HURRY! WINNERS: SEND ME YOUR ADDRESSES!

Well it is now 12:30 p.m. CST.

Yep. The random.org generator has spoken.

That means that the winners of my contest should be listed here. Right Here. You know, on the screen... the one you are staring at... look hard... where are they? You will just have to wait before I tell you who won...

Well before I direct you, please note: I received some of the most heartwarming, beautiful stories of Valentine's Day acts, mishaps & miracles. They were all so wonderful! I hope that as you each commented you read them...I wish I could just retype them all here, but since they are in the comments I hope others who did not participate will filter through them. I would however like to mention three that brought immediate tears to my eyes -

1) Frankie Writes

Awww that is soooo sweet! I want to enter, but I have no experience with valentines day-single girl! It's actually my brother's birthday and the day that my grandfather (whom Im named for) died. So my mom always said that my brother was born that day as her father's way of giving her a gift from beyond. Does that count? I might have to go hug Felix the Frog now and hope he brings me some luck in love.

Frankie - Yours was a valid entry. It was also one of those beautiful silver lining, mother's love, wonderful view of life stories. I smiled when I realized I knew the mystery behind your name but more importantly we all love your blog, your enthusiasm and your obvious good heart. This small snippet told me a great deal about where that comes from. *Give Felix a big KISS!* ;o)

2) Carol'sPrints

But first, my sweetest Valentine's story...something simple. There are, of course, some really great moments with my husband, but for now, let's go back to second grade. I was a new resident of the US, and I spoke virtually no English. But I was befriended by this little boy who was actually supposed to be in the class ahead of me, but was set back because of his physical disabilities (I still am not quite sure what it was, but he was not able to walk, and sometimes it took him a while to respond verbally). Anyway, it was Valentine's Day, and he brought me the sweetest wooden heart, about the size of my hand, that he and his dad had made with a little looped twine on top so you could hang it from something. On it, it said, "Be my Valentine." And I remember sounding out the words, asking my mum what they meant. But I didn't have to know the words to know that it was special, that it was mine, that it was freely given--and this meant a lot to me because not everyone had been so accepting of me like that. To this day, I hang that wooden heart on my annual Christmas tree. I'll never forget Joel.

Oh my! this brought tears to my eyes. What a beautiful story. Love in its purest form. To me it can be so amazing when it is shown in the most simple acts of kindness between children. It was the last two lines that had me beaming. You still have the gift. Beautiful.

3) Shawn

We don't celebrate V-day, but I can tell you a great story! On our first date my now husband picked me up from work and took me to a restaurant. He excused himself to use the restroom and was gone for 20 minutes or more. I was very concerned that he may have decided to dump me! He had not brought any cash and this was before debit Visa cards and he did not use credit cards. He had driven down tot he nearest gas station to see if they had an ATM, they didn't. We had already ordered and the food brought to the table by the time he had returned to give me the bad news. Needless to say, I paid for dinner.
It is not over yet! He stopped at an ATM on the way to the movie theater and attempted to pay me back for dinner. We get to the movies and the one we wanted to see had sold out so we saw Zorro (with Antonio Banderas) instead. While eating popcorn and watching the movie my date had to sneeze...with a mouth full of popcorn. The popcorn landed all over me!!
I guess the look of utter horror on his face endeared him to me becuase I couldn't stop laughing! When he dropped me off we made a date to go to a heritage fair the next day. He took my daughter and I and when people told him he had a beautiful daughter he would smile and say thank you, again endearing him to me. Sixteen months later he asked us to marry him, shortly thereafter he adopted my daughter, who is now 17 and she now tells everyone she gets her green eyes from her daddy. I don't need Valentine's Day, I have it every day of the year!

Shawn - wow. This made me laugh then made me cry. It is by far one of the sweetest true stories I have heard in a long time. I am so glad that you laughed and that you accepted his invitation to the fair. But it is how your daughter tells everyone of her eyes that speaks more loudly than just I Love You. What a wonderful life.

Okay so who won... where are the winners...

Oh! Here they are...

CONGRATULATIONS!

1st Prize goes to:

STEPH THE BOOKWORM!!!!

*throwsheartshapedconfetti*

2nd Prize goes to:

LISA AND LAURA!!!!! *throwsheartshapedconfettiwonderingwhichsisterwillwinthebattleofwhokeepsthepurse*YIKES*

Okay ladies please send me your address to following email:

clsbarr(at)yahoo(dot)com

If you get them to me before 5 p.m. CST the prize will ship today, if not then it will go out tomorrow.

