Christmas Already?

I know it's only November 1st, but let's face it, the stuff has been in the stores for weeks already. I started listing some of my Christmas decor for 2008, just in time for the MMP Twelve Days of Christmas Shop Hop. During the event from November 2nd through November 13th, all Christmas on my site will be 10% off .New treasures will be added to my site between now and December 15th, so check back often! There will be handmade ornaments, xmas tussies, centerpieces and wreaths. I love creating for the season but I am always just a little behind since I can't really get into the mood until after Halloween!

PINK FRIDAY "It's In the Basket"

This is a fun one and a creative one too. Click here to see what the girls at Make Mine Pink are offering for this special pink shopping day. Click here to see my products. Have fun shopping!

Twelve Days of Christmas - Shop Hop

It starts this Sunday so get ready to start searching! There will be great prizes for this event. Click here for more info.

Fall Cooking

One of my favorite parts about the fall and the cooler weather is all of the great food that goes along with it. The soups, chilis, breads and pumpkin spice flavors. Cooking is something that I love to do and have to do. Although, it gets very hard during the week with the kids after school schedules, and of course everything happening during dinner time. But I refuse to give in to that and go for fast food or take out (only if I'm desperate). Besides, my kids really do love to eat home cooked food. I also include them in the preparation of the meals. My oldest is an excellent baker, so we always have great desserts thanks to her. My second one loves to cook and can't walk passed the stove without stirring and he makes a great risotto. My third guy is showing interest too and his specialty is guacamole. And finally, the 4yr old is my vegetable washer and she loves her job! So even if it means starting dinner at 2:00 in the afternoon so that we have something good to eat when we walk in from the soccer field, it's something that is very important to our family. I usually double the recipes I make so that we have enough for 2 nights. However, sometimes the kids enjoy it so much that it doesn't make it a 2nd night. Oh well, I can't complain, they are eating healthy and loving it!

This recipe for Lentil Soup with Beef is one I made the other night. I doubled it and had enough for 2 nights of dinner and 3 lunches the third day. I served it with Broccoli Rabe toast. I sauteed two bunches of blanched broccoli rabe in olive oil and fresh garlic place on top of slices Italian bread that I first had my son brush with olive oil (they're great for jobs like that) and then placed a slice of mozzarella on top of each and put under the broiler for just a few minutes. I find that my kids really take pride in their part of cooking the meal and my hope is, they take what they learn in the kitchen and cook for my husband and I one day. Let me know if you try these recipes. Enjoy!

Pink Friday "Coming Up Roses"

Please join us for Pink Friday at Make Mine Pink. This week's theme is "Coming Up Roses".

Click here for my specials for Friday only!

Fall Porch Decorating

I have always been one to decorate more for the fall than for Halloween.

Until my kids got older and complained it wasn't scary enough. So we added a huge spider, some webs, an ugly rat and on the night of Halloween I put out a flying bat and turn on the fog machine. They love it!

Every year, one of my neighboors carves these amazing pumpkins. Here are a few pics I thought you might like.

For more fall porch decorating, head over to Melissa's at The Inspired Room.

Retreat Report-Part Two

I can't believe it's over 3 weeks ago that I was on Amtrak on my way to the MMP retreat. We had so much fun over the four days I was there and would love to tell you a little about it. The first night, those of us that had already arrived were able to gather in the hospitality suite (which was available to us the whole trip). This is where we could get together in between all of our planned events.

The first event - Meet and Greet on Friday night. We were given the famous SWAG bags. And we met out on the patio for some amazing desserts and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It was so much fun to guess who was who!

Business Recognition Award set up - Friday night.

Holy cow - I knew we had some talented ladies attending, but these displays were over the top gorgeous. Our lucky winner Eileen of Forget Me Not Dreams has lots of great pics of the displays on her blog. Check them out!

