Giveaway winner!

I used a random number generator to find a winner for the brush set

the winner is - #48 Etiquettely Correct!! Congratulations!

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48 Timestamp: 2008-10-30 17:17:04 UTC

Can you send me an email to southernnewlywed@aol.com with your full name and mailing address?

Recessionista Fashion

This weekend I hit the outlet mall and found some cheap, fun things for fall. I'm just doing my part to help the economy :)

I had a 25% off coupon for Ann Taylor Loft, so I got this leopard print cardigan. I love leopard print.

I bought this gray cabled sweater at the Banana Republic outlet. I wear sweaters like this all the time.
I bought these shoes at the Banana Republic outlet for $25. I think they look similar to the J Crew driving mocs, but for about a quarter of the price.
I have been looking all over the place for a pair of dark denim, boot cut jeans but I haven't had any luck. I found these Joe's Jeans in the Honey fit at the Saks outlet for $41. Yes, $41 down from $175. They are a bit darker in person, I am not sure why they look so light in the pictures.

I hope you all have a nice week!

Eco Tools Giveaway!

I recently tried the new Eco Tools makeup brushes. They are wonderful! The brush handles are made from bamboo and the ferules are made from recycled aluminum. The bristles are synthetic, but they work well and are environmentally friendly. The brush set comes in a linen brush bag and retails for $12.99.

The brushes are available at Ulta, Walgreens, Kmart, and eco-tools.com.

Leave a comment and tell me your favorite beauty product for a chance to win a brush set! I will choose a winner Thursday morning!

Martha Stewart's Cooking School

I just received my copy of Martha Stewart's Cooking School cookbook on Wednesday. I have truly enjoyed reading this book. It is much different than typical cookbooks in that it focuses more on technique. Cooking School is a massive, 500 page guide to everything.

There are chapters on -

• Stocks and Soups - how to make stocks, cream soups, pureed soups, consomme
• Eggs - how to boil, scramble, coddle, poach, fry, bake, make a frittata
• Meat, Fish, and Poultry - How to roast, grill, braise, stew, steam, poach, simmer, saute, and fry
• Vegetables - steaming, wilting, blanching, roasting, baking, grilling, etc
• Pasta - how to make fresh pasta, filled pasta, gnocchi, tomato sauce, ragu
• Dried Beans and Grains - how to cook dried beans and grains
• Desserts - how to make meringue, souffle, genoise, custard, pate a choux, custards, granitas

The idea is to read the book chapter by chapter and master the techniques. There is a "lesson" followed by recipes. Currently I am reading the soup chapter. This weekend I am going to make homemade stock. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Martha Stewart will also be going on a book tour. She won't be near me, but I hope some of you have the chance to meet her!

Enjoy your weekend!

Tag!

I was tagged by Pink Lemonade and Peonies to list a few of my favorites. Here goes!


1. Clothes Shop: I always love going to the Banana Republic outlet, J Crew, Belk for Lilly, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and Nordstrom. Other than these stores/brands, I don't have a particular store or brand that I am extremely loyal to. I tend to change where I shop season by season depending on how much I like the particular line.


2. Furniture Shop: I bought all of my furniture from the High Point furniture market. I have a mix of market samples and items bought at cost. Therefore, I don't do a lot of furniture shopping. I do live close to Furnitureland South, so I would probably go there if I needed any more furniture. They even have a Starbucks now! I also love Williams Sonoma Home.


3. City: I love visiting New York City. I also like Bald Head Island, and most other low key beaches. I have never been to Paris. I am sure when I visit, it will be on my list of favorite cities.


4. Sweet: Creme Brulee is one of my favorite desserts along with Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory.


5. Drink: I love sweet tea, hot tea, and water. My favorite adult beverages are dirty vodka martinis and red wine.


6. Music: I like most types of music except rap music. During the holidays, I love to listen to Christmas music.


7. TV: I usually watch the Martha Stewart show, Desperate Housewives, and Dr. 90210.


8. Film: My favorite movie of all time is The Family Man. I also like Sweet Home Alabama, Mona Lisa Smile, and To Kill a Mockingbird.


9. Workout: Ha ha!


10. Pastries: I love all pastries.


11. Coffee: I like flavored coffees. Right now I am drinking pumpkin spice coffee from The Fresh Market.

Mystery Giveaway!

The Preppy Little Dress is doing a mystery giveaway on her blog! Don't you just love the gift bag? Check out her blog if you haven't already and be sure to enter here.

Talbots?!

