Serenity Now

Monday, February 7, 2011

Scentsy Winner!

The winner of the Valentine's Scentsy Giveaway is #119, Amy from Just Pleased as Punch, who linked up her Kitchen Aid Mixer Subway Art. Amy, please email me by Wednesday at 5 pm to get the details on your prize!

Thanks to each and every one of you who visited and commented!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Highlighted Weekend Links-- Share Your Best Post!

Happy Saturday! I hope you'll pop in to link up YOUR best post of the week at my Weekend Bloggy Reading party. Open for new links until Sunday at 10 pm (ET). We have recipes, home remedies, room makeovers, crafts, fashion advice, and more!

By linking up and including a link back to me or my party button in your post, you'll automatically be entered to win this week's Valentine's Scentsy Giveaway. Whichever way you prefer is fine with me, and I appreciate you helping me get the word out about my party! The code for the button is at the end of this post.

If you haven't yet, please be sure to visit some of the other links from the party and say a quick howdy to those who have taken the time to visit you. That's how a good blog party works--lots of participation. Otherwise we just have a bunch of stagnant links, and that's no fun for anyone!

I'll be around to leave a comment on each link, but I thought I'd share a few that caught my eye:

~Claudia shared some time-saving tips on Organizing Weekly Outfits. I like to accessorize as I go, but I can see this working on busy preschool mornings.

~The houndstooth alone was enough to catch my eye in The Ivy Cottage's Valentine's Pillows.

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~Deborah's post about How to Deal with Stress had me laughing out loud, and I don't do that alot when I read.

~S'More Dessert? Yes, please!

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~Erin made a bright and cheery Big Girl Room for her growing girl. Love the colors!

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So, what did you have up your sleeve this week? Come by and share it with us! Be sure to check out some of the other bloggers' work too.

I'm off to get some spinach artichoke dip ready for a little get-together with our Sunday School friends tonight. Will share the recipe soon...it's one you won't want to miss!

Saturday Stop and Shop

Are you here for the Weekend Bloggy Reading party? Stop by to link up your best post of the week. If you link back to me, or include my party button in your post, I'll give you an automatic entry in this week's Valentine's Scentsy Giveaway! I'll be back later today with some highlights from the party, which is open until 10 pm (ET) on Sunday.

When you're done partying, you're gonna wanna take a break. Why not indulge in some window shopping with me? My Sponsors are an incredibly gifted bunch. Check out what they have in store for you this month!

~The Cat's Paw
Are you feeling blue this Valentine's season? Let Barbara's My Blue Heart Fabric Basket cheer you up. Her cotton baskets are handmade and she takes orders for custom colors!

~Domestic Fashionista

Ashley is rocking a super fun Valentine's Day Link Up and Giveaway. Check it out for some fabulous holiday inspiration. You won't be disappointed!

~Homebody
Need some ideas to make life just a little bit easier? Holly shares great tips and tricks each Monday on her blog, and she invites her readers to do the same. Link up to share your own bright ideas and find some new blogging friends!

~Laura Jane Designs
All this recent talk about Blissdom has a lot of your reevaluating your blogs and thinking about the next step. If you've decided to focus growing your site this year, a custom design is a great way to capture a reader's attention. Laura Jane has some beautiful designs!

~Mississippi Mud
Sarah is back, crafting gorgeous wearable art! Check out her I Carry It In My Heart crocheted satin ribbon necklace. Get the hubs to plan a nice evening out, and this can complete your outfit. Flirty and romantic!

~Party Box Design
If you choose an invitation from Party Box Design, they will custom create matching printables: cupcake toppers, party tags, you name it! Partying made easy. I'm loving these designs!

~The Peacock Shop
Pennants are all the rage in decor right now. It was love at first sight when I spotted Kathlyn's Whimsy Banners Teacup and Saucers set.

~Random Thoughts of a Supermom
If you need DIY Valentine's gift ideas, look no further. Kelli has gift ideas that will make your kids' teachers send home perfect report cards. Check out her Buckets of Love post!

~The Shabby Chic Cottage
With Valentine's Day in mind, I clicked over to Gina's Romantic Home section of the shop, and I wasn't disappointed. How much fun are these beadboard heart ornaments? I {heart} them!