Conference day - Saturday

The conference was amazing - so much information and lots of great food too! I learned so much that day and am still going over all of my notes. Can't wait to see what all of this knowledge is going to do for all of our businesses. My favorite speakers were Lena West of Xynomedia and Alan Thompson our professional photographer. Lena gave us so much info about social media and she is so easy to listen to. I saw her speak in Chicago at the Country Living event and was so excited to hear she was going to be our keynote.

The Extreme Pink Gala - Saturday Night

Joyce - the amazing owner of Make Mine Pink

and Sharon her amazing assistant of C'est Chouette

Katie (Joyce's amazing daughter), Me and Melissa (Joyce's other amazing daughter)

They put so much hard work into this event, making every detail perfect. Thank you girls!

Inka of Inkling's Designs won the Pink Bling t-shirt and tennie contest. Congrats Inka!
Joyce with the Business Recognition Award winner Eileen of Forget Me Not Dreams.

Very emotional! Congrats Eileen!

Congratulations to Joyce and her family for an amazing and very successful First Annual! For more pics from this super event click here.
Can't wait until next year!

*All Photos taken by Alan Thompson

Pink October Shop Hop!

It begins today. I just checked out the prizes - holy cow - too bad I am not eligible to win! This is a fun and easy contest - check out the rules and details here.

Pink Friday "Office Chic"

Click here for my "Office Chic" products.

Visit the Pink Friday page at Make Mine Pink for more "Office Chic" shopping!

When you look around your office, what do you see? Most office furniture is drab utilitarian, designed for function, but not beauty. The good news is, with a little imagination and the right props, you can create a chic office space that can be more than just an office, it can be respite just for you. It's all in the accessories. Add a chandelier, a floral display, pretty fabric organizers, chic storage boxes stacked in the corner, perhaps even a pretty, slip covered chair and ottoman. Awaken your senses - listen to the rustle of silk curtains blowing in the breeze, feel the smoothness of a hand painted desk, smell the scent of a flickering candle, gaze upon a basket of colorful ribbons while doing the most tedious of tasks. Make your office so much more than just an office. Let it be your sanctuary, your inspirational spot to create, a quiet place to write a letter to a friend, a place to get lost in a Victorian novel, a place to listen to music or maybe just a place to feed your soul.
by Joyce Lucas @ Make Mine Pink

Pink October and Make Mine Pink!

Our Friends, Our Neighbors, Our Mothers, Our Sisters, Our Daughters, Our Customers, Ourselves…
Breast cancer knows who our friends and family are and still attacks without discretion.At Make Mine Pink, we wish to honor all those we know and love who have been affected by this disease. Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is the leader of the global breast cancer movement. For the past few years MMP has participated in Pink October in various ways, this year Make Mine Pink has created a team at “Passionately Pink” to join Susan G Koman’s fundraising efforts.It's passionate, because the need to end breast cancer is so urgent. It's pink; because that's the color we'll wear to accomplish our goal. Participation is simple. Just wear pink (item of clothing) on Monday, Oct. 6th and make a donation of $5 or more to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.Our Passionately Pink Donation Page is activated now, so feel free to donate anytime ... before, on or after Oct. 6th. In return, we offer our most humble Thank you! Together we can do more to promote Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.But wait! We can offer more!

For each donation of $5 or more, MMP will enter your name into two drawings, each for one most highly coveted swag bags from the recent Make Mine Pink “Getting Down To Business” Retreat. These bags are unlike any SWAG anywhere, each was created with love by your favorite Boutiques at Make Mine Pink. On October 31, MMP will draw two names from all who have donated through our “Passionately Pink” link.

Photo credits: Sharon of C'est Chouette

IL DIVO!

I know I have talked about them before- but I can't help it - I just love their music. I just received an email announcing their new album due out in the US November 18th. And they are going on tour again February of 2009. I saw them in NY a few years ago and they were amazing! Their voices are unbelievable and they are not hard to look at either. Here is their website www.ildivo.com. Check them out!

