And the Winner is...

The tutu bug giveaway winner is #37, which is Jaime from From My Kitchen to Yours.  She chose the Dallas Cowboys tutu from the sports collection. CONGRATS, Jaime!!!

Start of Football Season 2010 = tutu bug Giveaway!!!

In honor of my new sports line and the start of the 2010 football season, I am hosting a tutu giveaway!!  The winner will receive a free (shipping included) sports tutu from my website.  If your team isn't on there, I will make it for you!  All entries must be received by Monday, September 20th and a winner weill be chosen via http://www.random.org/ on Tuesday, September 21st.  Here's how to enter:

Required:

1-Become a follower of my blog and leave a comment telling me which sports tutu is your favorite or which sports tutu you'd love to see (1 entry).

Optional:

2-'Like' me on Facebook (1 entry).  You can click on my Facebook button that is in the right column of this blog.
3-Post my giveaway linking back to my site on Facebook (2 entries).
4-Blog about my giveaway linking back to my blog (2 entries).

For each entry, you MUST post a comment to this blog letting me know which step you completed.   If the entry is worth 2 entries, please be sure to post twice.  I want to be sure you get that second chance to win!  Thanks and goodluck!!

Giveaway Scout

Ever heard of Giveaway Scout?!  They automatically scan thousands of blogs to bring you the latest blog giveaways, sweepstakes and contests!  You can visit them here and sign up to receive daily updates on blogs doing giveaways! 

I Love My Breadmaker!

Anyone out there have a breadmaker?  Well, I technically don't have one, but I did borrow my mom's about 2 years ago and I think she's forgotten.  Who am I to remind her that I still have it out on loan?!  Anyway, one thing I LOVE to make with it is homemade pizza dough.  I also make homemade sauce and this is now a weekly family tradition.  Every Friday or Saturday night I make sure to create pizza for my boys.  I always make two pizzas.  The first is plain cheese for the boys and the second is half mushroom (for me-yum!), all pepperoni and sometimes sausage too.  So yummy!  Anyway, if you have a breadmaker, here's the recipe I use:

In order, place the following ingredients into your bread machine:

1 c. beer or water (I use water, I don't really drink, so never have it on hand)

1 Tbsp. shortening (they do have organic shortening out there, if you don't do the trans fats)

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

shake garlic powder (opt)*

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning (opt)*

3 c. Flour

1 1/4 tsp. yeast

*These two ingredients really add some flavor to the dough

Set bread machine on dough or if you don't have that setting, for 2 hours.  The dough should have a 25 min preheat delay before mixing begins (this is included in the 2 hours).  When cycle is complete, remove dough from pan and split into two.  Roll out both circles on floured surface and place on pizza pan or stoneware.  Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Par bake the dough for 6-8 min (watch for bubbles in the dough and use a knife to break as necessary).  Remove from oven, place sauce (see recipe below), ingredients, cheese, and more ingredients on pizza and cook for 5-8 more minutes.  You really need to watch it so it doesn't burn or undercook.  So worth it, though!  Cut and enjoy!

Sauce

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp olive oil

Dash Ital seasoning

Pinch of sugar

Simmer above ingredients for 2at least 20 minutes in saucepan.

The finished products...

Book Review

Who doesn't love a good book.  Now that we are in the throws of summer and if its hot like it is here - can you say 110 degrees, anyone?! - there's nothing quite like turning the a/c down low and curling up with a good book!  The book that I just finished reading today called The Bomber Boys, written by Travis L. Ayres (pictured taken from his website, http://www.thebomberboys.com/)  is one I have read twice now.  It is an amazing work of non-fiction that tells the story of five different B-17 airmen during WWII and the harrowing tales of survival they encountered while fighting the Germans.  I am not a big history buff at all, but there is something so touching about these men, what they did for the world and how it forever affected their lives and those around them.  The book has five different stories of men within separate bomber groups and their stories of survival as they each worked towards their 25, 30 or 35 missions which equalled a ticket home.  As the war began, crews were required to complete 25 missions in order to go home, but as the war dragged on that was increased to 30 then ultimately, 35 missions.  Although this sounds easy, 55% of all aircraft were lost in action and over 95, 000 airmen lost their lives in this war (and a total of over 418,000 US servicemen lost their lives).  The men that enlisted and fought bravely are true American heroes!  If you are looking to read about some amazing men, I would highly recommend this book!! 

