Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year! I am a bit under the weather today, but I couldn't let today pass without wishing my sweet blog friends a very Happy New Year! I hope that 2010 proves to be a wonderful year, full of blessing for each of you! I look forward to reading all about it!

Coming soon on The Pink Chick: My 2010 Resolutions and Goals and a great giveaway!!!

The Nightmare Before Christmas

My parents live on a small hobby farm (around 50 acres), so whenever we visit we always take the dogs. My two big dogs, Porter and Boone, love playing with my parent’s dog. They also love running around the farm and swimming in the pond. My parent’s house is like paradise to Porter and Boone.

We let them run free as long as we are at the house. This is very out of character for me because I am super protective of my dogs. We check on them every so often to make sure they are okay. They never stray far. They are always near the house or playing in the pond. When we leave the farm or go to bed, we put the dogs in their outside kennel.

Christmas Eve night was a very rainy night, so instead of putting the dogs in their kennel at bed time my Mom and Michael suggested we let them sleep under the carport. Michael and I stayed up late that night, and before going to bed I checked on my sweet puppies. They had been on the front porch all night, so I looked on the front porch. They were not there. Michael looked in the carport, and they were not there either. My parent’s dog was in the carport, but there was no sign of Porter and Boone.

We called and called and called for the dogs, but we never heard a peep. I hopped in the car and began riding the dirt roads, but I saw and heard no sign of them. My Dad also drove up and down the road looking for them. Michael combed the edged of the woods and my Mom stayed at home in case they showed up.

After round one of searching (around 12:30 am Christmas morning), I came home to find that Porter had showed up without a collar and without Boone. At this point, I began to panic. Porter is our dominant dog, and Boone is our follower. Boone doesn’t go anywhere without Porter. I just knew Boone was dead, and of course I began crying. I was so upset, but I did not stop my search.

Michael finally convinced me to go to bed. He promised he would get up early in the morning and search for Boone. I reluctantly went to bed (and prayed and prayed and prayed), and had just barely fallen asleep when I heard a horrible cry coming from the front porch (this was around 3:00 am). I ran to the front door, opened it, and in walked Boone. I was so relieved. Boone and Porter spent the rest of the night in the bed with me and Michael.

I am not sure where they went or what they did, but the next day Boone slept like he was in a coma. Porter didn’t sleep, but he was so sore he could barely get up and down. They have both recovered from their Christmas adventure, but have they have both lost some of their farm privileges!

And just to share a sweet picture with you-Here is a picture of Boone and Porter sleeping as they ride in the car. This was taken 3 years ago when Boone was just a puppy. Boone is much, much larger now, but he is still just as cuddly!

Monday Edition: My Favorite Things

Michael and I had a wonderful Christmas! We had our own Christmas celebration and then did a whirl wind tour across Georgia to celebrate with both of our families. I promise to share more Christmas stories later and I will even try to post a few pictures of my Christmas gifts. Michael really spoiled me this year!

I have to admit that during Christmas time I am really bad about buying gifts for myself. One gift I purchased for myself this year was the game Just Dance for the Wii. I had seen this game advertised and I just had to have it. I am so, so glad I did make this small purchase for myself because we had so much fun with it during Christmas! Everyone who visited our house played. We danced and laughed and danced some more.


This game is super simple. You hold the Wii remote in one hand and mimic the dance moves of the person on screen. Whoever gets the most dance moves correct wins. Some of my favorite songs (to dance to) featured on this game are "Girl Just Wanna Have Fun", "Can't Touch This", and "Cotton-Eyed Joe".

Just Dance is getting horrible reviews on the internet, but I think it is fun. My guests thought it was fun too! It is a great party game! Oh, and it is a great way to burn calories!

Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas!

Michael and I did not do a Christmas card this year. We procrastinated a little too long (Oopps!), so I don't have a cute Christmas card to post to wish you a very Merry Christmas. Instead, I am posting this picture of me as an elf (www.elfyourself.com). I thought this picture was festive and fun and appropriate for wishing you a very Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas sweet blog friends! I hope that your Christmas is filled with happiness and love!

I'm a Wrapper!

The fun festivities that surround Christmas have been keeping me away from my computer lately, but I wanted to pop in and show you how my Christmas wrapping turned out. I had a lot of fun with my houndstooth paper, and I think it turned out so cute.

I really enjoyed making pom-poms for the majority of my gifts, but I couldn't resist tying a pretty bow here and there. Below is a picture of a few of my gifts. The wrapping won't last long once Christmas morning hits, but at least they look pretty under my tree for now. I should do at least one more blog post before Christmas, but just in case I don't get a chance I want to wish all my blog friends a very Merry Christmas!!!

Oh Nuts!

Image Found Here

My sweet friend, Katie O., came over last night for a night of Christmas candy making fun. We made Chocolate Peppermint Bark, English Toffee, and Sugared Pecans. Our recipes were courtesy of The Fly Lady. You can find the recipes we used and more here.

All of the treats were so yummy, but my favorite had to be the sugared pecans. The sugared pecans were delicious and easy to make. I made several batches, packaged them in a clear treat bag tied with a pretty ribbon, and gave them to my coworkers as Christmas gifts. They were definitely a hit! If you want to make your own sugared pecans, as a gift or to enjoy, the recipe is below.

Sugared Pecans

1 POUND PECAN HALVES
1 EGG WHITE
1 TABLESPOON WATER
1 CUP SUGAR
1 TEASPOON SALT
1 TEASPOON CINNAMON

Whip egg white and water until stiff. Add pecans and mix well until moistened. Add sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour; turn every fifteen minutes.