CONTEST O'LOVE - ONLY 3.5 Hours left to Enter!

CONTEST O'LOVE

ONLY A FEW MORE HOURS TO ENTER!!!

Enter by Noon CST!!

Hurry scroll down & enter!

UPDATE *EXTRA ENTRIES & MALE PRIZE OPTION* In Honor of Valentine's Day: CONTEST O'LOVE!!

UPDATE:

Earn extra entries by

+2 Tweeting about this contest

+3 Blogging about this contest

+1 New Follower

*old followers automatically get an extra entry*

Also just for the guys:

If you are a male follower & decide to forego the mentioned female items you have your choice:

$20.00 Gift Certificate to LOWE's or HOME DEPOT or AMAZON or whatever choice you would like that has web access to a gift card... ;o)

In honor of Valentine's Day....please welcome the

CONTEST O' LOVE!

Behold the Prizes

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Limited Edition, COACH Purse.

+

"Always the Bridesmaid" by Sarah Webb

Amy's life is not working out the way she always dreamed it would. She's about to turn the dreaded three-o, her career is going nowhere fast and her love life is not exactly flourishing. To make matters worse, while things are falling apart for Amy, they seem to be coming together for everyone else in her life...

Visiting her friend Jodie, Amy finds that she and Jack, the man she once thought she might marry, have spent the night together. Her younger sister Suzi has just arrived home with her "Golden Delicious" Australian fiance in tow and announced their May wedding. And now Amy discovers that her best friend Beth is also planning on tying the knot, and Amy is asked to be a bridesmaid. With a sinking heart, she remembers that old saying: always the bridesmaid, never the bride... Surely it can't be true?

And for the RUNNER UP:

Nicole Miller Purse

What do you do to win these you ask? Oh & fellas you should enter this one, just in case you forget to get her something, one of these just might make up for it ;o)

Well, it just so happens that I love Valentine's Day.

I mean sure I try to show my family & friends how much they mean to me year round, but this day is just full of fun ways to spread the love.

So here is your challenge:

In the comments, please share with me the most memorable Valentine's gift or experience you have ever received or shared.

Pick your brain, go back to Billy's kiss on the cheek on the kindergarten playground or the first long stem read rose you were given or when that certain someone gave you the Oreo half with the cream on it...It can be anything!

I will randomly select the winners.

It's only fair to share mine:

Mine is from my hubby. 4 years ago, the year we were married, he gave me a handmade cutout heart with a cherry heart sucker taped on the inside. In marker he wrote the following words: To the most beautiful woman in the world. Do you love me? Check Yes or No.

I love you.

Yep he is that cute. He also gave me a gift card for a mani-pedi, but it was the card & the fact that he took time to cut it out himself & write the message that made me tear up. I won't ever forget that one.

DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 12, 2010 AT NOON

This is because I will be shipping the prizes (PROMISE) on Friday so that come Monday, the 15th, you will have an extended Valentine's Day.

Open to the US & Canada

Have fun, I anxiously await your comments!

I ran away.....

Not really... but in a way it feels like I have been on some crazy train ride to everywhere these past 13 days...

13 DAYS!! OH MY GOSH! Where have I been? What have I been doing? Where has Gnick the Gnome been? Do I have anything to show for my absence?

eh. Yes & no. After Gnick's first week of all out extravagance we let him cool his jets and just relax. Then we headed off to HOT-LANTA for a weekend of fun! We went over to my sisters and had a wonderful visit. She & I tried on a hundred 1980's style dresses by request of the nieces, bought some pretties, enjoyed some yummy food, got mischievously toasted for a few hours of card games & thoroughly loved every minute!! By the way there are some interesting dresses in this world today...just say'n...

Then this week, oh this week. I have been working the day job hard & heavy but during all the spare time I can find I've been throwing myself into my WIP. Which I must say has been wonderful.

But as I read through some emails, did a little online shopping, enjoyed dinner with a friend, caught up with family, cleaned up my kitchen (it was really bad), finally put the last of the Christmas stuff in the basement, read a chapter from an amazing writer *cough* - wait, not cough - HOLLER *Frankie* HOLLER*happydance*, told Carol that her prize had shipped (YAY!) and realized I had a few boxes in my computer room that need to ship *ahem*2 prizes from December*ahem*sosorry*, I discovered that life is pretty dang good. lol

Seriously, here I am moving through the second month of Twenty-Ten and I am working on a manuscript, visiting family, shopping, having a blast with the hubby, holding contests and all out loving this crazy life.

