Handmade Anniversary Gift

When Chris and I do something little that's special for the other person, we call it SHMILY.

See how much I love you.

It could be anything from a bag of puffy cheetos when I've had a bad day, to a a new sleeve of golf balls to get him excited about summer.

The key is that it's all just because, and it all has a little sticky note on it that says SHMILY.

In fact, Chris' ring has SHMILY engraved on the inside.

So this year, for our anniversary, I had a fantastic idea! The fabulously talented and oh-so-entertaining Leonora of Yellow Heart Art makes some truly awesome graphic art. And, even better, she's a sponsor of mine this month (woo!). So of course I shot her an email to see if she could make me a custom graphic art highlighting our little tradition.

And the outcome pretty much rocks.

But you can see for yourself.



It's hanging on my slowly growing wall of handmade art in our bedroom. I just love it!

{sponsor love} Sadie of Randomosity

I'd love to introduce you all to a lovely sponsor of mine, Sadie! She blogs over at Randomosity, a super cute blog with lots of fun projects, recipes, and more!




Tell us about yourself!

Hi and thanks for having me. :) My name is Sadie. I'm a Mary Kay beauty consultant (marykay.com/sadielankford). I'm a wife and mother to our three beautiful daughters - Jenelle, Gracelynn, and Sapphire - and I work from home so I can be closer to them. I enjoy crafting of almost any type - except sewing. I cannot, for the life of me, master sewing.


Introduce us to your blog - what do you like to share with your readers?

Though my life is pretty rigid and scheduled, my blog is everything but. My blog, Randomosity, has crafts, recipes, and just about everything else under the sun. I like to call it organized chaos. I can never just pick one topic and stick to it, so each day of the week has a different theme and I change them often - but you can always find great recipes and tutorials no matter how much I switch it up! Those are my favs.



What made you decide to start blogging?

I've been blogging off and on for about 5 years now, but I finally got serious about it a few months ago. I love to teach and inspire, and that is what I use my blog for.


What are some of your favorite projects and recipes?

My favorite post ever is probably my couponing binder. Next, would be one of my e-books (Loopy Bows and Tutus).



If you could have any famous blogger become a follower of yours, who would it be and why?

Martha Stewart, because I love all of her awesome ideas!



Make sure you hop on over and check her out! And don't forget to say hi!

Giveaway Winner + Blogger Drama

source

First of all, thanks to everyone who entered the Fabric.com giveaway from my awesome sponsors, Craft Buds!

Unfortunately, Blogger has been having some massive issues for the past twenty four hours, and every comment entry during that time seems to have *vanished* into thin air.


The Good News

Blogger sends every comment to my email! So never fear, every person who commented before the deadline was taken into consideration.

And with that, away we go!

The winner is...



Comment number 8, Brit Fritner!

Thanks for everyone for participating, and so sorry for all the Blogger drama!

Sponsor Highlight + Giveaway :: Craft Buds!

I'm so excited to introduce you to today two great crafty ladies, Mary and Lindsay, of Craft Buds!



Tell us about yourselves!

Hello FW&MP readers, it’s great to meet all of you! I’m Mary and I’m a stay at home mom to an amazing little boy and wife to a great husband. Besides blogging I do freelance graphic design work and I enjoy sewing, crafting, gardening, and baking.

And I'm Lindsay, a friend of Mary's in the real world and blogland! My husband and I will celebrate our 5-year anniversary this year, and we are still trying to figure out where to go on vacation. Any suggestions? I love to travel, sew, and meet new people.


Tell us about your blog, Craft Buds! How did it start?

Mary: We were both running separate blog sites and started talking about the possibilities of a combined site. We had both been posting sewing/crafting tutorials so we decided to combine those with interviews, business tips, featured bloggers, giveaways, a master giveaway list, linky parties and more! Craft Buds was launched in March of this year. We chose the name because we hope to help people grow their blogs and online businesses as they find inspiration and information at our site. “Buds” also fits since it’s a collaboration between friends. Lindsay is a professional editor and I’m a professional graphic designer so combine that with our blogging, crafting and sewing hobbies and we make a great team.

What are some of your favorite projects and recipes from your blog?

