These Two Don't Mix...

While I'm here getting snowed in (3 inches on the ground already), I thought I'd create a little blog button to share. However, I've found out that
Drinking Amaretto Sours and Editing HTML Code DO NOT MIX! I did manage to figure it out though, so grab it if you'd like. I'll be holed up here all weekend...not that I'm complaining!

Top Five Friday...Winter Weather!

Here's my Monkey last year (January 2009) when we had a dusting of snow...still enough to have fun!

Here in NC, we're prepping for a winter storm (and when I say prepping, I mean salting everything in sight and the schools are closing early because someone mentioned the word snow). I know Northerners are having a nice laugh at our response to the possible snow, but it is a big deal here in the South y'all! For this week's Top Five, I thought I'd share the top 5 things I love about snow!

#5. The anticipation! Looking forward to seeing those first flakes fall is part of the fun. I remember waiting up at night when I was little to see if it was going to snow. I still feel that excitement today!

#4. School being cancelled. Now I know that I'm not working this year, but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate a snow day. Everytime it sleeted, flurried, or snowed for the past 5 years I would turn on the TV and patiently wait for my county's name and those coveted words "Staff Code A" to appear on the screen. Too bad the snow's coming on a weekend, but maybe they'll have Monday off!

#3. Fun in the snow! I will admit that I can only handle being outside in small doses (I despise being cold), but there is so much fun to be had in the snow. There's sledding and snowball fights, snow angels and snowmen...my favorite is sledding!

#2. A fire in the fireplace! We don't fire up the fireplace often, but when it snows you better believe we'll have one going. I could sit by the fireplace all day drinking hot chocolate and eating roasted marshmallows.

#1. SNOW CREAM! My absolute favorite thing in the whole entire world forever and ever amen! If you've never had it, you're missing out. It's like a mix between icecream and a slushie...it's just sugary goodness! If you're getting snow this weekend like us, run out to the store and buy some milk, sugar and vanilla extract. All you have to do is pour a bit of milk in a bowl and add sugar and vanilla to sweeten (you want it very sweet) and then add snow to the consistency you like. I prefer mine with a bit less snow so I can have some of the milk to slurp up.

Now I'm off to the store, along with everyone else in my town, to get a few essentials (just in case we can't leave our homes for one day). Feel free to share your favorite thing about snow!

Good Eats!

Over at Sweet Tea & Biscuits this week, we are sharing our favorite Southern Eats! I wish I had some pictures of my own to share, but sadly I'm not one of those photographers who can ever remember to take a pic before I dig in, so here are some borrowed pics of my favorite Southern Eats!

For the sake of being brief, I'll stick to three.

Chicken and Dumplings

A personal favorite of mine. I like the dumplings rolled paper thin and only white meat chicken for this girl!

Turnip GreensServed with LOTS of vinegar please.

And last but not least, cornbread!Best when made in an iron skillet, and is great with many southern foods (especially pintos and greens), but is delicious by itself or if you're REALLY southern (like me!) you've had your cornbread in a bowl with a bit of milk poured on it. Mmmm! Hope these get you geared up for some good southern eats!

Holy Scrap!

Yeah, I know... I'm awesome at thinking of titles. We'll just have to accept my cheesiness and move on. And warning, there are multiple uses of ellipsis and interjections using parentheses ahead. Exit now if these things annoy you.

My Mama's birthday is coming up and I thought I'd take an economical approach this year (being that I don't actually get a paycheck anymore...boo) and go with a sentimental gift--a scrapbook.

You know, one of those sweet homemade gifts. The ones that don't cost an arm and a leg. Um, yeah well I didn't get the memo from all you scrapbookers out there that this isht is expensive! (By the way ladies, I hope you're hiding your receipts because these little sheets of paper and stickers and chipboard cost more than my shoe habit and that's saying a lot!) So, I spent about an hour in Michael's gathering my supplies and checked out (where I'm pretty sure the cashier thought I was going to pass out when she told me the total). My few meager items cost a whopping $50...and no, I hadn't even bought the pictures yet! Once I get home I order the pictures I'd picked out and there went another $15.

I'm sure this was my expression upon hearing that my homemade gift was costing $50 in supplies!

I'm currently about half way done and I have to say that I love it! I know that I'm nowhere near the realm of those professional scrapbookers out there (who must also be millionaires), but I think it looks great! I'll share some pics when it is complete, but here's what I'm taking away from this: sentiment isn't always cheap, but it's well worth it.

I'd like to give credit to whoever rightfully owns the above photo, but it appears that it has been passed around blogs and I can't find true owner. But here's me saying, "It's not mine, I don't own it, and I didn't make it...disclaimer done."

What's Cookin'...

I'm not usually very excited about making dinner (mostly because I'd rather keep my cooking reserved to things like apple dumplings and pound cake and brownies) but I have two recipes that I'm going to try this week and they sound quite delicious!
I found both on one of my most favorite blogs WHATEVER. I'm going to try Meg's Lasagna and Crescent Chicken. I've linked both recipes, but she also has a little button on the left where you can find more yummy recipes.


As for the rest of today, I will be reconstructing this wrecked house. Not sure if this happens to you, but my house falls apart every weekend. I'm starting to think that has something to do with the RedHead being home...he denies it.

Image Here

Top Five Friday...My Monkey

I have been thinking about how much I love my little Monkey and how many smiles and laughs he brings into my life, so I thought this week I'd share my Top 5 pictures of him that bring me joy! (...and I feel that this will be edition one of several in the future because I had a hard time just choosing 5!)

#5.

This is what happens when my Monkey doesn't have a nap. He plays till he passes out!

#4.

Here he is at 6 months...the child put his tongue out in every picture we took for about 3 months.

#3. Here's his interpretation of Gangsta' Monkey. Everyone knows undies on your head is cool.

#2. Not sure what to say about this one...it stands on its own!

#1. One morning the child came walking into the living room after waking and had a penny stuck to his head. He was obviously not amused that I wanted to take his picture that early in the morning.

Hope you enjoyed these as much as I do!

Mamaw's Pound Cake

I'm participating in Sweet Tea & Biscuits' Sips of the South Posts, so head on over this week to check out some great recipes submitted by Belles all over!