Giveaway: Kahve Koffee 12oz Bag of Coffee Beans

I am pleased to announce a giveaway for a 12oz bag of coffee beans from Kahve Koffee.
You have never heard of Kahve Koffee?
Well, that's OK neither had I!
That's because they used to just sell to restaurants but now they are selling their delicious coffee to everyone.

WHY Kahve Koffee? I'll let them tell you. They do it best!

Just read our testimonials. People are positively addicted to Kahvé Koffee and for good reason. We are obsessive about our beans, our roasting, our packaging and our freshness. Our loyal customers will tell you they have never had a better, more consistent cup of coffee. They rely on us to deliver time and time again a perfect cup of their favorite blend or varietal. We are determined never to disappoint. To that end, our process is labor intensive and we double check ourselves every step of the way. We evaluate the quality and consistency of each and every roast and each and every shipment. The result... an intoxicating blend of aroma and taste, the likes of which you have never known.

If you decide to purchase some Kahve Koffee you can use the special code CONTEST15 for a 15% discount. Woo hoo!

One lucky reader will win a 12oz bag of coffee beans of their choice (excluding the flavored coffees)
How do you win? It's easy!
But first some rules:

US only

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Go HERE and pick which coffee beans you would want if you won. Choose wisely because it will be what you get if you do win. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

1. Follow my blog publicly. If you already follow, just say so. And thank you.
2. Follow me on twitter and tweet about the giveaway(one per day) - @BrokenTeepee and Kahve Koffee are giving away delicious coffee @http://tinyurl.com/29xwwo7 #giveaway

3. Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Broken Teepee and Kahve Koffee(this is good for 5 entries so leave 5 comments)

SEE THE EXTRA ENTRIES PAGE FOR ADDITIONAL WAYS TO ENTER.

 
 All entries need to be in by 9PM MDT on August 14th when I will go to Random.org to choose the winner. He/she will have 48hrs to respond or I will choose a new winner.


Good luck everyone.

Pricilla is also giving away a bag of coffee beans on her blog too!


Disclosure:  I will be receiving a 12oz bag of coffee beans for hosting this giveaway. I received no monetary compensation for this post.
 

Review: Scandle Body Candle and Scandle Sea Salts Soak and Scrub

I love candles and I love body lotion so have two of my favorite things formed a perfect marriage?
After trying the Scandle in its new Copa Cobana fragrance I would say it's pretty darn close!
I received the Scandle Originals Travel Candle for review and I set it on my windowsill. Every night before I go to sleep I use some form or cream or lotion on my poor hands. By the end of the day they are so dried out. Between washing them every time I touch the goats, washing dishes, general hand washing and our dry climate they are just dry, dry, DRY!

I lit the Scandle as directed and waited for the wax to pool a bit. Then I poured it into my hand. It wasn't hot and it soaked into my hands without leaving a greasy feeling. My hands felt soft and smooth; rather like I had one of those paraffin treatments at the salon. (THOSE were the days!)

I love the scent! A bit coconutty, a bit fruity. Really delightful.

I was also sent a sample of the Sea Salts Soak and Scrub.
PERFECT timing with moving into the yurt! I had my soaking tub and what is better for a soaking tub than soaking salts?

I used them as directed and my tub of water smelled like summer. After all coconut does remind me of sun tan lotion and the beach. It was delightful. I soaked in my tub and enjoyed my hot water. Here is some information direct from the Scandle site about the Sea Salt Soak:

Relax and indulge with this specially formulated multifunctional 2 in 1 product available in over 18 coordinating Scandle Candle fragrances! Add a few scoops of our specially formulated & natural dead sea salt to your bath or foot soak, gently exfoliate and renew your skin in the shower, or combine them with the soothing oil from the Scandle Body Candle to transform the salts into a a gentle warm exfoliating salt scrub for skin. Comes in 8oz jar with scoop and reusable hand-made twine pouch. Refills are available!
Read our article on Unique Spa Treatments for treatment information using The Scandle and our specially formulated Dad Sea Salts.


The only thing I would caution with the salt scrub is to be aware of any small cuts you might have if you do use them as a scrub. They are salt and you know how salt feels in a cut.

