My Spring Fling Giveaway - Win $25 to the Bare Feet Etsy Shop

For the last week and a half I've been sharing with you all the fantastic handmade giveaways that are part of Spring Fling ~ 14 Days of Giveaways.  Finally, today is my day!  This giveaway will run for three days, from Friday to Sunday.  The winner will get $25 to my Etsy Shop, where they can spend it as they wish.  I make headbands, hair clips, and brooches to order, in your choice of colors.  You can choose any color combo, whatever you fancy.    

These are a few of my favorite color combinations for headbands.  

I wear this one all the time.  

I'm smiling weird here.  Not sure why.  

 These were both custom orders that I thought were fun and festive.  

 These are my most popular craft show items, Coco - the black and white headband, and brooch/hair clip combo.  Each combo comes with both backings so you can wear it either way.  

There are three super simple ways to win this giveaway.  Leave a separate comment for each entry.    

1) Follow this blog through Google Friend Connect (find the box on my sidebar).  Current followers count, too.  

2) Become a Facebook Fan of Bare Feet on the Dashboard.  (box on the right sidebar)

3) Share this giveaway on Facebook or your blog, and include the link in your comment.  

This giveaway will close at midnight on Sunday, April 3rd.  The winner will be selected my a random number generator.  

After you enter my giveaway, head over to these great blogs and enter their handmade Spring Fling giveaways as well.  Remember, all of these giveaways have pretty low entries and are only open for 3 days, so you have a fantastic chance of winning.  

Puddle Jumper Creations

Strokes of Magic

By the Bluegrass

More Handmade Goodies for Spring Fling Giveaways!

I'm a little late listing today's giveaways, but early for tomorrow.  Hopefully that evens things out.  Just a reminder - each giveaway runs for only 3 days, all items are handmade or vintage, and most of them have pretty low entries.  What that means for you is that you have 29 opportunities (all the different giveaways) to win some great stuff.  Go for it!    

 Girl Boy Girl Inspired

 Ashley Creation

B Inspired Mama 

Dew This

Pregnancy Update - 31 Weeks

That's a whole lotta belly, people.  Please note the stains.  I am a Spill Queen, pregnant or not, but my spilling tendencies have exacerbated greatly during my pregnancy.  I just rock the stains and go with it.  What can you do?  The belly is a spill magnet.  Things are good in baby world, and I had a great check up last week.  I'm going every other week now.  My doctor did tell me that I'm measuring 5 weeks bigger than where I am, so she is predicting a BIG baby.  I've heard that the size is really hard to predict, and that a lot of factors contribute to the baby measuring large.  It could be that the fibroid tumor is contributing to the size of the belly.  It was grapefruit size at 20 weeks, so I'm sure it has grown a lot since then.  I'm not freaking about the size thing, because it is out of my control.  Baby Bun will arrive when he/she is ready, so I just have to do my best to be ready, too.  The nursery is mostly set up, and I hope to post some pics soon.  For now I'm just waddling along, trying to wrap my head around maternity leave and delegating my job to others for 12 weeks.  

Do any mamas out there have maternity leave prep advice for me?  

Be sure to check out today's Spring Fling handmade giveaways:    

A pretty necklace from Rock N Regalia

A custom shirt from Two Plus Jilly

    

Frilly Fashions for Today's Spring Fling Giveaways

Check out the handmade fashions for little girls

 that are today's Spring Fling Giveaways:

A sweet spring bustle dress from Wildflowers and Whimsy

A lovely every occasion dress from A Jennuine Life

Saturday's Spring Fling Giveaways

We are half way through the 14 days of handmade giveaways that make up Spring Fling.  Remember folks, all of the giveaways run for only 3 days, are of awesome handmade goods, and most have super low entries.  Save yourself some money and enter to win.  

Today's Spring Fling Giveaways: 

A pretty handmade purse from Sweet Bee Buzzings

A gift basket full of handmade goodies plus vintage earrings and lace from Lucky Seven Designs

Frugal Friday - Sweet Reward

As most of y'all know by now, we are pretty frugal.  We are debt free and have a 3 month emergency fund.  We are currently saving towards our first house and plan to pay cash for the birth of our first baby.  We have worked super hard towards our financial goals, and as a result we get to reward ourselves every once in a while.  Last summer we went on an incredible vacation to Mexico.  A few weeks ago we took a baby moon getaway.  And this week, we bought and amazing camera.  The best part about all of these sweet rewards is that we save for them so we pay cash, and it feels so good.  We budgeted for the camera with a little bit set aside each month, from December to March.  That way it didn't greatly affect our overall budget.  This little beauty, the Canon Rebel T1i, is going to get a ton of use with the new baby arriving soon.    

