Monday, December 1

First of Many... Holiday GIVE-A-WAY

This is actually the first time in my life that I really want it to snow. (That can not be true considering I was once a kid and there was nothing better than SNOW DAYS...) Unfortunately, the snow we did receive only watered the lawn, which will delay our departure closer to the 20th of December. All of this leading to the sad fact that my over abundance of Christmas decorations will feel the dank basement blues once more.

But, I still have the Christmas spirit. I bought these sparkly deer at the dollar store and they are propped up proudly in the mobe. A little bit pathetic, but a whole lot of $1.00 fun, darn it.

What is your favorite holiday knick-knack, special something, that provides viewing pleasure in your home over the holidays?

I want to share with THREE lucky, fellow blog buddies, one of my favorite non-holiday must haves in my home. That's right, it is give-a-way time...

From none other than the wondrous Body Shop, I am giving away a beautiful, completely fabulous... Natural Soapstone Oil Burner with a Mango home fragrance oil.

Did you know in India the Mango is symbolic of love? Well, I didn't.... but I love me some Mango. I also love a house that smells fresh and clean. Combining the two ='s Mango-licious, good smelling, love a stirring, house of yummy smells.

Do you want this home fragrance burner and love me Mango scented oil? All you have to do is:
1.)Leave a comment on my blog and an email (for the first comment). Tell me about one decoration that you proudly display over the holiday season. What is it? Why do you like it? Who gave it to you? Where did you get it? Feel free to give a snippet of an answer or fill me in with your thesaurus using, word dazzling details.
2.)If, you want to enter twice, start to follow my blog. For the most part you won't be sorry.(Let me know if you already follow...)
3.)Needing additional luck, enter a third time by posting about this give-a-way on your blog and linking it back here. *Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

*Extra important stuff.
This Annonandon sponsored contest is open to United States peeps only. The winners will be announced on Monday, December 8th. I will then e-mail the lucky three. You will have only 3 days to claim your prize before I move on to the next winner.

My fingers and toes are crossed for you.
If you are a relative of mine....and you finally make a comment.....you will receive a special little something just for stopping by. When did you-all become so non-vocal? No kin of my is ever this quiet. (Hee Hee)
Posted on Scribbit, check it out.

56 comments:

michelle said...

I think you scored at the dollar store! I love almost anything with glitter on it.

I have so many favorite holiday decorations, it is hard to choose. But one of my favorites is the miniature lighted Madeline house that my mom gave me years ago. (I was a big fan of Madeline when I was little.) It even has a tiny Miss Clavel and 6 (not 12) teeny tiny girls and a tiny dog. Happy memories.

j said...

i love me a good give-away. woo hoo!!!
my favorite holiday decoration is kind of silly- but its a staple lately. kellen likes to have miniature christmas lights strung around his room. in years past, when he was tiny, we'd string his crib with them and he loved it. they doubled as his nightlight. now, he's gotten more sophisticated and chooses his own color(s) and placement. it's still a nightlight. i love it because it reminds me of being a kid and loving the christmas tree lights so much i'd sleep out there (after my parents went to bed- no way was it allowed to sleep under the tree with the dog all through december!). :)
i follow your blog already. :)
and i will be linking this giveaway on my blog! hooray!

Anonymous said...

Great giveaway! I am glad to find you - via Scribbit's Message Board. What do I always display during the holidays? My western Santas. I buy a new one every year, and they MUST come out!

shelcows AT gmail DOT com

Alyson | New England Living said...

My favorite Christmas decoration has got to be the construction paper garland of rings that I made with the kids last year. We string them over the Christmas tree. It's such a simple thing, but it brings back memories of laughing with my kids as we made them. Also, I love the chanelle snowman I made years and years ago.

Alyson | New England Living said...

And I already follow you, of course! :)

Oh, and my email is conneticut.aly@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I am now a follower...

Martin MY said...

We don't go for many mordern day Christmas knick -knack here, but we do have lots of little traditional ones. We gift very small presents on Christmas Eve aftrer stuffing ourselves to the hilt with food. I suppose the gifts are the knick-knacks. Usually white Christmas here very year as well.
Mango = love eh, I'll have to get some of that fruit for my partner.

larkswing said...

