Thursday, August 16, 2018

Mountain Mama Is Nominated For An Award

I can't believe it, but for the THIRD year in a row this humble little blog of mine is nominated for the Amara Interior Blog Awards.

Whaattt???


I feel as if I rarely ever post pictures of anything related to decorating or design, and when I do there's usually a dog or two...or three...in the photo!


Especially these days, my posts seem to be all about the garden and the food that's coming out of it! 



I'm not sure who nominated me, but thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 

I'm in the 'Best Interior Lifestyle Blog' category, which is definitely where this little blog fits in best, since my posts are usually rambling stories of life on the mountain top, and certainly not limited to any one subject!

 

If any of you would like to vote for me, here's the link to my voting page and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your vote, and your faith in this little blog of mine!

In other news, we had a wonderful celebration dinner last night, and it felt so good to gather the family around my table once more. 


 
I did as much as I could before work; prepping the veggies, putting potatoes into the crock pot to 'bake' while I was at work, giving the house a tidy, setting a lovely table. 



It's been ages since I hosted a dinner party, and I felt a little 'rusty' but I soon got right back into the swing of things. 


My cousin and his girlfriend are visiting from Ireland, and it was a pure delight to enjoy their company, first out on the deck for cocktails and snacks, and then around the dining room table for a fabulous meal, much of it straight from the garden. 

On the menu: The Most Amazing Chicken along with 'baked' potatoes cooked on low for 8 hours in the crock pot then rubbed with olive oil, seasoned with salt, pepper, and herbs, and finished on the grill to give them a good crispy skin. Yummm! We also had steamed green beans and grilled zucchini, fresh from the garden. It was a very, very good meal! The sound of chatter and laughter filled the house, my very, very favorite sound!



After dinner we celebrated my younger daughter's 27th birthday - how is it possible that she's 27 already when I'm still 29? 

Wink wink...a girl can dream, right?

This was the first family celebration that Papa wasn't at, and he was dearly missed. 

We started the celebration with a toast to Papa....I just know he's up above having a great big old party with all of our other loved ones that have already passed. He was always a wonderful host, I definitely got that talent from him...thanks, Papa!



I visit Papa's Garden every day, and I feel so connected to him here. We've had so much rain this past month, and his garden is lush and gorgeous!

I love that this is the first thing I see when I get out of bed in the mornings, right out my bedroom window. 

Good morning, Papa!

It's a great way to start the day. 



As much as we needed the rain, it's nice to have a break for a couple of days! My grass was so long, but there was just no chance to get it cut.  Whenever we did get a little break in the weather I was at work....and as soon as I'd get home it would start to rain again....grrrrrrr!

Sweetie took pity on me yesterday and came over and cut the grass and cleared the garden steps of the jungle they had become. Honestly, they were out of control! He's so good to me, that man is a keeper for sure!

I'm ready for this heat and humidity to leave us, and I'm already looking forward to fall. This has been such a  hot summer, and we are just not used to that up here in the mountains. We joke that we didn't move here for this weather....but it's actually true!

Meanwhile, I've been so incredibly busy (lazy days of summer MY BUTT!) that I missed two big blog milestones this month!

First, back on August 10th I celebrated my third year of blogging! I can't believe it's been three whole years! I didn't know where this little blog of mine would take me back when I wrote that first post,  but I'm sure glad I did! I have so many wonderful 'blog friends' in my life, and I absolutely love connecting with all of you and reading your sweet, supportive comments on my everyday life. Thank you for sticking with me for the past three years! 

Second, and this is HUGE - this humble little blog of mine has had over a MILLION pageviews!!!  The current stats are 1,004,572 views....how is that even possible? I know for some of you who have been doing this much longer and have a significantly larger following than I do, that's not a big deal. But to think that over a MILLION times people tuned in to find out what's happening in my little mountain top life is mind boggling to me! Thank you for sharing my life, one blog post at a time!


I leave you with a photo of Little Miss Molly, taken this morning when she jumped flew up onto my bed to cover me in stinky Miss Molly kisses! What a joy this little dog is, she absolutely fills our life with so much laughter and love. She's a little goofball, that's for sure, and so happy and animated, we laugh all the time at her crackpot antics! We thank God every day that she was sent into our lives. 

She'll be with us a year in September, and we will celebrate her 'birthday' on the anniversary of when she arrived to her new life. I wish you could all meet her in person to see what a sweet, adorable bundle of joy she is! Photos do not do her justice, she's so much more than those big eyes she shows when she puts those bat ears of hers back! Since we haven't been entertaining much, I was worried about how she'd be with the family over last night, but she was fantastic!! I'm so proud of this little lovebug!

That's the roundup of life around here for the moment....what's going on in your neck of the woods?

41 comments:

  1. I just voted! You deserve a win! Good luck!!!!
    Lisa

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    1. Awww, thanks Lisa!! I'm not sure my blog is even in the same category as so many of those blogs, but it's an honor to even be nominated!!!

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  2. Oh my, congratulations on the blog award nomination! I just went and voted for you. You deserve to win. :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Leigh! I truly appreciate your vote of confidence in this little wonky blog of mine!! :)

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  3. Congratulations! I think you have a wonderful blog! I always like to see how your garden is doing. I'm always curious about successful blogs with all sorts of neat features. I see that you are neither blogger or wordpress. If I may ask, did you hire someone to help you set up your blog, or are you really savy and figured it all out on your own? Totally fine if you'd rather not say. -Jenn

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    1. Thank you, Jenn!! Oh my gosh, no not that savvy....I am on Blogger and I did set up a lot of it on my own but I also had help from a sweet blog friend - Brenda over at Cozy Little House helped me a lot when I first started blogging! She took me under her wing and I am ever so grateful to her!

