Donna K chose the lovely Inverted Thistle Serving Bowl
Unfortunately, I never heard from Buddy. Today, I picked a new winner. The winning number is 12 and the winning entry is Donna K, who was already a subscriber to my newsletter.
Donna K chose one of my favorites - the cobalt blue glass serving dish in the Inverted Thistle pattern by Mosser Glass. I have one in my personal collection.
Donna K now has 48 hours to contact me to claim her prize.
The winner is Buddy Garrett who wanted a Blenko Vase for his wife. He was entry #139 out of 141.
I would like to get the Beautiful Handcrafted Cobalt Blue Glass Vase by Blenko for my wife. She loves to decorate with large vases. http://cobalt-world.com/items/…..-vase.html
Buddy, this vase is even more breath-taking in person. I think your wife is going to love it.
Buddy has 48 hours to contact me at laurie@cobalt-world.com to claim his prize. If he fails to do so, we’ll draw another winner.
The winning number was randoming generated at Random.org.
Cobalt Blue Glass Cracker Jar in the Grape & Cable Pattern by Mosser Glass
This giveaway is over. Please check back often for future giveaways. It won’t be long. Want to know the winner? Check it out here.
There are approximately six weeks left of prime online holiday shopping. These are the days when you can order without worrying about gifts arriving on time. You won’t face backorders that will arrive in January. Items are in stock. And you don’t have to pay for expedited shipping.
You may love going to the mall. Go, but take the pressure off by ordering your gifts online.
To help you with your holiday shopping, we’re having a giveaway. The winner will be able to check one person off their shopping list!
PRIZE: Any one item from Laurie’s Cobalt World. Pick carefully when you enter. If you win, the item listed in your entry will be your prize. For purposes of this contest, two candlesticks, four glasses, four plates, four bowls, or four dessert dishes are considered to be one item.
WHO CAN ENTER: US residents of the lower 48 states aged 18 and older. Sorry Mom, but my family members are not eligible.
DEADLINE: 11:59 p.m., EST, November 10, 2009.
HOW THE WINNER WILL BE PICKED: A random number generator will be used. The comment that corresponds to the number will be the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email or the post on the blog. If the winner does not respond, another winner will be chosen.
PRIMARY ENTRY: This entry is required. Reply to this post, telling us which Laurie’s Cobalt Worlditem you would select for a person on your holiday giftgiving list. (You may enter this way once daily as long as each reply is different.) Tell us why they would like it. Please copy the url for the item into your post so that others can shop along with you.
Example - My husband would love the coffee cups. He likes a big cup for his java! http://cobalt-world.com/items/glass-mug.html
Cobalt Blue Glass Compote in the Queen Pattern by Mosser Glass
ADDITIONAL ENTRIES - TWITTER:
You can earn extra entries by tweeting. Tweet the official tweet below and then reply to this post and tell us you did so. You can tweet up to 8 times per day, limited to once per hour.
Pls RT: Holiday Shopping Giveaway - win your choice of cobalt glass gift - many ways to enter - #LCW - #contest - http://tinyurl.com/yzyt3pn
(Twitter is not allowing multiple tweets that are the same. Feel free to modify the tweet slightly - just make sure the link and #LCW are included.)
ADDITIONAL ENTRY - FOLLOW ME: Just follow me on Twitter, then come here and reply to this post to tell us about it, for an additional entry. If you already follow me on Twitter, you still get an entry. Just reply to this post and tell us that you already follow me on Twitter.
ADDITIONAL ENTRY - NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our newsletter, which is free and comes to your email approximately six times per year. Look near the bottom of the right-hand column for a quick and easy sign up box. We do not rent, lend, or sell our list. If you already receive our newsletter, you still get an entry. Just post a reply to this post and tell us that you already receive the newsletter.
ADDITIONAL ENTRIES - BLOG: Earn five entries by blogging about this contest. After you post your blog entry, come back and reply five times to this post letting us know about your blog.