There are moments when I look around and just grin at the possibilities, then there are the moments where I question which possibility will be right for me. That second, the tiny second of wondering "Am I headed in the right direction? Am I sure? Do I really want to go that route?" is exhilarating. Seriously, it is in those moments that I am most aware of being alive. I get to forge this path or just relax & choose one to follow. What better existence is there?

So as I return to my semi-normal schedule you will see me commenting on your posts, leaving notes on here, being silly, having fun, questioning the big things: "Do i want that Golden Oreo? Oohh, love that bag, do I want to get it myself or leave hints for Marcus?" :o) but most importantly I hope to continue to see a bright & beautiful life all around me (this time of year is when the doldrums usually set in so I am heading them off at the pass!!).

Oh & by the way - in the spirit of LOVE. I am hosting another contest...watch for it... its a doozie!

P.S. I know you are dying to know: Yep, just popped a Golden Oreo in my mouth...nom nom... lol

The Adventures of Gnick the Gnome!

Come one! Come ALL!! I am here to tell you about a crazy week...

One of adventure! One of exploration! One of many...

Some of you may know that MaryBeth of DesperatelySearchingforMyInnerMaryPoppins, held the most masterful of contests recently.

Yes, yes, I excitedly entered never expecting to actually win...

But I did and the prize is phenomenal!

Meet GNICK!

We welcomed Gnick into our home with open arms!

He came into the house a little bit naked..but we remedied that in no time.

Now all dressed up and ready to go!

Peanut was so excited to meet his new brother, Gnick!

Gnick the Gnome told us that seeing the sights of Tuscaloosa top of his list!
OFF WE GO!!

Sightseeing down University Blvd... yay! Sunshine!

First stop...Bryant Denny Stadium!


There is so much to learn about at the University of Alabama!
(Marcus felt the most important things for Gnick to read about were at the stadium... ;o) )

Here Gnick stands in awe beneath a statue of the great coach Paul Bear Bryant...
Gnick could barely contain his excitement....

After touring campus we headed down to the Riverwalk!

Deep Thoughts
by Gnick the Gnome

Never bite children..they bite back.

When protecting a garden it would be good to watch out for the slugs..they are gross.

A gnome without his beard is sad sad gnome.

Wonder if I float??

The water was beautiful!
Then we discovered a secret place just for us...

Can you see the faeries? This place is perfect for water faeries...

The water tickled!
Then we headed out for a movie! Gnick's first movie!

LEAP YEAR - though it was about Ireland, we did not see one Leprechaun! Bummer.
But it was a lovely movie about love...

POPCORN! Gnick does need to learn to share better (he's a butter hog)....
Afterwards we met some of our friends....it was late so we had 'early'breakfast!

Then we showed Gnick a book all about GNOMES!

He was so excited to see the sketch of a gnome on the backflap!

Kaleb Nation's Bran Hambric explores the world of Gnomes & forbidden Magic - check it out!

BranHambric

It was a crazy week of adventures for Gnick & his new family. He watched TV, ate some yummy food & settled right in with everyone.
We want to thank MaryBeth for one cool contest & introducing us to Gnick.
He will have many more adventures & maybe, maybe he will share some in the future.
No matter what we are grateful to have him here!
We hope you enjoyed seeing his journey,
currently he is sitting with Marcus watching The Hangover..
we figured it would be a great lesson in what NOT to do.. ;o)

will these two LUCKY LADIES....COME ON DOWN!!!

Well good morning! I was up until 12:45 a.m. tallying up some numbers. Why, you ask? Well because I held a contest and there were bunches of entries, silly!

So without further ado... ahem... okay ready?

SECOND PRIZE:

$10 Amazon.com giftcard

Goes to...... tracyp of Lemons&Lemonade

Now for the next big reveal,

I know, I know shut up Courtney

& tell us who gets the COACH wristlet!

Okay, okay...

if you insist....

but really wouldn't you rather here a story

about A Rolling Apple?

No?

*sigh*

alright...

GRAND PRIZE:

1 copy of Belinda Jones' "THE CALIFORNIA CLUB"

(wonderfully hilarious book by the way)

1 $20.00 AMAZON.COM giftcard

1 COACH wristlet

...........................

...............................

CAROLINA VALDEZ MILLER COME ON DOWN!

Carol of Carol'sPrints

Okay Ladies, please email me at clsbarr(at)yahoo(dot)com using the email you want to communicate with and a mailing address.

For any of you who are disappointed in not winning the wristlet,

DON'T BE!

My 100 FOLLOWERS contest (I am only 28 away) includes another COACH item...

YES you Read correctly!

