Winners, Plural

"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else."
~ Albert Einstein 

Winners.

That's right. I said winners. Plural. I mean, what else could I do with 190 comments?

190 comments?! Wow! This was the best soup party yet! 

I have to apologize if I have not left a comment on your soup. Yet. I got bogged down in some major deadlines this week and I still have about 40+ more to go. I promise that I will get there to sample your soup! Keep a little bit of leftovers just for me!

I am a busy bee making more of my 'simple truths' pendants right now and since that is what I am giving away to not one... not two... but THREE lucky winners, this is a great time to choose! 

The rules were that you had to leave a comment, any comment on the post. AND you also had to have some way for me to get in touch with you directly. I found it a bit disheartening to find that there are scads of soup-ers out there how do not have their email visible in their profile, or didn't bother to leave their email in the comments. 

That makes me so very sad. 

You see, I love to respond to each and every comment that is made on my blog. {Okay, I don't always respond to EVERY comment. And I am still going back and re-reading certain comments from certain posts that were very personal for me. But I really do try.} I love it when I get a comment and it has the email turned on so that all I need to do is hit reply and we can keep the conversation going. It feels like maybe we are friends sharing a chat over our favorite beverage.

But if you don't have that turned on in your profile? Then you likely are not getting many comments back. 

So... if you left a comment on my Bead Soup post from last week, and you did NOT get a reply from me, it is likely that you don't have a way for me to find you. {And unfortunately, that means that you were out of the running of the swag...} 

:-(

{Never fear if you were in that group! Read on for a redemption!}

It is a simple thing, really. And I want you to know that I have never experienced spam because of it, so don't let that stop you. 

Just go to your dashboard, and next to your pretty picture select "Edit Profile." From there you need to check that box next to "Show My Email Address." Your email address on file will be below. You can even change your email address for replies if that is not the one that you log in with. Don't forget to click save! Easy-peasy and sweet as pie you will start getting comments. 

;-) 

[NOTE: I found a tutorial on another blog that will show you step by step if you just can't picture it from my description because I lack the ability to take a good screen shot. Click here.]

I encourage you to give it a try. I have yet to meet a blogger that doesn't like to get comments. This little check box will make it easy for the party to continue!

Okay. I am stepping off my soap box. On to the winners!

{What will it be ladies? One from my Etsy shop? Or a custom one made just for you?}

1st Prize - A 'simple truths' pendant (either one from my Etsy store valued at $12 or less OR a custom pendant just for you!) and that scrumptious bar of marzipan chocolate all the way from Germany goes to..................................................... 

PENNY of Copper Penny Designs!

2nd Prize - A 'simple truths' pendant goes to ..................................................... 

DANA of Dana's Jewelry Designs!

3rd Prize - A 'simple truths' pendant goes to ..................................................... 

CYNTHIA of CynthsBlog!

Ladies... please email me your contact information and choice.

But wait! Time for a redemption! If you were one of the unfortunate few who was an unwitting No-Reply sort of blogger, I encourage you to turn that email on and then leave me a comment on this post letting me know that you did,  (to which I will reply, of course! ;-). I want to hear from you (yes, you... and you... and you!). I will select ONE MORE WINNER of a 'simple truths' pendant from all former Non-Repliers pulled at random on Monday, March 7th!

Enjoy the day!

Winners, Plural

"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else."
~ Albert Einstein 

Winners.

That's right. I said winners. Plural. I mean, what else could I do with 190 comments?

190 comments?! Wow! This was the best soup party yet! 

I have to apologize if I have not left a comment on your soup. Yet. I got bogged down in some major deadlines this week and I still have about 40+ more to go. I promise that I will get there to sample your soup! Keep a little bit of leftovers just for me!

I am a busy bee making more of my 'simple truths' pendants right now and since that is what I am giving away to not one... not two... but THREE lucky winners, this is a great time to choose! 

The rules were that you had to leave a comment, any comment on the post. AND you also had to have some way for me to get in touch with you directly. I found it a bit disheartening to find that there are scads of soup-ers out there how do not have their email visible in their profile, or didn't bother to leave their email in the comments. 

That makes me so very sad. 

You see, I love to respond to each and every comment that is made on my blog. {Okay, I don't always respond to EVERY comment. And I am still going back and re-reading certain comments from certain posts that were very personal for me. But I really do try.} I love it when I get a comment and it has the email turned on so that all I need to do is hit reply and we can keep the conversation going. It feels like maybe we are friends sharing a chat over our favorite beverage.

But if you don't have that turned on in your profile? Then you likely are not getting many comments back. 

