Wooo Pig Sooie Dip

I'm busy this week doing a booth at a local event so I haven't had a chance to take pictures. I figured a recipe would be a good option until I can get the rest of my fall decor posted...

A friend gave this recipe to me a few months back. It is so yummy and perfect for tailgating. I decided to call it...

Wooo Pig Sooie Dip!

16 Oz Sour Cream
Package Bacon Bits (I use real bacon pieces)
1 Package Ranch Dip Seasoning
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Mix together and serve with chips - Fritos are the best!

OK - so you may be asking why I am picturing this with a bucket full of ice and IBC root beer... Here's a tip! Instead of drinks, you can nestle your bowls down in that ice and keep your dips, potato salads, etc. chilled while tailgating on the warmer days! Enjoy!

Home Decor That 's Easy on the Budget

I've been inspired by several of you that thrift shop. I found these all in a smaller shop called Hidden Treasures.
I got the pumpkin cookie jar for just $5! I looked it over very carefully and it had the smallest chip on the lid so I was able to get $3 knocked off the price. It is quite large and I think cute to boot. BBC is excited at the idea of having this filled with cookies!
My second find there was the cute acorn. It is now on my mantle and it was a little pricey but worth it to me - $7.50. Finally, I picked up several fabric samples for $0.50 each. I LOVE fabric. I hope to put them to good use and will share what I end up doing with them (if it is worth sharing).

I used to thrift quite often but I guess I got spoiled back when we had two full-time incomes with no children. I am happy to be able to stay home now. It has taken a lot of FAITH and sacrifices along the way and we couldn't be happier with me being at home.

I am also lucky that I found an amazing work-from-home opportunity. It is a gift from God and it hits on all cylinders - additional income, flexibility, fun, friendships, free vacations, and home decor that's easy on the budget!

Here are some of the items I have recently scored through this wonderful opportunity...
I got this hurricane by hosting my own catalog party. I bought it with my hostess dollars and ended up spending $6.39 out of pocket! Isn't it gorgeous for fall? I can't wait to see how it looks for Christmas.
I also like that it is 3 separate pieces so I can make one big statement or a few smaller ones. So many options!!!
These are the items that I recently earned totally and completely FREE based on a sales incentive offered by the company. It was like Christmas came early when I got all this - did I mention for FREE?! Don't you just love that hand-painted bowl? And check out what I did with the glass trio - candy corn candles!

So in the end I paid a grand total of $22.59 for all the items in this post - not bad! I love getting a bargain and am so glad I get to share these with you! What are some of your recent finds?

p.s. Wanna learn more about these products, how to get them for FREE, and/or how to give this business a try with little risk and great rewards? Please let me know! I love to share!

Remember to Pray for Our Nation

A friend forwarded a devotional to me over the weekend from Seeking Him written by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Here's an excerpt from that devotional with a simple and effective idea...

"To help you remember to pray for our nation's upcoming election, the National Day of Prayer Task Force has come up with a great idea. Place red dot stickers in some conspicuous places-like your cell phone, your calendar, or your watch. Each time you see those stickers pray for our country."

Let me know if you decide to do this. I am going to give it a try!

If you would like to check out the full devotional you can do so by clicking here.

20 Little Things to Treasure in Autumn

The Inspired Room is hosting a party - 20 Little Things to Treasure in Autumn. I just had to join in the fun! You can either link up at The Inspired Room (let me know if you do so I can check it out) OR leave a comment right here with your list!

Here goes and in no particular order...

1.Fun with Friends

2. Fall Festivals
3. Candy Corn
4. Pumpkin Patches
5. New Session of AWANAS

6. Fresh Apple Cake

7. Pumpkin Spice (coffee, pie, candle, ice cream, etc.)

8. Fall Foliage

9. Crisp Air

10. College Football – Go Hogs!

11. Hot Cocoa

12. Family Gatherings

13. Memories...14. The Color Orange

15. Hoodies

16. Cinnamon

17. New Catalog18. Piles of Leaves

19. Encore Azaleas

20. My Birthday – thankful for all the blessings of another Year!

Fall Nesting - initial fruits of labor...