I received a Talbots catalog in the mail the other day. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they have some really cute things for fall. The Preppy Princess reported on the brand's redesign. Thanks TPP for keeping us up to date! Here are some of my favorites for fall.

The Peacoat: This peacoat is adorable. It also comes in several other colors.

Satin Trench Coat: Isn't this coat fabulous? I always need something to wear over a cocktail dress. This might work.
Duchesse Satin Sheath Dress: This is the perfect little black dress.

Print Cardigan: I love foulard prints and pink, so this has my name written all over it.

Corduroy Jacket: This has a really cute paisley print underneath the collar.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Ina Garten's New Cookbook: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

I can't wait to pick up a copy of Ina Garten's new cookbook Back to Basics. I am a huge Ina Garten fan. I love her simple, quick, easy, and elegant recipes. I pre-ordered my copy and will let you all know what I think when I receive it.

Ina will be on a book tour during the next three months. Sadly, she is not coming to a store near me. I hope some of you all will be able to meet her!

Have a nice week!

My New Toy

My husband surprised me with a new coffee maker the other day. If you all know me in real life, you know that I am a caffeine addict. A little back story, we went to visit a sweet family friend, S. She is a super sweet lady, maybe one day I will share how we are friends. She has a coffee maker that I feel in love with. So, I told my husband how much I liked it and he got it for me!


I have been using my new Keurig coffee maker for a few days and I love it. It uses K Cups. They look like a large plastic creamer container, but they are filled with coffee grounds. Basically, you put a K Cup in the coffee maker and it makes one cup of coffee in about 10 seconds. I drink coffee throughout the morning, but I don't like the taste after it sits in the pot for so long. This machine is perfect for me. It also makes hot chocolate and hot tea, and it will produce a cup of hot water if you do not use a K Cup. You can choose the size you want (there are 5 options). There is also an accessory that my husband got me which lets you use your own coffee grounds.

The K Cup options are limitless. My husband bought pumpkin spice K Cups and a variety pack. He also ordered blueberry and green tea K Cups from Keurig. If you order your K Cups from Keurig you get a discount and can qualify for free shipping.

I hope you all have a nice week!

Bird Dog Bay Ties

Bird Dog Bay is offering my readers 20% off with the coupon code "election." Please read further for more information.

Bird Dog Bay is about creativity, humor, and, most importantly, looking sharp. Each handmade, hand printed tie is 100% silk, illustrated and designed by founder Steve Mayer. All ties retail for $75 and are available in conversation starting motifs and traditional geometric prints in a range of classic and bold shades.

Bird Dog Bay “Poll Position” tie shown in Red retails for $75.00 and is available at www.birddogbay.com

With fiery attacks issued by both candidates on Tuesday, the race for President is heating up. Voters know that Republicans and Democrats usually don’t see eye-to-eye, and Bird Dog Bay (http://www.birddogbay.com/) understands that frustration. Perfect for this stalemate political season, the “Poll Position” tie is the ultimate conversation ender when it comes to which way the wearer leans. Featuring an elephant and donkey butting heads, “Poll Position” is a literal head-to-head debate that will keep everyone guessing as to what your ballot will read this November.

Check out birddogbay.com and use the code "election" for 20% off your order!

20% Off at the Pink Pelican

Angie from the Pink Pelican let me know that all of their Lilly Fall 2008 merchandise is now 20% off! Thanks Angie! Now is a great time to purchase some new fall Lilly. There are several things I have my eye on ...

Have a nice day!

Smile Award

Magnolias, Marriage, and Manhattan and Europafox have passed along the smile award to me! MMM is one of the first blogs I started to read when I was planning my wedding. It was so much fun to follow along with her wedding plans. Now she and her husband are expecting their first child! It is such an exciting time for her! Europafox has been blogging from the United Kingdom since May. I love reading about her son Caspar and learning about all things British. Thank you so much for the award MMM and Europafox!

Now here are the rules for spreading the smiles to fellow bloggers:

Must display a cheerful attitude.
Must love one another.
Must make mistakes.
Must learn from others.
Must be a positive contributor to blog world.
Must love life.
Must love kids.

Rules when receiving the award:

The recipient must link back the the award’s creator
You must post these rules if you receive the award.
You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself
You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted.
You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
You must create a post sharing your win with others.You must thank your giver.

I have met so many nice bloggers that I now call my friends. I am so thankful for your friendship. :)

Pearls and Grace: She is the sweetest, kindest blogger around. She is a wife and the mother of five children. I love reading about her family and how she manages to make the most of every day. She is such a great mentor.

