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Friday Favorites – Week 73

July 21, 2011 13 Comments

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Happy Friday to you! Before we get to this week’s party, I want to invite everyone to stop by next week for my Christmas in July Giveaway. I’m participating in this giveaway hop with over a hundred other bloggers, and I will have a prize pack which includes a Custom Blog Design from The World as I see it and a $25 gift certificate to Celebrating Home, a home interiors company.
The giveaway officially runs next week, but I’ve got early entries for my followers.  If you’d like to take advantage of the early entry opportunity, check out these sponsor spotlights: Sponsor Spotlight #1 and Sponsor Spotlight #2.


Now let’s get on with the party!

This post is sponsored by The Trendy Boutique.  The place for trendy, fun, and affordable shopping!  Check out everything they have to offer from watches to photo jewelry and hand stamped jewelry.  And even design your very own flip flops and hand bags!  Find all the accessories you need  for summer and back to school!
Zucchini Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats from Real Food Allergy Free
Rolo Brownie Bites with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting from Cook Lisa Cook

Pierogies Au Gratin from Miller Family Organizer

Cook Out Cupcakes from Living My Life on Purpose

Min Blueberry Muffin Skewers from Homespun with Love

Thanks for stopping by this week! Please link up below!
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Filed Under: Friday Favorites

Christmas in July Giveaway Preview #2: Spotlight On Celebrating Home

July 20, 2011 2 Comments
Time for my second Christmas in July sponsor preview! The sponsor is Celebrating Home, a simply AMAZING store offering lovely things for the home.  Just think of basically anything you could want or need in the housewares and home decor & accents departments, and they’ve got it!

I was so impressed by the variety of products available at Celebrating Home.  They have something for every room in your house, from your kitchen and bathroom, to your living room, bedroom, and back patio!
And they have so many styles and themes available to fit your unique tastes!   Whatever you want or need, you’re bound to find something you’ll like for your home!

Their lines of decor include wall art, mirrors, and wall plaques.  And they also have some lovely accent pieces such as vases, candles, candle holders, lamps, baskets, decorator florals, gourmet foods, and more!

Another thing I love about this site (and I’m sure you’ll love as well) is the prices.  When I saw all this beautiful stuff, I just knew it would all be super expensive, but I found that most of the prices are very reasonable.

Please stop by Celebrating Home and take a look!

Giveaway:  Holly, a representative for Celebrating Home is offering my readers a $25 gift certificate for the Christmas in July event.

How to enter:  The official giveaway post will be up and open for entries on July 25. 
Early Entries:  Since I only have a week to run the official giveaway, I’m giving my followers a chance to get some early entries  Just use the form below to let me know how you follow. 



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Filed Under: Giveaways

Rolled Canvas Print Giveaway

July 18, 2011 8 Comments
I love canvas prints!  I received one from Uprinting last year.  The print was of one of my favorite wedding photos, and it turned out just beautiful!  And today I’m giving away another to you!
Canvas prints are wonderful for wedding photos and anniversary photos but would also be perfect for your family photos, senior portraits, baby/baptism photos and more.  And you can also have your drawings and artwork made into canvas prints.
And because Uprinting has several canvas sizes available, you’ll be able to make the perfect print to fit your the rooms in your home.


Here are the prize details:
one (1 ) piece 16” x 20” rolled canvas print, for one winner
with 2-inch border or No border,
1 Business Day Turnaround *Free shipping
Restriction: Limited to *US residents 18 years old and above only.



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Disclosure: This canvas printing giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given  for hosting. Check out UPrinting.com for more details about canvas sizes.

Filed Under: Giveaways

Lemon Pudding Pound Cake

July 18, 2011 19 Comments
Lemon is such an amazing flavor for summer time! As a kid, lemon desserts were always my favorite!  Since getting married I haven’t tried many recipes of the lemon persuasion, as my hubby’s not a fan.  But then several months ago, I had a slice of this lemon cake at a potluck, and I was totally wishing I could take the whole thing home with me!
Since then I’ve been on a search for the perfect lemon pound cake.  I decided to start with this recipe.  I’ve seen it on several sites but most recently over at Tidy Mom.  And I think I’ve already found my perfect lemon pound cake.  (Hubby even tried it and loved it! So…Hooray! We have a winner!)

Recipe for Lemon Pudding Pound Cake:
Cake Ingredients:
1 box lemon instant pudding mix (4 serving size)
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
Glaze Ingredients: 
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions:  Spray pan with cooking spray.  You can use a 9×13 or bundnt.  Preheat oven to 350.  Combine all cake ingredients and mix for 2 minutes and medium speed.  Pour into pan and bake. For a 9×13 cake bake for 30-35.  For a bundt, bake 35-40 minutes.
Let cake cool completely.  Then whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.  Drizzle over cake.  Serve and enjoy!

I’m linking up over these great blogs.

