I Support Paula Deen Giveaway

It has been hard to listen to all the media and unjustified hype surrounding this precious southern lady for the past week. The part that gets me the most is how quick many want to jump on the band wagon and judge someone for something they said years ago. YEARS AGO. These same people have no idea of the facts, they just hear something, and in this case it happened to be the "n" word and all hell breaks loose.

Forget the fact that she openly and publicly (1) admitted to it and (2) sincerely apologized for it. As you read this and as I type this post, how many, just HOW MANY would do the same. How many would admit to a racial slur, a lie, a theft, an affair, dishonest acts far worse than what she has been hung out to dry over.

You don't have to answer me.....but you get the idea. If Paula Deen had any fear about the situation, she swallowed that fear and did the right thing. I commend her for that. The whole US of A should commend her for that.  I could admit to a lot of things myself..but FEAR keeps my mouth shut, and I am sure I am not alone.  I mean after all, we are living in a world were we could be stoned or shot in our own front yards over someone not liking or taking offense to something we said. It is time to wake up here!

I love Paula Deen, and I enjoy her show. I enjoy her cooking as it reminds me of my own grandmothers cooking from long ago. Simple, wonderful dishes that can be shared with your family. She is a Southern Lady and a true inspiration in every way. I feel she has been treated unfairly and this is just an example of how out of control our society is in general. How and when is enough, enough.

Once the media get wind of a story, they blow it up into preposterous proportions. That is when The Food Network, Walmart, Home Depot or QVC and other endorcements.......decide it is a good business move to drop her. Really? I wonder how many of the top CEO's of these very companies or owners would honestly stand before a television news camera and admit to any wrong doing of any kind in the last thirty years. Pardon me, but there was only one perfect man and that man walked on water.

Well, you know, I have rights too. If I want to turn on her show and watch it on television, I have that right, why does the Food Network think they can take that away? Does Walmart, Home Depot, QVC, Target or Sears think they can take away my right to walk into their store or go online and purchase her products if I so choose? It appears most of these do think they have the right. But I also HAVE THE RIGHT to not spend my money with these retailers, even if it means driving out of my way to shop elsewhere. When does this stop? We as consumers have rights too....the retail world seems to forget that.

 If I was a major corporation, I'd sign Paula Deen in an instant, but since I am not and I am a nobody, I have been wondering what I can do to show my support.

I went to Amazon and per-ordered Paula's new cookbook coming out in October.  I went back and ordered five more copies. I am going to give the other five copies away here on my blog. It is not a lot, but it is what I can do. Go to the website and order yourself a copy, then win one I am offering here and give it to a friend. Everyday folks like you and my do have a voice.

If you would like to enter my giveaway for a chance to win one of these Paula Deen & Friends Cookbooks coming out in October, just leave a comment. You can leave your own thoughts, you can tell me  your favorite southern dish, or you can just say I want to enter. If you tweet about this giveaway, share on Facebook or blog about the giveaway, leave another comment that you did that! It is not required, but it will give you extra chances. Please only leave one comment for each way to enter.

And if the comments climb over 2500 (yes, I know that is ambitious) but if it does, I will give one lucky winner a set of Paula Deen cookware along with a cookbook. How sweet is that??

Please if you are a no reply blogger, make sure you leave an email address so I can contact you if you are chosen. All cookbooks will be mailed when they are shipped out in October. 

I will close the giveaway on the last day of July. You have lots of time to enter, and lots of time to tell your friends. I know this really does not have a huge impact, however, it is showing my support and I am looking forward to sharing with all of you. If you'd like to read about ways to let the retailers know your thoughts on this subject, you can go HERE to Support Paula's Facebook page. Hop over and like that page....it is climbing with new people supporting the Queen of the South every day!

Good Luck Everyone...spread the word. Giveaway ends July 31st!

For the record: Paula Deen does not have any affiliate with my blog. She does not know me or I am sure never even heard of me.This is not a sponsored post. This is a post and giveaway sponsored by me and the money out of my own pocket. I think it is being well spent and I hope it makes a small difference.

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Norman Rockwell Mugs

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

Hope you all have had a wonderful week. The weeks are speeding by for me, especially since there are events just on the horizon that I am not looking forward to at all. Funny, how that happens when you'd like things to slow down.

A few months ago, my mom asked me if I would like to have a set of mugs that belonged to my grandmother. I said yes, of course I wanted them. I remember my grandmother having these in her cabinet but I really never paid too much attention to them.

The pictures are Norman Rockwell photographs and the theme surrounds the sea and a grandfather.

There are four in the set and they really are neat mugs. These are dated 1985 and I have no idea where my grandma got them from. At first thought, I was inclined to think they might have been a giveaway of some kind, but knowing where she lived, I don't really think that was the case.

On the back of each is a title and a inscription that goes with the photo on the front of the mug. These are remarkably in great condition.

