Maddie Richardson - A Lifestyle Blog: 09/01/2012

EVERYBODY DANCE NOW. bow. bow bow bow bow.

Well well well. Do I have a treat for you today, you Thriftarians, you.

Why?

Well it's Friday, of course!

Today is not only a SAWEEEEEEEEEEEEET giveaway day, but also Thriftary's first...

FRIDAY DANCE PARTY!

That's right. Today, a select few of Thriftary's brave sponsors will be showing off some dance moves, in honor of the giveaway, and being awesome, and it being Friday, and it being the end of September.

That's a lot to celebrate!

So put on your party dancing giveaway pants, and let's get started!

WINNER TAKES ALL!!!

** Please note that if you for some ungodly reason hate giveaways... A) What's wrong with you? B) Make sure that you STILL scroll down to the bottom of this post to see some sick nasty dance moves by your one and only Thriftary sponsors.

I will start out by letting you know that Shabby Apple has offered up an INCREDIBLE gift card today. If you have never checked out there site... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! They have the most insane collection of retro and vintage dresses. They range anywhere from casual shirt dresses to sexy lace and maxi dresses. You seriously going to fall in love.

**In order to win any of the items in this giveaway, you must be a GFC follower of Thriftary AND you must complete the Shabby Apple portion completely. I repeat. Copy. Over and out. Ksssh.**

The giveaways starts today, and ends on Thursday, October 4th. The winner will be announced on Friday, October 5th!

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So now... GET CRACKALACKIN GUYS!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Before we go... I have some really REALLY important dance moves to show you. You didn't think I would let these guys off the hook without completely embarrassing them, did you? Nah.

First up we have Mae from Two Hoots and a Holler comin' athca with the West Side Story
"I typically bust this move out in grocery store parking lots and seasonal sections of Target"
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Next up we have Kelly from Kelly Elizabeth hittin' you with the Crazy Scarecrow
"Perfect for fall! You can bust this move out at any Halloween dance party!"
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And lastly, but surely not leastly (is that a word?) we've got besties Amanda and Jayme gettin' crazy with the goofy high five.
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Now that I've got you dancing, may I also get you shopping? From now until 10/26 you can use coupon code thiftary10off to get 10% off anything over at Shabby Apple! Drooling...

Happy Happy Friday Friends. Go dance or something.

TTFN,

To Mae & Abi with love. Come home soon.

My sister leaves today to go to Ghana.

She does not have an end date to this trip in sight.

All she and my brother know is that their daughter is now legally theirs, and that she can't allow her to live in an orphanage anymore.

So she will land in Ghana, go pick up her daughter, and never again have to return to that place.

Joy.

She will take her to a hotel where they will stay until all of the remaining paperwork goes though.

Patience.

She will transition her daughter, for the first time, to real food.

Healing.

She will begin to know the blessing of caring for her little one, hand to hand, cheek to cheek, face to chest.

Love.

She will plead her case in order to move paperwork quickly and bring her daughter home.

Justice.

He will stay in the states. Work. Pray. Worry. Miss. Wait.

Sacrifice.

I couldn't be any more honored to see the story of my brother and sister (in law)'s family unfold, as they grow into a home of 3.

The road of adoption has been long, unpredictable, sad, hard, and beautiful.

Today, I am keeping my sister and brother in my heart, as they start the finish. As she travels to Ghana for the last time, empty handed. On her way home, she will finally be holding sweet Abiella. And I couldn't be more overjoyed.

Please join me in keeping my sister, my niece, and my sister's mom in your prayers as they travel today.

Please keep them in your prayers as they live in Ghana. That they would be safe, protected, and that God would make a way to provide all that they need to get by, as He always does.

Please pray that the paper work that they are waiting to file would move quickly through the system, and that the officials would have mercy on their situation, and Abiella's special needs.

Please pray for my brother's calm and patience and heart as he waits at home worrying for, caring for, and loving his family across the ocean.

I love you, MS. Traveling mercies to you and your mom. Give Abi a big kiss, a huge nuzzle, and a cheek nibble for me. Come home soon.

This is one of my most favorite poems. Today, I dedicate it to Mae and Sean. You have chosen the road less traveled. And it's making more of a difference than you could ever imagine.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Calling All Cool People

Hey guys! There has been a lot going on here at Thriftary. We are growing. Changing. Learning. And by we, I mean me.

