Giveaway Galore: Tuesday Edition

1. Prairie Hen: A very prairie giveaway ~ CalicoOwls -
Giveaway will run until July 15 11:59 PM

via Prairie Hen with CalicoOwls

One lucky Prairie Hen reader will receive

Amos the owl from CalicoOwls.

Here is a bit more about Amos in Sarah's words:

"Straight from Hogwarts’ West Tower Owlery Hatchery Program, this 4rd clutch of hatched owlets are ready to find new forever homes. These little owls come from the best stock and are all completely unique and each one of a kind. They all have their owl personalities. Whether they are delivering post, riding along in pockets to share some wisdom, going on an adventure, or just keeping you company in your broom closet under the stairs, these owls offer their patience and extreme loyalty. They are adorable and a must for any inspiring witch or wizard.
Amos is the 3rd hatched in this very diverse clutch and is the younger but larger brother of Ollivander in the 2nd clutch. He is much more stern the owls and prides himself in his wit and good judgement. He is 1 inch tall and was handmade out of clay, kiln fired, and painted with durable glazes, and most importantly made with love.
~Have a Magical Day"

Harry Potter Owlery

How stinkin' cute are those owls?!  I am in LOVE with them!  My favorite is...

Bludger the Clay Owl, Harry Potter Owlery

and check this guy out...

Star Wars Wicket the Clay Ewok

LOVE!!

2. Mama Days: Handmade with Heart: Sweet Pea Totes {review + giveaway} -

Giveaway ends August 3rd. 

Sweet Pea Totes

One lucky Mama Days reader is going to win

a wristlet from Sweet Pea Totes

{$26 or under}!  

Mama Days was graciously sent this sweet wristlet for review. 

SWEET PEA ZIP AND GO WRISTLET Orchid Joel Dewbbery's Ginseng

{inside of the wristlet}

I love "Avairy" line...

SWEET PEA ZIP AND GO WRISTLET CLUTCH

 

Sweet Pea Zip and Go Wristlet / AVIARY 2 by Joel Dewberry



Sweet Pea ZIP AND GO Owl Wristlet



Sweet Pea Zip and Go Wristlet / AVIARY 2 by Joel Dewberry

Etsy is seriously NOT helping my purse fetish.  Not that I have a purse fetish.  Nope.  Just don't look in my closet.



3. The Shine Project: $85 Value Giveaway! -
Giveaway ends Friday 7/15

Per Ashley at The Shine Project...

I love spoiling you guys! Today there are THREE items that one winner will get to take home! I love love LOVE all of these shops, and they are SO unique. Here's what's up for grabs....

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NS POTTERY

Natalie is a creative genious who specializes in pottery. From jewelry to household items, you will find the most unique creations in her shop. Go check out the apple baker she makes...you will die.

The winner will recieve a $40 shop credit to NS Pottery! Go visit her Etsy shop HERE!

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ALEXANDRA ROSE

This little lady has wowed me with her purse and and pocketbook designs. I have two of them :) From totes to coin purses, Alexandra Rose covers every size you need! Visit her Etsy shop HERE

The winner will recieve a $20 shop credit for an item of your choice! AND she's offering a 15% discount for all you Shine readers! Enter SHINE15 at checkout.

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Young People In Love

Samantha and Chas, a husband and wife team, have won me over with their art. It is honestly INCREDIBLE. And the best part is, it's afordable. I want some to put above my workspace! Visit Samantha's Etsy shop to view her art HERE!

Ya, pretty amazing right? Today's winner will recieve a free print of your choice!

So here are my picks from each shop (in order)...

NS POTTERY

Adjustable Square Pottery Ring- Black

ALEXANDRA ROSE

Pineapple cabana ruffled zippy pouch

Young People In Love

Cage 8x10 PRINT

4. Things Sent My Way: Summer Block Party ~ Novica -

One winner in the US will be drawn on July 19th using random.org. The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond. This giveaway is sponsored by Novica. The company will ship this item to one winner.

Novica is sponsoring a $30 Gift Card giveaway to one Things Sent My Way Reader

Novica has a TON of amazing items online.  I couldn't even begin to let you know my favorites.  I'm partial to their jewelry.  It's a great shop for finding gifts for someone as well.

Lets talk about boobs again...

Can I say boobs? 

How about breasts.  That's more dignified, right? 

Wait, do I have to be dignified?  Am I a dignified blog/blogger? 

More importantly am I a dignified person? 

That I at least feel strongly about.  Yes, I am a dignified person.  Blog/blogger, you tell me. 

