We have winners. You are all winners. Yes. You, lovely reader, are a winner.
I wanted to pick our favorites for each category. But...Fern put her foot down. She said I couldn't make up my mind and was being a "crazy woman." I don't see anything wrong with having a 5 category voting system. Or special notes that keep someone in the running for that "IT"element even if they didn't cut it on the technical.
But she did point out that it would take until June of next year to do the voting the way I set out to do it and that wouldn't be fair to you all. So I agreed.
Zula's Choice went to Pam Graber! A Hobby Lobby gift card is coming to you!!! Use it to beautify the world, Grasshopper! I know you can. I saw your picture. With the bee...squeee!!!!!! (I have to say Pam's picture was one of my favorites! So I am thrilled. But then the others...sweet mercy. The others! )
Fern's Choice goes to Beverly Snyder! Yay, Beverly. She's the one that had the baby as a prop. Well, prop might not be the best word. She made the lovely bouquets for the baby after all. So the point was the baby outfit for the wedding...but...the baby made a lovely display piece. Beverly wins a Trader Joe's gift card. Yay! Beverly!
And then finally. Our Wild Card/Wild Hair award goes to Nora St. Laurent. She will win an Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of Out of the Frying Pan. Yay, Nora! She also tweeted about our contest like a champion. So thank you for that, Nora. And since you are the friend of books it's great you landed a prize in the random drawing.
The rest of you, I'm so sorry. If it was up to me I'd have chosen every single one of you. Every. Single. One. But as Fern said, that kind of defeats the purpose of a contest...and more importantly, it would completely wipe out my clearance flower fund nest egg buying all those gift cards.
Thank you for playing!!!!
The contest. I want to talk about the contest and how excited I am about the entries. We got one that included a real live bee! Not the cute little chenille ones covered in black and yellow glitter at the five-and-dime but a flying buzzy bee. So precious. Fern says we have so many entries we are going to have to do random choices. Don't tell her I agree but it would be hard to pick just one for each category as the winner. So many beautiful bouquets!!!!
But I also want to talk about the 4th! Of JULY!!! One of my favorite holidays. I love cozying up to a strong hunk-a-lunk of a man and squealing at the fireworks. Well, I don't really care for the fellas that squeal, I prefer to be the squealer! Oh, fireworks! Exploding lights and booms and colors! They get better every year. Have you seen the ones that make huge floating hearts? Squeeeee!
The other best thing about the 4th is the fair we attend. Well, it's not really a fair. More of a friendly contest between talented adults. Some more talented than others, of course, who shall all remain nameless for various and obvious reasons. I enter (and win) the creative pie contest. Almost every single year. Last year was a fluke and I'll swear as I have been that Miriam somehow cheated. But I have been warned by Fern not to mention that allegation again. Ever. So I didn't just say that.
The best thing, the thing that will take away all my sad feelings about Miriam and her cheating pie is that this year will be my first in the Doggie-Dress-Up event! I am going to sparkle and glitter the stuffing right out of my little Fifi princess. I intend to make her a corset and a train as well as tiny little paw covers. All in red, white and blue and all dazzling!!!!!! I've been working on the designs for a week and as soon as this contest is over I'll be sewing, glueing and bedazzling like nobody's business.
Now. Join the contest in the last few days so I can move on. Feel free to include little furry friends in the bouquet pictures. Those are my favorite!!!
I'm so MAD at Fern. I had a shopping cart loaded down at the dollar store. And by golly, my darn bladder, I had to find the lady's room. Coffee, excitement, GRAVITY! Sweet mercy, the trifecta of annoyance! The thing has always been the size of a Lima bean and now it's the size of a kidney bean as far as capacity goes.
Anyhoo. When I came back Fern had "organized" the cart. I say EDITED!!!! As in I know I had a dozen each of each color of silk zinnia. And the tiny precious rosebuds with the little fake raindrop, at least two dozen of the white ones. She claims I'm over-exaggerating.
Ohhhkayyy. I know how she rolls! And this is not our first rodeo.
I managed to grab a few bundles extra as we headed toward the line. Next time I take her flower shopping I'll wear a depends. That's a promise! And a threat!
Now. Next week is the end of the contest.
We have three great prizes.
Hobby Lobby $20,
Trader Joe's $20,
Amazon $10 plus a copy of our story in paperback!!!!
Three prizes. So far we have the following bouquets representing YOUR creativity.
Let's AMP this party UP!
RULES: Through June 15th at 11:59 p.m.
Take a picture of a bouquet.
Post it on Facebook with the following: (Just copy and paste into the Say something about)
Just entered this beauty for a fabulous giveaway. @KellyKlepfer and @FernandZula See rules here. http://fernandzula.blogspot.com/2017/06/times-ticking.html
OR/AND
Post your picture on Twitter with the following:
Just entered for a fabulous #giveaway. @KellyKlepfer @MichelleGriep #FernandZula See rules here. http://fernandzula.blogspot.com/2017/06/times-ticking.html
And then, just to make sure we don't miss the entry email the writer at kelly.klepfer@gmail.com and tell her what you did! Easy peasy. Enter as often as you like. Go crazy with bouquets. You do not have to make them, just take a picture of one.
Or, just go buy 10 copies of our story on Amazon and we'll gladly enter you for that. Send your receipt to the email addy above. Just kidding. But if you wanted to we sure wouldn't be upset...just sayin.
You know what today is? Don't you? If you know me at all you know that this might be the best day of the year.
Two days after Christmas is a close second. The day after Valentine's is up there. But the day after Memorial Day!!!! I adore this day!!!
Now I don't have much time. Nor do I have the ability to sit still and type this. Gracious, my feet are tap-tapping right along with my fingers. I'm giddy. Just giddy!!!
I am taking Fern with me. She insisted. I'm not sure why she is so interested in flower gathering but I'll take her help. I might find enough that I can't even carry it! She can be my blossom mule!
(Fern here: You know why I'm helping her? Someone has to be the voice of reason. Last year she "borrowed" half of my closet for a "few weeks." Yeah. That's not going to happen again. For months, every time I opened my closet door I was terrified of losing an eye.)
I've got to tell you this, too. I don't know for certain. But I think there might be a wedding on the horizon. I just feel it in my bones. There is an unverified wedding and I will be intimately involved in the planning. Today my goal is to dumpster dive, buy at 75% off or more every white or ivory flower I see.
I hope your day is full of flowers. Just FULL of them. Join the contest. Send a picture. Here's the information you need. http://fernandzula.blogspot.com/2017/05/announcement-announcement-announcement.html
TIP: You need this. If you see a bedraggled flower that you feel like you must rescue but just can't see how. You can reinvigorate a faded beauty past her prime. Spray glue and glitter. Or glitter spray. Not even kidding. Silks can become dazzling damsels with just a little TLC!
Fern's up and moving around. We'll be ready to hit the Dollarama and Hobbyville in no time at all. (This is the one day a year I'm thankful Fern has no beauty routine!)
I wanted to pick our favorites for each category. But...Fern put her foot down. She said I couldn't make up my mind and was being a "crazy woman." I don't see anything wrong with having a 5 category voting system. Or special notes that keep someone in the running for that "IT"element even if they didn't cut it on the technical. 
But she did point out that it would take until June of next year to do the voting the way I set out to do it and that wouldn't be fair to you all. So I agreed. 
The rest of you, I'm so sorry. If it was up to me I'd have chosen every single one of you. Every. Single. One. But as Fern said, that kind of defeats the purpose of a contest...and more importantly, it would completely wipe out my clearance flower fund nest egg buying all those gift cards. 
