Simply Dawn

And the Winner Is…

Cheryl!  Cheryl, send me an email with your address and I will have the publisher send out When No One Is Watching!

sorry this is late in coming…hunting weekend and snow and lots of kids wanting to come in and out and mess up floors really bad and then wanting hot chocolate and something sweet…not to mention that watching snow makes you just want to snuggle up under the covers…snuggling up under covers makes you want to sleep…and now you know why I kept procrastinating!

Lovies!

What This Momma’s Been Up To

What I’ve Done…
Made peanut butter rice krispy treats and was voted most wonderful mother in the whole wide world…did I mention that it was for breakfast?

Ground 30 lbs of venison in 1.5 hours yesterday…not consecutive though…my kitchen aid overheated and I had to give it a long rest before grinding the last little bit.

Finally opened my etsy shop.  So much more to do with that, but the initial fear of putting something out there for the whole world to enjoy…or nitpik…is over and I can move on to posting some more things and making more things and posting more…well you get the picture.

Soup sale went well, but if we get anymore deer meat I will have to have a freezer sale.  I am sure that will just be horrible for my beloved customers – marked down soup…gotta love it!  I have three bags of the Creamy Potato (which I am going to rename Italian Creamy Potato) and it’s gluten-free too; one bag of gluten-free Creamy Wild Rice, unless I decide to crack into it this weekend; three bags of Tortilla Soup.  We will see what deer camp brings.

What I Hope to Do…
Get more esty items posted.

Finish making the purses for the etsy shop.

Fall decorating (my dear sweet hubby decided to start retexturing our walls in our entry where I was going to hang a shelf…this is great, but it’s an as we get extra project which means it will take a long time…back to the shelf…can’t hang it up on the walls until they are done, but I will be pulling out the other decorations and putting them up this weekend).

Making 25 lbs of breakfast sausage and 25 lbs of italian sausage out of the venison and some ground pork.

Making some jean skirts for my girls… found some ideas to springboard from to use their old holey jeans and turn them into twirlygig type skirts.

Finding a use for all my extra denim, I am thinking cadet or messenger type hats, are they still fashionable?

Making a cook book for Addie with Easy Bake Oven recipes for part of her Christmas present.  I thought some measuring spoons and a bowl and a homemade apron would be fine.  I know she wants littlest pet shop, but this year if I can only get her one, this recipe set will be a nice addition under the tree.

Trying to figure out some more homemade type gifts for the others in the family.  You know tight finances just make you be more creative.  More creativity, more fun!

Finish photographing headshots of the kiddos so we can have 2010 shots for the wall and the grandparents.  Sssshhhhh – it’s a secret!

The ellusive family portrait, which will probably be shot on the couch like last year with all the silly faces and everything…It just makes it more fun!

Get ready for Thanksgiving and really spend it as a day of giving thanks for how rich we really are!

Okay, so I bored you long enough.  I will also be drawing the winner of the When No One Is Watching Giveaway today and announcing the winner tonight, probably before 8pm, so check back!

Lovies and prayers that you have a blessed day!

When No One Is Watching

When No One is Watching
Author: Joseph Hayes
Publisher: Synergy Books
Pub date: October 2010
ISBN: 9780984387946
Format: Paperback
Author websites: www.joseph-hayes.com , www.whennooneiswatching-thebook.com

Here is the press:
On the eve of announcing his run for Congress, a charismatic Chicago politician causes a deadly accident. Panicked, he frames his best friend, a good-hearted alcoholic, and flees the scene. As one man tries to pick up the pieces of his shattered life, the other embarks on a meteoric rise to policitcal stardom. But when a dogged detective digs deeper into the case, the policital superstar must decide just how far he is willing to go to keep his dark secret. Author Joseph Hayes combines page-turning suspense with a poignant tale of inspiration and redemption as he asks, is “the greater good” just a lie we tell ourselves to justify the sins we commit when no one is watching?

JOE HAYES is currently Assistant General Counsel and chief ethics officer for a Fortune 1000 Company based in Houston, Texas. He graduated with highest honors from De Paul University and obtained his juris doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley. A member of the State Bars of Illinois, California and Texas and the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics, Hayes currently resides with his wife Susan and their three children in the Woodlands, Texas. For more information on Joseph Hayes and his novel When No One is Watching, visit www.joseph-hayes.com and www.whennooneiswatching-thebook.com.

Here’s what I thought:
Wow!  I went through this one fast.  I think maybe 4 to 6 hours tops.  I started it in the morning and read in the car while I waited for kids.  At the doctor’s office waiting for the doctor.  At home while cookin’ dinner and helping with homework and such.  Finally after everyone was in bed I zoomed through the rest of it.  I loved it and the swearing was minimal, but you need to know it’s in there.  I especially love the way that Mr. Hayes lays out how we justify our sins.  Sin sucks!  We all do it, but it is something we have been equipped to rise above.  We just need to draw on the strength of the Lord to help us do that.

Anyways, because I love you guys and because Phenix&Phenix is so stinkin’ generous I have another giveaway!  Yep, one lucky winner will receive a brand spankin’ new copy of When No One Is Watching sent to you straight from the publicists, just for leaving a comment on this post answering the following question:

What is your favorite kind of cookie?