Let me let you in on a little secret.  Or two.  One, Spell Check has let me know I do not know how to correctly spell dignified on my own.  Two, when nervous or worried (etc.) I make jokes.  Really horrible, mostly ill timed jokes. 

So on with the meat and potatoes of this post.  Boobs. 

Er, breasts. 

For some odd reason I cannot get away from talking about broobs.  Does that work?  Cuz in trying to type one of the before mentioned words broobs is what came out.  I'm going with it. 

I guess because my broobs are as large as they are, people feel the need to comment, talk to them or about them to me and to other people.  I get accidentally poked, jabbed, grabbed and nudged.  I, also, get "accidentally" poked, jabbed, grabbed and nudged as well.  Oh, the "accidentally" on purpose ones are always fun. 

Today, though, today I feel the need to talk about my broobs.  They have been on my mind a lot lately.  Almost as much as they've been on my body.  Which has been a lot.  All the time, in fact.

See... bad, uncomfortable jokes.  Anyway.

Thursday night I was in my PJ's and Remington (always Remington) decided to use me as a jumping off board on one of his crazy run around the apartment like a maniac episodes.  He landed on the most uncomfortable place possible.  My broob.  Man, let me tell you it HURT.  Like more than I figured it should.  While holding the insulted area I felt what appeared to be a little lump.  On my broob.  Okay, IN my broob.  Did I mention I was in my PJ's.  PJ's = sans bra.  Who wears a bra to bed?  Not this girl. 

A bit concerned by the pain & the possible lump I checked things out and sure enough, I felt a little lump in my broob.  Of course, I did what any rational adult woman would do.  I FREAKED OUT for a moment.  Or two.  It was late at night, my BFF was out of town & Remington just didn't understand all the hubbub.  Nor did Parker or Cyrus. 

Once the rational adult woman returned I realized there was nothing to do at the moment and freaking out wouldn't do anything so I shoved it as far back in my mind as I could and went to bed.  The next morning as soon as I could I did what I could.  I called and made a doctors appointment. 

Which leads to today.  I had my doctors appointment.  I went in sat in a cold sterile doctors office patient room, in what felt like 50 degree air conditioning, and let my primary physician feel me up.  I'm pretty sure my last boyfriend didn't feel me up that well...maybe ever.  I sorta felt cheap afterwards.  I think I should have gotten lunch after all that, you know.

Instead she gave me a work order to a lab so I can go get a mammography.  Which is apparently better than a mammogram.  It's digital.  So not only do I get to be felt up again, by a complete stranger this time, but I get to go high tech to do it.  But still there will be no lunch.  Really, what does a girl have to do to get a lunch around here?!  Depending on what the mammography says I may have to have an ultrasound if needed for further diagnostics.  

Aren't you jealous.   

My doctor thinks its probably fibersomethingorothers.  When I google that the most likely term is... Fibrocystic.  Or what I like to call lumpy broobs.

Bad jokes aside, and that I probably have rather super large lumpy broobs, my point in all of this over sharing is to make sure those of you out there who have broobs takes care of them.  And themselves.  Part of doing that is to do a monthly self check of the broobs.  I know we all think we should and we nag our friends, sisters, mothers, daughters, anyone else with broobs to do so themselves but I bet most of us don't do it ourselves.  Practice what I preach, not what do sort of thing. 

So seriously, don't wait for your yearly woman's health check up to have your doctor feel your broobs up to check for lumps & other abnormalities.  Do it yourself.  Feel yourself up and then dammit take yourself to lunch.  Or dinner if it was really good.  If you have a significant other, have them double check after you are done.  You know, because a second opinion is always helpful.  And in this case fun.  Plus, then you can have them take you out for lunch or dinner.  Or even a movie if it was THAT good. 

I'll probably let you all know how cool high tech feeling up & everything is next week after my appointment on the 20th. 

Until then be low tech & feel your broobies!

I've become THAT Aunt...

You know the one.  The weird, goofy & quirky one. 

Not sure why I'm surprised by the fact.  Not that I am actually all that surprised.  I've been called both weird & quirky.  Oh, and goofy.  A lot.  As far back as high school, as a matter of fact.  So maybe not so surprised. 

Except for the fact that my nephew called me weird.  Or was it goofy?  Same difference really.  I'm always aware of what my friends think of me but I never really know what my nieces & nephews think of me.  At least, not most of them.  I always know what my niece, Elizabeth, thinks of me but that's not too hard...she's always speaking her mind.  God love her for it!

While I was hanging with the fam in UT (have I mentioned for 7 GLORIOUS days) we got to talking about who would play each of us if a movie were made of our family.  See my nephew, Jesse, is going to Columbia University (School of the Arts) & wants to be a director so naturally we'd end up talking about him filming a movie about our great & interesting family. 

