A Bride-to-Be Shopping Spree and a $100 Gift Card Giveaway!

I went on an exciting "before store hours" shopping spree for gifts for my bride-to-be daughter last weekend!

I saw so many wonderful items .... please come on over to my Review Blog at this link to see more photos of what I bought, and for a chance to win a $100 HomeGoods gift card for yourself by leaving a comment there between June 20 and 30th, 2011! (click here for official rules)

Also, until June 30th, 2011, BlogHer is giving a chance to win one of ten $25 gift cards to HomeGoods on the BlogHer Prizes and Promotions Page that I know you'll want to enter, so you can have another chance at a mini HomeGoods shopping spree! Click here to enter! (Here are the official rules to enter)

We Celebrated Our Birthdays in Colorado!

My husband and I were away for a week, visiting our son and his family in Colorado, and celebrating our early June birthdays. It was so good to see our baby grandson "M" again!  He's in the adorable smiling and cooing stage of infancy and we enjoyed holding and playing with him so much!

Our grandson "L" is getting big and is interested in so many different things. We had a lovely few hours one afternoon with him strolling through the delightful Denver Botanic Gardens.

Another day we accompanied my daughter-in-law and "L" and "M" to The Butterfly Pavilion, located in Westminster, Colorado!

It is a wonderful experience to walk among thousands of flying butterflies.

They move so quickly that it was difficult to photograph them, but this mosaic and ......

... this mosaic show the butterflies and flowers that I captured with my lens.

The Butterfly Pavilion is a very child friendly place with lots of activities for them to do!

We were all able to go to attend a Colorado Rockies baseball game at the beautiful Coors Field, as a wonderful treat from my son's in-laws.  The Rockies won the game!

We also attended a concert at spectacular Red Rocks Amphitheatre!  Unfortunately, I was not allowed to bring my camera into the amphitheatre as it is considered  a "professional" camera by the venue. I hope you can get an idea of how wonderful it is to see a concert here from these shots of the outside. The seats inside are literally nestled among the large rock overhangs.  The reflected sound is magnificent, and as the sun goes down the distant lights of Denver twinkle in the distance, making the experience magical!

This was a wonderful birthday week for my husband and I!  My daughter-in-law made us chocolate cupcakes in a cone and our grandson picked out the bulldozer paper plates and party hats -- bulldozers are his favorite thing in the world right now...smile.

I could not believe that there was still snow on the high Rockies in June! Isn't this a fantastic location?  I wanted to shop, but I knew the sponsored shopping spree was coming up the day I returned home to New York, so I resisted.  More about that soon!

Please CLICK HERE to go to my review blog to see where I'll be going on a shopping spree to buy items for my bride-to-be daughter and also information on how you can enter for a chance to win a $25 gift card to HomeGoods through Blogher Prizes and Promotions, contest ending June 30, 2011.

I'm adding this post to Mary's "Mosaic Monday" event on her blog Little Red House.

Water Lilies for Pink Saturday

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden was beautiful on my last visit. The Lily Pond Terrace located in the garden has nearly 100 varieties of  water-lilies, lotuses, and other aquatic plants in a stunning summer display.

The Lily Pool Terrace began in 1919, shortly after the original conservatories were completed, and was finished in 1921. Hardy water-lilies are planted in large tubs set directly on the floor of the pools, while the tropicals and lotuses are raised above the pool floor to take advantage of the warmth from the pool's natural solar heat. The Lilies and lotuses were just beginning to bloom and by summer end the entire pond will be almost full of leaves and flowers.

Each and every one is an exquisite masterpiece!

Of course the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is also exploding with beautiful roses at this time of the year.

Click here to see my post about the Cranford Rose Garden contained within the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  It's a wonderful time of the year to visit the garden to enjoy the color pink!

Thank you Beverly for another Pink Saturday event on your blog How Sweet The Sound!  It's always a treat to see the beautiful pinks all the participating blogs find each week so please visit Beverly to see all the links.

Please CLICK HERE to go to my review blog to see where I'll be going on a shopping spree to buy items for my bride-to-be daughter and also information on how you can enter for a chance to win a $25 gift card to HomeGoods through Blogher Prizes and Promotions contest ending June 30, 2011.

Shopping for a Bride-to-Be!

My daughter loved to dress up in my wedding gown when she was a little girl, and pretend she was a bride. Now she is engaged and will be a real bride saying "I Do!" next Spring!