If you want to hop on board and sponsor Thriftary this month... SAWEEEEET! You should.

Head on over to my sponsor page and check out the options.

Let me know if you want to swap ads.

Let me know if you want to swap guest posts or host a giveaway.

Let me know if you would like Thriftary to do a product review.

Let me know if you want to just hang out sometime.

It is all good with me.

You guys are the greatest. I would love to help your blog grow. Let me know what I can do!

TTFN,

Camping. It's the new black.

We are trying trying TRYING to get the most of these last few days of semi-warmer weather. It is already getting below freezing in the mountains... So good luck, us.

Burley and I headed up to one of our new fav camping spots this past Friday and got a sweet evening to ourselves, and of course our cute pup. I didn't even take any pictures. We enjoyed our time. Drank wine and played cards. Sat around the fire and took inventory of things. It was so special and so needed.

We even decided to sleep in our car and turn the heat on when we got freezing that morning. O.M.G. what a treat. As anyone who camps knows, sleeping in your car is the coldest option usually, because it is not insulated like a tent. But does your tent turn on and have auto heat?! Nope. Neither does ours. But our car does.

This was first thing, the next morning, while our coffee was brewing:

I love photos that capture the half-sleeping look. I think they are romantic. Burley hates them. I won here.

Then we had some buddies come up the next morning and spend the next day and evening with us. It was just a blast. They brought more coffee, we made breakfast, we all went chopping down wood for the fire, we lounged around said fire, we watched the sunset from the top of the continental divide... I mean, you just can't beat this stuff.

TTFN,

Chicken Sausage Fest!

Happy Monday, Thriftarians!

There is so much freaking going on this week, I can't even explain. OK. I will try.

You need to head over to my sister's blog and read up on what is happening with my niece. And my sister.

Hint: It involves my sister moving to Africa, this Thursday. Please please PLEASE keep her and my baby niece in your prayers, that they would be safe together in Ghana, and that the Lord would provide a way for them to come home and start their life as a family of 3 in the states, ASAP.

In other news, my other sister is getting married in 2 weeks!

SO. MUCH. TO. DO.

SO. FUN.

So needless today, there will be much to fill you guys in on this week and next, so stay alive people!

And now for today.

Today. Feels like fall. Because it is!!! I hope you felt the change in the seasons this weekend, because I know I did. I was in the mountains with a couple of good friends, enjoying a warm campfire, a gorgeous sunset, and some delicious boxed wine. I don't know how better to ring in the fall season. I hope that you did something special too!

Today, in honor of this exciting occasion, I am going to share DELICIOUS fall stew recipe, that is healthy and hearty, and Burley even liked it. He is not particularly a fan of soup as supper, but he really did scarf this down (I of course ate ~~two whole bowls~~ like a lady).

I got this quick and easy recipe of Real Simple, so shout out to all you awesome folks over there. You girls keep me young. uh.

I am going to re-print the ingredients here, though you can find everything over at the Real Simple website.

You Will Need:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 12oz package of chicken sausage (we used spicy italian, which I HIGHLY recommend)

2 cloves of garlic (I used in true garlic-lover style)

1 19oz can of cannellini beans, rinsed (or any other white bean)

1 14.5 oz can of low-sodium chicken broth (I used a bit more, from a box of organic chicken broth)

1 14.5 can of diced tomatoes (I used a can that was mixed with some spicy peppers)

1 bunch of kale leaves, torn into two inch pieces (I used two bunches because I love me some kale)

salt and pepper to taste

Seriously. Make a HUGE batch, freeze some, leave some in the fridge for lunches, it is full of good vitamins, it is filling, and it is lean. Perfecto for a cool fall afternoon.

Stay tuned this week, as we are prepping for some big big adventures. I will try and keep you posted on the details as best as I can!!!

TTFN,

A Chicken and a Photo Shoot and a Friday

Oh, Friday. I do have a fondness for you. Or dare I say, a deep affection.

Consistent.

Joyful.

Endless possibilities.

This is what you bestow upon me.

Ok. Truth be told, I am watching Downton Abbey right now and feel overly inspired to talk with eloquence and grace, but I am feeling that it may not be suiting for a mere farm girl.

And that leads me gracefully into this photo shoot I had with myself and the chickens.

...And no, I didn't leave the door to the shed open on purpose so that you could see the chaos inside. That was just a happy accident.