's received the Golden Honor Roll Award. He loves school!!
7// My newest makeup purchases! I have been wanting to try a BB Cream for a long time now. I picked up the Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream in the light/medium shade. I must say, I'm not disappointed. I love how it makes my skin feel and how it clears up my complexion!! Yay! I'm also digging my new mascara, The Rocket Volume Express from Maybelline. There's nothing like a few good beauty finds!  

Ok, yes, before you ask, I know that's seven things! I just couldn't choose between them! I guess it's okay to break the rules every now and again!! *wink, wink*

 

** I'm linking up with Lauren again this week over @ From My Grey Desk **

What have been your highlights from the week? Comment below and leave the link to your blog, I'll swing over and check out what's going on in your neck of the woods! 

From my front porch to yours,

Inspire Me! Thursdays ~ Week #5

Welcome to Inspire Me! Thursdays

Each week I dedicate a day of blogging to showcase some of the best bloggers around and their crafty ideas! This is really a great way to network with others and see what is "hot" in the world of blogging! I hope you will stop in and check out their terrific blogs! You may even feel froggy enough to subscribe to their blogs and follow them to learn more tips and tricks from these great bloggers!

Before I dive into this week's inspirations, I'd like to share a sale that's going on over at my friend Lori's Etsy shop for Windsor Hills Wicks & Lather. Lori runs a kick-butt business and has some of the best smelling products ever! You can find out what products she has in her End of Season Sale by Clicking Here! Be sure to place your orders soon, at the prices she has listed, she won't have this inventory very long!! 

You can also link up here to Windsor Hills Wicks & Lather's Facebook page! Lori updates it regularly and you never know, she may have some more items on sale soon! Be on the lookout for a giveaway from Windsor Hills on my blog in the near future!!   

And now for this week's awesome blogs ... 

If you are looking for the perfect Valentine decor for your home, Kathy over at Sparkles and a Stove can show you how to get a great look for your craft letters using your favorite patterns! I'm thinking about making more than one set for my house. The possibilities are endless! You can change the paper and make them fit any theme in your home! How perfect is this? Click Here to swing on over to her blog and check out her tutorial for these letters! 

This week I have two great craft projects from Sparkles and a Stove! Kathy really does have some great ideas, and this is another one that is simple and totally adorable! These Valentine blocks speak for themselves! I really love the colors and the use of pretty elements. Kudos to you Kathy! Click Here to learn how to make these crafty blocks for your home.

How cute is this? Wouldn't you love to display it in your home? Diana over at Project Inspire makes some pretty awesome Subway Art! The best part about this awesome Subway Art is that it is printable! Yes, you heard me correctly! Printable!! I don't think I need to say much more. Click Here to navigate on over to Diana's blog and print it out to display in your home! This would also make a great gift idea ... as would all the Valentine projects featured this week!!! 

I love to make meatloaf. My family loves to come home and smell meatloaf cooking in the oven! Tasha over at Living a Saucey Life has taken my knowledge of meatloaf making to a whole new level! I can't wait to try out her recipe. It looks so delicious! Click Here to hop on over to her blog and learn her secrets to the perfect meatloaf! You will not be disappointed!
 

So I'm browsing around the internet and reading some of my favorite blogs when I came across {what I like to call} lemon heaven! Dorothy over at Crazy for Crust has lemon fever! She has featured so many lemon desserts that my mouth is watering like crazy! Click Here to go check out all her yummy treats! Your taste buds will thank you later!

Check out {My} Kinda Party to learn more about my blog hops and link parties and to see where I'm doing a little front porch sitting at these days!

Be sure to Grab A Button and link up with my blogs and parties!

Let's link up! Show me your creative side!
{Feel free to share this blog hop on your page! Just grab the code at the bottom!}


From my front porch to yours,

Kenli Bows Giveaway!

Merry Wednesday everyone! I'm very excited that you are all here with me today for my first ever blog giveaway! My friend Kellie over at Kenli Bows makes some awesome hair bows! She's got great prices too! I'm happy to have her as a friend and was very, very pleased with my first purchase from her! She was generous enough to let me host a giveaway to one of my lucky readers! Kudos to you Kellie!

{Here's the hair bow that one lucky reader will win via our giveaway!}

To enter the giveaway, simply complete the form below! We would love for you to share our giveaway with all your friends too! Be sure to come back each day and maximize your entries!! I will announce the winner on my blog and email the lucky winner on Friday, February 1, 2013!!! 

Good luck to everyone! Hope you have a blast with our giveaway!!! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

From my front porch to yours,

Homemade Vegetable Soup

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope everyone's MLK Day was nice and that you got to spend it with your families. I know my son was out of school so we had a fun pajama day! I had a great trip over the weekend. As most of you know, we went out of town to visit family. It was a nice change from our small town living!

The weather here was nice over the weekend {thankfully} but now it has gone back to dreadfully cold! Burrr! So, I decided to make homemade soup for supper. It really hit the spot and was amazing!

{Ingredients}

• 1 lb ground beef
• a big can of Tomato Juice
• 1 can Whole Kernel Corn
• 1 can Cut Green Beans
• 1 can Whole White Potatoes
• 1 can Sliced Carrots
• 1 can Mixed Vegetables
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• salt & pepper to taste

As you can see, I used mostly store brand vegetables. If you have fresh veggies left from your garden that you froze, you can just those too. You can also cook potatoes until tender and then slice them up. I used a can of whole potatoes instead because we were out and this was a last minute supper decision. We wanted something quick and simple. I just sliced the whole ones up because it was much cheaper to buy them whole than to buy the sliced ones! If you have any other favorite veggies, throw them in as well! 

