Sunday Miscellany

Happy Sunday! Hope you're all having a great weekend...time for some Sunday randomness.

GO TIGERS!!! What a wonderful night for Clemson fans. Such a great game against FSU. Mini #2 also donned a Clemson cheerleader outfit for the first time that was OH SO ADORABLE. She must have been the lucky charm.

Have you entered our Vintage Photo Mix Note Set yet? I was going to announce a winner today, but I am extending the deadline and will pick a winner in the morning. Get the details here. They make great holiday gifts for all and are just PERFECT for swap gifts.

What a coincidence! Molly Lou Gifts' Vintage Photo Mix Note Set is perfect for swap gifts and I have a swap to tell you about. I love the holiday season and I LOVE a good swap. ClemsonGirl and the Coach is hosting a Christmas swap. Head on over and sign up...we could be partners! (Remember it is guilt free shopping if you are doing it for someone else.)

If you missed yesterday's Snapshot Saturday post, you must check it out. I laugh everytime I see the picture. Yes, I do ask myself daily what I did to deserve this man. :)

Enjoy your day.

Snapshot Saturday~The Big Race

Last Saturday, my sister and her husband ran their first race, a 5K in town and we went to cheer them on.

This week's Snapshot Saturday features my boys and their race attempts.

Mr. Molly Lou "raced" down to Starbucks to get us cheerers coffee...look at that serious and focused face. I love it that my man takes the coffee run with such stride. :)

The second is Mini #1...he kept racing up and down the street and then running all around in circles while we were waiting closer to the finish line. Oooooh, check out that outfit too...shorts, orange shirt, green jacket, and Lightning McQueen knee high rain boots...CLASSIC. (To be 3 again or perhaps just that darn cute and get away with an outfit like that.)

Both of my boys WON their races with flying colors! Happy weekend!

GO TIGERS!!!!

A Sugar What?

Let's just say that I have been called MANY things in my lifetime, but a Sugar Doll has NEVER been one of them.

Until today...

My dear friend Kim over at Experiments in a Galley Kitchen tagged me with the "Fabulous Sugar Doll Blogger Award." I love the title of this award and can add one more name to my list.

Please don't confuse Sugar Doll with Sugar Momma because I have no money. Sure did fool Mr. Molly Lou all those years ago though. (Actually, I am the one that I fooled...KIDDING!)

To play along, I'm supposed to list ten interesting things about me...you know inquiring minds want to know.

To be honest, I LOVE reading other people's lists, but this is so hard for me. Interesting??? That might be another adjective that isn't normally used to describe me, so let's just go with random things about me.

1. I heart Starbucks and all COFFEE. If I was choosing a meal over Starbucks, the coffee would win out most of the time. The International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice creamer has been my BFF lately...don't have a Starbuck's close and those minis will want to go to college, so it is kind of the poor woman's Starbuck's latte. Coffee+Pumpkin=Perfection.

2. People watching is probably my greatest hobby. I could sit there all day and just watch. My mom and I sometimes make up stories about people around us...how they are related, what they are doing, past history, etc. This was FANTASTIC and so PERFECT when Mr. Molly Lou and I lived in Vegas. (Greatest hobby aside from blogging/twitter that is. I wonder what I did before the Blogland and Twitter ate me up.)

3. I want one more child and some days I think I am totally ready now. Then, I bounce back to reality and notsomuch. I have a great desire to adopt. Now that I have had the amazing opportunity to have my own children, I would love to spread the love to another child that is in need of a family.

4. I have a handbag addiction. I would rather buy a handbag or shoes any day than clothes. No matter what I weigh, the bags and shoes still look good. Right now, I am pining for this one (not typically me)and this one (trust me, I think $795 is beyond ridiculous and I am fully aware that I will never actually own it, but I just said that I wanted it) and this one (again, won't own, but love).

5. I can cry at the drop of the hat. (This really annoys Mr. Molly Lou.) I can be watching tv, thinking of something that happened years ago, think of hypothetical situations, or just be hormonal and the tears come bursting out. (So thankful that I was the only one in the room while watching Grey's Anatomy last night...Me=blubbering idiot.)

6. I switched my major three times in college. Once I landed in education, it was the perfect match and I knew it was what I was meant to do.