Great dollar store find!!

I think I love all my decorations - But I have found some great nativity scenes over the years, that are my absolute favorites.
I also love bird ornaments - I have one tree dedicated to those!

Jill said...

My favorite decorations are the wood block ornaments I make using family photos and embellishments. They are so personal and have become like mini time capsules on our tree. If I keep making them every year, eventually our entire tree will be full.

rachel said...

My favorite decoration is the Scarlett O'hara ornaments I've collected over the years. My hubby gave me the first one on our first Christmas together. She's wearing the red dress she wears in the movie and the little ornament is blinged (yah I didn't use a thesaurus here-can you tell?) out with jewels and red netting.
And I follow you...

Candid Carrie said...

Dear Ms. Annonandon, I am a frosty fresh follower from Wisconsin.

Thanks for following me. I love the pictures on your blog, I try to get that look by using the "warmify" option on my program however I just get more of an "Oh My Gosh Is There A Fire" look to the entire thing.

My favorite Christmas adnorment does not get put away. Ever. It is a fake snow man head (yeah, like there is a real snow man head out there somewhere, right) with a mistletoe body and the prettiest sounding wind chimes ever hanging beneath. It hung in my grandparents backhall every year since I can remember. It now hangs off my fire place mantle all year.

I guess I am a really big kid when it comes to stuff like that ... the things that make me smile never really get put away.

P.S. Thanks for finding me ;)

Laura said...

My favorite Christmas decoration is a wall hanging I put up by our door. It has 2 snow-people on it and says "Love keeps us warm" and they have mugs in their hands. It makes me smile every time I look at it. It was even one of our very 1st Christmas decorations!

Crownhilldigger said...

I follow...and I'm related-I'm just not the give away type I guess-but I post nonetheless! :)

Crownhilldigger said...

...oh yeah. My favorite thing is the all cotton, starch stiff, cotton angel that goes on the top of the tree. Had it for several years. OR the box containing a manger set that was sent by a aunt-in-law who was big into ceramics-its says "Mary, Joe and the kid"! Still makes me chuckle-clearly auntie wasn't active in her Church.

Danielle said...

Love the dollar store decor! And I especially love the giveaway! My favorite holiday decor that I proudly display is my homemade Ceramic Christmas Tree that my Mom made when I was little. It has a few cracks in it and pieces broken off but heck yeah I'm still displaying it!
yellyjohnsen@yahoo.com

Amy Clary said...

My favorite decoration for Christmas is my nativity. After my hubster and I were married, I wanted us to have our own nativity for Christmas. Ours is from Heritage Creek and it is so pretty. Every piece tells a little bit of the Christmas story. My parents bought it for my birthday (right before Christmas) and keep adding on pieces every year. LOVE IT!
speaking of love...I'm crazy about this giveaway. *Fingers crossed*

Amy Clary said...

I just subscribed to you in my Google Reader. Let the good times roll.

Debbie said...

My father painted a beautiful wreath that hangs above my fireplace. It shows the nativity scene and I wouldn't take a million dollars for it.

Tabitha Blue said...

What a cool give away!! I love the scents that the holiday brings out... the cinnamon and all the spicy goodness that goes with it!

And one of my favorite decor is our tree. We love the tradition of putting up the tree as a family, the fire roaring, snow falling, peppermint hot chocolate and music playing... LOVE IT!!

jen@odbt said...

Yum - love mango.

My favorite holiday decoration has to be our tree - it holds our treasured ornaments and the kids' home made ones as well.

I have you in my google reader too.

NGS said...

Last Christmas, I was newly engaged and my future in-laws gave me a "bride's ornaments" set. It has all these gorgeous ornaments and I am sooo excited to get the tiny three foot tree out of storage later this weekend and put those ornaments on it. My in-laws were so welcoming and inviting and I am very lucky to have a reminder of how much they wanted me in their family every holiday season.

Rachael Hutchings said...

My current favorite holiday decoration is a wooden nativity set done in the Japanese kokeshi style (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokeshi). I love it because it was given to me by my 3 closest friends when my family moved back to the US this summer from Japan. They knew that I collect kokeshi dolls and thought the nativity set would be extra special. I will treasure it always!