So... if you left a comment on my Bead Soup post from last week, and you did NOT get a reply from me, it is likely that you don't have a way for me to find you. {And unfortunately, that means that you were out of the running of the swag...} 

:-(

{Never fear if you were in that group! Read on for a redemption!}

It is a simple thing, really. And I want you to know that I have never experienced spam because of it, so don't let that stop you. 

Just go to your dashboard, and next to your pretty picture select "Edit Profile." From there you need to check that box next to "Show My Email Address." Your email address on file will be below. You can even change your email address for replies if that is not the one that you log in with. Don't forget to click save! Easy-peasy and sweet as pie you will start getting comments. 

;-) 

[NOTE: I found a tutorial on another blog that will show you step by step if you just can't picture it from my description because I lack the ability to take a good screen shot. Click here.]

I encourage you to give it a try. I have yet to meet a blogger that doesn't like to get comments. This little check box will make it easy for the party to continue!

Okay. I am stepping off my soap box. On to the winners!

{What will it be ladies? One from my Etsy shop? Or a custom one made just for you?}

1st Prize - A 'simple truths' pendant (either one from my Etsy store valued at $12 or less OR a custom pendant just for you!) and that scrumptious bar of marzipan chocolate all the way from Germany goes to..................................................... 

PENNY of Copper Penny Designs!

2nd Prize - A 'simple truths' pendant goes to ..................................................... 

DANA of Dana's Jewelry Designs!

3rd Prize - A 'simple truths' pendant goes to ..................................................... 

CYNTHIA of CynthsBlog!

Ladies... please email me your contact information and choice.

But wait! Time for a redemption! If you were one of the unfortunate few who was an unwitting No-Reply sort of blogger, I encourage you to turn that email on and then leave me a comment on this post letting me know that you did,  (to which I will reply, of course! ;-). I want to hear from you (yes, you... and you... and you!). I will select ONE MORE WINNER of a 'simple truths' pendant from all former Non-Repliers pulled at random on Monday, March 7th!

Enjoy the day!

Coming to my Senses::10 Years Flash Before My Eyes

{This is what the last decade of my life looked like...click to enlarge and view the many faces of my Tiny Dancer!}

I see...smiles from ear to ear...orange frosting...ink on fingers...flashlight tag...thank you notes written...three candles left lit (three boyfriends, teehee!)...brand new CZ studs in her newly pierced ears...the last decade of my life flash before my eyes...

I hear....shrieks of laughter...'Rasputin' and 'Crazy in Love' on Just Dance 2...more giggles...paper ripping off packages...the wave of quiet that comes when they all leave in a whoosh...

I taste...smooth creamy ice cream with pebbles of cookie in a fudge ribbon...fruity bubbles in the punch...salty and slightly stale pretzels...

I smell...fruity lip gloss and sugar...the smoke from 10 birthday candles...cupcakes baking in the oven...

I touch...the chain of the charm bracelets we are making at the party...my hammer stamping their names on the metal...my lips to the top of my daughter's head as she gives me a hug...

I feel...amazed that this girl-child is wavering between so grown up and still a little girl...thrilled that I could share this fun with her besties...humbled that my baby is 10...that time is slipping by...

{The birthday superstar with the CZ studs licking the frosting off her cupcake!}

Happy 10th birthday, Tiny Dancer!

P.S. The winner of my Beaded Romanov earrings is....Pretty Things! But wait! Scott David has generously offered to send a Beaded Romanov kit to all of the commenters on the review post. Congrats to Something Unique, Barbara Lewis, Melissa Meman, Craftymoose Crafts, CJ Vierow, Janet, EmandaJ, Cindy and JeannieK! I will email you with the details on how to get your own Beaded Romanov Kit direct from Scott David Plumlee.

Enjoy the day!

Coming to my Senses::10 Years Flash Before My Eyes

{This is what the last decade of my life looked like...click to enlarge and view the many faces of my Tiny Dancer!}

I see...smiles from ear to ear...orange frosting...ink on fingers...flashlight tag...thank you notes written...three candles left lit (three boyfriends, teehee!)...brand new CZ studs in her newly pierced ears...the last decade of my life flash before my eyes...

I hear....shrieks of laughter...'Rasputin' and 'Crazy in Love' on Just Dance 2...more giggles...paper ripping off packages...the wave of quiet that comes when they all leave in a whoosh...

I taste...smooth creamy ice cream with pebbles of cookie in a fudge ribbon...fruity bubbles in the punch...salty and slightly stale pretzels...

I smell...fruity lip gloss and sugar...the smoke from 10 birthday candles...cupcakes baking in the oven...