7. I met Gene Simmons at the Beverly Hills Hotel when I was there with my sister and her friend when we lived in Vegas. My sister and her friend didn't even know who he was. He was standing right next to our table and then played with my sister's friend's ponytail. Bizarre, but he was nice. I guess an interesting way to drum up a conversation.

8. I have a handblown glass ball collection. I have ones that we have collected from travels and each one makes me think of different events in my life and places that I have been. I would love to learn the art of blowing glass...add that to the list of 45467832 things I want to do/learn.

9. Friends is still my favorite show of all time. I could watch episodes all day long. If my remote had to be stuck on one channel though, it would be HGTV. I can get sucked in to all of those shows.

10. I heart chocolate. It is a serious problem. Halloween and the holidays rolling on certainly aren't helping. Throw peanuts/peanut butter in to the mix and I can't resist. Such a shame that Mini #1 is allergic to peanuts...I needed to save him from that peanute Halloween candy. Aren't I good mom?!?!?!?

Now, I'm supposed to tag 10 Bloggers to play along. (Kim stole a few of my nominees, so double Sugar Doll.) Passing along the Sugar Doll to...

Ashley at Perfectly Pleasant
Gina at Namaste By Day
Jennifer at Southern Living: Preppy Style
Michelle at Stuttering Shell
Whitney at That Girl and Her Pug
Katie at The Perks
Headbands and Handbags
kHm at Queen Bee Swain
Gussy
Name Twin at Living in the Moment
Shaina at Post Smith

Ladies, you are now officially Fabulous Sugar Doll Bloggers! And thanks again Kim...I heart you!

PS-I know I was supposed to tag 10 and did 11. Clearly counting isn't my strong suit. :)

Thankful Thursdays

I have decided that each Thursday this month I will write about about all things I am thankful for. Some will be silly and funny, some will be serious and heartwarming, but they will all be things that I am VERY thankful for. I will do 26 things since Thanksgiving falls on the 26th this year.

I invite you to join in with me and do your own Thankful Thursdays!

1. Digital Cameras: I am so thankful for digital cameras. I can take a picture, hate it, press the delete button. Take 371 of the same thing and then erase all the non-perfect ones. I also have a budding photographer in Mini #1. That boys loves to take some pictures, so I let him have free reign and then just delete the ones I don't wish to savor for eternity.

Case in point...he got camera happy with the pumpkin goo while carving jack-o-lanterns. He isn't much on playing in the goo, so he was the photographer and then jumped back in the for the design/carving. Do I deprive my child from his love of cameras? No, I let him take the 45 pictures of pumpkin goo and then delete when he isn't looking.

Digital cameras=VERY THANKFUL!

2. Holiday music. I heart all of the holiday songs. I play them constantly during the holiday season and they just make me smile everytime. "Have a holly jolly christmas...", "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...", etc. It is also such a fun and wonderful sound to hear Mini #1 belt out a few holiday tunes. I'm pretty sure "Jingle Bells" will live on as the favorite...last year he would get confused on what part he was on and just keep repeating himself.

3. Freedom. I am so thankful that people have the freedom in this country to wear a kermit the frog long sleeve shirt, black corduroy mini skirt, red scarf, and knee high "combat boots" to the ZOO with CHILDREN. I am also so very thankful to have the freedom to think they are beyond crazy and give them weird looks through my sunglasses.

4. The Minis. I mean seriously, I will bring them up a few times this month I'm sure. I just love these little munchkins so much. They make me smile, laugh, and cry with joy each day. They are pretty darn cute too.

Happy Thankful Thursday. Wonder what next week's installment will bring. :)

PS-don't forget to enter my giveaway for a set of our NEW Vintage Photo Mixed Notes Set. They are also 10% off and if you order 2 or more sets, we will ship for FREE...great gifts and stocking stuffers!

Worthwhile Wednesday~Vintage Turkey Giveaway

Ooooh. I have you so intrigued with my post title, don't I? "What in the hay is a vintage turkey giveaway" you ask?

Take an internet walk (read) with me.

For this week's Worthwhile Wednesday, we are introducing 5 new products to the Molly Lou Gifts shop, exploring our must have turkey day accessories, and of course, offering a giveaway.

