The Envelope Please....and the winner is:

There were just too many great suggestions again this week - so instead of spending even more time trying to choose just one winner, I chose several. This is hard. So many good ones to choose from. Without further ado or excuses - In no particular order, the winners are: Vanessa from Lawsy Mercy (in the Smoky Mountains - how cool is that?) with her entry of "Go ahead, push my buttons"; Leah of Moxie Photo and Design with her award winning entry of "Press the Easy Button" {by the way, she says "Easy Peasy" alot...} and Good Golly Miss Mollie of Monkey Shine Designs with her entry of "Her morals were a bit spotty". Doesn't that crack you up? Thank you to all who entered any sort of comment and remember to come back next week for Week 15 of the necklace contest! Vanessa, Leah, and Miss Mollie - send me your address and I'll send you your winning necklace - rachel@twodogpond.com .

Yes, Rachel but where did the last one come from? ohhhh - that.... that one is mine (influenced by T Lee's entries...)- "When the sailors docked, she was always the first to show them the hot spots."

"Pleeeeeaaase choose a winner and then play with me"

And now - I'm off to pick up a few great nieces and nephews for a weekend of ice skating, movies, puzzles, hot chocolate, glue sticks and glitter....

A Few Random Things

None of these photos has anything to do with the other, except that they were all taken with my camera. Top photo - I have never seen a pillar coming out the bottom of the sun at dusk before. I have seen a pillar coming out the top at dawn though... what is this called?
For those of you who tried (or are going to try) the cake in a mug...Shelley said that they substituted 1 medium carrot grated and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon for the cocoa in the original recipe and made carrot cake. I was going to try that, but didn't have any carrots in the house, so I used 1/4 of an apple and 1/2 tsp cinnamon and made apple cake. Yummy. For the frosting, cream cheese, powdered sugar and a little vanilla. Perhaps you have tinkered with this recipe too! Let us all know what flavor(s) you have come up with...

Bauble Charms. They crack me up.

Week Fourteen - Necklace Contest Image

After color enhancing this old postcard, I thought it would be a cool soldered pendant - so, now it's image #14 of the Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest. Rules are posted off to the side, but the basics are: submit as many suggestions for what should be written on the back side and if your suggestion is chosen on Friday - you WIN A NECKLACE! Just imagine yourself doing a little happy dance after finding out you are a WINNER! If you would like to "pimp" the contest on your blog, please feel free to snag the image and do it -
Make yourself a little chocolate cake (recipe below) and put on your thinking caps - - --

The Most Dangerous Cake Recipe in the WORLD

My friend Shelley got this recipe from her niece, Tori, and sent it to me. It's a homemade cake recipe you can make in a mug in your microwave. The first photo is a bit out of focus - I think I was shaking with the anticipation of eating this delicious smelling treat!

Evidently Shelley and her husband, Fred, are making this every night now! Fred came up with a delicious caramel glaze to put on top of it:

Tim and I split one (and it was plenty for a pre-lunch snack!)

...Tim thought it was missing something: Ice Cream! Double dog-gone Deee-Lishous!
5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespooons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again.
Put in your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
And why is this the most dagerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake any time of the day or night!

Fred's Caramel Glaze
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix and microwave for 30 seconds - pour on warm cake.

Go make one now! It's cold out, you deserve it...it's just one mug of cake...there won't be any leftovers to tempt you the rest of the day...you want to, you know you do...

Outlaw Love Wins

Congratulations goes to La Feroce Bete for her prize winning enty of "Love is the Ultimate Outlaw". Miss Feroce, e-mail me (rachel@twodogpond.com) your address and I'll send you your necklace lickity split (cowgirl talk for 'ASAP', I believe).
I hope everyone is having as much fun with this necklace contest as I am! I get to laugh every day when I read the comments - the only thing I don't like is having to choose just one winner - there are so many good ones! Thanks for playing - new contest starts Monday - Have a wonderful weekend.

Moxie Pics from Two Dog Pond

Leah of Moxie Photo and Design, posted some pictures from her trip out to Two Dog Pond on Saturday. She is a fabulous writer and an incredible photographer. She makes Two Dog Pond sound like heaven! and me, like I know what the heck I'm doing... like in this photo of me trying to grab one of the Mildreds who promptly pooped on me - she must have photoshopped out the mud Rumple got all over my jacket too! See - she's amazing! She has a few more photos on her blog of the field trip she took, if you would like to take a peek. Tell her Rachel sent you. And if you need some photos taken, call Leah! Tell her you'll show her your messy studio and smelly chickens - she'll come right over! You win.

