GIVEAWAY: Gift certificate to SLW Designs digital cards. Ends: Aug. 20th

SLW Designs creates these very lovely custom digital cards that you print on your own time. That means NO SHIPPING! Yay! Everything is customizable. The color, font type, more or less photos… whatever! She can help you.

Birth Announcements:

Save the Dates:

Birthday invitations:


Graduation, showers, holiday cards… really whatever you can think of.

What do you win?
The LOVELY Stephanie at SLW Designs has offered to giveaway an $8 gift certificate to one of my lucky readers (Just one winner, even though this is posted on both of my blogs. :D)! This $8 will really go along way! Most of her digital cards are $8!

How do you win? Please follow these steps… AND make sure I have a way to contact you through e-mail. If I don’t… I’ll have to delete the entry… ๐Ÿ™
Mandatory entry:
1) Leave a comment below of why you need your own customized digital cards. {1 entry}

Optional entries (please post a different comment for each entry. It helps me. ๐Ÿ˜€ ):
2) Follow me (see sidebar) {1 entry}
3) Like my new Facebook page for The Paper Mama{1 entry}
4) Blog about this giveaway… linking back to my blog (please post blog post link in comment). {3 entries}
5) Grab one of my buttons in the sidebar there… {2 entries}
6) Follow SLW Designs blog. Click here. {2 entries}
7) Like SLW Designs on Facebook {1 entry}
8) You can vote for me… ONLY if you really want to. ๐Ÿ™‚ Click here: Vote For Us @ TopBabyBlogs.Com - A Top Baby Blog List By topbabyblogs.com {1 entry}


Giveaway ends August 20th 11:59 PM Pacific Time. ๐Ÿ™‚

Have a lovely day!

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Categories: Uncategorized


Get to Know a Mama: Ericka from Alabaster Cow


Get to Know a Mama: Ericka from Alabaster Cow.

What is your favorite thing about being a mom?  i like being influential.  that makes me an egotistical psycho doesn’t it?  but i seriously do appreciate the role i’ve been given to help shape another person’s mind.  i hope to make ava healthy and as happy as possible and i like the fact that i’m the only woman in the world given the privilege.

Any advice for a new mom?  go with your gut.  i have no patience for planning my day minute by minute, nursing schedules, informational baby books, etc. but if your gut is telling you that you need this sort of guidance then do it.  on the other hand, if you’re like me and want to follow your own instincts, then do that, too.  your baby, your rules.

Would you like to have another baby sometime in the future?  hahaha…no.  i’m a one and done kinda lady!  unless by “baby” you mean “published novel.”  in that case i’m committed to raising a complete brood!

Can we get a couple links to a few of your FAVORITE blog posts you’ve done?  here are a few favorites:
http://alabastercow.com/2010/01/one-and-done/
http://alabastercow.com/2010/04/dear-twelve-year-old-ericka/
http://alabastercow.com/2010/06/i-love-my-husband-sue-me-oh-and-a-giveaway/
http://alabastercow.com/2010/06/write-book/
http://alabastercow.com/2010/06/stick-figure-saturday-being-ericka/

How and where and when did you develop a love of writing and when oh when do you find time to do it?

i realized i was a writer in the sixth grade when our class did a poetry project and something about the assignment clicked with me.  to be honest, i’d probably never get around to writing as often as i’d like if it weren’t for my mother who watches ava a couple times a week so i can work on my manuscript.  watching a baby and trying to write with a clear head is nearly impossible!

Do you have any suggestions on websites that help teach website design, have good images to borrow, tools & resources on how to grow your blog?  i seriously google EVERYTHING.  so i never remember what sites i go to (plus i just switched computers and lost all my bookmarks!) but i type in “html” code or anything else i need to look up and wham, bam, presto i become a little less lost. ๐Ÿ™‚  i do use dream time photos for their free stock photos.  and i have no clue how to grow a blog other than to be funny.  and even then i can kinda suck at it.  but in all seriousness, facebook, twitter and general friendliness make people remember you.

What made you decide that Matt was the one to marry?  matt’s ambitious, smart and incredibly generous.  he’s a very balanced person and keeps all my crazy critters in their cages if they happen to escape.  and by just typing that last sentence, you understand what he’s dealing with.  



If you could have one title officially given to you what would it be?  published author.


How did you manage to get such a ridiculously cute daughter?  spluh, have you seen my cheek bones??  but no, i really have no clue.  she’s all personality, blond hair and huge blue eyes.  i think god wanted to make up for the fact that i can’t do math or put my shoes on the correct feet to save my life.

Maybe I just arrived late to this meme, but what is your deal with your ass? Is it really that spectacular? Where’s proof??  my ass is spectacular because it has no cellulite since i’m a vegan.  and i’m sure proof’s floating somewhere on the internet.  college.  sigh.


Do you have a censored curse word you like to use?  fuck bucket.


Where is your favorite place in your home to get away from it all?  my pantry.  i curl up into a ball underneath the pasta shelf.

………………………………………………………………..

Thanks to all the lovelies that asked questions. That means you: Misty, Jackie, 1,000 Reasons I’m a Crap Mom, and Sara.

The numbers have been reset! Help me get in the top 10! I โ™ฅ you!
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Categories: Uncategorized


I Heart Faces: Surprise!

This weeks challenge is Surprise! I took this photo of Ruari last week. She surprised herself when she splashed the water onto her face!

{Ruari almost 7.5 months}

I’m also entering this photo for Shutter Love Tuesday: Vacations. WE are broke, so our summer vacations are spent in the front yard! ๐Ÿ˜€

The Trendy Treehouse

Sweet Shot Day

A little reminder:
This weeks photo challenge: Water
Ask Mommy of a Monster a question.

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Categories: photography


Monday’s My Pick: Little Pink Donut

So, I was asked by this blogger: Coffee with a Canine… to do a little guest blog post. I need to have coffee with my canine and report back! I FINALLY did this. It was so nice. I got MANY photos that I love (and I plan on putting some prints of these photos up in my shop a little later today.). I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but: I LOVE me some tea! AND, of course I had to buy a couple of donuts… you know, because it’s a Sunday. Makes sense… I plan on writing that blog post today. I will let you all know when it’s up! ๐Ÿ˜€

{Me and my canine.}

                               {Print from: The Paper Mama Shop}

So, of course this Monday’s My Pick was inspired by that sweet little pink donut: This pink onesie has a donut sewn on it… with hand embroidered sprinkles! Cute cute cute! Please check out Clover Threads for MORE super cute clothes.

{Donut Onesie: Clover Threads}

Don’t forget to check out the Paper Lady’s Monday’s My Pick: Pink Donut.

A little reminder:
This weeks photo challenge: Water
Ask Mommy of a Monster a question.

The numbers have been reset! Help me get in the top 10! I โ™ฅ you!
Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs

Categories: family, food