I've learned so many wonderful things out in blogland. The most liberating of which is Nester's saying - it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. I tend to repeat this constantly to myself while working on projects!

I also found out this last week that I have a sickness from Joys of Home. Apparently I'm a tweaker - you can read all about it here. My husband will be happy to know. He says our home is like a museum because it is never the same day twice.

My accessories (and sometimes even furniture) seem to make a home tour throughout the year. For example, I'm working on a project in the dining room, so the wall decor from that room is now vacationing in the den. The above picture is a sneak peak of the den. Sorry, Nester, haven't painted the brick just yet. And that's not the only rule I'm breaking in this room right now!

Enough about me - on to fall decor! I am pleased to share our living room. I hope you FALL in love with this room as much as I have.
I love this arrangement. I made it a couple of years ago. My favorite pieces are the little seed pods popping through! Oh - and please don't judge me on my books. My hubby is a history lover so they are all mostly his - I just coordinate the pretty colors in each room! We make a perfect pair!
My birthday is in September so I am always excited to get anything fall related on the special day. This squatty and fat pumpkin was a gift purchased from the Crown Store a couple of years ago and it is one of my favorite fall pieces. To be fair these books on home decor are actually mine.
Oooh - didn't this picture turn out funky? I like the angelic glow it is casting on the picture of BBC as a baby - ha! Anyway - I added this picture to show another perspective of the room. It's a smaller room with NO overhead lighting so lots of lamps in here. I love my sticks - they found their way into this room recently from the den reshuffle.
So - are you a tweaker? Do you tend to move items around your home frequently? I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks for taking a look! Please check back over the next few days for more fall decor!

Sneak Peek

To prove that I actually do own a home and I am actually working on fall decor....

This is my living room. Sometimes I call it the orchid room because I have lots of faux orchids that rotate their way around this room - wish they were real but I kill them every time! This can also be called the monochromatic room. I just love all the chocolately-ness (not a word, I know) in here! There is a pop of color here and there. Oh and at Christmas it is the Nutcracker Suite...

This room is on the list for painting - I'm leaning toward a warm golden color. Let me know what you think!

I hope you like what you see and will come back for more over the next few days!

Quick Organization Tip

Steadily working on fall decor and hope to have something to post later this week.

So I thought I would pop in to share a quick tip...

I like to schedule tasks around the seasons. Everyone has heard of spring cleaning but why not share the love with the other seasons? I have found this very helpful and not as overwhelming. I also schedule reminders on either my calendar or cell phone to help me stick to the plan.

For example, I go through my spice and medicine cabinet twice a year - spring and fall. I'm a stickler for getting rid of anything that is expired. I also label my spices with a sharpie (month and year) when I open them to better track their age. I did this last week and purged 3 spices, pain medication, and some samples from our doctor.

So - have you purged in these two areas lately? If not, I'd be interested to see what you find! Do you schedule routines around the seasons?

P is for...

BBC is 4 and we are working on pre-k learning from home. He loves hands-on projects and I love to be creative so we make a great team! A friend turned us onto focusing on a specific letter for an entire week through projects and it seems to work well for us.

He is fairly good with letters A-O and W-Z. We decided to focus on P this week. Of course we had peanut butter and jelly several times throughout the week. We made a yummy pizza one day and hairless peaches (nectarines - gotta use what you have) for snack. We played outside by the pool when the weather allowed. We pretended we were fighting fires - probably should have pretended we were pirates but he had his mind made up to be a firefighter. We read the Piggy in the Puddle book over and over again.