I touch...the chain of the charm bracelets we are making at the party...my hammer stamping their names on the metal...my lips to the top of my daughter's head as she gives me a hug...

I feel...amazed that this girl-child is wavering between so grown up and still a little girl...thrilled that I could share this fun with her besties...humbled that my baby is 10...that time is slipping by...

{The birthday superstar with the CZ studs licking the frosting off her cupcake!}

Happy 10th birthday, Tiny Dancer!

P.S. The winner of my Beaded Romanov earrings is....Pretty Things! But wait! Scott David has generously offered to send a Beaded Romanov kit to all of the commenters on the review post. Congrats to Something Unique, Barbara Lewis, Melissa Meman, Craftymoose Crafts, CJ Vierow, Janet, EmandaJ, Cindy and JeannieK! I will email you with the details on how to get your own Beaded Romanov Kit direct from Scott David Plumlee.

Enjoy the day!

Good Fortune Smiles on those who Hop!

"Always accept good fortune with grace and humility."

~ Mark L. Mika

It was my good fortune to host the Challenge of Color Blog Hop last Friday. I can't thank those who participated enough. It would have been mighty lonely {like crickets chirping kind of lonely} had I just challenged myself and made a bunch of things and then posted it expecting oohs and aahs. Sure, I would have had some pretty things done and been inspired by something so commonplace as a foray into the paint store, but it wouldn't have had the same effect as gathering a bunch of friends, old and new, to party along with me in a riotous celebration of color!

There was such an abundance of talent displayed in this hop. I am so glad that those four without blogs could hop, too! I really wanted to make sure that there were no restrictions on participating. I was really delighted to get such wonderful comments and lovely personal emails {and even one phone call!} thanking me for the creation of this hop. But truthfully, I was only the facilitator. The success of participating in any blog hop or challenge depends on the people participating and the effort that you are willing to put into it. YOU are the real stars. YOU rose to the challenge {even when I pushed some of you so far out of your comfort zone you may have gone kicking and screaming...but thanking me later ;-}. YOU each learned something about your style and your process through this. And if you think I am cracked, go back and really read what everyone said in their posts AND in the comments. It is true.

I promised that I would have four things to giveaway. Three Inspiration Boxes {two to the US players; one to the non-US crowd} and one pair of earrings for the price of a comment. 

I made it super challenging for myself to calculate the up to 7 points that I promised you could garner if you participated {next time it will be much easier!}. And I did keep a spreadsheet. And I went back through everyone's blogs twice to be sure I wasn't missing anything. Then I cut out little slips with your names on it and had my assistant {read: Tiny Dancer} pull the names. Here are the names she drew:

Karyn... I will need you to send my your mailing address.... ;-)

For the earrings, I figured it was safer to go with the Random.org generator.{Sorry. I just cannot figure out how to take nice little shot of that random number generator. You will have to believe me that I did it this way ;-} There were 55 comments... but 8 is great! Congrats to Boot~C! Your comment was #8 in the queue. You win the 'Lucky Lanterns' earrings as a treat for yourself or a ready made gift for someone special. Boot~C - please send me your mailing address to enjoytheday{at}tesoritrovati{dot}com and I will get this right out to you!

One more thank you to both Jeannie Dukic and Faith Davis Ferris for their generous contributions to the prize packages above. Much appreciated!

I read every comment, and hopefully was able to respond to you personally. There was a lot of interest in future blog hops. I am all about joining challenges myself and would be delighted to coordinate some in the future, but there is a fair amount of work involved, so it won't be a monthly thing, and I am not sure if it will be just about color or perhaps some other theme. But if you are pining away for some blog hop love {it really is fun to connect and share with a community, isn't it?} then I would recommend that you look into the following that are coming up:

Michaels Challenge #2 - The first was fun. we were give a list of materials to buy at Michaels and challenged to create with them. The reveal day is Friday, December 17th. You can read about it here.

Art Bead Scene - There will be a holiday ornament blog hop happening on Tuesday, December 7th. The sneak peeks look so pretty! I need some great ideas for gifting! And to shake things up a bit, there will be an ABS Blog Hop on December 31st with posts from all those interested in making something for one of two artworks that have a fantastical fairy theme in them. Hmmm... I wonder what art beads I have in my stash that will work for this one...

Bead Soup Blog Hop - It's baaaacccckkk! I had such a blast participating in the first two last year and I am delighted that they are returning. It is so much fun to match up with someone to swap beads and see where that takes you. You can read about the Bead Soup Blog Hop happening in January-February 2011. Join in the fun!

