What's In My Teapot?

It's time for some more Fifth Tuesday Fun, and since this giveaway falls in the fall (no pun intended!) I decided that now would be a good time for one of my readers to prepare for the coming winter by storing up a few books, just as a squirrel might do with her stash of acorns. After all, good books are almost as paramount to survival as a winter's store of food!  Almost. And how does one store up books? Well, one person will get to do this with a $20.00 gift card to Amazon ,   and the rest of you will have to find a friend with a good supply who is willing to share!!!  I have made entering this giveaway as easy as falling off a log! All you have to do is leave a comment below and you will be entered into the drawing. However , there is one small stipulation: this gift card must be used to purchase books only !!! I guess you'll be on your honor with this one, but lets just say that I will be sorely disappointed to hear that it was used it to buy...

I am pleased to announce that the winner of the reading challenge give-away is:   CHRISTA!!! Who commented: I found "The Long Walk to Water" fascinating and edifying. Salva could have stayed in America and pursued the "American dream." Instead he returned good for evil. That is forgiveness. And think how it spoke to Nya, to have a man from the enemy tribe come give them water. That is love. He will certainly have his reward.  My 2nd book of choice was called " The Seamstress ." It was the true story of Sara, a Jew, who survived the hellish conditions of Ravensbruck during the Holocaust. Sara herself helped write the book. Although Sara never gave God the glory for enabling her to survive the camp, neither did she become a bitter person. I will not give too many details just in case one of you want to read her book. It is very worth your time.  Thanks, Joanna, for bringing "The Long Walk to Water" to my attention. I am happy fo...

This last day of June is special, for we have finally come to the point of discovering who all has joined this month's reading challenge ... And you get to see what I planned for our giveaway!!! Ready? Here it is: Two pillows, all  ready and waiting  to go to a good home!!! I sewed them just yesterday  (with a little help from this tutorial ) and  while I am introducing them, let me tell you about a few features: Number one, they are four-way-pillows!!! In other words, I have designed them so that they can be displayed four different ways: 1. With the yellow chevron and the birds... 2. with the black print and the birds,,, 3. with the yellow chevron and the black print... 4. with both pillows showing the birds... And secondly, the pillow covers can be be removed from the pillow forms via a handy-dandy invisible zipper! This makes them very easy to take off for laundering, and also makes it so there really is no front or b...

The winner of the  Spring Break Giveaway is: Diana!!! Who left this comment:  "I just love giveaways!! And I just love those adorable sunglasses. I would sit outside and dream about the Florida beach and the palm trees and what good times we had there for a week this winter. And about dolphins and bodysurfing. I think I would be pretty lucky to win these things!!! Does the pretty material go with it?" It's a special honor to give this to my oldest niece!!!  Happy Springtime, Diana! 

There's a baby a wee bit overdue around here... And her name is Spring!!! (Maybe someone got the due date a little mixed up?) We've cleaned the pantry & the attic,  put away snow suits,   and gotten out the seasonal decor... All to no avail!!! (Maybe someone forgot to send the signal that all is ready?) And yet... despite the waiting and the false alarms, there is undeniable enthusiasm in the air. And hopes are soaring!!! Why? Because... soon and very soon  the wait will be over and   Spring is going to arrive in a rush of pink and blossom! And the sun is going to be so bright Someone is going to need shades!!! (Black ones with polka dots, for that matter.)   And that same someone is going to take a Spring Break from all the work that new arrivals bring with them! And they are going to sip on iced tea (from the cutest glass sipper ever!) and munch away on ...

Today I am very excited to share what's brewing in my teapot:  my very first book review with a give-away !!!! Nevermind the wind that's howling and the temperature that's dropping outside! Nevermind how absolutely dreary November can be! I have the perfect solution for warming up from the inside out... Can you possibly guess what it is? Before I introduce you to the book I am reviewing, though, I want to tell you a little about the author, Dorcas Smucker, and how I made her acquaintance in the first place... A little more than a year ago, at my 30th birthday party, my Mom gave me a book called Tea and Trouble Brewing , by Dorcas Smucker. I  had never heard of this author, but I was delighted with a new book...and especially one with a really cute teapot on the cover! I enjoyed the book very much and felt that I had a new kindred spirit out there, albeit one I have never met! After all, Dorcas loves tea and feels that it is the perfect start to her morning...