I couldn't resist this...

This is how this works:
The first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me for you.

My choice.

Made especially for you.

Of course there are some restrictions and limitations:

1 I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2 What I create will be just for you.
3 It will be done sometime this year.
4 You have no clue what it will be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure.
5 I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? The catch is that you must repost this on your own blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog.

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!!

Drum Roll Please …

   Let me start by saying that this giveaway stuff is harder than I thought. As any blogger does, I LOVED reading your comments and blog entries about your Christmas decorations. As I read them I found myself rooting for each and everyone of you to win the giveaway. I began contemplating how long it would take me to make one ornament for each one of you. Too long. Way too long. Just know that the thought crossed my mind and the saying does go, “It’s the thought that counts,” right? To appease my desires I decided to make two extra ornaments, so there are two winners today! Yippee!

 

 

 

   Winner #1:

Jill said, “Most of our ornaments are the same kind - those we received when Dave's dad cleared out his stash, the ornaments I was giving growing up, and those we've purchased each year since marriage. My favorites are those folksy one from Dave's dad. They remind me so much of those on my parents tree.”

 Winner #2: 

Stacie said, “I too have a box full with sentimental value. Those that were handmade or passed down through the years, and they have all adorned my tree for the past 8 years of my  married life. This year, though, I was feeling a little fancy…so we (or really, I) changed it up a bit (pics on the blog). We do have the same tradition in our family of letting the kids pick out a new ornament every year. I let the kiddos decorate with their ornaments first, then I fill in the rest. ;) At this point they are happy as long as their special ornament is within grabbing distance so they can rip it off the tree and show anyone who visits.”

 

You will notice that the second ornament isn’t quite finished because last night as I sat down to finish it at 10:00pm I realized that I needed to finish my sister-in-law’s veil for her wedding on Saturday. So, veil came first and is all finished, thank goodness. The finished ornaments will be on their way to both winners early next week! Thanks again everybody for giving a bit of holiday cheer to my December.

I'll be drawing names today during nap time, so if anyone reads this and still wants in on the mitten ornament giveaway, you have until 2:00pm MST. Yippee!

Humor Me

Did you read the last paragraph of my last post? I’m doing a giveaway! It would just tickle me pink if lots of people entered. Go for it!

How lovely are thy branches!

I am a sentimental decorator when it comes to Christmas. It is a tradition in our family that we get an ornament every year for Christmas. When we get married my mom passes those ornaments on to us for our tree. I love pulling out each one and remembering the year it was given to me.

This lovely gem of an ornament was given to me the year I was born. Do you see what I mean? You would have to be sentimental to keep this. (The bad photography doesn’t help much, does it?)

The ornaments that remind me of what was going on in my life at the time always make me emotional. This was from my mom last year, in honor of our first Christmas in our new home. What a special memory.

These two ornaments aren’t gifts, but have equal sentimental value. I remember as a child I loved putting the ornaments on our tree that my parent’s had made for their first Christmas tree. So, after Brandon and I got married I was super excited to get some ornaments that we could remember as our first. Being in the thick of my first concert season ever as a music teacher, handmade didn’t happen. I love what we chose from Terry’s Village, though. The heart is one of 12 ornaments that are part of an old German tradition. I’m not German and didn’t even know about the tradition until I saw the ornaments in the catalog, but I thought it was pretty nifty, so I decided to join in on the fun! The snowmen are just cute. Busy Boy loved putting them on the tree this year.

What kind of tree decorator are you? Do you have any favorite ornaments?

Leave me a comment or write on your blog and leave me a link in the comments. I am making the cutest mitten ornaments for my kids (based on a pattern from Leisl at disdressed) and will have some extra fabric. Anyone that comments will get entered in a drawing for their very own mitten ornament. Also, if you link to my blog on your blog, you will get a second entry in the drawing. I will draw a name on Friday, December 12th. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

Swaddles

I have a dear friend from back in my college days. We lived in the same dorms for only one semester and haven't seen each other since, yet, somehow I feel like I have known her forever. I love friends like that. Well, I have recently discovered that I want to be her when I grow up. She is uber creative and has developed these adorable bath aprons. Wouldn't this be a perfect gift for a pregnant mama? Or perhaps that favorite grandchild of yours? Check out her etsy shop, she has lots of aprons to choose from!

Speaking of giveaways ...

Check these out:

Lands End Diaper Bag Review and Giveaway: Please tell me I am not the only Mom in the world that doesn't have a fabulous diaper bag. I need one. Bad.

Old Navy gift certificate: Need I say more?

Mother/Daughter Sterling Silver Bracelets: How is it that having a girl has turned me into even more of a girly girl than I already was?

Crayon Apron: I love that this is for a boy.

BabySNAZZ legwarmer giveaway: I totally know how to make these, but getting them for free would be even cooler!


Can you tell I am going for the law of probability? Is that really a law? I don't know. Whatever. Anyway. In all of my blogging days I have never won a giveaway. (cue sad violin music) I am crossing my fingers and toes for any one of these!

Oh yeah, and check out Bloggy Giveaways for LOTS more free stuff, if you are lucky enough to win!

Someday I will win a giveaway ...

... and if this is the one, I would be so SUPER excited! Kathleen at GROSGRAIN is so uber-talented. I want to win!

Allie Brown Giveaway

Have you ever wanted a custom made blog layout? Me too. It would be cool. That is why I am entering this giveaway. You should too, even though it will lessen my chances to win.

I have a weakness for dresses ...

...especially adorable dresses like this one! I am crossing my fingers that I just might win it. Maybe. Hopefully. Oh man, I love this dress!
Dollhouse Frock GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!