Mermaids of the Lake is an online publication geared towards women based out of Liberty Lake, WA (just east of Spokane). They also have a blog, here, that is fun and whimsical. I like the "Mermaids" concept for a few reasons:

1. Going green. I can check for new stuff online when I want without having to stack up a bunch of paper magazines that wait around until I can get to them.

2. Creativity! You'll see they incorporate the mermaid/sea theme throughout the publication.

3. It's personal. The personality of the three mermaids (publishers) comes through the writing and features, especially on the Mermaids blog.

4. It's not just an eastern Washington thing. Readers from all over the country are fans of Mermaids of the Lake.

5. Inspiration. I find some great ideas and tips on the Mermaids website and blog that I can incorporate into my entertaining. They post some yummy recipes!

Go... swim fast... and check them out. Discover your inner Mermaid!! :-)

KUDOS!!

I have to give an ENORMOUS shout out to Heather over at the Sporadic Scrapper blog for saving this blog!!! For those of you who check back frequently, the past few days might have been interesting for you as the blog was a different color every couple of days. That's because I've been trying different blog design templates to get one that would allow my comments to work again, and then another time I got too click-happy and accidentally deleted part of the template HTML code and didn't realize it. BUT, Heather came to the rescue and spent some time on it to get a design template that was fun, and she made sure there was HTML code that allowed you all to leave comments. Yay! So, please, leave comments!! Check out her blog and Etsy store and show her some love!

Have a great weekend!

What Kind of Hostess Are You?

I saw this fun quiz on Martha Stewart today: "What kind of hostess are you?" I thought it's extremely applicable to the whole purpose of this blog, so I had to take the quiz and post the link here for you to take as well!

Take the quiz and post your results as a comment!

Here is my quiz result:

You are undoubtedly A Thoughtful Hostess.
You plan ahead to ensure that the events you host are special and that your guests feel welcome. Friends feel comfortable in your home and enjoy bringing signature dishes to your table. You're known for featuring unique touches without going overboard.

Overall results from quiz takers:

A. A Hostess Inspired by Martha! 7.43%
B. A Thoughtful Hostess 88.32%
C. A Casual Hostess 4.25%

So, I think the moral of the story here is that the majority of us hostesses are thoughtful people, that's why we like to show our family and friends a good time! It's quite obvious that very few of us can even hold a candle to Martha! :-)

Romantic Party For Two!

I just LOVE this concept posted on the Hostess with the Mostess blog! In a guest post by Julie Mulligan of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, she presents a "Garden of Eden" Valentine's Day idea that you can do right at home. Click here to see the post! Plus, she offers an easy recipe for chocolate fondue, and that, my friends, is one of my all-time favorite entertaining activities! More on fondue another time...

Problems with Comments?

It has come to my attention that, for some reason, people are unable to leave comments on this blog. I apologize!! I have double-checked all of my settings and I'm not sure what the problem might be. Please bear with me as I figure this out! I guess this means since you all can't leave comments, it wouldn't be fair of me to start doing giveaways now, huh? :-) I'll continue with my regular postings, but will hold off on the "really fun" stuff until I solve this glitch. In the meantime, feel free to become a follower, because I show special love to those folks from time to time!!

Cupcake Heaven

I don't know about you, but I absolutely ADORE cupcakes! Mini-cupcakes, regular cupcakes, fancy, plain... it doesn't matter. I love them all! This Valentine's Day, I've been mulling over many different ideas of sweet treats to make for friends and co-workers; among the many ideas I considered were cupcakes. If I love the idea of cupcakes so much, I thought others might too! Scroll down to view some yummy (and awfully tempting) cupcake treat ideas for Valentine's Day (click on the links to get the recipes, courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens and Martha Stewart). If you have an idea to contribute, please do so in the comments section!

From Better Homes and Gardens:

Brownie Surprise Cupcakes

Red Velvet Sweetheart Cupcakes


From Martha Stewart:

Strawberry Cupcakes

Apple Cupcakes

I hope these cupcakes inspire you to bake this week! Have fun!

Chocolate Tasting Party

Host a chocolate tasting party as a fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day... or a Girls' Night Out, or any other special occasion (bridal shower, baby shower, etc.).

Enjoy drinking chocolate, chocolate truffles, chocolate bars, chocolate dipped fruit, and more in your own home. Find a local store that sells a wide variety of chocolate. Pick out several types of light and dark chocolate, plus other varieties in-between. As you sample the chocolate, move from light to dark because the flavor becomes more complex (like wine).

At your tasting, throw in a chocolate trivia or a chocolate-themed board game. Check out these 50 trivia questions from brownielocks.com. Or, do your own research on chocolate and create your own game!

Don't forget to develop a creative ambiance for the party. Consider a color scheme like white (to show off the chocolate) or pink and brown. Have music playing in the background and some nice dessert wine ready to pour. In addition, you may want to provide other food options such as appetizers to help combat the sugar rush from the chocolate!

If you have additional thoughts or ideas to share, please do so in the comments section. Have fun!