CLOSED: 2014 Annual Mug Swap

Greetings Muglee Friends:

It's THAT time again!!!

Now in our fourth year, this swap grew out of my boredom with the ugly mugs lining my cupboard.

Every morning I pull out a mug, and it sets the tone for the day. I use the mugs that came last year (and the year before!!!) and love thinking about the DG friends that sent them. :)

I am a coffee drinker, by and large, though I dabble occasionally in the herbal teas. Some folks drink their soup/broth from their mug, some hot cocoa, others their hot toddy. Which one are YOU? Chime in and share what happens when YOU get to the bottom of your cup.

Sign up here by June 1, and let all packages ship on or before JUNE 29.

Like some other group trades, you will receive a Dmail from me with the identity of your secret mug trading partner. I recommend not revealing your superman/woman identity on DG but rather wait until your partner learns your Gawd-Awfulness when they open the magical box that arrives by Priority Mail. On this thread you can share your likes and dislikes so your Secret Swapper (SS) might better get to know YOUR special elixir preferences, favorite color, caffeine or not, flavored or not, etc. Please send me and only me the delivery confirmation code when you ship priority mail so we can keep track of packages.

I will post the "reveal" thread when the swap starts after SS's are identified on or about June 1. :D

This is only a mug trade, but feel free to include items that might accompany a morning cup of ____________. The mug you send to your SS does not have to be ugly! It's only a figure of speech as in, "Show us your ugly mug."

Kindly send me a Dmail to confirm that you're "IN" with full name, email, address, and phone number, and let the swipping begin!

Can't wait!

xo
A.
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RESERVED FOR PARTICIPANTS:

AMANDAESQ
JOESWIFE Debra
TATERS55 Linda Kay
DomeHomeDee Dee
JoKenna
NF 2932
WarriorsWisdomKathy
AliKat32
Careyana (Carey)
Nanny23


This message was edited May 21, 2014 9:15 PM

This message was edited Jun 2, 2014 10:34 PM

me please?

Sign me up please!

Hello Ladies! :)

Add my name to the list also!

I'd like in. My mugs are getting ugly and I'd love to retire one for something new.
I like coffee too.

Welcome, Dee and LK. :)

Can I join please..Loved this swap!

HI Amanda!

How are you? I'd love to be in the swap again this year! :)

New this year -- I've been eating ice cream out of my mugs...they are the perfect size and if you want to make a milk shake you can add a little bit of milk right to your mug bowl! YUM!!

Susie has the KING OR QUEEN FOR THE MONTH swap open. Come and check it out!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1360369/

I'ld like to join in too...

Susie has the 2014 JUNE PLANT SWAP open.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1360991/

Hi Amanda...

I'd love to join the swap... I'll follow up with a d-mail per your instructions.

Nancy

Hi Kids. Been busy - good to see everyone - I'm very excited. :D

The mug swap is a bright spot in my year. Thanks for playing.

xo
A.

NF2932 - now that's an interesting handle, I wonder what it means? I had to google Winnetka to figure out where you are. I have some Asclepias you might like to try. Send me a Dmail if you are interested.

Eeep!

I hope I have everyone listed above. Let me know please as my brain stays a little fuzzy. :D

xo
A.

Sign me up Amanda. I need a new mug!

I have to drop out.. so sorry.

Excited about the swap! I love hunting around for my partner's favorite things!

Me...I'm pretty fun loving and easy to please! I love tea out of my coffee cups....and of course they are good for soup and ice cream too! I'm a lover of all nature....except for stinging bugs....ICK!

A baby box turtle showed up on my front step today.....it was as big as my pinkie (in the pic) and I have no idea how he got up that giant step of mine in the first place! I picked him up and hid him in my garden. I hope he makes it! Websites say they are hunted alot!

I am excited about my new potting shed....going to name it "Ye Olde Pot & Trowel" where dirty hands are welcomed.....

and here's the first iris to pop up in my garden...I celebrated by drinking a diet coke in my coffee mug (the one with a cover) so the black flies wouldn't partake in my party beverage!

ohhh, a baby turtle. I found a baby tree frog yesterday, it was about the size of my pinky nail! I love spring.

That is a baby painted water turtle. Make sure she has water to lay in, if she were a he. it's eyes would be red. I rescue all kinds of turtles, most of the time I release them after they have healed from being hit by a car, but I am keeping my ten yr old eastern Missouri box turtle. we had a little water turtle last year get dropped into our yard, found it by the pear tree, released it to a pond. The only thing I can think of is a bird got it from the pond yard three houses north of us, and dropped it to our yard.
Yours is adorable.
I Love your new shed, too.

Sorry to see you go, Kris. I'm going to have to come down there and see what the heck is going on with you. Sorry I've been out of touch.

Well ladies, I am drinking out of one of the mugs that came from this swap. It's one of my favorites. No, wait - almost ALL of them are favorites now. :D

I do love how my mug shelf is now overflowing with acceptable mugs. Now I can't decide out of sheer confusion. Hahahhaha. Just something else to wreck my day - another decision!

Hope all's well out there in la la land. I'll be keeping an eye on you all and putting this swap as a priority above pretty much everything else I have going.

xox
A.

Alikat32,

I was thinking of you this week when I was enjoying my daffodils... you shared your extras with me and they have been a blessing! Your little turtle is adorable... it's amazing how they manage to get past obstacles like stairs!!! Glad you transplanted him to a safer place.

