Jill's Book Bag #5 - **WINNER**

Wow! I can't believe the number of comments and visitors for this month's Book Bag! Thank you all so very much for stopping by and leaving comments. I haven't had a chance to thank each of you in person.... I've got a lot of new blogs to visit.

Without further ado, the winner this month is #26, Lori at Lori's Comfort Zone.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
26
Timestamp: 2007-10-31 13:55:09 UTC

Lori, please email me with your mailing information. My email address is on my profile page.

Thanks again everyone!

Jill's Book Bag #5 - October 2007

I am feeling a little bit nostalgic and a little bit fun for October's book bag.

First the fun: October's bag is this adorable, colorful tote by Modsacks. I fell in love with their bags the minute I saw the website and would love to share one with you. This is a roomy tote with pockets inside for your cell phone, keys, etc.

Now for the nostalgia: In my Q&A posts I mentioned that The Grapes of Wrath is my very favorite book. And, since the reason I started Jill's Book Bag in the first place was to give away books I love, I thought October was the perfect time to pass on a copy of this wonderful classic.

To enter, just leave a comment (one per person). I'd love it if you'd link back here on your own blog, but it's not necessary.

I'll choose a winner using a random number generator on Wednesday, October 31.

Thanks!

Boo-humbug

I have a little confession.

I'm not much into Halloween.

I don't dislike it, really. I just don't like it. I never even liked it as a kid. I have no particular reason why. I wasn't scared out of my wits by the neighborhood bully in a vampire mask. I didn't get an apple with a needle in it in my trick-or-treat bag (though one of my friends did).

I dreaded trying to put a costume together growing up. Even though I seemed enthusiastic the day the plastic masks - with the strings that always broke - arrived at the dime store, I really could have cared less. One year I bought a Raggedy Ann mask, one year a ghost, one year a princess. But most of the time I was a witch. It just seemed the easiest thing to do. **sigh**

I've never understood what Halloween is supposed to celebrate. I mean, Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. Thanksgiving celebrates and Pilgims and the Indians. Valentine's Day celebrates the big pockets of Hallmark. But what about Halloween? What's up with walking around in the dark knocking on people's doors and yelling for candy?

And that's another thing. I don't like handing out candy. The first Halloween in our neighborhood I thought I'd be the consumate Halloween hander-outer and lowered the bowl of candy so the precious little ones could choose. One snotty little Princess grabbed herself a whole handful and ran off without even saying thank you. That was the end of that. The next year I plunked one piece in every one's bag. And don't even get me started on 14-year olds who come to the door with no costume.

Now then.

I am well aware Adam may some day take great delight in Halloween. And I will suck it up, put on a happy face, and put my whole heart into costumes and candy, because I'm a good mama like that.

Until then, I am here to tell you...

My trick on Halloween is getting the heck out of dodge.

My treat: a plate of tacos and a large margarita.

Boo-humbug, y'all.

Boo-humbug.

Driving Adam

Over the past few weeks, my sweet and loving 22-month old has gotten progressively more independent and bossy. He misbehaves a lot. His favorite word is "No!" His favorite phrase is "No, Ma'am!" He points and jabs his finger in the air a lot. He throws things and cries when he doesn't get his way. He has tempter tantrums, but those have never phased me in the least. No matter where he throws himself, I just turn and walk away. Now he's on to me. As I keep walking away, he keeps following me and throwing himself down. I always end up winning. All I have to do is walk. He has all that dropping to the floor and drama. That will wear a little guy out.

I know he's just being an "almost" two-year old. This, too, shall pass. Bayley, our wise and wonderful eight-year old, told me this weekend the Terrible Twos are followed by the Terrible-er Threes and the Frightful Fours. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for Fantastic Fives!

One very big point of contention with Adam is riding in the car. He's never really liked it. When he was in the carrier (facing backwards) at least I could prop up a bottle and keep him content most of the time. But now that he's in the big boy car seat, any trip over three miles is sure to include whining.

However, when I pick him up at daycare, he's all about getting in the car. He loves to walk to the car and carry his own backpack. He wants to open the door and get in by himself. I help, but he doesn't see my hand opening, pushing and lifting.

