Sinfully Sweet Giveaway

Hey everyone! I took a little blogging break over the weekend to spend time with some friends and celebrate Halloween, but I'm back today and have some very exciting news!

It's now time for the November Giveaway! This month, I will give away a large bottle of one of 3 delicious scents of Philosophy bath gel! The lucky winner will get to choose between Red Velvet Cake, Coconut Frosting and Carrot Cake!

Here are the rules:

1. Contest begins today, November 2, 2009 and will run until Sunday, November 15 2009. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 15, 2009.

2. I will announce the winner at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, November 16.

3. I will also contact the winner by email to get their shipping address.

So just how do you enter this lovely giveaway? Well, here goes:

1. Leave a comment on this post- 1 entry

2. Become a follower or let me know you already are a follower- 1 entry

3. Tweet this post or share it on Facebook- 2 entries

4. Add the advertisement below to your side navigation on your own blog- 3 entries

5. Mention this giveaway in a post on your own blog- 3 entries

6. Refer a friend to follow "A Blonde Ambition". Simply refer your friends and have them comment on this article, letting me know that you sent them and that they are now following- 1 entry per referral

Happy entering! Here's hoping this November is a sweet one!

Spoooooky Arkansas Adventures

We are less than 24 hours away from Halloween! Let the fun begin!

So in celebration of Halloween weekend, I thought I'd have a little fun with the post today. I'm not really a believer in ghosts, but I think it would be oh-so-fun to take a girls' weekend and try some of these things:

Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, AR

The Crescent Hotel is more famous for its ghosts than its accomodations. They even offer a nightly ghost tour for both hotel guests and anyone who just wants to swing by. If you're brave, stay in Room 419, "Miss Theodora's Room", where many strange events have been reported!

Old State House, Little Rock, AR

This is a must-see, history-filled place to visit if you're ever in Little Rock. It's designated as a national landmark and is now a museum. It was also the site of the famous "Wilson-Anthony Knife Fight" of 1837. Apparently the ghost of the late J.J. Anthony still likes to roam the halls!

Basin Park Hotel, Eureka Springs, AR

Built in 1905, this hotel boasts some of the best ghost stories in Arkansas. You and a guest can take advantage of several "ghost" packages that they offer. Like the "Boo at the Basin" deal, which includes 1 night stay in a premium room, 2 tickets to the Ghost Tour, and 2 FREE Starbucks coffees at the War Eagle Outpost. So grab some friends and call it a night!

I'm anxious to know, do you guys have any "haunted" famous places in your state or town? Do share!!

P.S.- Here are some stories from a few other readers!

Sarah over at Strength of Faith had a really creepy story about a run-in with a ghost in college. She says:

"Here's my spooky story ...

I went to college at Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA. It's a small, liberal arts college in southeastern PA, but has grown considerably in the last couple of years. When they ran out of housing on the main campus, the college bought out all of the houses along Main Street across the street and converted them into dorm-type housing for the school. These houses are easily 200 years old and many of them came with stories. The house I lived in - known on campus as "Hobson" supposedly had two ghosts living in it. The first was the ghost of a sorority girl from only a couple of decades ago. She apparently died suddenly of some strange flu and was known to hover around the third (top) floor of the house and study. The other ghost was the ghost of a little boy who was the son of one of the servants that lived in the house a long time ago. He apparently ran out into the street and was struck and killed by a car. He haunted - supposedly - the house and you knew he was there because he would leave dimes around.

Needless to say - when I was a sophomore and started living in the house I didn't buy into any of these stories. I lived there my sophomore, junior and senior years of college. The first semester of my senior year, I was studying really late one night - I think it was around 2:30/3 in the morning and I was in the downstairs common room (the library closed at 2 and my roommate was asleep) on the couch. For some reason I started to get a little freaked out - the room had huge windows that faced the empty street and I figured I was just psyching myself out - so I decided to call it a night. As I stood up, I heard something fall to the floor. I knelt down to see what it was - it was dime. It had literally appeared out of nowhere.

When I told my mom about this she said it must have fallen out of my pocket but I was wearing sweatpants - no pockets - and a tshirt.

I totally freaked out and RAN upstairs to my room.

And I never studied down there alone at night again."

Butterbean over at The Bees Knees also had a story in her blog last week about her own trouble with ghosts. Click here to read it!

Several southern readers reminded me of the Gurdon Light, a famous Arkansas place that is known for a mysterious light. You can read someone's personal account here!

Cravings Corner - Halloween Edition

Wow, it feels like darn near forever since I've done a Cravings Corner! But this week it was a must. With Halloween a mere 2 days away, I've officially gone into "Must do everything Halloween-oriented NOW!" mode.

This week, I'm craving:

A big ole' slice (or 5) of this ...

