just for fun!

These are so much fun. I did this one for Catherine who is turning 12 while I am gone! They are called Wordles and you just enter a group of words or any text and it randomly places the words in a colorful array, like this one.



You can "scramble" the words for a variety of colors, fonts and arrangements. Make yours here.

Luggage

Here is a great bag at a great deal! I have been on the lookout for something like this for awhile. I have borrowed Mom & Dad's yardsale bag (see Luggage entry below) for every major trip over the last few years. Now I have my own.

This bag retails for $169.95, but is on sale for $50.99 with Free Shipping.

They have it in Plaid and Polka Dot patterns. I got the Polka Dots. The 2010 version of this bag retails for $289.95 and appears to be almost identical other than color patterns. You can get it HERE

"Pack your Burton Wheelie Double Deck for your European snowboarding vacation. This 70-liter bag holds enough to travel comfortably for a week or two. Burton's new KLIPH space-saving handle system means the Double Deck's telescoping handle doesn't take up any precious cargo room. This system also lets your clothes lay flat in the bag to keep them wrinkle-free, so you'll look put-together when you meet that Austrian hottie. Skate wheels make this bag easy to roll through customs, and an attachment strap lets you put your backpack on your Double Deck for easy transporting. This bag features shoe storage and toiletry kit to help you stay organized".

Product Description- Two weeks. Four Countries. One bag, no problem.

Product Features:
IXIOM Wheel System
EVATPU Back PanelsLighter, Faster, Stronger
Comfort Cush Telescoping Handle
Volume-Enhancing CRAM Zones
Hideaway SnakeStack External Backpack Attachment

Product Details:
Product Dimensions: 30 x 15 x 16 inches ; 12 pounds
Shipping Weight: 12 pounds

(apologies for the one-armed mannequin)

Recipes- Curried Rice Salad & Pimento Cheese

These recipes came from Mama Deane's Ladies Luncheon. These are easy and delicious. Just add a bowl of fresh fruit, a plate of sliced tomatoes (don't forget the salt and pepper shaker) and a pitcher of sweet tea, with lemon wedges and voila! a Ladies Luncheon. Add men if desired.

Curried Rice Salad

Near East Rice Pilaf Mix(Deane uses Chicken Flavored, I prefer Original)

A few green onions, sliced thin

1/2 green (or red) pepper, seeded and chopped

1/3 cup lite mayo

12 pimiento stuffed olives, sliced

2 6oz jars marinated artichoke hearts

3/4 tsp curry (or more!)

Cook rice as directed, cool in large bowl. Add green onions, pepper and olives. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving marinade and cut in half. Combine artichokes with rice and toss with dressing of reserved liquid and mayo. Chill.

Virginia is for Lovers Smokin' Hot Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

Here is Mama Deane's non-edited version of my request for the recipe. I love non-edited recipes (see Granny McCarley's Sweet Potato Pie)

okey-dokey: I put into a bowl some of that Three/Four Cheese shredded mix that comes in a bag... a whole 8 oz bag Then I add some extra shredded sharp cheddar cheese....about a cupThen I start putting in Cayenne Pepper and Onion Salt, basically to taste....probably a half of a Tablespoon of each. If it is too pungent, add more cheese. Then I add quite a bit of Hellmann's mayonnaise. Maybe 2 full cups.Then I dice up some Red Roasted Peppers......they come in a jar and can be found in the section with pickles, etc. About 1/4-1/2 cup depending upon your taste.This whole recipe depends upon your taste. These are the ingredients, you just have to fool around with it until you get it the way you like it. It is good on crackers or bread. Glad you like it. I fix it every time my Ladies group comes.They're all coming again this week for some crazy healing, deliverance and breaking off of some generational sins. We just have a grand time when we get together. You didn't really get to see those prissy little southern wimmin in action. They can really go at it!

Precious.

