Fun Wedding Day Memories!

I grew up on a small farm in Northwest Arkansas with an assortment of animals that across the years included cows, goats, horses, mules and one donkey named Becky!

We had a two wheel cart that Becky would pull while someone rode on it. One of my nephews loves horses. He was very fond of Becky.

On the morning of our wedding, as the early morning summer breeze blew through the open windows of my bedroom, I was startled awake to the sounds of my nephew yelling, "Oh Becky, (crash bang) no no NO (bang bam bam), whoa, whoa Becky!" Apparently he had harnessed Becky up for an early morning ride.

Our home was built on a fairly steep hill that overlooked the creek below. As Becky came around the corner of our house they hit the metal trash barrels and she and the cart began to careen out of control with my nephew on it! Thankfully, no harm was done.

However, our adrenaline was pumping and I had a 6:00 A.M. wake up call!

It has been a fun thing to remember across these years.

This morning I asked Mr. RP what awakened him on our wedding day?

"Well it wasn't a donkey," he replied.

I laughed.

I'd do it all over again.

You betcha!

Happy Anniversary! Mr. RP!

So what woke you on your wedding day?

Love, Rachel

Announcing A Newly Picked Winner!

It is important to me to be a good bloggy friend to all of you. I tried and tried to find the previous winner to the doily give away.

You all were perfect friends and tried to help me find her too!

Today I'm excited to announce our new winner is "Donnie". Donnie, please send me your address and the beautiful doily is all yours! It will soon be on its' way to you! (On a side note, I've got a little secret. I actually know Donnie's address. She's my sister. AND if I understood her correctly, this doily is the exact pattern that she's been crocheting of a recently finished tablecloth. AND also of interest...she's been crocheting this tablecloth in a few spare minutes at a time for 12 years! Yay! Way to go! You did it! Is confetti blowing from your computer screen? Pat yourself on the back and give yourself a big huge hug! I'd do it for you if I could!)

However, I don't want things to become dull and boring around "a romantic porch" so I thought I'd spice things up a bit and just go ahead and draw another name. I know I didn't tell you, but that's OK isn't it? So, drum roll please! The "nother new" winner is...Denise with Sentiments by Denise! Yay! I will pick a doily and a few other goodies from my stash Denise and they will soon be yours! Check out Denise's blog. She makes beautiful beautiful cards...and shares yummy homemade recipes.

So that my perfect bloggy friends, will wrap up this give away that started back on June 8th (I think) and I hope you have a wonderful Saturday.
Love, Rachel

Hattie? Where Are You? It's about the give away!

WHERE, OH WHERE IS HATTIE?

(sung to the tune of Where has my little dog gone?)

Where, oh where has Hattie gone?

Oh where, oh where can she be?

For this give~a ~way...

...that she won the other day.

I must find out where she's gone!

Sweet blog readers thank you so much for your ideas of turning finding Hattie into a game. If I knew how to make one of those cute little widget thingies with a looking for Hattie sign, I would. Then you could post it on your blogs, and maybe we could find her. Please spread the word for me.

When I have a give away, I write every one's name down and draw from a bowl. I am honest about it. (now I know this method won't work when I have my $1,000,000.00 give away and have several hundred thousand comments...just so you know wink wink) However with that being said, if I can't find Hattie in a few days, I will draw another name.

This was Hattie's comment.

Hattie said...
I love your blog and have it on my favorites. Tho I do not have a blog, can I still enter your give-away? I love the doily. So dainty and so vintage. Thanks.Hattie

Of course, Hattie, you can enter my give away without a blog! I am honored to have you. But I don't know where you are. Please come back!

With deepest regret, if I don't hear from Hattie this week, I will draw another name on Friday evening from all of the previous give away comments and the comments left on THIS very posting...let's just ramp this up a notch and have a little more fun. Thanks for spreading the word about Hattie!

If you'd like to see what the give away was, click here.

Oh and by the way...if you DON'T have a blog, Pallllleeeeezzee (please!) leave an email address.

