Happy Halloween!

From Two Girls and a Glue Gun
From Swoozies

In Loving Memory

Scarlet
November 6, 1998-October 28, 2008

Our family chocolate lab, Scarlet, that we got my senior year of high school had to be put to sleep yesterday afternoon. She had a stroke about a month ago and her health was deteriorating to the point that she could not walk yesterday and fell down some steps. It was a really tough night last night to hear the news about Scarlet and know that I just missed seeing her by less than 24 hours. I'm home now at my parent's house and there is a definite void. My parent's hearts are breaking because they miss their sweet girl who has been with them for the past 11 years. I keep looking for that big old chocolate lab that liked to lay down while she ate her food. I miss hearing her snore while I watch tv. My parent's have Daisy's older sister Lily and she is so sad looking for her "mama bear." I truly believe your pets are part of your family.

Here is a picture of Scarlet on our boat. She loved to sit in the front and catch the rays.

Here is a picture of when I brought Daisy home when she was a puppy to introduce her to the gang. The other golden is Lily (Daisy's older sis) and Scarlet is the chocolate lab.


We'll miss you girl! I know we'll see you in heaven! Say hello to our other puppies up there and all of our loved ones.

Thank you everyone who prayed for Bonnie yesterday. She is still having contractions, but they have been able to hold off full blown labor. I'm not sure how this works, but I guess they will try to keep her from having the babies as long as possible. She is currently 23 weeks and pregnant with twins (a boy and a girl.) Please continue to keep her in your prayers. Please also keep in your prayers Susanne. I do not know her, but she is 30 weeks pregnant and found out today her baby girl has a genetic disorder called trisomy 13. Only 20% of babies with this disorder survive after they are born. In addition, my old co-worker Mary had breast cancer surgery today. Thanks for all of your prayers!!

The Paper Cafe Recipe Card Giveaway Winners

Sorry for the delay ladies on announcing the winners of our contest. I've been traveling all day (I'm home now--yeah) and have had some other family stuff to deal with (see above post.)

Congrats to The Prep-E Girl and Preppy In Philly for winning The Paper Cafe's recipe card giveaway designed by The Paper Menu. Preppy in Philly posted our contest on her blog, and Prep-E Girl was sent by Preppy in Philly, and posted her comment. Girls, please email me at magnoliasmarriageandmanhattan@gmail.com and I'll get you connected with Mollie so that you can pick your design for your 20 recipe cards. Congrats to both of you! I expect you to send me a fab recipe on one of your cute personalized recipe cards. =)

Thanks to Mollie from The Paper Cafe and Marie from The Paper Menu for hosting this fun giveaway and thank you readers for playing along! Stay tuned for another fun giveaway from The Paper Cafe in the upcoming weeks.

A Unique Gift Idea

How cute are these little boys? The first is a picture and the 2nd (in case you can't tell) is an afghan (throw). Besides blankets, you can turn your pictures into totes, wall hangings, pillows and purses. You could use a wedding picture and give it to your parents or in-laws. A pic of the grandkids for the grandparents. Click here for examples. The owners at Picture Weave at Concept Seven want to offer y'all a discount on a wall hanging. Click here for more information--they even made us a webpage of our very own with all of the information!

Tagged!

I was tagged by Getting Here From There and my real life friends who just started their own blogs: Bama Belle In The Big City and Millitini Straight Up with a Twist (go be polite and say hello, please)

Top four wishes:
1. That Baby U continues to grow and be a strong, healthy boy!
2. That A and I can move home to the South next summer.
3. That all my pregnant friends have healthy pregnancies and babies and those that are trying will be blessed with little ones as well!
4. That this week will fly by---I'm getting on a plane to go home on Wednesday at 8am! I get to see my parents first then my Mom and I are driving up for my baby shower and the Bama game. I am so excited that I can't stand it!

