Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

And the winner of their choice of a 5x7 print is...

(drum roll, please, a la "Christmas Vacation")

Aubrey!

Congratulations, my friend! Let's chat so I can get your print to you ASAP.

If you didn't win (and oh, how I wish I could buy you all the print you loved), don't fret! Abby has provided a discount code for 10% off your entire order of anything you purchase from the Father of Joy! Designs shop during the month of December. When you go to check out, over to the right above your order total, click on "Apply shop coupon code" and enter the code DRAMAQUEEN.

So go load up your Etsy cart and give your friends something joyful to hang on their walls the whole year through!

*Winner was picked through a random number generator on random.org which is a much more reliable method than trying to get Knox to step on one of twenty-six different post-it notes. Not that I tried that or anything. What? He has big feet and all the fur made it confusing...*

Ooooooh...pretty!

Let's see, we've taken care of my birthday, I stayed in my pj's and makeup-less all through Thanksgiving (girls only weekend, remember? so there's no way you're getting pictures of that) so that must mean....

It's time for a Christmas giveaway!

When Jason and I moved to Abilene, TX, I started going to a women's Bible study hosted by First Baptist Church. It was my first experience with a Beth Moore study (more about that here) and it was such a helpful place to meet some other women and make new friends. One evening we randomly exchanged prayer cards with someone in the group and my person was Abby. Out of that random card swap, I found a kindred spirit out in Texas and my friendship with her has been a HUGE blessing ever since. We've seen each other through the newlywed season, family drama, pop culture events, What I Wore Wednesdays (she's the one who got me started on that) and so much more.

(Abby and I at her wedding in 2008)

Abby is all sorts of creative, crafty and talented. She's done multiple blog designs for me, including my current one. It has been so much fun to watch her take her talent and creative gifts and make them available to the folks in Abilene and beyond. She's recently opened up an etsy shop and is offering a variety of prints, of which I want them all! I bugged and nagged politely asked if she would design a print around Jeremiah 29:11 and girlfriend did not disappoint. 

What I love about Abby's designs are how bright, crisp and colorful they are. Having these powerful words in front of me as I work in my little crafting spot is a joy and sweet reminder of the One who knows and loves me best.

This week, YOU have the chance to win the 5x7 print of your choice from Abby's shop.

All you have to do is head over to her shop and take a look at all the gorgeous and fun prints she has listed. 'Cause you're going to find beauties like this...

...and this...

...and this (which I'm pretty sure I need at my house, pronto).

Come back over here, leave me a comment letting me know which print you just have to have and you're entered to win! Want more than one entry? You can do any of the following to get extra entries, just make sure you leave me a separate comment each time you complete one of them:

- Become a follower of my blog (or let me know that you already follow SDQ)
- Post about and include a link to this giveaway in Facebook
- Tweet about and include a link to this giveaway on Twitter

Can't wait to see which prints you love! I'll keep comments open until Sunday, December 11th at midnight (EST) and I'll announce the winner on Monday, December 12th. Good luck!

Summer Lovin’

Who else is ready for summer time? Perhaps I’m not physically (gotta get on that) but I certainly am mentally and emotionally. Bring on the sun, riding around with the sunroof open and music blaring…I heart summer big time.

Two of my favorite accessories for summer are some really cute (but comfy) flip flops and the classic L.L. Bean canvas tote bag. I have quite the collection of both but when there’s a giveaway for another set, who can resist?

Sweet Tea Diaries (I think we’re kindred spirits as far as blog titles go) is hosting this giveaway and I found it just before it ends tomorrow at 8 PM Eastern Standard Time. Hurry on over and enter for your own chance to win.

Honestly, ladies, you can never have too many flip flops OR bags. Trust me on that.

Ok, let me wipe the tears off of my face.

Your comments for the Ethel Gloves Giveaway were breathtaking. Thank you for sharing your stories and the sweet times that you have had with loved ones in the dirt, veggies and flowers! If you haven't yet, do go back and read them. You just may be as inspired as I was...

