Thinking Outside The Box (of Chocolates)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgok57SL5-eEd5VFMW07Em6XdnYPAfE5fk64FJAYg6P9ipis_1O62jsaDRuCwgq83NAv4-3y1fwJKllnNmn9VQOE1aF0-zZO-VW6RMuGtKxqqPg4R41uHyFSDXOf2FtOwAHeyvhX2MExM1/s1600/Picture+352.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgok57SL5-eEd5VFMW07Em6XdnYPAfE5fk64FJAYg6P9ipis_1O62jsaDRuCwgq83NAv4-3y1fwJKllnNmn9VQOE1aF0-zZO-VW6RMuGtKxqqPg4R41uHyFSDXOf2FtOwAHeyvhX2MExM1/s1600/Picture+352.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Don't get me wrong...I love getting chocolates on Valentine's Day!  However, this year, I thought I'd mix it up a little.  For my twelve year old daughter, the cutest temporary tattoos by <a href="http://www.tattly.com/" target="_blank">Tattly</a>.  Still fun and girlie, but not overly sentimental, I know she'll get a kick out of sharing them with her classmates. And, when it came time to find some creative ideas for my other two children, I didn't have to look any further than <a href="http://www.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy</a>. These fun, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/BraveMoonman?ref=seller_info" target="_blank">bright pencils</a> and this <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/88579333/valentines-collection-jack-russell-totem?ref=sc_4&sref=sr_57eb2954afb63fa6d56b1f0906cc02c6bf57235a69185bc0ec1cce5868eab96f_1327965157_14196770_jack_russell" target="_blank">sweet little Jack Russel</a>, both caught my eye recently.  And of course, there's always that iconic box of chocolates! (<a href="http://www.godiva.com/product/mini-message-hearts-set-of-four/id/2545.gdv?SE_Section=Shop&SE_Category=118&lastCat=118" target="_blank">I couldn't resist this bargain</a>) What do you have planned for Valentine's Day?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykhWkPxY8x663UhgpfQvHyfeIajUY_CZdlIwS5ETRaocvknDhuhROxNQLvkaP0e5u8dkJGQF6PBC1bg41mti8R9bN-6Id-VLyji4kDNjqRwwGejGr9dHq03YDgYsj46I_gcgla22RJpO0/s1600/il_570xN.279980892-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykhWkPxY8x663UhgpfQvHyfeIajUY_CZdlIwS5ETRaocvknDhuhROxNQLvkaP0e5u8dkJGQF6PBC1bg41mti8R9bN-6Id-VLyji4kDNjqRwwGejGr9dHq03YDgYsj46I_gcgla22RJpO0/s1600/il_570xN.279980892-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-o74QkTXMCsz8wUaoQSwdTfHPWNvdLME8BHif-vGP7TawMEdHh-CEnaI5ecW2L35_O3Ifwia0M5IEIWdZwhCVk_KYFmkz7nytgqCB3RbxEzn9ddrcW6gKDNGHwvqh9DvYcTxjNr1VjgS6/s1600/il_570xN.304721598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-o74QkTXMCsz8wUaoQSwdTfHPWNvdLME8BHif-vGP7TawMEdHh-CEnaI5ecW2L35_O3Ifwia0M5IEIWdZwhCVk_KYFmkz7nytgqCB3RbxEzn9ddrcW6gKDNGHwvqh9DvYcTxjNr1VjgS6/s1600/il_570xN.304721598.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div>

Thinking Outside The Box (of Chocolates)

Don't get me wrong...I love getting chocolates on Valentine's Day!  However, this year, I thought I'd mix it up a little.  For m...