Four places I want to travel to:
1. African Safari
2. Greece
3. Fiji
4. Australia and New Zealand

Four careers I want to be involved in:
1. I want to own a cute boutique in the South complete with lots of monogrammed items and stationery
2. I want to do birthday parties for kids (I used to want to do weddings until I planned my own)
3. I would love to be the assistant for the First Lady--can you imagine the fun things you would get to do!
4. I want to be a SAHM and it looks like my wish is going to come true! =)

I now tag:
1. Brock and Ava
2. Barefoot in the Park
3. Southern Prep
4. Preppy Sue


AND SEVEN RANDOM FACTS

1. I hate pickles, but I love cucumbers. Now that I'm pregnant I love half sour pickles.

2. I only will drink milk out of a real glass. I'm not a huge milk drinker--but now that I'm pregnant I can't get enough.

3. In high school I won a beauty pageant. Five of us were selected to wear antebellum dresses (think Scarlett O'Hara--complete with pantaloons, hoop skirt, 3 layers of ruffles and full ruffle hat) and go to festivals and special events. I met the Prince of Monaco and a lot of politicians that year! I was the pink girl and it was a blast!

4. I was a camp counselor in college at the same camp I went to when I was younger. I LOVE camp!

5. I only own two bras that fits me right now! Thank goodness for woollite!

6. I don't wear heels anymore. I used to wear them everyday, but they are just not practical for walking in the city. I just can't do it. I have a very nice collection of flats now!

7. I don't wear headbands or baseball hats. They look funny on me.

I TAG:

1. Grove Gals
2. Misadventures of a Newlywed
3.Nautical by Nature
4. Pink Cupcake

GIVEAWAY--The Paper Cafe Recipe Cards--LAST CHANCE!

Want to win a pack of 20 of these recipe cards created by The Paper Menu and sold at one of my favorite online stationery stores, The Paper Cafe? Click here for more information. Today is the LAST day to enter to win them! Don't forget to let us know if you posted them on your blog if you have not already done so. If the winner found out from your blog then you win too!

Become a follower (just look to the right) and you won't miss out on the other giveaways that will be coming up in the next few weeks! Lots of great opportunities!

Prayers Needed

Friends, please pray for Bonnie today. She is the girl I mentioned last week that is pregnant with twins and started having contractions. She has been on bedrest this past week and made it 23 weeks yesterday. Her water broke this morning, but she is not in labor. Please say a prayer for her family and her babies.

Misc Pictures

I don't like pickles, but I'm pregnant and now I love half sour pickles from this pickle stand!

A little ebay find for my baby boy! =)



One of my cravings--Red Velvet Cupcakes (ok-so this pic is right ways up on my computer before I upload--how do I flip it once it is in blogger?)

Caught ya!

Roll Tide Daisy!

I spotted this kitty and pumpkin in an apartment across the courtyard from ours! Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone had a good weekend. We had another good Tide victory! I tried to not take my Zofran this weekend and it didn't work out so well this morning so I'm home sick. Once I took the pill I felt a lot better--good thing because now I have to go take my glucose tolerance test. Wish me luck!

Don't forget to sign up for my The Paper Cafe recipe card giveaway. You have until tomorrow. Click here for more details!

GIVEAWAY--The Paper Menu Recipe Cards at The Paper Cafe

These recipe cards made by The Paper Menu and sold at The Paper Cafe are the cutest things I have seen in a long time. You can buy them for $25.00 for a set of 20, $37.00 for 30, $50.00 for 40, $62.00 for 50, $93.00 for 75, or $125.00 for 100. They would make excellent hostess gifts, birthday gifts or Christmas gifts! Buy them here.

WANT TO WIN SOME FOR YOURSELF?

Leave a comment on this post with your favorite Paper Menu design and you can win a set of 20. Click here to see your choices, but make sure it says PM for Paper Menu!

Even better, blog about this contest on your blog and if the winner references your blog you both will win a set of 20 recipe cards! Let me know in your comment if you blogged about the contest.

Good luck! You have until Tuesday the 28th. Be sure to have a link to your blog or leave your email address--if you don't you can't win!

Be sure to become a follower (look to your right) so you don't miss out on my upcoming contests! I have 3 more in the works!

