January Walks

We been talking some long walks in the fields around my In-Laws house on the weekends. Snow is absent from the Maine landscape right now, which makes it perfect for walking on the hard ground....skipping over the mud and slush stage completely. Our dogs have been loving these wintry walks....often running so hard during it than when they get home, the sleep the rest of the day away. 

Curious Chloe

                Bounding Buddy

Some beavers have dammed up a large area of a nearby stream, making for some fun (but cautious) walking on the iced up shallows. 

The larger stream that meanders by the field is a favorite skating spot of some locals. But, it's important to wait until the ice is completely frozen....one skater on this ice was fine, but all of us standing in the same area made the ice groan. We decided to walk home through the field instead. 

 The swampy area abounds with old wood.

Winter berries and a black lab completely content.

My husband spotted this bald eagle as we drove home the day before our walk. He was perched in a tree over the river. They live their lives over the river, nesting nearby, and fishing all day. Usually these birds are seen gliding high over the city. 

Maggie's Direct Down Pillow

Everybody wants to sleep on my pillow. 

This was not always the case. For the longest time, I had a regular pillow with synthetic stuffing. A recent review opportunity gave me the chance to have a very very *special* pillow that is total decadence for my head. 

I'm not even exaggerating. 

I am a late night blogger, which means my hubby usually goes to bed before me. Every night when I try to get into bed, I find my husband snoozing on my new pillow....he *never* did that before. I don't blame him; I look forward to sleeping on my pillow every night. It is really plush but has a good amount of give so that your head can settle into alignment with the rest of your body. I just wish I had a pillow for every bed in the house!! Something else that looks incredible on the site:

700 Fill Cotten Sateen Down Comforter 

Maggie's Direct is the company that sent me this pillow (that everyone in my household covets). They are located in Maine and their goal is to make high quality products at low cost to the consumer. They manufacture down comforters, pillows, featherbeds, and comforter covers right out of their factory. They don't have a retail store and they don't mail out expensive catalogs....you can find them only on the internet, which helps to keep their overhead low. 

Maggie's Direct is a social networking shopping site. They use the power of word of mouth and referrals to pass the word along about their company. You earn social bucks to spend money on their site, and you also earn money through anyone you refer. It's a great deal!!

You can find Maggie's Direct Here:
Website
Twitter


I received product for reimbursement for this post. All opinions are my own and written in my own words. 

Best Chocolate Cake and A Marvelous Mess #46 (And, Features!!)

I had a birthday party to go to and a cake requested....and I was running out of time to make it. So, I did some quick online research for the "Best Chocolate Cake" and found this:

No doubt about it....it was the best chocolate cake I've ever made....or tasted!!!! I found it on the website Kevin and Amanda. 

I did a little outline in gel frosting of an old Chevy truck, as this was a cake for a mechanic with a passion for old Chevys....and my mom. :-)

Here is the recipe:

1 box devil’s food cake mix

1 small pkg Jello instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups mini chocolate chips

Read More http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/the-best-chocolate-cake.html#ixzz1isFAy4Oz

~Set the stove for 350 and mix all ingredients except for chocolate chips in a *large* bowl. Once it is thoroughly mixed, add the chocolate chips and place it in two greased 9 inch cake pans. 

It should bake for around 45 minutes, but check it at 30 and every 5 minutes or so after, remembering that the melted chips can trick you.
:-)

I made a simple frosting with a crisco base.... and decided against frosting the entire cake. This is a truly decadent cake and I didn't think we needed all that frosting. 

The cake isn't as sweet as it seems. The sour cream gives it that tanginess to balance out the chips. VERY moist and rich, thanks to the jello. Totally delicious!!

Now, on to my favorites from my last Marvelous Mess Party:

Resolve to Recycle from I Gotta Create. Such a great (and helpful) idea!!!

Cocoa Mousse from Talking Dollars and Cents. How about a little cup of hot cocoa and some cocoa mousse after your latest sledding adventure?

Algerian Cookies from Karima's Crafts. These look delish!!


The project I'm going to feature on my side bar is....

DIY Stable from Seven Sisters. Pretty awesome right? This Stable comes with a tutorial. Yeehaa!!!

Congrats to all of you and thanks for sharing such great ideas on my blog!!
For those of you I featured, here's a button for you to show off on your blog:

<br /><center><a href="http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="A Marvelous Mess" src="http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad256/MarvelouslyMs/buttonbackground1-2.jpg" /></a></center>



Now, lets get this party started!!

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