Mary: One of my favorite projects is the numbered bean bags. They’re great for kids to play with and they’re educational too. I also like the tote bag tutorial because I use this bag all the time. Lindsay’s Twitter for Crafters article is another favorite because it taught me a lot I didn’t know about Twitter!



Lindsay: And my favorite tutorial is Mary's hooded sweatshirt to cowl neck tutorial. It's so clever! I also loved what fabric designer Jennifer Paganelli had to share with our readers about starting a handmade business. And Mary's Bunny No-Bakes are adorably appetizing.



Where do you see your blog going in the future?

Mary: Eventually we’d like to sell e-books and patterns while continuing to offer tutorials, free patterns, business tips and all the other regular Craft Buds features.

Lindsay: Also, we just really want to be a resource for people with creative dreams, who just need that extra push to get going. I love the connectivity between creative bloggers, and the ability to help each other out.


If you could have one famous blogger follow your blog, who would it be? (I know mine would be Pioneer Woman!)

Mary: That’s a tough one! MADE by Dana is one of my favorites for crafting/sewing. The Sweet Adventures of SugarBelle is a favorite for baking with her incredible cookie creations.

Lindsay: I'd be pretty pleased if Martha Stewart was a Craft Bud. :)

Did somebody say, Giveaway?!

Craft Buds is happy to give away one $20 gift certificate to Fabric.com (selling general crafts supplies, too!) to one lucky FW&MP reader. The giveaway is open worldwide (international shipping available from Fabric.com).

To enter:

{you must be a FW&MP follower}

Check out the tutorials at Craft Buds and leave a comment here with your favorite!

For extra entries:

2. Follow the Craft Buds blog via Google Friend Connect, RSS or e-mail subscription.
3. Like Craft Buds on Facebook
4. Tweet, blog, or share about this giveaway on Facebook (include link -- one entry for each)

Feel free to copy the below tweet:

Did you check out the great giveaway running from @foodwinemodpodg and @CraftBuds?? Winner gets a fabric.com gift card! http://bit.ly/mD30Oe

This giveaway closes at midnight (cst) on Thursday, May 12.

Thanks Mary and Lindsay, you rock!

Guest Post :: Lobster Bisque

Readers, please welcome this fun guest post from a great cook, fun business owner, and fantastic cousin of mine! Enjoy!


Hi FW&MP fans! My name is Sarah, and I’m proud to be guest-posting on this blog! I have a few things in common with the lovely Katie P: we both love food, wine, and being creative! (I’m also proud to say that she’s my cousin!) For me, my creative passions include singing, acting and developing my own brand of healthy bath and beauty products.



Sugared Beauty, LLC specializes in dessert-themed handmade skin care made from organic ingredients. (You can find them at my shop on Etsy!) I develop all the products from scratch in my kitchen, and when I’m not working on making sugar scrubs or trying to created the perfect chocolate-flavored lip balm, I trade my lab coat for an apron and use my kitchen to make delicious FOOD!

This recipe for lobster bisque came to me from a dear friend. It’s surprisingly easy and will not disappoint! The sweet and creamy broth is perfected by the sherry, and be sure to keep plenty of Old Bay on hand for added seasoning.

Enjoy, and thanks to Katie and FW&MP for the happy hijacking of her blog so I could share this wonderful recipe with all of you!


Lobster Bisque

1 - 2 cups cooked lobster meat (you can now find lobster meat frozen or canned in most supermarkets, otherwise buy one and cook it yourself) If you strike out in both cases, I’ve cut up raw, peeled and deveined shrimp and no one was the wiser...
1/2 cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup carrot, diced
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, or to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cups whole milk
1 cup half and half
1 cup chicken stock (if you have lobster stock, use that instead)

Combine the lobster meat with the sherry. Cover and refrigerate.

In a hot pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once it stops sputtering, add the onion, celery, carrot, salt and pepper and Old Bay. Stir and let cook until the vegetables are translucent and are getting soft.

Add the tomato paste and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the flour and cook for two to three minutes, stirring all the time.

While whisking, add the cold milk, half and half and stock and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 1 minute, still whisking constantly. Turn the heat down and let simmer until slightly reduced.