Mama Went Shoppin'

So on Sunday, the most wonderful husband in the world actually took my joke of "renting a U-Haul next time we go to the Pottery Barn Outlet" seriously. He took the subway to Harlem and showed up at our front door on the Upper East with my chariot...a U-Haul cargo van he had rented for the day! Happy 24 weeks to me! We departed the city for the Tanger Outlets in Riverhead on Long Island and I swear it felt like Christmas morning (it was even really cold). Our mission: finish up buying baby furniture. My promise: if he did this I would shut up about it! Ha, Ha! Our mission was a success and we got amazing deals and I'm so excited to finally have everything. We picked up a glider, a changing table/dresser and a long dresser.

Here is the changing table/dresser all set in its little spot. Time for a prettier trashcan.

Up close the Pottery Barn Thomas changing table--it matches our crib quite well! It has a matching topper (for $149.00) that we can buy if we want, but I'm not sure we really need it. I think I can just put the changing pad on here. Thoughts?

Here's the crib and the dresser in Baby U's tiny little nursery...this is what you get for living in the city! We are going to try to put up a wall with french doors if our apartment building will let us.

Here is the long dresser we got for the entry hallway (that is basically part of the nursery). It's the Kendall extra-wide.

And here is our glider where I know I'll spend many days/nights! It's the Dream Swivel Glider in stone twill. It might be the most comfortable chair I've ever sat in!


Because of the limited selections at the outlets it really forced me to "just decide already." I probably never would have picked the stone twill fabric, but you know what--it works. We have to have our glider in the living room because the baby's nursery is not big enough so it blends quite well and it is SO COMFORTABLE! A sent me an email on Monday saying he was sad that his work chair didn't glide. A and I estimate that we saved around $2,000 by buying our furniture at the outlet! Way to go us! Now--on to that crib bedding, a mattress, my Daisy painting, a rug and some shelves maybe...he just thought I was done. =)

Hostess Gift Suggestions

You may remember awhile back that I was asking for ideas for hostess gifts for my upcoming baby shower. Well, I got some great little gifts (but a few of my hostesses read my blog so I'm not going to share quite yet what they are receiving.) I always appreciate your feedback and a few of my favorite stores sent me these hostess gift ideas. If you are looking for something perhaps one of these will work for you!


Monogrammed Glasses from The Palm Gifts for $30.00


Monogrammed Aprons from The Palm Gifts for $20.00



Whitney English Bag Tags from The Paper Cafe--2 for $18.00.



Donovan Designs 2009 Desk Calendar for $19.00 from The Paper Cafe.


Monogrammed Bow Blocks from Sunshine Paperie for $26.00.

We Have A Winner!

Congrats Kim from My Life in Pink and Green. Lauren used random.org and the number it came up with was #7 and you are the 7th poster! Congrats! Please email me at magnoliasmarriageandmanhattan@gmail.com and I'll connect you to Lauren so you can pick your favorite for your 50 enclosure cards! We can't wait to see them.

Thank you to everyone that entered the contest and thank you Lauren for offering such a fantastic giveaway! My readers love their stationery and they are quite impressed with your cute designs. Since we got such a good response on this giveaway another vendor has offered to host my next giveaway. Stay tuned...it's good...and it is in the stationery category!

**Don't forget that Lauren is offering 15% off until the end of the year with coupon code MMM15, so go to her website and order something special for yourself or a friend!**

GIVEAWAY LAST CALL FOR 50 LAUREN GOESSLING DESIGNS ENCLOSURE CARDS!

***Don't forget to sign up for my Lauren Goessling Designs giveaway for 50 enclosure cards. You have until the end of today to pick your favorite item off their website and leave a comment on this post.***Lauren will pick a winner and we'll try to announce tomorrow!