Read more »

Help With My Summer Reading List

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsixKv7hBjAyPqw_hPqz2o-wtLOOLZtrg51IrT_ehCFrEWoxuXofuc7LiscKyF0yflPnTojlFFPA1GrZx3tLtZDxd7RsuSNj00Z8AtOCKaRg0A5D3qKywNRvNwz_n7PJPpXlS-3suAjvDm/s1600/the_help_book_cover_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsixKv7hBjAyPqw_hPqz2o-wtLOOLZtrg51IrT_ehCFrEWoxuXofuc7LiscKyF0yflPnTojlFFPA1GrZx3tLtZDxd7RsuSNj00Z8AtOCKaRg0A5D3qKywNRvNwz_n7PJPpXlS-3suAjvDm/s640/the_help_book_cover_01.jpg" width="422" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Help-Movie-Tie-Kathryn-Stockett/dp/0425245136?ie=UTF8&tag=thez0a-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Help</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thez0a-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0425245136" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>Read any good books lately? Today is my children's last day of school.  This afternoon they will be coming home with their recommended summer reading list.  Before we hit up our local library/bookstores and in my case Kindle store, I was hoping to get some great summer reading recommendations.  I haven't read a good book in a while, one that I can't stop thinking about or put down.  The summer is such a great time to escape into a book and these are some past standout favorites of mine.   Now that you've seen my preferences, can you recommend a good one?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboYMch7fkq-S-7XvGa7zx0grHCy_Xpik0fRCjlqYCpOKq6cWAzeMobSE0NaQQOR8GAIybqZnE0ChZ2gpOgQUSI4gccN0HXvU4fUxu-80MVIIXJ6R-O53Pd0MY5HuQ4puwIpxBDRwYE6Rp/s1600/51uVrSR0MUL._SS500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboYMch7fkq-S-7XvGa7zx0grHCy_Xpik0fRCjlqYCpOKq6cWAzeMobSE0NaQQOR8GAIybqZnE0ChZ2gpOgQUSI4gccN0HXvU4fUxu-80MVIIXJ6R-O53Pd0MY5HuQ4puwIpxBDRwYE6Rp/s1600/51uVrSR0MUL._SS500_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Spot-Melissa-Bank/dp/B000VTPEVK?ie=UTF8&tag=thez0a-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Wonder Spot</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thez0a-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000VTPEVK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05w1jOHjANjr08vDb-Btl2Y7TQcviTowxaVK67NxB5mMcpU_BUU3-fYuMPvfrkHIxvSRAfnA3o0NVL-V1wLNgLMOvL8Ewbje7ugMIyJXPAdl7II5LAfKpOwz1saOXoiXE10lgadDC4sL1/s1600/468751-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05w1jOHjANjr08vDb-Btl2Y7TQcviTowxaVK67NxB5mMcpU_BUU3-fYuMPvfrkHIxvSRAfnA3o0NVL-V1wLNgLMOvL8Ewbje7ugMIyJXPAdl7II5LAfKpOwz1saOXoiXE10lgadDC4sL1/s1600/468751-L.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Novel-Wendy-Wasserstein/dp/1400076870?ie=UTF8&tag=thez0a-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Elements of Style: A Novel</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thez0a-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1400076870" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUx-iQSZMbzCG3BlrllU4dVpBYUtlTcX7pJ1zM0K3q63pvzhvm69KCk01sEtLt5E6KlnxBnh4tunQS_qReCjR8Qx5Gkf8KSUQ98IaOUXxJbPlK4vLJ57OKPZLDUPMe6rWiPqILqFK5zUZb/s1600/Vanity+Fair+A+Novel+without+1+0+1277996811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUx-iQSZMbzCG3BlrllU4dVpBYUtlTcX7pJ1zM0K3q63pvzhvm69KCk01sEtLt5E6KlnxBnh4tunQS_qReCjR8Qx5Gkf8KSUQ98IaOUXxJbPlK4vLJ57OKPZLDUPMe6rWiPqILqFK5zUZb/s640/Vanity+Fair+A+Novel+without+1+0+1277996811.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vanity-Fair-William-Makepeace-Thackeray/dp/1153737566?ie=UTF8&tag=thez0a-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Vanity Fair</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thez0a-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1153737566" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDBIHW1bC1tPg7rgjxcbbwkvjRtJta53meW1Yr2fl4ho2b3LRNkBhbLcp-EJylzRt5FSKO28gYv7rizPQqzcSS_QQ-TK1-y4tKbsDHfDlZsxXjhzAs8_MEkp6dFXjYXxbU5O1MaSRbFuW/s1600/girl-in-translation1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDBIHW1bC1tPg7rgjxcbbwkvjRtJta53meW1Yr2fl4ho2b3LRNkBhbLcp-EJylzRt5FSKO28gYv7rizPQqzcSS_QQ-TK1-y4tKbsDHfDlZsxXjhzAs8_MEkp6dFXjYXxbU5O1MaSRbFuW/s640/girl-in-translation1.jpg" width="409" /></a></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Translation-Jean-Kwok/dp/1594485151?ie=UTF8&tag=thez0a-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Girl in Translation</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thez0a-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1594485151" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div></div>

Help With My Summer Reading List

The Help Read any good books lately? Today is my children's last day of school.  This afternoon they will be coming home with their rec...

