Just what's on my mind at the moment!

So... as all of you might {or might not} know, I have this little cooking blog over here and I spend a little time cooking, baking, taking pictures, and blogging about my passion of cooking.  Well, I started my blog with the hopes that I'd be able to upload it and make it into books at the end of every year so that my kids would have all of my recipes that they grew up on, complete with a picture and a story that goes with it!  {That's what they always mention about me... she makes the "Best  Cookies Ever"!  It always makes me smile when they talk about my cooking.  They make me smile!} Anyhow, I'm now up to 140 followers on my blog and it's become a HUGE part of my life!  I don't go anywhere that I'm not picking up another cookbook or thinking about what I can add to my blog for people to want to read it {more}.  Well my hard work has started to finally pay off after a year!  I have had so many awesome people donate products for drawings, I've had lots of great comments that make me smile, and now I've had two great things happen within the last month.  First, I received an email from the sweetest lady at Woman's World magazine! She wanted to interview me about what my favorite gadget in the kitchen is and why.  You know... all those normal interview questions... But HELLO! My name is going to be in Woman's World Magazine along with a link to my blog!{out on newsstands Dec 2, 2010}  So maybe this doesn't seem like a big deal to anyone else... but I. AM. SO. EXCITED! I just feel like it's a great way to get my name out there a little bit more!  Then second, I was contacted by a brand new expansion of UCREATECRAFTS.com... Her new blog {not launched yet} U-Create FOODS is going to have it's launch on the week of October 18-24. She has a HUGE following on her original website and has decided to expand.  I am thrilled to announce that they are going to highlight one of my posts {I guess we'll all find out at the same time which one  :)} on their opening week!  I am ONE of FIFTY people being highlited!  Well, I am once again THRILLED because this is just another GREAT pat on the back for me... I feel like I've been rewarded for the work that I've done on my blog for the last 13 months.  Anyway, I don't mean to be a bragger or gloat in any way, but I just am so excited that my hard work is finally paying off!  It just makes me SMILE and sometimes a girl just likes to smile!!!