Christmas Decor Sneak Peek

I still have a few finishing touches to add to my Christmas decor, but I thought I would give a peek at what it looks like. I have to admit that it looks almost the same year to year, but I just love the way it all comes together.

My Favorite Things

My husband's ten year class reunion was this past weekend. The reunion called for a business casual type outfit. I have plenty of business casual outfits, but nothing seemed appropriate for the reunion. I wanted to look really cute for my sweet hubby.

After searching high and low, spending a little too much money, and not being satisfied with any of my outfits-I finally found the perfect sweater. It's pretty, it's soft, and it's flattering. Oh, and did I mention the best part-It's $15.99 at Target!

This Mossimo Sweater from Target comes in a variety of colors and necklines (round neck, v-neck, and turtleneck). It is perfect for both business or casual wear.


I purchased the sweater in black with a round neck (shown above). I paired it with a pair of gray pants and my favorite black high heels. To add a little pizazz to a cute but ordinary outfit, I added my favorite pearl and diamond earrings and a long pearl necklace. The outfit really came together, and it was perfect for the reunion! Thank goodness for Target and my new favorite sweater!!

Free Olay Quench Body Lotion

I received this through e-mail today, and I thought it was worth sharing! Oil of Olay is offering a free Quench Body Lotion via a mail in rebate. I definitely trust Oil of Olay products, and I love free things!!! You can download your rebate form here.

You must purchase the lotion (excluding trial size) between Dec. 10 and Jan. 29th. You must mail your rebate form in by Feb. 12 to receive your full rebate. Don't forget that you can also pair this offer with coupons. Coupons are available in the November issue of Self and the December issue of Marie Claire and Weight Watchers. (Thanks to STL Mommy for the coupon info).

If you like Oil of Olay products, visit olay.com and sign up for club olay. They always send you great coupons and rebates opportunities!

We Have A Winner!!!

A big thanks to all you wonderful bloggers who entered my giveaway sponsored by TDM Designs. TDM Designs was gracious enough to send me this beautiful scarf (free of charge) to review and giveaway to one of my readers.

I put the random integer generator to work, and it randomly picked the winner. The winner of the scarf is Jennifer from Perfectly Imperfect! Congratulations Jennifer! Please e-mail me your mailing info, so I can send you your new scarf!

For those of you who did not win, no worries! If you are forver in love with the scarf, you can buy one here or put it on your Christmas list! Also, I have another exciting giveaway coming up! Stay tuned!!!

Last Day for Giveaway! And A Story!

Today is the last day to enter to win this oh so cute and versatile scarf! Go here to enter! Hurry!! All you have to do is leave me a comment! You have until 11:59 pm EST! Good luck!!


Now on to my story! A few weeks ago I was having a horrible day. I was moody and sad, and it was all due to hormones. I wanted to get away from the house for a little while, so I went grocery shopping. Not sure my reasoning on that one because I hate grocery shopping, but that is where I ended up.

As I walked into Kroger, I spotted a huge display of toys. I scanned the toys (because I am a huge kid and love toys) and quickly spied a Sea Monkey Kit. I was never allowed to have Sea Monkeys as a child, so I immediately decided I was going to buy them. My friend, Katie O., put it best when she said, "Sometimes you go grocery shopping and all you buy is Sea Monkeys and 4 cartons of chocolate ice cream and that's okay."

I followed the direction on my Sea Monkey Kit very carefully. In just a few days, I had Sea Monkeys! How exciting! I called my mom and proclaimed that I had done something that no one else on the face of the Earth has ever been able to accomplish-I had successfully hatched Sea Monkeys! :) My mom still doesn't believe that I hatched Sea Monkeys, but I am sure to show them off to all everyone who comes to our house.

In the photo below you can see me teaching my Sea Monkeys a few tricks! They respond well to bananas and other treats! Ha! Ha! Only kidding! Sorry I found this picture and could not resist!

Photo found via

In reality, my Sea Monkeys are too little to be able to see in photographs, but here are a few pictures I found on the web of what Sea Monkeys really look like. Just a warning, they are a little scary looking!
Hormonal days can make you do funny things like buy Sea Monkeys. I guess my husband should just be thankful that I didn't happen to visit the pet store (located next to Kroger) that day! We might have ended up with a new puppy or kitten or guinea pig or ferret or maybe all of the above! :)

Monday Edition: My Favorite Things

Before reading this post: If you have not entered my giveaway, go here and enter to win a really cute scarf! Due to my blogging absence, the giveaway deadline will be extended until Wednesday, Dec. 9th.

Last week Heather, Katie, and I got together for craft night. It's the first official craft night we have ever had, and it was oh so much fun! I highly suggest organizing a craft night with your friends if you don't already do so!

In honor of our craft night, I thought I would share one of our crafts. This craft definitely tops my list of favorite things! It is the perfect addition to any Christmas package! Oh, and did I mention it was easy and cheap!

You can make these cute pom-poms and use them to add whimsy to all of your Christmas packages.

Picture found here.

The easy how-to is found at domestifluff. They show you how to create a pom-pom flower like the picture below. We chose to skip the steps that turn the pom-poms into flowers. Even though the pom-pom flower is super cute, we liked the plain pom poms best.

Image found here.

Here's a peak at a few of the pom-poms I made! I haven't wrapped any gifts with them yet, but I will try to remember to snap a shot of one when I do!

Oh, and I am considering having a skating party for my next birthday. If I do, I am totally making these pom-poms in pink and purple to wear on my skates! :)

Tu Tu and Photography Giveaway!

Two of the best friends a girl could ask for have teamed up for a fun giveaway! Katie and Heather are joining forces to offer readers a chance to win a tutu from My Katie Bell and a free photo session from H&M Photography. For more details and a chance to win, visit Katie's blog!