My son has a passion for the sea and the sand and the coast and I thought he might like them. One day I asked him if he would like to have them and he told me  yes, one day. So I will keep them for him and hope when that someday comes, he will remember they belonged to my grandma and I hope he takes care of them. I was just glad he said he wanted them, because I can not think of anyone who I would want these to go to. I know he will take care of them, after all, he is my son...and he is a good son.

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!!

Confessions of a Cook in the Kitchen

Everyone has a secret or two, don't you agree? The problem may not be in the secret itself but in the fact you forgot you never confessed the secret until...oh....about twenty-eight years later.

Let me start off by giving you a little background to the truth: When my husband and I first started dating I wanted to impress him with my home cooking. Because we all know the way to a man's heart is through food.....yea, whatever. Oh, I could cook a few things at that time in my life, but I quickly ran out of ideas on cooking great dishes that were not repeats. Unfortunately for me, I did not grow up with the convenience of internet to search recipes online. No, I had to search my brain for friends who could cook great dishes and ask them how or would they make it. Yes, I so did that.

Now, my best friend's mother made some of my favorite dishes. One of my favorites was her lasagna. Oh, she made the best lasagna. So one day, I shamefully called her up and asked her if I purchased all the ingredients for her lasagna, would she make it for me. She quickly offered to give me the recipe (which she did and I still make it today) but I was afraid I'd mess it up since I had never made it before. I explained that to her and I remember she just laughed but agreed to make it. It was a huge relief. Seriously.

So the day my then boyfriend/now husband was coming over for dinner, I dropped all the ingredients off at my friend's house before I went to work, and picked it up on my way home. If I tell you that I flew like the wind to get home so I could pop that pan of lasagna in the oven (so it would appear I had cooked it) would you believe me?? Wait...don't answer that! The results however, were exactly what I wanted...he loved the lasagna, and I assume, he thought I was a magnificent cook with that meal and some of the other things I felt confident in cooking...he married me after all ;-)

I am sure you are wondering if I felt bad for that little indiscretion and letting him assume I had made that dinner. I really did not, no sire. I mean after all, I did learn to make that wonderful lasagna myself, and well, no harm was done.I had forgotten that little secret of mine from long ago until a one night this weekend.

My daughter wanted to do something nice for a boyfriend who lives out of town. She very cleverly got him to confess to her what his favorite cookies were and she made a plan to make some and send them to him in the mail as a surprise. They were well received and he loved them. He loved them so much that he told my daughter that they were much better than the cookies his very own mother made him.

He told her that his mothers cookies sometimes tended to by dry..and hers were perfect and wonderful. Now, that would be the conclusion to a happy ending, all except for one small little problem. He assumed my daughter had made those cookies from scratch and he thought they were better than his own mothers...and the fact of the matter was she purchased the cookie dough at the store. Ahem.

I am here to report that my daughter, just like her mother, did not say anything to her friend. She did not confess about the cookies.....but after about three weeks of him bringing the subject up, she decided enough was enough. She could not, with a clear conscience hear him say how great she was and how wonderful she was in making him those cookies, and how great they tasted one more time. She had stood all she could stand and one night she replied..."yea....about that"....and she came clean.

She told him that she had purchased the cookie dough from the store and they were not made from scratch...not really homemade. Luckily, he did not care about that and was more concerned with the sweet gesture made by my daughter. Her conscience bothered her in the fact he assumed she had made them from scratch....She is so unlike her mother!

Last week as my husband and I were talking over dinner, I had told him about her and the cookies. He laughed, but really did not pay me too much attention as he was in the middle of enjoying his grilled steak and potatoes. I continued on with my story and compared it to when I served him lasagna long ago before we were married and how I had not even made it.

There sat my husband, with his fork stabbed into a piece of steak suspended in mid air, just mere inches from his mouth and he stopped mid stream, tilted his head to the side and asked, "What did you say???" 

 I threw my head up from looking at my own plate and when I looked at him I knew right away this was clearly news to him. Likewise,what do you say when you have let the cat and the kittens out of the bag with your big mouth. I guess I thought I had told him that little story earlier in our marriage. Nope. Clearly it was a surprise.

He did not say it, but I know he secretly thanked his lucky stars that our daughter could not keep a secret like that for twenty-eight years. In fact, she could not keep it three weeks.

Moral of this story: Always raise your kids to be better than you consider yourself to be and if you have something to confess....just tell it and get it over with, because you will get to a point you won't remember if they know the truth or not and telling on yourself is not always how you want the story to end! Luckily, I learned to cook rather well even if I started out rather slow and a little dishonest!

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Garden Goodies

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

Summer means lots of time in the yard, enjoying the flowers and all the lovely vintage things that accent the flowerbeds. 

My  blue vintage chair is still holding together. It holds a old rusty basket that has a plant in the middle. Some of my favorite things to combine in  my flower beds are color and old rusty and worn things. 

Galvanized buckets, water coolers, and pails also are plentiful in my yard.

I have no idea where I saved this photo from, but I hope to find a way to make a few of these! Just another great idea to use up some of my vintage plate collections. 

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!!

