Well, for those of you that I haven’t called while screaming hysterically or who haven’t seen my facebook update, I might as well tell you: I am going to the Pioneer Woman’s house this weekend. In fact, I will shortly be on my way to the airport, to a plane that will whisk me away to a magical place in Middle-of-Nowhere, Oklahoma. A magical place of cooking, chaps, cows, and no traffic noises.
The Pioneer Woman had a holiday baking weekend giveaway, inviting 4 lucky gals to her house to be fed, drink coffee, feed the cows, learn about baking, and sleep in.
Among those lucky gals are longtime friends Jennifer and Ann. After checking out their blogs, I can’t wait to meet them in person.
Prior to this I had never won any lottery-style thingamaging in my life . . . but I had a little itch when I entered, and even thought to myself, “man, if I win I have to make sure I can make it back by Sunday night” (for that gig at the Red Line Tap). Then I told myself “This is ridiculous. Don’t even worry about that–it’s not like you’re going to get picked! Not with those crazy odds! Heck, half of the female population in America is entering this giveaway!”
But the itch persisted.
I was comment #16,128, and I was picked. From about 40,000 entries. With only 4 winners, that was a 0.01% chance. If you’re having trouble even believing the words that I’m saying to you (I’m having trouble believing them myself), you can check out my name emblazoned for the world to see on her “holiday baking weekend winners” post.
I found out on Friday November 5th, and my first reaction was honestly to start laughing hysterically. Thankfully my boss wasn’t in the office to witness the insanity. I laughed for about 15 minutes, on and off, with tears in my eyes. I also screamed multiple times. I had to verbally instruct my own self to calm down. Then I called my sister, called my Mom, and texted my other sister (sleeping soundly in Alaska).
Ree allows everyone to bring a guest, so I’m taking my Mom with me, since Heidi will be too pregnant to fly in from Alaska, and Erica’s husband-man gets deployed that same month . . . for a year. Incidentally, this is why we’re voting for the P-Dub to do an army wives weekend. So Erica and Heidi can go.
Leading up to this weekend, I’ve been having the craziest dreams. In one of them, Ree had a heavy Eastern European accent and a smoker’s voice, and told us she was going to die of cancer by age 49. I immediately started crying, and realized that her blog would now go from a happy, cheerful place, to the diary of a dying woman.
In another dream, I kept trying to take pictures of the sunset on the ranch, but my camera’s memory card was malfunctioning and didn’t save any of my amazing photographs.
In yet another, when we arrived at the guest lodgings, there were cats, mice, and other animals everywhere, and there was a pile of cat poo in the shower. Oh, and a dead mouse had been skinned and gutted by some cowboy in the middle of the carpet. Thankfully in this dream I had the sense to bring my Mom and Erica and Heidi, and they promptly cleaned it all up for me.
I don’t want to sound like a crazy obsessed fan, but I love this woman. I love her humor, I’ve cooked (and loved) over 30 of her recipes (seriously, I’ll make you a list some day), I learned the rudiments of photography and Photoshop from her, and I’ve admired her site for over a year. In fact, it was her blog that taught me what a blog even was!
At this point, baking isn’t my forte. But after this holiday baking weekend, and after absorbing the magical skills which will undoubtedly be in the air, I should be set.
Just look at the sinfully delightful things she cooks up. I dare you not to salivate.
The cry that has been ringing in the back of my mind for weeks now betrays the fact that I am a girl, through and through:
But . . . I don’t have anything to weeeeeeeeaaaar!
I will be blogging all about the experience, make no mistake.
*both photos courtesy of thepioneerwoman.com
Oh, how exciting, Jenna!!! Give Ree a big hug for me, though she doesn’t know me! Have a wonderful time!!!! And we want all the details of your trip. 🙂
This is very exciting! You’ve got me pumped too. Have a wonderful time, I look forward to seeing your photos and hearing all about it.
Holy @#$%^!!!!! I am hooting and hollering over here just thinking about it!! I love her, too! I actually met her in person once and she’s so gorgeous and warm and funny–you’ll have such a great time! Take pictures, have fun, and take note of EVERYthing, because I want to hear every detail! Whoo-hoo!
I’m so excited for you!!
How awesome is this!!! Congrats and have a wonderful time. And ask her if she would take applications from the male counter-parts that would love to meet her.
OMG! How fantastic. Pioneer Woman is incredible!! (though I’ve never met her, I feel like I know her) Have a wonderful time, can’t wait to see your photos and recaps!!!!
Outstanding Jenna. You really have been on a lucky streak haven’t you? You must provide a full report when you get back. Have a fantabulous trip.
I vote for a military wives’ weekend, too! I think it would be especially appropriate while the men are deployed. Anyway, have a great time. We look forward to the posts about your trip.
Can you print my avatar and take it with you so I can be there too? What a wonderful thing, can’t wait to read all about it.
And thank you for the intro to Pioneer Woman, please give her my greetings all the way from South Africa.
Enjoy!
OH MY OH MY OH MY!!! 🙂 I”m so excited for you!! Have a blast!!
Wow, amazing! I saw this giveaway on her site and think it’s so great. How cool that a woman whose blog I follow gets to go! Now I get to hear all about it.
Have so much fun and learn lots!
Serious, serious envy going on over here. Or is it jealousy? I am not sure, but I sure wish I was going with you! 🙂
HAVE FUN!!!!!!!
