Winner!

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Timestamp: 2008-12-13 04:10:47 UTC

Sorry it has taken me so long! I actually had the winner selected Friday, but have just found the time to post the news. I saw Sonya Saturday, so she is already wearing her "Peace" necklace. It looks fantastic on her, and I hope she enjoys it. As for what the remainder of my week holds...probably not a whole lot of blogging! I am fast and furiously finishing up Christmas gifts. My goal is to have them in the hands of everyone no later than this weekend. I would really love to enjoy the few days leading up to Christmas. This is also the last week of school, so I am getting kindergarten and preschool presents ready to go. I'll try to focus on posting some pictures once gifts are delivered. Hope you all have a great week!

peace...

Who couldn't use a little more peace in their life? Well, the least I can do is give you a chance to win a necklace that is stamped with the word. I told you I'd finally get around to getting the December giveaway posted! I have been working so hard getting caught up on Christmas orders, that this month has really been slipping away. Anyway, this necklace is a small sterling rectangle with rounded corners, hand-stamped and simply reads "peace." It is topped with the most adorable sterling silver dove and hangs on a 16" ball chain. You should be able to click on the picture to see more detail. It really is quite neat. So that I can get it to the winner before Christmas, we really need to get this giveaway underway!

As always, all you have to do to enter is to leave a comment. In your comment please share with me what is on the top of your Christmas wish list! If you refer someone else who leaves a comment, have them mention your name. Your name will be entered for this necklace as many times as others mention hearing about this giveaway from you...just a little incentive to spread the word! A winner will be chosen no later than Friday, so start commenting and sharing the good news with others. Can't wait to hear from you!

a giveaway - just not from me (quite yet!)

I know I thought it might be the end of this week when I got my December giveaway piece posted, but it probably won't be until tomorrow night. I still have a little to do to it, but I think it will be worth the wait! On a good note, though, my talented friend Wendi IS having a giveaway. Wendi is the one who does the fantastic embroidery, and her giveaway is just in time for Christmas! This is the information she sent to me:

Hey y’all! Stop by my website http://www.alphabetsoupembroidery.com/ and enter to win a $25 gift certificate. And when you refer a friend and he/she mentions your name in the Comments Box, you'll be entered twice!! So feel free to forward this e-mail on to all your friends. The drawing will be held on December 19 at 8:00 pm, so enter today! (Complete entry details are available on my website, so check it out.)

Now, don't forget to mention me when you enter! I'd love to win a gift certificate to shop with Wendi. Take my word for it...you'll love her stuff!

the holiday rush

Okay...I'm usually much better (at least a little better) about posting than I have been. Thanksgiving was fantastic, but amazingly busy. We had a wonderful time with my parents and friends in Washington. When we returned home, I had to get the house decorated for the Christmas photo shoot Burke was doing Saturday. Since that time, I've culled through tons of pictures to get proofs to clients in time for Christmas card processing. All of the people we photographed were so beautiful, so narrowing down the pictures was not the easiest part of the job - yet it is MY part of the job! On Sunday afternoon I noticed that our beloved golden retriever, Broker, was acting quite ill. After we returned from Bible study that evening, he was really awful. Walker had a migraine, and Broker was sick - not a fun house that night. Needless to say, we didn't sleep a wink. Broker was tested for many things (cancer was the scariest for us since we lost his sister to cancer 5 years ago.) As it turns out, they think he simply had a bacterial infection and needed fluids and antibiotics. The boys and I are heading out this afternoon to pick him up. We are all so ready for him to be home and underfoot again! So.....with all of that, this is my first post in quite a while.

I'm working on some very fun jewelry to fulfill Christmas orders. I just love doing what I do! Stick around this week because my plan is to get the December giveaway made and posted by Friday. I think you'll really like it. I'll keep you posted! Have a great week.

pumpkin pie

Yes, there is one of those in the oven. I am baking a pie to take to the elementary school today. Walker's kindergarten class is having their Thanksgiving feast, and I'm delivering the pie. After we leave school, we're making a quick pit stop at our house before heading to my parent's house for a spend-the-night party. The boys are so excited they could POP! There is candlelight shopping downtown, and we are meeting some dear friends for dinner and an evening of quaint shopping. You never know...we may even happen upon Santa!

As I've said before, Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday for me. I know you've seen this necklace before (very recently since it was the November giveaway!); however, it really sums up what I'm feeling as Thanksgiving day approaches. This particular necklace is a little different than the giveaway piece because it has a white coin pearl in the middle. Anyway...don't forget to count your blessings!

It's Friday!

I have had the best couple of days. William's preschool Thanksgiving program/feast was yesterday, and it is my all-time favorite preschool event. It is filled with family, friends, great food and adorable children who did exactly what they were supposed to do on stage. Walker really wanted to be there, so his teacher said that it would be fine to leave school to attend. He seemed quite proud of his brother, and that made me very happy. I know they adore one another, but sometimes the bickering can get the best of me. Yesterday was not one of those days - they were great, and Walker was very supportive of his little brother. Today was Walker's day. They were studying the letter "P" at school today, so the entire kindergarten got to wear their pajamas to school. Walker thought that was the greatest thing ever. Even better than that (for me anyway) was that William and I got to join him for the holiday lunch at school. Walker seemed to enjoy showing William the ropes. We then headed to the high school to deliver a new piece I had been working on. It is funny...I always get a little nervous when I deliver a piece to someone who has never ordered - will they love it, hate it, wish they had gone with something different? Well, this reaction made my day! She was perfectly thrilled. The picture below will give you a little peek.

This is yet another piece that I would eventually like to make for myself. In the meantime, an order for another one of these came in today...looks like mine will have to wait!

I hope your weekend is a good one!

the holidays are upon us

I really have no reason for showing you this necklace except that I thought it turned out pretty cute. This is a piece I took to the local art show, and it sold right off the bat! Since so much of what I do is personalized, it was really difficult for me to come up with things that people could simply walk up and buy. I like the way it turned out, and you know I'd be more than happy to reproduce it for you should you want one! If nothing else it will give you more ideas of what is available/possible in the world of hand-stamped sterling jewelry.

Now, my friend Wendi over at http://alphabetsoupembroidery.com/ contacted me yesterday about the possibility of hosting a Christmas open house. Now, I must tell you that in one respect the idea terrified me. After all, my house needs a serious cleaning and then decorating. On the other hand, I already had the very same idea and had not mentioned it to her. Anyway, we batted around different ideas - participants, date, time, etc. - and it looks like we can make this happen. Now, my husband is having a Christmas photography special at our house the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so the house will have to be decorated anyway. We always get our tree the Friday after Thanksgiving, so 24 hours should be just fine, right? Nothing like having people over to your house to light a fire under you! I am out of school next week, so it should help to have some days at home. Anyway, if you're in the area and happen to hear from me or Wendi about the open house, I hope you'll join us! It would be a great time to wrap up (or start, in my case!) your Christmas shopping. I'll post more details about that later.

We have the preschool Thanksgiving program/feast tomorrow. I absolutely love that program! Then, I'm heading to the elementary school Friday for their holiday lunch. I just love celebrating the holidays with my boys! Hope the remainder of your week is great and full of thanksgiving.