Oh, the places you'll go!

Oh, the places you'll go...and look great doing it with these fabulous luggage tags! We just adore them! So many whimsical and colorful designs to choose from! The perfect accessory for luggage, back packs, beach totes, sports bags, lunch boxes, diaper bags...on and on and on.

Check out all of the Just Exquisite designs by Exquisite Papers at http://www.shopconfetti.com/ !

We love the art of a handwritten letter!

We love the art of the handwritten letter and love the helpful hints in "How to Write a Charming Thank-You Note" in the September 2010 issue of Southern Living Magazine. We thought we'd share them with you.

1. Start with the date and salutation: Send your note, written in black in within a week of receiving a gift.

2. Say thanks right off the bat: Be specific about why you are writing the note. If you are thanking someone for a monetary gift, refer to their generosity, instead of mentioning the amount.

3. Compliment the kind gesture: Do not be afraid to go over the top - everyone loves an effusive compliment, as long as it is heartfelt.

4. Allude to the future: Anticipate another get together, or if you are writing about a gift, be sure to tell them how you plan to use it.

5. Finish with sincere regards: Reiterate your gratitude, then close the letter on an intimate note, signing your first and last name. Don't forget to proofread before you postmark!

From the September 2010 Southern Living Magazine

Okay, so I know the temperatures don't feel like football season is around the corner, but it is! Let's start planning now for a fantastic Fall full of football and friends!

Parking on Campus, sorority girls and pearls, fraternity houses, tents after tents, school colors, pom poms, cheerleaders, chips and dips, the smokey smell of yumminess on the grill, the Quad, marching bands, the school store, fold out chairs, party tubs filled with ice cold beverages (served in monogrammed cups, of course!), mascots, burgers and dogs, deviled eggs, good friends, arch rivals, SMACK talking, traditions...it feels cooler already! Get ready to cheer, football season is nearly here!

5 Things I've Learned Since My Kids Went Back to School

1. 6:00 a.m is for the birds!

2. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day! (the Nacho's the school serves actually counts as a nutritionally balanced meal?)

3. Grocery shopping was meant to be a job for one person. My grocery bill has gone down dramatically without dragging two kids saying "Mom, can we get_____?" every 3 seconds.

4. School clothes require ironing!

5. Last but not least, I miss my kids! Can't wait for the weekend!

Closets don't get Cancer

One afternoon last May I received a phone call from my Mom that literally brought me to my knees-my younger sister had been diagnosed with Kidney Cancer! You know, the kind that doesn't get diagnosed until it has found it's way into everything and it's too late to do anything about it...that kind of Kidney Cancer! By the grace of God, and some very persistant doctors, hers had been caught early. A total fluke, her symptons had nothing to do with the golf ball sized tumor in her kidney but while looking at an ultrasound they saw the little bugger. Thank you, GOD! After a very long and invasive surgery a week later she was CANCER FREE! She is a Cancer survivor and I couldn't be prouder of her!

Needless to say, our family has spent the summer celebrating life and realizing that each and every day is a gift. It's been an amazing summer! So many laughs and good times shared. After returning home from our Annual Fourth of July trip to The Farm, I was readjusting to reality and getting ready for the Back to School craziness. My parents had taken the kids for the weekend and I was using the opportunity to clean out some closets and get organized. My sisters called and suggested I come for the weekend and continue the summer of fun. I told them I couldn't that I HAD to get the closets cleaned before the kids came back...that's when she said it..."Kate, closets don't get Cancer, they can wait." Yep, closets don't get Cancer, what a reminder to live each day. We constantly need this ...life is to be lived, so get out there and live it to the fullest! (the messy closets will still be there when you get back!)

Cheers!

Every year for as long as I can remember we have spent summer time fun on "The Farm". "The Farm" is a well earned, dream come true for two of my favorite people, Pop and Gigi (my grandparents). Eighty acres of the most beautiful part of the country, the Bluegrass! Yeah, I'm an Alabama girl when it comes to football, but my heart lives in Kentucky! The kids, my sisters, my Mom and I go for as long as life (and our husbands) let us go, usually about a month. It's like a time capsule-we don't hook up the cable (yes, on purpose), no tv, no video games, just old fashioned fun! Lots of board games, cards, reading, crafts, some of the best fishing around, lots of laughs, tons of SCRABBLE and best of all, fun in the kitchen!

One afternoon after devouring the newest edition of a cooking magazine, I took a challenge that the magazine offered and turned it into our afternoon activity (and snack!) Bacon! The challenge: to create a recipe using BACON as a secret ingredient! And the afternoon activity began...my sister and I sat on the porch and threw out ideas using some of our favorite dessert, yes, dessert recipes using bacon in them. Needless to say there may have been some wine involved in this process that brought up lots of child-like laughter. I threw out "S'mores", which is a staple on The Farm, and our eyes got big and bright. It wasn't minutes before the bacon was in the oven and all 5 kids were gathering the graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows (that were the size of my head, by the way. We had to cut those in half.) Any way, we cooked the bacon half way through and then wrapped the graham crackers with it and finished baking it in the oven. When the timer went off we topped it with a chocolate square and marshmallow and popped it back in the oven to brown the top! Minutes later we were enjoying what was quite possibly the best "S'more" ever! Bacon S'more's...I know it won't replace the traditonal and most of you think I'm crazy but...it was so indulgent and yummy! Bacon really does make everything better! Those of you who know me, know that I live by this belief! So I never entered the recipe contest but...it sure was a fun (and delicious) afternoon on The Farm!

Make it Personal

We all love to share our home-made goodies with friends, neighbors, teachers, etc. so why not make it personal with some labels that say where they came from? We love these personalized labels "From the Kitchen of...", they come in oodles of fun designs from whimsical to classic. You can not only use them for your baked goods but why not use them for books ("From the Library of...") or wine ("From the wine cellar of..."). Great gift idea for some one who is always giving out goodies!