That Crazy Cat!

I'm a cat person, always have been, always will be.  I grew up with lots of cats and a few dogs, but for some reason the cats stole my heart.  I know some people think they are sneaky, aloof or unfriendly, but I beg to differ!  We currently have one furr baby, whose name is Emme.  She is a Ragdoll (seal bicolor) and has the cookiest, craziest personality and is such a sweetheart.  Ragdolls are very large, laid back cats that don't have a mean bone in their body.  They are big, furry, floppy and have the most beautiful blue eye's you've ever seen!  You can read more about Ragdolls here.  

OK, back to our kitty...Our cat is pretty hilarious.  First of all, she plays catch.  Yes, she has this little crinkle ball (which is falling apart & I can't find a replacement) that she plays fetch with.  We throw the ball she goes running and sliding across the tile, pics it up with her teeth and brings it back.  So cute.  She is also our resident exterminator.  We live in AZ, so we have lots of gross spiders and bugs.  She finds them and chases them until we can run over and kill them.  She likes to dismember crickets, yep that is one of her past times!  LOL. Something else she does that I think is pretty crazy is that she can catch flies Mr. Miyagi style!  She will stalk it until she catches it.  It is crazy to watch!  She'll follow it around till it gets close to the sliding glass door and then she'll jump up and catch it with her front paws!!  Then she somehow manages to eat it.  Gross, I know, but hey we no longer need a fly swatter!  OK, on to some cute stuff.  She loves to sleep  up on the computer desk while I work and she loves to jump up on our bed for morning cuddles.  If you don't pet her, she will use her paw to very gently touch you on the arm and give this tiny squeak of a meow to let you know, "Hey, mom and dad, I need some love over here!"  She also LOVES to sleep in and chew on boxes.  She also has perfected the Ragdoll flop - which must be taught by momma Ragdolls, as they all do it - they like to sleep on their backs with their legs all splayed out.  It is hilarious.  Finally, she loves to greet our company.  She runs out, rubs up against them, gives them a sniff and a lick then trots off.  So bizarre, I seriously think she's half dog, but I promise you she smells MUCH better and never drools....well, unless I get out the Temptations cat treats!

So, as you can see, I love cats, especially MY cat.  So here's some pics of our beauiful girl...

Up on the cabinets.  Ragdolls are not supposed to be big jumpers, she obviously didn't get the memo!

The crinkle ball.  It's nasty, but I can't find one even remotely like it!

How can you not love a face like that?

Helping me pay bills.  If she could only get a job! 

Sleeping in daddy's XBOX box.  I swear it looks like she's smiling!

She was relaxing in the rocking chair while we watched a movie. 

Helping big brother sort the LEGO's. 

Here is one of her glamour shots (No, I did not pay for these!  She came with a whole set of them!)  She got these at about 6-8 mos old.  Notice how light she is in these pics compared to some of the newer ones - it takes 3-4 years for them to fully mature.  Her real name is Sweetshadow Whispurr of Echoglen.  Yeah, she doesn't come when I call her that! 

She even got to meet the class hamster.  Squeakers wasn't too excited, but Emme was lovin' it.  One time it got out of its exercise ball and she cornered it until we got there.  What self control, she didn't even take a nibble! 

The Ragdoll Flop. Chillin' in little brother's room.

Razmataz

I just completed making this Razmataz tutu for a friend of mine who bought it for her 3 1/2 yo daughter.  I was delighted to see two pictures come in within hours of her getting the tutu!  I love how this little princess has the biggest grin on her face!!  It was over 100 degrees when this photo was taken, which goes to show you how happy she was with her new tutu!  She is such a doll and looks so cute in her new

Razmataz tutu!