Read more »

Blogging Is Contagious!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxr5NSMUMLJ0PkllO1FAL0KXQxUU1LUt9CXlnfLhEtG-EBLWyt8Jm5jh2-MlaGxzWnIaS2bA2yj4bBZCDlhWlr8oaxmDapKOMm5A3MAi_8DPxVxJFnNb8FF7JoWjxuC5DDrrNBe8_PsAE/s1600/14C_Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxr5NSMUMLJ0PkllO1FAL0KXQxUU1LUt9CXlnfLhEtG-EBLWyt8Jm5jh2-MlaGxzWnIaS2bA2yj4bBZCDlhWlr8oaxmDapKOMm5A3MAi_8DPxVxJFnNb8FF7JoWjxuC5DDrrNBe8_PsAE/s640/14C_Banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QJFO-lMISq4QARE91c5bR4bstW0OKkwfMOKm0VvCUNRQB2mNPxI36058eNpJTZVLJhwG_U8kCN7VJ9k21iNrGeWyGHRC2lzhafuDAOGx7a-p1fu7eE0LUTucOjCrcI_qQ8FCXojcARDX/s1600/DSC_0101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QJFO-lMISq4QARE91c5bR4bstW0OKkwfMOKm0VvCUNRQB2mNPxI36058eNpJTZVLJhwG_U8kCN7VJ9k21iNrGeWyGHRC2lzhafuDAOGx7a-p1fu7eE0LUTucOjCrcI_qQ8FCXojcARDX/s1600/DSC_0101.JPG" /></a></div>First it was my super sweet and very crafty sister in law, over at <a href="http://14countess.blogspot.com/">Fourteen Countess</a>. And now my lovely and stylish little cousin has started a blog as well, <span id="goog_1796149561"></span><a href="http://www.mystylevita.com/">My Style Vita<span id="goog_1796149562"></span></a>~why not check them both out this weekend?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrqPdKDRngArnhtIfX1bh5xM3KaVMDH4LyqMav7OyfooiG4UUdMA9wRoS-WBfzOFoe2vep8tBhCzjcfZdtUka41xPWvckT7C_C3wnuLls9SGiVmVW6DeYWB-Ycl-4jL1Z-jjh4_OTvpF8/s1600/Picture+147.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrqPdKDRngArnhtIfX1bh5xM3KaVMDH4LyqMav7OyfooiG4UUdMA9wRoS-WBfzOFoe2vep8tBhCzjcfZdtUka41xPWvckT7C_C3wnuLls9SGiVmVW6DeYWB-Ycl-4jL1Z-jjh4_OTvpF8/s400/Picture+147.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkkfVdtSMRzIm7hWkj_-MvJ60SWgsO-DOY84yF0jqJaziJRlCJpiQc6kDivrV5ENUfcUNqZeZEQ7rwUud8vg5zDGfEwGQhQ0mnb47OCvk8guIAArotyu3p4-BxX8Gql2QgHGRWvbVlWoj/s1600/19450_1204388708155_1181734919_30539284_2618421_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkkfVdtSMRzIm7hWkj_-MvJ60SWgsO-DOY84yF0jqJaziJRlCJpiQc6kDivrV5ENUfcUNqZeZEQ7rwUud8vg5zDGfEwGQhQ0mnb47OCvk8guIAArotyu3p4-BxX8Gql2QgHGRWvbVlWoj/s1600/19450_1204388708155_1181734919_30539284_2618421_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div>

Blogging Is Contagious!

First it was my super sweet and very crafty sister in law, over at Fourteen Countess . And now my lovely and stylish little cousin has start...

Read more »