I truly enjoyed both of my Scandle products.  You can purchase them in the Scandle Store.
You can find Scandle on Facebook and Scandle on Twitter
You can read the Scandle Blog

Disclosure:  I received the Scandle and Sea Salts gratis from Scandle. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free products. I received no montetary compensation for this post.

Housewarmings - of Another Kind. For Mature Eyes Only Review: Eden Fantasys Demi-Cup Gown

There is more than one way to celebrate a housewarming and that's all I'm going to say here.

Most of my lingerie is old. Very old and it was bought when I was a touch heavier.
It was therefore nice to shop for a pretty gown that would fit my current size.
And no, there will be no photos of this new piece of clothing!
Instead I will show you the photo from the site, Eden Fantasys generally know for sex toys but home to some really nice lingerie too!

I was very pleased when I opened my shipment and found the gown to be very well made. The fabric is of a nice weight and it swishes in a lovely way when I walk. The blue at the bust is a very pretty color and is a good contrast to the black. It fit like a dream which is exactly what I was looking for and it made this old lady feel a bit young again. Not bad for a little gown, huh?

Oh, the hubby liked it too.....

Disclosure:  I received the gown gratis from Eden Fantasys. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free gown. I received no montetary compensation for this post.

Housewarmings - Review: Shabby Apple

Now comes the time to have the Housewarming party.
What is the hostess to wear?
She will want to look great, of course!
I know! A brand new dress from Shabby Apple.



What?! You haven't heard of Shappy Apple?
Well, I will fix that!
Here is what Shabby Apple is all about directly from their site:

Shabby Apple welcomes you to great dresses that make dressing simple.

After years of not being able to find stylish dresses that covered enough skin to make you really feel comfortable (without wearing a tank top, cardigan or long slip), owners Emily and CK decided to do something about it.

They visited trade shows, marketplaces and designer studios only to discover the problem was not that department stores weren't buying the right dresses, but that designers weren't designing them.
Shabby Apple is proud to offer you fantastic dresses that allow you to look fabulous, without having to compromise anything else.

A return to what dresses were always meant to be — a one-piece outfit. No need to add anything...no tank tops, no cardigans, nothing (except accessories, of course!).

I was given my choice of several different dresses to for review. I ended up picking one called Duck Beach. My reasons; it looked comfortable, it could be dressed up or down and it was red - the hubby's favorite color.

I hadn't bought a new dress in I can't tell you how many years. It's not like the goats demand I be fashion forward when mucking out their stalls. I do have a wedding to go to in September and we will be having a housewarming party so this will be the perfect dress for me to have. It's a nice, lightweight cotton and the color is a gorgeous, true red.

Hubby approved.

The dress is true to the sizing on the site and the sizing is explained very well. This is good when you are buying online. It is well constructed and I took it for a test spin in the back yard.

Pricilla, being a famous SpokesGoat and model helped me.

She gave me some tips on how to look better for the camera. She should know - she's an expert!

I thought, as much as one hates to show it, I should show the back of the dress.
*sigh*

Hubby really liked it and says he looks forward to going out with me.
Always good to hear when you've been married for 28 years.

The service from Shabby Apple was fast and the dress arrived well packaged. I am very happy with spiffy new dress and can see myself turning to them if the goats get tired of me in red.

Right now Shabby Apple is having a summer sale on most items. So go check it out.  They really have a lovely assortment of dresses and accessories to make a girl (or slightly older woman - ah-hem) feel pretty.

Disclosure:  I received a Duck Beach dress gratis from Shabby Apple. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free dress. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

This is My 1,000th Post and I am Pleased to Announce the Winner of Bingo's Big Adventure

I couldn't believe when I saw that this was going to be my 1,000th post.
Wow.
That's a lot of writing.

I am very pleased that it fell on this post.
This is a very special book so it SHOULD have a very special post!

So without further ado the lucky comment is:

Here are your random numbers:

44

Timestamp: 2010-07-30 23:14:50 UTC

and the winner of the truly adorable Bingo's Big Adventure is:

Dina!

I will send Dina an email and she will have 48 hrs to respond. If she does not I will choose a new winner.

I want to thank everyone who entered and I want to send a great big THANK YOU to Julia King for sponsoring this giveaway. And I suppose we must all thank Bingo for being such an adventurous cat!