ANOTHER COACH ITEM & MORE BOOKS AND/OR GIFTCARDS....

but alas this will only be offered up when I reach 100 FOLLOWERS...

I guess we all must wait.... ;o)

CONGRATS TO THE WINNERS!!!

*please respond within 48 hours or I will be forced to draw again...

Forget Regrets or Life is Yours to Miss...

The 8 words that title this entry are more than just a line from Jonathan Larson's RENT. They are 8 words that roll through my mind whenever someone asks me do I have any regrets in my life so far. These 8 words just hit their 10 year anniversary mark for me on January 10th. 10 years ago on January 12 I learned all the words to RENT and it has made such a difference in my life. 10 days ago those 8 words rolled through my mind like a steamroller.

10 years ago I moved to Orlando, did an animation internship with Disney, met some amazing people and discovered those 8 little words.

I have always been a happy person, but I didn't truly become the sunshine person that I am until that year. It was my first time to truly experience a world completely different than the one I grew up in. I was 19 and it was time to decide: look at life half full or half empty. I was surrounded by people from bigger cities, who had as much & MORE talent than I did, and people who thought southerners really are the rednecks in movies. I didn't help that stereotype when on my first night I had to tell them what we did in my hometown for fun...

Armadillo hunting,
Going to the Gravel Pit (a real gravel pit not a night club),
The Chimney (again, a real busted old chimney not a night club),
Riding pigs in formal wear (yes not a metaphor - after prom some of us were bored),
Getting stuck (purposely driving your vehicle through deep mud in hopes you get stuck so it is an adventure),
Having a party on the river with ALL (boys & girls) your classmates where everyone spends the night yet the guys need to be gone by 6 so that parents don't know)
"Wars" with mustard, ketchup, eggs, sardines, flour, cornmeal (yeah we weren't cooking just throwing it at each other...in the middle of town...during Homecoming Week)

Needless to say my roommates were beyond awe that when it came to what I considered exciting, those things listed above were my main list. They thought my southern accent was adorable, my smile infectious and that my 'innocence' was their challenge. Yep. They took me to every kind of club, all kinds of events, restaurants, shopping centers, exhibits and parties. They decided that this time spent learning the ins & outs of animation should be peppered with self & world exploration.

So I went to all these crazy places, but as I crossed the threshold of a club and my eyes adjusted to the myriad of lights and music I would smile. Not because I was in awe of this different place but because no matter what - I was still me even in the new surrounding and every time my head hit the pillow. All the clubs, all the events, all the exhibits never could take away the smile, the laugh, the beliefs that my parents instilled in me. Yes, some shocked me, some made me question decisions humans make in entertainment, some made me laugh so loudly I thought I would never be able to laugh again, some made me cry, some made me see my roommates as more than just roommates, some made me miss home while others made me appreciate the intricacies that are hidden in smaller communities.

I was there to decide if animation was the path I wanted to take.
I was there to meet new people.
I was there to experience something new.
I didn't realize then that I was there to meet me.

Jonathan Larson's RENT is beloved by one of my closest friends from that year. He knew every word and had seen it over 30 times at the Nederlander Theater in New York. We met on January 10 - we discovered our kindred spirits on January 11 and on the 12 we listened to songs from that Broadway hit while driving down I-4. We talked about how different our lives were up to this point. We discussed movies, television, music, Disney, dreams, nightmares - whatever we wanted. But most importantly we discussed regrets. It was he who taught me the words to RENT but it was the 8 words above that introduced me to the woman I am today.

I don't believe in regrets. I didn't choose to stay in Orlando or transfer to Burbank. The time spent with the animators, the work spent on a small cluster of trees in a sericel was worth every second. I still get misty when I watch a certain Disney, knowing I colored a couple trees for its designers. But I don't regret being where I am. I don't regret that my first visit to Burbank was last week.

I stood outside the Disney Animation Studio and felt the oddest sensation.

No sadness, just excitement. I looked at the Sorcerer's Hat, all blue with its white stars and the large letters of ANIMATION and I smiled. I took a picture, I spoke to the guard and I turned to walk away. The music and lyrics of No Day But Today filtered through my mind and I could hear:
There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret - - or life is yours to miss
No other road
No other way
No day but today.

I can't control
My destiny
I trust my soul
My only hope
is just to be.

As appropriate in Hollywood the music played in my mind as I walked away. Smiling I climbed into the rental car, giggled as I showed my husband the pictures and then navigated our way to the Warner Bros lot.

