Author: Big Mama

***Comments are now closed and the winners have been chosen using Random.org. I’ll be contacting them via email.

Here are your random numbers:

272 56 85
Timestamp: 2013-10-30 13:04:06 UTC

272 – De Anne
56 – Becky
85 – Marissa

Listen. At second glance I realize that title is deceiving. Sadly, I am not giving away the Pioneer Woman today. Although how awesome would that giveaway be? Someone to live in your house who is constantly trying new recipes and cooking new delicious things? I think they might have that in heaven.

But, almost as good, I’m giving away three copies of Ree Drummond’s gorgeous new cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays.

I received an early copy about a week ago and I have already looked through it so many times that it looks like I’ve had it for years. Of course I have yet to actually cook any of the recipes and we ordered pizza from Papa John’s last night, but that’s beside the point. I’ve been busy.

However, I already have big plans for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas after looking at all the recipes, including a Bagel and Cream Cheese Baked French Toast recipe that might change my life. And there’s a grilled corn dip that I am absolutely making for the Aggie game this weekend.

And in addition to all the recipes, her cover photo has inspired me to mix purple and turquoise from here on out because GORGEOUS.

Anyway, I love it so much that I wanted to share it with you. It officially releases today and is available at Barnes and Noble online and in their actual stores and on Amazon and probably some other places, too.

But like I said earlier before I began to ramble, I’m giving away three copies today. All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment telling me about your favorite holiday food. I will not judge you if it’s a starch.

I’ll leave comments open until 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 30th and then choose the three winners through random.org. No duplicate comments please. They’ll be deleted and make my life hard.

Good luck and happy cooking!

Well it was a weekend o’ travel and adventure for all the people who in live in my house. But, in the famous words of Motley Crue, we are all now home sweet home.

And more than a little exhausted.

So since all the words are going to fail me, I’m going to go with a pictorial recap with limited commentary.

(That makes it sound like I really thought about it. It’s a fancy way of saying “hey y’all, here are some pictures.)

I left for Allume on Thursday and had the best time catching up with old friends and making some new friends and meeting people in person who already felt like friends because I’ve read their blogs for so long. It was such a great conference and my heart is full after meeting so many great women who couldn’t have been more kind or supportive and also know how to rock some great accessories.

Please disregard my tired eyes in this photo. It was early and I was on my way to the airport to fly home after getting a cumulative six hours of sleep the entire weekend.

And then in the weirdest coincidence ever (that might be overselling it) my college roommate, Meredith, and her mom just happened to be in South Carolina this weekend visiting friends and they ended up coming to Greenville to shop and eat lunch on Saturday and I joined them. We had the best time and I ate the fried green tomatoes of my life at a little place called Mary’s Cottage. Nothing like traveling all the way to South Carolina to see your friends that live in Texas.

Meanwhile, literally back at the ranch, this was happening.

Sometimes a girl just needs to take a swim in the lake and then roast hot dogs by the fire in high-top Converse and a bathing suit. It’s not a look that works for everyone, but she’s a fan of the casual social gathering.

And then later that evening they went hunting and she took down this guy.

She also skinned and butchered it all by herself.

So the great irony is I rarely think she looks like me in pictures, but I think she does in that one. Yet her weekend activities are 100% her father’s DNA at work.

And so a great weekend was had by everyone.

Except for maybe that deer.

So this is going to be quick for several reasons:

1. I’ve been up since 5 a.m.

2. I spent the day flying to Greenville, South Carolina which involved a stop at the Baltimore Airport.

3. No, you are not geographically confused. That route makes no sense unless you are an airline company.

4. I’m speaking at the Allume Conference in the morning at 9 a.m. eastern time (prayers are welcome) and need to get a good night’s sleep so I wake up ready to pray and hyperventilate.

5. I need to make sure I remember to apply extra deodorant.

Anyway, because there’s always a few minutes for fashion, here are a few things I’ve found this week.

1. if only hooded cargo jacket

This looks really cute for cold soccer mornings. Or football mornings. Or just mornings.

2. metallic dot clip popover

A little sparkle to get you through the holidays.

3. factory quilted jacket

I really need a quilted jacket this year. And this one at J.Crew is an extra 30% off with code SALE30 at checkout.

4. native campfire long cardigan

I’m a sucker for a great patterned sweater coat.

5. dressed to chill circle scarf

I love a scarf that is easy to just throw on with any t-shirt you have in your closet. This comes in several other colors as well.

6. roll in the grey sweater

Thought this was a good versatile sweater that could be dressed up or down.