Now, you have two options.

Option 1: using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth.

Option 2: Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down on the solids.

Taste, and add more salt, pepper or Old Bay, if you think it needs it. (We thought it did!) Add the reserved lobster and sherry to the pot and simmer for just a couple of minutes, so the lobster is heated through.

Serve with some nice crusty bread, and enjoy!

April Sponsor :: Sassy Owl Designs

Can you believe Easter is this weekend already? This month is sure flying by! But of course it can't fly by without introducing you to Jayma, my lovely sponsor and the girl behind Sassy Owl Designs.

{ Meet Jayma }



Tell us about yourself!

San Diego is “home” to me, but last year my husband and I relocated to Fresno, CA. We have been married for 4-1/2 and our “baby,” Oslo, is an husky mix full of energy. We don’t have kids yet, but I have niece and nephew who are 3 and 1, and I absolutely adore them.

My mom is very crafty, so growing up she nurtured my creativity. We’d always have a project going on—painting t-shirts, making jewelry, floral arranging, science experiments, knitting, sewing, etc. Then one day at a craft fair I was introduced to rubber stamping. This is where my love of papercrafting began. My parents bought my sister and I a starter set and I couldn’t stop making cards. This turned into scrapbooking, which is my now my first craft love.



What made you decide to open up shop?

I love to create, but there is only so much jewelry I can wear and so many decorative frames I can display in my house! I make a baby name frame for every baby shower I attend and the mom-to-be and attendees are always in such awe, that this is where I began my journey. Then I kept thinking of other ways to use my collection of scrapbooking supplies and began repurposing them into fun things to wear and decorate your home with. Felt, feathers, tulle, ribbon, and buttons have all been known to turn into jewelry, hair accessories, and home decor.


Where do you get your inspiration?

A lot of my inspiration comes from color, and my favorite color combinations seem to change with the seasons. If I flip through a Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn catalog, I am guaranteed to fall in love with the colors they have for the season. Which brings me to my next inspiration—catalogs and magazines. They are great sources for the hottest color and fashion trends.
I also find a lot of my inspiration from all the talented bloggers and online shop owners out there. The saying is true—imitation is the most sincere form of flattery—and I am constantly inspired by others’ creations, often sparking a new idea or giving me a jumping off point for my work.



What are your favorite color combinations?

Right now I’m really into green. I love the combo of bright spring green with coral and aqua, and just added a photo wall in my craft studio with these colors. This spring feeling is so inspiring!


Other than your Etsy shop, what hobbies do you have?

I love the outdoors but am also a homebody. I love snowboarding, hiking, boating, scrapbooking, DIY projects, cooking, and anything where I get to be creative.



In addition to her Etsy shop, you can also get to know Jayma at her blog, Playing With Paper. Hop over and tell her I say hi!


Jayma is generously offering a 15% discount to Sassy Owl Designs for all FW&MP readers! Just enter the discount code FWMP15 at checkout, valid now through April 30. Happy shopping!

Thanks Jayma!

April Sponsor :: Elephant's Trunk + Giveaway

Happy April everyone!

I've got to say, I'm so happy it's April finally. Not that I don't love March (see: birthday) but April is wonderful because it means that the weather is finally warming up and the world is coming alive again! Not to mention, Creative Estates is this week!

But another fun thing about a new month is new sponsors. I just love getting to know new handmade shop owners, hear their stories, and share their wares!

{meet Lauren}



Lauren is the crafty lady behind The Elephant's Trunk, a super fun shop with crafts focusing on one of my favorite topics: wine!


Tell us about yourself!

My name is Lauren. I love wine, chocolate, food and diet coke (not necessarily in that order). I work at a golf course as an accountant but in my free time I blog and sell wine accessories on Etsy. I’m obsessed with my chocolate lab and live in San Antonio, Texas.



What made you decide to open up shop?

I opened my shop because I love to create and my boyfriend said something along the lines of, “its great that you love to make all this stuff but why don’t you try to sell some of it, instead of it sitting around our place”. So to please Mr. Subtle I opened up The Elephant’s Trunk on Etsy. I started with jewelry and realized that the market was so saturated and I was no good at is so I migrated to wine accessories because I love wine and I think a few other people do as well.


