Thank you, everyone, for your sweet continual comments this past year. Congratulations to all my winners! Please remember to contact me to give me your mailing addresses.
Wow! It's my one year blog anniversary! Come on and celebrate with me....while browsing through one of the most glorious web-sites. Experience the beauty of lavender for yourself. Here you will find the listings of Oregon Lavender Destinations. You will be able visit one or two or all of the lavender farms in Oregon.
Because I savor the magical scent of lavender, I would like to have a "Lavender-Themed" Giveaway. I have been busily attending to my crop of lilac, purple, and fuscia toned items for weeks and would like to share some of this magic with you!!
Let's begin our journey by walking through the fields of Cottage Farm Villa. Her blog is absolutely a heavenly place. You will lose yourself in it's beauty!
Walking the paths of lavender......how cool is this?
Or just smelling the hypnotic scent.....can you imagine?
Thank you so very much for encouraging me this past year to continue posting and not quitting. Your heartfelt and lovely comments are what makes all the work preparing for a post worthwhile. As a small token of my appreciation I am giving away a little of myself and a few items that all make me melt in the scent of lavender. I have had just a glorious time learning how to actually start a blog, to post, to take better photos, and to really share my creative journey with everyone.
If it wasn't for the encouragement of Debra Abel and Terri Gauthier, I probably would never have experienced all of this blogging craziness. I have loved meeting y'all, seeing your amazing artwork, and really getting to know how you think about your artwork and your families. I love seeing your homes, and where you play!
I am so proud of myself to be able to say I "made it" to one year. Thank you everyone for stopping by so many times, even though I may not have acknowledged your visit.
I just love doing this! Thanks, Deb and Terri for introducing me to the blogging world.
And now for my humble offerings, I present.....
GIVEAWAY #1
Lavender growing kit, two lilac dishcloths, my "Secret Garden" journal, lavender-wisteria soap, 2 spools of lavender ribbon and one lime green Nouveau ribbon.
GIVEAWAY #2
My "Marie Antoinette" journal, two white dishcloths with lilac stripe, lavender-wisteria soap.
GIVEAWAY #3
Dream journal, Beauty shopping list pad, Dream note cards, miniature Marie Antoinette purse-sized journal, fuscia dishcloths, lavender-wisteria soap, one lime green Nouveau ribbon, and one lilac with green polka dot ribbon.
Please leave a comment on this post by Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at Midnight. I will announce the winner on Monday, July 27th. Remember to leave a way for me to contact you.
And, now it's time for me to head for home to watch a wonderful film, with the scent of lavender on my clothes. I love sinking into the couch, and drifting off into the world of the sisterhood of women.
Enjoy your day visiting my dream of lavender fields!
Everything is going to be okay, says Iris Lee Underwood.
"I love farming, and I look at my farm
as a peace offering--to myself, my family, the community. People want to enjoy the scent of lavender, the beauty of it, the camaraderie. It brings them piece!"
The mood-boosting powers of lavender may even mend an aching heart. Seven years ago, her 25-year old daughter died from drug abuse, and "the cloud of grief that hung over me was lifted," she says.
She has studied how the oil absorbs into your skin, your bloodstream, and goes to your brain. "But it was really true. I felt this keen sense of well-being after caressing the velvety lavender flower one sunny afternoon six years ago."
Today, at 60, Iris nurtures a rolling acre of the plants on what she calls "Yule Love It Lavender Farm" in Lakeville, Michigan. This July, during harvest season, more than 2,000 visitors pick their own flowers, sit at bistro tables to sip lavender tea, or just share their stories of loss and healing while strolling through the lavender fields.
Yule Love It Lavender Lemonade
TO MAKE: Steep 1 large tea ball filled with organic lavender in a quart of boiled water until the liquid turns a light rose color. Meanwhile, in a gallon jar, mix 2 large cans of frozen lemonade concentrate with 4 cans of water. Add the cooled lavender infusion to the lemonade. Finally, add the ice and garnish with fresh mint, lemon thyme, or lavender springs with foliage, or all three.
