And the winner is...

[timing disclaimer]
Well my friends, today my internet provider and I have heartily disagreed on what constitutes "high speed internet."  Apparently Mr. Internet is still on winter holiday, and doing business only via his smart phone between pinã coladas on a beach somewhere that is most certainly NOT in my house.  So here it is, high time for dinner (tamale pie to ward off the December chill) and I finally have a little video to share...

*****
I honestly think this has been the richest giveaway contest in the history of UmberDove: reading through all the celebrations your lives has upped the anti on the incredible sense of community I feel in the bloggy world.  It has given me cause to remember joys I'd not consciously celebrated and revel in the shared experienced we have (and by "we" I really do mean me and YOU).  I've had a perma-grin settled on my cheeks every time I've opened my laptop.

I'd like to host a giant tea/booze party and invite you all over for fresh guacamole, persimmon cookies, and oreo truffles just so I could sit and hear the stories pouring from your lips.

I loved it.

Really LOVED it.

So without further ado, here we have the winner-winner...

In case you have not watched the bit of silliness above, the absolute random winner of the Dwell Stone Giveaway is...

NANCY*MCKAY

Nancy, my friend, wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-hooo!  I'll have this beauty fluttering cross country right to your door step!
And to everyone else who commented, thank you from the upper right chamber of my beating heart for sharing with me!

*****
All that said,
I'm back to my own winter holiday and way too many pieces of toffee!  I've family in town through the weekend so I'll be largely off the interwebs and enjoying their company until next week soooooooo...

See you then and
HAPPY 2011!

GIVEAWAY of Celebrations and thoughts on Dwelling

Well first things first.

I'm here, in my local laundry mat (which I love, I should mention) and apparently, Saturday night is Abba Night.  It rocks my socks (every last pair) and makes me want to pop a huge bowl of popcorn and watch Mama Mia for the bazillionth time.

Ok, now more Important things second.

You know that giveaway I keep mentioning, dangling from the pitch of my long limbs like a tasty treat?  LET'S DO IT NOW!

This stone, which is no small token - over six inches in length, is for you.  

She is dear to me.

I'll just say that for starters.

I've been thinking, meditating, reminding myself constantly of late on Dwelling.  In the long lifetime that this last year has been, there have been too many moments where something in me sprinted ahead of my present time, to every last (and often worst) possibility, dragging my head in places it never belonged.  I think it is in our very human nature to dream, but the antithesis to that is our nature to worry.  We have these built-in mechanisms for brilliant reasons, to protect us, to help us plan for the future, to propel us forward on our individual paths and the grand highway that is mankind.

But flying into the future is not always healthy for our hearts.  Sometimes we forget that we are where we are, right now, right here.  And this place, where our soles rest on the ground and our lungs pull in air is exactly where we need to be.  To dwell in the present.  To see the true nature of what surrounds us in the current second.  To be present with our bodies, our hearts, our laughter, our tears.

I say these things to you as no expert on the matter.  Rather, I paint these words because I need my hands to spell out a physical reminder.  Again and again, and no doubt, I'll need to again in the future.  Which means to me, that I'm not the only one craving that reminder.

So.

We strive to Dwell.

Here and Now.

Ok.

Giveaway Rules?

This time it's as simple as can be: just leave a comment below telling me ONE thing in your life you're celebrating right now.  I'm going to be a stickler on it, no celebration, no entry!  Entries close at midnight PST on Monday December 27th 2010 (after I return from celebrating Christmas!).  I'll announce the winner on Tuesday December 28th.

***

Now.  It's time for me to wiggle my nose like Mary Poppins and watch the laundry fold itself then settle into place on best behavior.

Ship Shape!

I supposed you'd like a winner, huh?

Sometime after the stroke of midnight, I sat myself down for a little blog count and a visit to the random number generator site. I numbered out every post, every tweet, every lovely little comment you left me. I let my finger hover for a few seconds over the "generate" button while I thought quietly, may this painting go to the person who most needs her, most connects with her, then with a quick click I had the wining number right there on my screen. Not yet the name I'd be writing across the package within which "Come Spring" would travel to her new owner with great flourish (I hadn't yet checked the winning number with the winning person), not yet the person I'd get to announce today as the winner, but just a random little number.

