Teapot Tuesday—Floral Delight

Sep 30, 2014

A sweet teapot find from one of my favorite places---Marshall's.  You just never know what you are going to find when you take a detour on the way home from the airport. Brew me a cup for a winter's night. For the wind howls loud, and the furies fight; Spice it with love and stir it with care, And I'll toast your bright eyes, my sweetheart fair. - Minna Thomas Antrim, 'A Night Cap,' A Book of Toasts You still have time to join in on every single giveaway from My Week of …

North Iowa Bloggers + Oreos = Sugar High

Sep 29, 2014

You might have heard the moans and groans on Thursday night coming from my humble abode.  My fabulous group of North Iowa Bloggers (at least some of our ever growing wonderful group) got together at my house to celebrate the fall birthdays.  What started out as a birthday celebration for 4 ladies morphed into much more. Someone spied some oddly flavored Oreos in a store and since we all had so much fun with the Lay's Chip Tasting not too long ago I offered the challenge to the group that we …

My Favorite Things Week—Graze

Sep 27, 2014

Can you believe it is the final day of My Favorite Things Week here at It's Just Life????   Well it is and how have I made it all week without including a single food item?   Today I change that. There are a lot of food sampling subscription services that are available now.  I have tried several and right now my favorite one is Graze.  Graze is a fabulous way to sample some snacks that are not your usual chips and dip.  The offerings include savory and sweet, crunchy and soft, exotic and …

My Favorite Things Week–Two Hands

Sep 26, 2014

It's My Favorite Things Week and to make it even more fun for all of my great followers I am having a Giveaway every single day!  That's right.  Every day the "favorite thing" that I am featuring is going to be given away randomly to one lucky reader (and commenter).  How can you not love that? Today's favorite thing is a little gadget that I found advertised someplace and I fell in love with it and already have given one as a gift to my sister.  When she would FaceTime with me she was always …

My Favorite Things Week—MeMe Miracle’s World of Crafting

Sep 25, 2014

Some of you know that I have a Cricut and use it to make a variety of things but mainly use it to make greeting cards.  There are so many different ways to use a Cricut and today's giveaway features a crafting friend who has mastered the technique for using vinyl fabulously.  Rebecca (Becky) Miracle is my sister Paula's childhood BFF and continuing BFF.  She has many gifts and talents but at the moment she is using her creative side and is offering several unique and wonderful items through her …

My Favorite Things Week—Letters For My Little Sister

Sep 24, 2014

Every day this week I have shared one of my favorite things. Today is no different.  But today is different because I am over the top excited about the giveaway. Wait---I have loved everything I have posted this week but this one has a special place in my heart because I have a teeny tiny part in it. My blogger friend, Cecilia Gunther, has a wonderful blog at The Kitchen's Garden.  She is an amazing New Zealander living in Illinois on a sustainable farm.  She inspires me. Actually she …

My Favorite Things Week—Tuesday Tea Giveaway

Sep 23, 2014

It's Tuesday so that means today's giveaway has to be something tea related, right?  Feast your eyes on this beautiful tin of tea---accompanied with a lovely tea ball for steeping! Today's favorite thing giveaway is a lovely tin of tea (Island Green) from the Charleston Tea Plantation. I am also enclosing a tea ball to use to help steep your tea.  You might recall that Chris and I had a nice visit to the tea plantation and I shared my visit here.  It is such an amazing place and the tea----oh …

My Favorite Things Week—Miel Bee Enlightened Candles

Sep 22, 2014

Day 2 of My Favorite Things Week on It's Just Life features a lovely beeswax candle.   I have to make full disclosure that one of the owners of this Etsy Shop Miel: Bee Enlightened is Hannah who has been dating my youngest son Aaron.  Even if that was not the case I would have fallen in love with these candles that Hannah and Jessica are crafting in Durham, NC.   The subtle scent of the beeswax makes it a perfect candle to burn if you don't want a lot of fragrance but still want the warm glow …

My Favorite Things Week—In My Book® Bookmark Cards

Sep 21, 2014

Welcome to My Favorite Things Week on It's Just Life!  Every once in awhile I share with you, my lucky readers, some of my very favorite things.  This week I will not only share on my blog but I will share in real life.  All seven days this week I will give away the product that I am featuring that day. It will be very simple for you to enter to win.  Simply leave a comment on the post about the product featured.  It can be as simple as telling me why you would like to win it or what you …

Slightly Sweet Saturday—Grandma Bonnie’s Apple Pudding

Sep 20, 2014

I have great memories of my Grandma Bonnie (my mom's mom).  She was a superb cook and always had the best food when we visited the farm.  Farm fresh eggs (although I was not a fan of collecting them from the mean hens that pecked me) and fresh vegetables from the garden were staples on the table.  I remember hot sweaty days with  scratched arms and legs from going berry picking in the woods.  Whatever she prepared was a treat and I think I have gained my love of cooking from her. It seems …