Make your own iPhone ringtones!

Oooh, am I excited!  I love it when I figure out how to do something new on the computer!  Remember a while back when I was whining here that my favorite songs were mostly not available as iPhone ringtones on iTunes (for $2 each, no less)?  Well, I figured out how to make them by myself....even better.....for free!  Yay!  

The Mac computer has this software called "Garageband" that I assumed I'd never use.  I had even deleted the icon from my dock.  Well, I dug it up and had quite a fun time playing with it yesterday while the rest of the world was out power-shopping.  It was quite simple--you just click and drag tunes that you have downloaded into your iTunes library over to Garageband, then edit the part of the song that you want to be the ringtone.  Then just save it to iTunes as a ringtone.  Here is the site that explains what to do--just scroll down to "Garageband".

I had quite a time trying to decide what my work ringtone should be.  I think this one sums it up nicely!  hee hee!

Yes, I stayed home yesterday recovering from preparing the entire feast on Thursday!  Here is the lovely "before" picture of Petunia's 20 pound turkey!  (Why does it look so small in this picture?)  I spent 5 straight hours cooking in the kitchen.  Yay for leftovers!

Holiday Cheer from our family to yours!

Have you seen these cute little videos? It takes about 10 minutes to make, no resizing of pictures is needed, and it is hysterical to see your own family members doing the crazy little dances! Lil Petunia and I laughed so hard the first time that we watched this one! I saw Nina make one and thought it was so funny I decided to try it out!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Happy Thanksgiving

The perfect end to your Happy Thanksgiving! ABC Family is showing THE NOTEBOOK on Thanksgiving evening at 8pm/7pm Central!   Steal a moment of sheer bliss with this sneak peek of the Most Romantic Film Ever...

Set the children up in the other room with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving at 8pm/7pm C.
And because I don't want any of you to miss your seasonal favorites, here is the ABC FAMILY channel lineup for the 25 days of Christmas! :

12/1 -- 7pm/6c Dr. Seuss on the Loose
7:30pm/6:30c Dr. Seuss' The Hoober-Bloob Highway
8pm/7c Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
12/2 -- 8:30pm/7:30c The Polar Express
12/3 -- 8:30pm/7:30c CARS
12/4 -- 8:30pm/7:30c Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
12/5 -- 7:30pm/6:30c Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
12/6 -- 5pm/4c Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
9pm/8cHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
12/7 -- 7:30pm/6:30c Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
12/8 -- 7pm/6c 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
8pm/7c Jingle All the Way
12/9 -- 7pm/6c A Garfield Christmas
7:30pm/6:30c Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
12/10 -- 7pm/6c Mickey's Christmas Carol
7:30pm/6:30c Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too
8pm/7c Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
12/11 -- 7pm/6c Rudolph Shiny New Year
8pm/7c The Year Without a Santa Claus
9pm/8c Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys
12/12 -- 6pm/5c The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
9:30pm/8:30c The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
12/13 -- All DayHoliday Classics Marathon
8pm/7cA Miser Brothers' Christmas A New ABC Family Original Special
12/14 -- 6pm/5c Snow
8pm/7c Snow 2-Brain Freeze A New ABC Family Original Movie
12/15 -- 7pm/6c Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys
8:30pm/7:30c Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
12/16 -- 8pm/7c Mary Poppins
12/17 -- 7pm/6c I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
12/18 -- 7pm/6c Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat
7:30pm/6:30c Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
8pm/7c Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
12/19 -- 8pm/7c Santa Clause 2
12/20 -- 8pm/7c Christmas in Wonderland
12/21 -- 6pm/5cTHE INCREDIBLES
12/22 -- 8:30pm/7:30c The Polar Express
12/23 -- 6pm/5c White Christmas
12/24 -- All Day Holiday Classics Marathon
8pm/7c Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
12/25 -- 6pm/5c THE INCREDIBLES
8:30pm/7:30c CARS

On regular ABC you can catch my personal favorite A Charlie Brown Christmas on December 8th and December 16th at 8pm/7pm Central!!!!  

Update: I don't see National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation posted anywhere!  Anybody know when it will be aired??

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The UPS man stopped by this morning and brought a lovely present to me!   It is the monogrammed umbrella that I won in A Belle and her Beau's giveaway.   I love it!  It is the perfect shade of pink with pretty brown monogram and trim.  Thank you, Belle!