~ Silhouette
I've already told you guys about the fun new linky party I'm putting together: I {Heart} My Crafty Cutter (open to projects, tips, and tricks related to your Silhouette, Cricut, Sizzix, Cuttlebug, etc.) It has me revved up to play with my machine some more! I'm really excited to be partnering with Silhouette. There will be some neat promotions coming up here at Serenity Now...if you head over to the Silhouette shop, please be sure to use the code SERENITY when you check out.

~Stitch Sense Designs
Nadir's green baby cocoon has me wishing I could shrink one of my girls down to fit inside. She can custom make a baby cocoon for you in any design or color!

~Blessings Unlimited
You can view my new Spring catalog here! I want this memo board for ME! Is that wrong? If you place an order online this month, you can get the Armor of God Family Puzzle Set for just $9!

{Happy Shopping!}

*If you are interested in partnering with me this year as a Sponsor, please email me at amandaserenitynow(at)gmail(dot)com. My rates are very competitive!*

Friday, February 4, 2011

::Weekend Bloggy Reading:: Link Up!

Welcome to Weekend Bloggy Reading. I hope you'll leave me a little comment love today and be sure to link up your best post of the week! Bloggers who include a link back to me OR my party button within their post will get an automatic entry to this week's Valentine's Scentsy Warmer Giveaway.

Here are a few of my faves from this week:

sources listed below

~With a little help from the Apostle Paul, Richella poured her heart out in a touching (and convicting!) post entitled Thoughts from a Blogging Mother. Best post I've read anywhere in a long time.

~How to Make a Household Notebook from Tip Nut.

~Kim Compared House Renovations to Having a Baby. She was spot on!

~Melissa turned a brassy light fixture into a fabulous-for-five dollars Pottery Barn Knock-Off.

~And moi?
This week, I shared my Winter Reading List, showed you my Valentine's Decor along with a Valentine's Scentsy Warmer Giveaway, gave you the recipe for the world's best Butterscotch and Chocolate Chip Nut Bars, and announced a new monthly blog party for Silhouette/Cricut/Cuttlebug/Sizzix, etc. projects, tips, and tricks: I {Heart} My Crafty Cutter party (opens Monday, Feb. 21st!).

Time to link up your best post of the week (please, please take the time to include a link-back or my party button and visit some of the other participants!)
Here's the button code if you'd prefer to use that rather than a link-back:

Party is open until 10 pm (ET) on Sunday night.

Remember that blog parties work best when bloggers participate, so if you have a chance to visit a few of the other links, you might find a new friend or two!

I have a Blessings Unlimited party tonight, the girls have a birthday party tomorrow morning, Sunday School get-together tomorrow night, and big plans for Super Bowl commercial watching on Sunday while T cheers on whichever team he dislikes least. Busier than I'd like, but hopefully fun!

{What are you up to this weekend?}

Thursday, February 3, 2011

New Silhouette/Cricut/Die Cutter Linky Party Announcement!

This may be the most selfish blog party I've ever hosted. Let's keep that between us, okay?

I thought it might be neat to host a party where crafty bloggers could link up any tips, tricks, or projects they might have that are "crafty cutter" related. It will be like having an entire library of fabulousness at my your disposal. See how ~~selfish~~ generous I am? {wink}

Anything related to your Cricut, Silhouette, Sizzix, Cuttlebug, etc. is welcome:

Projects or crafts you've completed
Tips on how to use software, make supplies last longer, rig your machine up to do special stuff
Ways you organize your supplies

The I {Heart} My Crafty Cutter party will open on Monday, February 21st, at 9 am (ET) and will close at 10 pm (ET) on Friday, February 25th. So, if you're like me and are still learning to use your Silhouette (or haven't seen your Cricut in awhile), you have some time to work things out before the first party launches!

Because I spent this month's budget on the nanny's fees and the Rolls Royce payment, the prize for participants is small, but I did want to offer something!

*Anyone who links up and includes a link back to me OR my party button in their post will be entered to win a $10 Gift Card to Starbucks and a Coffee Cozie in your choice of colors from Stitch Sense Designs. Because everyone knows that crafting is more fun with a fancy drink, and why shouldn't you accessorize your to-go mug?! It's not much, but my way of saying thank you to those of you who take the time to join the party.