Truth be told it was kinda anti-climatic.

The number just pops up. That's all.

And I can't do that to you.

I like to get my kicks.

I went with my randomly generated number without question (who am I to get in the way of fate) and I'm THRILLED to announce a winner. And then I got really excited and picked two more random numbers because, well, shoot, we all like prizes and I figured there were two more sassy lasses out there who needed some UmberDove lovin'.

But when I told Thai who won, he wanted to play announcer, and I really couldn't argue because I have raised two quite self-entitled kitty boys with whom I share a rather codependent relationship. So I made him a cape which he proudly wore for his photoshoot.

Miss Little Jeans,

CONGRATULATIONS!

I'll be bundling up and shipping out "Come Spring" with loads of love and bubble wrap just for you!

AND

To my next two randomly generated ladies,

Trista Anodei

and

Elaine

CONGRATS TO YOU TWO TOO!

I would love to send you each a print of your choosing from my little shop, so drop me an email at

kclarkstudios@gmail.com

letting me know what print you would like and what address you would like me to ship it to and I'll chop right to it!

To EVERYONE who commented and shared the love in this last week,

THANK YOU!

I appreciate you each so much it makes my heart give a little flutter and my toes give a little tingle every time I think of you.

You really are the best.

I mean it.

Bring it on Spring, I'm ready for my GIVEAWAY!

SO.

As much as I know you love listening to me chatter on about silly matters regarding the state of the lichen in my backyard and the afternoon light on the ridge causing the most beautiful sunflare, or my cocktail of choice last night at 5:00pm (pomegranate liquor, straight up) , or what tune I've had stuck in my head for days now to BC's bane (Chances by Jill Barber, I'm done with you now. Thanks for the good times. Now go and please do not leave Sweet Home Alabama in your wake AGAIN) I'll try to spare you the details and cut to the chase.

We've got a giveaway on our hands here, and I mean to deliver.

"But cool your heels" I hear you say, "We need proper Introductions first!"

Ahem.

This, my friends, is "Come Spring." Oh I know a GRIP of you out there are dealing with snowdrifts to the knees but here in the Pacific Northwest we're experiencing a Faux Spring. I return home from my runs and lay flat on my back in the grass, allow the still-chill wind to dance over me while I soak up the watery rays of sun and the heady scent of soil slowly warming. The birds are simply beside themselves, chattering on about their good luck and rich prospects. This faux Spring still manages to bring a bounty, and if nothing else, a little renewed hope.

Come Spring

Oil on Canvas 4" x 4"

- On To The Details of how "Come Spring" could come and live with YOU -

I had a long talk with the boys and they agreed to let me use a random number generator to determine the winner, so please leave a separate comment for each of the checkpoints below (it's just like more raffle tickets and who doesn't like a whole fistful of bright red raffle tickets?)

1. Just leave me a regular-o comment, say cheers or howdy-hey, or what's crackin' or... yeah, whatever's on your mind. = 1 red raffle ticket!

2. Leave a comment if you follow my blog (there's a button somewhere over here on the right side). = 1 red raffle ticket!

3. Become a Facebook fan of UmberDove (again, there is a terribly conveniently located button just to the right - I do like to make life easy for you). = 1 red raffle ticket!

4. If you proudly sport an UmberDove item - or several - woo! (be it purchased from my UmberDoveStudios.Etsy shop OR my UmberDove.Etsy shop) leave me a comment (because I appreciate you so!). = 1 red raffle ticket

5. For everywhere you post news of this giveaway with a link to my blog, be it on your own blog, your facebook, your twitter, wherever your webular steps lead, leave me a comment with a link to your post. = 1 red raffle ticket PER post

And there you go, so many amazing ways to earn yourselves fistfuls of red raffle tickets! But remember to post up a comment for each way you spread the UmberDove love. The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm PST on Wednesday February 17th and I'll be declaring a winner on Thursday February 18th so get crackin'!

Best of the Best Luck to You!

Credit where credit is due: I must say I've been so inspired by the rampant generosity of some bloggy friends of late - it really must be that Spring is in the air - and I just want to say thank you to YOU, Miss for the idea for this format. Cheers!