One of his very favorite projects is painting. He's happy as a lark when painting and that can keep him occupied for hours on end. He was a bit overzealous when opening the black paint and had a little accident. He was a bit perturbed with me for wanting to take a picture before cleaning up! Mom's patience was also tested during the clean-up process.
I picked up these ice cube trays at a dollar store back in the spring (3 for $1) and they have been the best investment. We use them for sorting; to hold beads, googly eyes and other craft materials; and as a paint tray. We used q-tips for brushes in this project.
The idea came from HQ and her suggestion was to paint a picture with dots - didn't quite work out that way we planned but didn't want to stifle the creativity. Look at that focus!
All in all a very productive week for the preschooler and parent!

Lucky Ducky...

OK - I promised from yesterday's post that I had one more picture to share from the HQ home tour. Check out this beautiful buffet. Can you believe they found this in their first home out in the shed? The previous homeowners just left it there. I believe they were using it as a workbench. So with a little TLC they were able to bring this back to life. It works perfectly with the other antiques in the room.

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I've not gotten this lucky, yet... Have you?

Hospitality Queen Home Tour

A few days ago we set out to crown the Hospitality Queen. So far my dear friend Amy, hereforth know as HQ, is in the lead with a whopping 28 - wow! I can testify that her score should be at least that if not more - she really is the hostess with the mostest around here! I'm still working on my fall decor so I decided to give you a tour of the HQ's home. So off we go...

Doesn't this wreath just beckon you to come on in and see what's inside?
Welcome, we're glad you are here!
Cozy up in the living room and admire the fireplace - doesn't it just exude warmth and hospitality?

Here's the hospitality princess - isn't she a cutie? I know it's hard to notice anything else in the room, but check out that clever storage solution for her toys. She has such a smart mommy!

Peek into the formal dining room at this gorgeous antique. HQ, if this ever comes up missing you know where to look first! Oh and it houses another one of my favorites - check out that candy corn candle ring on the pedestal. She's had that for years and I've wished it was mine every single year!

No corner left untouched - even the hall bath is filled with cheer!

She always has a festive display on her island like this gorgeous trayscape - is that a word? Isn't that grapevine ball fun? It has tiny beads wrapped around for a fun touch of bling!

Well - that just about concludes this home tour for now. I've saved one other fun item for another post so you'll have to check back to see what it is. I'll leave you with a project that I must copy...isn't it cute?

Thanks again, Amy, for allowing me to brag on you and your home! I'll be back for Christmas!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Time for another recipe! So we had something sweet a few days back. Now let's try something salty. This is an old standby. It is SUPER easy and bakes up beautifully. The colors really remind me of fall but it is tasty any time of year. WARNING: Everyone will want the recipe!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2 cups monterey jack cheese - shredded
2 cans rotel – drained
1 package frozen spinach – cooked according to pkg directions and drained
1 small jar artichoke hearts – drained and coarsely chopped
8 oz. cream cheese – room temperature
3/4 cup half & half
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into a shallow dish (if too thick, the top will burn before the middle gets done – I have used a pie plate and a small rectangular casserole dish). Bake at 350 for 45 - 50 minutes or until top is a light golden brown.

I prefer to serve with plain pita chips. Tortilla chips are great with it as well.

My friend Tracy passed this to me years ago. I am unsure of her source. Please enjoy!

Don't wanna be a Party Pooper for the P.O.O.P.I.E. Party!

OK - so one of my favorite new friends - OK blog persons that I stalk - is the Nester. I even added her wonderful blinky to my sidebar so you can go directly to her link from my blog! She's hosting a P.O.O.P.I.E. Party (People Opposing Objectionable Pretend plants In the Environment). You can read all about it here.

I know I'm new to blogging so you may not know that I have a thing for fake plants. Don't get me wrong - I would prefer all fresh but I just don't have the budget or time for that at this point.

I think I have a pretty discerning eye (or lots of really nice friends that tell me fibs) and agree with Nester on trying to keep it as real as possible. I even fool some folks into thinking a few are real sometimes.

Anyway, here's my contribution to the party. I like a little funky pop of color on the door to greet guests and passersby. I like to change it up with each season - like maybe twigs and berries for January or leaves and pumpkins for fall - you get the picture.

