Friday, December 31, 2010

Freakshow Friday : Hipster Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, this dude is too cool for school.

They had a huge sale at Urban Outfitters where
get a lion when you buy yellow skinny jeans.

You got a better one for me?
If so, you may just when this awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

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If you win then I'll linkup to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.
Have a happy New Year's Eve
and I'll see you next year.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

The whimsies of 2010

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This past year has been an amazing one, especially for this little ol' blog.

I think that a very important moment that happened for me in 2010
was when I decided to attempt to photograph
something that made me happy for 28 days.
Click on the button to see all of the photos...

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That one little idea led to a bigger idea,
The Happiness Project.

Thank you to all the people out there
who have helped me take over the blogosphere with happiness.
I hope that it has been as rewarding for you as it has me.
I plan on keeping it going after I've completed 52 weeks
so I'll be started back at week 1 in March.

If you want to peak at the last 43 weeks
go ahead and click on the button.
Get ready to see a whole lot of joy in the simplest things.

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Another whimsy that I enjoyed was
The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles.
I know that I will look back and be so happy
that I took the time to document the little moments that passed.
Go ahead and smack that button to check it out...

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Here are a handful of my posts that came from the heart in 2010...
The moment that I've Been Waiting For
Poppy's Garden
May I sit on your couch and have a quick therapy session?
To be read in 2027
The Day That My Grandma Taught Me The Art of Making A Memory
Showing Stregnth

Thanks again for making 2010 a stellar year for
Leigh vs Laundry.

Now, you may be excused.


Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Roger has the week off from work and this is exactly what is going on inside my home.


We need to make a few changes though
to make it more realistic.
First off, imagine that the little girl
is a 20 month old boy
that is trying to throw the lamp on the floor.

Then, the newspaper should be a Wii controller.

Oh, and the happy pets should be two cranky cats curled up on the porch.

Other than that,
we look just like this sweet family.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Happiness Project :: Week 43

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Waking up to a snow covered yard.
We rarely see snow in Georgia,
so it was extra sweet.

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If you want to jump on the bandwagon
simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy.
Then, steal my button up there
and include it in your post.
Please let me know if you decide to join in.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Christmas Extravaganza 2010 or why my pants won't button.

We have 3 separate Christmas celebrations each year.
It's a whirlwind of
family
,
food, presents, and fun.

Christmas #1 is on Christmas Eve over at my parents' house
and it's always so sweet and wonderful.


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My mom made a yummy fig appetizer that was decadent.
I popped those in my mouth non stop
while the boys rolled around in toys and Christmas paraphernalia.

Christmas #2 is at our home.
Here is a before and after shot of our Christmas tree.
I have no photos of the presents being opened
because I was busy helping Koen open his
but trust me, it was spectacular.

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Almost as spectacular as the cinnamon rolls
that I made for breakfast.


Christmas #3 is at my Mother-in-law's house.
She always has the most beautiful decorations set up.

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Did I mention that there were cookies galore?
Okay, I'll admit it, Koen ate cookies for lunch
and walked around with cookie crumbs
and a grin on his face the entire time.
I might have had one or ten cookies myself.

We had an amazing Christmas and
I hope that you had a wonderful holiday too.


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Friday, December 24, 2010

Freakshow Friday : "Co-Cane" Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, I want to party with these girls.

Tragedy struck Christmas morning when Jenny and Sue's
heads spun off of their necks after this photo was taken.

You got a better one for me?
If so, you may just when this awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

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If you win then I'll linkup to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

You Capture : Holiday Magic

The assignment over at You Capture was Holiday Magic.
I'll just go ahead and tell you that I am in love
with the view of my Christmas Tree from the kitchen.
We've nestled the tree in the dining room
(to keep curious 20 month old fingers out of the ornaments).

So, as I cook dinner this is my view.
It really does feel magical to me.


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If you scoot in closer you will find
all kinds of sweet treasures
hanging on the branches.
Like tiny glittery globes that make me smile.