Some people picked who they wanted to play themselves...or other people; like my sister, Beth, chose Brad Pitt to play her husband John.  My 7(?) year old niece, Sarah, would play her self as she is a HAM and would love to play it up on screen.  I couldn't figure out who would be a good me so I asked Jesse who he would cast as Aunt Kerri.  His answer...Parker Posey.  Hum...okay.  I sat on it a while but finally had to ask why.  His reasoning..."She's weird/goofy.  You're weird/goofy."  Fair enough, I guess. 

She's a bit older than I am but it's Hollywood and age doesn't matter.  40 year olds play high school students so why not have an actress play 10 year younger.  When I think Park Posey I think Blade:Trinity (LOVED that movie!) and The Sweetest Thing. 

Then I think..."My God am I that weird/goofy?!" 

Why, yes, I guess I am...especially in the eyes of my nieces & nephews.  Who I act super goofy & silly around.  My nieces & nephews range in age from 33 to 7(?) and my great nieces & nephews range from 16 to 16(?) months (actually 4{?} months in utero).

I know, I am a horrible aunt!  All this (?) is because I am not sure on the exact age.  I should know because I asked enough while up there but I really suck at numbers.  I flip them.  Switch them.  Forget them.  Whatever I can do with them.  All but remember them.  My brain isn't wired for numbers (IE math).

So who would you want to play you if a movie was made of your life?
 

Fill in the Blank #8

T.G.I.F!!

Thank God this week has been short.  Three days of work after 7 days off was about three days too many. 

{the delicious sweet biscuits @ Tasty n Sons}

Joining at The Little Things We Do

 

1. My plans this summer include  not a whole lot from here on out.  I’ve done all my fun summer trips. 

2.The best summer I ever had was   the one I spent in Fl with my Aunt (Floss) back between 2nd & 3rd grade.  It may not be my best summer ever ut it is definitely one that I remember.

3. Summer is  far too hot in Arizona!

4. My favorite summer food is  watermelon. I can’t get enough of it!!

5. The best way to quench a summer thirst is with LOTS of water!  And watermelon!!

6. My summer uniform consists of   dresses and skirts worn with tank tops for work. Dresses, skirts & shorts worn with tank tops when I’m not at work.  Seriously as little as possible because it is TOO HOT!  

7. The best thing about summer is spending time with family & going on vacations with them.

Last weeks Fill in the Blank...

1. The best news I ever received was  when my grandparents told me they were going to be my legal gardians & that I would be staying with them all the time.  I was 6 years old.

2. Something I'm looking forward to is Fall and cooler weather.

3. Something I would never do is anything that has to do with extreme hights & jumping out of airplanes or off anything. 

4. If I could choose someone to be my life coach (famous or not, living or dead), I'd choose I have no idea right at this moment.  I should probably know the answer to something like this but I don’t.

5. If I had to put a label on my style it would be the lable of hot mess.  I have no idea.  I guess I could say casual but some of my jewelry says otherwise.   These questions are too hard.  LOL.

6. One should always tell the truth.

7. I want to be a lady who lunches, wo doesn’t have to work & can shop all day and play with her friends.

Friday Funnies #2

I don't know where I've been but both of these video's are from 2009.  My nephew, Jesse, show them to me while I was on vacation and they had me dying laughing! 

Kitty is a very BAD mystic...

Talking beaver on the highway...

I think what makes both of these video's even funnier was watching my nephew & his father (my brother-in-law, John) mimic the two animals. 

Seriously HILARIOUS!

Especially since John is Canadian.  He does a great "Welcome to Canada!"

Thursday Latelies #3

Due to being brain dead from my 7 day vacation I totally forgot to do my video for my Thursday Latelies.  Instead I'll have to write up a post & include some hastily taken photos I took this morning before running out the door for work. 

I have to admit that I was watching 'Gone With the Wind' last night instead of remembering to do my video.  Or vacation laundry.  Or the dishes.  Or anything else I should have been doing instead of watching the LONGEST. MOVIE. EVER!  3 hours and 44 minutes of movie is a bit much for one sitting but I JUST. COULDN'T. STOP. WATCHING.  So I went to bed way late (after 11PM) with a headache from crying through the last part of the movie. 

Stupid sad movies! 

I'm still pretty much loving & appreciating the same things...or people...I was from last weeks Thursday Latelies.  Being on vacation for 7 days doesn't leave much room for loving anything else.  If anything I love and appreciate my family and friends even more this week.

In the spirit of Thursday Latelies I have come up with two new things to be happy about this week.  And by things I mean a person and my lovies (ie. the cats).