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what is your signature scent?

Recently I had decided that it was time to find a new signature scent.  I had been wearing Miracle by Lancome for several years and, while I still like it, I wanted something different.  During the Summer months I often wear Beach by Bobbi Brown which while delicious and beachy and coconutty, is not an every day fragrance.  One of my girlfriends and I have befriended the hilarious fragrance salesmen in Nordstrom and they always give us the scoop (as well as a gay male perspective) on all of the latest and most fabulous perfumes.  This is a synopsis of my current favorites:

#4.  Michael Kors Very Pretty--I don't know if I was blinded by the Swarovski crystals on this Limited Edition bottle, but I found this scent attractive.  Intense sparkling citrus top notes bring sophistication while a heart of sheer white florals add a touch of femininity.

#3.  Tom Ford White Patchouli--I was pleasantly surprised by this one!   I think it is the first perfume that succeeds in blending Bohemian influences with a modern finish.  I want to buy this one next!  Bergamot, White Peony, Coriander, Rose Absolute, Jasmine, Ambrette, and of course a touch of Patchouli.

#2.  Versace Bright Crystal--This may be my new favorite daytime scent!  Inspired by a mixture of Donatella's favorite floral fragrances--this is a fresh, sensual blend of yuzu, pomegranate, peony, magnolia, lotus flower, musk, & amber.  Delicious, beautiful pink crystal bottle,  and I am wearing it every day!  Nordstrom salesman even gave me the cutest little gift set of the perfume, lotion & gel.

#1.  Versace Crystal Noir--I've saved the best for last!  Oooh--we laughed and laughed about this one with our "friends" at Nordstrom!  I sprayed some on my wrist and was intrigued.  This one is special.  We were told that this is known as "sex in a bottle"!  I can see why!  This is the one that men will notice.  I bought my bottle about a month ago and tragically dropped it on my bathroom floor last week.  (My bathroom still smells delicious!)  In the process a lot of the perfume spilled all over me, but I was late for a hair appointment!  I ran out of the house after cleaning up the mess, and all day people asked what perfume I was wearing.  One lady said that her husband would love it.  My husband loves it, and sweetly told me to go right back to Nordstrom and purchase myself another beautiful violet crystal bottle.

P.S.  I received samples of Lilly's 3 new perfumes in the mail last week  (Wink, Squeeze, & Beachy) and was sadly disappointed.  Bobbi Brown's Beach is far superior, and I prefer other citrus and floral scents to these as well.  Of course fragrance is a very personal issue and everyone has their own opinion.  I am loyal to a designer to a point, and I guess that point stops at fragrance!

a Lilly story

Remember this cool "Sneaky Tiki" Lilly tie that Landlocked Mermaid sent to me a couple of weeks ago? Well, hubby wore it to work again one day this week. He was seeing patients in his office that particular day. He always walks out to the waiting room to greet each patient and escort him/her into his office personally as it becomes their turn. Well, guess who was there in his waiting room??? None other than our favorite fun fashionista Ms. Lilly Pulitzer! She was not there as a patient (if she were then I wouldn't be allowed to tell you due to privacy laws), but one of her family members was, and Lilly was just accompanying this person to his office. Well, darn! I wish that I had been there with my camera, but I didn't even find out about it until that evening. Hubby doesn't realize that information of this sort needs to be texted immediately to me so I can feign acute sickness at work and run over with phone camera in hand!!!

You'll just have to take my word for it!

He said that everyone noticed his Lilly tie and of course they loved it!

:-)

merci beaucoup

Nola at With Love from New Orleans passed this fabulous award on to me!  Thank you Nola!  

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Jaina from Looking through the Lens gave me this blog award!  Thank you, Jaina!  

I pass these awards on to all of those in my blogroll because it is too hard to single a few out when I love all of you!  

happy feet

I visited Stephen Bonanno's Sandals today and picked up my new favorite pair of sandals.  They are the Emma monogram in Shell with Platinum monogram and whipstitch.  I will wear these beauties all year round and may never take them off.  I had a lovely little chat about all things bloggy (including Lisagh's monkey!) with Vivian.  In fact, if you want to see a horrible picture of me sans makeup or even hairstyling, then click on over to Vivian's blog to see me in the Bonanno boutique today!!  yikes!  :-0

what's on your Christmas list?

