It's my Party! A Giveaway and GBP!!

 My one year Bloggin anniversary party that is!

Yes, yes, it is belated, I know. I turned one when my puter' was down and

I not going to let that steal my thunder though, oh no sireee sir.

Being a whole year old, I have gained so many blessings since starting this blog. I love to read blogs, I follow so many of them but it took me a couple of years to finally decide to start one of my own.

When I decided to start my blog, it actually began as something for myself, something I could look back on in time, like a diary. A diary I could be creative with and make it exactly (most of the time) how I wanted it to look. I always enjoyed writing and picture taking so this would be another creative outlet for me.

I must confess that I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing and have learned through trial and error.....many errors! I knew that I wanted to write about life in general.  Holidays, the kids, the house, the garden etc. things that go on each day in our lives.  The funny thing is I wasn't sure that anyone would read what I wrote or why they would want to, but that was alright too and I decided I would not hold back because I wanted to do it, regardless.

I decided that if anyone wanted to come by I would be so happy and welcome them with open arms and if not, it was something I enjoyed showing to friends and family afterall and

we would enjoy it.

But it turned out that you all did come, and that made doing it so much more special. I love reading your comments, I get so excited when I log in and see that someone took the time to do so, really I do! Ask my kids and hubs, I get this excited giggle whenever there are comments on posts! Like a kid who just got a sweet treat.

Now I realize that it is so much more fun to blog when

there are people reading it!

What I have learned in one year's time...

There are some wonderful and encouraging women out there who share supportive, caring and kind words with one another.

That you can share when your washing machine has held your clothing hostage,
complain and they still come back.

You can vent about a magazine and they agree with you and vent too.

You host a party and they'll come with bells on.

You can be sentimental about your children growing up and everyone gets it.

Your online friends also get excited about your fleamarket finds almost as much as you do.

You can take them on field trips with you and they don't get bored.

They aren't sick of looking over picture after picture of your decorations.

They encourage your to do list that is 2 miles long.

You can show them pictures of your breakfast and

they get say it looks yummy.....

