:: 24 Hour Christmas in July Sale at Village Candle ::

Hello everyone! I wanted to share some news about a great sale at Village Candle! It may be 100+ degrees outside where I live, but at Village Candle it’s Christmas!!

Just click HERE for all the details!

*Sale begins at 3pm EST, Tuesday 7/24/12 and ends at 3pm EST, Weds. 7/25/12
*No Code Necessary*

** FREE SHIPPING **

If you have never tried Village Candles NOW is the time! What a wonderful SALE with so many of their fabulous products included!

**FREE CHRISTMAS GIFT WITH EVERY PURCHASE!**

What are you waiting for??!!

:: Balsam Fir is pictured above. One of my absolute favorites ::

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

★ Patriotic Door Décor ★

Hello…Hope you are all doing well! It has been incredibly busy around here lately. So many Summer activities keeping us on the hop! We’ve had some hot temps…and that calls for swimming pools & sprinklers.

I have been meaning to make the door decor that I made today forever. Do you ever do that? You have all of the supplies, and the best intentions but you just don’t get around to it. And then today, wouldn’t you know I make three of them!? I thought I would share how they turned out. So glad I got them done before the 4th of July & before our big block party tomorrow night!

Painted Burlap:

Come On In:

What a fun & easy project! A festive welcome for family & friends!

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday! As I said, we are gearing up for our big block party tomorrow night. Hopefully the first of many more to come! I love party planning & I love the 4th of July! ★

Have a safe & happy Independence Day my friends. Let’s take time to give thanks and honor those men & women that have fought & continue to fight for our freedom. Bless them for all that they do.★

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

Sharing Some Garden Photos

Hello again. This post is going to be almost all photos. We spent a weekend at my Mother & Father-in-law’s home recently. I walked around their gorgeous yard and snapped photos of some of their flowers, plants, lawn ornaments etc. It is such a beautiful, calming space. Wind chimes, soft breezes, warm sun & pretty surroundings. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Their new patio & fire pit they built themselves. It is fabulous!

We ended the day making smores around the fire!

Such peaceful surroundings. I hope you enjoyed this little garden tour. Maybe one day our yard can be as nice as theirs.We have got some work to do! Love that patio & fire pit. …..something else to put on the “to-do” list!

"Kind hearts are the garden,
kind thoughts are the roots,
kind words are the blossoms,
kind deeds are the fruit."...John Ruskin

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

A New Facebook Page To Check Out!

Hello all! Cleaning & doing some chores around the house today. A never ending cycle..as we all know. I can never seem to get the everyday chores done so that I can dig in & start on the bigger projects. Wanting to re-decorate, paint & declutter. All in good time I guess, taking on one project at a time. No quick, extreme home makeover is happening here!

Enjoying Cinnamon Stick from Village Candle today. Cinnamon is an all time favorite scent of mine & this candle is so warm & homey. A perfect choice to burn while “enjoying” my day of cleaning.

Another one of my new favorites from VC is Caramel Almond Cookie. So yummy, I am such a foodie candle lover so it is the perfect scent for me.

Mmmm…fresh baked goodness.

I wanted to tell you about a new Facebook page from Village Candle called Decorate with Fragrance. Click HERE to “like” their page.

Candles can evoke a memory & set a mood. They are not only a scent but a beautiful decoration for your home. Not to mention the fact that the moment you light that cozy, warm flame it transforms a room. How many of us light a candle right when we get home from work or from running errands for the day. They are our sense of peace, comfort & home, a retreat from our hectic daily activities.

I know you will love this new page! They are sharing ideas, tips, photos, favorite links etc. Be sure and check it out!

It’s back to housework & laundry for me. Have a wonderful day!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

Summer Has Begun

Hello, I hope you are all doing well. Summer has begun & we are off & running! This last week has been a mission of crossing things off of our long “to-do” list. With the kiddos help we have managed to accomplish a lot! Always MORE to do though, one day at a time. Baseball practices have started, the kids are begging to go to the pool, but in my opinion it hasn’t been warm enough yet. We will get there!

Most of this past weekend was spent tending to our two youngest boys with a stomach bug. I feel so bad for them, they have been miserable. Hopefully it will pass quickly, I think we are already on the upswing so that is good!

I did manage to get outside today, get some fresh air & fill the crocks on our front porch. Last year was a red, white & blue theme. This year is salmon colored geraniums with a mix of blue, yellow & green. I can’t wait until the geraniums bloom, then they will be even more colorful! I always love to watch the crocks fill in & bloom BIG! Such a beautiful process.

Thought I would share some photos, I will share again when the geraniums make an appearance.

I wanted bright, cheerful & summery. I am happy with them! It adds so much warmth & welcome to the front of the house. I got a couple of colorful hanging baskets too, we have not had them for a few years, it seems to be a bit of a pain to take them down in the wind, bring them down out of a storm & watering them can be a chore, but they are so pretty I couldn’t resist this year!