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This little tug boat feels pretty fancy.
It should because it is a family favorite.

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The best little Christmas video ever.



So, since were friends and all,
I have to confess that I have a little mother's guilt
that every Sunday we find ourselves at Chuck E. Cheese church.
Somehow we have become that family that
just shows up at Church for the Christmas Eve service.
I mean, we do our best to teach the Golden Rule and
we try to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.

I think that this little video gets right to the heart of the meaning of Christmas.

I showed it to Griffin in hopes that he would
meditate on the birth of our Savior
and he got super excited that the three Wisemen
partied down in the stable with baby Jesus.
I think that I'm doing a pretty decent job at raising a spiritual kiddo.
Even if he now thinks that there are glow sticks in heaven.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The Happiness Project :: Week 42

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The smell that fills the
house when pumpkin muffins come out of the oven.


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If you want to jump on the bandwagon
simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy.
Then, steal my button up there
and include it in your post.
Please let me know if you decide to join in.

Monday, December 20, 2010

I shocked myself by eating six dozen cookies in four days. Well, my husband helped, but the point is that the cookies are gone.

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I had big plans for this post.

Last week I went to the annual cookie exchange
at my mom's best friend's house.
There were so many scrumptious cookies made by seriously southern women
and I intended to photograph the beautiful cookies and include recipes
but...we ate almost all of them before I had a chance to grab a photo.
So, you'll just have settle for a picture of the empty basket
full of abused wrappings that was once overflowing with cookies.

Also, I'm feeling lazy (probably from eating so many damn cookies)
so I've decided to just share the recipe
for the cookie that disappeared the fastest.
It is oh so gooey and yummy.
Enjoy and sorry that I don't have a photo of said cookie.
They sure were good when I ate them all up uncontrollably.

OATMEAL CARMELITAS

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1810,158174-239199,00.html
Content Copyright © 2010 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.
1 3/4 c. Quaker oats
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. nuts, chopped
1 (6 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) bag caramels
1/4 c. water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Combine first five ingredients. Add butter, mix until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup for topping; press remaining mixture onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes; cool. Top with nuts and chocolate chips. In saucepan melt caramels and water, stir until smooth. Remove from heat and drizzle over bars, sprinkle with reserved topping mixture. Continue baking 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool. Cut into bars, store tightly covered in cool, dry place.

In other news...
Koen pointed at my belly this morning and said "ball?"

Winner : Festive Family Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.
Rita/Fighting Off Frumpy
Someday, vowed Andy, he'd get to wear a leaf as big as Dad's.

Jenny
At first we were a little uneasy,
we had never worn Santa hats
for our Christmas pictures before.

Ambyr
Clan of the crazed bare

The winner is...
Jenny

At first we were a little uneasy,
we had never worn Santa hats
for our Christmas pictures before.


Jenny

is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Now head on over to her blog
and marvel at this fantastic award she just earned
to proudly display forever.

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Thanks to all the people who played.

Tune in this Friday for another instalment of Freakshow Friday!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Freakshow Friday : Festive Family Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, it's wrong on so many levels.

Mom put on the coconuts because she wanted to be modest.

You got a better one for me?
If so, you may just when this awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

Photobucket

If you win then I'll linkup to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Allow me to wax peotic about Christmas decorations.

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I love decorating my home for Christmas.
I'm sure that you can imagine that I am obsessed
with vintage finds to scatter all over the house.
These are two of my favorites because
my Mammaw (my grandma for any new readers)
made them when I was a child and I have inherited them over the years.
They hung as decorations in her home
and now I am honored to have them in mine.

When the candy cane loving mouse is hanging
in front of the fireplace then it feels like Christmas in my home.
Being the only female in my family can make me wonder
if I am the only one who gets jazzed about little details.
Well, the boys get so excited when I put the mouse up.
They hop up and down and give it hugs and kisses.
Then they stop and marvel at it from time to time.