Sharon left me a cute little note to come home to with updates on how the cats did while she watched them & such.  The note included her having to run to the store to get more cat litter because the 1 1/2 boxes I left was not enough  (1 box = 33 lbs, so approx 38 lbs left).  Can we say my cats are super turdy...yes, I think we can. 

It, also, let me know Hank (Sharon's husband) had "fixed" my sliding door problem.  See the door is supposed to have a security lock (or bolt) on it but a month or so after moving in somebody (who was not me & does not live with me anymore) broke the lock.  How, I have no idea but we figured it didn't matter much anyway.  1) Because the apartment complex didn't seem too worried about fixing it...as seen in it still not being fixed after a year and a half of living there.  2) If someone was going to break in by way of the sliding glass door it would be easier to just brake the stupid thing instead of trying to jimmy open the door. 

Anyway, Hank decided he needed to get a good look at the place Sharon would be visiting daily for a week to make sure he knew where she would be should something happen and to insure that it was safe for her to go alone to at night. 

When he saw that the bolt was broken he had to fix it.  It's what he does.  So here is my new door lock...

Okay, first is the broken bolt...

The bolt broke in half & doesn't even reach the door, let alone go inside to lock it.

P.S. Good Lord, my windows are DIRTY. 

Oops.

Hank's solution...stick a piece of wood in it. 

So something my Pop would have done if he were alive today.  We had pieces of wood blocking every sliding door & window in our house where I grew up.

Hank even put a sting on the wood to make opening the door a bit easier.  It's attached to a hook for easy access. 

How cute is that?!

An easy fix but affective. 

Not that I would have ever thought of it myself.

Now I may have to take Hank out to dinner as well to say thank you.  Not that Sharon or I would mind. 

About the only thing I really missed about being away from home was these turds...

Parker

Always patient in sitting for photos.

Remington

The only shot I got where he was somewhat not blurry.

Cyrus

Who was more interested in coming & saying hello

than sitting still for a photo.

Turdies but such loves!  I seriously missed them & was so relieved every night when Sharon sent the "Everything is good with the kitties" text. 

Needless to say they were super excited to see me when I got home Tuesday night.  Remington slept on my head instead of in my hair that night.  Parker & Cyrus were right up against me all night.  Thankfully I was too tired to move around too much so the extra closeness wasn't too uncomfortable.

So I should be all caught up on...life by next weeks Thursday Latelies.  So until then have a great and blessed week!

Joining up at Bex: A Style Diary.

Giveaway Galore: Thursday Edition

1. Mama Days: Handmade with Heart ~ juliethefish designs jewelry {review + giveaway} -
Giveaway ends July 27, 2011

One lucky Mama Days reader is going to win

 a $40 gift certificate

to juliethefish designs ! 
  

juliethefish designs

 custom handstamped 4mm sterling silver ring.

{photo by juliethefish designs}

 this silver heart ring

{photo by juliethefish designs}

I also love this brass business card holder. Unique gift idea!

{photo by juliethefish designs}

Sigh, another hand stamped jewelry shop to love.

Here's my favorite from juliethefish designs:

{photo by juliethefish designs}

2. Mama Days: Handmade with Heart: Borsa Bella {etsy} Bag Review and Giveaway! -

Giveaway ends July 25, 2011

One lucky Mama Days reader is going to win

their choice of any bag {$44 or under}

from Borsa Bella's etsy shop! 



Borsa Bella



  small gadget case

Borsa Bella has a lot of cute bags for anything you need to tote around.  I personally love this...

Larger Padded ROO GADGET BAG or

WRISTLET for iPod, iPhone, Cell Phone, Camera

PLUS EXTRA ZIPPER POCKET --

Giraffes Can Dance Fabric



3. Mama Days: Handmade with Heart: Laurel Treasures Etsy Jewelry Review and Giveaway -

Giveaway ends July 22, 2011

One lucky Mama Days reader is going to win their choice of a a copper cuff bracelet,

mini sterling monogram ring

or birthstone ring 

from 

birthstone ring



Laurel Treasures {handcrafted artisan jewelry}!

Laurel Treasures {handcrafted artisan jewelry}

copper cuff bracelet

Again another jewelry shop to drool over.  Not only do they have hand stamped stuff but also other buties.

My favorites are...

Birthstone Tree Necklace with Leaf Charm



Tourmaline Necklace - Basket of Flowers



Sweet Beans!

I have no idea why the title is Sweet Beans but it is what came to mind so I'm going with it.  7 days off vacationing with my family may have fried my brain.  Too much fun.  Too much food.  Too much laughing.

