Favorite Finds!

As summer is drawing to a close, I thought I'd let you in on a few of my favorite things during summer 2011.  Oh, and I just added a new poll.  Play along if you like :)  In no particular order:

Fabric!  I love a fabric store.  The way the bolts are stacked according to color, warms the organizational part of my soul.  They're beautiful to look at and even more fun to purchase.  As I search for sewing projects that appeal to me, my fabric selection continues to grow.

Not just maple syrup, but anything maple flavored really.  Maple candy, maple frosting, maple bars.  I'm mad for maple!

Whether you call it robin's egg blue, turquoise or aqua, it's my go-to-color for summer.  And since I just purchased a shirt today in a shade just a touch darker than this, it may be my go-to-winter color as well :)

Even though this has been on the market for some time now, I have not enjoyed it as much as I did this summer.  The best part about iced tea?  As the ice melts, it doesn't water down the drink and make it unpalatable like a soda.  I love that!

I always enjoy Bath and Body Works products, but their Fresh Picked scents for spring/summer 2011 were pure genius.  Not only did they smell divine, the packaging was the perfect complement to my country styling.  My favorite products were the hand soaps, but I did acquire quite a few of the PocketBac's as well!

Mat stacks.  They're not just for scrapbooking anymore.  They're the paper version of fabric.  I love the way the stacks are grouped by themes and color coordinated.  While not a scrapbooker, I have enjoyed accumulating these for decoupage projects, home made cards and any other project that comes to mind.

Even if you don't blog about it or post pictures, be sure to leave me a comment and share your summer '11 favorites with me!

Coconut Craze!

You've probably heard that your tastes change as you age.  I'm living proof.  While not a fan of coconut growing up, I have discovered just how wonderful it really is.  I've always enjoyed the scent, because it reminded me of suntan oil and summer time, but the taste was something different all together.  On the advice of my niece (thanks LisaDawn) I tried the Limited Edition Coconut M&M's and they're incredible.  Read on for me coconutty goodness :)

Delicious milk chocolate with a hint of coconut.  YUM!!!

I tried a sample of Starbuck's Mocha-Coconut Frappuccino and was instantly addicted.  I would have never paid to try it, so the sample was the perfect bait to get me hooked!

This scent came out last summer and I immediately adored the Berry, but was a bit apprehensive about the coconut.  When Bath & Body Works put the minis on sale for $1 I figured I had nothing to lose, and discovered I had everything to gain.  The coconut vanilla is warm, light and absolutely amazing and I can't get enough of it!

Fame!

So, I now have my 15 seconds of fame.  I received a Vera Bradley e-reader sleeve (for my Amazon Kindle) for my birthday and VB invited me to write a review.  I wrote it, and it's been approved.  If you're totally bored and want to see it live, then click the link below to be taken directly to the e-reader sleeves on Vera's site.  Then scroll down to the bottom and click the tab entitled, 'Reviews'.  You will have to scroll for it and my screen name is: autumnsmom.  http://www.verabradley.com/product/E-Reader-Sleeve/1001154/defaultColor/Buttercup/p/1001154.uts


If you're not quite that bored, but have a slight curiosity about my review, I copied it below :)

Gorgeous e-reader sleeve at a great price!

January 26, 2011

Posted by  AutumnsMom

from Spokane, WA

The E-Reader Sleeve came out just in time for my birthday and I received one in Very Berry Paisley. Not only is it beautiful, but the L-shaped zipper prevents the reader from falling out when unzipping. The quilted fabric is more than adequate to prevent damage to the unit, and the roominess of the sleeve allows me to store my power cord and users guide; all the while being small enough to tuck into my Vera Bradley handbag.

I never considered another E-Reader Sleeve, however once I received mine, I curiously checked prices on other brands and comparable brands were significantly more money, yet not nearly as pretty.

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So there you have it.  I'm famous.  But not nearly as famous as Robyn, who got her scone recipe printed in the Gooseberry Patch cookbook.  Someone's still a little envious over that one :)

Shopping Days!

Without a doubt, the best time of year to shop is after Christmas, and while the sales extend through January, the week after Christmas is simply wonderful. Not only is there still plenty of inventory to choose from, it's available at steep discounts of 70% off or more. Stores offer those great deals trying to get rid of the prior year's product so they can bring in the next wave of over-priced gadgets and gizmos. As an added bonus, most people have already spent what they planned to spend, so they're tapped out by the time Christmas is over. Translation: More sale items for us.