Where do you get your inspiration?

I get my inspiration from my Mom. She has the best ideas but doesn’t ever want to sit down and produce them so she passes them on to me.


What is your most popular item?

My most popular item is a new item I introduced, my wine cork key chains.



Where is your dream vacation spot, and why?

I desperately want to go to Turks and Caicos because every time I am watching the Travel Channel and they show a beautiful beach I say to myself, “Oh I want to go there” and then the narrator tells me that its Turks and Caicos. I think it’s a sign.


Lauren has graciously offered to give away a $15 credit to her shop, The Elephant's Trunk to a lucky FW&MP reader!

To enter:

{you must be a FW&MP follower}

Hop over to The Elephant's Trunk and let me know what you would get with your winnings!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each)

2. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link -- one entry for each)
3. Follow @ElephantsTrunk4 and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter
4. Be a follower of Lauren's blog

Please make sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you won!

This giveaway closes at midnight on Friday, April 8th. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 11th.

It's Friday of Birthday Week + Hiya Luv Giveaway!

We've made it to Friday! Hooray! Four whole days of giveaways down, and two left! And away we go!

The next birthday week giveaway host is a super cute, super nice handmade crafter, Gina from Hiya Luv. I seriously think she is one of the sincerely nicest bloggers I've ever met!

{Meet Gina!}



Tell us about yourself!

My name is Gina! I am a full-time student affairs professional, blogger, crafter, doggy momma, busy bee. I am engaged to the love of my life and we are always traveling or doing something. I rarely sit still and enjoy tweeting, blogging, and etsying more than I would have ever imagined.

While in college I spent 6 months studying abroad at the University of Reading outside of London. I had a great time and traveled to many places and experienced many things in Europe and the United Kingdom. It was during my time in the UK that I fell in love with the moniker that many gentlemen {or blokes} use towards ladies, "Hiya Luv" and have since used it as my AIM, Yahoo Messenger name, emails; or for anything and everything!



What made you decide to open up shop?

I decided to open up shop because I have always loved to sew and create. As long as I can remember I have been sewing, cross stitching, crafting, and doing anything that involved making something from scratch. I get such joy and pleasure out of taking something and molding it into something unique and one of a kind. No two items in my shop are the same. Every stitch is unique and different and that is so special.



Where do you get your inspiration?

I find inspiration in everyday beauty. I am a girlie girl at heart so I love to make my handmade wares have a feminine flare or delicate glamour to them. Bows, flowers, pretty colors, and whimsical patterns make my heart skip a beat-and that is what you will most likely find in my shop!


Where is your dream vacation spot, and why?

My dream vacation spot is anywhere in London. I adore London so much; particularly in a British museum, pub, or at the Ritz for a spot of tea and scones.



Time for the fun!

Gina is generously giving away a $25 gift certificate to her shop, Hiya Luv!


How to enter:

{You must be a follower of Food, Wine, & Mod Podge to be eligible}

Visit Hiya Luv and let me know what you would buy with your gift certificate!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):

2. Become a follower of Gina's blog
3. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link -- separate comment for each)
4. Follow @hiyaluv and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter
5. Heart (follow) Hiya Luv on Etsy

This giveaway closes at midnight on Wednesday, March 9th. Winners of this and all the giveaways this week will be announced on Thursday, March 10th.

And please make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!

Thanks Gina!


Don't forget to stop by again tomorrow for the 6th and final birthday week giveaway! And if you're just joining us, feel free to look back and enter one of the other giveaways from this week!

Oh, Sweet Joy -- It's Party Time!

Time to keep the good times rollin'! If you're just joining us, this is a week-long celebration for my birthday -- and the giveaways are going strong!


My next lovely lady sharin' her wares is Kim of Oh, Sweet Joy.

{Meet Kim!}



What made you decide to open up shop?