This post is sponsored by Cutie Patootie Creations. Why settle for the same “cookie cutter” party invites, when you can have something custom created for you?  Cutie Patooties has unique invitations in a variety of fun styles and themes.  And they have all the matching decorations and supplies you need to get your party on! Check out Cutie Patootie Creations today, and get started planning your perfect party!

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Filed Under: desserts, Recipe of the Week, recipes, summer Tagged With:

Christmas in July Giveaway Preview: Spotlight On The World As I See It

July 17, 2011 1 Comment

Next week I’ll be particiating in a Christmas in July Giveaway Hop! It’s being hosted by Just Married with Coupons, and there’s a bunch of blogs participating. (Over 100!)  AND each blog will have a prize pack of $50 or more to give away! Yay!
Here at Simply Sweet Home, I will have a prize pack from two great sponsors!  I’ll have a giveaway post for each of these up on July 25.  But since the giveaway hop only lasts week a week, and we’re limited to how many entries we can have, I wanted to go ahead and do a little spotlight on both of these fabulous sponsors  AND give you a chance to get some *early entries*.

My first sponsor is The World As I See It, which offers custom blog designs! The owner of this design shop is Margaret.  She has a really cute portfolio and offers packages for Blogger and WordPress. Whether you want something simple or something with all the bells and whistles you can imagine, she can create it for you!

She also has a package available for your Facebook page, and if you already have a design that you like, and you just want to add to it, she offers a la carte items like side bar titles, social media buttons, etc.

The prices are also great, starting at just $25 for custom pre-made blogger design and basic WordPress designs starting at $45.

For next week’s giveaway, The World As I See It is offering their Classic Medium Package $50.00.

It includes the following:
• 2 or 3 column design
• Custom background
• Custom header
• Matching font color
• 6 sidebar titles
• Custom signature
• Custom post divider
• Blog Button
• Social network icons
• Installation



How to Enter: The giveaway will be posted and open for entries via Rafflecopter on July 25 and will close on July 31.

Would you like an early entry?  How about a few?  


Just become a follower and use the form below to let me know how you follow!



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Filed Under: Giveaways

Spotlight on Ooh La Jena

July 15, 2011 Leave a Comment

Today I’ve got a new sponsor to share with you.  It is a handmade clothing company called Ooh La Jena. Ooh La Jena offers sensual and elegant fashion for the woman comfortable in her skin and free in her spirit. It’s about feeling good and being liberated.
All clothing and apparal  is  made in-house at Ooh La Jena’s small studio in Philadelphia and is custom made according to each woman’s unique body, using the highest quality fabrics.

Ooh La Jena strives to reach beyond material beauty to enhance livelihoods and support sustainable fashion and accessories.  And because each item is handmade and custom fitted, you can be sure that your garment will be of superior quality.

One of my favorite things about this shop is that their styles are chic and elegant, yet simple.  And each of their lovely items comes in several beautiful color choices!

One of my favorite items at Ooh La Jena is the Regal Top. I just love the fun and simple style of it!  But then again, I’d love to wear any and all of the fashions at Ooh La Jena, especially their beautiful tops, in this lovely shade of blue!

Ooh La Jena also has some stunning and unique, handcrafted jewelry including necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.

Shop at Ooh La Jena and support custom made, handcrafted, quality fashion!

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Filed Under: fashion, shopping, Sponsors

Friday Favorites – Week 72

July 14, 2011 7 Comments

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Hey guys!  Happy Friday!  Today I have a freebie for some of you.  If you who frequent my site, you may have noticed that I’ve started using the Rafflecopter application for my giveaways.  It is a super-mega-cool program, which makes running giveaways a lot easier for hosts!  And it also makes it easier for our readers to enter. 

 The application is free but is still in the testing phases and is currently open by invite only.  But as one of the lucky bloggers chosen to participate in the beta testing, I was given a few invite codes this week!  Before I give them to anyone else, I thought it would be cool to share the Rafflecopter-love with my Friday Favorites friends. 
So if you run giveaways on your site and would like to try out Rafflecopter, just leave a comment or send me an email letting me know that you’d like one of the invites!  I’ll then send out the codes on a first come, first serve basis.

This post is sponsored by The Trendy Boutique.  The place for trendy, fun, and affordable shopping!  Check out everything they have to offer from watches to photo jewelry and hand stamped jewelry.  And even design your very own flip flops and hand bags!  Find all the accessories you need  for summer and back to school!

Hope you enjoy this week’s features!

Divine Rose Tutorial from Homemaker on a Dime

Key Lime Mousse Shooters from The Freshman Cook

Ruffled Dress from A Couple of Craft Addicts

Rainbow Cake from Confessions of a Holiday Junkie

Sun Jar from Sweet Little Smoothie

Thanks for coming by for the party! Link up your posts below!

