Wednesday, October 19, 2011

To Noelle, From Catherine

Okay girls! We are getting down to the end. To view Noelle's gift click HERE!

The last gift has arrived but will not be posted until the end of the month because Amy is out of town caring for her mother. Make sure to check back to this blog to view that gift!

Friday, October 14, 2011

To Karin, From Dolly

To view Karin's gift from Dolly, click HERE!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

To Angela, From Karin

To view Angela's gift from Karin, click HERE!!!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

To Catherine, From Jeni

Hey girls! To View Catherine's gift from Jeni, click HERE!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Yipppeee, Fall Swap Time for Me! Thank you Amy!

Last night about 10:30 we pulled the big old Burban into the driveway after a fun day spent in Charlotte, at my sweet baby nieces' 1st birthday. We were happily exhausted, but I was quickly revived when I saw a box right at the top of the steps of my front porch!

I could hardly wait to open "The Box", but I practiced a bit of delayed gratification while I got the little ones into the house, into pj's, teeth brushed and then into bed.















The wait was worth it--seriously, I felt SPOILED! Amy OUTDID herself!




First up--F!









Framed Dry Erase Board with markers!




BEAUTIFUL! LOVE IT!








Second--A!




Amazing Popcorn! To be exact, the bag reads, "Peanut Butter Cup." It is DELISH and I am eating it now as I type.






Third--L!






Lotion--truly the best ever--along with a little round container of it for my purse. I am so excited! I love, love, love plain good quality lotion! Love the pump on the bottle too!






And, Fourth-L, last but NOT least!






Lattes!!!!! I am so excited about this, because I always feel so guilty when I go buy my fav drink at Starbucks. I try to save my Huggies diaper points up to redeem them for Starbucks gift cards--sad huh! Now I have a sweet gift card--with Braille on it too--cool and way to go Starbucks--Braille on gift cards--should someone have thought of that years ago???!!!



Amy, I cannot say thank you enough for how happy you made last night. I felt so spoiled with such nice things that were just for me--although my family is all digging into the popcorn now that it is opened. You are truly a gem, just like Dolly said! Thank you for being a part of the Fall Swap! It was a pleasure to get to know you!


Swap from HPS to DRS

Sheww, now that I finished catching up with what everyone has received so far from their blog swap, I am finally blogging about my awesome (sorry Denise...I know only God is awesome) fall swap. I received it yesterday while I was in Charlotte for my nieces first birthday party. I was looking forward to being able to hug the neck of my gift giver but her kiddos were sick and someone had to be the mom. Shewee, a mothers work is never done. Anyway, her sweet sister dropped it off and I couldn't wait to dig in. Here is the cute package waiting for me.
If you know Hannah (otherwise known as HPS) you know she's not only hilarious in person but she's got serious writing skills. I read her card first and it put a big old smile on my face. I love that girl. Here's what I got...
F - Froo froo wreath to decorate a window or door with a lil splash of fall color. LOVE IT HPS and I have perfect place I'm going to put it. VERY creative and I love the ribbon colors. I'm thinking you saw this on Pinterest? I wanted to try this too.
A - Accessory for your mornin' cup of joe. HPS, I loved what it had to say and couldn't agree more. You're one of those "stars." Living with my sister, I've just been using all her dishes, etc but now I've got my own cup! (No touchy Dawnie)
L - Lil homemade taste of fall. Carmel Corn is one of my FAV snacks and since it takes forever to make, I NEVER make it but love it. You know me well HPS and there is only just a little bit left. DELISH I tell ya! DELISH!
L - Lotta cookie mix love for one of my fav cookie monsters in the whole wide world! This girl knows me well! I laughed hard at this. She's not lying. I LOVE cookies!!! PB and chocolate chip are my 2 favs too! I will put this to great use HPS!

Thank you so much for your love and thoughtfulness behind each item. You're a treasured friend my dear and I love you to pieces! Happy Fall!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

To Hannah from Denise

Allllll week, I had been counting down the days for my appointment today w/ Dolly and Denise for an up close and in person fall swap partay. I was soooo sad and low when my twins came down yesterday w/ fevers, green noses and what sounded like the croop. :( Thankfully, my good ole lil sis pulled through in a pinch and paid a visit to the event in my stead. Her return home w/ this festive, Fall bag was just the pick-me-up that a homebound Mama needed on this beautiful FALL day. Inside, each gift was adorably wrapped in ribbon w/ a tag describing the "letter."

Lovin' the candy corn tissue paper!

I LOVE this Fragile pumpkin filled w/ pumpkin candy corn!!!! I've been eyeing all the white pumpkin decor "out" as of late and NOW I have one for my very own collection!

and I have a feeling that A lot of The Help Tea is going to be enjoyed, well, A LOT! How cute is that? And it is Caramel Cake flavored! One sip and me an Aibileen are gonna be tellin' everybody on the street "You is smart. You is kind. You is important."  :)

Liquor...just kiddin...Lacquer for my twenty digits. It's even OPI and the flava is "I brake for manicures." As you can tell by my thumbkin, I DEF need to brake for a manicure STAT.