After graduating from Texas A&M University in May of 2009 with a degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, Chase (my husband) and I moved to Colorado. I was perfectly content working retail in our cute little mountain town. However, I got tired of that rather quickly and needed to fill this "creative" void that I felt. I started nannying for a family and made the boys cute little felt owls. It all snowballed after that! I started making headbands for myself and quickly had people begging for them. Later, I revisited my love for sewing apparel and designed a line of dresses for Spring/Summer 2010. After Chase & I spent some time doing overseas missions, I re-opened up shop and am doing this "handmade thing" full-time...and I.LOVE.IT. :)



Where do you get your inspiration?

I live in a beautiful place (Boulder, CO) and I am constantly inspired by the beauty of God's creation. Mountains, vast & gorgeous blue skies, sunshine, and open land...I love to just take it all in and get inspired. Second to that, I get inspired by designer fabrics. When I shop online or go into fabric stores, I look at a fabric & know if a fabric says "skirt! dress! or coffee cuff!" I love finding unexpected color combinations and working them into a beautiful handbag or skirt.



What is your most popular item?

Right now it's a three-way-tie between my carry-all totes (more specifically, the Arianna), the doubled-up rosette headband, and my coffee cuffs. I finally started thinking outside the box and am making my coffee cuffs more "boutique" style. Every month I come up with new designs and discontinue the previous month's designs. It's so fun to keep my mind working and coming up with new ideas.


Where is your dream vacation spot, and why?

Chase & I are blessed to have seen some really awesome places in the world. I've been to Paris, Africa, Malaysia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and we honeymooned in New Zealand. I think that New Zealand is the most beautiful place in the world and I'd go back in a heartbeat, but I'd love to see what Iceland has to offer. Greece would be second to that. I love travel and I think it's all about going to places that are unexpected.



Let's get to the good stuff!

Kim is generously giving away a $20 gift certificate to her shop, Oh, Sweet Joy!


How to enter:

{You must be a follower of Food, Wine, & Mod Podge to be eligible}

Visit Oh, Sweet Joy and let me know what you would buy with your gift certificate!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):

2. Become a follower of Kim's blog
3. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link -- separate comment for each)
4. Follow @ohsweetjoy and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter

This giveaway closes at midnight on Tuesday, March 8th. Winners of this and all the giveaways this week will be announced on Thursday, March 10th.


And wait, there's more!

Kim is also giving away a 10% discount to all FWMP readers at her shop! Just enter foodwine10 at checkout!

Thanks Kim, you rock!


Don't forget to stop by again tomorrow as we keep the giveaways coming to celebrate my birthday!

Mod Podge Birthday Day!!

Today's the big day...




...and how am I going to celebrate??



Start the day with a pink frosted donut from Dunkin' Donuts, a birthday tradition that my mom started when I was little




Squeal with glee at the super-fabulous ring my super-fabulous husband got me




...and of course, give away some Mod Podge!!

It wouldn't be a proper FW&MP celebration if I didn't give away my favorite crafty medium! So I called up my great friend and continual inspiration, Mod Podge Amy, and she really outdid herself this time! We're not just giving away some Mod Podge goodies, we're giving away a whole slew of them!



That's right, the winner of the Birthday Day Mod Podge Giveaway will get:

Mod Podge starter pack
Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
Mod Podge Tool Set
Mod Podge Original and Hard Coat formulas
Plaid's new sticky stencils (floral, alphabet and butterfly)
Extreme Glitter in MP Amy's favorite color (Hologram) and then the new Neons (Pink, Orange, Green)


To enter:

{you must be a FW&MP follower}

Comment on this post and let me know what some of your favorite birthday traditions are!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each)

2. Be a follower of Mod Podge Rocks -- but really, who isn't?
3. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link -- one entry for each)
4. Follow @modpodgerocks and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter

This giveaway closes at midnight on Tuesday, March 8th. Winners of this and all the giveaways this week will be announced on Thursday, March 10th.

Sorry everyone, no international entries for this one! Shipping liquids across borders just is too difficult :(

And please make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!


Thank you all for your sweet comments, constant readership, and blog friendship! And thanks for coming by to celebrate my birthday with me!! Don't forget to stop by the other giveaways this week going on for the birthday celebration!

Birthday Party + Paint Me A Pic Giveaway!

It's Day 2 of the birthday week hooplah {yes, I said hooplah} -- thanks for stopping by!

