My "First" Thanksgiving and a Recipe Round-Up!

It's official! After some, ah, discussions and negotiations, T and I have decided to stay in the 'Burg for Thanksgiving this year. This is a feat I have managed only twice in our 9 years of marriage. This year, there is a little difference....

I get to host Thanksgiving dinner for the first time!

I am beyond excited, y'all. It's taken me a long time to get T to understand how important things like this are to me. I still don't think he quite *gets* it, but it means the world to me to be able to stay home this year and make some fun memories with our girls. T's extended family is wonderful, but I am glad to be able to do things my way this time!

My brother, Jamie, and his wife, "SuSu" (as my girls call her), will mostly likely be joining us. I'm hoping T's youngest brother and sister will also celebrate Thanksgiving at our house. I'm anticipating a nice, quiet day for the guys to watch football while the girls watch the parade and cook.

Speaking of cooking....I think SuSu has the turkey covered, and I have a great dressing recipe (that's stuffing in a pan for my "Yankee" readers). And that's pretty much where things end.

I was hoping you all could help me out, so I'm hosting a Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up!

Link up your best Thanksgiving/family recipes, tips, and tricks. Anything related to Thanksgiving will do. You can link up an old post, or write something new. I'll leave the linky up until Friday and hopefully we'll have a nice little resource fair going on here.

If you'd like to use my button or a link back to me, that would be nice, but not required.

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Join the party here!


Thanks for helping a Thanksgiving hostess newbie out!

Come on Over!

The Weekend Bloggy Reading party is still going. Hope you'll come by and link up your best post of the week!

The Stitch Sense Designs Giveaway is open until Sunday at 10 pm (ET). Come enter to win one of Nadir's Crochet Coffee Cozies and a $15 Gift Certificate to the shop!

I hope your weekend is off to a great start! Stop by and leave me some comment love on the party post if you can!

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::Weekend Bloggy Reading:: Link Up!

{What's on your agenda this weekend?}

My sister and I are hosting a baby shower tomorrow for our sister-in-law, and I have another Blessings Unlimited party after that. There will be a massive cleaning overhaul of the T household today. Well, the downstairs, anyways. It's not my fault if a few Polly Pockets are casualties of my cleanly efforts.

Today is the fun day where I share a few of my favorite posts from around Blogland this week, and you get to link up the best post from your own blog this week.

All I ask is that you please include my party button within your post (code is below) OR a link back to me within your post. Don't make me be a meanie and delete your link from the party. Pretty please?

Here are some of this week's favorites:

sources listed below

~Kate shared some of her own simple sewing projects in her Learning to Sew post, and had a guest poster list a Top 10 Rules for Sewing Machines. A great read for anyone who is new to the hobby or thinking about trying it out.

~Love Melissa's Living room Makeover. Fabulous!

~Jennifer has a Crafting Group, and I think it's so cool.

~Jan featured a Twilight Parody that made me laugh.

~Holly's Homemade Pita Chips and Hummus made me drool a little bit.

~And me?
On Monday, I shared a Potato Soup Recipe to rival The Soup Nazi and on Tuesday I gave some tips on How to Rock the Skinny Jeans Look if you're not a size 2. My girls started their own Babysitters Club, and I'm currently taking reservations for their services (wink).

Hope you will stop by the Stitch Sense Designs Giveaway that's still going on! Nadir is offering a Crocheted Coffee Cozie and $15 Gift Certificate to one lucky reader.

Time to link up your best post of the week to share! Let me know if you need help getting your link to appear.

Here's the button code if you'd prefer to use that instead of a link-back:

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Party is open until 10 pm on Sunday night. Please let me know if you need help getting your link to appear on the list!

{Happy Weekend!}

Stitch Sense Designs Giveaway

After blabbing on about How to Rock the Skinny Jeans Look in part by choosing the right accessories, it seemed only fitting to share one of my newest sponsors with you today. But let's be honest....

If you're going to accessorize your outfit, shouldn't your coffee be accessorized too?!

I'm excited to introduce you today to Stitch Sense Designs, a new Etsy shop full of fun creations by my friend Nadir.

Nadir is offering a special Giveaway today, so stick with me!

Nadir became "hooked for life" on crochet when she was in the sixth grade! She taught herself the ins and outs from a how-to book stolen from her older sister. After years of creating gifts for friends and family members, Nadir was encouraged to open her own Etsy shop when requests for her crochet and jewelry items  made her realize she could have a real business on her hands.

Because crochet has become her "sixth sense," Nadir opened Stitch Sense Designs in August and revamped her blog to reflect her new venture. The blog focuses on little glimpses into her life, and her shop includes baby items, winter accessories, jewelry, and gifts for the home.

