HAPPY HALLOWEEN...and...Giveaway Winner Revealed!

H A P P Y

H A L L O W E E N !!!

Hope your day is Spook-tacular!

And now what we've all been waiting for!  First, I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who entered my very first (but hopefully not last) giveaway...and thank you to those of you who are my new followers.   Also, thank you to the wonderful folks at CSN for being my sponsor.  (Christmas is coming so please check out their many stores for your gift-giving.)  OK....enough suspense!  Here are all the names....

My always-helpful hubby is going to draw now...here goes!

And the winner is....(drumroll, please).....

Congrats, CAROLSUE!  Hope you enjoy your shopping spree!  I'll send your email address to CSN and I'm sure they will get in touch with you soon.  I wish ALL of you could have won!  And again...thanks so much for dropping by and entering!

Psst:  If you want another chance to win a CSN giveaway visit Cortney at her blog LIVING AND LOVING IN CALIFORNIA!

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

Yippee!!!  I'm having my very
first GIVEAWAY...thanks to the fabulous folks at CSN!

CSN Stores has become my #1 "go to" shopping source and I could literally spend hours on their website...searching their wonderful selection for ideas and to learn what's new in the decorating world.  They have everything from a bar stool like these...

                                            Love, love this RED one!

                             And this one looks so elegant!

To bedding...

      I ordered these sheets and they are FABULOUS...so comfy!

Would you believe I had never heard of CSN until I began blogging?  Just think of all the years I've been missing out on this fabulous place to buy almost anything and everything!!!  Now I'm HAPPY and THRILLED that they have contacted me and offered a $35 GIFT CERTIFICATE for my first giveaway!  If you win, what would you buy?  There's soooo much to choose from!  They even have GIFT SUGGESTIONS for all your family and friends.  Maybe for Christmas I could get Granddaughter M this...

And I think Grandson R would love this telescope to look at the moon and stars.

Maybe these cute yellow pots & pans for DIL...

Or a cool tool for son and hubby...

And for me.....:):)

                        Gotta have these!!!!

So here's all you have to do for a chance to win CSN's $35 Gift Certificate:

*Become a follower of my blog if you aren't already.
*Leave me a comment on this post telling me if you've ever shopped with CSN...what did you buy?
*For a second chance post a note about my giveaway on your blog...let me know you've done so.
     Sorry...but this is only for residents of U.S. and Canada.

It's that easy!!!  I will draw the lucky name on....HALLOWEEN! 
Hope you win and get something
"Boo-tiful"!   And to CSN...a big, big
                     THANK YOU!




P.S.  There's another great giveaway you might want to check out if you are interested in beautiful hand-carved wooden spoons.  Just visit Ashlee at her blog:
Across the Branch. 
 

More Blessed to GIVE than RECEIVE

"It is more blessed to give than to receive."
---Acts 20:35


I LOVE receiving gifts, winning prizes, opening Christmas gifts, etc. but I truly do enjoy seeing others open, appreciate, love, or get excited over a gift I've given them.  I tend to stress big time ponder quite a bit over the gifts I choose for others.  I try very hard to match the gift to the person that will be receiving it.  I'm sure I don't hit the mark every time, but hopefully my gifts are happily received.  If not they can always regift them!

Recently I participated in a 
                        FALL KITCHIE SWAP
                  sponsored by my sweet friend
                                CINDY
                               over at

 Rick-Rack & Gingham

I was paired with another sweet gal named
                               DEBBIE
                             who loves

RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY

but doesn't have a blog.  I have a feeling she'll have one before too long though.  Since she has already received her package from me I thought I would share what I sent her:

All wrapped up & ready to go!

Swap Rules stated we had to include PUMPKINS.

I was fortunate and found some on sale so got her 3!

Made a"southern-style" FALL tag!

Also included my favorite PUMPKIN recipes.

Wanted to get Raggedy Ann & Andy in there somewhere.

Included some of my favorite southern recipes.