Remember, for those of you who did not win Bingo's Big Adventure is available at Amazon.com

Pocket Books Announces an Exciting New Site

Here is some exciting news from Pocket Books!

New York, New York (July 30^th) – Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, has announced the launch of POCKET AFTER DARK (PocketAfterDark.com), a free online community for romance and urban fantasy readers.  Developed by Simon & Schuster Digital, Pocket After Dark will offer access to exclusive content and provide a forum for members to share interests and connect with other readers, authors, and editors on a personal level.

POCKET AFTER DARK will allow members to read, rate, and discuss new romance and urban fantasy books, participate in polls and live chats with bestselling authors, discover new authors and sample material, and connect with fellow readers and fans.  Special features will include access to free books, A Little Tease which offers two free chapters of up to six current titles per month, and a sneak peek from a soon-to-be published book by new and popular authors.  Members will also be able to earn points based on their site activity. 

The site also includes the entire catalog of Simon & Schuster’s romance and fantasy books organized around the various sub-genres:  contemporary, historical, paranormal, urban fantasy, and romantic suspense so readers can easily engage with the content and discussions they find most relevant to their interests.  

While the site is geared towards reading and discussion, users can buy the books directly from the site or an online retailer of their choice. 

“Pocket Books is home to many of today’s premiere romance and urban fantasy authors, and Simon & Schuster Digital remains at the forefront of developing exciting and compelling online content,” said Louise Burke, Pocket Books’ Executive Vice President and Publisher.  “I am thrilled to be a part of this new venture that will unite our authors with their devoted fans.”

“Romance and urban fantasy readers are incredibly active online, and love to talk about their favorite books,” said Lauren McKenna, Pocket Books’ Executive Editor.  “POCKET AFTER DARK wants to be the publishing equivalent of their favorite hangout, where they can spot a publishing ‘VIP,’ bestselling author, or just talk with like-minded fans.”

“We combined free access to great content with all the latest social media functionality to create a virtual book club that serves passionate romance and urban fantasy readers,”  said Ellie Hirschhorn, Simon & Schuster’s Chief Digital Officer.  “Readers and fans can now connect around their favorite authors, characters, and books with others from around the country, rather than limiting discussions to those held in their living rooms.”  

Log on to http://PocketAfterDark.com and become a member today!

Blog Tour: Lingering Spirit by Marilyn Meredith

From the Publisher's Website:




Nicole Ainsworth’s husband, Steve, has a premonition of his death and moves his family to a mountain community where he serves as a deputy sheriff. He is killed in the line of duty and his wife, Nicole, is left behind to struggle with the changes forced upon her life. While trying to cope with her grief, raise her two little girls, her husband’s spirit visits her on numerous occasions. She soon learns that someone else is watching over her too.

About the Author:


Marilyn Meredith is the author of nearly thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Dispel the Mist from Mundania Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series, An Axe to Grind is the latest from Oak Tree Press.
She is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, including the Internet chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

My Opinion:

This is a short but sweet tale of Nicole Ainsworth and how she survives the loss of her police deputy husband. He has a premonition that all is not well. He feels if they do not move from the Southern California town she has know all her life he will die. Nicole is skeptical but believes in him so the family moves to Northern California.  But it is all for naught as Steve is killed on duty anyway and Nicole is left with her two small daughters.

The story details the trials of a young widow trying to just get by, day to day. At times Nicole just goes with the flow of all the help she receives and at times she just wants everyone to leave. When she is finally left alone she starts having "visitations" and experiencing furniture moving and the sensation of feeling Steve kissing her at night.

Is she going crazy or is Steve's spirit trying to tell her something?

As Nicole tries to learn the answer she moves her family forward through life learning to live again.

I found this to be a lovely read for a rainy day or a day at the beach. It's short so it's perfect for reading in one sitting. The emotions will pull at you and give you hope for what may be when you lose someone you love.

Lingering Spirit is available at Amazon.com













Disclosure:  I received a gratis copy of Lingering Spirit from Pump up Your Book Promotions. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinion and were not impacted by the receipt of the free book. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Luke is Driving me Crazy!

Luke the goat is driving me crazy.
He is in rut.
He wants a doe.

