oh, hey.

I think it’s safe to say that the Bloggy Giveaways were a huge success, yet again. Nearly 500 of you entered to win and I’m pleased to announce that, with a little help from the Random Integer Generator, Erin is the winner of the Tiffany’s 1837 sterling silver ring. The blue box will ship straight from Tiffany’s to Erin as soon as she confirms her ring size and mailing address.

Next time the Bloggy Giveaways roll around, I’ll be much more prepared, so you can count on the prize being bigger and better!

Tags: Pretty Like a Pony 2 Comments »

I’ve been told I play the part of the blonde bombshell well, and who am I to argue? A compliment is a compliment, even if they were lying through their teeth, so I ran with it, and went blonde.

Maybe I was inspired by the Charlie’s Angels episode of Shear Genius with the Farrah Faucet bangs, but there you have it.

The new me.

Tags: Pretty Like a Pony 17 Comments »

I’m not the cleaner in the family (I leave all the dirty work to Mike), but I am the organizer. Drawers, bins, files, and folders with Color labels help me keep everything in its place and help Mike to put things back where I like them.

I haven’t always been so neat and tidy. When I was in school, I would start out with all my pencils, pens, and papers in proper order, and by the second week of school my tiny desk was stuffed full and my backpack a disaster. If I would have fallen in love with my Dymo label maker just a decade sooner, I would have been teacher’s pet.

Just think - I would have stuck a label with book titles to the spine of every brown paper bag covered book in my desk. I could have easily picked my lunch bag out of the cabinet with my name labeled on the front. My Trapper Keeper wouldn’t have been tragically stolen if I had a Dymo label maker to help brand it as mine! Sigh.

I freely admit my devotion to my Dymo label maker, and take the poking and prodding from Mike in stride, because I know just where our 2005 taxes are, which storage container contains the Halloween decorations, and can go straight to the drawer with the birthday cards thanks to my handy labels.

Tags: Buy Buy Buy 2 Comments »

After a long, hard week, I think we’re all ready for a fun Four Foods on Friday, and what’s more fun than candy? If you’d like to play, post the questions and answers on your blog, then head over to Fun Crafts and Recipes and leave a comment with a link to your post. Val will then add you to the round-up, so we can all read your answers!

1. Candy. Do you prefer sweet or sour candy?

Sour Patch Kids, please!

2. Gum. Love it? Hate it? What kind is your favorite?

I don’t have strong feelings for gum one way or another, and don’t have a favorite, but there always seems to be a pack or two in my purse.

3. What is your favorite candy?

I’m a salty snack person, so I don’t eat much candy, but when I do it’s Haribo Tangfastics (if you live in the UK, please feel free to ship me a case!) or Gummy Bears, Sour Patch Kids, or Good n’ Plenty. Anything chewy.

4. Share a recipe for anything that you can include a piece of candy in.

My mom makes these butter cookies with Hershey Kisses in the center that get all crumbly from being baked. Maybe she’ll be nice enough to comment with the recipe!

Tags: Yum Yum 5 Comments »

I am an office supply fiend. Add in a custom element, like my name or web address or logo, and I begin to hoard supplies. I just can’t get enough. You never know when you might not be able to get Rubber Stamps with your name and web address on them again!

Actually, I do know where I can always get rubber stamps with my name, address, website, or logo on them, and that’s at VistaPrint. Stamps50 gets you 50% off small rubber stamps at VistaPrint for a limited time, so you can order as many as you want now for under $10 each, but they’ll always be there to reorder so don’t panic. There’s a one-time fee to upload an image such as a logo, but after that, you’re free to order that logo on any item they offer! Good thing, because I’m in the midst of a blog re-design and will be ordering all new business cards, stamps, and labels with my new theme!

I’ve ordered everything from business cards to Christmas cards from VistaPrint, so I know that the quality and service is there in all their products. It’s also super fun to custom design your own stamps, labels, and more to promote your business, blog, or self.