Reader Questions

Hi MMM,

I've been a loyal reader of your blog since July. Finally though, I think I have a question that could use your expertise. My boyfriend and I met early in college and became fast social friends, nothing serious, just two pals who enjoyed a good bourbon on the rocks before a good party. Now, I'm on track to becoming a part of the family. This Christmas I'd like to give his family/ mother something that conveys my more serious position in her son's life. Any thoughts on what sort of holiday present would suggest my more mature lifestyle? The potential mother in law in question is a classic middle aged lawyer living in Albany, New York.
I love your blog, it has already inspired many of my recent gifts. I would really appreciate any suggestions that you have to offer.

Thank you,

R

Hi R,

It will depend on your budget and I would love to know a little more about your potential MIL, but I think something that is well thought out is what you are looking for here. How about a piece of art. My friend Allison paints houses, pets, and does portraits. If you could snag a picture of him when he was little that would be a great...you could do a small portrait of your boyfriend from when he was a younger. If your MIL has a favorite pet that could also be an idea or a drawing of their home or vacation home. The more thought you put into the gift the more it will show her how "serious" you are. Good luck and if you give me some more info I'll try to help more!

MMM


hi,

i've been lurking your blog for a while. i love your taste and we seem to have so much in common. i have thought about having a blog, but just haven't gotten into figuring it out yet. anyway, since you seem to always be finding things for people and are good at it i thought maybe you could help me? i'm looking for a winter coat for my 10month daughter. have any ideas? i would appreciate any options. thanks, and congratulations on your pregnancy! my daughter is the best thing that has ever happened to me! i love being a mommy!!!

e in kentucky:)

Hi E,

I LOVED the pink coat I featured last week from Kayce Hughs/Pears and Bears. It comes in 6 month and 12 month. Here it is if you missed it. I love this sweater coat and pink toggle coat from Baby Gap. I love this Pink Petite Ami Corduroy coat and this Katie and Co. wool/velvet dress coat from Best Dressed Child. For a bargain, how about this red fleece peacoat or this chocolate brown puffy coat from Old Navy? I've obviously not done a ton of research in this department so perhaps some of my readers might be able to help you a little more. Molly's Mom--what ya got?

Thanks for reading!

MMM

Kreativ Blogger Award

I am so honored to have received this award from three fabulous bloggers--Well I Do Declare, Granny Smith Green, and Some Like it Southern. The rule is that I have to list 6 things that make me happy, so here we go:

1) The fall weather in NYC. My walk to work via Madison Avenue is so beautiful. I love seeing all the kids in their precious uniforms. I love my stop at Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice Latte. I love passing by the fall flowers and pumpkins at the little stands. I love seeing the leaves change and people's new fall threads. I love the displays in the windows. It's a happy part of my day.

2) I love the little kicks from my precious baby boy. They remind me he is growing and doing well. It makes me the happiest though when A can feel a good hard kick. I love to see his smile and how excited he gets. It's an amazing experience.

3) I love getting mail. I love to see a handwritten envelope that promises a pretty invitation inside or a birth announcement from one of my friends. I also love to see the new catalogs for each season. I get especially happy when there is a package--a surprise from a friend, a great ebay find, or just something I've ordered! Checking the mail makes me quite happy!

4) SEC Football. I love it. I love the Tide, but I also love to watch all the other games. My husband bought us ESPN Gameplan and now we don't miss a single game. We go to the Alabama Alum bar some Saturdays. I love tailgating and wish there was more of it in NYC. I look forward to going to Bryant Denny NEXT weekend! Roll Tide Roll! 7-0, but we have a few big ones to go! =)

5) Correspondence. Being far away from family and friends has been one of the biggest struggles with my time in NYC. If it were not for my cell phone and my computer I would not be happy. But, logging in to my email and seeing a familiar name pop up makes my day. I call my Mom everyday on my walk home from work. Our daily phone calls are one of the best parts of my day. I also love handwritten cards (see #3). I try to write them to friends and family as often as possible because I know how happy they make me.

