Random Wednesday {A Day of Questions}

It's Wednesday and it's time to get random...

and time to ask a lot of questions. I'm linking up with Shanna for Random Wednesday!

Lately, I can't wait to get home from work so I can begin blogging. I then sit on the couch, with my laptop on my lap, and stare at the screen. Browse other blogs, pin  a gazillion things on Pinterest. Wait for The Bachelor to come on. Watch The Bachelor. Eat chocolate. Anything but actually blog. What the heck is up with this? Am I really not feeling it anymore? Am I just in a "lull"? Is it bad that all I feel like posting is recipes of sweet things? Like this one, this one, or this one? I guess it's just the normal ebb and flow of life that can also apply to blogging. Sometimes you feel motivation and sometimes you don't. I also desperately need a vacation and am so longing for Spring/Summer to come, but that's a different story.

I'm addicted to playing Scramble with friends. If I have extra time between my sessions at work I grab my phone and play away. It's totally addictive.

I'm totally loving 2 nights of The Bachelor this week. It's Tierrable. (I can't believe she is still there). I AM NOT reading spoilers this season. I've done that before and it really, well, spoils things. I love Des and Catherine. It will definitely be one of them. Who are your favorites?

Product reviews: what's your opinion? I feel like I am super picky (and slightly clueless) when it comes to this topic. I've strayed away from them for the most part but have been wondering lately- Do you only review products you have personally tried? What if you tried the product and didn't like it? Does it turn you off to see the same product reviews from many other bloggers?

Obviously there are various things floating around in my mind this week....I really can't explain it. I also wonder what it's like to have a regular brain and not one with ADD. It must be so boring ;)

I hope you're having a very happy Wednesday!

Weekend Update

So, I'm not really sure what happened this weekend, but I'm sad it's over. It wasn't very eventful, which seems like the norm lately. Being so busy during the week makes me want to make zero plans over the weekends. Sometimes just sitting on the couch feels so good. Am I right?

Wine, gouda cheese, and crackers. What do you mean, it was still light outside?
And no, our pictures are still not on the walls. We are moving in another 2 months, so there's no point.

I did manage to clean the apartment up, do some laundry, and get the grocery shopping done for the week. That's pretty darn successful  It feels good to have that stuff out of the way so we don't have to worry about it during the week. Chris and I even went to the gym for the first time in a long time. I'm surprised I was able to run for 15 minutes.... for me, that's a good start. Baby steps!

We watched Pitch Perfect, which I'd already seen in the theater but Chris hadn't seen yet... I think it was even funnier the second time.

It snowed on Friday, which made for a pretty, snowy (and cold) weekend. I even got to pull out my favorite snow boots! 

I spent a while working on blog stuff this weekend and feel compelled to say a little something. I love reading other blogs and getting to know people through their writing. However, it makes me sad when people fail to give others credit for their original ideas, or even to go as far as copy off others' work. Personally, I try very hard to keep my blog as a reflection of "me". I really try to post original ideas as well as participate in link-ups (like this one) and unique idea link-ups like this one. I think it's great to use each other as sounding boards for ideas, to spur creativity, and to make connections. I think it's even more important to remember your voice and use your own ideas- what's the point, otherwise? Niki wrote a great and appropriate post on this a while back. (Unfortunately it was based off frustrating circumstances, but her point was definitely made). I think it's sad that we even feel the need to mention this on our own blogs, and that it still remains an issue. I certainly don't feel like I'm in the place to "preach" blog rules, let people know of my "blog pet peeves" as I'm a pretty small blog, but stealing others' property is just unacceptable in my opinion.

That being said, I've also done some clean-up. I will only be posting my own pictures on this blog- no exceptions. I've taken down many of my posts and taken out a lot of pictures that weren't mine. Although I always give credit to my sources, this is something I'm trying to be extra careful with. 

I hope that others will try to be a little more careful with using other bloggers' ideas. Imitation may be the greatest form of flattery, but stealing is not.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and has a fantastic week. I'm excited to be linking up with Sami and Leeann as usual!

{Giveaway} at Glossy Blonde!

Happy New Year!!!
I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year's Eve. 

source

I'm giving a little something away over at Glossy Blonde's January Giveaway!