They will still read your posts even with the mispelled words and

gramatically incorrect sentences....Oh my!  You can even make words up, lol.

~~~~~~~~

Lets have cupcakes at our party shall we?

In fact.....

This blog of mine is

like a cupcake to me.

It is a little treat that I give myself and
oh so sweet!

And.......

You are all the icing on that cupcake!

You make doing this even more fun for me.

So I've decided that I would host an appropriate giveaway for

My One Year Bloggin' Anniversary!

~A Cupcake Sign~

along with a few other surprise goodies of course!

 

I just ask that you are a follower and leave a comment below. You can have more than one entry by linking to my blog and this giveaway and another entry if you have my button on your sidebar.  Giveaway closes on March 31st.
Winner will be announced on April 1st.
Please check back then to see if you have won,
so you can claim your win!

More exciting news to share....

I got a surprise email earlier this week from one of my

FAVORITE COMPANIES...

Gooseberry Patch!

Farmhouse Country Style is the Friday Feature Blog this week!

So head on over if you have a spare moment to check out the link...

http://gooseberrypatch.typepad.com/blog/2010/03/ff-farmhouse-country-style.html


Thanks for all of your sweet comments and
for coming back again!
I have so enjoyed the past year, I've met some really wonderful people online and even chit chatted with alot of you through email, alot of you have become customers through my sale blog
Farmhousesignshop@blogspot.com

I have a few more plans for my blog this year, hopefully I will get them up and running soon...you'll have to check back to see what transpires though! 

Now go have a cupcake, we're celebratin' here!
xoxo

Take Care now,
Dee

When Irish Eye's are Smiling

 Top o' the mornin' to ya all!

Doing an Irish Jig!

I'm so happy to be back!! 

So tell me friends,

Are you proudly wearing Green today?

 How Irish are you?

1/4, one-half.......all irish?

It seems that on St. Patty's day everyone wants to

let their Irish out of the bag.

I guess it's just the fun of it all, and the proud Irish folks

wanting to shout it all from the rooftops that

yes indeed they have green in their blood!

My maternal grandparents were Irish,

my grandfather was

as Irish as could be, and he let you know it too.

(My Irish grandparents with my uncle in the spring of 65')

Of course this was their favorite holiday.

So yes, that indeed makes me part Irish,

and I too have fondness for the holiday.

We make our corned beef and cabbage, a traditional boiled dinner.

 

Red potatoes, an onion, carrots, and a head of cabbage all thrown into a heavy stock pot with a beer of course, and the corned beef has to slowly cook in the broth for a long time.....

A four-leaf clover found in my yard last spring.......

  

The shamrocks come out.

Irish blessings are said,

 and Danny boy is usually sung

while loved ones are remembered.

If we have the pleasure to spend the holiday with extended family

you can be certain their will be celebrating goin on.

I so love all of the beautiful Irish proverbs and the superstitions are a hoot!

I also love that I can attest to the fact that

I am supposed to have a slew of "Irish lace" throughout my home

this is a rule for us Irish folks ya know.

For those of you who do not partake in being Irish on this most festive holiday,

Irish lace is cobwebs, lol.

  

We start our morning out with a little soda bread (with raisins) and some Twinings Irish Breakfast Tea
I drink this tea throughout the year.

 

It is a little stronger than my regular tea and I like to drink it in the morning to wake my brain up.

Of course that soda bread is slathered with real butta!

In This Irish Home

May these walls be filled with laughter,

may it reach from floor to rafter.

May the roof keep out the rain,

may sunshine warm each windowpane.

And may the door be open wide

to let the Good Lord's love inside.

The red potatoes all washed and ready to go into the pot for this evenings dinner.

When Irish eyes are smiling,

Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.

In the lilt of Irish laughter

You can hear the angels sing.

When Irish hearts are happy,

All the world seems bright and gay.

And when Irish eyes are smiling,

Sure, they steal your heart away.

So what are your St. Patrick's Day plans?  What recipes do you make?  I would love to hear about it, if you care to share!

Here is an easy Brownie recipe for you to print and try....
you can't go wrong with brownies at my house, they're easy and they're chocolate! 
We try alot of different variations.  Let me know what you think if you try these.

Well I hope that the Leprachauns leave a few four-leafed Clovers 

strewn about your yard for some good luck!

Good lord knows that I am not broken (you are so right Sharon Lovejoy!) and

 so lucky to have you all come back

after all of the troubles I aired the last two posts, hehe! 

Thanks good friends!
I leave you with this Irish Blessing......

Check back in again later this week, I will be hosting a Giveaway for followers

to celebrate my ONE YEAR BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY

that I missed while my computer was down!

Take Care!

Dee

No more nonsense....

Thank you all for your sweet and up lifting comments regarding my last post!  I hated to share bad news and sincerely want my blog to be a happy place for you all to come.  In reality though,  I did decide when I started this blog that I would be real and just like in a real life diary (be it online or written in a little book with a lock) it is going to get hit with a few bad entries even if we don't like it.  Such is life!

I have to tell you all that my laptop is in a bad state of repair as well right now, but we are so not even going to talk about that!  I have been unable to update my blog or check in on all of your cute blog posts (:o(  .  I think that the storm is over and we are working on repairing everything.  Thanks again for your supportful words and reminders that there worse things in life than a dishwasher not cleaning your dishes! For those of you who are on a twisting and uncertain path right now....dealing with way more than breaking appliances......you are in my thoughts and prayers.

So enough of all of that!

On to better things.....

Well the sunshine has come out in my neck of the woods and  the weather reached 50 degrees today! Yippeeee, come on spring! I am keeping a sense of humor about my dishpan hands and lack of computer, I am keeping busy with other things.  I have started my spring cleaning and have been working on a few cute signs to add to the online shop.  Easter decorating in underway and I have lots of pictures to share when I am fully functioning once again! 

Here's some of what I was able to paint while away...

Those are listed in the Mercantile now...and I have even more to come.  I still have to add the details but a kind friend is letting me use her computer until mine are fixed! 

I hope that you all have a little sunshine

in your neck of the woods and

are feeling refreshed and ready for Spring.  

Take care and I will be back soon!

Dee