Swap Goodies and Winnings!

My blogging buddies are really amazing. Today, I'm taking some time out to thank two fellow bloggers and tweeters (and both are Jennifers!) - Jenny M. and Jennifer M!

The Monday following my birthday, I came home to find a USPS box full of fun goodies from Jenny, my preppy Christmas swapper!

Oodles of fun stuff! 

Each and every item was wrapped, which obviously made for a lengthy prezzie-opening fest! My husband watched in amazement as I continued to pull another - and then another- and then another wrapped item out of the box.  Good times! 

Inside the box:

MISTO Olive Oil Sprayer, Vigar Dishbrush, Orange Kitty Heat Resistant potholder, Six pairs of socks (one of my favorite things - cute socks!), Lettuce Shears, Julienne Peeler, and a Skinny Dip moisturizing candle in Peppermint!

Thanks, Jenny!  I'm enjoying all of my new gadgets.

Who knew a dish brush could be so fun?!? 

And now, the second Jennifer:

The timing of JMO's Christmas ornament giveaway couldn't have been more perfect. She selected the winner last week, when I was gearing up to decorate my home in full force for the holidays!  My winnings arrived in the mail just a couple of days after I assembled the tree and turned my little home into Christmas heaven, so the ornament was easy to stick right in with everything else.

Thanks again, ladies - I truly enjoyed all of my goodies!  My husband can't believe all of the stuff that keeps coming in the mail - I think he's getting suspicious, wondering if I'm shopping all the time! I have told him, "it's from a bloggy friend" too many times to count. You are all so awesome!

 

Bath & Body Works Addicts Anonymous (meeting #4)

The lucky duck who won the sack of summery Bath & Body Works products is Kendra!
Thanks to all of my awesome readers and fellow B&B Works fanatics for participating!

Some fun Bath & Body Works related notes:
-Twilight Woods for Men comes out September 27th! I can't wait to pick this up for my husband.
-October 12th is the release date for everyone's favorite Holiday Traditions Scents! My personal favorite of the collection, Vanilla Bean Noel, along with the old faithfuls Winter Candy Apple and Twisted Peppermint are making their annual return, and Snow Kissed Berry is making its debut! 

{Which is your favorite?}

I thought the release date sounded a little earlier than usual, but the B&BW sales associate simply said "you know we're always a season ahead!"  Ain't that the truth!  And it's perfectly fine with me - I love walking around, smelling like a container full of fresh baked vanilla cupcakes and warm sugar cookies!

-Harry Slatkin of Slatkin & Co. will be showcasing new fall and holiday home fragrance products on Saturday, September 25th, 8am-9amET, and Tuesday, September 28th, 6-7am ET on QVC.  Tune in to see new stuff before it hits the B&BW shelves!  Just a note - most of the time, you can get way better deals in the B&BW stores than on QVC - but I like to tune in and see sneak peaks!

Totally unrelated, but my lady friends will appreciate this:

I had a guy leave a comment on my blog yesterday afternoon. He wrote, "This looks like one of those girly type of blogs."  I replied to his comment via email and congratulated him on his groundbreaking rhetorical analysis! "I am a girl, after all", I typed.  I thought his comment was almost ... well... cute.  Cute that he stopped by a blog entitled "A Day in the Life of a Grad Student's Wife" and really cute that he actually still left a comment.  Was he being negative? nah. Was he just making a simple observation? yes - out of disappointment, I'm thinking. Will he ever come back?  He's not following, so my guess is a no.  I'm assuming he googled something that brought up my little home in the blogosphere, and I'm hoping that he eventually finds what he was looking for.  You all should stop by and say hello to him!

Have a great Monday! 

Last day for the B&B works giveaway! and super fast weekend round-up

I will be notifying the winner of my Bath & Body Works 'summer isn't over" goodie bag giveaway tomorrow, so make sure to enter by midnight! For details, read the official giveaway post.


I've had a super busy but awesome weekend!  I visited my fam and hung out in Huntington Friday evening thru Saturday Morning, for the Friends of Coal Bowl.  Marshall lost to WVU in OVERTIME!  It was a complete heartbreaker, and I totally whimpered and cried about it.  Aside from the WVU fans who sat at home and watched it on tv, then harassed me on Facebook when it was over, it was a great game - so great that the WV governor renewed the Friends of Coal Bowl contract for another 10 years!  It's going to take me a whole year to recover from that experience.  My husband still has a sore throat and no voice, two whole days later!