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  4. Congrats on being nominated! Your dinner sounds wonderful.

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    1. Thank you so much, Marty! There are some amazing bloggers nominated, I'm honored to be among them!

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  6. Mama so proud of you for 3 years and those views, amazing!! Mom also my 3 year blogiversary was today!! So weird....OMG that picture of my babyyyyy.

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    1. I didn't realize you started your blog right after me, Shanny - copycat!! :)

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  7. Woooooooooo-hooooooooooooo!!--great news and I will go vote! Loved hearing about your dinner party and anyone lucky enough to be invited into your warm and lovely home is very lucky indeed. I have loved looking at all the pictures and reading about your garden this summer. I love the end of summer posts because I like to see what you harvest and what you do with it all. Sound like your dinner was a success and the menu sure sounds delicious, ESPECIALLY those potatoes, "taters" as we call them down here, LOL That is the prettiest picture yet of your beautiful shed out back, I just knew it would look like that when you started talking about it long ago! Great job and congratulations and continued success on your blog!

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    1. Thank you so much, Debbi! I spent all day in the kitchen yesterday, processing zucchini - my little legs were tired and sore by the end of the day! But there are now 24 little half pint jars sitting on my counter, a dozen muffins, and four quarts of soup for the freezer! Tonight it's pizza - my kitchen is closed!

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  8. Congratulations!! You do have such a beautiful place!!

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    1. Thank you, Henny - as do you! I love my little mountain top home - it's certainly far from perfect but it's perfect for me!

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  9. I voted for you, Mountain Sister. What a well deserved nomination!! Good luck! I always enjoy your posts.

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    1. Thank you, Mountain Sister!! I enjoy writing them as well...if only there were more hours in the day!

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  10. Congratulations!! So many great things happening on the mountain! Off to vote for you!

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  11. Congratulations! I can feel your excitement in your words. Happy I discovered a new blogger to me anyway.

    You're fortunate someone took you under their wing. Wish I had that luck.

    Love seeing your fur baby. We are the same way with ours. They make me laugh outloud everyday.

    Enjoy the rest of your day and keep showing your garden

    Cindy

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    1. I don't know that you would want to see my garden right now, Cindy - it's a pure jungle!! All the rain we've had means the weeds are completely out of control! The Goldenrod is starting to bloom though, and the Queen Anne's Lac, as well as the tansy. Even though they are weeds, they add some much needed color to the late season garden!

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  12. Going over to vote for you. Congrats Deb well deserved. Happy Friday and have a great weekend. Hugs to Monkey and Miss Molly. Cutie pies!
    xoxo
    Kris

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    1. Thank you, Kris! Monkey and Miss Molly are the best of friends now, it's so cute to see the two of them running around together, one black and white bum with a little stubby tail and one big fluffy tail and fluffy bum!

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  13. Congratulations! The category is perfect for your blog. The dinner sounds delish...garden to table is the best!

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    1. It really is, AnnMarie - there's nothing like the flavor of freshly picked veggies! Tonight is a garden fresh salad and pizza....the kitchen is closed after yesterday's cook-a-thon!

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  14. Wow - that's quite an honor for you...congratulations! You certainly have my vote. Congrats are also in order for your 3 year anniversary and for your one millionth view! You are such a talented writer and every single award is well deserved.

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    1. Awwww, Vickie, thank you so much! I have been keeping you in my thoughts and prayers with those wildfires in CA - hope things are coming along well with your new house!

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    2. Yes, those fires are just awful. Thank goodness we aren't in any danger...yet. Our house is coming along, but very slowly. My hopes of having it closed in by the winter may not be realized, but we are keeping our fingers crossed and saying our prayers, so - who knows! Cheers!

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  15. Hello.....Love your blog and just voted!
    Phyllis

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    1. Thank you, Phyllis - I appreciate both your sweet comment and your vote!

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  16. Congratulations, Debbie! I can't say I'm surprised you received this award, your home is lovely and cozy. I'll take that over trends and repetition any day!

    Happy Birthday to your beautiful daughter! My youngest is 27 also! I'll always feel like she's my baby!

    Love the pics of your little critters...they really are our best friends!

    Happy Weekend! :)

    Jane

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    1. Thank you so much, Jane!!!I'm not much for trends - I would feel too much pressure to change them up every time something new comes along! I am more of the opinion that if you love something you will find a place for it in your home. I guess my home is more of a cottage style than anything else and that suits me just fine!

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  17. I'm so glad I found your blog Debbie. Your home is just so inviting and comfy. Of course you already know how much I enjoy it when the pups are part of your post! Btw Papa's garden is looking terrific. Already voted for you. Good luck
    Jeannette

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    1. Awww, you're so sweet Jeannette, thank you so much! It's hard not to put the pups in every post....my phone and camera are stuffed with photo after photo of the three of them!!

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  18. HUGE congrats! Heading over to vote right now.

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    1. Thank you, Pattie! I've been thinking of you and wondering how your patio garden is coming along?

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  19. Congratulations! And I can't believe it's been a year since Miss Molly arrived - that's about when I started following your blog - sheesh, time flies.

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    1. Isn't that crazy, Karen Ann? And yet, it seems as if she's always been here, she's such a huge part of the family now!!

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I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out of your busy day to leave a comment...I truly love reading your comments and I try to respond to each and every one of your sweet comments right here on my blog page!

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