I'm super excited to introduce my next giveaway host, Lindsay of Paint Me A Picture. Lindsay was a reader of mine when this was a wee lil' blog, and she has become a great friend. And not to mention, she makes fantastic paintings!


{Meet Lindsay!}




Tell us about yourself and your shop!

I create fun and affordable art for your walls. In college I took an art history class that really inspired me to paint. I played around with painting for friends, and in 2008 I decided to start selling my work locally. In 2009 after my first son was born I opened my shop on Etsy and have enjoyed selling my paintings online. When I am not chasing around my two year old, making my seven month old giggle, or spending time with Mr.Wonderful you will find me in my studio a.k.a. my kitchen creating my art.




Where do you get your inspiration?

Inspiration comes from everywhere, from fabric to popular trends to simple day to day things. I am always collecting ideas for a new painting or a new color pallet.


Other than painting, what hobbies do you have, crafty or otherwise?

Thanks to all the wonderful blogs I have discovered I have just recently become "crafty". I keep a tumblr of of things I want to make... the list is getting pretty long! http://lindsaypaintspretty.tumblr.com/




What are your favorite color combinations?

My current color obsession is anything with robin's egg blue. The obsession has been going for two years now. I also really like working with oranges and blues, and greens, and reds, and pinks, and grays... ha.




Time to par-tay!

Lindsay is generously giving away a $20 gift certificate to her Etsy shop, Paint Me A Picture!


How to enter:

{You must be a follower of Food, Wine, & Mod Podge to be eligible}

Visit Paint Me A Picture and let me know what you would buy with your gift certificate!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):

2. Become a follower of Lindsay's blog
3. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link -- separate comment for each)
4. Follow @paintmeapic and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter
5. Heart (add to favorites) Paint Me A Picture on Etsy

This giveaway closes at midnight on Monday, March 7th. Winners of this and all the giveaways this week will be announced on Thursday, March 10th.

Thanks Lindsay!


Hope you're enjoying the celebration, I know I am! Don't forget to come back each day this week for a new fun giveaway!

Birthday Week Celebration + Craftee McGee Giveaway!

Welcome to day one of my week-long birthday celebration!! A few great crafty friends of mine have all pitched in with some great giveaways to help me celebrate with you, my readers! So away we go!


Meet Jacqui of Craftee McGee!



Tell us about yourself!

I am a 26 year old wife to my best friend, daughter of the King, mama to a furry pup, church lady by day and craftee mcgee by night! Hubby and I just moved to the northwoods of Wisconsin where we are loving our new, quiet life {and missing caribou coffee & target!} I love all things crafty and can't settle on just one activity at a time!



What made you choose the name "Craftee McGee" for your shop?

I wanted to choose a name that wouldn't limit me to one product. I like to make so many things that a name like Jewelry by Jacqui just wouldn't do :) Friends had started calling me Crafty McGee and it just sounded right. When 'crafty' with a y was already taken i=I added the ee's and here we are!


Where do you get your inspiration?

Everywhere! Nature, colors, and the people in my life! Always the color green. I'd have a shop full of green if I could! I have a new necklace coming to the shop that was inspired by some moms I'm friends with. Another necklace coming soon was inspired by jewelry I saw on our trip to Maui in January. Many of the colors I'm loving right now {gray, cream and silvery blue} are inspired by the snowy winter of the northwoods. Also I can always count on leaving inspired when I take a trip to the antique/thrift shops in the area. Usually furniture calls my name & asks to be given a new home & a pretty coat of paint!



Other than making jewelry, what are your other hobbies, crafty or otherwise?

I have self-diagnosed creative ADD. I cannot focus on one creative endeavor at a time! While my shop is filled with jewelry and accessories I also crochet, embroider, bake, scrapbook, restore furniture, sew, and make things for our home. I also love to read, go camping, drink coffee with friends, spend time snuggled up with hubby & pup and right now cross country ski, ice skate and play broomball. Hooray winter!


If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life (homemade or purchased), what would it be?

Chocolate. The darker the better. Anything 60% cocoa or more in all its forms!




Let's celebrate!

