The Birth of Venus and an exciting sweepstakes offer!

I wish I were a cowgirl. I want to wear a pair of cowgirl boots, a fluffy pink petticoat, a denim jacket and a cowgirl hat. My amazing sister-in-law Haley is a cowgirl. She worked with horses on a ranch in Colorado before she and Nate got married. I don't think she has ever worn a pink petticoat though. I'm pretty sure jeans are a little more practical when you're working with horses. I rode a horse once. It was at Rachel Hamm's grandparents plantation. The horse took off, the saddle fell off, and needless to say so did I. It was one of those moments where I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but Rachel was howling with laughter so I had to laugh too.

When I have a career and money in the bank I think I'm going to buy an old trailer that you can attach to your truck and I'm going to paint it pink and re-do the interior so that in the summer Kacey and I can go on road-trips to visit my brothers and Hill. It will be so cute inside that we'll never want to leave it! I'll rip out the flooring and put in black and white checkered self-stick linoleum. Gigi, you have my dream kitchen floor. Black and white tiles. I think I would like to have a hard-wood kitchen floor that I will paint in a black and white diamond pattern. I'm a dreamer. Maybe someday it will serve me well!

Did you know that my minor is art history? I really love art, and I think it must be because I have no artistic ability whatsoever! Michael's craft store is having a great sale this week, and I was looking through their art prints and found one I really liked. One of my very favorite paintings is called The Birth of Venus by Sandro Boticelli. Here's a mini art history lesson for you: Sandro Boticelli was a prolific artist during the Italian Renaissance. He painted The Birth of Venus around 1482 for one of the members of the Medici family. You've probably heard of the Medici family (pronounced Med-Itchy, with the accent on the first syllable)- they were a very powerful family of bankers located in Florence, Italy during the Renaissance. Anyway, just thought I spew out some of my book learnin'. It's such a beautiful painting. Venus is butt-naked, but that's what the Renaissance was all about. Celebration of the human form. The art print I bought is a detail of Boticelli's Birth of Venus by Andy Warhol. He's the guy who did the hyper-color Marilyn Monroe and the Campbell's soup cans. I don't care for Andy Warhol's work much, but I really liked this print and it was $3. I'm all about cheap. One man's trash is Aramie's treasure! Seriously- if I think it has potential I will jump into a dumpster to retrieve it.

I hope this didn't put anyone to sleep. I realize that art isn't everyone's bag (Leah), but it is something that I really enjoy.

Okay, I feel that you've suffered enough now. Rub your eyes and wipe the drool off of your chin, because here comes the fun! I am jumping on the sweepstakes band wagon, and I am offering something unique to one of my lucky readers. If you indulge me and leave a comment for this post, you will be entered in a contest to win a one year subscription to my very favorite magazine. Click here to learn more about Country Living. If you like cooking, crafts, antiques, and gardening, this is a magazine that you will enjoy as much as I do. I have had a subscription for years, and I am so excited when I get a new issue in the mail! So, leave a comment for this post and on Sunday I will have Kacey draw a name from a hat. Good luck and thanks again for reading.