I know, another food question.  Just remember it’s me you are reading and food and me are like peas and carrots, biscuits and gravy, cookies and milk.  You get the picture.

Alrighty, don’t forget to leave a comment and I will announce the winner on Friday, November 12th!

Lovies,DJ

And the Winner is…

Well, this is a hard one to do, because on the one hand, according to the rules, you had to enter a comment on my blog (http://www.luv2quilt.typepad.com), so technically, leaving a comment in Facebook doesn’t count as an entry.

On the other hand I could cave, and throw the other two facebook commenters into the hat and give them a chance to win too – especially since only one other person entered a comment).

Right now, this is no big deal, but what if, let’s say, I end up with like a bazillion readers that comment on my blog, on facebook or on twitter…then what is a girl to do?  How does one get a random number generator to work over three platforms????  I mean it’s no big deal to throw the names in a hat when you only have three commenters on two platforms.

So, since there are three of you that left comments, I will cave, just this once and put your names in a hat and draw them, but for the next giveaway, there will be no caving, even if only one person leaves a comment. (if you need some help getting to my blog, just click here, or here, or even here… or you can click on the link in the first paragraph, the one that looks like http://www.luv2quilt.typepad.com. … just sayin’.)

So, without further adieu, the winner is…Terry!  Terry, send me an email with your mailing address and I will have Phenix&Phenix send you your copy of French Letters Engaged in War.

Thanks and lovies to all who entered!

Giveaway!

Well, remember back in September when I wrote this post about the book, Engaged In War by Jack Woodville London?

Well, I remember!

Anywho, I was contacted by the lovely folks at Phenix & Phenix and was able to work out a little somethin’ somethin’ for you all, just cause I love you!

One lucky ready will receive a brand spankin’ new copy of Engaged in War just for commenting in the post below and answering the following question:

What is your favorite soup?

Now, go leave that comment and on the morning of Monday, November 8th, I will draw names and let you know who the winner is!

Good luck, happy Friday and Lovies!

Daily Guideposts 2011: A Spirit Lifting Devotional – GIVEAWAY

Hello my lovelies!  The sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day outside.  Inside the kiddos aren’t too happy (mom’s on the computer) and there is laundry soap to make and dinner to prep and kids to pick up from school and a desk to clean and quilt squares to sort…busy, busy, busy!

I am sure your lives are busy too, and sometimes we just need a little reminder to our spirits of Who is really in control and just what really matters.  Did you ever get the little Daily Guideposts devotionals at church?  I love them and think you will too.

So tomorrow, Friday, October 1st, Daily Guideposts 2011: A Spirit-Lifting Devotional hits the sales racks.  Featuring 55 contributing writers from all over our great nation.  With special features sections including “A Path to Simplicity”, “Free to Love, Free to Follow”.  The theme of “Growing in Love” is explored daily – and couldn’t we all grow a little in love?

Those wonderful folks over at Phenix&Phenix were kind enough to offer one of you – yes, you, my lovely reader (unless, of course, you are a man, then you are handsome just the way God made you and not in a lusty sort of way, cause I am just not that kind of girl...anymore)—get the chance to win a copy right here at Simply Dawn.

So what do you have to do to win?
Leave me a comment telling me your favorite season by 7:00 PM CST, Sunday, October 3.  I will draw a name and announce the winner on Monday afternoon.
I know seasons don't have a whole lot to do with this giveaway, but I love Autumn and it just doesn't last long enough...how about you?

Good luck and hope to hear from you soon!

Lovies!

Daily Guideposts 2011: A Spiri-Lifting Devotional (Guideposts Books, 978-0-8249-4809-2, October 2010, $19.95, hardcover)

Updated -- Between Us Girls magabook giveaway

*****  Comments have been closed on this post and we have our winners!  *****

April, Cheryl, and Robin have each won one copy of the magabook Between Us Girls.  Since I know you all and it would be more fun (and less expensive) to pass them to you in person or by a friend, I will get your books to you soon!

Thank you to everyone who peaked (we had a lot of peaking) and I am cooking up another giveaway as we speak...should be posted by the end of next week!

Lovies,DJ

Well, here it is!  My first official giveaway!

I was approached by Vicki Courtney's publicists to do a giveaway of her latest "magabook" Between Us Girls a couple of weeks ago. 

"Vicki Courtney is founder of Virtuous Reality Ministries, providing preteen and teenage girls and their parents with the tools necessary to navigate today's media and culture.  She has appeared on CNN, FOX News, and Focus on the Family and is also the author of Your Girl and the award-winning TeenVirtue."

You can download and read the press release by clicking here.

My scoop on it is that I would enjoy going through it with my daughter, were she just a little older.  The book is geared towards 8-12 year olds and is unabashedly Christian and virtuous.

So with all that in mind here is the rule for this giveaway:
Post a comment to this post regarding your concerns for virtue in our preteen and teen girls by no later than midnight, September 4th.  I will then use either a random number generator to choose the winners or put the names in a hat, depending on the number of responders.  I will be selecting 5 winners and books should be shipped (unless I can give it to you in person) by the 12th of September (I am giving myself some cushion...never done this before and sometimes, life happens!)

Please feel free to link back to this post from your blogs and invite your friends to join in the fun!

Good luck!

Lovies,DJ