There are so many other hops out there... like Blogmania in April and October, and the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in June.... just do a search and you will find a ton.... and I encourage you to find a variety of hops to participate in to widen the circle of your blogworld. And bring more people to connect with you because that is the whole point of jumping in a blog hop, isn't it?

Do you know of any cool blog hops out there? Share a link!
Would you participate in a blog hop that has more than just jewelry as the theme?
Have you considered how blog hops help you grow?

Enjoy the day!

Good Fortune Smiles on those who Hop!

"Always accept good fortune with grace and humility."

~ Mark L. Mika

It was my good fortune to host the Challenge of Color Blog Hop last Friday. I can't thank those who participated enough. It would have been mighty lonely {like crickets chirping kind of lonely} had I just challenged myself and made a bunch of things and then posted it expecting oohs and aahs. Sure, I would have had some pretty things done and been inspired by something so commonplace as a foray into the paint store, but it wouldn't have had the same effect as gathering a bunch of friends, old and new, to party along with me in a riotous celebration of color!

There was such an abundance of talent displayed in this hop. I am so glad that those four without blogs could hop, too! I really wanted to make sure that there were no restrictions on participating. I was really delighted to get such wonderful comments and lovely personal emails {and even one phone call!} thanking me for the creation of this hop. But truthfully, I was only the facilitator. The success of participating in any blog hop or challenge depends on the people participating and the effort that you are willing to put into it. YOU are the real stars. YOU rose to the challenge {even when I pushed some of you so far out of your comfort zone you may have gone kicking and screaming...but thanking me later ;-}. YOU each learned something about your style and your process through this. And if you think I am cracked, go back and really read what everyone said in their posts AND in the comments. It is true.

I promised that I would have four things to giveaway. Three Inspiration Boxes {two to the US players; one to the non-US crowd} and one pair of earrings for the price of a comment. 

I made it super challenging for myself to calculate the up to 7 points that I promised you could garner if you participated {next time it will be much easier!}. And I did keep a spreadsheet. And I went back through everyone's blogs twice to be sure I wasn't missing anything. Then I cut out little slips with your names on it and had my assistant {read: Tiny Dancer} pull the names. Here are the names she drew:

Karyn... I will need you to send my your mailing address.... ;-)

For the earrings, I figured it was safer to go with the Random.org generator.{Sorry. I just cannot figure out how to take nice little shot of that random number generator. You will have to believe me that I did it this way ;-} There were 55 comments... but 8 is great! Congrats to Boot~C! Your comment was #8 in the queue. You win the 'Lucky Lanterns' earrings as a treat for yourself or a ready made gift for someone special. Boot~C - please send me your mailing address to enjoytheday{at}tesoritrovati{dot}com and I will get this right out to you!

One more thank you to both Jeannie Dukic and Faith Davis Ferris for their generous contributions to the prize packages above. Much appreciated!

I read every comment, and hopefully was able to respond to you personally. There was a lot of interest in future blog hops. I am all about joining challenges myself and would be delighted to coordinate some in the future, but there is a fair amount of work involved, so it won't be a monthly thing, and I am not sure if it will be just about color or perhaps some other theme. But if you are pining away for some blog hop love {it really is fun to connect and share with a community, isn't it?} then I would recommend that you look into the following that are coming up:

Michaels Challenge #2 - The first was fun. we were give a list of materials to buy at Michaels and challenged to create with them. The reveal day is Friday, December 17th. You can read about it here.

Art Bead Scene - There will be a holiday ornament blog hop happening on Tuesday, December 7th. The sneak peeks look so pretty! I need some great ideas for gifting! And to shake things up a bit, there will be an ABS Blog Hop on December 31st with posts from all those interested in making something for one of two artworks that have a fantastical fairy theme in them. Hmmm... I wonder what art beads I have in my stash that will work for this one...

Bead Soup Blog Hop - It's baaaacccckkk! I had such a blast participating in the first two last year and I am delighted that they are returning. It is so much fun to match up with someone to swap beads and see where that takes you. You can read about the Bead Soup Blog Hop happening in January-February 2011. Join in the fun!

There are so many other hops out there... like Blogmania in April and October, and the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in June.... just do a search and you will find a ton.... and I encourage you to find a variety of hops to participate in to widen the circle of your blogworld. And bring more people to connect with you because that is the whole point of jumping in a blog hop, isn't it?

Do you know of any cool blog hops out there? Share a link!
Would you participate in a blog hop that has more than just jewelry as the theme?
Have you considered how blog hops help you grow?

Enjoy the day!