Stacy said...

My favorite decoration is a little angel ornament with my mom's name on it. I found it the year that she passed away and I've had it on my tree ever since.

Twinsmom said...

My favorite decoration has to be the Mother of Pearl nativity that I inherited from my mom. A craftsman in Jerusalem carved it from one piece of Pearl, and a lady from the Sunday School class that my mom taught for many years brought it back for her. I plan on dividing up many of our decorations to the twins when they are out on their own, but this is one that will stay with me!

Thanks for a great givaway, and thanks for stopping by my blog! I appreciated the comment.

Blessed said...

Thanks for dropping by my blog - you're welcome anytime!

My favorite holiday decoration is a big star made out of sticks that I bought (I know, I know I could have made it... but I was supporting a local merchant and it wasn't expensive) It is rustic and homey and reflects our "style" during the holidays - I hang it above my Willow Tree nativity :)

Annie said...

Nice buy!

My favorite Christmas decoration are the doilies (sp?) my Grandmother made. She's well into her 80's now and cannot remember how she made them. I adore that I have these hand made treasures to pass on to my daughter some day :)

Lori said...

love the dollar store glitz! that store rocks!

Let's see, i think my fave decorations are the ones my kids have made...i love putting them up every year. the kids get to go pick out a new ornament every year, so those are fun to look back on!

I love me a give away! I follow ya too!

loriguyll(at)gmail(dot)com

Megan R. said...

First of all, I love the sparkly decorations! What a steal for only a buck!!

As for favorite holiday decorations, I would have to say it is a lighted glass present that my parents made. It's featured in some pics on my blog with my baby. I just think it is really cool! Looks good in a picture, too.

Megan R. said...

oh yeah...my email is MeganMK at cox dot net

Megan R. said...

...aaand now I'm a blog follower too!

Megan R. said...

And lastly, I posted about your contest!!

Shoebox Princess said...

Favorite Christmas decoration? So hard to choose! Right now I guess it would be the beat up, homemade wooden, green triangle tree with elastic gold cord stretched over a peg in the top of the tree with 25 wooden cranberries on the cord, one berry for each day. It's sort of an advent calendar. It's kinda ugly, but my kids love to move the beads over, one per day, until it's Christmas Day! It's fallen apart on several occasions because of shoddy gluing on my part, but Christmas traditions wouldn't be the same without that old triangle tree.

LORI said...

COUNT ME IN! MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ARE ALWAYS, ALWAYS THE ONES THE KIDS BRING HOME FROM SCHOOL! THEY ARE SO PROUD OF THEIR HARD WORK, AND THE ARTWORK IS IN RETURN PROUDLY DISPLAYED IN OUR HOME! MY KIDS ARE 10 AND 12, AND I STILL PUT UP THEIR PINECONE TREES DECORATED WITH SMARTIE CANDIES EVERY YEAR! MY OTHER FAVORITE NON-KID CRAFTED DECORATION IS A BEAUTIFUL SILVER BELL I GOT AT HALLMARK ONE YEAR. IT HAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SOUND!

LORI said...

I FORGOT MY EMAIL...IT'S LLNK@COX.NET

Alexis AKA MOM said...

I think I would fit in with your family, nonverbalis not the word to discribe me :). Thank you for checking out my blog, I love new friends.

Thanks for letting me know about your giveaway! Love the blog, can't wait to read more!

Alexis ;)

hahamommy said...

Hi! I followed you here from Hillbilly Duhn's blog :D
I just started blogging about my favorite holiday decor on my blogs.
hannahbearski.blogspot.com
hahamommy.blogspot.com

If I had to pick today's favorite, it'd be the Eeyore angel on top of the tree. The kids and I picked it out together, our first Christmas as three. This year, Hayden put it atop the tree by himself. We're not the same family we were 8 years ago...

hahamommy at gmail dot com

hahamommy said...

I am now a follower :)

Anonymous said...

wowzers! I have a lot of competition for this one!
My favorite decorations are these pink (because pink is awesome), Victorian, tear-drop glitter ornametns. With this pretty organza pink ribbon that lets it hang fromthe tree. You should have been sold at pink and glitter!

