Love Is…… | The Giveaway Goods

February 16, 2010 By Laura 10 Comments

Love Is…..A Giveaway!!

To give a little LOVE back to you all, we thought it was high time for some giveaways! Anyone up for that?

First up, we’d love to giveaway this faux-vintage decoupaged metal set, of a watering can, and a little container.

It could be a lovely touch, for your home decor.

b_vintageset_pink It’s not much, but the set is rather sweet! Shabby-chic-ish!

c_vintagecontainer One detail I really love, is the message on the side of the container:

(Family) Where the seeds of character are planted.(Home)

Isn’t that the truth.

The container can be used for an indoor plant, a starter plant, a pen and pencil cup, or any little junk!

The watering can would look sweet in a little girl’s room.

It’s not perfectly made. It’s on the rustic side.

It’s imperfections are, to me, what gives our little treasures character.

You can try to win this Giveaway for yourself, for your daughter, for a friend, or as a gift you may re-give come Christmas. (We’ll never tell a soul. ; )

Since we are always trying to get to know our blog visitors a little better, we thought it would be fun to share a little, in the comments. Since the theme as of late, is LOVE, here’s how you can qualify to WIN this faux-vintage set, delivered right to your door for NADA!:

Please share at least 10 things that you really love. Things that share with us and the readers, a little bit about what makes you, YOU. Not “Oh, I love my kids…..”etc.,…..after all, if you don’t love your kids……..well, we just sure hope you do.

The Giveaway will end Monday night, the 22nd of February. We’ll announce the winner sometime on Tuesday, via the Random dot org number puller.

So…..we’ll go first!

(Just so you know, my kids helped me compile my list, and you can do the same. Sometimes others can do a better job pointing out these things, than we can of ourselves. After all, if they shout it out at you like it’s a good one, it’s probably a consistently obvious thing they can tell tickles your fancy.) So, here we go….in no particular order! :

Laura

photography
Mass/praying
snowstorms
first coffee of the day
antiques/old imperfect things
my kid’s love for learning
my kid’s artwork
Teri (lol)
trees in autumn
scarves
homeschooling
my home
blogging

Michael

fishing
muscle cars
outdoors
my home
music from 60-70’s
coffee
cake
home-made pizza
my work
a good homily
helping others
free stuff!!

a_vintageset_white-300x214

We look forward to reading your own lists!!

Good luck to you all!

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A Birdhouse Giveaway

August 9, 2009 By Laura 12 Comments

Just because we love our blog-visiting friends, because Life is Good, because God is blessing us left and right, and because we know you love them……here’s another Giveaway!

The goods? This beautiful cedar birdhouse . . . . . .

This birdhouse measures 13 1/4″ wide x 11″ high x 8 1/2 ” deep, and has a 5 lb. seed capacity.

Some starter seed is included.

Also included is 2 (peanut free) suet cakes!

Entering to win this birdhouse with feed is easy!

We’d love for you to tell us: What is the animal you were most surprised to discover around your bird feeders, eating the seed on the ground? Or, if you don’t have any feeders yet: Why would you love to win this one?

All comments will be entered into the random drawing. A winner will be drawn in a week, on Monday, August 17th, and will be announced here on the blog.

To answer the question ourselves, (although we are automatically disqualified, lol) for the sake of sharing, we would have to say wild turkeys. But we bet some of you have more interesting answers.

GOOD LUCK!!

The deadline for comments in the drawing will be at 10 a.m. eastern time on Monday, August 17, 2009.

The winner announcement for this Give-Away will be made right here in this section, in THIS post (so scroll down to it if you need to) by noon-1:00 p.m. of the same day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HERE WE GO!!

“Mix them up, {S}!”

“Mix them up good, now.”

“Don’t look, and go ahead and pull one out.”

“Are you sure you have just one? Ok….Open the paper.”

“Who’s name is on it?

” Stick it out and show us….we can’t read it.”

“Oooohhhh!! It’s Samantha!! Hoooraaayyy for Samantha!!!. “

“Wait. Samantha in Canada??!“

<1/2 a second ponder…>

“Oh, we love Samantha!! We love all of our blog visitors. Of COURSE we ship to Canada!”

CONGRATULATIONS, SAMANTHA!!

Hope you and your girls enjoy your new bird feeder, and all of it’s visiting birds, for years to come!

Please contact us at LLRphotography@aol.com to claim your prize, Sam!!

To all of our other entries…..sorry it wasn’t your win this round! But keep trying…..you can’t win if you don’t play!

Well now. That was fun. : )

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May Basket Delivering! – SO FUN!