Thank you so much!

Love, Rachel

Monday!

It feels like all of these Mondays come around so quickly and are just ticking past like the numbers on an electric meter on a hot summer day.

Wow! I just want to slow down the pace a bit and sit on my porch in the rocker and rock and think and enjoy the sun and flowers and hummingbirds.

What do you wish that you could do today?

Love, Rachel

P.S. I still haven't found "Hattie" who won the give away! hhhmmm! What should I do?

This Is Why I Needed Self Rising Flour!

Have you ever heard of Chocolate Cobbler? I haven't! But my oh my...it is so easy and so delectable. You melt 2 sticks of butter in the bottom of a 9"X 13" cake dish.
In a separate bowl mix 1 1/2 cups self rising flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, vanilla and milk. Mix this and pour it over the melted butter. Do not stir this into the melted butter.
In another bowl mix together sugar and cocoa powder.
Sprinkle this over the previous 2 layers. Do not stir it in.
Pour 2 cups of boiling water over all of the layers. Do not stir them. Pop the whole thing into the oven.

I was surprised to find the chocolate a little runny in the bottom of the pan when it finished baking, but as it started to cool, the chocolate turned into a perfect perfect perfect chocolate sauce!

This is so good it may make you want to do something crazy. I'm getting it ready for the hungry teens when they are ready for dessert after lunch. Yikes...I hope it doesn't make them want to do something crazy ;)!

This is in the oven baking right now, so if you want to see some wonderful photos of the finished dessert, just pop right over to Cherry Hill Cottage. (You'll have to scroll down to June 9th. I couldn't get the actual link for that specific posting to transfer over.) I got this delightful recipe there!


Chocolate Cobbler~
Melt 2 sticks of butter in a 9x13 dish
Mix together in a bowl;
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup self rising flour
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup of milk plus a smidgen
Pour this over the melted butter; DO NOT STIR, just drizzle the above over the butter.
In another bowl mix;
1 cup sugar
5 tbsp cocoa now sprinkle this over the above mixture, again, DO NOT MIX into the ingredients already in the dish, just sprinkle.
Now add 2 cups of boiling water over the top of all of the above, DO NOT MIX, just pour over.
Bake at 350 uncovered for 35-45 minutes.


I promise, this is so good, you'll think you will want to eat the whole pan of it...but a small serving fills you up really quickly. Oh, don't forget the vanilla ice cream!
So that my chocolatey warm saucy lovin' friends, is why I needed self rising flour! That recipe is on the posting below!
Happy eating!
Love, Rachel

P.S. Hattie, I'm still trying to find you for the give away!

How Would You Do It?

Do you use self rising flour? I have NEVER used it or purchased it! So the other day I came across a recipe that I wanted to make that called for self rising flour. Of course I wanted to make the recipe right then! What should I do? I "googled" self rising flour and found out how to make it. The instructions called for 6 cups of all purpose flour. So I put everything in a zip lock bag, mixed it all up, took out the 1 1/2 cups of flour called for in the recipe I was making, and then I put the rest of the self rising flour in the freezer until the next time I make this recipe and need it again!

Oh my! I will share the recipe tomorrow. You will want to make it too. So go get your self rising flour ready. You're gonna need it! Will you buy it or make it?

Have a great day.

Love, Rachel

P.S. If anyone knows Hattie who won the give away mentioned below, please tell her to contact me. I can't find her.

Announcement By Candlelight!

Good morning friends! Thank you so much for joining in on my giveaway to celebrate my #411 blog posting!

Light the candles, pull out all of your instruments: drums, cymbals, trumpets, a big bass tuba! You can play or sing or dance around, but be sure and light the candles and say congratulations to Hattie. She is the winner of the beautiful doily!

This is what Hattie said, "I love your blog and have it on my favorites. Tho I do not have a blog, can I still enter your give-away? I love the doily. So dainty and so vintage. Thanks."

