Happy Blogiversary!!!

This is how my day started not so bright and early this morning:

Honestly, how can you see that and not thank the good Lord for the day he hath made? 


Then I had to get on the road and actually face the world. 

diamondsandskinny.tumblr.com

What's the best way to repair a bad day?  Do something for someone else!!!!  Yea!!!!

This week, on Saturday to be exact, it will have been a year since I started this blog.  Unfortunately, I cannot now recall what inspired me to start that particular day, a seemingly random Thursday (Thursday??!!  Who starts something new on Thursday?).  However, I can definitively say that this has been a really great year.  I have learned SO much.  I've met some amazing people.  I have done things I thought I would never have had the courage to do. I may have overshared a little.  And I have had an absolute blast doing it all.

So for my blogiversary, I want to give you all a big THANK YOU!  Thanks for reading my blog. Thanks for liking my page. Thanks for hanging with me over there, for all your comments, for all your likes, for your shout outs and referrals, for your purchases and for just being YOU!

~~~~and now for gifts and party favors~~~~

I'm calling this a "friends and family" giveaway.  There are FOUR prizes--awesome stuff that I personally love and hope you do, too!

There will be four winners chosen on Sunday evening at 10 pm CDT (or thereabout) for the following prizes:

This awesome blank journal by Kelly Rae Roberts.  She is an artist/author/"possibilitarian" from whom I've taken two creative business classes. I also own three of her canvas prints, which I love. 

Brave Intuitve Painting, a beautifully rendered book by Flora Bowley.  I took her class "Brave Intuitive You".  Because I was one of the first 100 registrants for the class, I won a signed copy of this book (you aren't getting that one..sorry!).  I'd already pre-ordered one from amazon.com (you're getting this one).  Although I wish there were more painting photos, it's a lovely book and talks about the techniques she uses to create her AMAZING multi-layered artwork like this one ::swoon::.  If  you don't want to do art, you'll still love looking at the pictures.  It's beautiful!

 This print by one of my favorites---Mae Chevrette. She's a young, hip Bostonite who creates amazing mixed media pieces using her own photography, great typography and sweet, funky details.  I actually own this original, so we'll be artsy twins. :)

And, finally, this LeissnerArt original mixed media 8 x 8 artwork which uses my own photograph (of another little art piece), vintage papers and maps, decorative papers, sheet music and a little smidge of the Holy Bible.

The "friends and family" part of the deal is this:  Although not a requirement for the giveaway, I would greatly appreciate it if you would share my page and blog with your friends and family AND each winner (chosen by random selection from comments to this post) will also receive an 8 x 10 print of one of my originals (I'm not sure which one yet, so we'll all be surprised!) to either keep or share with a friend or family member!!!  I love a two-fer!!

I hope the options are awesome enough that any one of them will make you a happy winner because the prizes will also be selected randomly.

So to be entered:

1. Add a comment to this blog post telling me the thing you love most about your friends/family.  Make sure to include your name so that you recognize yourself when I announce the winners.

2.  You can get another entry if you will share my blog post on your Facebook page or twitter.  If you do share or tweet, come back here and enter another comment telling me you did that.  It's the honor system here.  I'm going to trust you.

Facebook rules don't allow giveaways on their site. Comments will only count if they are entered on the blog.  However, I've seen a couple of giveaways recently where the first winner didn't respond to the winner announcement. Don't lose out on your stuff!!  I'll announce on Facebook and here on the blog, so Like my page (and make sure your settings are such that you can see it) and/or follow the blog. I want you to know you won!!

Two possible entries to get signed up for two-fer. I'm so excited to share some of my favorite stuff with you for my blogiversary.  Here's to another year together.  It's going to be a big one.

Thanks again for being here.  May the Lord bless you today with many brilliant sunrises.

<3 Lori