I still sketch when the mood strikes me or all day long while at work in the corners of my agenda, on napkins in restaurants or when I am surrounded by my nieces & nephews and they request something. I watch animated films with excitement for its creators and a bit of understanding for its artistic design teams. Tonight I watched the Golden Globes & stood clapping for UP. My work in computer animation was shortlived but I fought with the many programs enough to truly appreciate UP's beauty. I am excited to understand the workings of great animation from the best there is.

So ten years ago I met me. This Southern Princess (who knew she was royalty at a young age) who thought she had been sheltered when really she had been prepared. My parents had not hidden the world from me due to geography in fact they had shown me what it meant to be someone who could see the world from all angles and appreciate every single thing it has to offer: the good & the bad.

Today I am a writer who enjoys sketching, who loves to freehand when the itch occurs, who paints when commissioned, who laughs loudly at animated shorts, who enjoys time spent on the couch with my dog Peanut, blogging about life & its many idiosyncracies, who still thinks her husband is the funniest man alive, who loves her parents with wild abandon, who treasures life in the country, who enjoys traveling to expansive cities, who collects vintage books, who reads as though her life depends on it, who remembers every word to a musical that she had never heard of but now cannot imagine being without, who cries at commercials, who enjoys cooking, who appreciates friendships, and who acknowledges that life without obstacles is no life at all.

The path we take is the path meant to be traveled, enjoy the journey because the destination is not always the real reason we stepped out the door.

Forget Regrets or Life if Yours to Miss... No Day But Today.

click this link to listen to this song:
No Day But Today

(freehand sketching on a lazy Sunday afternoon)

Oh I like feet & hands btw, no idea why...

Happy!

Happy = delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing; characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy

I travel between many blogs on a daily basis. Each one unique, each one a pleasure to read.

Last night I was reading one in particular ( Karen Amanda Hooper ) and I found myself extremely happy to be learning something new. Karen talks about creating a simple html link for when you comment on someone's blog & you want to leave a link to your own (check it out, so simple & really cool).

Many of the blogs I visit have been doing this exact thing in their posts & I always wondered how to do it. Well after sitting down and following her simple instructions I found myself elated to create one for my current contest. Then I laughed. Loudly. This simple trick had made me so excited. I was itching to use it. (Note the new link to the contest on the right sidebar) *giggle*

My husband thought I had lost my mind. But no matter, he simply lives with that thought most of the time. This new technique to learn was perfectly timed. I received a few awards over the past couple of days and well, one in particular applies here.

I received the Happy 101 award from Shannon O'Donnell and Frankie Writes

Is this not the yummiest looking blog award?! The rules are that I must list 10 things that make me happy... (random order)

1. Learning something new

2. Opening the cover of a book I have never read

3. Opening the cover of a familiar book to find myself just as excited as when I first read it

4. My family & Friends

5. My dog Peanut Butter Barr can lift my spirits anytime, anywhere

6. The written word...be it my own or that of someone else, there is nothing like language and its ability to create and explore

7. Sweet Tea

8. Warm sunshine glistening off emerald Gulf waters

9. The smell & texture of an old book...there is magic in its perseverance

10. Fashion... lol.. it, like a book, evolves, creates, explores, defines and perseveres...

So those are my ten...bizarre aren't they? ;o) that one was actually easy. Sometimes I have to remind myself that happiness is such a personal thing. What makes me happy is not guaranteed to top my husband or friends' lists. But every now & then our wavelengths mesh and I remember that shared happiness is special.

Now to pass on to 10 blogs that make me Happy! (forgive me that some of these are return to Sender; I am honored to be in their list and I want them to know that they in turn make mine)

1. Frankie Writes

2. Karen Amanda Hooper

3. Lisa&Laura

4. Cleverly Inked

5. Carol's Prints

6. Sara McClung

7. Shannon Messenger

8. MaryBeth Smith

9. Constantly Risking Absurdity

10. Simon C. Larter

Please check out these blogs. The fact that I smile EVERY SINGLE time that I see their update on my blogroll should tell you how awesome they are!!! Please note that it only asked for ten...if you peruse my blogroll(s) you will find dozens more blogs and they each are special to me!

Then Frankie graced me with another awesome award...however, she is unsure if there are any rules or not to this one so she passed it on to some favorite friend blogs - so I will do the same!

1. JuJu
2. MaryBeth Smith
3. Frankie Writes
4. Shannon O'Donnell




So click away, discover a new friend, find a blog that makes you smile..I promise you won't be disappointed!


Oh & don't forget to enter the contest by January 19 at Midnight!Click on the right sidebar link to enter!!