You can enter below but make sure to head over to Niki's blog to check out her other lovely sponsors and say "hello"!
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It's a Giveaway!!!

Happy Saturday, loves!

All week long, one of my bloggy BFFs, Leigh, has been featuring "What's In My Bag?" posts from some lovely ladies. 

Now it's our turn to share our favorite things! 

I'm giving away a few of my purse essentials, and you can head over here to meet the other ladies participating. It's all going to come in a gorgeous purse courtesy of Leigh! 

ENTER HERE OR BELOW!

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I hope everyone has a great weekend!

{Guest Post & Giveaway} Niki from Glossy Blonde!

Happy Monday, everyone! I have a special treat for you all today, that's for sure.  Niki from Glossy Blonde is here to talk "makeup". You probably already know Niki- she is one of the nicest, most genuine, and beauty-savvy bloggers I know! I hope you stick around because we have a surprise for you at the end. I'm so excited to have her here, so I won't keep you waiting any longer!

Why hello there!  I'm Niki, and I blog over at Glossy Blonde. First, a little about me and my blog ~ Glossy Blonde is a lifestyle blog with a focus on beauty, style and sweets.  "Glossy" because I am obsessed with lip gloss, and "Blonde" because I'm, well, blonde.  I love love love fashion and shopping, and I am a complete beauty product addict!  I also love to bake and come up with fun and unique recipes.

So, now that we've gotten introductions out of the way, let's talk beauty. And by beauty, I mean beauty sets.  I've included some of my favorites here for you today!

Buxom Time To Shine Lip Palette / Laura Mercier Glamour Wardrobe Dual Decker Palette Smashbox Studio Pop Eye Palette / Too Faced Naked Eye Soft & Sexy Shadow Collection / Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