 

Saturday evening we hopped off our home on the hill, down to Peden Stadium and watched our Ohio Bobcats play the Toledo Rockets.  I was completely moved and teary-eyed when the Bobcat football players came running onto the field carrying an American flag before the game started.  September 11th has touched everyone in a personal, emotional, mental, or even physical way.  I must mention that I really enjoyed everyone's September 11th memorial posts this weekend - I didn't get time to comment on them, but I loved them all - especially the "where were you?" posts.  Great writing!

September 11th Memorial
Marshall University Campus

Today is a lazy NFL Sunday.  I just watched my Tom Brady with his flowing hair, and the rest of the awesome Pats team beat the Bengals!  I also ate an entire box of Great Value brand chocolate filled cupcakes and two mini sized Edy's ice creams (i'm super PMS-ing, ok?!?) I'm feelin' a little rough, I've watched way too much football, and now i'm ready to read, write a little, and perform my duties at the ironing board.  


I'm looking forward to the VMAs tonight!  I hope you all had a great weekend!

Bath & Body Works "Summer Isn't Over YET" Goodie Bag Giveaway!

It's time for a Bath & Body Works Addicts Anonymous meeting! 

I'm going to share some of my favorite B&B Works summer products
with one of my lucky readers!

{because Fall doesn't officially

begin until September 23rd}

What's in the bag:

Wallflowers Pluggable Home Fragrance Starter in Berry

Wallflower Single Bulb in Forever Sunshine

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Lipbalm

Slatkin & Co. Room Spray in Summer Melon

Liplicious lip gloss in Saltwater Taffy

Pocketbac Anti-bacterial hand gel in Fresh Lemon

Handibac Moisturizing hand lotion in Nectarine Mint

Travel size body lotion in Summer Vanillas Lemon, Summer Vanillas Berry, and Cool Aqua

*all hand-picked by me, for my lovely readers!

How to win:

Follow me!  My blog is always a good time. (1 entry)

Tell me what your favorite B&B Works product is (1 entry)

Blog about Bath and Body Works! (doesn't even have to be about my giveaway - just profess your love for B&BW! (2 entries)

I will notify the winner on Monday, September 13th!

Can't wait to hear from all of my fellow B&BW addicts! :)

GOOD LUCK!

It's September and a Shabby Apple Giveaway!

 It's the first day of one of my favorite months - and even though it's still extremely hot in Athens, Ohio, I'm still loving September! And the shorter days. And cooler nights.

Another great thing about September is an awesome giveaway hosted by Leigh Ashley!  She recently opened a new Etsy shop, the Shabby Apple, and I'm already a huge fan - last week, I blogged about the discover necklace I recently purchased from the Shabby Apple.  Visit Leigh's Blog and enter the giveaway to win the "Lovebirds Necklace", one of her most popular pieces in the Shabby Apple shop - it's too sweet for words!

{See? Too sweet for words.}

Leigh decided to launch a blog for Shabby Apple separate from her personal blog, as posts about Shabby Apple shop updates needed a special place to belong! She is constantly adding new items, each one more sweet and unique than the last.

 Visit and follow the Shabby Apple blog to stay up to date with the latest items, discounts, and more!

And now, some of my favorite items from the Shabby Apple:

{enter the giveaway here!}

 
 
I hope everyone has a fabulous first day of September!  Enjoy those Starbucks Pumpkin Spice lattes!

DaVinci Bead Drop Necklace Winner!

Congratulations

to Aubrey Rose @ My Simple Everyday

She is the winner of the

DaVinci Bead Drop Necklace and

three DaVinci beads from Coppin's Gifts!

Ashley, check your email - I sent you the contact info for Coppin's Gifts, along with some other information. (Now the fun part begins! You get to pick your beads!)

There were 53 total entries!

I would like to thank everyone who entered the giveaway, tweeted about it, etc.

The folks at Coppin's Gifts and I appreciate you a ton!

Last day for Giveaway!, Nicholas Sparks and GTKYS

Today is the last day that you can enter my DaVinci Beads Drop Necklace giveaway!  Click here for details.  I will announce the winner via my blog and Twitter tomorrow! Good luck to all of those who have entered!




I watched the Last Song last night, and it was a little less gut-wrenching than when I watched it in theaters last spring - but still gut-wrenching, nonetheless.  I love reading Nicholas Sparks' books, love watching the movie adaptations, and apparently, love to feel sad and cry!  I totally think the little boy steals the show (I am completely too lazy to look up who "little boy" is on IMDB.) He's a sweetie!  The Last Song is so worth watching for his adorable performance.  
Speaking of Mr. Sparks, he is headed to West Virginia in October!  My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and I are planning to attend the West Virginia Book Festival (yes, West Virginians can read!), listen to him speak, stalk him, etc.  I'm taking my copy of his newest book (comes out Sept. 14th!) in hopes of getting an autograph!