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Filed Under: Freebie, Friday Favorites

Summer Pinwheel and Burlap Wreath

July 13, 2011 17 Comments
I think pinwheels are so cute and fun for the summer!  Several weeks ago while making my flag wreath, I also put this little pinwheel wreath together.
Since it’s made using the scrapbook paper of your choice, it’s a very versatile project.  And I made fairly easy by using “flat pinwheels.”  Hope you enjoy this tutorial.

What You Need:
1 Embroidery Hoop (mine is 12 inches)
Scrapbook Paper
Burlap (or your choice of material)
Hot Glue Gun
Glue stick
Ribbon

Tutorial:
1.  Choose some coordinating scrapbook papers (preferably with designs on both sides).  I used 3 different sheets for mine, but you could use more or less.  Cut your paper into 5 inch squares.  You’ll need about six for a 12 inch wreath.  (By the way, the paper that I used came out of a kit from Scrapbook Circle which I actually won last year through a blog giveaway. Yay!)
2.  Using scissors, cut your paper starting and the corner, and cutting toward the center, stopping about 1/2 an inch from the center.  Do this at each corner.  Next you need to fold one of the corners over, folding flat toward the center, and repeat with the remaining corners. Use glue stick so that pinwheel shape stays in place. (Or if you don’t want flat pinwheels, you can fold them over without folding flat and secure the pinwheel with a brad.)
3.  Next cover your embroidery hoop with burlap or your choice of fabric.  Use the hot glue gun to secure your fabric to the hoop.
4.  Now use your glue stick to attach the pinwheels to the wreath.
5.  Finally add some ribbon for hanging, and you’re done!

This post is sponsored by Cutie Patootie Creations. Why settle for the same “cookie cutter” party invites, when you can have something custom created for you?  Cutie Patooties has unique invitations in a variety of fun styles and themes.  And they have all the matching decorations and supplies you need to get your party on! Check out Cutie Patootie Creations today, and get started planning your perfect party!

I’m linking up at these crafty parties and Tidy Mom.

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Filed Under: crafts, decorating, summer, Wreaths

Ornament Shop Review

July 12, 2011 1 Comment
I got another mouse ornament to add to my collection! This cute ornament came from OrnamentShop.com. They offer ornaments in a variety of styles and themes, including Graduate Christmas Ornaments, Teacher Ornament, Graduate Christmas Ornaments,and Engagement Ornaments.  And if you’re celebrating Christmas in July on your blog, check out their blog for some great Christmas Ideas.
The ornament I received from OrnamentShop.com features an adorable mouse couple, sitting atop a candy cane.  It is made of polymer clay, which gives it a really whimsical look.
And it’s personalized! One each side of the mouse couple is a snowflake which I had our first names put on, and then hanging beneath the candy cane is a little holly berry adorned sign which I got our last name put on.  Very cute!
And here’s a few more personalized items that I really like at this site:
Meow Cat Ornament
Snowman Baby Girl Ornament
Snowman Couple Ornament
Gingerbread Family Ornament
Frog Family Ornament

Check out Ornamentshop.com for these and more adorable ornaments!

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Disclosure:  I received a free ornament for review purposes.  I was in no other way compensated for this post. The opinions are my own.
Filed Under: Christmas, decorating, product review

Homemade Fudgesicles

July 11, 2011 28 Comments
I am super excited to share this new recipe with you.  I originally found it over at Joy in My Kitchen, a simply wonderful recipe blog!
And you know how it is with recipes like this; you say, “Okay. This looks good, but does it taste like the stuff we get at the store?”  My answer for this one is, “Yes!”

I’m sure someone out there could tell a difference in the taste, but I have to say that I (and even my husband, the fudgesicle fanatic) were amazed at how good these were and how close they were to the fudgsicles we know and love!  So check out the recipe and go make some this week!

 

Recipe for Homemade Fudgesicles:

Ingredients:
3/8 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 tablespoon cocoa
2 cups milk

Directions:  Combine the flour, sugar, and cocoa in a sauce pan, and whisk to combine.  Add milk slowly, and whisk to combine over medium heat.
Heat until mixture thickens, about 2-4 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula. (Note: It never got thick for me, even after 5 minutes or so, so I just removed it, and it still turned out great.)
Pour mixture into a measuring cup, or something with a spout so that it’s easy to pour into a popsicle mold.
Pour into molds (We made 7 popsicles).  Freeze overnight, and enjoy!

 

 

By the way, the popsicle tray is a Kidco Healthy Snack Frozen Treat Tray, and you get them on Amazon.  They worked out very well, and in my opinion it’s a perfect size for kids (and adults) of all ages.

 

 

This post is sponsored by The Trendy Boutique.  The place for trendy, fun, and affordable shopping!  Check out everything they have to offer from watches to photo jewelry and hand stamped jewelry.  And even design your very own flip flops and hand bags!  Find all the accessories you need  for summer and back to school!
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Filed Under: desserts, Recipe of the Week, recipes
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