Tags: Buy Buy Buy 3 Comments »

How many people are actually surprised that corporate owned Bennigans are closing nationwide? Their food was like super-sized TV dinners.

Even though Bennigan’s owners, Metromedia Restaurant Group, denied preparing to file Chapter 7, the rumblings should have been enough of a warning for employees. It’s unfortunate that they were let go so abruptly, and hopefully they will get paid for any outstanding hours, but you have to be observant and try to protect yourself in this economy!

I heard on the news that the top 20 restaurant chains grew by 7% each of the past three years, when the demand only grew by 2% year. Outback Steakhouse and Ruby Tuesday’s, which are also struggling, may not be far behind, so hopefully their employees are beginning to look for other opportunities, because they might not be serving up those over-sized TV dinners for much longer!

Tags: Yum Yum 10 Comments »

What would you do if you were diagnosed with cancer and given only 4 months to live? Would you start saying your good-byes or begin radical treatments to prolong your life?

This scenario is playing out right now on the resveratrol forum. Resveratrol is a antioxidant found in grapes, which some believe, in large doses, can cure cancer. One member of the forums was recently given just months to live, and members are coming together to provide the Resveratrol needed for a megadose to test the cancer curing theory.

Would you try it?

Tags: This and That 5 Comments »

In Uniontown, Indiana, a group called Jackson County Watchdog has made it their job to watch patrol the neighborhood. Specifically, documenting those that enter The Lion’s Den, an adult bookstore, by recording license plate numbers, taking photos, and posting them on the website www.war-line.org. They even go so far as to report truckers that stop at The Lion’s Den to their employers.

The group of amateur gumshoes has built a structure without a county permit and has continually harassed customers over the past six months; twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. While I don’t exactly frequent The Lion’s Den, I think it’s absolutely absurd that a legitimate business, with all the appropriate permits and zoning, is subjected to such treatment, and to a county government system that endorses it by not enforcing the zoning laws that the group knowingly ignored when building the structure.

The website captions make it’s clear that while God doesn’t condone the sale of dildos, he doesn’t mind if his followers belittle the obese or ridicule lower-income persons. No wonder that moral high-ground is so hard for many to find; The Jackson Country Watchdog keeps changing its positon on the map!

Mike suggested we take a road trip to Uniontown and pose for a picture with the biggest jar of anal-ease The Lion’s Den sold. I doubt making a mockery of their plight would change their ill-contrived views, but it would sure lighten my mood.

Tags: Paparazzi, This and That 6 Comments »

I had never known anyone with Alzheimer’s or with a family member that has Alzheimer’s until recently. Both my boss and my co-worker have a parent suffering from Alzheimer’s, and both tell stories of their loved ones not knowing who they are, telling the same stories over and over again, and destroying their belongings for reasons that are very rational to them, but are unknown to those around them.

The Alzheimer’s Memory Walk seeks to raise money every year to raise awareness and fund research for a disease that almost everyone is touched by. By making a donation to those making the 3-mile walk, or starting your own team, you can help support a cause that may help you or a loved one in the long run.

Tags: This and That 2 Comments »

I’m a little frantic this morning, because I completely forgot that it is time for the Bloggy Giveaways! It is so much fun to bop around from blog to blog for a chance to win great prizes, that I can’t believe I didn’t have the day marked, circled, and highlighted on my calendar!

I’m so ill-prepared. So, what to give away? Cash? A gift card? A purse?

How about jewelry! Something like this Tiffany’s 1837 sterling silver ring? Yes, I believe that will do.

Leave a comment with your ring size and I will pick a random winner Friday, August 1st!

Rules and regulations: Only one entry per person (I keep an eye on IP addresses, so no sneaking in multiple entries), please use your real first name when entering, US residents only, item will ship directly from Tiffany’s to your home address.

Tags: Pretty Like a Pony 459 Comments »