Wait...you can never have too much fun and laughing.  Too much food...I'm on the fence about that.  I'm pretty sure you can have too much food but I have yet to reach the exploding point so I'm stuck on if it was actually TOO much food.

I'm totally lame and didn't take one photo while on vacation.  My camera never even saw the light of day (or night).  I was having too much fun to worry about where my camera was & what I wanted to commit to photo memory.  It's a bad habit I've developed over the last few years.  I love photo's but I can't be bothered with taking them myself anymore.  I'm trying to get back into the swing of taking photographs but it's totally at hit and miss thing right now.

I guess I did take a few photo's while I was up in UT.  I, of course, had my phone with me (at least some of the time) so I got a few shots with it.

I took a couple shots of dragonflies while waiting at Lagoon.  The photo's do not do these crazy creatures justice.  They were far more beautiful & colorful than my phone camera can show.  Plus, they were HUGE!

I was standing by a bunch of trees & bushes and they just kept flying right besides me & landing.  I think they are the one "bug" I am not afraid of.  You know what they are when they are zooming towards you which always helps.

I managed to take these shots while on the way home yesterday.  For the life of me now I cannot remember if this farm is in UT or AZ.  12 hours in a car is TOO long & I slept most of the way home.  Too much fun & too little sleep while on vacation it seems.

It's an Elk farm...

I was so mad that this big guy decided to pose BEHIND the sign.  Another car stopped to take a look & kept chasing him off before I could get a good shot.

Here are some shots of some land up by my sisters house...

via my brother-in-laws phone

A view from my sisters back yard...


Via my niece Elizabeth's phone

I do have photo's to share from the family reunion but I have to wait until someone else shares them first so I can steal them.  I somehow managed to miss out on getting a CD of the family photo's we took. 

Seriously, I was too busy to be bothered with anything apparently.  At least, that didn't pertain to stuffing food in my face & lazing around on a recliner lawn chair or acting goofy with my family & giggling with my sisters.

I did manage to hop online for a few minutes a couple of times & imagine my surprise when Jillian from  The Life of a Lioness/Pretty Little Lion had a few photos of the birdhouses I sent her up in a post.  I sent them off to her and totally forgot to take photo's of the finished product.  Surprise surprise, I know.  I have to say they look pretty cool sitting in amongst her garden.  I just wish you should see the cool birds that are on one side of each roof.  They were actually the reason I made up these two birdhouses.  Once I added the bling I knew they needed to be sent to Jillian.  Sparkly jewel bling is her business after all.

Photo's via The Life of a Lioness/Pretty Little Lion 

Knowing people are enjoying my creations makes me want to craft more.  Crafting sounds like a great inside idea since it's been a blasted 116 degrees here lately.  At this time going outside is a thing you do only when you absolutely need to.  I was so glad to be home (at least to see the cats) but I definitely did NOT miss the Arizona heat!!  Movie watching & crafting will be my inside summer activities.  Yeah, that definitely sounds good to me. 

What are you doing to stay busy & inside during the summertime?

100 Movies to See Before You Die

This was supposed to post a few days ago but Blogger decided it didn't really feel the need to do so...

Yahoo compiled a list of 100 Movies to See Before You Die: The All Time Greats.

I've seen 42 out of 100.  Not too bad, I don't think.

Here is a list of the movies I've seen from the list...
The African Queen
Alien
Apocalypse Now
Casablanca
Die Hard
ET
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
The Godfather
The Godfather 2
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Goodfellas
The Graduate
Groundhog Day
A Hard Days Night
It's A Wonderful Life
Jaws
King Kong
Lord of the Rings
The Maltese Falcon
The Matrix
Psycho
Pulp Fiction
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Rebel Without a Cause
Rocky
Roman Holiday
Saving Private Ryan
Schindler's List
Shawshank Redemption
Silence of the Lambs
Singin' in the Rain
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Some Like It Hot
Star Wars
T2: Judgement Day
Titanic
To Kill A Mockingbird
Toy Story
The Unusual Suspects
Vertigo
When Harry Met Sally
The Wizard of Oz

I found this list because of Little Gray Pixel.  She has vowed to view every movie on the list.  If you want to check out her journey you can start here with movies 1 & 2.

I don't know if I will ever see the movies I haven't seen yet.  Some of them do not sound interesting, which is why I haven't seen them.  Others I have never heard of.  Maybe I'll pick some to watch so I can move my number to 50.  I could be happy with knowing I've seen half of a 100 movie list.  Then again, I could also be happy with my current number of 42.  In fact, I think I am happy with my number of 42.

How many on the list have you seen??