Ad-ma do it! he demands. He even wants to buckle himself in.

The other day, after he was buckled, I leaned inside the back car door to give him a few kisses. ( I can hardly contain myself after we've been apart all day!)

He pushed my face away.
No, Mama! No kiss Ad-ma! Just DRIVE!

And the orders don't stop there. He knows where to turn to get home.
Turn! Biss way, Mama. Biss way.

Just what I need. A short, 22-pound backseat driver that can't even dress himself or do his own laundry.

Maybe now that he's yelling orders from the backseat, he'll forget about the whining.

Christmas Spirit

Jennifer at The Beaufort Lookout passed this award along to me last week. Thank you so very much. It actually came at the very time I was pondering topics for blogging in December. I have some fun things planned, and I know many of you do, too.

I would like to pass on this award to ALL of my wonderful friends and hope that the Spirit of the Season will fill you with peace and happiness. It can be a sad, lonely and very stressful time of year for many people, and I pray that the true meaning of this coming season touches all of you as you have touched me.

Give-away winners

Thanks for your nice comments regarding the Southern Accents showhouse. I actually got my hands on some more copies, so I have six to give away instead of three. I used a random number generator to choose the following recipients:

#1 - Happy Working Mom

#3 - Annie@ My Life as Annie

#7 - Jeanetta @ Splendid Things

#10 - JMom @ Lots of Scotts

#15 - Laura @ Laura William's Musings

#29 - Leigh Ann @ Living to Learn and Learning to Live

Please send me your mailing address. You can find my email address on my profile page.

Thanks again everyone!

Birthday Wishes

I think birthdays are very important.

God chose a special day for each of us to enter the world.

So...I'd love to jot your birthday on my calendar.

Leave me a comment (with just the month and the day).

By the way, my birthday is November 13....just around the corner.

And it's the Big 4-0.

**A GIVE-AWAY**

Thought I'd end the week with a fun give-away.

If you've been reading very long, you know I've been talking about two very large projects at work. One of them was doing all of the artwork, frames and mirrors for the Southern Accents Showhouse, now open at Homestead Preserve in Hot Springs, Virginia.

By "doing" I mean purchasing and proposing art, working with the designer (dear friend Barry Dixon) to choose frames and mirrors, then making the frames and mirrors (right here in our 6,000 sq. ft. studio), and...transporting and installing everything.

This is a huge undertaking, but one we feel very lucky to have. The only thing we're paid for is the transport, so we invest a lot of money and time, in hopes we'll sell some of our art and frames in the end.

This is the third showhouse I've done, and each one requires loads of creativity, patience, hope, faith, and humor....oh, and shots of espresso from Starbucks.

The house is featured in the November-December issue of Southern Accents, and I have three copies to share.

Leave a comment and I'll use a random number generator to draw the three winners Monday morning.

Thanks!

Anatomy 101

Last week I took Adam to the doctor to get the last of the three vaccines he was supposed to get when he was 18 months old. Never mind that he is now 22 months old. Oh...and also never mind that I have no idea why he only got two of three shots at 18 months. I can barely remember my list when I go grocery shopping, let alone important things like shots and all that medical stuff.

Anyway... there's always the big Q&A session right off the bat.

How many glasses of juice does he drink per day?
No more than two (big fat lie).

Does he attempt to walk up stairs on his own?
Yes. (actually, he would prefer to play on the stairs all day long. And he's fallen down the stairs. But act like I didn't divulge that.)

Then, as the doctor prepared to look in Adam's ears, she asked him where they were and (of course!) he showed her. Not only did he point to his ears, he wiggled them. She thought that was cute.

Next...the eyes... and (of course!) he pointed to his eyes.

Oh! She was impressed. For good measure, she asked him where his nose was and he grabbed his nose and said, beet! beet!

And then, not to be outdone, he looked at her very seriously, pointed just below his neck, and said "colla-bone."

Next week we'll be studying the inner ear.

e-Harmony 2.0

Last weekend we had a couple over for dinner that also met on e-Harmony. We met them in L.A. when we were filming the commercial, and found they lived only about 20 minutes from us. Their daughter is 7 months older than Adam.

We enjoyed our little e-Harmony reunion!