Ok, I couldn't figure out to do the random number generator thing. So. I wrote each person's name down on a slip of paper and had one of the waitresses at the coffee shop where I am currently camped out pull three random winners.

And they are...

Melba Jane (aunt and gardener extraordinaire)

Mary Grace (carrying on the family tradition of peonies at her new home)

Megan (gardened with her dad, passing the love on to Asher)

All M's- congratulations ladies! Please head over to the Ethel Gloves Store and email me with the following info: the pattern you'd like, your size and mailing address.

I wish I had more than three pairs to give away but remember that you can use the code "Diary" and receive 10% off the very reasonable price of $18 until August 23rd. And I didn't mention it before, but these gloves are seriously hardworking (as well as sassy!) and have received lots of praise from accomplished gardeners.

Thanks again for all the lovely comments and stories. Happy gardening!

A Fitting Tribute

Back in June, I participated in one of BooMama's (aka Sophie's) fabulous giveaways. The rules of her giveaways are simple: leave a comment and you're entered. I simply had to enter this particular one because the giveaway was for a pair of Ethel gloves.

Ethel gloves are gardening gloves. But they are certainly not your ordinary gardening gloves. Oh no. Their motto of "Fashion. Function. Protection." is perfection, with fashion being my favorite part of the deal.

Y'all may not know this, but I am a sucker for a pretty thing. Especially an ordinary everyday item that has been made sassy. So of course I was drawn to the gardening gloves. Even though up until a few weeks ago I couldn't be bothered to step out into the Texas sun and tend to our yard. I mean, there were episodes of Grey's Anatomy that needed watching. Priorities.

But way more than the sassiness, what touched me was that the gloves carry the same name as my grandmother. You see, Ethel Cruise was known in her family and her town for her gardening talents. She loved nothing more than being in the yard and creating beauty out of dirt and bulbs.

When I was in high school she and Grandaddy came to our house and directed the landscaping for the front section of our townhouse. As a full fledged teenager, I was less than thrilled about my mother's mandate to spend a Saturday working in the yard. But it turned out to be one of the best times I ever spent with Grandmother and Grandaddy. There was a lot of laughing and a lot of hard work. And from her, I learned that ivy needs to be spaced when first planted.

(Can we talk for just a moment about how fabulous Grandmother's chapeau is? I have seen the very same kind of beret on the likes of Jessica Biel and Lauren Conrad. Ethel Cruise: Forward Fashion Thinker.)

So given all this, and given that Grandmother is no longer with us, I left a rather lay-my-heart-on-my-sleeve comment for Sophie's Ethel gloves giveaway. I may have been crying while I did it. I know you're shocked.

Well, lo and behold, that same day I get the following email from BooMama:

Would you mind sending me your address?

The Ethel gloves people read your sweet comment and want to send you a pair. :-)

I'm not even kidding.

Love,
Sophie

I know! And sure enough, a week later I had my very own pair of Ethel gloves. Along with one of the kindest, most heartfelt notes I've ever received from someone I've never met.

And the story doesn't end there.

A couple of days ago I received another sweet note from Angela at Ethel gloves. They had decided to add a blog feature to their website and wanted my story (well, Grandmother's story, really) to be the very first post. You can go read it, right over here:

Ethel In The Garden: how does ethel help your garden grow?

And now, ladies and gents, I have an Ethel Gloves Giveaway of my very own. Oh yes! I have three pairs of gloves to give away to three very lucky people. All you need to do is leave me a comment and tell me your favorite memory in a garden. If you don't have one, just tell me what you like about gardens.

If after you've looked at their truly lovely website and want to order a pair because you just can't wait to see who wins the giveaway, enter in the discount code "Diary" and receive 10% off until August 23rd.

Can't wait to read your comments!

(Giveaway ends at Noon Eastern on Monday, July 28th)

(Oh, and aunties and other blog unfamiliar folk- to leave a comment, just click right below here where it says how many comments there are. On the comment page, make sure you sign your name so I know your comment belongs to you!)