So, this is my spring door bucket from last year...


Reasonably cute - although it is not quite in the original form because some new friends decided to do a little rearranging...

Yes, they are cute but also quite messy and I had to play momma bird and get all protective with my front door until they could fly fly fly. Here they are a little older and look at what they've done to my fake arrangement...disgusting!

Maybe I took the P.O.O.P.I.E. party a little too literally. Sorry if so but I hope you got a good giggle along the way! Needless to say I had to chunk those flowers and sanitize my bucket. It got a bright new arrangement this spring and when my friends came back I took it down until they settled into a bush in the flower bed - much better place to raise such a nice family.

Thanks, Nester, for challenging us in this area! I will admit I've looked around and I see that it is time to reevaluate some of my older greenery choices - maybe they were good several years ago but it is time to move on now.

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I'd love to hear about the plants and flowers in your home - real, nicely faked, or just really bad?

Pretty Picture, New Blogs, and Bling!

Isn't this a gorgeous picture? It's from my company's fall image gallery. Doesn't it inspire you to host a dinner party?

I'm excited to have added a few more blogs to follow - please check them out when you get a chance. I am also SUPER excited to have added blog BLING!!! Makes my blog look a little more substantial don't ya think? So Nester and A Soft Place to Land can be linked through their respective bling as opposed to a text link - fancy, eh? Oh and A Soft Place to Land is doing a giveaway, too! Just hop over there and leave a comment to get in on the action.

I'm stalling some more this morning, er, I mean visiting a friend with fun fall decor. She has agreed to let me take pictures and share with you all. Be sure to check back for that!

Stalling...

I spent a a little time yesterday afternoon looking for inspiration for fall decor and I found plenty! I like what Shannon has going on here. And Nester's provided several good links here. And if you have LOTS of time, you can go here for LOTS of inspiration - there is something for everyone! I only got to visit a few links on the last page so I hope I can check more out soon.

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I REALLY want to get my fall decor out but I've got a couple of projects that I need to complete - hopefully I will have a burst of energy this week. They are both all about adding warmth and new color to my rooms and all involve paint. I'm trying a few new things so I hope they yield great results that I can post here. If not - forget I ever mentioned them - ha!
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I thought I would review some fall decor from 2007 to see what I liked and where I could improve. I ran across one of my favorite vignettes from last year (above). I hope I can repeat the look this year! Nester will appreciate that those are real pumpkins and leaves...

Are you a Hospitality Queen?

A friend of mine came up with a fun little quiz. I've modified it a bit. Please take the quiz and leave a comment to let me know how you fair! Good luck!

Give yourself one point for every question you answer “yes”.

1. Cooked supper last night.

2. Have at least one apron.
3. Make weekly menus to grocery shop from.
4. Consider the color of food when you prepare a meal.
5. Light candles in your home daily.
6. Have at least 10 cookbooks. BONUS Add 5 points if you cook from at least 5 of them!
7. Have something in your refrigerator/pantry right now that you could prepare a whole meal.
8. Know how to make a cheese sauce.(not melted velveeta).
9. Have at least 3 different sets of matching napkins/placemats.
10. Have more than 2 sets of dishes.
11. Enjoy reading cookbooks like others enjoy reading magazines/novels.
12. Entertained in your home within the last month.
13. Worked in your yard/garden this last week.
14. Know what you are serving for breakfast in the morning.
15. Know how to make a curtain - mistreatments count!
16. Ever copied a décor idea from someone else. BONUS Add 5 points if someone has copied an idea from you.
17. Play background music when entertaining.

18. Ever crafted your own flower arrangement. BONUS Add 5 points if you used fresh cut flowers from your own garden/yard.

19. Baked something from scratch within the last month.

20. Updated your home for fall.

To be fair, I scored a 22 today. Have fun!

Granny

Today's blog is posted in honor of my Granny. She is in her 80's and well, still a little spit fire! I told Granny I was taking a picture for my blog and look what a poser she is - ha!