*all images via BeautySets

During the holiday season (and really, all year long), cosmetics companies come out with fabulous palettes and beauty sets.  These palettes and sets not only make great gifts, but they also allow us a chance to sample a number of different products, try new shades, travel or touch-up with ease, and even learn how to put various cosmetics or shades together to create a gorgeous look. 
Which set or palette is your favorite???
I'd like to thank Alyssa for having me today. Isn't she the sweetest person on earth?!  Love her! Anyway, stop on by Glossy Blonde sometime and say hello!  I'd love to meet you!

~~~~~~~~

Thanks so much, Niki! The Naked 2 Palette is definitely on my Wish list! 

Niki is super generous to give away a Sephora gift card to one lucky reader! I also decided that in the giving spirit, I'm going to make a donation to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund in the winner's name. Please enter via Rafflecopter below.
Giveaway will be open until 12:01am Sunday, November 25. Please see the Terms and Conditions for more information.

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An update...

Happy Monday! 

I hope those of you who had today off had a great day.

I was lucky to have a long weekend but got super sick today and was pretty much out of it all day! Ick.

This weekend was full of productivity! 

Chris and I were both off work on Friday. It was so nice!

We brought both of our cars in to get some needed work done, got my emissions done, and saw Finding Nemo in 3D! I love that movie and it was totally worth it to see the 3D version.

Gotta love those styling glasses.

We also got word that we'll be able to move into a different apartment next weekend (we're been dealing with these nightmare neighbors if you don't remember). So, we started packing. It looked something like this.

Then today, we get word that it's not a final thing. In fact, we might not be able to move at all. Insane. This whole ordeal has been going on since February and we're so tired of it. Hopefully we'll be able to get things straightened out tomorrow but in the meantime the place is a mess!

I also wanted to say thank you for all your supportive comments on Friday! 

It's tough to write about the tough times, especially when you're like me. I tend to act like things are going well, even when they aren't. It's a coping mechanism and one that's worked for a long, long time.

I'm not doing that anymore. I'm not afraid to put things out there, to seek support from loved ones, blog friends, and strangers who may read this if they so choose. 

I'm sick of pretending that everything is always okay when it's not. Although I can't reveal details all the time, I really want to be as transparent as possible.

We're going through several "life transitions" at this point, and although things aren't great I'm certainly thankful for the things that are: our family, friends, and health.

Life isn't perfect, but how boring would it be if it were?

I'm a strong believer that everything happens for a reason.

And no, I'm not just saying that. Even during tough times, I always have believed that.

So if I can help someone by revealing my feelings and how I've dealt with things, it'll be worth it.

We've all got our own struggles, but we also have a lot in common.

The past few months have been trying and a huge learning experience. 

I started to write about it in this post... and mentioning it today certainly won't be the last.

So, the point of today's post really wasn't to talk about my unexciting (but nice) weekend. I'm not linking up anywhere. I just wanted to get that all out there :)

I hope everyone has a GREAT week!

Exciting Giveaways!

Hi everyone! 

I'm taking a little blogging break today, but wanted to stop in and let you know about a couple of amazing giveaways from a couple of my swappers!

Leigh @ Adventures in the Fort is hosting an Alice in Wonderland themed giveaway! She is so creative and this is one of my favorite giveaways in a while. Click here to head on over and enter! {Even though I hope I win} :)

Jen @ Rushing for Bagels is hosting her first group giveaway! I'm so excited to be giving away ad space! Click here to enter and meet some of her other lovely sponsors. 

I hope everyone has a great Thursday!

We Have a Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the group giveaway and to the amazing ladies that contributed! 

Here are the results.

Congrats, Ashley! 

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Happy Weekend!!!

Surprise...

IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Welcome to my very first giveaway!

I'm a little excited.. can you tell?

Thanks to some of my lovely sponsor swappers for participating in my very first giveaway to celebrate my growing little blog passing 100 followers!

I'll save the sentiments about how much I love blogging, how great you all are, etc for another time. 

Let's get to my lovely sponsors...

Leigh @ Adventures in the Fort

blog/twitter/pinterest/instagram

I'll spare you the boring details like my name, it's Leigh, and the name of my blog, Adventures in the Fort, and an interesting fact or two about me, I have two kids and I am from the great state of Texas.  I know what you're really here for...the goods, which is a $25 gift card to Pier 1.  Which in my opinion is almost as good as gold.  Because you can seriously get this and this and even this killer pillow!  So stop by, say "Hi", and let's get to know each other.

Dani @ Inspire.Motivate.Love.

blog/twitter/pinterest/instagram {@danilee_}

I'm Dani and I blog over at Inspire. Motivate. Love.  It's the story of my life and happenings of a stay at home toddler mom and full time student, while trying to find my place in this crazy world. I'm a newly converted nail polish lover, coffee lover, and cozy outfit wearer.  Fall and Winter have oddly become my favorite seasons, and in honor of that, and Alyssa's Giveaway, I am sharing with one lucky person my favorite accessory! A handmade, crocheted infinity scarf.  I literally have one in every color, and I live in them during the fall/winter season.

Stephanie @ bourbon and glitter

blog/twitter

I'm Steph and I blog over at bourbon and glitter.  You'll find a collection of all my favorite things there - cocktail cupcake recipes, latest shopping wants and pinterest finds, party themes and costumes, my bar crawl adventures, and tons of photos of my furry pup Hawkeye.  Come stop by!

Niki @ Glossy Blonde

blog/twitter/pinterest/instagram/bloglovin

Hi everyone!  I'm Niki and I blog over at Glossy Blonde.  I am a wife and pet mom to 2 dogs and a cat, and I'm working on my MBA in Marketing/Advertising. I hope to open a clothing/accessories boutique in the near future.  On Glossy Blonde, I'll share of-the-moment fashion and styling tips, great beauty products, and fun baking recipes; and on Fridays you'll get a little look into what makes me tick.  Stop on by and say hello, I'd love to meet you!

Rima @ Bolu by Rima

blog/facebook/twitter/instagram {@bolubyrima}