It's enough to make a mama tinkle a little bit.
There are those moments in life that evoke
sweet memories and I hope that in the future
when the boys come back for the holidays as adults,
that they will seek out the mouse on the fireplace
and feel like they are home.
I think that's it's so important to create memories
and attachments to family heirlooms.
It takes effort though, especially with a house full of boys.
I know that they may not see it now
but when they look back on their lives,
they will appreciate it.

We can't forget about the glittery stocking that Mammaw made either.
It has a place of honor on the mantel.
Every time I look at it I can just see
Mammaw placing it on her fireplace and humming Jingle Bells.
She was so jolly this time of year and
always passed me a wink and smile.
When I see this treasure I believe that it holds a wink from her.

It's amazing to me how an object
can house so much love.
I hope to continue to fill these treasures with love
so that it can be felt for generations to come.

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Happiness Project :: Week 41

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Wearing my tattered comfy slippers around the house.

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If you want to jump on the bandwagon
simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy.
Then, steal my button up there
and include it in your post.
Please let me know if you decide to join in.

Monday, December 13, 2010

activate your dance floor kitty.

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If you look closely at that crappy photo you'll find me and my new friend Stephanie busting out some serious Thriller moves on the dance floor. One of my favorite friends turned 40 over the weekend and to celebrate we went dancing at a local bar cleverly called 8e's. It's an awesome joint that plays all 80's music and serves up cheap liquor drinks.

We arrived way too early (9:30 pm) and had the whole place to ourselves. I was in heaven because I am never out at 9:30 and also because I am the queen of any empty dance floor. I have all the best moves and I know it. The Running Man, the Roger Rabbit, the Cabbage Patch, or even the Robot. Oh yeah, I have moves for days! Not only that but I know a ton of cheesy dance routines that I made up when I was 15 years old. Some of the ladies out with us had been on the dance team in high school and had some pretty amazing moves themselves. So, there were five of us, dancing like we were on a drill team made up of thirty-somethings and it was fantastic.

In the midst of our incredible display of jazz hands and high kicks, we had a conversation about an article that had been printed earlier last week in our local college paper. Apparently some jackass had made a comment about "Cougars" being at this particular bar. Here is the exact quote that we were discussing over our fruity drinks..."Here at 8es bar, we’re going Cougar hunting,” said Zach Davidson, a University alumnus. “Why Cougars? They’re actually hard to get. The 21-year-olds, if you get enough shots, they’re too easy. But you get a cougar, she’s married; she might have like, five kids; she’s kind of a challenge. Love the challenge.”

So, there we were, at the "Cougar" bar way too early, dancing our asses off to Depeche Mode songs when a crew of young men came marching into the joint. At first I was in denial that we could possibly be considered Cougars but as these young men danced their way over to us, I suddenly felt ancient. They looked like they were about 12 years old but these guys were totally getting down. I mean, they had done their homework because one of them actually busted out the "Molly Ringwald Breakfast Club dance" pretty well.

I wasn't sure how to proceed as they danced all around us and could feel myself spiralling into an existential crisis. Many questions swirled in my mind. Questions like, when did I turn into the almost middle aged woman at the 80's themed bar reliving my glory days? Would I pull a leg muscle if I tried to do the splits in a drunken fit right now? If you were to stick pink feather boas on us, would we look a van full of Cougars unleashed in Vegas? Are those A-holes making fun of me? Why do I suddenly feel too old for the dance floor, me, the Mayor of Jazz Town? Who could feel like old with moves this smooth? I mean, look at these jazz hands.

Then, I stepped back and watched these young guys that were laughing and hopping around to Michael Jackson songs and realized that they were totally there to just have fun and dance. I saw myself in them, eleven years ago at 80's disco night and forgot for a bit that I was a thirty six year old mom of two. We all danced together and even had a dance off or two. They were totally respectful and didn't treat us like Cougars at all. I know that they were impressed with our "Beat it" moves (I was shocked at how much of the routine we could piece together) and we all had some serious fun.

