A Giveaway

Head over to Motherhood Reflections today, and you can enter to win a big prize bundle, including a dainty little nest necklace from my shop!  (This is the twin sister of the necklace I sent.)



In similar news, I put up a shop update over the weekend- I'm pretty excited about new color combos!



Things have been quiet in this space- I'm sorry about that.  My children have decided they don't need sleep, and my free time is very small right now- I spend more time feeding and rocking Cocoa than I do in my own bed, I think.  Once he falls asleep at night, I rush off to find my own bed.  I sincerely wish I had the ability to sleep while sitting up, or while touching somebody, but no: I can only sleep alone, in my bed.  Of course, Cocoa slept great last night, just got up two times (1:30 and 4:00.)  I put him back to bed at 4:00...and lay in bed till 5:00 when my husband's alarm went off...and lay in bed till 6:30 when Cocoa got up again....yawn.  I spent my dark morning hours holding Cocoa, and googling the effects of long-term sleep deprivation.  Did you know the last time I slept through the night was August?  And it happened, like, three times that month?  Those were nice nights.  (There might have been a night last month that we slept all through the night, but I can't remember- sometimes I wake up in the morning, and can't remember what I did all night.)

I have one more year until I can expect Cocoa to sleep through the night, consistently, if my girls are any indication.  So I'm not complaining, I know this story already.  I'm just really, really tired.

Giveaway Winner!

We have a giveaway winner for our fabulous pillow from Cha Cha!  I am so late in picking this name, I know...suspense is a GOOD thing, right??



First, I need to tell you guys that Cha Cha has set up a discount code for you!!  Use "WONDER" to get a 30% discount off ANYTHING in Cha Cha's fabulous little shop, Cha Cha's Treasures.

My girls love this pillow- it stays on Mimi's bed, and it stands up to the abuse my girls heap upon their "treasures."  (You know what I'm talking about, right?)  The stitching is great, and the fabrics are darling.  Have I mentioned how much I love the pom pom trim??

Alright, our winner is...Giveaway Rae!

Rae, look for an e-mail from me, and congratulations!

Pillowcase Review and Giveaway!

When Cha Cha put out the word she was looking for reviewers for her new pillows, I jumped on the chance!



(Really, I did.  Like, I commented about 5 minutes after she posted.  It was kind of embarrassing.  But I'm so excited for you guys to see these!)

Cha Cha has a darling blog and loves all things vintage and sentimental (she does a really neat linky every Sunday, about sentimental tchotckes around her house, things passed down in her family)



She was inspired to make these pillows, and has opened and Etsy shop to sell them!  Here is how she explains them:

The pillow cover has a pocket in front that makes the perfect place to keep Bible memory verses. Wouldn't this makes the perfect gift.

I am so excited about these pillow covers. My hope for the pillows is that they will be beautiful decoration for your kids bedrooms, with a pocket to keep Bible verses in. As a mom who is trying to instill the value of memorizing Bible verses in her children I know that it is sometimes hard for them to turn to the verses in the Bible each time they sit to work on memorization. 

We write the verse on cards, but then where do you keep the cards?????

With the pillows kids have a safe place to store their cards and a visual reminder to work on memorizing the verses. I hope you love this idea as much as I do. I am a sentimental fool and I think these would make great gifts that will become wonderful keepsakes.

I love this idea, and it's a great place to stash memorization cards you want your kids to flip through before they turn out the lights.  BUT, wouldn't these make a neat slumber party pillow, you could stash your tooth brush and a light pair of pajamas in the pocket.  Maybe a traveling pillow, with a  coloring book and crayons on a car ride?

She has a ton of different fabric options in her shop, Cha Cha's Treasures, along with cute little posy pins and other "treasures" (you have to check it out, she's really creative!)

My girls love pillows of all shapes and sizes, and LOVE this one- the pom pom fringe is adorable.

GOOD NEWS!
Cha Cha wants one of my readers to have a pillow cover for their very own

You have lots of chances to win your choice of pillow cover from her shop!  Everything you do earns another entry in this giveaway.