We have also been grilling a lot lately. The weather has been wonderful for it. Always fun trying out new recipes. This weekend was Tangy Meatloaf Burgers & Roasted Pork Loin with a Watermelon Glaze. Hubby also smoked a 9lb Boston Butt for us to have pulled pork sandwiches this week. All turned out wonderful & yummy!

Here is the Tangy Meatloaf Burgers. With a little cube of either cheddar or mozzarella cheese tucked inside.

This is the Pork Loin with the Watermelon Glaze. We served it with sweet, juicy watermelon cubes & a macaroni salad.

And here is the Boston Butt pulled pork.

Click HERE to join my husband Geoff and I on our ‘Just Grillin’ Facebook page. We would love it if you gave our page a “like”! We share recipes, photos, tips, tricks & some of our favorite products too.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. It seemed to go by way too fast, but then don’t they all?!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

✿ Happy Mother’s Day ✿

Wanting to wish all of you a very Happy Mother’s Day. May your day be filled with love & laughter spent with the ones that mean the most to you!

I couldn’t be more fortunate. My Mom is amazing! No matter how old I get I will always need her. The best part is now that I am older we are also wonderful friends. She is always there for me, to pick me up, cheer me up, build me up, encourage me, tell me she is proud of me & she has done all of these things for all of these years. She can help you through the trials & challenges of raising a family, she has been there & done that. Or she can share in the true joy of raising a family, she has been there & done that too. Sometimes her advice is the same as it was so many years ago when she would sit on the edge of my bed & tell me that everything was going to be alright. Isn’t that really all you ever want & need to hear?  And those words just sound so reassuring coming from her mouth. Whether I am 4 or 44 & more it doesn’t matter I will always seek out my Mom’s wise advice. I am so blessed. I love you Mom. ♥

This is a poem that my Mom gave to me on a plaque several years ago. I will never forget it & it will always ring true, it is called:

Don’t Quit~

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victors cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit
Its when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Anonymous

For my dear friends that no longer have your Mothers here with you. I am sending out comforting hugs. May the precious memories live in your hearts forever. ♥

Have a wonderful weekend. Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

 

Winners Of My Village Candle Giveaway!

Hello everyone! A big thank you to each of you who entered this fun giveaway!! I used Random.org to choose the winners. Each person was given a number in the order that they entered the giveaway. I took those numbers & entered them into the true random number generator, pushed the button and viola…two winners were born!

The first drawing was for the 22oz Country Pine Cone candle. And the winner is……. Sandi she came over to my blog from her blog The Primitive Skate. Congratulations Sandi! I will be in touch via email to get your mailing address so that Village Candle can get that wonderful Country Pine Cone candle sent to you!

The second drawing was for the 14.5oz Cider Donut candle. And the winner is……… Elisha she came over to my blog from her blog Grown By Grace. Congratulations Elisha! I will be in touch with you via email as well to get your mailing address so that Village Candle can get your yummy Cider Donut candle sent to you!

Here’s what these gals won in case you missed it!

Country Pine Cone is on the left & Cider Donut is on the right!

The jars, the labels, the lids, the scents…Sandi & Elisha you are going to love them! Enjoy! :)

Thanks again to Village Candle for allowing me to review two of their wonderful candles from their NEW Kitchen Line! It is always such an honor to do so. And so much fun too!

Thank you my friends! I appreciate your visits & your comments so much! It means the world to me that you take the time to stop by!

Until next time, take care.

~Sarah~

Vacation Photos & Don’t Forget To Enter My Village Candle Giveaway!

Hello everyone! Hope you have all been well. I had a wonderful vacation in Arizona with my Sister. Thought I would share some scenic photos that I took while I was there. Of course it was gorgeous weather. We did A LOT of relaxing in & by the pool. A little bit of shopping , A LOT of gabbing  & played a ton of gin rummy. It was just the pick me up that I needed!

The first photo that I took after I arrived. This is where we spent our days.

Happy feet after our pedicures!

Our little crackling “fire pit” each night.

Our dessert, a Baked Beignet. Yes, we did share it! It was delicious!

We went on a golf cart ride one evening & took some sunset shots.

Just look at the changing colors. The sky was so beautiful!

A funky water shot that I took while my feet were dangling  :)

Time to fly home. Thanks to my Sister for being the perfect hostess as always. And I got to come home to my wonderful hubby & sweet kiddos! The best of both worlds!  ♥

I had these two Village Candles sent to my Sister while I was there as a thank you gift. Desert Cactus & Canyon Sunset. Perfect candles for her Mesa home! I couldn’t resist taking a photo of them with a real Arizona sunset in the background!

Speaking of Village Candles….Don’t forget to enter my Village Candle Giveaway! It ends tomorrow night, May 10th at midnight (central time)! Click HERE to see the details of the Giveaway, to leave a comment & be entered!!

Remember there will be TWO lucky winners: One will win a 22 oz Country Pine Cone candle & one will win a 14.5 oz Cider Donut candle!

I will be using Random.org to choose the winners for this Giveaway. And will make the announcement on Friday May 11th…so stay tuned!!

Until next time, take care!

~Sarah~