Hi Friends! This is Rima from Bolu by Rima. At Bolu, you can read about my ramblings about life, my love for food crafting and traveling, with occasional appearances of the 2 men in my life, The Pillow (aka Rob aka Boyfriend) and Chimichanga (the dog). Feel free to stop by and say hi!

Jen @ WhyyyJen

blog/twitter/pinterest/polyvore/instagram {@whyyyjen}

Hi! I'm Jen and I blog over at WhyyyJen. It's a life and style blog.. which is 3/4s life with just a little bit of simple style. I'm a working girl trying to make it big in the corporate world, at the same time, grounding myself by blogging about my feelings and experiences. I always aim for my posts to not only be an expression but also a benefit to my lovely readers. I love answering questions and thinking about what's around me. Check out Whyyyjen. Stay awhile. Ask ahead. I don't bite. ;)

Hilary @ Diaries of Do'ers

blog/twitter/pinterest/Instragram {@hilarysdoings}

Hi! I'm Hilary and I hold a small piece of this awesome blogosphere over at Diaries of Do'ers which I created to document me and the hubby's newlywed life and new home adventures. It's turned into a general lifestyle blog involving my love of frugal great finds - from décor to fashion, DIY successes & failures, furniture flips, and still-newlywed life {ahem, my trial & errors with meal-making for the hubs}. Please swing by and say hi, I'd love to 'meet' you!

Mia @ The Chronicles of Chaos

blog/twitter/facebook

Hi there, I'm Mia from The Chronicles of Chaos.  No, it's not a comic book, but sometimes I do feel like SuperMom!  I started blogging to capture the chaos that reigns supreme when you have 2 parents who work full-time, 2 rambunctious boys, and a Black Lab who has never outgrown the puppy energy! And I sprinkle in some recipes, and other life ramblings in the mix as well.  Stop by and say hi sometime, I love meeting new people!

Kayla @ The Rural Knitter

blog/facebook/twitter

Hi! I'm Kayla. I'm a small town girl with memories of the big city who decided to move to rural Newfoundland, Canada in hopes of slowing down and appreciating life. I blog over at The Rural Knitter. I write about my new found passion -- knitting, but also crafting, the world of books, and music. I also like to share what it's like to live in the most easterly part of Canada, where people live on an almost constant island of fog but boast a colourful and fantastic culture and history. As a knitter, I'm trying to bridge the gap between my Grandmother's generation and my own in a land where knitting is not a hobby, but a way of life. So grab a cup of Tetley tea and put on a pair of wool socks and join me at The Rural Knitter.

Of course, I'm giving away a few things...

~Medium Ad Space for 1 month

~LC Lauren Conrad Pearl Earrings

~Small Journal (Target)

*******************

So, here's the deal. Enter the giveaway. 

Visit some of my friends and give them some love!

1 winner takes all

Giveaway ends on Friday, September 21, 2012.

Good luck! 
*Please fully complete each task that you submit.
When a winner is chosen, I will fully review all entries and validate each one. If the winner does not complete each task they submitted, a new winner will be chosen. 
Please play by the rules.Thanks! :)  

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Sunday Social

I thought I would join up with Sunday Social today!

Watching football, drinking pumpkin beer and blogging... what could be better?

1. What is the name of your blog and how did you come up with it??
So... it's a play on "Sugar Spice and Everything Nice"... you know, from that nursery rhyme?
"Sugar and Spice" represents my personality to a T. I'm a pretty easygoing and nice person but my personality definitely has a little sass.
"Dash of Advice" represents my job as a therapist and general tend to give decent advice.

2. What do you love the most about blogging?
I love meeting and getting to know blog friends! 
I really like writing and getting my thoughts out there (even if no one ever reads them). I have a few blog posts I haven't published, and don't know if I ever will. It makes me feel so much better to just write things out.
Blogging is so supportive and is a community I never even knew about when I started this blog. I love it!

3. What are your 2 favorite posts you've written?
I feel like I have so many good posts ahead of me! Here are my favorite two so far...
French Toast Bake
That should be self-explanatory. This is an amazing recipe!!
Reflections- 4 Years
This is my only blog post about my career! So why is it my favorite? Read and you'll see. When something is such a big part of your life, it deserves a post. 
I also tend to re-read it when things are tough. Kind of like self-therapy?

I can't stick to just one. Here's my third and one of the most recent..
Fall Wreath

4. What is something you'd want to tell someone just starting out in blog world?

Well, I haven't been around too long but from my experience so far, I would say reach out and make friends with other bloggers. It makes blogging so much more fun. Leave comments on other blogs! I'm terrible with this sometimes. It does take time. Don't worry about the number of followers you have, focus on the content of your blog and being genuine. If you have a day where you don't feel like blogging, don't. Don't put pressure on yourself. There's no right or wrong way to blog! Oh also, don't demand people to follow your blog when you leave comments on other blogs. 

5. Biggest blogging learning experience you've had?
I feel like I'm learning every day. I've definitely learned that I have to be organized or else I'll forget things. 

6. Give us 3 blogs we NEED to be following that you love. 
Just 3? Well, you're getting 4.
Dani, Leigh, Steph, and Niki are a few lovely ladies who I "met" when I first started blogging. All of them always comment on mine and other bloggers' posts, and are so supportive and sweet. I'm also excited to say that they're all participating in my upcoming giveaway, so you might want to visit again soon!

I hope you enjoy the last bits of your weekend! :)

Hey Sponsors!

I'm now using Passionfruit for Sponsorships!

Right now, I am only offering free ad swaps.

If you are a current swapper, I'll email you separately so you can set things up for your ad to run through Passionfruit.

If you would like to swap with me, feel free to do so anytime! Don't forget to enter the code "sugarspice" for a free swap spot!

All swap ads run for 90 days and you can renew as many times as you'd like.

I'm also having an upcoming giveaway that you'll have the option for participate in!
(More details to come)

*If you submit your button via Passionfruit and we do not already swap, please grab mine from my Swap page or Sidebar. Or email me to let me know what I need to do to get my button on your page!

I love making new friends so I hope you'll join me!!!

I made it easy- you can do so below!
Have a great weekend, everyone :)

Meet Dani and her Whipped Cream Carrots!

Happy Friday!
I'm still on vacation but wanted to leave you all with a special something from one of my bloggy favorites, Dani!
Dani lives all the way across the country from me in Washington. 
That's too bad, because if we lived closer we would probably hang out all the time and drink wine and bake. At the same time, obviously.
Anyway, here she is!