I hope you all are having a great weekend.  I've been napping, snacking, reading a little bit here and there, and hanging with the hubs - we went "back to school shopping" yesterday (no, it never stops as long as you're in school - he's 27, it's his last year, and we're still buying school supplies! ha ha.)


Thanks for stopping by today.  And now, it's time for a little bit of my Sunday blogging ritual, Getting to Know You!


1. If you could host a Reality TV show, which one would it be?
I have no clue - a dating show.  Those seem to draw in the most *interesting* people, IMO! Plus, I'm just a sucker for Bachelor/Bachelorette and even the nastier shows on VH1.  (Someone tell me why Ocho Cinco need help finding a girlfriend?)

2. Do you put your seatbelt on before or after you start the car?
I honestly have no idea.  But I always wear it! And sometimes it gets caught on the seat adjuster thingy, and my seat will all of a sudden start moving while I'm driving.  SCARES me to DEATH!

3. Shave or hair removal cream?
Shave - hair removal cream smells nasty!

4. What's your favorite feature in a house?
A tie between the living area and bathroom - I like for both to be cozy, I like to be comfortable when I'm in both of those rooms!

5. What is your favorite "Fall" scent?
I just figured that out yesterday.  I burned a new candle, Slatkin & Co. "Creamy Pumpkin", a new scent for 2010. I. am. HOOKED.

6. What tv show are you looking forward to seeing the most this Fall??
I used to be hooked on Desperate Housewives, but now that I've kinda fallen out of interest w/it, I look forward to Dancing with the Stars the most!  New contestants will be announced during Bachelor Pad on August 30th, and I CANNOT wait!!!  I've heard some great rumors - Jennifer Love Hewitt, the Situation from Jersey Shore, etc.

7. Personal Shopper or Personal Chef?
Oh Gosh, CHEF. PLEASE.  I can't cook worth a d?mn!

8. What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of "Fall"?
FOOTBALL! (GO HERD!)

Da Vinci Bead Drop Necklace Giveaway - Reminder!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the DaVinci Beads Drop Necklace and three beads of your choice, from Coppin's Gifts!


Leave me a comment to let me know if you're in! I will announce the winner on Monday, August 23rd.  For more details on the giveaway and info on how to increase your chances of winning, check out my original giveaway post.


Have a wonderful week!

DaVinci Beads Drop Necklace GIVEAWAY!

I'm hosting a DaVinci Beads giveaway 

from Coppin's Gifts, a Hallmark Gold Crown Store!

The lucky winner will receive a DaVinci Drop Necklace, and will also get to choose 

3 beads from the huge DaVinci collection at Coppin's online Hallmark store!

Which three beads will you choose?

To enter:

become a follower & leave me a comment about the giveaway, or if you're already following, let me know you want to win the totally awesome DaVinci beads!

For extra entries:

browse Coppin's Gifts online and let me know what your fave item is! (1 entry)

TWEET about my giveaway (1 entry)

TWEET about Coppin's Gifts! (2 entries!)

*be sure to comment and let me know each time you enter!

I will announce the winner via my blog and Twitter on Monday, August 23rd.

In the meantime, be sure to keep up with the Coppin's Gifts crew by reading their blog!

I recently won my very own piece of DaVinci jewelry from Coppin's Gifts, in a giveaway hosted by my bloggin' pal Brittany @ Living in the Moment.  I had a great time browsing the DaVinci bead collection, and eventually picked a dangling "S" with two matching green foil glass beads to wear on the starter bracelet.  I won over $30 worth of stuff! SWEET DEAL! 

Modeling my winnings!

I received my bracelet and beads in less than two weeks, and Brenda, a fabulous rep from Coppin's, was so fantastic about helping me out and maintaining contact via email.  

DaVinci jewelry is classy, high quality, and fabulous! I absolutely love mine and can't wait to start a new tradition by gifting it to my friends and family! It also compliments other European style beads (like Pandora!)  I'm S-O-L-D!

So... which three beads will you choose to go on your new DaVinci drop necklace?

Comment to enter the giveaway!

And the Blogging Queen is...

I would like to thank all of you who entered the Blogging Queen sign giveaway - the feedback was so great, I'm thinking about making one more for another giveaway sometime later on!  

According to random.org, the winning number is 32.  Congrats to Diana of My Lifesong for being the 32nd entry!  

