Coffee and Cashmere: childhood

Showing posts with label childhood. Show all posts

Manu Atelier Doll Giveaway [OVER]

This giveaway is over! Congrats Rachel T.!! You have won a gorgeous Manu Atelier doll for your very own, err, for your child! I will be contacting you soon! A big thanks to everyone who entered this great giveaway!

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My child is a lover of make-believe. From trying to hitch a ride to Purple Planet to being a legit princess on the regular, her imagination is always on point. Most of the time I'm envious that my mind doesn't work like hers anymore. I'm constantly lacking in the play department. I'm running low on my question asking. And I'm ever so slowly losing my ability to make-believe. It's like the Polar Express, where the grownups can't hear the bell.

I can't hear the bell.

So, when Manu Atelier sent Adrienne the most perfect, hand-made rag doll ever, I got all reminiscent of my childhood. My grandmother had made me a doll similar to the Manu's ones when I was Adrienne's age.

Gosh, I carried my doll with me on so many adventures. I had all the make-believe power in the world.

I held the heavy Manu doll in my hands, thinking how much creativity I was missing. So, I grabbed Adrienne and we went into her bedroom and played dolls for a good hour. Much longer than we have ever played one thing consistently. I think it had to do with the simplicity of this rag doll. There were no buttons to push to make her talk, no eyes that opened and closed, no hair to brush.

But this rag doll had so much more.

Adrienne and "Anne-weesa" will have many adventures together. Make-believe and all.

Now it's your turn to win a Manu Atelier doll! Each doll is handmade, making no two alike. They are stuffed with a wool and cotton mix, making them pretty solid. Each comes dressed in outfits made from vintage fabric.

For your chance to win, just log into the Rafflecopter below (or make a new Rafflecopter account), and follow the directions for each entry. Please make sure to actually do what's required for each entry. If you just click enter and not do what it's asking, I'll know. If you are unsure how to do one, skip it and contact me. I can't stress this enough. I go back and check to make sure the winner actually did what was required. I will not let cheaters win. DON'T CHEAT. Meh.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget to earn extra entries by tagging your frands on the picture of this giveaway on Coffee and Cashmere's Instagram account (@coffeeandcashmerelove). Tag as many frands as you want in separate comments! The more the merrier!

This giveaway will end on August 10th, 2013! One winner will be picked at random and will receive a handmade Manu doll. The winner will be announced on coffeeandcashmere.com and will also be notified via email. The winner will have ONE week to respond to the email and claim their prize. If the winner never responds, a second winner will be picked at random.

Thank you Manu for making life-long friends and catering to small beings with huge imaginations.

Adrienne is also wearing a Petit Ami dress, Circo glitter shoes, knee socks from Target, and a headpiece from Fairytale Jubliee.

The winner of last week's giveaway is Claire M.!

Butterflies and Moonbeams Giveaway CLOSED

CONGRATS TO TIFFANY C. AND JESSICA M. FOR WINNING!

I'm pretty much in love with the photos of Adrienne above. The vintage, ethereal vibes are delicious. She looks like she stepped out of 1954. Or better yet, I imagine her exploring a fantasy land. Like the Labyrinth. Except not scary. In the last photograph, she's tip-toeing up to a lone buttercup, which was overflowing with beautiful fairies. The tiny winged creatures saw her and flew off, leaving a trail of glitter into the woods. And she knew.

"There is such a place as fairyland -
but only children can find the way to it. And they do not know that it is fairyland until they have grown so old that they forget the way. One bitter day, when they seek it and cannot find it, they realize what they have lost; and that is the tragedy of life...
On that day the gates of Eden are shut behind them and the age of gold is over. Henceforth they must dwell in the common light of common day. Only a few, who remain children at heart, can ever find that fair, lost path again; and blessed are they above mortals. They, and only they, can bring us tidings from that dear country where we once sojourned and from which we must evermore be exiles.
The world calls them its singers and poets and artists and story-tellers;
but they are just people who have never forgotten the way to fairyland." - L.M. Montgomery

Please take me with you, Adrienne. Let me live in that magical world, too.