Once you get your ground beef cooked and drained, all you have to do is mix the ingredients in with it and cook until boiling. Then, reduce the heat and just keep an eye on it until you are happy with how well it looks!  I waited until it started to boil before I added my sugar, salt and pepper. This soup is so yummy and hits the spot on a cold night!

I hope everyone has a great day and here's wishing to warmer weather!  =)


From my front porch to yours,

Smoked Tenderloin & Ranch Potatoes

Happy Sunday Everyone! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week! Today, I'd like to share with you a great recipe for those who like to grill! We do a lot of grilling at our house. I prefer the grill over the oven any day! I'm also very lucky to have a husband that will grill no matter what the weather is like! We've grilled plenty of times in the snow!!

First and foremost, let me introduce you to the best kitchen tool ever! It's a Pampered Chef slicer. I love this for cutting potatoes! It works great when I make Ranch potatoes :)  Yum! Yum!

This is what my Ranch potatoes look like when I first throw them into the crockpot. I normally make these in the oven but I wanted to try something different! You will need to slice enough potatoes for your family and add butter and Ranch Dip Mix (seasoning) throughout the crockpot. I normally use a stick of butter to keep the potatoes from drying out.

This is what your potatoes will look like when they are finished! If you cook them in the oven, it will take about an hour. Be sure to cover your dish with aluminum foil for oven cooking. If you fix them in the crockpot, it takes approximately 3 to 5 hours depending on how many potatoes you use! I cook mine on low until all the potatoes are fork tender. Then, you can just switch it to warm and wait until the rest of your meal is done!

This is my hubby's masterpiece! He has become quite the griller! He smoked this pork tenderloin for about 6 hours on our big grill! We use McCormick's Pork Rub on the outside of the tenderloin to give it a nice crunch! The rub holds all the flavors in the meat nicely and makes it so tender that you can cut the meat with a butter knife! Be sure you cook it with the fat side up if you are going to be placing it on the grill! A tip from Mr. Grill-Extraordinaire himself!

This is a very yummy meal and requires a little work but not so much that it is overwhelming!

Be sure to check out my Southern Sundays Link Party and link up all your southern creations!!

Have a great day everyone! I'll see you all tomorrow :)


From my front porch to yours,



You can find me linked up to the following blog hops and link parties!

Southern Sundays Link Party #2

Hello to all my Front Porch Bloggers!

I'd like to welcome you to Southern Sundays Link Party!


What are Southern Sundays?

Southern Sundays are open to all things southern! You are more that welcome to come and link up {your} southern recipes, creations, photos, etc. It doesn't matter what you link up as long as it is southern or happens in the country! This is a fun way to meet new friends and show {your} southern side!

What are the Rules / Requirements?

Ok, so here's the skinny on my blog hops and link parties. I don't have many rules or special requirements in order for you to link up with me. All I ask is that you show some southern hospitality and follow my blog {as well as my other social outlets} and do the same for any guest co-hosts I may have! I also encourage you to look at other blogs that are linked up and see if any of them strike an interest to ya! If so, follow along and be sure to shoot the blog owner a comment so they know you are there! This will help our blogs grow and get your blog some new traffic as well :)

Check out {My} Kinda Party to learn more about my blog hops and link parties and to see where I'm doing a little front porch sitting at these days!

Be sure to Grab A Button and link up with my blogs and parties!

From my front porch to yours,

Homemade Strawberry Cake

A BIG hello all my wonderful readers! I'm blogging today from the lovely city of Clarksville, TN! We are up here visiting family from out of state, and I'm having a blast!

I just wanted to get a quick blog post in today before everyone got here. I will try to do a "city" photo post tonight as we venture out and view all the sights! Today, I'll be sharing the newest recipe in my collection with everyone ... Homemade Strawberry Cake! I'll admit, like most, I have always been a box cake mix person. Well, I think that is all about to change once I learn how do make different flavors and selections!!!

You can find the original recipe for the strawberry cake I made on Farm Flavor.com.

 {Cake Ingredients}

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup sweetened strawberries, mashed
• 1 small box dry strawberry jello

 

{Icing Ingredients}

• ½ stick butter or margarine, softened
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup sweetened strawberries, mashed

To get this bad boy cake started, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You will need to mix together all the ingredients for the cake and pour into a 9" x 13" cake pan that has been greased to avoid sticking! Once your cake is ready to into the oven, bake it for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake is completely done in the center. When I first inserted the toothpick into my cake, it was still runny in the dead center. The cake literally jiggled like Jell-O! So, I let it cook for an additional 10 minutes and it was fine!

While your cake is baking, go ahead and starting mixing your ingredients together for your icing. I recommend starting with a little and slowly working your way up to all the powdered sugar. If you need to add more powdered sugar or strawberries you can, just make sure the initial amount is smoothly mixed together before you add more. I didn't need to add anything extra. It was yummy as soon as it was smooth and creamy!!! The icing is also very rich and sweet so if you have a sweet tooth eater in the house, you might need to make 2 cakes!!

Once the cake has cooled, go ahead and spread the icing over the cake. My icing was easy to spread and covered the whole cake without any problems! It is best to put the cake in the fridge and let it chill for a few hours before serving. If you are like me and the crew at my house, it won't ever make it that long! The cake tastes totally different once it has completely chilled overnight! I love it!! I'm going to have to make another one soon, the first one is almost gone!

I hope you all enjoy this simple little recipe! This was my first homemade cake and it turned out great! I can't wait to try it with different Jell-O's and toppings!

Happy Baking Everyone!!!


From my front porch to yours,