Oh my GOSH Jenna! I am so totally jealous! How crazy that you got picked! i always think the exact same thing, “O I’ll never get picked out of the thousands” that leave comments on her blog. But Yay! for you! I’m seriously so excited for you!! 🙂 I should have connected that earlier when she said who the winners were, but I was so jealous that I didn’t even want to look at the names. hee hee. enjoy it! Even though I don’t “know” you, I think you are really cute and that we could be friends… and i’m SO happy for you. Can’t wait to hear about it!
xoxo-kimberly renee
That’s fabulous, Jenna! I’m happy for you and your mother. Enjoy! Blessings to you…
If I send you lottery numbers, will you look over them and tell me if I should play them?
Have an amazing time! I’ll check back here for the afterparty.
Awww I wish I could’ve won!!! I want to go so bad and it would’ve been awesome to meet you as well! Sadness. I’m only an hour away, can’t you talk her into letting me come up too? I can sleep on the floor. I’ll even bring my own food.
How exciting! I remember reading the post of the winners, and thinking “that can’t be *my* Jenna!” Ha! There is no possible way in the world that you won’t have a fab time, so enjoy every minute of your weekend. And know that this bloggy friend of yours is just a teensy bit envious. Have fun!
OMG I am so jealous! I am dying to go to her ranch and I was so upset I missed this most recent contest (not that I had much of a chance to win). I actually had a dream that I went there and met MM and the kids the other day. Crazy stalker much?
Can’t wait to heat about your trip!
Ahh! You’re so lucky! I love Ree! She’s so inspiring with all her amazing photography and she cracks me up!
Have a really super time Jenna. I hope you packed your fat pants. From the looks and sounds of her cooking, you’ll need that extend-a-waistline.
have so much fun!!!
NO. WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMgoats, this is just incredible! I actually entered that too, with reservations whether I would actually be able to swing it if I won but entered anyway, thinking I wouldn’t. And I didn’t. But I’m so stoked to know someone that did! So. Stoked! And you know, I laughed so hard at the cat poo and skinned mouse dream that I was actually wheezing and my husband was giving me worried looks until I managed to read that paragraph to him and he started laughing too. That sounds like my dreams–mine are always insane! Anyway, congrats to you!!! Take lots of pics!!! Or better yet, have your Mom take pics of you with P-dub while you’re baking. woot!
OH MY GOSH! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That’s so ridiculously cool! Take pictures! Blog! Tell her I say hi 🙂 j/k on the last one. Why have you not mentioned this before??? I hope the weekend is all that you imagine and so much more.
Ahhhh! so awesme! have a ton of FUN!! and take a million pics 🙂
AMAZING!!! I am so happy for you. I ADORE Ree for so many of the same reasons…she has great humor and a beautiful family and ooooohhhhh the food.
Please tell me you own the cook book? I don’t, but I’m not much of a cook. I’m more of a….food appreciator…. 😉
Have fun, take many many photos. PLEASE rub Charlie’s ears for me!? I just want to scoop that doggie up and take him home!
Congrats!
Charlie’s ears rubbed = check!
Owning her cookbook = check! (she gave me a copy =)
Many, many photos = check! (only about 700, heh heh)
Yay! What a great weekend! I can’t wait to share more of the details with all you guys!!
We’re here, and what a place! The sweeping plains, the wild mustangs galloping through the windy sunlit morning, kitties at the front door, and most of all, the wonderful uassuming hosts.
AHHHHH!!!! I am shrieking for you!!! I mean, you’re probably there right now. BUT HOW AWESOME! I met Ree at BlogHer and she is the BEST so I’m sure you’ll have fun.
Wow wow wow! So jealous!
I didn’t realize it was you who won!
Congrats lady, I can’t wait to read all about your trip 🙂
How amazing! You bet I’ll be back to read about your trip. Congratulations on being picked.
“I laughed for about 15 minutes, on and off, with tears in my eyes. I also screamed multiple times. I had to verbally instruct my own self to calm down” ….LOVE that!!!
Hope you had a safe trip back home! It was so nice to meet you…and your mom…thanks for letting me hand out with the lucky ducks at the ranch yesterday!!!
PS….loved your signing, too!
Thanks Bridget! I so enjoyed meeting you! Your cookie skills are incredible, and I can’t wait to try those techniques on my own. Hope you had a safe trip as well!!
Home safe and sound in the snowy north, and today I have committed to making Christmas cookies for the Christmas eve service. Guess what I intend to do?!?! Thanks for your great instruction this weekend!!
congrats!! what an absolute blast you will have! Your style has often reminded me of Ree…you both make me chuckle when I read your blogs. Hope you have a fantastic time!!!
That is the bomb! Congratulations. I’m very envious of you.
I USED to be a mushroom hater but I’m beginning to come around. Solely because of recipes like this. Awesome.
Can’t wait to hear about all the good stuff going on in your life!
JEALOUS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT… AHHH
EEK! How amazing is that!? So jealous, soooo jealous! Have fun and take lots of photos!
Wow! Congratulations. My hubby has a theory that Ree’s website is just a corporation type thingy and that she’s not just a regular blogger mom… he says, how can anyone have time to do all that? But seriously, her cinnamon rolls are the best. i aspire to make rolls as good as hers 🙂
Heh heh, my hubby may or may not have entertained the same thought a few times. =) I can now attest to the fact that she’s the real thing. I met her husband, her kids, and saw the piles of dishes with my own eyes!