May 1, 2009 By Laura 6 Comments

Our May Basket Delivering Day was so fun! We wanted to share it all with you.

There was no schooling on our agenda today – just delivering our May baskets for May Day, and the kids could not have been more excited! But, first, I had to have some of my own fun, taking just a few more photos, as detailed memories.

Ok, now I was ready. So next the kids loudly debated about which May basket was ‘theirs’, based on the tag they made, and who was going to who’s door, ringing the doorbell, and running for their life. Once that was settled, they were very eagerly ready to go! But you know I’m getting a photo of them first, and they know it too.

I was so grateful that the light rain we had going on, went on hold for us once it was time to get down to business. I didn’t mind the gray overcast day—it’s actually better for the photo taking. : )

Our first stop was right at the end of our road……

This is the home of a lovely elderly couple who have nearly ancient history in our neighborhood. This home of their is new, but it is built right in front of the old and smaller home that they raised 11 children of their own in! They are so sweet. So {A} placed the basket on the porch, rang the doorbell and ran. We were ‘seen’…..their visiting daughter opened the door as she and I were climbing back into the van up the road some. Last year their visiting son saw us the same way. Now…our hopes are always that our intended receivers would come to open the door, because that would give us more ‘get-away’ time, if you know what I mean. ; )

Next stop was up the main road a bit……

{J} was up for his hit and run. lol. This is the home of Sr. Jeremy—the long time nun resident of our parish. She has done marvelous and wonderful things within our church family. We love her dearly…..and she loves children, DEARLY!! She is a HOOT, if you know what I mean, and she has no reservations about speaking her mind. Ever. My kind of Girl!

I was hiding behind a bush with my camera, and I couldn’t have been more tickled pink with getting this shot!! Look how his feet aren’t even touching the ground! He was hysterical, trying to run before the door opened. We got away in time, but did spy with our little eyes, Sister open the door, see the May basket, and look everywhere for the sneaky one. lol

Next stop was a little ride, and it was {S’s} turn…..

This is the home of a lovely older couple from church, who dig us. And we dig them. We always sit all together in 2 pews in front or behind each other. They adore our kids, and are smitten with their church behavior. They are probably in their late 70’s, and have great senses of humor.

Now, I have to tell you…THIS was a tricky one. And we got TOTALLY BUSTED! See, here’s the thing. We were pretty sure these Peeps were going to be home. The brick sidewalk leading to this door, is very windy. It actually does a zig, and then a zag. So sidewalk is actually shifted very much to the right side, walking towards the door, and then does a zig to straighten head on to the door. So as we are walking, we are looking RIGHT IN the big window door-right. And we see movement in there. Oh dear! So {S} puts the basket down, and tries to hurry ringing the door bell, which is of course door right….

…and as he rings, he finds himself face to face with Mrs. G….coming to the door. DAG NABBIT!! Do you see her? Need help?

Do you see her now?? No?? It’s ok…it’s ok…it happens to the best of us. (Well, not really….I just don’t want you to feel bad…)…look again…

Now?? Because that’s really all I can do to help you. lol

So anyway….she’s coming, {S} sees her, but he starts ringing the doorbell anyway, and again, and again, because really….he was NOT missing the opportunity to ring a doorbell like everyone else! (We don’t have one on our house…lol).

Mrs. G opened the door, and laughing she said “WHAT are you DOING?”…and {S} said “Happy May Day!“, and she replied with a big laugh, “Aren’t you just the sweetest thing!“….and he has been repeating that all day. I think he believes her! lol. No…he is. So anyway…I was laughing so hard, from the nerves and getting caught, I forgot to take photos of her standing there, pleased as punch with their surprise. Then we ran away, with her yelling after us…‘Thank youuuu!!!”

We had ONE more stop, and it was {O’s} turn……

This is the home of our friend, Dr. Ann. She is a veterinarian, and she has become quite attached to our kids too. (And us, her.) We also know her from church, and we also sit near her. (She saved a pew for us on Sunday morning, because we were running late, and it was JAM PACKED because it was a First Communion Mass….bless her soul!! We were so thankful!) Anyway, she calls the kids ‘The Children‘….and if you heard her voice. LOVE her voice. She’s a lector too…which is so lovely hearing her read Sunday readings to us…and she is also a singer. (She got us all tickets to her concert this Sunday!) Anyway….she knows all of he kids names, but she always says to the kids “So how are THE CHILDREN today??!! HmmMM??”….and they all giggle, and say, “Gooood.” She’s a doll.