Lovely scent for your home which is a Yankee Candle wax melt contraption that I've been wanting to try! Me 'cited!
THANK YOU, DENISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You did me good. I LOVE it all and I love you to pieces. Your creativity, wit and thoughtfulness brightened my day beyone measure. My only regret is I couldn't squeeze your neck and thank you today in person...both for my gift and for headin' up another FAB swap. You're the best. <3

HAPPY FALL, Ya'll!

To Toni, From Caroline!

First and foremost, I must apologize for not getting this on here sooner! I actually received my package from Caroline on Wenesday, Oct. 5th! This chick was FAST! I am in the process of transitioning jobs and I have been working "double shifts" lately, so I have literally had no time! Since I work with children, leaving my job is super emotional for me because I have seen these little babies grow up and now I am leaving them! I literally cried when I opened this swap.
This box really couldn't have come at a more perfect time :-)
Anyways, on to the REALLY GOOD STUFF!!!
FRONT PORCH BLESSINGS!!!!


My box was adorned with all kinds of cute fall-inspired stickers! Let me tell you, Caroline put a LOT of time and effort into my swap gift and it did not go unappreciated. From the stickers on the outside, to the individually wrapped items on the inside with the fall leaves and ribbon! I feel unworthy of such a great swap gift!
Here is what I saw when I opened the box (CHECK OUT THE DETAIL!):




F- F is for festive throw to keep you warm and cozy on the cool nights to come. (Already put to use girlfriend!) It is perhaps the fuzziest, softest blanket in my house! We ALL love it!!! It matches all of my living room decor perfectly as well!!!





A- A is for the Aroma in soap and candles:
I love me some Bath and Body Works! In case you can't see it, that is a fall scented candle, Brown Fig and Sugar body wash and Pumpkin hand soap! LOVE IT!






L- L is for Layering. A new fun fall scarf to liven up your fall wardrobe and also letters to pen on your paper. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it is so beautiful! I actually wore it last night to an outdoor movie with the family! I am also in desperate need of paper for telephone messages and notes to parents and teachers, so the notepads are very cute and just what I needed.






L- L is for Leaves to view on your table with a new table runner. (I seriously feel like I'm on the Price is Right--what's behind curtain #3---IT'S A BRAND NEW TABLE RUNNER!) I can't tell you how lucky I am right now to have received all of this! Donna had me for a Fall swap (last year or the year before?) and this runner goes PERFECTLY with the fall place mats she gave me! Did you plan that or was that just sheer luck? Either way, THANK YOU!!!!!



And last but not least, Ms. Caroline included 2 fall treats for my 2 little pumpkins! How thoughtful!!! They LOVED them! Needless to say, we went outside right afterwards so they could run off that sugar!!!




THANK YOU AGAIN SO VERY MUCH, CAROLINE! I REALLY AM SO BLESSED!

Friday, October 7, 2011

To Windsor From Inger

I was so excited when I found out Inger got my name! She is so creative and talented that I always love what she decides to give as a swap...She did not disappoint!

This beautiful presentation was waiting for me when I walked through the door this afternoon from a quick trip out of town.



F - Frappuccino Holder with a Starbucks gift card...YUMMY! I absolutely love the cup/mug that she personalized with my name and have washed it to use tomorrow morning with my first Pepsi of the day!



A - Adorable personalized towels. Aren't they great? Perfect timing too, a bottle of wine fell off our fridge while I was gone and my husband wiped all the red wine up with my lighter colored dish towels. So these are perfect!!!



L - Luminary - I only got to see this gift before my little ones stole it and have fought over who gets it in their room! We decided to alternate Mr. Pumpkin each night! Success!



L - A little reminder to be thankful...These babies are what she is famous for!!!! Her beautiful banners! I am so excited to have the words thankful adorn my mantle! Thank you Inger!


Arrr...this picture won't post for some reason, but trust me it is amazingly great!

As if that wasn't enough, Inger, included a devotional for Mothers of Children with Unique Challenges which was a source of encouragement for her these last couple of years. Thank you so much Inger! I can't wait to dive in and begin using it!



And yes, there is one more...She got the kids Carmel lollipops and well this picture explains it all...



They were a hit!!! Inger, thank you for your thoughtful, creative, fun and beautiful swaps!

Inger's Fall Swap Goodies From Angela!

 Yesterday was my daughter, Lindsay's birthday, so I assumed this package was for her....BUT, it was MY Fall Swap package from the beautiful Angela!  Just LOOK at her lovely penmanship!  (do I sound like a teacher?)
 Upon opening the box, I was treated to this beautifully-Fall vision.  There is just something about packaging that I appreciate.  I LOVE the Fall colors of the bows against the backdrop of the simple brown paper.  And, again, that perfect penmanship...
 Angela wrote me the sweetest note (in that nice penmanship of hers) and even personalized the outside of the little card!
F- "Frugal"-a coupon organizer (and one for a friend!) I actually read Angela's blog regularly and would just LOVE to go to one of her Clipsy Chick seminars..but, I live too far away!  *Grrrr*
F- (yes, I got a bonus "F") Funky- the cutest FALL colored cuff bracelet!
 A- Aviators...which my Anna quickly snagged and wore to school today!
 L - Leaves....darling kitchen towel with a cute leaf on it!
L - Light...a toasted hazelnut candle! Yumm! Angela wrote this precious quote on the package of the candle.."Women love company, even if it is only that of a small burning candle." - Georg Christoph Liddenburg
L - Lunch...what a cute lunch tote!  I am ALL ABOUT things that are black and white, so this little cutie is right up my alley! 
 