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I can't have southern fried in my blog name and not talk about Granny! There were two things you could count on every Sunday - church and Granny's southern fried meals. Man - what tasty cooking! I think to accomplish the yum that she provided you have to have the fully seasoned cast iron skillets. No wonder she stayed slim all those years - cooking in those things 3 times a day is a real workout! On average each meal contained meat - most often southern fried, bread, 3 veggies (cooked in butter, cream, fat, or all of the above) and dessert. It was a special treat if she made a pie or cobbler because the leftover pie crust was used to make a cinnamon log. My mouth is watering just thinking about it all!

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It is only recently that I can really appreciate all the heart and soul she put into those meals. I may not southern fry many things these days, but I can see her influence in my cooking and in wanting to serve others in my home. I appreciate all the love and patience she baked into my upbringing. Thanks Granny!---

Apple Toffee Dip

This is one of those yummy recipes that gets me in the mood for fall. It's my kind of recipe - few ingredients, quick and easy prep, and FABULOUS results! It always receives rave reviews and it is so very easy!!!

I originally received the recipe from a cousin - not sure of her source. Then to my delight a very similar recipe was published a few months later in my favorite magazine - Southern Living!

Apple Toffee Dip
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 pkg almond toffee bits (found in the baking section)
5-6 large sliced apples

Mix together first four ingredients until well blended and fluffy. Fold in toffee bits. Serve with sliced apples.

Note: I usually soak my apples in lemon water to keep them from turning brown. I saw a tip in the magazine to soak them an hour in canned pineapple juice. Interesting... How do you keep your sliced apples from turning?

Happy Birthday Princess K!

This is my brother's oldest child and only daughter, Princess K. Isn't she a cutie? Today is her 6th birthday! Happy Birthday!!!

My family was in over the weekend and we celebrated her birthday a few days early. We had a blast!

Here's Princess K as her alter ego - Swim Girl.

Next we have brother #1, Lil Red...

And brother #2, Baby A - at least for now. Another sibling will be here in a couple of months so we'll have to rename him. We'll let him keep the title until then!

And to round out the cousin crew - here's my BBC.

The 3 oldest cousins are like the 3 Musketeers. I'll have plenty to post on them in the future. There are lots of stories to tell when those 3 get together!!!

Festive Fall Tablescape

OK - so I'm seeing lots of cute ideas for FALL but I'm just not quite there yet with my own home decor. Plus, I'm in the middle of a couple of projects that I can't wait to share. I'm taking pictures along the way. Exciting stuff!

I thought until I could get some of my own pictures up I would post a gorgeous table from our 2008 Convention. I will warn you it is over the top but I love it and can't wait to translate some of these ideas into my home.

Meet BBC...

Please allow me to introduce BBC...

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I'm giving him a nickname - it seems the wise thing to do. I think I'll go with BBC which is really short for Boo Boo Chicken. We started out calling him Boo Boo just for fun and then he saw Boo Boo Chicken on Mickey's Club House and he announced to us that he would like to be called Boo Boo Chicken.

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I do not want to type out Boo Boo Chicken each and every time so we will go with BBC - which could just as easily translate into Big (he's at least a head taller than most children his age), Brave (this one is not shy and not afraid to try something new), and Curious (or chatty or creative or crafty or...hard to decide).

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Anyway - I'm a little biased - but isn't he a cutie?

Who do you think you are?

You may be asking - just who do you think you are?

Well, I've been a Christian since I was a child. I've been a wife over 8 years now. I stay at home with my wonderfully chatty and active four year old.

In addition to all these fun and very important roles, I run my own business from our home. I'm an independent consultant for a fabulous party plan company. I am so blessed to have this opportunity! It allows me to do a little SOUTHERN LIVING and realize my dreams of staying AT HOME!!! My mission is to help women create warmth and beauty in their homes, encourage them to open their homes to friends and family, and inspire them to dream a little bigger!