Eureka!

It's been ages since I've taken a class in Photoshop (15 years ...) and it's not loaded on this computer, so I'm trying to learn again to work with layers and make digital collages in Photo Studio. I mean no offense to anyone, but below is my favorite...in fact I'm curious as to whether or not people would wear this image as a necklace. We live in a fairly conservative area of the nation, and I know I won't be brave enough to wear it in public, but I made a really cool magnet out of it for my studio:

I just used the word "I" more times in that sentence than President Obama did in his entire speech. He's amazing. I'm going to get up, dust myself off and get to work.

Necklace Contest - Week Thirteen

Yeeha! Welcome to Week Thirteen of the Two Dog Pond Necklace Contest! The contest 'rules' are quite simple and posted on the {head nodding to the right of the screen} side of my blog... submit a comment or a quote or a single word that would be perfect for the back of this necklace image. If your suggestion is chosen, you win a free necklace and immense bragging rights!

Contest ends on Friday morning.

Feel free to pimp this contest on your blog, and then to let your mind wander while you work and think of as many good phrases to submit as your heart desires. Giddyup, let's go!

Moxie at Two Dog Pond

Leah from Moxie Photo and Design, came out to Two Dog Pond yesterday. She is a multi-talented, gentle-spirited, often sassy genius. We both love to barter, and this time it was eggs for her talent. {I got the easy part, the chicas did all the work laying the eggs}. Leah came out to take pictures of me ‘working’ and some close-ups for ... well … a new avatar, or maybe some marketing materials. Hopefully she has a “wrinkle free” mode on her camera. We took a little hike around Two Dog Pond, and Leah learned to solder. She’s a natural:

Out at the Chica Casa, I really wanted to get a picture of Leah holding one of the Mildreds, but Cocky Rocky wasn't too keen on letting us touch his chicas, and when I did manage to pick one up, she ungratefully pooped on me. They all then scooted back inside the chica casa with Leah close behind...

That girl is not only talented, she's also quite limber! Leah is going to send me a CD loaded with pics from her visit - can't wait!!

BONUS:

Leah found an egg

Check out Leah's cool photos and delve into her world http://www.moxiephotoanddesign.blogspot.com/

She also has several etsy sites (she's an over-achiever!)

Tri-Fecta of Winners

Three Winners this week! There were too many really good entries this week to choose just one winner, and since the Two Dog Pond Sweatshop Workers aren't here today to help me, and since it was starting to hurt my brain to choose just one - I chose Three! My top choice being Country Girl's entry of "She stole home but he stole her heart", thus the prized glass heart attached to her necklace. Lisa B's "Stealing Kisses" is a winner, and T Lee's shorter version of an earlier entry by Country Girl "There's no place like home". {Guess that makes Country Girl a winner and a half!} There are about 10 more entries that should be winners - clever, clever entries - thank you to everyone who played. Please come back on Monday for the Week 13 Contest!

Country Girl, T Lee and Lisa B (the Retrostyle Queen) please send me your address so I can send you your necklace! (rachel@twodogpond.com) Congratulations!

BONUS! I am delivering more glass pendants to the Pleasant View Art Gallery today, and will include the winning necklace in the inventory! They will love it.

It Must Be The Wind

Yesterday morning when I let the chicas out the weather was really nice - 30 something degrees, but sunny and calm. By late morning the wind was howling, snow was flying, corn leaves were swirling in the wind like wicked little tamale tornados! Worst of all - I would have internet connection for about 2 minutes and then lose it. No posting, no shopping, no blog stalking, nothing.... so I made this bracelet and earrings set:
Part of the "Drink It~Break It~Wear It" collection. Made from broken and tumbled wine bottles. This time I added some cool silver tone spacers.
And yes! It's so nice to have so many new visitors to my blog - Welcome!

Week Twelve - Necklace Contest

The contest rules are simple - come up with the best quote/word/saying for the back side of this image and you will win a necklace! (more complete rules are posted on the sidebar) Fun - tell your friends! The contest ends on Friday when I post a picture of the winning necklace...

On you mark, get set, go!