Click Here to come over to my review blog to see more photos, to see where I will be shopping for gifts for my daughter to use in her new home as a "Mrs," and for information on how you can enter for a chance to win a gift card for yourself!

Pick Me Up in Pink.... and Special Thanks

I was driving down Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, recently when I passed this pink limousine on display.  I immediately pulled over to take some photos of it. (All photos will enlarge when double clicked on)

I knew fans of "Pink Saturday," hosted weekly by Beverly of How Sweet the Sound, would be more than happy to dream about cruising around town in style in this special pink limo!

What a dream ride for a fan of pink!

Please visit Beverly today to find links more wonderful pink posts from a long list of Pink Saturday participants. 

Happy Pink Saturday!

I have been very fortunate the past few weeks to win a few give aways on some favorite blogs, and I'd like to say a special thank you to.....

Lissa, of the blog Just Writing Words, where I won her three year blog anniversary give away of an opportunity to chose an item under $30 from the ETSY store of a Juliethefish Designs hand stamped jewelry. Lissa is a fellow New Yorker and a graphic designer. Lissa enjoys participating in writing prompts, and I met her through the weekly "Alphabe-Thursday" event.  Please visit Lissa's blog when you have a chance and be enchanted by her writings, poetry and photography.

I chose this adorable silver necklace consisting of a boy charm and a disc custom made with my grandson's name hand stamped on it.  Isn't it the cutest thing?   Thank you so much Lissa!  I am so happy to wear this pretty necklace!

Does this mask scare you? I hope so!

I won this authentic Venetian "Nazo Turko Mask" on Joe of the Italyville blog!  To read more about this mask, how I won it, and the store I ordered it from, please click here to go to My Back Page review blog.

Joe Maruca's blog, Italyville, is where he, in his own words: "writes about growing up Italian in Massachusetts, his experiences living and working in Bologna, visits to the family's Olive farm in Calabria and everything along the way."  My husband was also born in Calabria and I almost feel like I'm part if Joe's family when I read his blog, as his experiences are very much those of my husband, and I enjoy all the authentic Italian family recipes he posts.  Thank you so much, Joe!  I can't wait to wear my mask if I am ever lucky enough to fulfill my dream of visiting Venice someday during Carnivale. I am sure to stand out in the crowd in my red, white and black Nazo Turko mask!

This wonderful collection of Welsh, Scottish, and English cookbooks and beautiful tea towel came not as a give away, but as a friendship gift from my sweet friend Melanie of Jellybeanangel2.  Melanie visited Wales recently and she remembered that I like these little cookbooks, as I bought a few when I vacationed in Ireland a couple of years ago. She surprised me by buying the rest of the set!  Melanie is one of the most  prolific craft bloggers I've ever met!  She sews, quilts, embroiders, makes stuffed toys, knits, crochets, makes stain glass, and does the most wonderful English country travelogues as she explores new towns, churches, castles and lakes in Great Britain.  I've learned so much from her since I've followed her blog. I'm sure you'd also enjoy seeing all her beautiful handiwork and her learning more about her country!

Blogging has introduced me so many wonderful friends around the world and has brought me so many wonderful and unexpected surprises.  I thank each and every person who visits my blog and takes the time to comment. There are so many wonderful blogs, and whenever I am able I enjoy returning your visit and learning more about you!

Meeting Rocco DiSpirito, and the End of a Culinary Day Into the Heart of L.A.

What is celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito signing, and how did I come to meet him recently in California at The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills? 
To find out, please come over to my blog's review back page by clicking here.

"Into the Heart of L.A." Culinary Tour -- Part One

I'd like to show more details about the wonderful culinary day experience in the heart of Los Angeles, California, that I recently won in a contest, so please visit my review page "Mille Fiori Favoriti - My Back Page" where this post has been moved.  Click here to view.

Back From L.A "Now Eat This" Give Away!

I'm back from a fantastic, whirlwind culinary tour of Los Angeles that I won through a contest on Claudia's blog Journey Of An Italian Cook, and I'm offering an autographed cookbook I purchased as a give away -- to see this post, now moved to my review page "Mille Fiori Favoriti - My Back Page," please click here.

My Blogger's Cup Really Runneth Over!

I have some exciting news to share, but this post has been moved on my review page on "Mille Fiori Favoriti -My Back Page" --  click here to view  Thanks!