7. open front cardigan

This. If I were going to buy one thing today it would be this. And I would buy it a size up from my usual size so it’s just a little oversized. It comes in several different colors, too.\

8. hue leggings

A few people have asked me about leggings recently. I really like these Hue leggings from Nordstrom. They are better than the cheap ones you get at Old Navy that get bagged out in the knees and they wash really well.

If you’re looking for a little more slimming support, these Spanx leggings are great even though they are pricey. But they’d last you a long time.

But I’ve also heard great things about the suddenly skinny leggings from Target for only $17.99. I’m not sure if you can get them in the store so you may need to order them online.

And if you just want a comfy, cozy legging, I love these leggings from Gap.

9. long and lean one button blazer

Do not underestimate how many outfits you can create with a simple black blazer. I really like this one and the price is great because the Loft is currently offering 50% off with code EVERYTHING at checkout.

10. hattie sweatshirt

Well this is just so cute. And according to the reviews it has just a little bit of sparkle. Sounds like a win to me.

That’s it for today.

Y’all have a good Friday.

Today is one of those days that I have no business writing a blog post. Partly because I have not one interesting detail to share from my day and partly because I tried to text someone yesterday with “I’m so sorry” and my phone took it upon itself to autocorrect to “I is sorry”. There’s nothing quite as humbling as offering an illiterate apology.

You know somewhere that Siri is responsible for this. It’s bad enough that she can’t translate anything I say into proper English, but now my autocorrect is conspiring against me. I just have to believe that Steve Jobs would be none too happy about this new update.

Anyway, since I have nothing to say unless you want to hear the fascinating story of how I bought three different types of ham at the grocery store today, I thought it might be a good day to ask if anyone has read anything good lately.

This summer I was a reading machine. A machine, I tell you. But then I stalled out around August and I just haven’t found anything that has captured my interest. And I really need something because I’m flying to South Carolina for the Allume Conference on Thursday morning and a book would be nice because I’ve watched so many episodes of Homeland at this point that I can’t remember what’s really happening in the world and what is just happening to Carrie and Brody.

Here’s my criteria. I’d love a book that’s been released in the last six months or so because then there’s a better than average chance that I haven’t already read it.

(Sorry to be bossy. I mean that sincerely. I is sorry.)

Thanks in advance for the recommendations.

Well.

Now that it has happened I can actually speak it out loud. I had a bad feeling the Aggies were going to lose to Auburn. It had been there all week but when Louisville was upset on Friday night, I just knew somewhere deep inside that we were going to be next.

But, naturally, I didn’t speak of it because I hoped against hope that the sinking feeling in my stomach was from the greasy, crispy beef taco plate I’d eaten earlier on Friday night and not because the Aggies were actually going to lose. And also because speaking such a thing out loud for others to hear guarantees it will happen.

Not that I am superstitious when it comes to college football at all.

Sure enough, in spite of my best efforts to help Coach Sumlin by not voicing my concerns, we lost. And I’m only mildly despondent about it because, frankly, we’d already won a few games that we easily could have lost and when your defense is ranked dead last in your conference it doesn’t bode well for the season.

So I will gracefully say well played, Auburn.

It helps helps tremendously that I have lived through darker days than this with the Aggies. I mean I proudly waved my Aggie flag all through the Dennis Franchione era. I know what real pain feels like and this isn’t it. Our future is bright just as soon as our defense learns that tackling means you actually stop someone from running into your end zone. And I will love Johnny Manziel forever because he is a warrior. He literally played his shoulder off and, like someone on Twitter said, it kind of felt like Bela Karolyi should have been there to carry him off the field when the game was over.

The good news is the rest of the weekend was delightful. The weather was perfection after another cold front blew through late Friday night and I even had to wear a light jacket to Caroline’s soccer game on Saturday.

And my dear friend Kelly was in town and spent the night with us Saturday night, which totally helped with the whole Aggies losing thing because we went out for Mexican food after the game and it was all very festive and fun. As opposed to what I would have done had she not been in town which would have involved reading all the various college message boards and becoming convinced the end times were upon us because WE HAVE NO DEFENSE.

In other weekend events, it appears that I gave birth to Katniss Everdeen.

Except her bow is pink and she’s not fighting for her life in an arena. Other than that, totally the same.

This is also the weekend that I discovered the song “What Does the Fox Say?” I realize this probably makes me the last person in North America to hear it, but I feel like it explains so much about the world right now in that it makes no sense at all, yet it’s oddly compelling.