You see NOVEMBER is a special month. It is my BIRTHDAY month. Woohoo! I love birthdays!! They are so fun to celebrate, I love giving gifts and making my someone in my life's day perfect and memorable. And I love my own birthday...always have and it doesn't matter how old I get, I am excited for my month to arrive.

In honor of my birthday month, I will be doing a giveaway each week and then a HUGE Birthday explosion giveaway around my actual day toward the end of the month.

This is great for you and also helps us kick off the holidays.

First, let's look at two adorable turkey items that you MUST have this season. First, we have this turkey platter. You get to choose personalization and I had a customer last week order one that said "GOBBLE 'TIL YOU WOBBLE!"** So funny and cute too! Our platters are made of melamine and guaranteed not to break so you can enjoy for many years of Turkey Day.

These are great gift for your Thanksgiving hostess: friends, sisters, parents, in-laws, or add to your holiday collection if you host the holiday.

Now, feast your eyes on these! How adorable are these turkey personalized shirts. We have so many shirt options, 16 fonts to choose from, and sizes from 3 months to Youth 12. You choose your personalization and let your little turkey walk around in style.

NEW Items!!! We love Kara Rosenberry and are so thrilled she is part of the Molly Lou Gifts family. We have added her vintage photo notes collection. There are four designs: Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Here Comes the Bride, and Cherish. We also offer a Vintage Photo Mix set with 2 of each of the 4 designs. These photos are all people in her family and are just adorable.

They would make great stocking stuffers, Secret Santa gifts, teacher gifts, friend gifts, holiday hostess gifts, or even just thinking of you gifts. We all need notes and these are so unique, adorable, and cost effective.

Our Vintage note sets are marked 10% off to welcome them. Order 2 or more vintage photo note sets and we will ship them for free. (Refund given via Paypal.) Start checking those off on your list!

I believe I mentioned giveaway before. In honor of my Birthday Month Giveaways and these new additions to our shop, we are offering 2 lucky winners a set of the Vintage Photo Mixed Note Set.
To enter:
1-Become a follower or let me know you are one.

2-Leave a comment about
3-Tweet about this with a link to this post and link @mollylougifts

4-Blog about it and leave a comment.

5-For every set of vintage notes purchased, receive 5 entries per set.

The winners will be chosen on Sunday, November 8, 2009. Have a great day and Happy Wednesday!

PS-Don't forget we are happy to wrap, ship, and include a personalized gift message to your recipient free of charge for anything found in our shop.

**-A large retail chain gift shop has a similar Thanksgiving tray and it is almost double the price. I'm just saying... :)

Today, I Am...

not here.

I am sitting here listening to the waves and eating this:

SERIOUSLY YUMMY Chocolate Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Poundcake:

• 1 3⁄4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• pinch nutmeg
• 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1⁄3 cup milk
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the inside of a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust it with flour.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.
4. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin purée and vanilla. Stir in the milk.
5.Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, 1⁄2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack, and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely.

really, I mean it...go make it. You will love it.

I'm sure the minis will be ok for the day while I check out temporarily. Right?

Have a great day!

{Image via my mind and here. Also, thanks to the Today show for this cake recipe.}

Let's talk about....

Let's talk about you and me...

Let's talk about QVC!

What is about QVC? I can get sucked in to watching/staring at QVC for what appears to be years. I swear they send out some kind of hallucinogenic waves to suck you in to their world.

Just about every time I am flipping through the channels and I come by QVC, I stop. I get sucked in. I stare and stare and stare. About 15 minutes later, I snap out of it and move on.

This was particularly a habit when Mini #1 was an infant (Mini #2 occassionally, but she is such a good sleeper). I would up in the middle of the night with him and there would be NOTHING on and those hosts on QVC were pretty much the only adult interaction I would get in a day.

I am surprised that I haven't spent their college funds on food dehydrators, diamonique brooches, reversible fleece big shirts, the bejeweled metallic belts, danging snowglobe earrings, 122 piece Rubbermaid sets or the magic crossbody shopper bag.

They actually do have some good things and deals that I have been tempted to purchase before, but just haven't. How fun would it be to be one of the featured callers and chat it up with the hosts and be one of the digits flipping for the number sold!

Have a great day!

PS-click your way over to Good Will Grace to see today's post. It is wonderful and you will be so glad you did. Good luck Whitney!