6) My preppy puppy Daisy. Y'all know how much I love my Dog. She is truly woman's best friend. She comforts me during my pregnancy cries. She puts her head on my belly when I'm on the sofa (pretty sure she knows something is up). I love when she gets frisky and bucks like a bronco with one of her toys in her mouth. I love when she brings me her squeaky squirrel or her huge pink/green bone that Auntie Lisagh made her. I love to watch her curl up in a tiny ball and sleep. She is my first baby and she has brought so much joy to my life. I could not have made it in NYC without her. I can't wait to see her rolling on the floor with my baby boy. They are going to love each other!

I would like to bestow the award on these 6 blogs:

1) The Preppy Wedding--What preppy bride doesn't love this blog? Besides being such a sweet girl, Jenn has amazing ideas and is oh so Kreativ! I had the opportunity to meet her this past year and she is just as cool in person! Let's do it again soon!

2) Molly's Mom--I love finding a blog friend that shares my love in great online finds! I have not been reading this blog for very long and it has quickly become one of my favorites to check.

3) A Dozen Eggs's Cookie Crumbs Blog--This lady can make anything out of a sugar cookie. It looks sweet and tastes like heaven. She is quite Kreativ!

4) Short Pump Preppy--She makes me laugh everyday and oh I do love her photo shop abilities.

5) One Fabulous Mom-Her posts are so well thought out and creative. I mean she took us to Greece on a bloggy vacation, can you get any more Kreativ?

6) She Walks in Beauty--Her posts are absolutely beautiful and I still (almost 1.5 years after my wedding) look forward to seeing her picks.

Last Day for Lauren Goessling Designs Giveaway!

Today is the last day for you to sign up for Lauren Goessling Designs giveaway for 50 enclosure cards of your choice. Please go to this post for rules on what to do! Good luck!

Prayer Request

A girl from my husband's class in high school has gone into premature labor today. She is only 22 weeks and is pregnant with twins. Please keep the babies in your prayers today.

Baby Shower Dress Options

A group of my friends from the South are throwing me a shower back "home." Now for the perfect dress. Should I wear the one I already have (I'm not sure it will still fit in a few weeks though--I'm already running out of "wrap") or go for a special new number? After the shower we are planning to try to make it to the Alabama Homecoming game so that is why there are a lot of crimson options here. I have to admit, I'm not very impressed with the selection of cute fall maternity dresses. Have any of you preggo preps seen anything better? I think the 1st two are my favorite.

Sasha Maternity Dress from Neiman Marcus for $128.00.

T-Bags Maternity dress from Neiman Marcus for $118.00.

Milly Maternity from Neiman Marcus for $225.00

Olian Cinch Dress at Baby Center for $81.60.

Olian Green Dress from Apple Seed Maternity for $128.00

Wrap Dress from Saks for $99.00.

Faux Wrap Red Dress from A Pea in the Pod for $195.00.

Maternal America Houndstooth Dress from Pickles and Icecream for $139.00

Olian Colorblock dress from Nordstrom for $128.00

Maternal America Dress-$118 from The Swanky Stork


***Don't forget to sign up for my Lauren Goessling Designs giveaway for 50 enclosure cards. You have until Tuesday to pick your favorite item off their website and leave a comment on this post. ***

GIVEAWAY--Lauren Goessling Designs Enclosure Cards!

I think it is time for another giveaway! Lauren Goessling Designs has generously offered to sponsor a giveaway for 50 of their fabulous enclosure cards. Lauren designs the most precious stationery! I can remember marveling at her wedding invitations when I was a bride. In addition to her wedding invitations and enclosure cards, she also designs personalized stationery and beautiful birth announcements. She also lives in Birmingham, Alabama--one of my favorite places in the world! Thanks Lauren for this great giveaway!

Here's what you have to do to play:
1) Go to Lauren Goessling Designs and pick your favorite item on their website. It can be anything!
2) Come back here and post a comment with your favorite item. Make sure you put your email address or a link to your blog so I can track you down easily.
3)We'll pick a winner next Tuesday so you have plenty of time to browse. If you want to go ahead and purchase something, Lauren has offered my readers 15% with the code-MMM15. The best news--the coupon does not expire until 12/31/08!

Check out a few of my favorites below. I love that you have the option to change the colors of everything--including the paper! Happy shopping!