It ended up being a legendary night on the dance floor and I managed to dance my existential crisis away. Clearly, I am still the Mayor of Jazz Town. Which was a HUGE relief because I find it hard to believe that I am reaching Cougar territory anyway. What was I even worried about?

Winner : Deck the Halls Edition.

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.
Moooooog35
The magical morning that Lydia got
her Christmas wish of "big hair, small monkey."

Rita/Fighting Off Frumpy
"Dawnita" hoped people would be so
interested in the monkey that
they'd never notice her Adam's apple.

Moooooog35
She thought he was lost forever
until one magical Christmas morning
Bobo just simply came out of her hair.

The winner is...
Moooooog35


She thought he was lost forever
until one magical Christmas morning
Bobo just simply came out of her hair.

Moooooog35
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Now head on over to his blog
and marvel at this fantastic award he just earned
to proudly display forever.

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Thanks to all the people who played.

Tune in this Friday for another instalment of Freakshow Friday!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Christmas Card Extravaganza and some Shutterfly Love!

My holiday cards from Shutterfly have arrived
and I truly love them!

Remember these beauties that I told you about?
My friends and family will be so proud that they know us
once they get one of these shiny new cards in the mail.


Retro Kaleidoscope Holiday Card
Create unique holiday cards with Shutterfly
View the entire collection of cards.

I also love the love that Shutterfly gives Bloggers.
Check out their latest promotion!

Help us spread the word. Embed project and receive a $25 gift certificate.

Here's how:
Embed your project on a blog or Web site you own. Email an active link (no screenshots, please) to the Web page containing your embedded project to: shareproject@shutterfly.com. We will confirm placement and reply to your email with a discount code.

The offer is only available to individuals embedding the Shutterfly widget on their website or blog. Offer ends January 31st, 2011 (11:59PM PST). Promotional codes provided are valid until February 15, 2011 (11:59PM PST) and valid for one-time redemption per qualifying order per member.

Now scroll on down to play Freakshow Friday!

Freakshow Friday : Deck the Halls Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, I am amazed at how much this woman looks like her pet!

Deck the halls with little primates...fa la la la la.

You got a better one for me?
If so, you may just when this awesome award
and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

Photobucket

If you win then I'll linkup to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday

Thursday, December 9, 2010

You Capture : Sweet

The assignment over at You Capture was Sweet.
I think this photo of Koen is just about the
sweetest thing I have ever seen.

To me, it captures the innocence that he embodies.
Everything is so new and exciting to him.
He was fascinated by the Christmas tree when we put it up
and stood in this pose on and off for the duration of our tree trimming.

His little fingers grasped the glittery ornament
and he couldn't quite figure out how to hang it on the tree.
So, he just held it next to the branches and gazed at it.
He would fuss to high heaven if we tried to help him.

That part wasn't so sweet.

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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Thoughts on Motherhood : When Mama is sick.


*Disclaimer: Go ahead and grab your coffee because this
is going to take a while.
Mama needs to bitch!

I know just as well as the next lady that no one likes a martyr. I do my best to fulfil my motherly duties and not feel sorry for myself in the process. I'm the one that pops out of my chair at dinner if anyone needs anything while were eating. Sure, my meal be cold when I finally sit down to eat it, but I try no to pout about it. For the most part, I do my job with a smile.

There is just one complaint that I have about this Stay at Home Mom position and that is the fact that I don't get sick days. Our budget is so tight that my husband can't afford to take the day off work if I get sick. Inevitably, my mom (who is my babysitter) either gets sick at the same time or has an important event coming up that she can't get sick before.

That leaves me, moaning on the couch with children literally sitting on my head. I am a firm believer that a day in bed works wonders for a sick person and used to practice this theory whenever I was sick before I became a mom. Those days are long gone. The worst is when I am throwing up, I tell the boys that we are playing hide and seek and while they are off hiding, I take a personal moment to puke my guts out without a child pulling my hair or worrying about me. If I have a cold, I run my errands with a red nose and puffy eyes. A box of tissues is in one hand and a sippy cup is in the other. If I have a pounding headache then I lay on the floor surrounded by toys with a baby poking me in the eye while saying "nose?"

