It's Veteran's Day

Good morning and welcome to Smiling Sally and all the Blue Monday crew! Today it is easy for all of us to share "blue" with you! It is Veteran's Day!

Maxine can say it with a little humor! But during the recent election we saw how everyone was entitled to their opinion whether the rest of us thought is was right or wrong! We live in a country where we can still speak out on issues and people important to us. So please thank a Vet today!

We are so blessed to live in a free nation! The amount of suffering and loss is responsible for this. There are no words really to come close to thanking Veteran's for all their hard work and sacrifice. I thought this Scripture came close:

Philippians 2:29-30

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁹ Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; ³⁰ because he came close to death ^[a]for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete ^[b]what was deficient in your service to me.

Many troops are out there today, putting up with so much many of us can not even begin to comprehend. We take so much for granted. Please remember all Veteran's and pray for those serving us all over the world today!

I hope you stop by and visit Sally as well as the rest of our Blue Crew!

Some Things Are Meant to Be! Giveaway Winners!

Have you ever heard that expression, "Somethings are meant to be!" It is so funny because my Sweets drew the winners for my double giveaway! The winner of

was BJ! She has the neatest blog called Sweet Nothings and she left this comment:

"That's a cute photo of you and your pretty daughter...:)
Now, if you look really close at that adorable pink coffee press, you just MIGHT see MY name on it. :)
I would love to win and I thank you for this giveaway."
xo bj

October 27, 2012 6:30 AM

So that is why I asked if you believe in Some things are meant to be!  BJ thought that little pink coffee press had her name on it and I guess it did! Congrats BJ! You can email me and I will send it off as soon as I have your address!

Now the winner of:

is Myrna. She also has a lovely blog and I hope you visit soon. Her comment was:

"Lots of wonderful blues! That blue cottage is so sweet!Happy third blogaversary! Please enter me in your wonderful give away,I am a happy follower."

November 5, 2012 6:34 PM 

Congrats to you and if you send me your address I will make sure you get this Vintage Garden cream and sugar set.

I thank every single person who has been here, left comments, followed me and kept me smiling! I appreciate each and every one of you and will continue to keep posting and enjoying your visits as much as I enjoy visiting you and reading your posts!

Here is my contribution to Love is...today! I hope you stop by and tell Marydon you want to share your favorite Love is... This one is perfect for my Sweets and I. He has been working lots of overtime trying to get extra cash for this Kansas trip so we can bring Nick home for Thanksgiving. I have been selling off some of my overstock Princess House. Each time I am able to sell an item I am overwhelmed with blessings knowing we are that much closer to getting Nick home! I know lots of folks that have lots of "things". But they do not have the stability that my Sweet and I have. We have been together through thick and thin! We always find a way to do what we need to do! Earlier this evening we watched a video for about forty five minutes with our daughter Rebekah. It is part of a project she has to turn in Monday and it was about  advertising and the effect and portrayal of women for the past forty years! Besides her dad and I, our oldest daughter Noelle, our oldest son Jeremy and his friend Cameron participated as well as Rebekah's friend Julio. Afterwards we shared our thoughts about it and I suppose that is another post for another day! But all in all I love being with my phamily and we have such a simple and stable relationship. Our kids all had wonderful, positive things to say about their upbringing so the evening was perfect and this Love is...is dedicated to them! Thanks for listening.

Serving Up Autumn

Here is a quick and easy way to enjoy caramel apples without trying to work around a big apple! Hollow out an apple and fill it with caramel. When it hardens slice it up and enjoy!

Come over to Beverly's and enjoy all the Serving Up Autumn shares. Normally I would add some pink but my camera phone has locked my photos up and I have had not had time to sit down with my oldest son and figure it out!

Don't forget this giveaway! It ends tomorrow November 10th at 9:00 P.M. MST Just follow me and leave a comment on any of my posts that share this giveaway!

This is my second giveaway! It also ends tomorrow at 9:00 P.M. MST and again just leave a comment and follow me!

Now head over to share some pinks!

Let's" X-amine" Why "You" Always Make Me Smile!

What happened last week!? I lost track of time and heaven forbid, I missed my Alphabe Thursday "X" post! So  here it is one week later and I am looking over the possibilities for the letter "Y"! Now comes the easy part! I am making  up my learning lesson from last week with the letter "X" and adding the letter "Y" to this post!

I know "X-amine" is not the actual correct term for the word I am  using but please forgive me! It is six o'clock in the morning and I am having my coffee while I write! I can be a little creative in the morning so here goes my post:

I decided to "X-amine" why "You" always make me smile! Over here there can be sadness, time for tears but there is also such an incredibly strong bond we form as if someone glues us together for life! We start to meet other people and share our lives, our thoughts, our creative spirits! Someday's there is sadness. On that note please pray for Jarad, the son of Linda. Someone stole his truck, a vehicle he had recently paid off! They were at a park having cupcakes to celebrate Tressa's birthday! She is the youngest child of Linda and Mr. Phil. They were gone from the parking area about 30 minutes and someone stole his truck! They have been praying, and if you know Linda you will understand. If you don't know her go visit! She is one amazing farm mama! Jarad had his bible in the door side pocket. They feel if someone is so lost perhaps the Lord will save them by letting them read that bible! The sadness is that Jarad left his wallet in the truck and now the thief knows where they live! He has young children and they have been really scared. Although this is a sad situation you have to know Linda is one of those upbeat people always sharing the Lord with everyone and detailing His answer to prayers at her blog! That makes me smile a lot!

I feel I am "X-tra" blessed knowing all of you! No matter how large or small, there is something each time I visit with you individually that makes my face burst into a smile!

Take Smiling Sally for instance! Self explanatory! She hosts Blue Monday and through her and this weekly event I meet the most "Xtraordinairy" people! I know, my creative spelling will probably fail this week but you have touched my heart!