Blessed By Blogging

Wow! To say blogging has been a blessing would be an understatement. I want to start off the week sharing some very thoughtful gifts and goodies I've received from blog friends in the past few weeks.

This adorable bag was delivered to me from Angie at Workin' That Preppy. She also made the Jill's Book Bag Leah won this summer. I've already carried this many times (yes, I do change my purse to match my outfit) and have literally been stopped on the street. Thanks, Angie!

Many of you know, I collect pumpkins, and went ga-ga over this sign hand-painted by Sandy. And just like that, out of the goodness of her pumpkin' lovin' heart, she sent it to me. I got it in the mail the day I got locked in the bathroom at the fall fest and had a back problem that took nearly two weeks to fix. I opened her package as I was reclining on an ice pack. A unique pick-me-up, indeed. This will hang in a very special place in our keeping room. Thank you so very much, Sandy!

And yesterday, the book I won over at Melissa's arrived in the mail...

...along with these beautiful biblical passage cards, AND personalized notecards, all hand-made by Melissa. Thank you! Thank you!


Next, I've been honored with some awards...

from Baba/aka The Night Owl

from Tammy, VAIL, Nadine and Jenn

and from Dianne.

I've truly been blessed beyond measure! Thank you all once again.

Fall Festival Week - Favorite Recipes

I thought I'd share my mom's pumpkin bar recipe with you. My mom took the time a few years ago to write out some of our family's favorite recipes in her own handwriting. I will treasure them forever.

Mix together:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups sugar

In a separate bowl, mix together:
4 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup oil

Make a "well" in the dry ingredients and add the pumpkin mixture. Mix all together well.Spread into a jellyroll pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Frosting:
3 oz. pkg cream cheese
3/4 stick butter
1 Tbs milk
1 Tbs vanilla
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar


I found this cookie recipe in the October issue of Midwest Living. I baked them last night and a dozen or more have already mysteriously disappeared.

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp finely shredded orange peal
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups quick oatmeal
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 flaked or shredded coconut

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add remaining ingredients in order listed, folding in the oatmeal, chocolate chips and coconut with a spoon. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 11-12 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

Fall Fest Week - Welcome to my Home!

Welcome to my Fall Fest Week! I thought it would be nice to start things off by showing you around our home a bit. I don't decorate my house as much for fall as I do for Christmas, but my husband would tell you there is still a large number of plastic bins in the basement marked "Fall"...he hauls them up and down the stairs for me as the seasons, and thus the decor, changes.

Bayley, Adam the Lion, and Kendra greeting you on our front steps. Since it's still ninety-seven-eighty-hundred degrees, I have yet to buy mums or pumpkins this year. This was taken right before Halloween last year.

I collect pumpkins (and snowmen, too!). I cherish each and every one and know the where / who / when of each. I display most of them in this amoir in our library. Adam loves the pumpkin train. The tail of the cat in the middle car has been super-glued numerous times.

This is the display on the buffet in our dining room. This Thanksgiving I'll serve pumpkin soup out of that white pumpkin.

I cherish this ceramic pumpkin plate, made by my mom. She put this plate out every fall when I was growing up. I love to make her pumpkin bar recipe and serve them on this.

This neat guy hangs on the door to the laundry room.
Adam calls him "Punkin' Hair".

And finally, this will be the view from our kitchen and back deck in about a month. We live in a very suburban area but our back yard is thick with trees. When the leaves begin falling, it's a shower of gold, red and orange...right at our fingertips.

Fall Festival

Even though I'm still waiting for some cooler and less humid weather, I've decided I will make next week FALL FEST week here. Like many of you, I love fall, and I have so many things I want to post about how my family celebrates the season.

I'd love for you to join in!

Share a favorite fall recipe, photo, memory or fall wardrobe purchase.

Leave me a comment if you decide to participate so I can visit your blog and read all about Fall at your house!

Interview Jill - Conclusion

This has been so much fun! Thanks again to all of you for submitting questions, reading my answers, and leaving comments. If you ever need some good blogging material, I suggest you put a call out for questions.