Debbie collects blue & white plates.

Found this one at an antique store...isn't it precious?

She also collects vintage post cards.

I thought this one was so cute. 

I love old handwriting!  Did you notice the date...1912?  Sure wish stamps were still that cheap.

I got the sweetest email from Debbie and I think she r-e-a-l-l-y liked loved my FALL gifts.  Maybe it will help her feel a little cooler knowing that it won't be long before the leaves begin to turn those beautiful autumn colors of red, yellow, orange, & gold.  I'm ready to do some raking!

Now here are some things I have RECEIVED recently..and I am thankful for & delighted with each one!

This is from Christina over @ Signs of Obsession

This painting goes well with the room we decorated for our granddaughter.

I love old books.  I can't help but wonder about the occasion on which the book was presented as a gift.

                   Whoever owned this book has my same tastes!

       Old keys are one of my favorite things.  I always wonder what   
                                          doors they opened.     

Awhile back I won a giveaway from
Semi-Slacker Mom:

How surprised we both were to find out she is my niece's friend and I
graduated from high school with her daddy.  Talk about a "small world"!

And these precious tags were sent to me by Carol
@The Polka Dot Closet

They remind me of the PAPER DOLLS I played with as a little girl.  I spent hours and hours dressing and undressing them.

As I said:  I love to give & receive gifts and I have been blessed with both.



PS:  I sure wish I could figure out why my typing doesn't look the same once it gets posted!  Blogger can be so confusing, at least to me!

It's Like Christmas in June

I'm one of those people who almost never wins ANYTHING.  But that has recently changed!  I'M  A  WINNER!  Kim at The Twice Remembered Cottage hosted her 4th annual Cottage Charm Giveaway

and 68 wonderful blogger friends participated by giving away some mighty pretty things.  I was the fortunate winner of gifts from Donna at

and here are the BEAUTIFUL things she sent me:

Everything was wrapped up so girlie-like in

Pink & White....

Look at all these sweet things!

Would you believe I love old photographs...even when I don't know the people in them.  DH tells me though I need to write on the back "these are not our family"!

That lovely fan will come in handy for our recent 110 degree weather....and the lovely vintage linens will add to my collection.

The little teapot is actually a kitchen timer and the grandkids have already tried it out.

Thank you SO MUCH, Donna! 

I will treasure your generosity.

Now here's the thing.....

I won something else!  Have a look-see...

These pretty things came from Francie at

The Scented Cottage Studio.

She has a monthly giveaway for followers of her blog and I guess I got "lucky" 'cause I won!

The picture has the cutest quote from Dr. Seuss:

Be who you are and say what you feel

because those who mind don't matter

and those that matter don't mind.

(I tried to teach my son to be HIMSELF and not always follow the crowd...I'm trying to teach my grandkids the same thing.)

Francie also included a lovely little envelope filled with the sweetest smelling potpourri.  Thank you, Francie!

I've still got something else to show you!

I recently participated in a fun event sponsored by

Cindy (the nicest TX gal) at

Rick-Rack & Gingham

Cindy had a KITCHEN SWAP...and it was so much FUN!

I was the lucky recipient of these wonderful gifts from

JANELLE at

Sweet  Bee  Cottage!

You can tell Janelle was really thinking of me with all the cherry treasures!  Don't you love the plate?  I do!  And evidently she is also very creative.  She covered a miniature clipboard with scrapbook paper and then topped off the note pads with matching paper.  As if that wasn't enough, she also covered the clothespins to match!  Just TOO cute!

And I can't wait to try some of those awesome recipes.  Janelle, thank you SO much...and Cindy, too!

It's been like having Christmas in June...but guess what!  I also won something else in Kim's Cottage Charm Giveaway!!!  I just haven't received it yet so I'll save that for another post.

I've been one lucky gal lately!

Either that or the Good Lord knew I needed a little pick-me-up!  Thank you, Lord, for those little events that happen in life to perk us up when we need it!