To the Riddle clan: I vote that next year we celebrate on Epiphany, January 6th (the day the Wise-Men brought gifts to Jesus). Just think how much fun we would have cashing in on all the post-Christmas sales?! AND.......we could extend Christmas an additional two weeks by celebrating so late. I'm sure Lisa Dawn is on board with a Christmas extension. Who else is with me? :)

5 more days! Is your shopping finished? Are your presents wrapped? Is your heart ready to celebrate the Reason for the Season?!

Fall Faves!

I haven't made a blog list in a while, so it felt like it was time. Just a few of my favorite things:

1) An imperfect smile. Teeth that are a little askew or uneven really makes for a unique, beautiful smile. No, I'm not necessarily a Kirsten Dunst fan, but she does have a cute smile.

2) A box of chocolates. Particularly if it has vanilla buttercremes, or maple cream. Yum!

3) Slip on shoes. Especially clogs; I have loved clogs since childhood and I always get excited when they come back into fashion. I really hate shoes that tie. Due to my OCD one is always too tight or too loose or too something. Slip on shoes never have that issue.

4) Cute containers. Be it a Longaberger basket, a metal bucket or an old plastic milk crate, I'm attracted to nifty containers to corral and organize all my favorite, and not so favorite, belongings.

5) Caramel popcorn. I especially love popcorn balls. This time of year caramel popcorn is one of my favorites. Maybe because it seems like an autumn tradition. I did discover that if I eat popcorn and candy corn at the same time it's awfully similar to caramel popcorn.

6) Metal stars. Maybe it's my love of all things Americana or 4th of July. Either way, a star is always at home in my house.

7) Shutters. It's probably because I love country decor so much that I love shutters. No matter how formal a house may be, once shutters are added it's instantly country....and therefore beautiful!

8) Geraniums. Not only are they low maintenance and easy to grow, they multiply on their own and look gorgeous all summer long.

9) Boleslawiec Pottery. My mother in law introduced me to this sturdy, beautifully painted pottery that's microwave, dishwasher and oven safe. Need I say more?!

10) Silpat Mats. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING sticks to a Silpat.

Cleaning Up My Act!

Normally I'd consider myself a pretty savvy shopper. Meaning, I shop frequently and I'm always on the look out for stellar deals. Apparently though, I'm also a mundane shopper. No matter how many commercials I see on TV advertising new and improved products, those items never actually make it onto my shopping list and into my grocery cart. Instead, I stick to my tried and true products that I've been using forever, and this in turn, induces product envy. My latest product envy is stain removers. According to my niece over at Clare's Contemplations I am missing out on some serious stain removers. In my laundry room there are currently about 700 brands and varieties of stain removers, and they're all pretty much not even worth the plastic they're poured in. It's aggravating. Apparently, despite seeing the ads a thousand times, there are a couple of products that I've missed in my shopping ventures. Shout Advanced and Spray-n-Wash Dual Action...or something like that. According to Clare these products actually work. I'm serious. She claims they can remove crayons and grease and dirt and all kinds of other semi-permanent stains. I must try them. I must break out of my mold, expand my shopping horizons, and strive to be more like my niece (and sister), who somehow knows about every new product before it's even available to the general public. If you have any amazing products you want to share, I'm all ears (or would that be eyes?). Otherwise, I'm off to fight crime stains.

My Mid Year Product Review!

OK, so I love to share my latest finds and favorite items with my friends and family. Some of you have known about these forever and some are new. Some of them I have known about forever, but didn't develop a passion for until recently. Behold: They're quick and easy, they've been around for years and they taste like a little bite of lemony heaven. Krusteaz really does make the simplest and most delicious desserts. So good, and so summery!

Not only are these little cubes of gum mild and sweet, they come in a container that fits perfectly in the cup-holders of my car. Every flavor from wintergreen to strawberry is available. As an extreme allergy sufferer I'm always on the look out for products to combat histamines. Bausch & Lomb Opcon-A is now one of my favorite products. Even when I take Allegra or Claritin, I still have to deal with occasional, severe flare-ups of itchy eyes. Not anymore. I tote this little bottle of drops in my purse and eye allergies are gone. Thanks Nina for the tip. This Old House magazine is my newest reading craze. Finally! A magazine that understands we don't all have half a million dollars lying around with which to upgrade our homes! It has real tips, for people on a real budget, on how to improve or enhance the look of your home, deck and garden.