Susan asked: What is your strongest/best trait? And what is your weakest/worst trait?
This is the question I contemplated the most. You see, I realized I'm probably not as strong in my strongest traits as I am weak in my weakest. But I guess realizing that is the first step in the process, huh? :o) That said, I think most people who know me would agree I am steady and true. I'm a friend for life and rarely venture very far off center in the "moodiness" department. Someone once told me I shine the brightest when the chips are down. On the other hand, I am working at being less judgemental, both of people and situations. I've got a stubborn streak, and often feel I'm right, even when I'm not. It's safe to say you'd want me on your side on a debate team. God's dealt me a good lesson in working on this. He gave me a son whose favorite words are No! Nope! No ma'am! and Oh geesh!

Lauren asked: How is your life similar/different from the way you dreamed it would be? Would you change anything?
I always thought I would have had more children at this stage in life, and I probably wouldn't have guessed that I would be an "older" parent. This is a positive, though! I got three children and only had to actually give birth to one! I also imagined I'd be working at a large company in a very corporate environment. Instead, I work with a bunch of carpenters and guys who gild frames and track sawdust into my office first thing in the morning. And, I honestly never thought I'd be living in the South, for goodness sake. I'm a Midwestern girl at heart, but I love where I've been planted. And, I wouldn't change a thing.

Kat asked: If you could change professions, what would you love to do?
I'll list several "dream jobs" here. I'd love to be an interior designer. I dabble just a bit in it with my job now, and I really love it. I also tend to do much better with other people's design projects than my own. I also would like to be a forensic psychiatrist. Any psychological thriller or "who done it" scenario is right up my alley. And finally, I think it would be rewarding and very challenging to be a book editor. My love for the written word is endless.

Stacey asked: What is your all-time favorite book?
Hands down The Grapes of Wrath. I've read it at least ten times, and I fall more in love with the story and the people every time. I love it because it's about everyday people searching and striving for a better life. There's no glitz or glamour, but it overflows with a heart-warming (and heart-wrenching) message. If it's been awhile since you've read the Grapes of Wrath, or if you've never read it, do yourself a favor and invest in a copy.

VAIL asked: What is your favorite movie of all time? and why?
Grease because John Travolta dances. The end.


Bell-ah asked: What do you (as a non-native Southerner) like best about the Southland?
Oh, Bell-ah, let me count the ways. After 29 years enduring winters that seemd to last half the year, I love the weather here in the South. We enjoy all four seasons, but rarely endure a pile of snow that's more than ankle deep. I love the people; Southern hospitality is a tangible thing. And most of all I love the Southland because I've made a life here now. I was married here; my son was born here. And, if it weren't for the South, I never would have uttered the words, I'll have blacked-eyed peas, collard greens, okra and a tall glass of sweet tea.


Jody asked: Would you ever move back to Iowa if the opportunity presented itself?
Yes. In a heart-beat. And I'd invite you over for some collard greens.

Interview Jill Part 2 - Marriage and Kids

I'm back with day two of Interview Jill. Several of you asked questions related to marriage and motherhood, so that's my topic for today.

Sue asked: What is your favorite thing about motherhood?
Oh my, this is hard because the things I love are so numerous. Most of you probably know I was 38 when I had my first baby, so I waited a long time for that very special gift. One thing that comes to mind often when I think about being a mother is being lucky enough to witness the true miracle of life first-hand. And I love that I get lessons in patience and selflessness every day.

Karla asked: What would you like your children to learn from you?
I hope they will learn to stand firm in their faith, to trust in the Lord always and forever, to take the road that is right and not the one that is popular, and to be kind. From there, everything else will fall into place.

Lyndy asked: Do you want more children?
I'd love to have a houseful! When I was growing up I used to say I wanted more children that I could fit in my lap. But age has guided us otherwise. There is a ten year age difference between Kendra and Adam. When Adam graduates from high school I will be 55 and my husband will be 60. Three is perfect for us. And we're keeping our fingers crossed for at least two or three "empty nest" years before hearing loss and arthritis set in.

Abbie asked: How is your relationship with your step-children's mother?
I shy away from this topic because, as the old saying goes, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything." It's my attempt at taking the high road relating to this very precarious situation. Suffice it to say she dislikes me greatly, for reasons only she has conjured up. My opinion of her isn't very high, either. I can't change her, but I do pray for my own attitude in this situation. I hope it improves.