1.  Go to her shop and tell us your favorite design
2.  Follow her blog at Sit Relax and Read
3.  Follow Sit Relax and Read on Twitter
4.  Like Sit Relax and Read on Facebook
5.  Favorite her Etsy shop Cha Cha's Treasures
6.  Blog about this giveaway
7.  Tweet about this giveaway

I'm going to make this super easy for everyone: simply fill out the form below with your answers!  (Nothing will be visible to anyone but me, and I'll send favorite designs to Cha Cha!)

This giveaway will close June 26th.

A Lot of Eggs, All of them Good

I'm lucky enough to still be in touch with some girlfriends from high school/middle school (I KNOW!!) and we've been making a point of meeting up once a month for the last little bit.  We had a fabulous jambalaya spread at K's swanky downtown apartment, we had a caroling party at Aunt LoLo's, we had a Chinese feast at Aunt LoLo's...and it was my turn to host, so we had an afternoon tea party.  So, so fun.  Especially for certain little girls in our families.  (And an ecstatic little boy.)

The spread: carrot cake, scones, rooibos chai, hot cocoa, cucumber sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, fresh bread with nutella, curd, and peppermint meringues.

Unfortunately, we were too busy dealing with the kids' enthusiasm to take any pictures.  BUT, I took pictures before hand!  (Of what I made, at least.)

(You know what else I did before hand?  I took a gamble that the baby would let me sleep that night, and spent an hour and a half cleaning the house.  I started at one end --our bedroom-- folding laundry, and finished up on the other -- the kitchen-- sweeping.  The baby did NOT let me sleep that night, but by golly I had a clean house!)

There, isn't that pretty?  Grapefruit-meyer lemon curd, and peppermint meringues.



The curd used 3 eggs and 4 egg yolks...that's a lot of eggs!  I saved the 4 egg whites to make a double batch of meringues, and Ernie decided they should be pink.  Win-win situation, yes?  The kids adored these cookies- I think Mimi had six, and then snagged a few more after the party while I was cleaning up.  They tasted like concentrated candy canes, so I'd use way less mint extract next time but that's just personal preference.  I cooked them in a 200 degree oven for 2 hours, and then left them in the (turned off) oven for another few hours and pulled them out just before the party.  They got nice and crispy, with no browning, on my silicone baking mats.



Another thing that happened on Saturday?  This book came.  It's awesome.



It's called "Vintage Notions" and is a compilation of excerpts from newsletters printed by Mary Pickens, founder of a women's college for domestic sciences.  She's like a mix of Martha Stewart and Gordon Hinckley!  Seriously, she's talented in everything, and has such a sunny outlook on life.  I love this book, and I love that Su, at Vively Online, hosted a giveaway and sent it to me :)  Thanks, Su!!

(The page you're looking at there has a "magic pattern" for an apron- instructions on how to take a yard of fabric and turn it into a pull over apron.  And, of course, it's an amazing vintage style because the pattern was written in the 1920's.  Very awesome.)

CSN Winner!

Congrats to Ticia!  Random.org picked comment number 2...and that's you!

What Is Yours Sitting On?

My parents are getting a new TV soon, and being the wonderful recyclers that they are, offered us their old one...and the solid oak entertainment center it's sitting in!  WOW is that thing heavy!  We've been measuring and considering if the center would fit, and it has me thinking about where televisions normally sit.  My grandparents had one one the kitchen counter.  My 7th grade science teacher had one on an arm on the wall.  We have one downstairs in a $99 cardboard/plywood entertainment center from Freddy's.  (Hey, I was setting up my first apartment, and I still love the cherry wood color.  It's held up pretty well!)

What kind of tv stand do you use?

CSN is offering a $45 gift certificate to one lucky reader!  It's good for anything, in any store...but not shipping.  Because that's not sold in their store.

I'm in a silly mood today.  To be eligible, answer this question:

What's the best movie you watched at home recently?

I'll close the comments Friday night and pick a winner!  If I don't hear back...I'll pick another one!

(For an extra entry, tell me how you first found me.  I'm curious.)

Congrats to our Winner!