Pumpkin Cheesecake! If you've never had a pumpkin cheesecake, please do so at some point in your life. You'll gain 50 pounds from 1 piece, but it's the tastiest weight you'll ever put on : ) You can find the recipe here.

I'm craving a food project...

Maybe I'll make these Caramel Popcorn balls for the kids at church!

I'm always craving Johnny Depp. Oh Johnny, leave that sickly-looking model girlfriend of yours and please come find me...

...or I could just settle for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". A scary movie with Mr. Depp....what's not to love?

Sorta Halloween/Gothic-period inspired... ...this chandelier is the shizzle. When I buy my first house, I want to have a French themed office. This would be PERFECT.

And this has positively nothing to do with Halloween...

...but I want, no, NEED this new Fall Hobo bag. She's called the Maranda bag...isn't she pretty?

Time for you to leave a comment and tell your fellow Blonde Ambitioners what you're craving! Maybe a caramel latte, a new Coach bag or Ryan Reynolds? :-)

Mesmer-Eye-zing Lashes

Welcome to Day Three of A Blonde Ambition's Halloween Countdown! Today, I thought I'd take a break from food and feature something a little more, um, wearable. Like these oh-so-fabulous faux eyelashes.

These blue lashes from Illamasqua, (featured above), are part of the 1920's Berlin collection. I'm loving them, what do ya'll think?

Now, for an all-out crazy look, these puppies are the way to go! Warning: You may need someone else to act as your seeing eye dog since these will likely obstruct your vision.

My Diva's Closet, $6.00

Courtesy of Neiman Marcus, these brown feather lashes are made by Shu Uemura. They are a bit more expensive at $25, (yikes!) , but if you're looking for the perfect lashes to up your style quotient this Halloween, these are just the ticket!And finally, I saved the best for last. At only $6, My Diva's Closet offers these beauties. If you're going as a cheetah, peacock or rockstar, these could totally make your look!

So ladies, don't be shy about dressing up your eyes for Halloween! Make-up is meant to be playful, so have fun with it!

Savory Soups

It's the 2nd official day of A Blonde Ambition's Halloween Countdown! The weather is cooling off, which means the food is heating up! Creamy, filling soups are the edibles of choice for many of us this time of year. My mom usually made a big pot of chili on Halloween night when I was little, so I thought I'd share some soup/chili recipes with you from my favorite southern cook, Paula Deen!

Just click on the link below the ingredients to get directions, estimated servings and difficulty level!

Chef Jack's Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock

2 cups half-and-half

3 cups white corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small celery stalk, diced

1 small carrot, finely diced

1 small onion, diced

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Click here to get the full recipe and instructions!

Italian Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Note: This soup is both fiber-filled and heart healthy, so you can go back for seconds and avoid feelings of guilt later : )

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1 3/4 pound)

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup sliced carrots (about 3 small)

2 1/2 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 medium)

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano

2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth

Grated Parmesan, (optional)

For directions and details, click here!

Jamie's Chili

Ingredients:

Shredded cheddar cheese (for garnish)

Sour cream (for garnish)

Chopped green onions (for garnish)

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Ground cumin

1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes

2 cups chopped celery

Chili powder

1 package chili seasoning mix

1 small can tomato paste

1 can chili beans

2 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 green bell pepper diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 lb mixed ground beef and sausage, browned and drained

Click here for the full recipe!

So what is your favorite cold-weather comfort food? Do you have a traditional meal you prepare the day of Halloween?

Outrageous Caramel Apples

Hey everyone! Hope all of you have enjoyed a great, relaxing weekend, wherever you are.

Today marks the start of A Blonde Ambition's Halloween Week Countdown! So instead of dreading the work week ahead, enjoy all the festivities and fun of Halloween! It only happens once a year, so let's do it up right!

First, to start our week off right, we'll make some of Paula Deen's Outrageous Caramel Apples...please hold your applause until the end : )

These treats are SO sweet, your dentist definitely won't approve, (sorry Dr. Wilson!!), but what is Halloween without a caramel apple?

Outrageous Caramel Apples

Ingredients

2 cans B. Lloyds Sweet and Salty Glazed and roasted Pecan Pieces

5 Granny Smith Apples, stems removed

1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped

2 tablespoon milk

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

5 craft sticks

Directions:

Line a baking tray with wax paper and set aside. Pour nuts into a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Place a craft stick into the top of each apple.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat caramels and milk for 4 minutes. Stir and heat again for 1 minute. Allow to cool slightly. Roll each apple in the caramel sauce until well coated. Dip end of each apple in nuts and place on wax lined tray. Allow to cool completely.

While apples are cooling. Place semi sweet chocolate chips in a zip lock bag and microwave until melted. Place white chocolate chips in a zip lock bag and microwave until melted. Snip the ends off each bag and drizzle apples with each chocolate. Refrigerate until set.