The gorgeous coat my fashion queen is wearing is from Butterflies and Moonbeams. You will want to check them out if you dress your little girl in nothing but lace and ruffles on the regular like I do. Adrienne pretty much has no choice. Luckily, she's down with it.

Now for the giveaway! Butterflies and Moonbeams and Coffee and Cashmere have teamed up to give TWO lucky people a chance to win an adorable outfit for their little princess. Up for grabs is a spunky lime green with black polka dots dress or a leopard top and bloomer set! These both are a size L, which would fit about a 24 month old. If you don't have a pretty pretty princess to stuff into one of these, the outfits would make a great baby shower present. And everyone and their momma's are having kids these days. CLOSED

Just log into the Rafflecopter below (or make a new Rafflecopter account), and follow the directions for each entry. Please make sure to actually do what's required for each entry. If you just click enter and not do what it's asking, I'll know. If you are unsure how to do one, skip it and contact me. DON'T CHEAT. CLOSED

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats Tiffany C. and Jessica M. for being my two winners! The giveaway will last one week and end on February 28th, 2013! One winner will receive the polka dots dress (valued at $34.40). Another winner will receive the top and bloomer set (valued at $37.40) . Thank you Butterflies and Moonbeams for making darling little girl's clothing.

Adrienne is also wearing a Mud Pie tutu underneath her coat and holding her Mizy.me dolly. Her flower crown was made by JAH Designs.

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Winsome Words Wednesday

This first quote is one of my favorites. Every time I read it I start to tear up. I miss believing.

That's what childhood is all about. Imagination. Magic. Simplicity. Not having a care in the world. And little brains are fresh with creativity and the lust to learn. But, time goes so quickly. Kids turn into adults, and they lose that ability to dream big. Always dream big.

DISCLAIMER:

Blog Etiquette (or lack there of):

I have tons and tons of images stored on my computer/Pinterest, and I can't always find their source. So, if you are the owner of a particular photo on my blog and wish to claim credit or have the photo removed, just let me know. I'll be happy to edit or change the photo. Unless otherwise specified, I do not claim ownership of all the photos shown on my blog. There are a lot I wish were mine.. One day. One. Day.

If you like my blog, help a homie out and vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs by clicking the picture below. Just one click. It will take you to the Top Mommy Blogs website, but you voted for me by just clicking that happy cartoon lady below! YOU CAN VOTE DAILY!! Thank you guys!!

Tuna Pats

One of my favorite dinner memories as a kid was when my mom would make tuna patties. I would request those bad boys daily. She would whip them up with cheesy macaroni and broccoli for the sides. I was in hog heaven. I wish I would have gotten all my mother's recipes. She never kept a book of them. They were just always memorized. I did manage to get her tuna patties recipe. And I'm gonna share it.

Mom's Tuna Patties

(I altered it a bit with spices, because, well, I'm a spice head)

|| ingredients ||

6 small cans of Tuna in Water

3 Eggs

1/4 cup chopped Onion

2 packages of Saltine Crackers (I only had one pack, so I added bread crumbs as a substitute)

Garlic Powder

Salt

Pepper

Parsley

Cayenne Pepper

Greek Seasonings (optional)

CURRY (in all caps because it makes the tuna pats)

Worcestershire Sauce

Parmesan Cheese

Oil for frying (I only use sunflower oil now)

- Open cans of tuna and drain. Put in a large mixing bowl. Crack the 3 eggs into bowl. Chop the onion and add. Then pour in crunched up saltines.

- Heat up a frying pan, with about a 1/2 inch of oil in it, to med-high.

- Here's where it gets tricky. I have never been good with measuring out my ingredients. I usually just guesstimate and add. So, I am going to do my best here. Add 2 tsp garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp parsley, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp Greek seasonings, 3/4 tsp curry, and about a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Add around 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

- Mix everything up with your hands. Form into oval patties. I got about 11 patties out of this batch.

- When the oil is hot, add the patties. Fry on each side about three minutes, or until golden brown. De. Licious.