Huge congratulations are in order to DG- she won our CSN giveaway!   I've e-mailed DG...but if we don't hear back from her, I get to assume she's a fictional character, and will pick another number.

Thanks everyone for playing!

--Myrnie

CSN Stores Again, and a giveaway

Can we say procrastinator and indecisive?  I've been working with CSN stores, just like nearly every other blogger out there it seems (CSN has been busy in their promotions department!) but never managed to order anything to review, because there is so. much.stuff.  Seriously.  Lighting, shoes, toys, office supplies, baking supplies, dining room furniture, bedroom furniture...what to choose?  If you guys haven't checked out CSN, or don't know what I'm talking about, you should take a peek.  Their dining room furniture is gorgeous, and while I love my table (and my tablecloth!)....our Sunday family dinners are about to swell again, up to 13 regulars, plus friends (and with 3 adult/teen kids, there are ALWAYS friends in attendance.)  Our table + folding table is already feeling a little crowded.

ANYWAY, I ordered something to review, and I'll show you that when it arrives.  CSN contacted me again- would I like to do another review or giveaway?  Ummm...yes?

So.  Leave a comment on this post to be eligible for a $40 gift code to CSN stores, good for ANYTHING they carry (but not shipping.  Because...they don't carry shipping.  Make sense?)  I'll draw a name on Monday, August 2nd!

--Myrnie

---Edited: PLEASE remember to include an e-mail address, if you don't have one set up on your profile!  You don't have to spell it out: something like madebymyrnie(at)gmail(dot)com is fine.  I want to contact you if you win! :)

Giveaway Winner!

Alright folks- random.org has spoken.  Choosing between numbers 1 and 8 (I know- ouch! I think these dolls are lovely!  Oh well, it increased all y'alls odds) and the lucky number is SIX!

Miss Melissa, come on down!

Thanks for playing everyone!

PS- If we don't hear from Miss Melissa, I'll pick a new name Monday night.

Still in the works....

Just popping in- I have a few things on the sewing table, but nothing's ready to show...

BUT, I wanted to say that there's still time to enter the giveaway!  And to clear up confusion: the winner will receive a brand-new, custom-made doll.  You want green eyes, dark skin, pig tails?  Pale skin, blond hair, and a bob?  A little boy with a butch cut?  How about a little afro action going on up top?  I'll make it for ya :)  

And remember: Tomorrow is Tax Day!  Have you filed yet?

Enter the Great Doll Giveaway!

Hello Lovelies-  did you know this is my 404th post?  It's true.  I started way back in October 2007.  First thing  I ever posted about was my laundry detergent recipe.  The loquacious Aunt LoLo and the very talented Rae were my first commenters :)  Oh, and Tax Day is this week.   Annnnd..... I have an itch to make something.

So.  Let's have a giveaway!

Up for grabs is one of these beauties.



A custom dolly for you!  Leave a comment below, and PLEASE remember to leave an e-mail address because it's always sad to not be able to contact you!

Comments will close Friday (4/16) night at 8:00 pm Pacific Time.  I'll send an e-mail to our winner, who will need to send me a photo to match the doll to, or a detailed description.

Good luck, everybody!

PS- Lurkers.  I know you're out there.  Don't be shy- say hi! :)

Do You Like Giveaways?

Late one evening a few weeks ago, as I was flipping through a few blog posts in my reader, I realized how MANY giveaways there are out there.  And of those MANY giveaways, so many of them ask you to blog about them to be eligible to win...and I really, REALLY, didn't want to do that to you guys.

Didn't want to tell you every time I entered my name in a hat to win Peanut Butter.

Or a Dress.

Or a BOATLOAD of triathlon gear.  (OK, not gonna lie- that was totally Wonder Daddy's deal, not mine.)

But....I kind of wanted to enter.  And maybe there are a few people out there who would like to hear about my favorite freebies out there?

So, if you like a good giveaway, head on over to the newest member of our Blog Squad, I Heart A Giveaway!

And the Winners Are...