P.S.- You've probably noticed that my button looks a little different...I gave it a makeover today, so feel free to grab it or, if you already have, replace the old one!

Show Us Your Life- Fall Decorations

This week's edition of "Show Us Your Life" (brought to you by Kelly's Korner) is all about fall decorations! I'm so excited to hop around to all the blogs that participated and check out everyone's fabulous decor!

I've already shown off some of these in former posts, but it never hurts to recap!

This straw pumpkin was bought at Target. Since this photo, I've woven some clear lights in it and will plug it in on my balcony the week before Halloween (assuming it doesn't rain : )

I'm kind of proud for putting together this whole tablescape for less than $20! The plates were a gift, the wooden bowl and straw balls came from Wal-Mart, and the amber colored goblets were $3 a pop! Good deal? I think so!

This wreath came from Target for $29.99. I love it because I can keep it up after Halloween is over, so I'll get tons of use out of it.

I purchased 3 of these lanterns from Pottery Barn and they arrived day before yesterday! This photo obviously comes from PB's site, but I'll take some pics this weekend and show ya'll next week!

And finally, the 2-tiered copper server from Target. It was about $30 and I've already used it to take some cookies to work. Everyone kept commenting that the cookies looked really fancy displayed on the server, so mission accomplished!

If you've never participated in a blog hop, here's your chance. Run on over to Kelly's Korner and show off your fall decorations!

Frighteningly Fabulous Halloween Treats

Who else is so excited for Halloween this year?! I've always loved this time of year; the weather is cooler, everything is pumpkin flavored and good, scary movies are aplenty (even though I'm too big of a chicken to watch them alone!)

I hope ya'll enjoy it as much as I do, since I'm pretty sure alot of my posts will be Halloween-related from now until the 31st : )

On that note, let's dive right in to these calorie-laden treats! You can check out all the recipes in detail on Hostess With the Mostess

Photo courtesy of Hostess With the Mostess

Pictured clockwise are 1) "Devil's" Food Cake; 2) Ice Scream Sandwitches; 3) Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes; 4) Boo-tiful Cake

Looking for something sweet but calorie-free? Try Philosophy's Trick-or-Treat bath set! It features 8 oz. each of Pumpkin Spice Muffin and Caramel Apple bubble bath.

Now this is a way to store candy in style.

Bright Idea: Fill these apothocary-style jars from Pier 1 Imports with orange, black or brown M & M's for a chic Halloween decoration.

Check out these slate coasters from Anthropologie. They come with white chalk so they can be hand drawn with ghosts, goblins and more!

Bright Idea: Use them as place cards for a truly unique Halloween get-together!

And finally, just because I thought this was too adorable to not post, check out this Louis Vuitton-inspired pumpkin. Now that's what I call a stylish Halloween gourd!

Question of the Day: Will you carve a pumpkin this year, paint a pumpkin or buy a fake, pre-lit pumpkin from Target?

P.S.- A very BIG congratulations to my friend Rhyanne and her hubby Chase! On Sunday evening they welcomed their first baby, Cooper, to the world! You can check out Rhyanne's blog here and wish her well!

Trendy Pumpkin Decorating Ideas

I was looking on the web last night for more Halloween decorating ideas and ran across MSN's nifty pumpkin decorating article. I'm hosting a little Halloween get-together for some of my friends from work, so I'm in the process of looking around for cute, girly decorations. So check out my faves:

• The Crescent Moon- How easy would this be?!

• Black and White Chic- These b & w patterns are so simple, but so pretty! Probably my fave of all the designs.

• Leaf Pattern- This one requires a bit more skill and time, but the end result is really cute and so perfect for fall, even beyond the weeks of Halloween.

• Glowing Gourds- Artsy and playful, these sparkling pumpkins are perfect for a girls-only soiree. So fix up some snacks and apple cidar and have a pumpkin painting party!

• Curlicue Pumpkin- Curly, whimsical and just plain adorable. What else can ya say?

So which of the ideas above do you like the best? Do you plan to carve a pumpkin this year? I'd love to hear everyone's Halloween pumpkin decorating ideas!

Spooky Soirees- Just for the Girls!

I have seen Hostess With the Mostess on so many blogs, so a few weeks ago I went to check it out for myself. And what I found was a decorating gold mine...I LOVE, LOVE the girly Halloween ideas below:

Goulish Glam Dinner Party

This party is a flapper-inspired dinner party all centered around vintage elements; pearls, lace and an antique silver, black and white color scheme complete the look.

Ghoul's Night Halloween Party

It's a ghoul's night out! This party puts a gothic, but feminine spin on the traditional girl's night out. One idea: Use small, trial size make-up samples as party favors!

Spooky Chick Dinner Party

This party theme definitely features a more sophisticated look. I really like the orange roses in the center of the table...so very Pottery Barn!

Which one of these looks is your favorite?