Recovered Spendthrift

This afternoon I went out with a friend who came to town for a visit. She and I used to work together, back when I got paid in dollars and cents instead of kisses and hugs. We haven't seen each other in a couple of years and it was wonderful to catch up over coffee. Afterward, we set our minds on shopping (my all time favorite hobby). I picked up a few excellent finds for Cayla at deep discounts, while my friend paid top dollar for everything she saw. I mention this because it made me realize just how much I've changed. Change is often a gradual thing, and the one doing the changing doesn't even realize it's happening. Or so I discovered. While shopping, I guess my friend found it amusing that my mouth gaped at the $79.00 tee shirt she picked up, and my eyes were as wide as saucers as I quietly watched her try on pair after pair of $75.00++ jeans. Within a couple of hours I had witnessed her drop hundreds on a new wardrobe (a very cute, very stylish wardrobe I might add) for her upcoming vacation. Each time she turned over a price tag and caught the look in my eye she would say, "you have changed so much. You're not the Rachel I remember." And once she added, "you really are the quintessential stay-at-home mom now." And let me say, she wasn't condescending, she was genuinely sweet about it, and I found it complimentary. While I've always been somewhat frugal, there was a time when I would have thought nothing of spending several hundred dollars at one time on clothing for myself. I'd whip out my store credit card, swipe it through the machine, and smile as my treasures were bagged for me. But that was then..... .....and this is now. Not only did Cory and I spend the first 7 years of our marriage paying off serious debt that I'd accrued, but I found a new way to shop. Anymore, I think it's as much sport for me as it is shopping to find the best deals I can. In fact, whenever someone compliments something I own, I find myself compelled to tell them where I bought it, and exactly how much little I paid for it. It almost embarrasses me if someone thinks I own something extravagant, because I don't want them thinking I spent too much money on something frivolous. None the less, despite my very comfortable, fairly cute (and very inexpensive) outfit I donned for my trip to Nordstrom, I still felt like a fish out of water. What was once second nature to me, now felt like culture shock. I don't mind how much my friends spend on things. That's between them and their checkbook. But for me, I'm sticking with my 'find the lowest price tag' game! Having walked on both sides of the fence, the grass might not be as green over here, but the water bill is sure a lot lower :)

Best Buy!

For the first time in quite a while Cory got back to his normal every-Friday-off routine.   After running the usual errands Cory had this brilliant idea that we head to Best Buy.  At first I was a bit reluctant because I hate looking at tech-y stuff, but once I got in there I felt like a drug addict in a pharmacy, a kid in a candy shop, Imelda Marcos at Manolo Blahnik's.  It was fantastic!  I am totally guilty of the sin of coveting.  Seriously, Best Buy is to technology what Las Vegas is to gamblers.  It was beautiful.  We fawned over enormous TV's, drooled on the keyboard of a Mac desk top with a 24" screen, and nearly left with a gorgeous Cannon digital camera that takes unlimited movement-shots, all for less than $200.  It was glorious!

Alas, reality set in and we left empty-handed.  But still debt free :)

My Favorite Things! 2008 Product Review :)

Each year I stumble across such wonderful products that I begin to wonder how I've managed to live my whole life without them. This year was no exception. The only difference is, this year, I actually remember these fantastical (good fake-word huh?) products and figured if Oprah can share her favorite things, I can too. So, with no further ado, here are my favorite things of 2008!

Just Bunches honey roasted oat clusters. I'm SURE it's healthy. Just in case it's not though, I toss in a handful of blueberries. It's now a staple in our house. I buy 2 boxes at a time!

Cory gave me this Vera Bradley overnight bag for our anniversary. I've collected numerous pieces this year, but this is quite possibly my favorite!

My Dyson vacuum definitely lives up to it's advertising. It never loses suction. I have managed to suck up some incredibly odd items because it's just so powerful they're gone before I realize it!

Wipeout became an instant family favorite. The girls looked forward to watching it, quite possibly more than we did. We laughed until we cried and cannot wait for the next season.

Yeah, we just got these Mac laptops for Christmas, but they're already members of the family, so it won't be long before our desktop pc will go the way of the wind and get replaced with a Mac desktop. We even think Bill Gates has a Mac. Just a hunch!