I don't get sick days and it's lousy.

Last week I had a tummy bug and it was a doozy. My husband decided to go into work late so that I could get a little sleep in the morning. He was getting Griffin ready for school and had offered to drop him off on his way to work. As I lay in my bed trying my hardest to pass out, I could hear my little army of men in the living room. Now, I've mentioned before that my husband is a capable man but I could hear Koen raising a stink for me. I rolled over and tried my hardest to ignore it. Then my mind started to wander a bit. "Oh no, today is "wear a cape to school" day and Roger doesn't know it. Will Griffin be the only kid at school without a cape? Does Roger know where the cape is? Do I know where the cape is? Crap, now I have to get up and find the damn cape." I thought as I dragged my sick achy body out of bed. There was no rest for this mama.

The best example of my plight presented itself yesterday afternoon. I clumsily stepped on a glass Christmas tree ornament that had fallen off of the tree. Of course, I shattered it and sliced the bottom of my foot. It wasn't a deep wound but it was in just the right spot to bleed profusely. I had picked an unfortunate time to get a wound on my foot because Griffin had just walked in from school and was famished. I should interject here and tell you that from the hours of three and six pm, my son eats nonstop. I am in a constant rotation in the kitchen fetching him nourishment. Once Koen sees the food going back and forth, he is all aflutter for a snack too. I am an underpaid and disgruntled waitress.

The point is, I was bleeding and I could not get it to stop because both of my children continuously asked me to get food for them. I literally had a trail of blood from the living room to the kitchen where I bled as I fetched food for half an hour. Just as I would sit down to dress the wound Koen would call out "Pwetzles?" and up I would go to grab the pretzels. I would apply pressure and just when it was about to stop Griffin would say "Will you get me some water?" I probably washed my hands twenty times as I attempted to stop the bleeding between grabbing food.

To add insult to injury, our First Aid kit was empty of all the supplies that I needed. It was like a bad nightmare. All I needed was a moment to put my foot up over my head while putting pressure on it. I contemplated packing the kids up and running over to Urgent Care for a little help. Panic started to set in when my sweet friend Scarlet called and talked me through it. I finally had to put my bloody foot down and tell them to eat their pretzels and shut it while Mommy tried to stop the bleeding. Scarlet dropped off some first aid tape and I was able to finally dress my wound. The blood stopped, the children were well fed, my foot was bandaged, and you can bet your sweet ass that I pouted for the rest of the day.

The end.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The Happiness Project :: Week 40

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Picking out the Christmas tree and
driving home with it on the roof of the car.

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If you want to jump on the bandwagon
simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy.
Then, steal my button up there
and include it in your post.
Please let me know if you decide to join in.

Monday, December 6, 2010

My child could be on Club MTV, if it was still on the air and they had a toddler version.

We put up the Christmas tree this weekend
and as we decked the halls, Koen threw down a little Christmas jig.

Please observe...
A. His obsession with cleaning equipment
and his current love affair with our Dust Buster.
B. This was a supervised event with potential choking hazards.
C. My child's awesome moves.

Please ignore...
A. The living room looks like a toy bomb went off.
B. I call my son like he's a dog to get his attention.
C. The moments between the dancing that only a Mama could love.

Okay...now that that's out of the way,
enjoy!


Winner Pussycat Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.


Moooooog35
The day Mittens and Mr. Puffs wished they only had one life.

R Montalban
Tune into Cat Telepathy channel :
"that man is touching me with his bits, brrrrrrr, help me

Wym
Marla was trying to be discrete.
She covered kitty's privacy for the family photo.

The winner is...
Wym

Marla was trying to be discrete.
She covered kitty's privacy for the family photo.


Wym
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Now head on over to her blog
and marvel at this fantastic award she just earned
to proudly display forever.

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Thanks to all the people who played.

Tune in this Friday for another instalment of Freakshow Friday!