Thursday, July 30, 2009

What Do You Say We Have A Contest?!!?? (Winner Announced)

**UPDATE** - We have a winner! Congratulations to comment #7 - Jane!! Your bag and scarf will be on their way to you before the first autumn chill! I loved reading what fall means to everyone - there were many common threads, and yet, many unique reminders....just wonderful! Thank you to all of you who played along! You are amazing spirits and I'm grateful to have you visit me!
Original post:
When the temperature outside is this.....

....and Skittles does this.... (can you believe she's 14 years old and lays out in this heat??? Our home IS air-conditioned, cat.....you COULD come in!)





... it makes me think of this....



















....and this....

I use it as a mind game...sort of a 'survival technique' to make it through the loooooong, hooooooooot days of summer in the desert - and to keep my mind from constantly questioning why anyone with a lick of sense would LIVE in a desert ....!????!


And it also makes me think that it's about time that I held a wee little contest for all of you who so kindly visit me! Did I say 'contest' ?? Why, I do believe I did!

I went shopping to one of my favorite little stores, Trader Joe's. Do you have one near where you live? I love visiting this eclectic place - you can find the greatest little treasures there. I scored a bag there that I just love! It's one of their little reuseable shopping bags and I just had to have one.... I mean, two..... no wait a minute, I mean three. I am going to use one as my new 'school bag' for everyday use... isn't it cute?? I love the shape and size of it - perfect for toting my lunch and other goodies that I take with me. I'm also crazy over the design, print and colors of it!

Guess what? I got you one, too! Oh yes, I thought you needed one, too!



To put in that sweet little bag, I'm throwing in one of these .... a hand-knitted scarf made by moi for you - all in autumnal colors (the name of the yarn color is 'harvest'...don't you love that??)










.....and with the prettiest variegated ribbon fringe on both ends! I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I know!!
You'll be glad you have it when that first autumn chill greets you one morning!



Is it beginning to cool off in here a bit??


I also picked me up my favorite kind of Luna bar... Toasted Nuts 'n Cranberry. I wuv these... and they are sooo good for us women, too. Oh, and look! A new sweet little green tin of Trader Joe's Green Tea Mints. I wuv these, too, and ran out, so into the basket a new tin goes....


Wait a minute! There went two tins! And an extra Luna bar!

OHH! A Luna Bar and a sweet tin of mints is heading into the bag with the scarf for a lucky winner of our contest.


So here is the way to play. Leave a comment for this post telling what your favorite thing is about fall. (This includes you 'lookie-lou's' who visit regularly but seldom, or never, leave a comment. Come on! Be brave! Tell us why you love fall! It's easy! See that thing down below that says '_____ touchpoints' ??? Just click on it and you'll be good to go!) Maybe you love the change of weather. Maybe the leaves burst with color where you live. Do you have a certain dish that you tend to prepare only during the autumnal season? Well, tell us about it!! Only one entry per person, please. Deadline for leaving your comment will be Sunday @ midnight - MST. A winner will be randomly selected and announced Monday morning.

Good luck, everyone!

15 comments:

barb said...

Hello Fall Fairy - My favorite thing about fall is that it will finally be cool enough to ride my quad again. Riding quads reconnects me with nature and myself at the same time. When on my quad, my phone can't ring, no one can ask me a question and all I do is think pleasant thoughts about a million things and enjoy the cool breeze in my face.

Anonymous said...

I love everything about Fall;cooler weather, scarves, quad rides, Fall holidays, and much more.....KW

Cheela said...

I know I will probably be thrown out of the contest, but I don't love fall the way you do!! I always look forward to football season--that's about it!! When I retire, I am going to try to spend some of fall down in southeastern Arizona enjoying the change of seasons!!!

Julie said...

Where to start?? Fall is my favorite season..... I love waking up to cool crisp sunny mornings, the leaves changing color, the beginning of wearing scarfs...hats and gloves, I LOVE eating seasonally ...and Fall is the best....Butternut squash soup please! I love to bake in Fall...bring on the pumpkin...ohhh how it makes the house smell so good on those cool crisp days. Lastly I love how the light reflects from the sun.

Joni said...