Ms. Jenny  is our favorite Alphabe Thursday teacher! Each week she shares her stories with us and her creative talents with her hand painted signs. She is most talented and I love knowing her. She is one of those wonderful bog friends that I had the pleasure to meet last November in Phoenix. She and her sweet hubby Mr. Jenny drove to the Toka Sticks Golf Course to meet us when Nick and his team mates ran in the 2011 Nike Southwest XC Meet! It was fun and exciting to meet her and she is a real gem!

Suzanne and her aunt LV are two more fun folks I had the pleasure of meeting while they were visiting Colorado. I also met Suzanne's mom Patsy. They are three of the nicest ladies you want to know! Their charming ways make me smile when I think about our lunch date! I hope we can get together again! LV always has the right thing to say and Suzanne is one crafty quilter! Patsy is just simply one of the kindest gals I know!

I could go on and on but you would probably have to spend a week or two or three reading about each and everyone  of you that I adore knowing! Enjoy my google images of many different yellow flowers and go viist some classmates at AT!

Get Your Vote Out Today!

I am not much of a political analyst or one to gab about who I voted for! But I think we need to all get out and vote for who we think is the best candidate! Here is a share I found in a cookbook I recently purchased at the thrift store for one dollar! There is an entire section titled "Miscellaneous Not For Consumption" ! Here is my Voting day share:

A Recipe for a Good President
by Eileen Smith, 5th grade
Bayfield School

4 cups of honesty
5 1/2 cups  of good leadership
8 cups of communication
5 teaspoons of kindness
3 cups of ideas for a better country
8 cups of updating the country on  what he/she is doing
10 cups of trustworthiness


I wish life were this simple! But each one of us can do our part and make our country great! Get out and vote! If you already voted, thank you!

My friend Charlene said it best"Get out and vote. If you don't vote, you can't complain!" Seriously this black and white photo is reality. There are still places on this earth where women have no rights! Remember this and vote for the best candidates(s)!

Maxine adds humor to this campaign! I know everyone is tired of the ads, the phone calls and the door bell ringing in the middle of a Sunday football game! But seriously, go vote!

Secret Santa Soiree

Stop by Suzanne's and join the fun with the Secret Santa Soiree! Last year I had the best time because I gifted a wonderful gal Betty from Texas and Marilyn from Colorado gifted me! It was a perfect swap!

Here is a Princess House item I have had stored in my garage! I have sold a few items and really enjoy making space! This sweet candle lamp is wonderful  and hand blown . I never tire of all the great PH I have and use daily! This comes in a pretty blue and white box!

I found this sweet blue cottage with a white porch  and lots of white trim at google images! You can rent this one in Georgia! Doesn't is look charming and inviting?

A bottle of Blue Moon wine. This is made in Oregon!

How about some bleu cheese? My "Sweets" makes the best bleu cheese dressing! Even the casing is blue and white here!

Now I hope you will visit Sally and join the blue crew! You will find a lot of blue there!

Oops, not blue but pink! Don't forget to follow me and leave a comment so you can join the giveaway to win this pink coffee press. It is an Avon item. A few other surprises will be tucked inside your giveaway win! The giveaway ends November 10th.

My giveaway gift for my third blogaversary! You can see some blue here! This charming cream and sugar set will make you smile! Just follow me and add a comment so you can be inthe drawing November 10th for this!

Some Fall Pinks/Love Is.../ Trusting God

I am very late! Spent most of Saturday fiddling with my camera phone! My fall foliage photos are stuck and I am going to have to empty it today when my son Jeremy wakes up! So I have a few goggle images to share! This lovely cottage is an Autumn Cottage and is located in Brittany, France! Doesn't it look divine? I can see Rose, our cat sitting in that window seat , listening to a crackling fire!

Some fall foliage from Lake Placid, New York! Goodness, it is so rich and royal looking!

I found a lovely and very hardy winter Camellia to share for Pink Saturday! Please head over to Beverly's and share your pinks and visit the wonderful blogs filled with pink goodness today! Beverly is a doll for handling this huge project each week! I want to ask everyone to share as many pinks as you can! Make a real effort to visit many new pinks or ones you have never seen before! I have been thinking of CC. She passed away in September 2010 and she was a trooper. She told me many times she had visited every single one of the pinks! That is quite a feat! So in honor of her I make this attempt. I give visiting a good shot each week! But my feeble attempt hardly touches the human spirit that CC shared with all of us who knew her. She was a remarkable and kind woman . I miss her all the time when I start my pink weekend. Now go visit some pinks!

 
I am thinking this sweet Love is...would look very fall like if it were colored in shades of red, yellow and brown! These two sweethearts and launching their dreams! I will never tire of these little cartoons. Now say a prayer for Marydon and join  Love is...with your very own favorites!

I have been thinking about God in this plan of our world! After Hurricane Sandy it is so easy to turn away from Him who cares for us. Why these things happen will be a mystery to me! But we can not give up hope. He is always there. Always watching over us. Always caring for our very most basic needs. Keep praying and keep trusting Him. I hope you will stop by and visit Charlotte who hosts this encouraging and hopeful space in blog world. Many talented, hopeful and faith based folks are here to listen, to offer an encouraging word and just reach out to those who need a helping hand in times of difficulties.

I am sharing this verse today:

1 Peter 5:7

"Casting all your cares on Him , because He cares for you."

It is a basic and simple statement and we need to live by this no  matter what our circumstances are.

FInally please follow me and leave a comment regarding the post or the giveaway(s) so I may include you in winning these wonderful gifts:

This little pink coffee press in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.

My blogaversary was November 1st and I celebrated three years with all of you. I have loved each moment I spend here and want to offer this giveaway to you. Please come join the fun!