Wow guys! Last time I did this, there were just a few more participants than "winning" slots...so I went ahead and made EVERYONE a winner. Tricksy, right? I just never posted a "these are the winners" list, but rather proclaimed "Congrats to our winners, I've contacted you!" :) Oh I know- I'm a rotten lying scoundrel.

But with 22 participants, I just can't do it! Thank you to EVERYONE who participated!

So. Here's the list- please write to me at madebymyrnie(at)gmail(dot)com and let me know your shipping address :) If I have your e-mail I'll try to contact you that way, too. If I don't...and I don't hear from you...well, I picked some extra names. And to everyone who didn't get picked this time... I love giveaways, I'll do another soon!

11 Ticia

14 Sarah

13 Anna

22 Alexandra

10 Nikki

There was also lucky #18 Anonymous...but since the comment was signed off as "The Husband"...well, there's a batch of cookies on the counter :)

So! Ticia, Sarah, Anna, Alexandra, and Nikki... let me know where to ship your loot!

--Management.

It's Giveaway Time!

I've been thinking it's time for another giveaway...and I opened my reader this morning to find a five-for-five giveaway! It's meant to be, don't you think?

So come on- throw your hat in the ring! Oh, and because i'm a rebel and a mom and an oldest child, and I had to throw out my entire harvest of lettuce (so THAT'S what it looks like when it bolts!) I'll draw five random names from the comments AND subscribers. Meaning, if you're a subscriber you're already entered once. Oh, and if you don't actually want to host a giveaway...that's cool too. I won't tell. Life's tough enough without every gift having strings attached :)

I'll pick five names on Friday, July 31st!

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get.
2. What I create will be just for you, with love.
3. It’ll be done this year (2009).
4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber. It may be weird or beautiful. Or it may be monstrous and annoying. Heck, I might bake something for you and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that’s for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something strange.
6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.
7. Send your mailing address – after I contact you.

We Have a Winner!

From twelve comments, random.org gave me lucky #11...Elizabeth G. over at Home Musings!

  I'm pleased as punch for her, and so Congratulations Elizabeth!  (FYI, her blog will play music.  It's gorgeous, it's Saint-Saens "The Swan" but make sure you're ready for it :o)  

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:11

Write back and we'll talk shop :o)

Beautiful Life: Easter Finery and a Giveaway

It's time for Melissa's Beautiful Life linky fest once again! I've learned a lot of new skills over the past year, but I believe one of my favorites is something that I've always known how to do, but didn't do very often. I love to make tiny skirts for my daughters and nieces- you don't need much in the way of pattern, fabric, or even time but they are so cute and the girls love them. So there you go: I'm making our lives more beautiful one Easter skirt at a time.

I told y'all about the fabulous fabric stash I came into, however curious the circumstances. I showed you the first stash-busting project . Meet projects 2 and 3.

The smaller skirt was meant for Ernie, but I didn't take into account that her back side CURVES, which means knee-length in front is definitely a little more party in the back than Easter Sunday would generally dictate. So it's been assigned BBJ status, and BBJ's to Baby Aurora (as Ernie calls our newest niece.) When I tried Ernie's original skirt on her, she said "Too small Mommy! My legs cold!" So, Ernie's was lengthened somewhat. Quite a lot, actually. I made it after she went to bed, and we might hem a little bit. *smile*

Lucky for you guys, I am in love with these skirts and have extra fabric!

So, the giveaway: one custom spring skirt for your little girl!

Who would you put this skirt on. A daughter? A doll? An infant? Would you just zip some elastic in and whiz up a side seam and call it a day like I did? Smock the top and put should straps for a tiny sun dress? Something else?

Leave a comment with your ideas, and if you're the winner THAT'S WHAT I'LL DO (if I can :o) Make sure you leave an e-mail address or blog address so I can reach you, and have a measuring tape handy because I'll need measurements :)

I'll choose a winner on Tuesday, March 31st to get this in the mail, so it will be in your hands in time for Easter.

Good luck everybody!

Time's Up!

Thanks to everyone who decided to play along- watch for an e-mail later today. I need addresses!

And Teresa, if you're reading this, please leave a comment with a blog or e-mail address to be eligible.