Southern Sugar: Southern Sugar is such a fun lady. She has a beautiful family and a cheerful, kind spirit. I love reading her posts!

Kelly at Kelly's Korner: Kelly is such a sweet, fun person. She recently found out she was going to be a mom! I have enjoyed following her on her journey to motherhood. I am so excited for Kelly and her husband.

MagnoliaBelle: Magnolia Belle always posts fun, uplifting things. She lives nearby, so we need to meet sometime! She is a sweet, southern girl. Please send prayers her way, her grandmother is struggling with Alzheimers and it has been hard on her family.

Heather at Grace 303: Heather always makes me smile with her sweet comments and fun posts! She is a mom and an attorney and handles everything in her life with Grace.

Visit these ladies if you haven't before. Their blogs are all so much fun to read.

I hope you all have a nice week!

Marriage ... God's Way

Yesterday my husband and I went to church with friends at Westover Church in Greensboro. We were visiting our families in Greensboro and decided to go to church with our friends B & C.

Westover Church is in the midst of a ten week course on marriage. Yesterday was week eight and covered the role of the wife. You can go to their website and to either view or download the videos. I haven't watched all of the messages yet, but I am looking forward to it.

Enjoy your week!

J Crew Outlet

I went to the J Crew outlet in Boone a few weeks ago. The prices are great and they had lots of cute things. I wish there was an outlet closer to Charlotte.

I love this tunic sweater. It is so cozy. The picture quality is not that great though (sorry!).

I like to wear this polka dot blouse with the sleeves rolled up. It is hard to see, but the top has ruffles beside the placket.

They had tons of cute cardigans there, all 40% off.

All Clad!

I got a new set of All Clad stainless pots and pans about a month ago. Since then, I have been enjoying them so much. They heat evenly, go from stove top to oven, and are easy to clean. I want to add a few pieces down the road - mainly the roasting pan and saucier. I have wanted a set for quite some time and finally got them. I am so glad I did.

I hope you all had a nice weekend!

Bobbi Brown Pink Ribbon Collection

Bobbi Brown has a limited edition pink ribbon lip set that includes Tulle lipstick and Pink Quartz lip gloss. I bought this over the weekend. The colors are great and a portion of proceeds benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

If you go to bobbibrown.com and buy the pink ribbon collection, enter code PINK08 at checkout for free standard shipping on your entire order. The offer is good until October 31 or until supplies last.

Hi Everyone!!

I hope you all are having a nice week. My birthday was so much fun. Thomas and I went to see Fireproof Sunday morning and loved it. I don't want to give too much away, but it was a wonderful movie. We could all learn from this movie.

Sunday afternoon I started to get sick so we stayed at home for the rest of my birthday. We got takeout from Bravo and watched Sex and the City. Not exactly what Thomas had planned, but I didn't want to go out when I wasn't feeling well.

One of my birthday gifts this year was an iPhone. Run, do not walk to the store if you are in need of a new cell phone. I love it. It is so useful. You can check your email, text, use the maps feature to get directions, search online, check the weather, check stock prices, read Microsoft Office attachments, listen to music etc.

Enjoy the rest of your week! I will be posting more when I start to feel better.

Roast Chicken and Vegetables

I made this recipe last week. It turned out well and was very easy. I adapted this from a few different recipes, so I will post my version.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound of potatoes, quartered (I used Yukon gold)
3/4 pound carrots, cut into two inch pieces (I used uncut, whole baby carrots)
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
fresh rosemary
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 onions
1 whole chicken

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks set in middle and lower thirds. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes, carrots, garlic, and a few sprigs of rosemary with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In an ovenproof skillet, toss onions with remaining tablespoon oil. Place chicken, breast side up, on top of onions. Season cavity and exterior of chicken with salt and pepper; stuff with a few sprigs of rosemary. Scatter remaining rosemary over chicken and onions. Using kitchen twine, tie legs together; tuck wing tips under bird.

Roast chicken on middle rack and vegetables on lower rack, occasionally brushing chicken with pan juices and tossing vegetables, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165, 50 to 60 minutes.

Let chicken rest 10 minutes; carve, and serve with vegetables and pan juices. I decided to make a gravy, so I added about 2/3 cup of chicken stock and about 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the pan juices to make a thicker gravy.

Today is my birthday! My husband has some things planned for us, so I will be back tomorrow with new posts. I hope you all have a nice weekend!