ADDITIONAL ENTRIES - LINK: Put a permanent link on your blog or website and earn five additional entries. After you link, come back here and reply to this post five times. Tell us a little bit about your blog or website! (Websites and blogs offensive in any way do not qualify.)
The fine print: decisions of the judge are final, the prizes are not redeemable for cash, void where prohibited, shipments are insured, no one associated with Laurie’s Cobalt World assumes any liability for injuries or damages associated with this contest, comments on this blog become the property of Laurie’s Cobalt World and may be used for marketing purposes, this contest is subject to all federal and state laws, the winner agrees to comment on the post announcing the winner of this contest.
We moved to Ararat, Virginia, a little over ten years ago. The nearest town is Mount Airy, North Carolina, also know as “Mayberry” because of it’s connections with Andy Griffith. During the years, we’ve made many, many, many trips back and forth to Mayberry. And we take one of two paths to get there.
On one of those paths, we often pass a woman out for a walk. I believe she walks from her home to the neighborhood store because we always see her on the same stretch of road.
After seeing her a number of times, we began to wave to her. At first, we could tell that she was looking hard to see if she recognized us. She’d wave just to be neighborly. But that was it.
Over the years, however, just as we recognized her as the lady we wave to, she began to recognize us as the car she waves at. The smiles became warmer and more genuine between us. We looked forward to seeing her.
A few weeks ago, my daughter and son-in-law pulled over to talk with her just a bit. I was so excited to finally learn her name, but they hadn’t thought to ask.
It’s funny to see how much this lady we wave to has come to mean to our family. Maybe she’s a symbol of the friendliness of small communities. Maybe she’s been woven into the fabric of our lives, even if just on the fringe. Whatever she is, she’s a positive part of our lives that we enjoy.
Last week, our mini van died. It had given service well past what was expected of it, so I can’t be too sad. Now we have a different mini van - one that our lady does not recognize.
On the way back from church, we saw her walking away from the little neighborhood store. We waved, but she didn’t notice. It was the feeling of disappointment that let me know how much we counted on seeing her friendly face and kind gestures.
Are there people in your life that you look forward to seeing? Even more imporant, are there people who look forward to seeing you, even if it’s just for a kind exchange of words, or even just wave? It’s worth thinking about.
There’s a rule of 2 out of 3 that goes like this: of time, price, and exactly what you want, you can usually get two out of three. To get exactly what you want when you want it, you may have to pay more. To get the lowest price and exactly what you want, it may take time. And if you are in a hurry but can’t pay a large price, you may not get exactly what you want.
If money is tight this Christmas, then it is more important than ever to use time on your side. That means starting early. It may mean starting now!
But there’s one thing missing from the 2 out of 3 formula. And that ingredient is creativity. With a little creativity, we can all plan for a delightful, meaningful Christmas, even if our budget is a little tighter this year.
Here are some tips:
- Make gifts. Just beware that some handmade gifts actually cost more. Calculate the entire cost of your project including framing or accessories or finishing.
- Purchase gifts with a lasting value. How many gifts have hit the trashcan by New Year’s because the novelty wore off or the item broke or the item was used up?
- Calculate the number of paychecks between now and Christmas. Divide your spending evenly among these checks (do not count the paycheck before Thanksgiving - it has its own expenses).
- Plan free or nearly free activities and surprises.
- Emphasize what Christmas or Hanukkah means to you, whether that is music, time with family, or a religious observance.
When I was in Peru adopting our first child, a number of American and Canadian families were staying in the same hotel, all separated from loved ones at Christmas. No one had much money to spend considering the cost and unknown length of our adoption processes.
One couple found American candy bars and bought one for everyone else. Then they wrote a poem parody of The Night Before Christmas, featuring each of us. They snuck around the back stairs, secretly delivering their treats.
We all had a very delightful time, laughing and giggling like children. It’s always been a great reminder to me that holidays are as special as we care to make them.
How have you made Christmas or Hanukkah special? What plans do you have this year?
November 10th, 2009 at 8:31 pm e