I have longed for a DSLR camera for years.  Photography has always been a hobby, ever since I won a competition with a photo of a sunset in the 4th grade.  In high school I was one of the yearbook and newspaper photographers.  I learned how to develop my own film and print my own pictures.  In college I taught photography at a summer camp, and dreamed of setting up my own darkroom.  The smell of darkroom chemicals still bring back fond memories.  Now everything is digital, and I can't wait to learn how to work my new toy.  Hopefully soon you will see the fruits of my labor here on the blog.  If you have any great DSLR tips or sites you enjoy, please send them my way.  

What are you saving for right now?

Today's Spring Fling Giveaways:  

 Nat Mac's Knick Nacs is giving away a cleaning apron and a box of Magic Erasers for all your spring cleaning needs.  

Luxe Boulevard is giving away a lovely headband.  

More Spring Fling Handmade Giveaways!

Get excited people...

There are more Spring Fling Giveaways: 3 TODAY!!!

A Lovely Bloom Necklace from The Simple Sussie

A Springy Yellow Burlap Flower from Sweet Nothings

A Diaper and Wipes Case, and Owl Plushie, and a Surprise from To Sew with Love

My Hometown Baby Shower

 Even though I've lived far away for the last 6 years, my sweet friends from home threw me a baby shower this past weekend.  Jed was on spring break, so we headed to Little Rock on Thursday for a little extra quality time with my family and friends.  We stayed with my parents as usual, but this time there were 7 dogs at the house as well as 7 people.  It was a bit crowded, to say the least.  I'll post more pics of Dogapalooza '11 later, but for now you'll have to be entertained with Julie's (one of the hostesses) pictures from the shower.  Crystal, another hostess, hand painted the letters shown above for the nursery.  I am in love with them.  I can't wait to hang them (or more likely make Jed hang them) on the wall above the crib.  So cute!

 Here I am, with my giant belly.  This child is growing like crazy and moving like a fly girl on "In Living Color."  Does anyone remember that show?  I wanted to be a fly girl so bad.

 Check out that spread, y'all.  My friends worked so hard and made lots of delicious food for us.  We had an incredible brunch of creme brulee french toast, fresh fruit, 2 different quiches, croissants, and brownies, and 2 different cakes.  The cakes were beautifully decorated to match the paintings that Crystal created for the nursery.  I'll have pics of both later.  Julie created the diaper cake in the middle, which is now decorating the nursery.

 My niece, Caroline, was a big help unwrapping the gifts.  

 Trisha, my mom's best friend, and her daughter Sarah have known me since Sarah and I were 4 years old.  Now she is the mama of sweet Maya, and I'm pregnant with my first.  I love that we are still great friends after  27 years.

 Marci, Julie, and Crystal put so much hard work into this shower, and I am so grateful for them.  They are dear friends that I've known forever.  Julie and I met very young playing in my neighborhood, then went to junior high and senior high school together.  We've been roommates in the past and had a great friendship across the miles for a long time.  Marci and I met in junior high youth group and became friends and partners in crime soon after that.  Crystal and I met in college and were finishing each other's sentences after a week.  I love these girls and they and their families are some of my favorite people in the world.  They are all mamas already, and have given me so much great advice.  They really get me and it is so important to have people like that in my life.  I miss living near them and hope to again someday.

Do you live in your hometown, 

or are you making a new life far away?

Be sure to check out the Spring Fling Day 4 Giveaways:

A Headband with Sweet Interchangeable Crocheted Flowers from Momma's Kinda Crafty

A Gorgeous Spring Bouquet of Hair Accessories from My Mommy Can

Glen Rose Getaway - Dessert with the Pie Peddlers

On our weekend getaway in Glen Rose, we happened upon an antique car show in the main square surrounding the court house.  The streets were closed off and lined with fabulously restored antique cars.  This was perfect for us, because I could wander through the antique shops and boutiques while Jed obsessed over the cars.  Every few minutes he would come in a store to see something I wanted to show him, and I would come out to do the same.  Perfect.  We stumbled on a little place called the Pie Peddlers, and had to stop in.  

  The pies are all made fresh daily, and they have a great selection.  Unfortunately we felt that it was a little overpriced.  The slices were $4 each.  I know that is pretty standard or cheap for restaurant dessert, but you know we are super frugal.  We decided to go for it since we were on vacation.