Hattie

Well Hattie, thank YOU!

Congratulations!

Please email me (rachelgoing@gmail.com) with your address and the doily and a few other goodies will be on the way to you.

Everything is always so much more fun with the candles lit, especially in the quiet solitude of the predawn light. Most mornings, I light a candle on the island in our kitchen.

So tell me please. What do you like to do by candlelight?

Love, Rachel

You Can Enter Giveaway Until Midnight Friday EDT

When we were lighting the candles on the porch last night, we saw this moth! His wing span reached from the tip of my pinkie finger to my wrist bone! It was amazing. Its' size reminded me of the huge swallowtail moths that we used to catch in Arkansas when I was growing up. I've heard that moths are drawn to open flames. I wonder if that is true. He came before the candles were lit.
Thank you so much for your kind comments about the interview. AND also, thank you for joining the giveaway party. There is still time to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing. Just scroll down to the posting below.

Some of you have told me you read this blog EVERY day. That amazes me! I am humbled. I had no idea that it would be of interest to you. So in consideration of your time, I just wanted to update you this morning and let you know that I will not do another posting until Saturday when I announce the "WINNER" of my give away.

I'm focused. I'm full steam ahead (whatever that means). I've got my teeth clinched. My muscles flexed. Well now that created quite an image. Didn't it? I'm determined to wrap up a couple of projects before the first day of summer arrives and these weeks are gone!

May this day bring you happiness. Search for it in the small blessings if you need to!
Love, Rachel

A Giveaway Party For My 411 Blog Post!

It's Monday again. Can you believe how fast time is flying? I'm participating in another party today.

This is my #411 blog posting. I think maybe I was supposed to have a pinata and confetti and cupcakes (wink wink) on my #400 posting, but I let that one slip right on past, so we'll just have a little giveaway today since you are such great blogging friends.

I found this gorgeous crochet doily at yard sale. It is beautiful. I have never seen this pattern and it is so so pretty. I have not used it for myself, though I would love to. However, I wanted to pass it along to one of you. It's all just to celebrate YOU!

Cindy at "My Romantic Home" has started having giveaways on the second Monday of each month, and I thought it sounded so fun to join in today and share these things with you. I will find some other cute little items to tuck into the package with it...shells, buttons, a vintage hankie...I'll surprise you! Please just leave a little comment to have your name entered into the give away drawing. I will choose a winner from the comments on Friday evening June 12.If you'd like to see some of the other giveaway participants, jump on over to Cindy's blog.

You will have to click on Cindy's name to go to her blog. For some reason, I can't get the picture to click and take you over there. Thank you!

I truly hope your week is off to a great start!

Love, Rachel

The Boots And An Interview by Giorgina!

Hey y'all. Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments yesterday. Wow! You are the best. I've had several questions about my boots shown in yesterday's posting. No I did not wear them with "my going away dress". If I would have found a pair like this, I'm sure I would have wanted them! Instead I had ivory leather heels. After wearing them a lot, I packed them away before they were ruined.

Well, just because I'm sentimental like that!

These boots have seen many miles on my feet. Several years ago, we were in Branson, Missouri on Christmas Eve. We happened to go into a shoe store that sold shoes to the show girls for many of the theatrical events around Branson. Of course my heart melted when I saw these adorable boots. However they were white. I wasn't sure I would wear white boots that much. Mr. RP thought they would make a great Christmas gift, so we bought ivory leather die and after dying them ivory, I've been wearing them ever since. Of course I had to add the lace for shoe laces. A plain white shoe string would NEVER do. Would it?

AND NOW ABOUT THE INTERVIEW

I have been given the tremendous honor of being featured on the beautiful website Decor Medley by Giorgina. This website has great tips for interior decorating and many other awesome tidbits of inspiration and creativity. Please go over and visit Georgina. You'll be glad you did!

She was incredibly generous to extend an invitation to me for an interview and include me in the list of other wonderfully creative people that she has featured. If you'd like to read it, you can go here. Giorgina, thank you so much for your kindness to me.