I have been looking around at mugs and really having fun with some ideas... Hope there are some coffee lovers here... I drink coffee daily and prefer it over tea, but when I need some tea I enjoy black tea. My shelf has a few favorite mugs collected over the years, funny how a drink tastes better in a favorite mug!... looking forward to all the photos once the swap is in gear.

My iris are beginning to bloom but slow this year.... I am adding to my butterfly garden and now have a gorgeous red valerian that is a non stop bloomer and my nicotania going strong. I am very fond of the crimson bedder which I am growing for the first time. It's such a pretty color. And my lobelia are bloomiferous this year! Hope you all are enjoying spring and your gardens as much as I am.

Have a great day everyone! Nancy

Is it too late to join?

Nancy - soooo glad the daffodils are blooming for you! You have red valerian? I'm looking for some so if you're interested in a trade let me know...such a beautiful plant!

Debra...that is so cool about the red eyes...I didn't know that! I didn't put that turtle in water - I hope I didn't make it worse for her It's pouring here now so I hope she finds water!

I just had delicious choc milk in my favorite tigger mug!

Not too late to join - days and days left to go. :)

Welcome!

I am feeling guilt. I bought stuff to make a birthday cake today, including store bought chocolate icing, and it sure tastes good on its own. :D

hope all's well out there in la la land.

xo
A.

Amanda, Life is too short to feel guilt over Chocolate Icing! Enjoy!

Totally - no guilt in frosting eating....when students bring me cupcakes from their birthday celebrations I mostly lick off the frosting! One of my students said that her grammy makes the best frosting ever -- she brought some in and OMY it was the best frosting ever.....if you're interested in how to make it I can post the receipe....let me know!

AliKat32 Please my GKs love making cakes and cupcakes would love a good frosting!

Best Frosting Ever:
1 box or 1/2 bag of confectionary sugar
2 big tablespoons of cream cheese
1/2 stick of butter
1 tsp vanilla (my student recommends adding a bit more)
A little bit of milk at a time until the texture is spreadable.... DONE

We had a special lunch for a group of students and I told them I was making brownies...she brought the frosting....I could have eaten just the frosting! Enjoy!

AliKat32, I'd be happy to share the valerian... just not sure how? Any thoughts? I can pinch some and wrap it up in moist towels and newspaper...what do you think? Has anyone ever tried propagating valerian from cuttings?

Nanny23... I love that dahlia... is it from your garden? Such a pretty color.

Amanda... I agree... no chocolate guilt... sends endorphins to brain... -:)

NF2932- Thank you. Yes that is the actual bloom from my garden last year it isn't blooming yet. That is Thomas A. Edison Dinnerplate Dahlia. It is one of my favorites!

Centranthus doesn't divide....,.,.it's a single stemmed plant. Not sure about rooting a cutting, but does reseed in the garden and easy from seed in winter.....

AWESOME as I had some more chocolate icing for dessert. I have a "friend" I was going to make a cake for his birthday. Something tells me I won't have to do it, so I'm making good use of the cake ingredients. :D

Are we done drumming up business for the mug swap? If you know anyone else who might be interested bring 'em on over! The more the merrier. ;)

xo
A.

I never go to bed without a piece of chocolate rushing thru my veins, just saying..

This posting is just painful, I just started a candida cleanse and can't have any sugar, not even fruit or bread. I suppose it will be worth it if I get well. I have been trying to fix my tummy troubles for over a year and well I've got my fingers crossed this "cleanse" will do the trick. But honestly, I am the worst when it comes to chocolate and cookies, it's probably what got me in trouble in the first place.

Hope you find a solution quickly!

Oh Please add me!

I've been so scarce for the past year. Putting together some planters and veggies and having them thrive has brought me back to happiness. The weather the past few weeks has been wonderful so I've actually been spending some time outside. :)

I think I still have a neat mug left over from a couple of years ago. Of course, I may have to go shopping again depending on my trade partner!

Sorry about all the choc talk! Hope the cleanse works it magic!
I can wait for seeds NF.....and I might just have to order a plant online....I love early blooming flowers to get the gardens going!

can't wait to find out my muglee partner.....it's going to be a fun month!

Hey kids!

I have had a crazzzzzy day (well a series of them!). I am going to send out our swap list tomorrow afternoon when I get out of work. I hope that won't inconvenience anyone and their mug shopping! :D

We have a fun group here, except for the cleansing part. Boooo! Okay I'm joking. Debra - and this kind of thing happens way too often - a neighbor delivered a Boston Creme Pie to me this evening. Good Lord, what am I going to do with myself??!

Might have to start exercising again. I mean I know you want to kick me when I tell you my size 8's are falling down on me, but I only just gave away my size 12's! I say to myself as I pack the donation bag(s) - I am NOT going back to this size! It's taken me more than a year to lose these 20 lbs, but I feel better here. With an old back injury and arthritis taking hold, it's more important than ever to do my stretching and exercise (oh and don't forget all the training I did in the fall to get in shape for my wildland firefighting certification!).

We all know that chocolate is good for you. I think we have had this discussion before. However, I don't feel so good after eating all that pie. Ack.

Until tomorrow!

Goodnight everybody.
xo
A.