Hiatus

I'm putting the blog on an indeterminate hiatus. I do not know when or if I will re-start this blog. I'm just not as focused on it as I used to be because I love my bridal blog. If you'd like, feel free to check that one out.

Fall Book Club Challenges

One of my friend's turned me on to an online book club, so I think I'm going to try it out. I probably won't get much read this fall, but I might as well start now.

Here are the fall challenges.

5 Point Tasks
1. IHO Breast Cancer Awareness month read a book with a pink cover or tile or about a victim's story.

2. IHO Friday the 13th(Nov. 13th) read the 13th book on your TBR shelf. If you do not have a goodreads shelf then either read the 13th book on your physical shelf or if that isn't possible pull a title out of 13 pieces of paper.

3.IHO Black Friday/Cyber Monday, read a book that you bought on clearance (that day or before) or sale or Read a book about shopping/retail.
Finished: Shopaholic Takes Manhatten

4. IHO Christmas gift giving read a book that you were given as a gift or bought with a gift card. (If you don't get books as a gift buy yourself a book as a gift to yourself for being great!)
Finished: Confession of a Shopaholic

5. IHO the darker nights curl up with a mystery.

6. IHO the cold nights read a book under a blanket or in front of a fire.

7. IHO Fall colors read a book with a brown, orange, red, yellow, or black cover.

8. IHO Sweetest Day read a book with a flower or type of Candy in the title.

9. IHO Sadie Hawkins day read a book where the main character is a male.

10. IHO Statue of Liberty dedication read a book set in New York.
Currently reading Shopaholic Ties the Knot


10 Point Tasks
1.Read a book by an author that you have been meaning to read, but haven't gotten around to.

2. IHO National Teen Read Week read a Young Adult book.

3. IHO Daylight Savings Time fall back, read a Historical Fiction book

4. IHO fall read a book about Fall'ing in love, off the wagon, etc.

5. Read a book that comes out in October, November, December

6. Read an NBC monthly book that you wanted to read but didn't get the chance too. If you have read them all then read and discuss Oct., Nov., or Dec. book.

7. IHO the holidays Read a book about a religion other than your own

8. IHO Halloween read a horror/suspense book

9. IHO Thanksgiving read a book about Families

10. IHO Halloween read a book about ghosts, witches, vampires, goblins, etc.


15 Point Task
1. Go to random word generator (http://watchout4snakes.com/CreativityTools/RandomWord/RandomWord.aspx) and read a book with that word in the title or a book about that word or related to the word.

2. Choose an unfinished task from one of the last 3 challenges and finish it. If you finished all the challenges redo your hardest task. If you haven't done any other challenges then go back to the tasks in the book challenge blog and pick your favorite to do.

3. Read a book and pick a playlist of at least 5 songs that you feel would fit the book. Post the list on NBC

4. IHO T.V. starting read a book that a T.V. Show or Made for T.V. Movie/big screen movie was based off of. If possible watch the show or movie and Post a comparison

5. Read a book from the 1001 books to read list

6. IHO Pearl Harbor and Rememberance Day read a book about WWII or a book about/set in Hawaii

7. IHO National Family Literacy month read a book a family member recommended to you.

8. IHO Columbus Day read a book where the main character travels or a travel memoir

9. IHO Edgar Allen Poe's death and National Poetry month read a book of short stories or poetry

10. Go to thisonenext.com and put in your last book read. Read one of the suggestions given to you on what to read next.

Welcome Sign

I found this cute sign at the Dollar Tree and decided to paint it and hang it on my front door. I think it is a great accent for the fall.

Sorry

Sorry I don't post much anymore. It's hard to post on 2 blogs and I enjoy posting on my wedding blog so much more. I'll try to still post on here as much as possible, but I can't promise anything. Hopefully I'll start using it more after the wedding.

J's Birthday Cake

For J's 26th birthday, I decided to make him a tasty french vanilla strawberry cake. It was so easy too because I used mostly pre-made ingredients and just put them together.

I took a box for French Vanilla cake mix and cooked 2 8-inch round cakes from it. Then I let them cool completely.

After they were cool, I put the cake on a plate with the flat side up (flip your cake upside down). Then, I put strawberry preserves on it. After I was done with the strawberry preserves, I put thinly sliced strawberries on top and then added some more preserves. Then I topped it with the other cake, flat side down.

Then I iced it all with whipped cream frosting and then garnished with more sliced strawberries. The icing was a little too sweet for me, so next time I'll use cream cheese icing.


This is a great cake if you're serving a bunch of people, but I don't recommend it for only two. It took us about 4 days to eat it, and by about the 2 day, the bottom of the cake was all soggy from the strawberry juice.

Winner of Hair Clip Giveaway

The winner of the hair clip giveaway was Shelley, who said:

I love the sweet magnolia hair clip & the land of the free wreath.
(Had a hard time choosing one. :))
Thanks!

Thanks for participating everyone!

Feature Friday & a Giveaway

Sorry that we haven't had a feature Friday in a couple of weeks. I've been terribly busy with finals and work. I'm not working for the next 10 weeks, so now I have plenty of time to blog. Our feature this week is Lindsay at Southern Girl Florals. She makes handmade wreaths, floral arrangements, and hair accessories.

I interviewed Lindsay and here's what she had to say:

How did you decide on your shop name?
It just came to me one day. I'm from Texas so I'm a southern girl, and I wanted people to kind of know what I sold by looking at the shop name - Southern Girl Florals.

How did you know you wanted to work with florals?
I used to help my Mom and Grandma make Christmas wreaths when I was younger. I got to be so good at it that they would just sit back and let me take over. My family kept telling me "You could really sell these". I discovered that it wasn't just Christmas wreaths that I could make, and so here I am!

What inspires you?
My inspiration comes from many sources. I can find my inspiration from picking up a single silk flower or a roll of ribbon. I have also found inspiration browsing through a fashion magazine and looking at different color combinations that they use.

Do you have a day job?
Yes, I do have a "real" job - I'm a nurse! Making wreaths, arrangements and accessories is my creative outlet.

What's your favorite item in your shop?
Wow, that is a tough question. I guess you know you are doing something right when you love all of the designs and don't want to give any away!!! If I had to choose one, I would have to say the After the Rainfall wreath because I love the color combination of blue and yellow together. I also love the little artichokes that are on the wreath - they are so cute!


Lindsay is also offering one of her gorgeous hair accessories as a giveaway today.


To enter, head on over to Southern Girl Florals and come back and tell me what you favorite item is.

You can also get an extra entry for each of the following you do (leave a separate comment for each additional entry):
- Become a follower
- Follow me on twitter and tweet about the giveaway. Make sure to @brideonbudget in your tweet.
- Write a blog entry about the giveaway. Make sure blog entry links back to both my blog and also Southern Girl Florals. Post the link as a comment.

The giveaway is open to US residents only. The giveaway will close at 11:59pm EST on Thursday, June 25th.