 As you can see, Angela went above and beyond for me!
Thank you so very much, beautiful Angela!  I love each and every thing you included and the way you beautifully packaged it all for me!! I admire you as a wonderful mother and especially the godly "ministry wife" you are.  Beautiful from the inside, out!


 I am so thankful for this little "sisterhood" of christian blog friends.  I feel like as women, we do NEED each other, even from miles away, reading each other's blogs is a source of great encouragement!  Thank you Denise, for organizing the swap again.

"Your love has given me great JOY and ENCOURAGEMENT."
Philemon 1:7

Thursday, October 6, 2011

To Donna, From Toni

Yesterday my Fall Swap gift arrived! I have had such a busy week preparing for Charlotte's first birthday party tomorrow that I kind of forgot about the Fall Swap, but when I heard a knock on the front door and saw the mailman's car leave, I remembered!! I saw this box and laughed! Toni got creative with her packaging:


I was so tempted to tear into it right then, but it was naptime and my kids were sleeping and I knew they'd want to open it with me, so I refrained. But when they woke up, we tore into that thing. Toni did such a great job on the presentation. Each letter was wrapped up separately. She had nice letters labeling "F-A-L-L" and they were even laminated!!! Here's what was in the box: (for some reason, I can't flip some of these pics!! sorry!!!)





F-Feet--take care of those feet on these crisp Autumn days! (a little pedicure kit, Halloween socks and some nailpolish....let me just say that I really LOVE this color, Toni. It's like a grayish-brown color. I was literally about to buy a color just like this a few weeks ago! And the socks came in this little jack-o-lantern bag that Caroline has claimed as hers:)







A- Accessorize your Autumn confections (my kids literally squealed when these came out of th e box....Halloween napkins and plates with cute cupcake liners, cookie cutters and a bunch of sprinkles. Roy Austin kept saying he got the sprinkles for his birthday.)







L- Liquid Refreshment for when you on the go and need to relax! The story of my week, Toni! (a realllllly cute plastic cup with fall colored flowers all over. I love it and have already used it--and I'm sipping water from it right now--and a package of iced coffee from Starbucks. I've never tried this, but I can't wait to do it now!)







L-Liven up your house with some Fall decor! (cute towel and pot holder and GEL CLINGS! My kids LOVE these things. They were on our kitchen window in no time!!)




Thank you, SO much, Toni! Everything was presented so nicely and each gift was very thoughtful. I can tell a lot of time and effort went into it!



And thanks, Denise, for organizing this swap! In a busy week, it was nice to take a break and have some "me" time!!!

To Jan, From Windsor

I am not a blogger, so I had to wait until I got to Charlotte today so Donna could help me with this post. But, I received my fall swap package from Windsor and I was so anxious to open it and see what was inside! Windsor did a GREAT job---look what I got!:

Windsor, I am a big hot tea drinker, so this mug will definitely be put to use. I love the colors, too. And this is sitting on top of a nice tin of English Breakfast Tea!

I can't get this picture to turn, but look at these cute Fall towels! They are a great accent to our kitchen this season:



Also included were some very nice Fall cookie cutters. Cute!! And also these nice wall plug in-air fresheners. I love the leaf design on them, and the scents are great! And I can't forget the pad of paper....I always need paper to write lists on:) Oh, and Windsor had ALL of these nice gifts situated nicely in this red tub. Love it!



Windsor, you really outdid yourself. I love everything you sent and believe me, it will all be put to good use. Thank you so much!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Jeni's Gifts From Laura


Oh my lands were my chicks excited to answer the door this afternoon when the mailman knocked on our door. We all danced around like it was Christmas. I was super excited to see the box was mailed from Ft. Worth, Texas, one of my favorite places! Laura, I hope you've shopped at Sam Moon in Dallas.

Well as you can see from the pictures, Laura is a very talented and supremely thoughtful gift giver! My pictures do not capture the color and quality of the paper that Laura used to describe my gifts.

My first gift is a foot warmer. (F) The picture does not do it justice. The bag is made out of this beautiful cream colored fabric and it has the most delicious scent!

My second gift is an beautiful pair of earrings for adornment. (A) As you can see from the picture, these earrings are in a warm hue of eggplant and crystal. Simply exquisite!

My third gift is also scented for a luxurious lather. (L) I wish you could smell the wonderful French milled sage soap through this blog.

My last gift is probably my favorite! Laura must have spent hours crafting this amazingly detailed letter banner. (L) I have admired these banners on many a blog and wished I could have my very own. Well now I do! I just wish I had a mantle to hang it on, but alas, we do not have fireplaces in south Florida! I do have it proudly hanging across my china cabinet.

Thank you Laura for putting so much time and thought into these gifts. I know everyone is going to be so jealous!