Sorry for my lack of posts lately but life has been a bit hectic.  My job is slowly driving me bonkers and I think I need some time off--like approximately 3 months.  You know it's not a good thing when you get into the car to drive home and start bawling.  Crying whilst driving can be embarrassing--you hope no one is looking at you.  My job is stressful sometimes, and last week was all of those sometimes bunched up together into the same week.  I'm on the verge of quitting, but don't really want to.  I could decrease my hours, but then I'd lose benefits.  Hubby says quit.   He says quit and then we can get a puppy.  Sounds like a no-brainer, hmm??  Easier said then done.  I've worked there 16 years and am at the top of my pay scale.  If I quit and then later decide to come back, I would not be reinstated at my current pay.  Anyway, that is what has been on my mind lately.  I don't know what I am going to do.  I didn't go in today because I could not take one more day.  

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Anywhoo, onto some shallow obsessing...

Lil Petunia's BFF came over to spend the night the other day wearing this strand of pearls.  I'm not kidding--she's 8 years old.  She wore them to school and I picked the girls up from school together.  "Hmmmm, those are really pretty", I thought to myself.  Then  I came across this Mikimoto ad in one of my magazines.  Same distinctive clasp--same necklace!  I think that I would really like a South Sea pearl choker for myself, but the starting price on these is $18,000 and I don't think hubby would go for it. 

So...., on to a more realistic Christmas/Birthday/Anniversary gift.  All of these dates fall in the month of December for me, so I long ago convinced hubby (who hates shopping anyway) that it would be better to just combine all 3 into one nice gift instead of 3 small gifts.  It works for me, and gives him more time to....play golf!

I love the Tiffany Celebration rings.  Here are 3 of my favorites which I think would make a pretty stack:


What's on your Christmas wish list?

Notice anything different?? Well, it's hubby's new Lilly Pulitzer tie compliments of Landlocked Mermaid!! Thank you LM!! He wore it to work on Monday and received lots of compliments. I think that his female patients especially like it when he wears Lilly, and down here he can get away with wearing it year 'round! He has many types of patients, but one of his specialties is surgery for breast cancer, so I think a little Lilly here and there always helps lift spirits.

Next is a funny picture I took the other day. It is the book that I'm reading laying next to the book hubby is reading (for the 2nd time). Mel at I Pick Pretty sent me her copy of the guilty pleasure sTORI TELLING. Thank you Mel! Hee hee--makes for some funny looks from hubby as he is reading the biography of Einstein! I think he has no idea who Tori Spelling is! Oh, well--it's probably better that way!

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary

We went on an excursion with Lil Petunia's Sunday school yesterday to Busch Wildlife Sanctuary . They are an animal refuge and hospital that takes in approximately 4,000 animals each year. The animals are rehabilitated and released back into the wild when possible.

A beautiful barred owl:

Skunks only spray when they feel threatened. Fortunately this one liked us!:

This fully grown Opossum was so cute. Did you know that Opossums are only pregnant for 10 days, but they give birth to approximately 25 babies at a time? The babies spend the next 4 months in Mommy's pouch before Mommy shakes them all off and runs like heck. Really!:

We see this size gator on the golf course! They look quite slow, but can chase you at speeds up to 25 MPH!:
A muddy turtle mugging for the camera:
The Florida Panther is quite large! He wouldn't pose for a picture.:

date night

While Lil Petunia was enjoying her sleepover at a friend's, Hubby and I had a very rare date night!  We decided that we need to start doing this once a month.  Hubs made reservations at one of our old-time favorite places that we hadn't been to in a couple of years.  It is a little restaurant in a cottage in Stuart named "11 Maple Street".  The food here is scrumptious!

Here is the quaint entrance:

We had the most delicious warm salad topped with fried calamari and white beans.  Hubby tried a new entree--tenderloin of Elk.  It was extremely tender, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and has half the fat of beef!  I would highly recommend this if you ever come across it on a menu.

And of course---dessert!  Guess who dug in before I had a chance to snap a picture???

slumber party essentials

Lil Petunia is having a slumber party at a friend's house tonight.  I told her that I would pack her overnight bag while she was in school today and drop it off at her friend's house.  She woke me up this morning at 7am to ask where her bag was because she wanted to put something in it.  I told her to just put whatever it was that she wanted to take on her cheetah rug and that I would pack it with her clothes.  She usually wants to bring one of her American Girl dolls and maybe a stuffed animal.  Well, this afternoon when I made it up to her room I had quite a giggle at all that was nicely laid out for me to pack into her duffle bag along with the requisite clothing!  Slumber party essentials for a 7 year old!  I hope it all fits!!