We knew she wasn’t home, because her car was not there, and she works long hours at her business in town, her own Veterinary Hospital. But…the kids enjoyed the fact that her cats were in the window watching us. lol. So at least SOMEONE saw her in her cool hot pink slicker, even if they did have fur!

That was the last of our May basket deliveries! Met with BIG groans and sighs by ‘the children’.

As we all climbed out of the van in our driveway, they were still talking about how they wish we had more homes to go to. They had SO much fun. WE ALL did. We just LOVE doing these kinds of things. Especially for other people. The whole process….planning surprises for others, shopping, making and baking things, and just having fun making someone’s day.

Here they all with mission accomplished: Basket-less!

Later on tonight, we got a call from the old woman at the end of our road. She left the sweetest message on our machine, expressing how wonderful that May Day gift basket made her feel, and the memories it brought back to her of the May Pole at school when she was a little girl. If you heard her sweet, sincere and shaky little voice, well….

That’s what it’s all about.

We can hardly wait until next year. I’ve heard the kids talking, and I can see this getting WAY out of hand next time.

But who cares??!!

Hope you all had a wonderful May Day!

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Winner of Our 1st Giveaway Received….

April 20, 2009 By Laura 4 Comments

For those of you who have been itching to know what the winner of Our First Giveaway received, this is the post you’ve been waiting for!

For those of you who are new to our blog, and have no clue what we’re talking about here, these links may help:

Announcement for our blog’s First Giveaway!

Winner Announcement

Now that we’re all on the same page, here we go…….

The first thing the winner received, was the box itself, that we put all of our hand-made gifts in! I’m telling you, I just loved this box. We did not make it, we bought it. It was just the perfect size, sturdy, and simply lovely. The cover had a front flap that magnetics closed! I opened and closed it several times, just for the fun of it! : ) The cover adorned the phrase: Live well, Laugh often, Love much. Wise words we try to live by around here. It really was a great box. One could use it to store all kinds of things, like letters, cards, drawings from your children, or any kind of special momentos.

But here’s what WE put in it…..

….an assorted collection of handmade gifts.

One of my favorite handmade gifts was this sign….

This was my idea and I designed it, but Michael actually made it. We bought the sign unfinished, and Michael painted and lettered it. The paint is not solid, but more old looking, which is also one of the things that I love about it. It’s rustic, and humble, and I think he should make me one now.

Next, I made glass stem bracelets….

For those who are unfamiliar with these little doo-hickeys, these bracelets go on the stems of wine glasses or pedestal mugs. They are made with wire rings and beads, and any other functional charms. These glass bracelets have a couple of purposes: The first is simply to make your glass sets more festive and pretty. The second, is for social gatherings involving several guests, and therefore several glasses around. The assorted bracelets help people differentiate which glass is theirs, on the counter or table-top. This was my other favorite gift we made. I think they are beautiful, style-ish, and frankly, I feel fancy and clever having them on my wine glasses.

I made a set of eight different bracelets. It was really hard to photograph them together, and make all of the sentiments readable, so I labeled them all for you, because I have a thoughtful side. : )

Also, while I was making them, I was mesmerized by all of the colorful beads on the table, and lost control with my camera once again. I loved this shot, so I’m throwing it in here to share. There are people out there who understand this problem I have, in needing to take such photos, and they appreciate it!

Next up……..I bought this wooden carved word, which is very important to me, and many of you: FAMILY. I painted it pale yellow, and then just rubbed on some floral and ladybug decorations. That came out like this…

(Candle not included.)

The soaps we made as Christmas gifts were a big hit, so I made a few more (one of each color) for the Give-Away. I love glycerine soap, and we scented it a lovely apple aroma. I didn’t take a new photos of the new soaps alone, though….this photo is from the Christmas batch, just for a closer look…

I also threw in some bookmarks, which honestly were from the abundance of leftovers we still have from making them as Christmas gifts.

Lastly, a charming little hand-painted pot….

Michael painted this, and even pulled the painted stripes free-hand around the pot, with a fancy long-haired brush. I think it came out really cute.

That would conclude the up-close review of the hand-made gifts given to our First Giveaway winner. We plan to plan (lol,) another Giveaway, of some sort, soon. We’d like to wrap up our over-due ‘Michael Project’ we started first. IF, that is, you all are interested, in another Giveaway?? If so…speak up People! We’d love to know what kind of interest is out there.

The Regan Camp reports that the favorite items were the sign and the soaps.

What would your favorites have been?

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Love Is…..A Giveaway!!

Hope you all had a wonderful May Day!

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