I hope you all have a fabulous sunshiny Saturday.

If it is not sunshiny where you are, go take a look at Mr. RP and me, over at Georgina's place. We are squinting into the sunshine for you!

Love, Rachel

Just Dreamin'

We'll be having another anniversary in a few days. I called this dress "my going away dress". I changed into it after our wedding. The dress and hat were so much fun to make.

Last night I dreamed that we were getting married again. I wonder why? Yes, I mean I wonder why I dreamed that...last night?

The neat thing, I was just as excited last night as I was then. Yep! I'd marry him again, all over again, in a heart beat.

But I didn't have to dream about it to realize it.

Love, Rachel

It Is Worth More Than That!

Thank you so much to everyone who visited "A Romantic Porch" during Rhondi's porch party. I enjoyed having you immensely. I am still trying to get around to all of you, so thank you for your patience with me.
I found this candle, candle holder and candle ring, that I've been using on our porch table at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago. It was marked 25 cents and I scooped it up so fast, the poor little 'darlin's' head was spinning! Or something like that! Woohoo! I loved this. There are a lot of places in my home I could use it. But I decided to put it on the porch...for now!
The next day when I took it out of the sack to clean everything before I set it out, I turned the candle over, and the candle had a sticker for 50 cents. My heart sank. I didn't see that before I made the purchase. I wondered what the people having the sale thought when I paid them a measly quarter for the whole ensemble? Oh I know that you can barter on the price of items at a yard sale, but I hadn't done that. My intent was to pay the "asking" price. I put everything back in the sack.
The next evening when I had a chance to drive to the sale, I took my 25 cent purchase back. When the lady having the sale saw me walking up she said, "Oh no, you're not bringing something back are you?" I laughed and told her what happened. I told her I honestly didn't see that the candle was priced separately. She said they never noticed either. She said, "Now honey, just go ahead and take that and have a good day. That will repay you for your honesty!" Well, OK...but, I insisted on paying because after all that is why I had gone back. Of course to be polite, I felt I should "shop" their sale again, just in case I should fine some more great bargains! (wink) I had the lady keep my previous purchase while I "shopped". I chuckled as I overheard her telling the other "money collectors" sitting on the porch why I had come back. They couldn't believe it.
As I was leaving the lady told me that things like this always come back around to you. I thought about that.
Anyway,
I would think of doing nothing less.
It was only a grand total of 75 cents and it is worth more than that.
Yes, I learned a long long time ago, my
CONSCIENCE. is. worth. more. than. that!

Have an adventure filled day.
Love, Rachel

Rhondi's Porch Party

Rhondi is hosting a porch party today to celebrate her birthday.

Happy Birthday, Rhondi!

If you have been reading my blog from the beginning, you will know that at the start of each month, I feature a different blogger's porch, and host them as a guest on my side bar for the month.
I have loved gaining new friendships in this manner, and seeing a lot of beautiful porches in the process!

It sounded like a great idea to meet some more "porch lovin' bloggers", so this month, I decided to feature our own little "romantic porch" for the month of June 2009, and participate in Rhondi's party! I'm gonna have soooo much fun makin' a bunch of new porch lovin' friends!

See the shutters on the window and my window box in the photo above? The window was covered over on the inside of our home with dry wall before we purchased this house. It has made me crazy for a very long time. Last summer I decided to fix it up and enjoy it. So I did! No one knows that it is a fake (oops did I say that?) window...except now I just told you and a few other people around the world!We especially love sitting on our porch in the dark with the candles lit. During the warm days of summertime, we eat many of our meals on the porch. A couple of nights ago, we enjoyed a summer thunderstorm from the comforts of our porch! We have a faux "screen door" and my nieces named the pink bench in front of it a "flirting bench".
Every romantic porch needs a "flirting bench"!
Don't you think so too?

Thank you for dropping by as you enjoy Rhondi's porch party.
Love, Rachel