Retreat Report - Part One

(Just a cute little house I took a pic of during a walk)

This weekend at the Make Mine Pink Retreat was awesome. Just a few reasons why:

• It was held in beautiful Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
  
• I got to see my MMP friends again

• I met more great women in business
  
• I had lots of quiet time which is rare coming from a busy household
  
• Received tons of great info on marketing and improving my business
  
• Came home with tons of inspiration and motivation!
  

Wish all of you great women in business could have been there. But if you missed this one, don't worry, we are doing it again next year. I can't wait! Stay tuned for more pics.

Pink Friday "Harvest Home"

Who doesn't love to celebrate the Fall season?

Visit the boutiques at Make Mine Pink for Pink Friday
Click here for our special offerings.
Remember, many of the items are specially priced for today only so don't wait!

Fall Centerpiece

Here is a quick centerpiece idea for your coffee table, dining table or even the kitchen island. I picked up a bag of these mini pumpkins in white and orange while at the supermarket yesterday.

Grabbed a can of bronze spray paint and lightly sprayed the tops of my pumpkins and some fallen leaves in the backyard. (my neighbor caught me spray painting leaves last year and looked at me like I was a little nuts - so keep that in mind!)

Here you go - the finished product. Take a tray, load it up with candles ( I put one on a pedestal for a little height). Add your pumpkins, leaves, some berry stems and I also added some dried hydrangeas tucked in for a little more color.

Hope you're INSPIRED to CREATE your own. If you make one, blog about it. I would love to see your version. Send me a pic or link to your blog and I will mention it here on this post.

Also, tomorrow is Pink Friday and the category is Harvest Home. Look for the reminder tomorrow and a giveaway announcement coming soon!

Pink Friday - Romantic Bedrooms and Baths

As the stress of the day fades away, we head to our bed and baths. We find sanctuaries of peace. Soul soothing delights for the bath and calming romantic colors for the bedroom. Time to renew our souls and refresh our minds. Sweet peace at last. From MakeMinePink.com

Join Make Mine Pink for our next PINK Friday event as we present "Romantic Bed & Baths" on Friday September 5.

See my Bed and Bath items on sale on my Pink Friday page. Remember most products will return to regular prices on Saturday.

Have fun browsing!

Fall Nesting Ideas

There's a lot of fall nesting going on at Melissa's blog The Inspired Room. Check it out! There's a giveaway too!

Goodbye Summer

I am sad to see the end of summer and thought I would share some pics of this weekend at a beautiful beach in Westhampton. It's a great drive at the end of Dune Rd. We haven't been there in years and I couldn't believe the size and beauty of these beach homes lining both sides of the road all waterfront and went on as far as you can see. I tried to get some pics as we were leaving but it was already getting dark. We were having so much fun with the kids, we didn't want to leave the beach! Enjoy the pics!

My honey and the kids playing frisbee. You can see the homes in the background. It's funny - from this angle it looks like they're all attached. But they are pretty close together.

This is basically the size of most of the homes we saw.

This one looked so pretty all lit up. Next time I'll get some pics in the daylight!

The sunset was beautiful - look at the color of that sky.

My Husband's New Blog!

So I think my husband is jealous of all of the fun I am having in blogland and wants to get in on it. He loves to write and I think he's pretty good at it too. I am more of a picture person and I don't really love the writing part so I think we will make a good team. His new blog is going to sort of a journal of our home improvements with lots of tips, resources and funny stories in between. You can check it out here http://www.thehoneydochronicles.blogspot.com/. Let me know what you think!

"A Few of My Favorite Things" Pink Friday

It's Pink Friday again at Make Mine Pink . This week the boutique members are showcasing some of their favorite things. Visit my Pink Friday page to see what I am offering. Most of these items will be going back to their original prices on Saturday morning. So if you see something you like, don't wait!

Wonderful Whites

Don't forget to join us tomorrow for Make Mine Pink's Pink Friday themed shopping. This week's theme is "Wonderful Whites". I love the way this collection looks together with all of the different shades of white. Visit us tomorrow only for special prices on select pieces in white! Click here for my collection.