Jacqui is generously giving away a $20 gift certificate to her Etsy shop, Craftee McGee!

How to enter:

{You must be a follower of Food, Wine, & Mod Podge to be eligible}

Visit Craftee McGee and let me know what you would buy with your gift certificate!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):

2. Become a follower of Jacqui's blog
3. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link)
4. Follow @crafteemcgee and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter
5. Heart (add to favorites) Craftee McGee on Etsy

This giveaway closes at midnight on Monday, March 7th. Winners of this and all the giveaways this week will be announced on Thursday, March 10th.


And don't forget to come back tomorrow -- we're going to keep the birthday celebration going all week!

A Package from Atomique47

I recently got this pretty package in the mail:



My bag from my lovely sponsor, Laura from Atomique47! I just couldn't help myself when I saw this pretty mustard-yellow bag.



It's perfect to hold my makeup to throw in my gym bag!



Don't forget to go check her shop out! She has such cute clutches, makeup bags, and wristlets. Enjoy shopping!

Also, make sure to stop by FW&MP next week -- it's my birthday week, and there will be a week-long celebration going on! And there just might be some giveaways!

Happy Valentine's Day + Whitney Rae Paper Discount!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

On this day o' love, it's fitting that I share with you the card I got for my love:



No, that's not a typo. It's a cute misunderstanding from the weeks before Chris and I started dating yeeeaaaars ago. Someday I'll share the story :)

Anyway, are you wondering who made me this awesome custom card??


{ Meet Whitney }

Whitney is one of my February sponsors, with her awesome shop Whitney Rae Paper!



Tell us about yourself!

I am a recent college graduate with a degree in financial planning and a love for paper. I am from the great state of Texas and am currently planning a June wedding and can't wait to see what's in store for our lives together! :)


Tell us about your shop! When did it open, and what got you into the paperie business?

I opened Whitney Rae Paper in July 2010. I have always had a love for paper and needed something as a creative outlet (financial planning is not very creative) so I started making cards. My mom has had great success with her jewelry shop on etsy (A New Thing) so I thought I would give it a chance and I love it!




You have a lot of notecards that involve couples as the focus. Does that speak to something from your life?

I love love! I think it is important to show how much you love people especially your significant other. And cards are the perfect thing to show that.


You're planning a wedding! Are you making your own invitations?

Yes I am! I already made and sent out our save the dates and am really looking forward to making the invitations! I just need to figure out what exactly I want! I seem to have lots of ideas and can't decide on anything. :)




In addition to the shop, you also are a blogger. What are some of your favorite posts?

Save the Dates
My One Little Word
Engagement Mini Book

Go check her out!

{ The Deal }

In the spirit of love, Whitney is giving all FW&MP readers a 15% discount at her Etsy shop! Just enter MODPODGE15 at checkout.

Happy Valentine's Day!

New Sponsor: Laura from Atomique47 + A Discount!

You all know from my 2011 Blog Resolutions that one area I wanted to venture into was a lil' bit of sponsor love. I want to give super cute and fun small business owners a chance in the spotlight and some real estate on the sidebar!

I am super excited today to share with you my first sponsor:



{ Meet Laura, from Atomique47 }

Laura, tell us about yourself!

I am an interior designer by trade. Interiors and fashion go hand in hand and are often inspired by one another. Every aspect of designing a handbag; from drafting a new sewing pattern to selecting fabrics is drawn from my skills as an interior designer. I love that Atomique47 gives me another form of creative expression.

And your shop?

Atomique47 offers unique, handmade clutches in a variety of beautiful patterned and textured fabrics – many of them embellished with my signature wool felt flowers.



What made you want to start your own business?

Atomique47 began during this terrible economic recession as another creative outlet for me when the interior design business dried up. What I didn’t expect, was the incredible experience of building my own brand and identity and connecting with people in the handmade community.


{ The Deal }

Laura is graciously giving a 15% discount at her Etsy shop for all Food, Wine, & Mod Podge readers! Just enter MODPODGE15 at checkout.

What are you going to buy?

Personally, I'm smitten with the gray and yellow clutch! But there are so many cute styles to choose from!

Thanks Laura, you rock!