Sunday's News

On Sunday afternoon everyone within the sound of my voice knew that I was stuck between distraught and disgust over the recent news about Contemporary Christian Artist Ray Boltz coming out of the closet. I wasn't distraught or disgusted that he was homosexual as much as I was distraught and disgusted that he gave the secular world another reason to think Christianity is stupid and foolish. I'm really heartbroken because this news tarnished his testimony. His music was so captivating and his songs always told a story. I imagine his lyrics touched thousands of people too, but as my sister said, "that just shows the grace of God, that even in the midst of Ray's personal turmoil, He used his music to touch lives." ----------------------- In other news, after visiting my in-laws so Cory could troubleshoot their computer, we heard this obnoxious hissing sound as we stepped out of the car. At first I thought a neighbor might be using a pneumatic tool, but as it turns out, air was rapidly pouring from a slash in my tire where we had apparently run over a box knife blade. Oh goody! Now I get to spend a fun filled Monday sitting at Les Schwab awaiting the dreaded, 'sorry ma'am, we checked it out and your tire is beyond repair. We're gonna have to sell you a new one, but it's against our policy to sell one tire, so we're gonna need you to purchase all four.' Aaarrrrgggghhh!!! There's a silver lining in this cloud though......1) Chances are good we can get away with buying two tires because the other two are in good shape, 2) at least we were at home when it happened so Cory had access to his good tools instead of using the cheesy tire iron and jack the car comes with, and 3) fortunately it happened Sunday night instead of Monday because Cory's leaving Monday at 6am for a week long job out of town. I'm glad tomorrow's a new day. I know things are going to look sunny, even if it is still raining :)

Country Living

My mother in law invited me to a Barn Sale outside of town. It's a yearly sale at this fabulous farmhouse out in the country. There's numerous vendors selling everything from antiques, knick-knacks, homemade country crafts, to kettle corn and lattes. We didn't stay very long, but we did get a few ideas for some crafts we could make, like homemade aprons and totes, and I bought a really cute Halloween decoration, which is pictured at left. Isn't it adorable? Since I love candy corn I couldn't resist.

It was a little warmer than a typical fall day, but the air felt crisp and the sun was gorgeous. We had such a good time perusing the crafts, and it reminded me of the type of event that might be featured in Country Living magazine as a "don't miss" event for September. It really made me want to go home and sew or bake, or something else that I don't have a talent for, but thoroughly enjoy. It was a perfect way to spend a sunny, September afternoon.

You Know What I Love?

Just a few things that are near and dear to me: 1) Baby animals. I love them in pictures, I love them in person. I'd really love to have a baby penguin, but somehow I don't think it would fare too well in our climate. 2) Granola! I always wanted to take a granola bar, crunch it up, pour milk over it and eat it like cereal. Now, thanks to Honey Bunches of Oats "Just Bunches", I can do just that. Yummy! 3) Unlimited long distance! Gone are the days of paying $.15 or $.20 cents a minute for a long distance call. Now, for a measly $15.00 a month, I can spend as much time as I like staying current on all the events going on in my friends and families lives. It's glorious! 4) Longaberger Baskets! Not only are they beautiful, they're incredibly functional, and with a collection in excess of 100, I have one for every need or occasion!

Antique Shopping

One of my favorite things to do is go antique shopping. Well, any type of shopping works, but I especially love to peruse items that others no longer have a need for. It's true one man's junk is another man's treasure. I especially love vintage linens. I don't own many, but I thoroughly enjoy pouring over hand stitched initials, delicate lacework and intricate details that have long since been replaced by simplicity, and straight tailored lines. I am going to make such a great old lady. My house will be filled with lacy linens and doilies, bowls of hard candies on my wicker coffee table, faded, framed collages of my great grand children lining my walls and a year's supply of Aspercreme safely ensconced in my medicine cabinet. I'll sip decaf coffee from pretty little tea cups and talk with my other blue-haired friends about the 'good old days' when gas was only $4.00 a gallon. And just in case anybody needs it, I'll still be sprightly enough to reach into my 'pocketbook' and produce a 'hankie'. Probably one with sombody else's initials that I found at an antique shop when I was still in my 30's, that I've been carrying around since the War on Iraq! Just off the Garland District here in Spokane there's an old, run down shopping area on Monroe that's filled with antiques and second hand shops. It's been a long time since I've been there, but I drive past it every day on the way to the YMCA where the girls are having a blast taking swimming lessons. Maybe one day next week I can convince them to let me stop and look around, even if it's just for a minute!