I realize this is nature but he was not this bad last year.
He also has several holes in his fence that I just can't fix.
He keeps escaping.
Of course he goes right over to visit the does.

They want nothing to do with him but this does not deter him.
Oh no.
He stands there flapping his tongue and stamping his hoof.
They look over and yawn.

I spend my day putting him back in his pen.
Today the hubby was home and he has decided that maybe fixing the fencing should move up on his priority list.

Gee.

Didn't I suggest that to him last week?
HE didn't think it was important.
Until HE had to deal.

Stupid goat in rut.

Made In America

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.

I live in a very small town. It's downtown has seen a downturn. It happened long before I moved here when the timber mill closed down. There is still a grocery store and a pharmacy and a couple of bars. A few new businesses are starting to open up which is very nice to see. But most shopping is done down in Missoula.

It's always a shame to see a small town's downtown start to fade away. To see the small shops close and see everyone look for the deals at the big box stores. It's hard to find things that are Made in America. But if you look hard you can still find them.

My living room furniture was made in California. Yup. We worked hard to find a company that produced an eco friendly product made here and we are happy for it. It's good to preserve business and jobs.

I hope to see more small businesses opening in my small town. There is certainly the space for them. The problem comes back to those jobs. There just aren't that many around here. And it's jobs that stirs the economic pot. It's hard when the city is an hour and a half away - that's a long commute and a lot of gas.

I love my little town and I don't want to see it shrink any further. It would be wonderful if a company like Rambler's Way would set up shop there. They have taken over a building that was originally built in 1792  in downtown Kennebunk, Maine. The building has been restored to its original condition, while being modernized to meet today's environmental standards. That would be a godsend to my little town. Hmmm, I wonder if goats can do for here what sheep did for there.
heh

Best Cat Toy EVER

Why is it that you can go shopping and spend untold dollars buying your cats toys and you come home and find that they have the most fun playing with this?

Uh huh!

A brown bag from the grocery store.
I swear the two of them played with that bag until it was in shreds.
Of course I then had to sweep up the shreds.
They took that bag through all the rooms of the yurt.

Silly cats!

Housewarmings - Review and Giveaway: The Rubbermaid reveal Spray Mop

One of the best things you can give a new homeowner is the gift of clean.
Now if someone wants to send me a maid service - please do.
heh
The next best thing, though is to make cleaning EASY.
'Cause as much as we don't like to do it, it has to get done.

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to try the brand spankin' new Rubbermaid reveal Mop.  My first thought upon opening my new mop was how sweet is was of Rubbermaid to design the mop to complement my new kitchen.
heh
I do like the red and grey color scheme.

Now that I have a house instead of a trailer I have more floors to clean. I have two different types of flooring; the bamboo which covers most of the house and the Marmoleum in the bathroom.

I used my spiffy new mop on both types of flooring. I decided the first time I used it I would just go with hot water in the convenient bottle.( I LOVE that you can choose what cleaning solution to put in the bottle. This is so eco-friendly! No nasty chemicals for me!) The floors really weren't that dirty yet as we had just moved into the house. I had given them a good cleaning before the furniture arrived.  


The Marmoleum in the bathroom had some streaks and water spots.

Nothing like showing your dirty floors all over the internet.

The bamboo was more dusty than anything but there were some areas full of dirty cat prints. Hmmmm, I wonder how that happened? I failed to photograph said cat prints. But I did photograph the culprit!
He tried to "help" me mop. He was actually a bit afraid of the water spray.

Ghost Cat Sherpa - always in motion especially when being sprayed with water. Bwahahaha!

I wouldn't spray water just to terrorize the cat.
Not me!
Thank you Rubbermaid for making mopping the floors fun for reasons wholly unintended.

After I was done the bathroom floor had a lovely sheen and all the spots and streaks were gone!

The bamboo looked spiffy.

It was very easy to use; it moved easily over both surfaces and the spray flowed out in a nice arc. To do my living room, bedroom and bathroom I only used this much water from the bottle so you can imagine how far it will go.

Not bad, huh?
The kit comes with two microfiber pads and they are machine washable. DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENER ON THEM. This system is much better than the one I have which required me to pull the microfiber pad off of the mop, rinse it out and put it back on again to continue. Seriously! That was icky!