Here's the button code if you want to add it to your blog to help me get the word out! If things go well, we might make this a monthly thing.

Don't have a Silhouette machine yet? If you go shopping, be sure to use the code SERENITY. Click on my Silhouette button and see what this baby can do!

{Hope to see you on the 21st!}

*Come back tomorrow to link up YOUR best post of the week to Weekend Bloggy Reading and get an extra entry in this week's Valentine's Scentsy Giveaway*

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

My Valentine's Decor and Scentsy Warmer Giveaway

I don't claim to be a decorator, but I do what I can with what I have. I do have young kids who get excited about little things, like Valentine's decorations, ice cream, and trips to Costco. (What? Don't you like the free samples too?) I didn't go "all out" for Valentine's Day, but I did try to bring in a few little touches here and there. (I apologize for the small photos again today. Blogger hates me, and I'm wondering if I ought to return the favor. It keeps chopping off the bottoms of my larger pictures!)

No mantel here, so I use the top of my TV armoire. The balloons were leftover from Michaela Byrd's birthday party....

The lantern is from my Blessings Unlimited shop. I dressed it up with Valentine's ribbon and glittery heart ornaments. The plate is from Target's Dollar Spot and I filled the small apothecary with Hershey's kisses.

In the kitchen, my Blessings Blocks spell out a new message, and I have some other Valentine's goodies here and there.

Finally, the nice folks at Scentsy sent me a Hugs and Kisses Warmer to try out, and the whole family has been pleased with it.

I can't smell, but I love the fact that it uses a low wattage bulb that puts out a soft glow at night. T, who is as persnickety as an 85 year old man, actually commented on how nicely the Honey Pear Cider scent distributed throughout the living room and kitchen. I placed the warmer on a plate to protect the finish on T's fancy schmancy end table, but I don't think it was really necessary.

Guess what? I have a little Valentine's surprise for you guys:

Scentsy would like to offer a Hugs and Kisses Warmer and TWO scents to one lucky Serenity Now reader!

Here's how you can enter (Leave a separate entry for each thing you do):
1. Leave me a comment.
Any comment. It can be about how great I am, how many Hershey's kisses you think I fit into that apothecary, your favorite scent, what you're doing today, whatever.
2. Tweet this Giveaway.
3. Facebook this Giveaway.
4. Link up a post to my Weekend Bloggy Reading party this weekend and link back or include my party button within your post. (No need to add a comment here for that one. A valid link gives you an automatic entry)

Giveaway open until 10 pm (ET) on Sunday!

*Linking this to Ashley's Valentine's Day party at Domestic Fashionista.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Butterscotch and Chocolate Chip Nut Bars

You will either love me or hate me after reading today's recipe for Butterscotch and Chocolate Chip Nut Bars. You might love me because I am such a good friend to share this dessert with you, and you might hate me because if you eat too many of these your scale will be reading a higher number. Or you could just pretend that it is having an off day and then go eat another brownie to make yourself feel better. Whatever works for you.

Either way, your friends are gonna love you and your Big Game party guests are going to be so distracted by the chocolatey butterscotchy goodness that they won't care whether the Dolphins or the Broncos win. What? Isn't that who's playing this weekend? I dunno...I tune in for the commercials, unless a team I like is playing.

I made a batch of these last week for a group of ladies coming over to plan for our upcoming MOPS meetings, and only one was left at the end of the night. I was so disappointed that Natalie and Michaela Byrd wouldn't get to try one, that I made another batch the next day. The worked out nicely for me them.

Note: This recipe didn't originally call for chocolate, but I think everything is better with chocolate, so I tend to add the chips in until I think it looks good. I also add extra butterscotch chips. I'm a maverick like that.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips (but let's be honest, I just load them in)
1 large egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 cups Bisquick
1 t. vanilla extract

Instructions:

Empty ingredients into a medium bowl. Stir in softened butter, 1 large egg, and 1 t. vanilla extract. Press into greased, 8 inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 to 22 minutes or until light golden and set in center.

Sit back and wait for the compliments to come rolling in. I guess you could do without the nuts in this recipe. Sometimes I forget that T doesn't like nuts and I accidentally put them on the grocery list and buy them and put them in the bars. It's a shame, but I am always willing to make up for his slack. I'm a good wife like that.