How fun. Hmmm...fall is my very favorite season and for so many reasons! I love fall for children’s laughter as they kick through the leaves on the way to school and the way these same leaves will be re-gathered in a festive little mound of reds and yellows to entice the child in all of us to scatter them all over again.

Skittles has the right idea! Today while working in the garden I spotted my trusty sidekick Lacey laying in the middle of the HOT rocks. Makes no sense to me. Maybe it's one of those sympathy ploys so I'd send her back in where the AC is going? Ya think? Come to think of it, it worked.

kimberly said...

i'm a fall girl too.....and i've actually lived places where you KNEW it was fall....the smell of woodburners being used, the beautiful tapestry of orange, fiery red, gold, and green that covers the hillsides, making a trip into the woods to cut firewood for the winter...and drinking hot chocolate to take the chill off......yummy cinnamon candles and decorating with jeweled tones.........and this year a fall wedding in the mountains of colorado!
hugs,
kimberly

Jane said...

WEll--Fall is so different here than where I am from. But, I have to say here that I love Halloween. I love that everyone that has been holed up inside their air conditioned homes, come out and are sociable again. It is fun to take the kids out T or T and not have to wear coats, hats gloves, boots.

I love that you love fall!

Tami Proffitt said...

This may sound weird, but fall reminds me of driving to school when I taught. I'd drive to work with the windows down and breath in as much of the fall air as I could! And then have a deep sigh when I knew I wouldn't breath that air again until the next trip into work. For me it's such a fresh breath and I would almost go back to teaching to have an excuse to function that early!

Gabriela said...

Hello,

Love your purse! And the cat is hilarious sleeping on the hot grass.

Well, I am counting down until the Fall although the weather here in Toronto hasn't been too hot this Summer.

~ Gabriela ~

Dorothy said...

I love Fall..cooler weather, Indian Summer, the smell of crisp air; late September, October....leaves turning color, early morning mist hanging over the lake. I think Fall is God's gift to us before Winter sets in.

PS..we don't have a Trader Joe's nearby but when I lived in California I shopped there often.
It's a terrific place.

Chickenbells said...

What a lovely contest! You KNOW I would leave a comment no matter what (because I'm just chatty like that) and I'm currently sitting IN my house, with all of the windows shut...due to the big redo of Foolsewoode (please tell me I'm going to survive this...although, supposedly there shall be a couple windows open by tomorrow) So, I need to remember what my favorite fart of fall is for sure...

My FAVORITE part of fall is the times where I step off the curbs in town, where all the fall leaves collect when I'm walking...just so that I can walk ankle deep in colors and crunches. I love dragging my feet through the leaves and kicking them up...I love the way they smell when I step on them, and how they sound...it reminds me of plaid skirts and Halloween.

Oh thank you.

I needed that.

Connie said...

It's been SO HOT here in the Pacific NW, that I am REALLY looking fwd to Fall! I love the crisp air, the glorious colors of the leaves, pumpkins, Halloween, and Thanksgiving! I love baking cookies and zucchini bread...and I have to agree with Julie that Fall isn't complete without making my favorite Butternut squash soup!

I am a devoted Trader Joe's fan. I can relate to Dorothy...since moving from California, we are now a WHOLE HOUR away (plus $4 toll bridge), from our nearest Trader Joe's. :(
My sister in CA sometimes calls me to taunt me and ask, "hey, I'm headin to TJ's, wanna go with me? or is there anything you want me to pick up for ya??"

Grumperini said...

Fall is my favorite season! In VA it was all about red, orange, and sunset-colored leaves floating through the air decorating the outside, a drive through Shenandoah State Park to have my breath taken away, the glorious taste of fresh apple cider (cold or mulled!), hail to the Redskins, and my birthday. In CO it was all about the yellow of the Aspens against the backdrop of the deepest green of the evergreens. Here in AZ, it's all about that first crisp, fresh morning, and the first dip in the pool when the water is finally cooler than my body temperature. Fall, rather than Spring, has always meant to me new beginnings, new possibilities...

Susie said...

The colors of autumn would win, hands down! Their richness and their beauty suggest that dying doesn't have to be all gloom and doom ... that final days can still be full of richness and bring joy to others.

Heather said...

Brown wedge boots and glow in the dark necklaces around trick or treaters.