I am very happy with my new mop and the hubby is happy I'm happy 'cause then I will mop the floors.
heh.
Maybe I should get him to be happy with the mop.
What do you think?

Well, no matter what happens on that front one of you is going to be happy with a new mop too!
That's right! I have a Rubbermaid reveal mop to give away to one lucky reader.
How do you win?
It's easy, but first some rules:

US and Canada only
No PO Boxes

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Go the reveal FAQ page and tell me something you learned. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

1. Follow my blog. If you already do just say so, and thank you
2. Follow me on twitter and tweet about the giveaway(one per day) - @BrokenTeepee and@Rubbermaid are giving away a new way to reveal clean floors @http://tinyurl.com/28h7k8k # giveaway

3. Blog about this giveaway with a link back to Broken Teepee and Rubbermaid reveal this is good for 5 entries so leave 5 comments)
4. "Like" Rubbermaid on Facebook and tell them Broken Teepee sent you
5.  Follow @Rubbermaid on Twitter
6.  Tell me what solution you would use in your reveal mop

SEE THE EXTRA ENTRIES PAGE FOR ADDITIONAL WAYS TO ENTER.
  

All entries need to be in by 9PM MDT on August 12th when I will go to Random.org to choose the winner. He/she will have 48hrs to respond or I will choose a new winner.

Good luck everyone.

Disclosure:  I received a gratis reveal mop from Rubbermaid. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free mop. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Giveaway Winners: Tempted by a Warrior and 50 Custom Thank you Cards from UPrinting and Lenny Mud Pencil Cup or Pitcher

I have winners to announce today.  There are going to be happy readers, happy writers and happy pottery owners.
Could it get any better?
I think not!

So on with the announcements!
First up the winners of Tempted by a Warrior by Amanda Scott.

The lucky comments are:

Here are your random numbers:

45
9
22

24
63

Timestamp: 2010-07-29 15:43:34 UTC

And the winners are:

CaroleSpring
rubynreba
karenk
elaing8
Anita Yancey

Hooray!

Next up, the 50 custom Thank You cards from UPrinting.com

The lucky comment is:

Here are your random numbers:

18

Timestamp: 2010-07-29 15:58:37 UTC

and the winner is:

Jeanie!

Woo hoo!

And now we turn to the beautiful choice of a pitcher or pencil cup from Lenny Mud on etsy. I would sure have a hard time choosing!

The lucky comment is:

Here are your random numbers:

69

Timestamp: 2010-07-29 16:09:54 UTC

and the winner is:

Grand Pooba!

Congratulations!

I want to thank everyone who entered and send a great big THANK YOU to Hachette Books, UPrinting and Lenny Mud for sponsoring the giveaways!

Remember - if you did not win you can still purchase these great products.

Tempted by a Warrior is available on Amazon.com

UPrinting.com offers a full array of printing products and fantastic service as well

Lenny Mud on etsy is full of unique and charming hand thrown pottery.

Baking for the Firemen - Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

It's that time again!
It's time to show you what I baked for the firemen this week.
I have to admit I enjoyed making (and sneaking a piece - hubby brought me one home. Shhhh)
this recipe.
I mixed up the topping on the fly and it turned out yummy!

I started by making a crust. I had no graham crackers so I had to improvise. I threw some oatmeal, brown sugar and cinnamon in the food processor. I then added melted butter to the mixture. I baked it in the springform pan for about 10 minutes.

After I tried the cheesecake I could have sworn it had a graham cracker crust!

I used a basic cheesecake recipe and I, of course, forgot to take most of the mixing photos. It started with three packs of cream cheese.

Which I beat in JJ with sugar and duck eggs.
It went into the crust lined spring form pan and that went into my spiffy new oven.

I cannot tell you how much I love having the new oven!

It wasn't gorgeous when it came out but it's a cheesecake!

The topping started with some POM Pomegranate Juice. I boiled it down a bit.

Then I added some fresh cherries and some flour mixed in butter to thicken it.

I poured it on top of the cooled cheesecake.

Then I drizzled it with melted bittersweet chocolate mixed with a bit of powdered sugar.

It was VERY yummy!

Charter is Giving Free Laptops to Schools

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.



Charter has been known for some pretty exciting contests and giveaways to reward customers for signing up for their services..
They have given away a Camaro, hybrid cars, laptops, XBox 360s and much more.