 Jed ordered the coconut caramel, and was definitely the big winner of the day.  It was phenomenal.

 I had the key lime pie, which is my go-to dessert.  It was good, but not fabulous.  I'm a little bit of a key lime pie snob, apparently.

Overall, I would say that stopping in Pie Peddlers is worth it for the ambiance and great service.  The same ladies who make the pies wait on the tables, and are super sweet.  Skip the key lime and go straight for the coconut, chocolate, or coconut caramel.  

What is your go-to dessert?  

Don't forget to check out the Spring Fling Day 3 Giveaways: 

A Vintage Inspired Necklace at Ask Anna

A Super Cute Apron at While He Was Napping 

Glen Rose Getaway - Dining at Sunset Ridge Bed and Breakfast

On our baby moon getaway in Glen Rose, Texas, we found a really special bed and breakfast inn.  Jed searched long and hard online to find a place that fit our needs and our style.  Sunset Ridge is in our price range and is far more modern than many B & Bs.  I'll post pics of the place later on, and tell you all about it.  The photo above is the view from our private patio during sunset.  As you can see, the name Sunset Ridge is a perfect fit.  Besides the obvious breakfast part of the B & B, Sunset Ridge offers a four course dinner for an extra fee.  The couple who runs the place gives a few options to choose from, and let me tell you, we chose wisely.  

 We started with homemade Parmesan Black Pepper Crackers and Herb Dip.  We had already dipped into it by the time I thought to take a picture.  The dip and crackers were savory and light, a great starter.  The lighting was also very "romantic", making it difficult to get a great photo.  Oh well.  You get the idea.

 The second course was a Poached Pear and Blue Cheese Salad.  We were a little nervous about that combination, but it was delicious.

For the entree, we each had a Filet of Beef with Roasted Asparargus and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.  Jed described the steak as the best he had ever had.  That, my friends, is a great compliment.  We got the recipe before we left, believe me.

 See the above photo for evidence of the deliciousness of our entree.  Amazing.

We shared a huge piece of Double Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries for dessert.  It was awesome, and we were fully stuffed after indulging in a fantastic four course dinner.  One of the best things about it was that we only had to walk across the veranda to our room after dinner.  Come back later this week for more about our Glen Rose getaway.

Have you stayed in an awesome Bed and Breakfast Inn?  Tell me about it.  

Spring Fling Day 2 Giveaways:

A Tutu and Bows at Time Well Spent

Handmade Hair Accessories at A Very Dandoislion Life

Spring Fling Day 1

Spring Fling is here!  Get ready for 14 days of handmade giveaways on 29 different awesome blogs.  Today head over to A Craft Southern Chick to win handmade jewelry and to Increasingly Domestic to win a Burt's Bees Mani-Pedi set and a rice filled heating pad.  I've added pictures of some of the items you can win below.  You have only three days (including today) to enter each giveaway.  Go for it!

 

We have a winner!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner of the $40 giveaway to House 8810!  

The winner is Jo from

http://thehungrycrafter.com/.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered.  Come back tomorrow for the start of Spring Fling - 14 Days of Giveaways.  The giveaways will run on 29 different blogs and are all awesome handmade goodies.   

Glen Rose Getaway - Dining at the Riverhouse Grill

Recently, Jed and I went on a little weekend getaway, a baby moon of sorts.  We wanted to keep it close by and frugal, so we went for one night to Glen Rose, a little town southwest of Ft. Worth.  We stayed at a phenomenal bed and breakfast that I'll tell you about later, and had so much fun wandering around a new town.  We found the Riverhouse Grill just off the main square for lunch, and we so pleased with everything they offered.  The restaurant is family run out of a 100 year old house and features fresh, local, creatively prepared food.  

  Jed picked the chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and then went double carb with the mac and cheese au gratin.  He loved all of it, but said the mac and cheese was the best he has ever eaten.  Seriously.  He let me try it and it was out of control good.  I don't know what they did to it, but it can't be good for you, and made us both want to lick the dish.

 I had the ultimate ham sandwich with parmesan truffle fries.  Wow.  The sandwich was on fresh whole grain bread with 3 different kinds of cheese, local ham, and fresh apple slices.  The fries had a savory flavor from the truffles that was amazing.

If you are ever in Glen Rose, I highly recommend stopping at the Riverhouse Grill.  I love supporting small town, family run places, and this one is a winner for sure.

What is your favorite off-the-beaten-path restaurant?