~~~

Whipped Cream Carrots.

Doesn't that sound appetizing? 

No?

You're mistaken then, because it's delicious.

That word....delicious...I feel like I've been using it a lot lately.

Maybe I've just been eating/cooking really good food. 

First of all, let me introduce myself to you all.  My name is Dani, and I ramble blog about my life over at Inspire. Motivate. Love. 

There is no single focus.  

Just my life. I never thought people would find it interesting, but since I find others lives, like Alyssa's interesting, I thought I'd share my own too. 

Thus...I blog. 

And met Alyssa.

And am now going to share this ridiculously yummy dessert recipe with you all while she is gallivanting around Disney World. 

I'm not jealous. At all. 

That's a lie. 

So...on to this delicious concoction.  

My mother has always made weird stuff with jello.  Most of the time, I like it.  I never would have thought to put fruit in my own jello, yet it comes in cups at the store, right?  Well, lets take that a step further.  Fruit isn't so unheard of, but vegetables? I thought I had misheard her the first time she told me. My other half, his grandmother does the same thing.  

And oh my goodness....these recipes are amazing. You would never think. 

I grow my own garden. It's full of goodies.  You can head over and click through if you want. 

This year, I have an over abundance of carrots. 

So....I went searching for a carrot salad recipe, and I found carrot jello. 

I'm sorry, what? 

Here you go:

1 (6 ounce) package orange flavored gelatin mix

2 cups boiling water

1 package Neufchatel cheese, softened

1 cup finely grated carrot

2 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 (8 ounce) tub Cool Whip, softened.

Start by boiling the water, and then dissolving the gelatin in a large bowl. 

In the mean time, cube the cream cheese, or Neufchatel, whichever you prefer, and whip it in your food processor or blender.  I have a small food processor, and since you're going to add your gelatin liquid, I have found it works better in a blender. 

Add the gelatin, and cream together until the cheese is all blended in. 

Pour back into your bowl. 

Add carrots (I grate mine in the food processor), pineapple, and cool whip, and mix together. I just use a wooden spoon or plastic spoon.  The cool whip may be a little lumpy, but it's ok. Once it's set, it's like marshmallows. (Ohh...those might be good to add.....)