But now they want to give back.
Give back to schools. Schools who desperately need laptops to help students learn.

You can nominate a school and it can be one of two schools that Charter will pick to win 50 laptops each.
Now how cool is that?
The laptops are Lenovo G555's with a 15.6" screen, 160GB drive and 3GB ram (with a Targus bag)
You can gain entry by registering for any Charter service which also makes you eligible for up to $300 cash back. You can also register online for free for the laptop-a-day giveaway

To nominate a school there is a short form - go HERE to complete it. .But hurry! All entries need to be in by August 12. Charter will then choose 50 finalists from all entries received based on the story told in the entry. Then the voting will begin and run from 8/16 - 9/20 with the winning schools being announced on 9/27.

So what do you have to lose?

Check it all out and while doing that why not head over and "Like" Charter on Facebook

Coming in August

I am very excited about the way August is shaping up.
Broken Teepee is going to be celebrating Back to School!

Not just for the kids, oh no!
We are also celebrating Back to School for adults too.

And for the moms and dads left home while the kids head back as well.

There will be lots of reviews, giveaways and features for products that will make the whole Back to School time fun and informative so be sure to stay tuned.

The fun will begin on August 1st!

Planning a Trip - Why Not go to Memphis?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Memphis Travel. All opinions are 100% mine.

I remember when we were traveling around in the fifth wheel we stopped oh so briefly in Memphis. It was one of the few times when we had to be somewhere at a specific time so we really couldn't stay too long. It was disappointing. It didn't happen often but every so often I didn't get to see as much of an area as I would have liked.

It would be fun to go back. Especially now that I've found a Memphis-savvy travel guide. It has clued me in to all of the fun things available to do if I ever do get back to Memphis. Things like visiting the Memphis Botanic Garden. It covers over 96 acres and offers sweeping vistas and the renowned Japanese Garden of Tranquility.  You can also take a carriage ride through downtown Memphis or get romantic along the Mississippi River.

Maybe I will get that chance to go back. Why, you ask? Because I can enter to win a trip package!
Woo hoo! Several are offered but I would take advantage of the couples package with one of those romantic carriage rides, a visit to Sun Studios and the Orpheum Theatre, a stay at the Peabody Hotel and dinner at the Majestic Hotel. Wouldn't that be fantastic?

Now to find someone to babysit the goats.
Any takers?

Yurtgress - Barter is Fun

I was quite excited to receive a package from Texas this week.
In it were some lovely pillow shams made by Texan!
She had posted them some on her website and said she would be interested in perhaps doing a barter for a pair.
I fell in love with them and contacted her and we made a deal for some earrings and soap and lo and behold my bed now looks like this.

I cannot do anything without Harry checking it out.
She is a beautiful seamstress. I only hope I have 1/10th of her talent when I get my sewing machine set up.
She worked from a photo of my quilt and the two fabrics she chose compliment it perfectly.

I love the ruffle on the end. It's the perfect little flourish.
So thank you Texan for sprucing up my new bedroom!

Housewarmings - Review: 1-800-FLOWERS.com

Sometimes you have a friend that is far away and you want to celebrate a special occasion with them.
You want to mark the day in some special way.
FLOWERS you think! Flowers would be perfect.
But you don't know if there is a florist in their town so what do you do?

You go to 1-800-FLOWERS.com!

I was sent a GORGEOUS bouquet of flowers and my day did indeed brighten right up.  The flowers arrived on Monday and Sunday had been my 51st birthday so I needed something to make me smile!

Just look at the rose. The color is so unusual and it about glows!

 Of course they also had to pass kitten inspection. (From somekitten who knows he not allowed on the table!)

And they did. Fortunately none of my current cats are flower eaters like my Fred was.

Aren't they stunning. The colors are amazing and the flowers are oh so fresh.  I took this photo this morning and you can see the bouquet looks like it did when it was delivered - maybe the roses have opened a bit but that is all.

The pitcher is quite substantial and I know I will be able to use it for all those bouquets my hubby brings me.

Excuse me while I pause for a laughing fit.

I'm back!


1-800-FLOWERS.com would like to encourage everybody to send someone a  smile this summer. I'm sure you can think of someone who needs one!