It will be on its way to Kentucky this week, Diana!

Giveaway #2 Sneak-peek

I'm currently gathering some of my favorite summer Bath & Body Works products together to share with one of my followers at the end of August! My "summer isn't over yet" giveaway will include lots of lemon, lots of pink, and lots of sunshine :)  

Just a heads up!  I'll let you know when it's officially on!

Happy Sunday!

Appalachian Exploitation in the Media (Part 1)

On Sunday evening, Dateline NBC will feature a story on how the economy has affected the poor - in none other than Southeastern Ohio.  Several locations and families in Athens County will be featured in the piece as reported by NBC's Ann Curry. The preview can be found here.

As a "child of appalachia" born and raised in central West Virginia, I tend to feel a little sensitive toward the way in which the appalachian region is portrayed in the media.  Currently, I am a resident of Athens County, and I'm looking forward to seeing how my home is portrayed in Ann's report.  I am aware that there is poverty in appalachia, but it seems as though reporters hunt down the most down-and-out, poorest humans that they possibly can to make the news stories more interesting. On the other hand, I'm also aware that these people are real, the conditions are real.  I'm stuck in the middle when it comes to Appalachia in the media.  The people are exploited, and this gives the rest of the nation a negative impression of a region that is actually beautiful, with lots of tourism, several high-ranked division I colleges and universities, and incredibly nice people. However, attention must be drawn to those suffering in Appalachia - it is a region in need, in many different aspects. 

Today, Ms. Emily Ann blogged about regional stereotypes and for me, her post hit home.  She's a super down-to-earth writer, and I appreciated her realistic view on the subject. As a West Virginian who moved to Ohio 4 years ago, I have been in appalachia all my life, and suffer the consequences of stereotyping on a daily basis! I definitely attribute part of this to the media's portrayal of the appalachian region.

I'll be back on the Appalachia-in-the-Media topic following Sunday evening's Dateline.  The fun starts at 7pm Eastern time. 

You're probably wondering, "GEEZ, what's with Steph being all serious lately?"  Well.. don't worry.  I've got some fun ramblings to spat out, so here we go!:

Two of my blogging buds are hosting awesome giveaways! 

Ashley @ My Carnival Ride is giving away a beautiful necklace and a few delicious smelling, homemade triple-scented candles. This is her first giveway - she's celebrating her 100th post! Head over to her blog and enter to win, and congratulate her on all of her fantastic blogging!

My fellow Marshall fanatic and Christmas-obsessed gal pal, Jennifer @ Crazy Shenanigans, is giving away a SURPRISE MYSTERY GIFT... just like Christmas morning! She was inspired by the whole Christmas in July thing, and trust me - she's a super fun girl with awesome taste, so you can be sure that the surprise giveaway is worth signing up for!

And don't forget about my own giveaway!  WIN the wooden BLOGGING QUEEN sign, made by yours truly!  It ends tomorrow night (Saturday, the 24th) at 11:59pm! 

One last thing - and I have to give Mama Kat major props, because without her, this would not be possible. Many of us bloggers participate in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop during the week, because her writing prompts are AWESOME. I printed off about 50 of my favorite prompts from her writing prompt archive, separated the prompts with the office paper cutter (aka finger slicer... I've had some accidents), folded each one up in a little square and tossed it into a fat drinking cup.  SO... on those days that I'm at a loss for words, I'm going to draw a random prompt from the cup, and go for it!  This should be a lot of fun, but I do think I'm going to need a cheering section, so... let the encouragement begin!  

I hope you all have a terrific weekend!  Join me tomorrow for "Sweets for the Sweet"... I'll be sharing yet another favorite summertime treat - this time, it's fast-food related!

Becoming a better writer - and welcome Wednesday!

I still consider myself a blogging newbie, in that I haven't found a my writing "niche" yet.  Do I even need one?  I love blogging about random things, which is what I've been doing. I have awesome readers who appreciate my posts and let me know about it on a daily basis (THANK YOU!) 