With my new niece in town, my eyes were immediately drawn to the baby items:

I almost want to curl up myself and take a nap in that soft little baby cocoon! Perfect for photos or even swaddle time. And who doesn't love a pom pom hat on a little one?!

If there aren't any babies on your Christmas list, then think about who else you'd like to keep warm this winter! Love these cowls:

You'll need some cute new jewelry to go with your winter weather accessories!

Aren't the cotton dishcloths pretty? Maybe I'd enjoy washing dishes more if I had pretty stuff at the sink....

And, finally, my favorite thing...

Starbucks? Good. Reusable Coffee Cozie? Good. What's not to love, really?

The idea that I could run out to the 'Bucks with one of those bad boys around my wrist and then swap it to keep my coffee warm just makes me giddy. An accessory for my coffee...I loves it!

And I hope you love it too, because Nadir is giving away a $15 Gift Certificate to her shop along with a free Reusable Coffee Cozie in your choice of available colors!

Here's how you can enter:
1. (Mandatory to enter) Visit Stitch Sense Designs and leave me a comment here with the name of your favorite item.
FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES YOU CAN-
2. Tweet this Giveaway.
3. "Like" Stitch Sense Designs on Facebook OR link to this Giveaway on Facebook.
4. Link up a valid post to my Weekend Bloggy Reading party this weekend for an automatic entry. (party button code is below)

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Giveaway open to US residents until 10 pm on Sunday, November 14th.

See you tomorrow for Weekend Bloggy Reading. I have some great links to share!

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Silhouette Product Giveaway Winner

*The winner of the Silhouette Product Giveaway was #83, Kendra from Domestic Princess in Training.

Guess what?

You can still cash in with Silhouette! You can get 25% off of all Silhouette Accessories by entering the code SERENITY. Offer ends on November 13th. Head over to shop Silhouette today!

I'll be back later with an interview and Giveaway from Stitch Sense Designs.

The Babysitters Club

FOR HIRE: Experienced Babysitter

Comes with trusty assistant.

Licensed in use of Nick Jr., Fisher Price accessories, etc.

Will travel.

Cuddle time included.

Will work for "some monies" or large quantities of cookies.

Leave a comment here if interested....

{Natalie is ready to advertise her services as a sitter after discovering her newfound gift with babies. My sister brought baby Rowan to visit us for the first time! There is some jealousy over the new niece, I won't lie. But they are enjoying singing to the baby, fighting over who will hold the bottle, thrusting toys into her hands, and asking me when are we please getting a brother. Umm...right....}

Hope you'll come back tomorrow to see what Stitch Sense Designs is giving away!

How to Rock the Skinny Jeans Look When You're Not a Size 2

I Conquered my Fashion Fear last Fall, and skinny jeans no longer scare the begeezes out of me.

I am living proof that you don't have to look like Heidi Klum to rock a pair of skinny jeans. Really! 

I look fondly back on the days that I was a size 6, but those days are long past. I certainly don't advocate for someone like me, who is NOT a size 6, to pair them with a fitted t-shirt or something like this:

In fact, even if you are a size 2, this is just not a classy look. Unless it is Halloween and you are going as Ellie Mae Clampett or Mary Anne from Gilligan's Island. And FYI, fitted tees paired with skinny jeans are best left to supermodels or other freaks of nature who possess the lithe body of a malnourished 12 year old.

You have to make wise choices in order to embrace certain fashion trends, or else you really will look out of place and maybe even end up featured on People of WalMart. Seriously.

I think that most skinny jeans look great when you pair them with a nice tunic or longer sweater like these from Old Navy.

The skinny jeans shouldn't be the main attraction. You want your top, accessories, and shoes to all blend together to make one cute outfit. Skinny jeans are great for showing off a cute pair of shoes or boots!

See the difference with my boot cut jeans?

They don't look awful, but my purple booties are hidden and the black "Uggs" just look like clunky old shoes. The flats I don't mind so much with boot cut jeans, but unless your jeans are the perfect length, they can have a tendency to drag on the ground when you wear flats. 

I could go either way with heels, but I think I prefer the bootcut here:

I truly believe that most women can rock some skinny jeans if they take a careful look at what they are wearing on top. If size matters to you (that's what she said), then go for long tops, tunics, and sweaters. Dress your outfit up with some cute jewelry and a fun handbag and no one will be saying, "Should she really be wearing those jeans?" 

Keep things simple, and you won't end up like Ross and his leather pants in the Friends episode The One With All the Resolutions.

{Is there a trend you love but are too scared to try?}