There are so many ways to do it too.
There's the It's Your Sunny Day Bouquet

You can always send someone's favorite flower. Mine happens to be tulips.

Aren't they lovely?

Or you could go classic with roses.

There is a summer rose sale on currently and you can save up to 50%.

You have to hurry for the roses, though, the sale ends on 7/31.

Another reason I was happy to received this pretty bouquet - it came from my local florist. It gave some much needed business to a shop in my community. I also found out my florist lives just down the street from me!

Disclosure:  I received a bouquet of flowers gratis from 1-800-FLOWERS.com. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free flowers. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Rare and Exotic Visitors

Now that we are living in the yurt we can look out over the river as we eat dinner.
Part of the reasoning behind purchasing the yurt in the first place was the ability to have a lot of glass on the river side of the house so we could take the best advantage of our view.

As we eat our dinner we can watch the birds flitting around our property like swallows, hummingbirds and finches. We also see the bigger birds that hunt the river - the bald eagles, the osprey and the great blue herons.
The past couple of days we have been lucky enough to have a golden eagle hanging around the far side of the river from our house and he is one magnificent bird.  Last night as we ate he was sitting in a tree eating as well.
We are now keeping the binoculars close by so we can check things out.

The night before last I was sitting at the table and there were several bright white birds down by the little island on the far side of the river. It's a good distance away so I couldn't immediately tell what they were so I grabbed the binoculars to see if I could identify our visitors.  I was amazed. I had to go run and get the telephoto lens and see if I could get pictures.

The photos aren't great but you can tell what my rare and exotic visitors were....

Growing up on an island off of the New Jersey coast I recognized them immediately.

Herring gulls!
In the Clark Fork River in Montana.

I swear, seagulls are going to take over the world.

Yurtgress - Review: The Serin Faucet by American Standard

We are now living in the yurt - I am sure that most parts of the country heard my shout of HOORAY!
One of the most important parts of getting the house livable was having a functional bathroom. That included a sink of course and that sink needed a faucet.

The vanity we chose came with a vessel sink. I have to be honest; when I went out looking for vessel sink faucets I started getting worried. Most of what I saw in the home improvement stores were, well, butt ugly.
I was not looking to have butt ugly in my spiffy new bathroom. No way, no how!

Then I was fortunate enough to be presented with the choice of a faucet from the great folks at American Standard.  As I started browsing their line I saw it and it was love at first sight! I really didn't need to even look further because I knew it was just what I wanted; sleek, modern and G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S.

Allow me to show you the Serin Single Control Vessel Lavatory Faucet.

Serin Bathroom Faucet

Are you in love yet? In addition to her beauty she is Water Sense certified which you know is VERY important to me. You can learn more about having a Responsible Bathroom and how it can help you and the environment HERE. There is also a sweepstakes going on which you can read about HERE. The prizes include the American Standard Flowise 3 Showerhead (which I can attest is VERY nice) and cool and exciting trips.

The hubby is the chief installer of all things in the household and he dutifully read the instructions.

It was super easy to install - in went the hot and cold thingies. I know I overwhelm you with my technical talk. You will just have to deal.

Then he used American Standard's quick connect system to well, quick connect. I tried to get video of just how easy this was but it's a small space in a black cabinet so you can imagine what that looked like.

Just know it went fast and easy.

He's half done here.

Voila! My sink had it's delightful accompaniment.

It really is a beautiful bathroom faucet. I am so very happy with it.

We have been living with it for a couple of weeks now and I can tell you that it works well and feels very solid. The feel of the water flow is not compromised by the Water Sense standards being applied. It's easy to clean and if you ask me just plain timeless in style.

So check out the full line that American Standard has to offer. In my opinion you won't be disappointed. I will soon be showing you the faucet we bought - the Pekoe - to put in our kitchen.

American Standard is also sponsoring the America's Ugliest Bathroom Contest.  Is it in YOUR house?

If so you can enter to win on Facebook.  The prize is a $10,000.00 bathroom makeover. Check it out - wouldn't it be lovely to have a brand new bathroom?

You can find American Standard on Facebook and on Twitter.

Disclosure:  I received a Serin faucet gratis from American Standard. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by the receipt of the free faucet. I received no monetary compensation for this post.