A Deserving Father's Day Wish For Him

I have found that when Father's Day comes around these days, I often find myself reflecting on the relationship or lack of I had with my own father. I don't allow myself to dwell on that too much as it was out of my control from the time I was a little girl. It was, what it was, and no wishing things differently will ever change that part of my life. I'd like to imagine he was all he could possibly be, even if it was not all I wanted him to be. Sometimes acceptance of things you can not change is all one can do.

That is when I find my thoughts drifting to my adult years. I think of the incredible man I was lucky enough to fall madly in love with at first glance, one fateful night long ago. I don't know if luck played a part in our meeting or not, but it certainly must have been under a blessed star. Ironically for every fault my own father had in the relationship he and I had, this man makes up for it 100 fold in the relationship he has with our own kids.

He is the one who is manly enough to walk the little dogs that rule our empty nest these days. He is the one who loves them as much as I do and puts up with a lot of loud yapping from the four we have. He is the one who drives me batty at times and then in a split second can melt my heart as he did all those days ago. He is a friend, partner and confidant. He is strong in character and instills wonderful values in all.

He is the one who is always there during the good times and the one you know will greet you with a hand out if you need one. He is the one who has instilled a secure sense of responsibility and living up to expectations in both of our kids. He is the one without a doubt who will always be there even if you think you can go it alone. He is the one who values right over the easy way each and every time. (well, most of the time)

He is the one who calls six to ten times a day to see what you are doing and check to see if you are OK. He is the one who asks about every single detail of your life and expects you to answer each and every question. He is the one who lets our kids know daily that we are here and we are always going to be here. He is the one who is quick to forgive when you disappoint, and the one to make you laugh or smile when you are having a bad day, even if you don't want to be cheered up. He is the one who won't let anyone stay mad long....even if it means making a fool out of himself to make you laugh. He is the one who has pet names for us all....no matter if they are nothing we would have chosen for ourselves, somehow, they seem to fit each of us perfectly.

He is the one who I know without a doubt was one of the best things that has ever come my way in this lifetime. He is everything and more, not only to our kids but to me as well. He fills each day with laughter or at least a lot of entertainment. I can not imagine life without him! Happy Father's Day to the most wonderful father and husband I could have imagined. It never goes unnoticed that you are all the things I wished I had in my own father when I was growing up. Thank you for being all you can be for all of us, but mostly for our kids.  I know we all are guilty of not telling you enough how special you are, but know there could be no one to ever take your place.

Denyse Schmidt Charm Square Swap - Whatcha Think?????

I have been toying with the idea of hosting a charm swap. I have seen so many of the new Denyse Schmidt fabrics for this year, and well, I know I really CAN'T buy all that I see...so was thinking about hosting a charm square swap. Charms cut into 5 inch squares out of a yard of fabric and then sent to me and I will swap all the squares and resend them to you in the self addressed stamped envelope you provide.

If there is an interest in this, I'd love to host it.I am thinking about opening it up to 55 swappers plus myself for a total of 56. What a great variety of DS fabrics this would be. New and older fabric designs are acceptable. Starting in mid June and closing sometime in July. International swappers ok to join, but please be ready to ship your fabrics right away.

Leave me a comment if you think you might like to join. If I get enough that says they are in, well, we will do it and I will post all the instructions and information to get you all started!

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Love and Faith

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

Time certainly marches on, it waits for no one. I have found myself very busy these days with lots of things I need to get done. Am I making progress?? I would say not so much. I find myself preoccupied and that keeps me from being productive.

This is a wall plaque that is one of two that came in a set during the 1970's from Home Interiors. I had both, one said Love the other Faith. I remember when I thought I had out grown these and I am sure we sold them in  a garage sale, but if you remember, I have been on a spree of buying back my childhood one object at a time. Guess some would say the cause is entering your second childhood. I am not sure exactly what to call it. 

With current events that have occurred recently for me, these hold a particular reminder of how matters of the heart that cut deep into our soul, always involve love. Matters of the heart can and most always tip the balance between disappointment and joyous acceptance of things we can not control. It is difficult when walking that thin line to ignore the pain in your heart, especially when you feel it is breaking but knowing in your mind, things will be the way they were meant to be. I don't do well with letting it go and getting over things. I acknowledge the pain, I cry - even if it means tears for days, and then I struggle for my heart to feel better. I will get to the feel better....just not yet, even if acceptance is granted,  it takes a bit for my heart to heal.

It  takes a lot of faith to know the pain will ease and it will be easier to be completely happy in the midst of the pain. It is hard to describe or understand how you can be thrilled and happy about something, but at the same time, a sadness so great, that is hard to describe. Love and Faith always sees us through.

I write things here on my blog that may not make a lot of sense to some, but the words written down seem to help me in a small way. I could be referencing one thing or several things that are going on all at once, the meanings are clear to me and that is what matters. Some who personally know me may try to connect the dots, but don't assume you know the topics of my writings. Even if it is written down, I usually just skim the surface of my meanings.

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday......glad you stopped by today!