1. 4 Barbies--2 girls and 2 boys (Hmmm.....)
   
2. "Just Between Friends" journal (for secret stuff I'm not allowed to read)
3. "Girls Rule" Build-a-Bear bunny with roller skates
4. pink slippers with rhinestones
5. pink espadrilles 
6. Nintendo DS
7. bathing suit
8. satin sleep mask (someone gave her this and yes, she will wear it to sleep--hee hee)
9. pink camisole (???)
10. 2 pairs of satin gloves (long white gloves & short pink gloves)
11. 2 terrycloth wristbands

good things

I am already in Christmas party-planning mode.  Hubby declared that we have to have our annual party on December 5th this year!  It is mainly for all of his office (plus a few of our personal friends), and I guess this was the only date everyone could agree on.  It also happens to be my birthday.  Bah-humbug!  hee hee!

Anyway, I am looking for decorations and thinking of a silvery theme.  I found these gorgeous mercury glass tea light holders today and bought several to scatter around the house.  I'll place some on the buffet table along with a scattering of white-gold paillettes (fine glitter) from Martha Stuart at Michael's.  I also have a collection of antiqued Mercury glass ornaments that I'll hang from the chandelier over the table.  I'm trying to decide which color tablecloth to use --  white or red??

BTW--the tea light holders are a nice 4" tall size and were only about $4 each at Target!

opinions welcome!

I was just wondering about something, and thought that some of you might be willing to share your honest opinions with me.

The question is this:  What do you think about "Blog Giveaways"?  Do you think they are a silly trend?  A random desperate attempt to gain virtual friendships?  How about just a sweet and genuinely generous idea that bloggers have to thank readers for their support?  Or maybe it is different in every situation.

It seems to be a trend of late, as I don't recall any giveaways back when I was strictly a blog reader-only.  Or maybe the blogs that I originally read just didn't do giveaways.  I have noticed that some of my original favorites have never had giveaways and that hasn't affected my interest in their blogs in any way.  Often I see a giveaway and don't enter.  I'll occasionally enter if it is a blog that I read every day and feel like the blogger is a friend.  

I do notice that when bloggers have giveaways, then people come out of the woodwork to enter.  The usual 3-7 comments turns into 100 comments in some cases and I think this is really funny!  I'd love to hear some different opinions on this subject.

The first time that I did "win" a blog giveaway a couple of months ago I became so excited to receive it!  It was so silly.  It's not like I couldn't have gone out and bought one myself--it was so much more fun to "be the winner"!  Well, I was sadly disappointed that after a couple of months the item never came in the mail.  :-(    I was really bummed out and kinda feeling negative about the whole thing.  I thought to myself why would someone do something like that??  Just to get readers?  I wondered.

But, then something wonderful happened!  A super-sweet bloggy friend of mine sent me my all-time favorite movie on DVD in the mail just because!  And then another awesome friend sent me a new book in the mail just because!  And then just last week I won a tie by my beloved Lilly Pulitzer from yet another fabulous bloggy friend!  My husband is wondering what it is we all are doing in here!  He can't believe it!

In any event I am still planning a blog giveaway for December and it will have all kinds of goodies in it.  {Sorry, no iPhone!}  Hahaha!  I want to do it as a thank you to all of the kind people out there who have made my day on several occasions with their sweet and supportive comments.  :-)

Tired from a long day at work, this is what I'm doing right now.  Yum.....dessert fresh from the oven, and yes, I like a little brownie with my powdered sugar!  Don't judge!  ;-)

Catching up on all of your blogs below!

giveaway

Jill over at Peeptoe Pumps and Pearls is doing a lovely giveaway--a strand of pearls that she picked up on her recent trip to China!!!  How fabulous is that?!

Isn't her blog just the cutest?  It was designed by Danielle.  I am thinking about doing a blog makeover, but can never decide what I want to do or how I want it to look!  

And by the way, I have just pre-ordered what will be the main item for my blog giveaway---but it is not being released until December!!!   Arrrgh!  I didn't want to wait that long, but really really love this and wanted to make it my giveaway!!  Can you guess what it is???