I want to continue posting about random topics, but I would also like to work on my writing skills and add a little more substance to the blog.  More meaningful posts, to pair with those fun, lighthearted blogs about my Bath and Body Works addiction.  I want to elaborate more on current events... on my life... on everything!  I feel like my blog posts need more "oomph" - so I'm taking my blogging insecurities and hitting the ground running with my own personal writer's training camp! You would think, with a husband who is a "rhetorician" and just a few short months away from being a doctor in Composition in Rhetoric, I would have great resources and already rock at this whole thing.  Umm... not so much. I'm ok, but there's always room for improvement, so off I go!  I've been inspired by the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge hosted by the girls @Secret is in the Sauce, and I'm also inspired by... myself. Yes, myself.  I'm a constantly evolving person, I used to hate change but now I love it, and I'm always in need of a challenge.  So... becoming a better writer.  How do I start?  First of all, I've done some house cleaning around here - if you've been here before, but notice a change, it's because I removed some gadgets that were kind of sitting and taking up valuable space. I wanted to allow a bigger space for my actual posts, so I had to rearrange.  Now, I have more room to blab, and you have less distraction which will help you focus on the writing!  The writing that... I'm going to improve the quality of.  Gradually.  Stay tuned!

Don't forget about my GIVEAWAY!

You have until Saturday, July 24th,11:59pm to sign up and take a chance at winning this super cute sign that I created especially for my awesome followers:

Details and additional pics can be found here.

Basically, just become a follower and let me know you LOVE the Blogging Queen Sign! 

For an extra entry, visit my etsy shop and let me know what your favorite item is!

Of course, I'm linking up at Take it From Me for the weekly blog hop, "Welcome Wednesday".  Head over, check out the feature bloggers, and link up to find other great blogs!

Top 2 Tuesdays

Two things... two things... if i could purchase only two things, what would they be...

Well, that's easy!

 +  

For starters, the Apple iPad! Isn't it gorgeous? I would love to have a super-duper sized iPhone to take with me everywhere I went.  They're just too cool.  Blogging on the go would be the greatest thing ever!  I would protect it with my life.  In order to help with that, I would also like to have the iPad case :)  I love technology, I love my iPods and my iPhone, and I love our Macbook.  I'm sure the iPad would fit in quite nicely with the rest of the family!  
iPad 64GB with wi-fi & 3G, $829, iPad case, $39, apple.

The second thing I would purchase is this classy, sophisticated, apple green beauty:

After all, I would need a cute bag to tote my iPad in, right? 

Julia leather op art perry tote in apple green, $298, Coach.

So... does anyone have an extra grand stuck in between their couch cushions that I can borrow? Until then, I'll stick with my knockoff Coach bag - which i happen to love :)

While you're here, don't forget to sign up for my 100 followers celebratory giveaway!  I made something especially for my fellow bloggers! Find out how to win it here!

Top 2 Tuesdays is hosted by the Undomestic Mama every week. Post your top 2's, then head over to Mama's website and link up!

Meet me on Monday

Welcome to a new week!  There's not a whole lot going on in my world... I'm still trying to process the movie "Inception", which I watched two whole days ago - yep, still processing.  Stillll thinking.  Still analyzing.  It was a difficult movie for someone who prefers "flickering images", or movies that require no thought process! haha :)  Seriously though, Leonardo Dicaprio is fantastic.  And the box of mini-Butterfingers I had for a snack were fantastic, too!

MAN, some bloggers have been posting some super amazing recipes as of late!  I'm not much of a baker in the summertime, but when fall rolls around, I get into it.  I'm stockpiling recipes left and right, so keep 'em comin'!

I would like to remind you to join in my 100-follower celebration giveaway fun!  You can win this super cute sign - made by yours truly - just by following and showin' me your love via commenting! 

I appreciate all of those who follow, read, and support my blog, and I just had to make something special for you to win! Read more about the giveaway here.

I know I'm slacking today, but it's Monday and I'm completely blank.  I think I'm actually focused on work this early A.M.!  GASP!  I'm streaming my favorite local radio station online, ready to get busy at the office.  This, my friends, is a rarity - well, not the radio station part, but the whole gettin' busy at the office part!

To wrap things up, I'm going to participate in "Meet Me on Monday", hosted by Java @ Never Growing Old. Read my answers, post your own set of answers, then head on over to Java's blog and link up!

 1. What is your favorite sandwich?Turkey Ranch & Swiss on whole wheat from Quiznos! I could eat it every day! 

2. What is stashed under your bed/mattress?My Hallmark Keepsake Christmas Ornaments and Marshall University Ornaments - I keep them neatly organized and protected in Rubbermaid containers (I'm OCD about my Christmas ornaments!) Also, the cat can sometimes be found under the bed, especially during thunderstorms. 3. What is your favorite flower?Bright, happy gerbera daisies! 

4. What is your favorite magazine?Decorating magazines, crafty magazines, girly magazines, and Sports Illustrated
5. How often do you weigh yourself?Once per week - I'm not quite a gym rat, but I like to workout and maintain.   

Have a great Monday, all!