Full Moon Over Two Dog Pond

The moon was full and bright this morning - so much so that I attempted to capture it's beauty on film - competing with the full moon was this big pink backwards comma...
...best of all was the eastern sky as the sun was coming up. Those wispy hangy-downies from the cloud (I'm pretty sure that's the technical term for this formation) were amazingly beautiful. It's a good day at Two Dog Pond. Now I'm off to finish painting the great room a very dark granite color so that these amazing sunrises feel even more like they are right in our house.

The Clever Miss Willow is the Winner

Doesn't this just make you smile? Very, very clever, Miss Willow!

Actually, there were lots of great entries and lots of new people entering this week - thank you to all of you. I have been perusing your blogs, and I am honored that so many talented women stopped by my humble blog to enter this contest. Thank you to those of you who "pimped" the contest on your blogs, Loved it.

Congratulations to you, Miss Willow! Please e-mail me your address (rachel@twodogpond.com) and I will get your necklace in the mail. While visiting your blog, I noticed you have boys - making this necklace even more fun to wear! Go visit Miss Willow's blog - it's just beautiful.

If you would like one, ($12.00 +s/h) I've added an easy button below! Thank you!

MWF seeking advice for short term venture

Recently I had an e-mail from a woman 'out West' who saw a woman wearing a Two Dog Pond necklace and she wanted one too, but she requested a round one, so I got out the watch crystals and voila! Perhaps next week's contest should be round.... spice things up a bit....

New Lariat Necklaces I'm making - tumbled, soldered glass on silver-tone chains...
that and more hats - My step-son called from Vail where he and some friends are snowboarding to tell me that the "chicks dig them" and his friends want them...My son in Seattle called and said that his friends want them too. My husband wanted one with purples to keep in the truck - 'just in case' -- Perhaps my calling is making warm hats - perhaps I need an etsy site for the Hats of Two Dog Pond .... any advice? (hat pics below)

The Contest is Back On - Week Eleven

This is contest week number 11 - the rules are on the right side over there, and quite simple... submit a suggestion for what should be written on the back side of this image and on Friday the members of the Two Dog Pond Micro Sweatshop will decide who's entry is the most clever and then the good part: The winner wins a soldered glass pendant of this image with their saying on the back side to be worn with a great deal of pride and satisfaction!

Fellow bloggers - feel free to pimp this contest on your blog - the more the merrier!

Brrr Howdy it's cold!

Tim is outside Ice Fishing. The wind is blowing, the fish aren't biting, so I went and sat in the ice fishing hut to hold it down while Tim drilled some new holes. Now I'm back inside drinking hot licorice tea..

Friday at Two Dog Pond

...and I just took a stroll around the Pond. Hey, Kim! I found the wheels we thought someone stole for scrap iron - they just went and rolled away. I found them jammed against this little tree. It makes a better picture than yard art. Is this dog getting spoiled, or what?!

Moxie Style Giveaway

My friend Leah over at Moxie Photo and Design is having a "Giveaway"! Go here and tell her I sent you to WIN. (It won't help you, but it will make me look good!) I have no idea what you will win, but I do know you will love it! Here are some samples of Leah's very cool cards from my stash:

Go there now - the contest ends Sunday! Speaking of contests....the Two Dog Pond "Make a Comment, Win a Necklace" will be back on Monday!! Come back and win a necklace - it's that easy!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! 2009 is going to be a good year, I can feel it.

Yesterday I turned 50 - Thank you. Highlights of the day - Rumple was trying to get my monkey slippers to play with him - they sort of freak him out!

I'm pretty sure it was my delightful neighbors/friends Courtney and Jody that put up this sign by our old mailbox...we don't get much traffic out here, but it made me chuckle every time someone went by honking!! Thank you ladies!

And thank you to everyone who wished me Happy Birthday and sent cards and e-cards and flip-books (love it Vikki! Thank you!) and called and texted me. I love you guys!

My siblings sent me this beautiful bouquet! I am one of those lucky people that has the best sisters and brother in the world! I love them all.

Tim took the day off work so we could go dinking around in Lincoln. We had a wonderful lunch in the Haymarket area - shopped, dinked, shopped some more and then came home in time for church. Because I don't want to freak anyone out with what Tim got me for my birthday, I will just hint... it's vintage and makes me feel like a cowgirl. This is the accessory kit that goes with it...LOVE IT!

Happy New Year!