International Travel

Booking international travel on your own can be tricky. I have often used travel agents to book flights when traveling outside the U.S. from country to country. Agents can be helpful, but it is nice to see your options firsthand and make the choices yourself, and you save money in booking fees. Discount airfare sites like Expedia and Orbitz don't offer you the ability to search internationally, once outside the U.S. While traveling to Europe, I wanted to be able to search flights from London to various European countries. In the past, I used Ryan Air to book those flights. Ryan Air is still a good place to go if you want to fly within Europe.

http://www.ryanair.com/

Yet, outside of Europe, these flights can be almost impossible to find. You have to know which airlines fly out of which countries and go directly to their sites. In the case of intra Africa airlines, the sites are not user friendly and not always in English. When trying to book flights to Mozambique, the Mozambican Airlines site kept telling me there were no flights available, but it was simply that I was not searching within the few days each week that there are flights out each week, but the site never displayed a flight schedule and I was searching the wrong days of the week. Also, sadly, I had major trust issues with these international airlines and was very uncertain about paying thousands of dollars and entering credit card information on their sites. Also, prices are often in the local currency and require you to do the math. www.vayama.com is a California based site that allows you to search and book international travel. With Vayama you no longer need to book your flights through an agent and can do it all yourself. Airfares are offered on 100-plus airlines flying between the USA and over 190 countries. It has an interactive map that shows you where you are flying, displays flight schedules, 3-D seat maps and offers pricing in US dollars. It is safe and very user friendly.

Magazine

You are gonna love this magazine and their website is pretty helpful too. Clean Eating is all about eating food in its most natural state possible. This means avoiding over processed, refined foods, like sugar and flour, staying away from saturated and trans fats, and fried foods. It is not a diet, but a lifestyle. The site has recipes, menus and shopping lists! I love shopping lists. They just help give me ideas of new things to add to my diet and keep me from walking aimlessly up and down the aisles. With clean eating you will find you really no longer spend much time in the aisles in the middle of the store, but hit the ends, for produce, lean meats, seafood and dairy. According to the site, Clean Eating Magazine is like "having your own dietitian, cookbook and instruction manual rolled into one beautiful magazine". I recently subscribed to Vegetarian Times, not that any of you were considering that one, but just in case you were, don't bother, I was disappointed. Check this one out instead. www.cleaneatingmag.com

Thanks for the recommendation Laura.

Makeup Sets

I love these things! I love just looking at them and love how colorful they are. I always wanted one of these kits when I was little, but was too tough to admit that I liked girly things. Then when I actually started to wear makeup when I became all grown up, there was no way I would choose my color palette from a box of $4.99 assorted powders in plastic cups. But things changed. One holiday I was in the Wal-Mart in Hartwell exploring the Christmas clearance and found a purple tin box displaying colorful green, blue and tangerine eye shadows, blushes and lip gloss and had to have it! It was 75% off making my total investment come to $2.49. That was probably about 4 years ago and I still use this box! We all know good makeup is not cheap. And I intend to make mine last. I am not about to waste my fine collection of Bobbi Brown and Dior on trips to Target or the public library or to produce shop in the stinky Wayfield Foods. So that's when I whip out my little tin box from Wal-Mart and live a little. I love dipping my finger in the tiny little plastic circles filled with cheap shiny lip gloss. I love having 20 different colors to choose from and mix them all together, creating my very best rendition of "smokey eyes". The lady at the checkout counter has yet to compliment my plump lips, but I know the day is coming...If you see one of these kits in your local Wal-Mart you must get one and don't spend over $5.00, otherwise it takes the fun out of it. And get one for me, I am almost out of the safari green eye shadow.

Lipbalm

Years ago, before 9/11 and the economic downturn, when Delta was thriving, they partnered with L'Occitane in creating their international flight overnight bags- those ones with the earplugs and cheap socks. These were full of lush, yummy French created lavender scented creams, lotions and lipbalm. At the time, I was told the lipbalm was a Delta/L'Occitane only creation and could not be purchased at the L'Occitane store at Lenox Mall. It is now available, but can be hard to find and retails for $10. The consistency is a little different than typical chapstick and goes on smooth, not thick and glides on the lips. I have not been able to find an alternative, until now. Carla discovered this Blistex brand of lipbalm, Silk & Shine. It comes in the same type tube container like the coveted l'Occitane balm and is similar in consistency, much cheaper and offers sun protection, SPF 15. Retail Price $2.99