Anonymous said...

I linked you to my post for today. Yay me!

Dennis and Leslie said...

Ooh, that prize looks amazing!! My favorite holiday decoration is my Christmas tree scented "Circle E" candle. It's in a beautiful jar and it fills my entire place with the smell of a real tree. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, keep in touch!!

Dennis and Leslie said...

forgot to leave my email address:
stethoscopesandstilettos@hotmail.com

momma said...

my favorite christmas decoration is a trio of choir boys that my mom made years ago when she took a ceramics class. for years they were on our mantle at home. just two years ago, she gave them to me. they bring back memories of christmas at home. i love them!

my blog is www.allthisistrue.blogspot.com

email prcsteacher@gmail.com

momma said...

i am now a follower of your blog.

Lil Boo & Co. said...

Oh, thanks so much for browsing my blog!! And woo hoo for giveaways! :) So, count me in!!!

For my favorite Christmas decoration...hmmm...would I be so bland by saying it's our tree?! You see - I'm so proud of it b/c I was able to watch the sales a few years ago and get everything on it (including the tree itself...lights...and the BOG sparkly red bow on the top - no star or angel for me...) all for under $60!!! Yep - and it looks like I spent hundreds! Woo hoo!! So...that's why I'm so delighted and proud to display it each year...just so sad it can only stay up for a short time. Bummer. I love Christmas!! :)

ncpnkr@aol.com

Lil Boo & Co. said...

I'm a follower of your blog! Love it...I've been evjoying your posts.

ncpnkr@aol.com

Janelle said...

Thanks for inviting me to stop by! I'm checking out your blog, too.
:-)

My one thing that is always on my tree is a silly little bell ornament. It's an ugly fabric, and a very out-dated design, but it was a gift from my first-grade teacher and I've had it allllll these years and just can't give it up! I loved my first grade teacher!!!

Thanks for the chance to win, SITSta! lol

nikkicrumpet said...

I love your sparkly deer..nice bargain!

My favorite holiday piece is a hand stitched table runner than my MIL brought me back from Germany. It is so delicate and beautiful and it brings her European heritage into our home.

lynette355 said...

Hey $1.00 goodness is great to me. For us to get so much pleasure out of so little is always a coup de gra (spelling?)
Holidays, hummm....Never easy for me. Seasonal depression does not help the depression I already suffer from. I really detest having to work so hard for the holidays. So this is a question that is really hard. HUMMMM. I try very hard to do alot of baking and canning for gifts at this time. So I guess that is the best I can get.

BTW LET ME WIN LOL
lynette355@yahoo.com

lynette355 said...

And I added you to my give away page. Go and see.
http://theysayimnuts.blogspot.com/2008/12/good-morning-give-aways.html

Angela said...

Wow...I guess I kinda' missed out on this one by finding it so late. My favorite decoration is our Christmas tree. I know that's not anything profound, but I am just so proud of it every year once it's all up and decorated.

Rachel Ann said...

I love my Christmast Village!

Anonymous said...

Ok I am glad you found me out. I love seeing new blogs. I love to have my place smelling great so this giveaway is right up my alley! I have made my own pine wreath this year which is hanging up in the dining room area. (I use this term loosely). My email is lauraemoffitt@gmail.com

Wanda said...

I have a very special nativity that my husband bought for me....it's expensive....and beautiful!
I love it.

Kim said...

Here I am . . . late as usual. I think I missed the deadline, but still am enjoying your blog. Love the photo in your header!

My favorite holiday decoration would be our Christmas stockings. My mom hand-made mine when I was a kid, and I've kept her tradition by making my husband's and daughters' stockings. Each one is decorated to capture that person's interests and personality.

LenaLoo said...

My favorite holiday deco is a mini tree (1.5 ft.) that I bought the first Christmas I lived away from home in Sacramento... It has had many different decorations, from pink and green maribou boas to peacocks (when I wanted to do the big tree up with a peacock theme and hubby said no way, my friend stole my little tree and did it up for me) I think it will keep the peacocks and continue to be an installation in my holiday decor... alenajeckswright@gmail.com

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