Let sit in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  I usually cannot wait for this to be done, and dive in after two hours.  And then proceed to not share the whole thing, and eat it over the next few days. 

I promise. You will love this. 

Unless you don't like carrots, or pineapple, or orange jello. 

Then you might have a problem. 

Because who doesn't like cool whip?

I personally much prefer the real thing to cool whip on my occasions, but for things like this, it's acceptable. 

I hope you all enjoy!

~~~

Isn't she the best? 

I never would have thought to put carrots in a dessert but she makes it work. I can't wait to try this recipe!

Thanks, Dani!

Don't forget to go give her some love at Inspire.Motivate.Love. :)

Meet Leigh and her Apple Custard Tart!

While I'm away on vacation, I'm so excited to have a few lovely guest posters. Leigh is my first and I am so happy she agreed to post over here! She is so sweet and has the most adorable babies. She also knows her way around the kitchen... those kids and boyfriend of hers are very lucky! Obviously I love desserts so Leigh has prepared something pretty awesome for you all. 

Enjoy!

~~~

First let me start off by saying I am so incredibly jealous of Alyssa for getting to vacation with Mickey & Minnie Mouse and all the princesses!  I have an almost 3 year old little girl who would be beside herself with glee to go see Cinderella's castle;  and I mean she would probably pass out because she forgot to breathe ecstatic.
Make sure to take a picture with the Princesses just for her, Alyssa!

I'm so excited that Alyssa is letting me guest post while she's away, and boy do I have a treat in store for y'all!  But before I do that, I bet you'd like to know who the heck I am.

My name's Leigh and I get comfy over at Adventures in the Fort.  In a nutshell, I write about our life.  I've got 2 extremely busy little babies, who aren't so little anymore, and a wonderful boyfriend.  We reside in the most exciting city in the great state of Texas, Fort Worth, and there is always some kind of new adventure going on for us to get in the middle of.  I love feeling pretty, drinking sweet tea, and making/eating desserts.

What I'm going to share with y'all today is hands down, the best dessert to make when you're really trying to impress people.  You know when I'm talking about;  high stakes family functions...dinner parties...guest posting on someone's blog...I could go on, but I digress.
With fall and party season quickly approaching, this is the perfect time to make this decadence.

First you've gotta have a crust.  I highly suggest this recipe for a Sweet Pastry Crust I posted a few days ago, but you could always just use a store bought one which would make things much simpler...but remember, you are trying to impress someone(s) so the extra effort is well worth it.
Once you've gotten your crust together, you've got to glaze it.  This will keep it from getting soggy when the custard is poured in.  I used fig preserves because I had them on hand, but apricot works out all right too.

See the difference?

This is the hard part.  Peeling and slicing apples, 3 Granny Smith to be exact.
Here's a funny story.

That's right.  I peeled and sliced waaaay too many apples.  

Wanna know when I realized it?  Right now.  As I'm typing this.

So save yourself some time and only use 3 apples instead of 5.

Go cook your apples

Now for the custard!
At this point I would also probably preheat my oven to 350 degrees and put a rack in the middle.

Make sure while you whisk constantly while adding the hot liquid to the paste or you will end up with scrambled eggs.  And that is not tasty in a tart.
This is the part that will really make your tart look impressive.

Sprinkle the stop with cinnamon sugar and pop that sucker in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the custard has set up and the top is a glorious brown color.
Let me tell you how fabulous your home will smell while this is cooking.
It is so enchanting I almost forgot to listen for my kids...
then I realized they were being too quiet...
then I found this...

Twenty seven minutes and a Resolve-d carpet later, voila!

You can now impress all your friends and family with a dessert fit for royalty.
For the full recipe, click here and visit Joy of Baking.

~~~

Oh my gosh. That looks amazing. 

I can't wait to try this recipe... or maybe I'll just have to pay Leigh a visit because I don't think I could make something that pretty!

Don't worry, Leigh, I'll get plenty of princess pictures for Pretty Girl :)

You'll have to follow my Instagram (@alyssalianne24) for pictures of princesses and much more!

Thanks again, Leigh!

Don't forget to pay lovely Leigh a visit @ Adventures in the Fort!