Nadine asked: What is the thing you love most about your husband?
Just like motherhood, it's hard for me to choose from a long list of things I love about Doug. The very first time I met him, I could tell he was faithful and kind. Now that he's become my husband and the father of our children, I cherish his service to our family. He gives much and asks little. I am blessed.

Anonymous asked: Do you recommend e-Harmony to others?
For those of you who may not know, I met Doug on e-Harmony in April 2003, and we married eight months later in December 2003. So, yes! I have and would recommend e-Harmony. It worked for us!

Jody asked: Have you ever thought about doing a commercial for e-Harmony? Or have you done one already?
Doug and I were actually in the very first round of e-Harmony's print and TV ad campaign. In November 2003, one month before our wedding, we traveled to LA to be filmed and photographed. We had a great time, and it was a wonderful experience. The ads began running in January 2004 and it was quite interesting to be sitting at home, eating ice cream, watching a sappy show on Lifetime, and have your face pop up on the screen. People at Sunday School would bring us newspapers from Toledo or Pittsburgh, saying they were traveling and saw our ad. Doug's dad sent us an ad from US News and World Report.

I'll end with our e-Harmony photo...see you tomorrow.

Interview Jill - Part I

This week is the answer portion of Ask and You Shall Receive. Thanks for all the great questions! I now have enough to inspire a few posts and touch on some topics I wouldn't have otherwise covered.

Without further delay:

Karolee asked: Do you play a musical instrument and if so what and how often?Though I don't currently play a musical instrument, I took up the alto saxopohone in 4th grade, the first year we could join band in school. I loved it. Mr. Holtz, the band teacher, also happened to be my 4th grade teacher's husband, and I loved her. As I progressed in school, however, I grew to dislike playing the sax. I lost the passion somewhere along the way; my heart wasn't in it. I was always 3rd or 4th chair, and that was good enough for me. I played in concert band and jazz band. One thing I really liked about the whole band experience, though, was being the marching band majorette all four years of high school. Today, I honestly couldn't carry a tune if you handed me a sax. Nor could I read the music.

Mike asked: What is the first thing you say to yourself when you wake up in the morning? What a great question. Have y'all ever thought about this? After I establish what day it is (weekday or weekend) and what time it is, I guess the first thing I say to myself is "Come on! Get up now or you'll be late!" I'm not a morning person; far from it. It's not necessarily getting up that's hard, it's getting going. I'm a dawdler, a yawner and an all-around feet dragger in the morning. People at work know I don't really "arrive" until after 10:00, even though I am sitting at my desk.

Leigh Ann asked: Are you planning any more projects at your house? Most of you probably went on the Porch Project journey with me this spring. Technically, that project is still not complete since the newly added keeping room is not painted, nor fully furnished. But, after trying nine of those little Benjamin Moore paint samples, we decided on a color for the walls last night (Lenox Tan in case you're in the market for new paint). Also, the sectional I agonized over for weeks arrived Saturday and we love it. Now there are rugs, pillows, artwork and window treatments to choose, and I can check that off my list and move on to MORE PROJECTS! The upstairs of our 30-year old house has not been touched by the decorating wand. Every morning, as I'm yawning and dawdling, I stare are big - BIG! - flowers on the wallpaper surrounding the old, cruddy vanity in our room. Adam will soon venture down the road to a big boy bed, which involves moving him to one of the larger bedrooms, and we think that's the perfect time to start a new phase of projects.

Sandy asked: Have you, as a blonde, ever wanted to dye your hair brown? (Sandy, who has brown hair, says she would like to try blonde, but is too afraid.) Oh, Sandy! Thank you for calling me a blonde. I spend lots of money and lots of time in the salon maintaining my natural blondeness! In fact, I could probably own a second home free and clear on the money I've spent staying a natural blonde. As a child I was a tow-head and stayed blonde until mid-way through college. My hairdresser says my natural color now is "light brown", though I've never seen my natural color, and don't plan to. Before I had Adam I did try to go darker with some blonde highlights, but the dark color oxidized over time and took on a reddish cast. I like reddish hair, just not on me.

More answers tomorrow! See y'all then!