I know you’ve all heard by now about the great #snowjam2014 of the South. So if all my kind friends to the north are done teasing us about being inadequately prepared for two inches of snow and ice, I’ll tell you the truth: I’ve never seen anything like it. If I had thought for a second that my minivan with four kids would make it anywhere near the perimeter of Atlanta, we’d have handed out snacks and offered rides to stranded motorists, too, but sometimes, all you can do from afar is offer up a prayer and revel in seeing the goodness of humanity unfold.
It’s one of my favorite things to see people sharing love. Now, it’s February (seriously, where did January go?) and there’s no better time for thawing hearts and souls than post-snowstorm and pre-Valentine’s.
Also, it’s my birthday month and this year both the blog and my sweet third girl turn four! Crazy. So, I wanted to celebrate in a really big way.
That’s right, it’s a month of giveaways! Hopefully, that means I’ll return to some semblance of regular posting, but mostly it means, I get to share a little love and some of my favorite things with those of you who stick around even when I’ve had to hide out for a little while because words for some freelance work and words for a nearly finished novel drain me a bit dry of words for this blog.
Today I’m sharing goodies from my sweet friend Andi. She’s a flower-making, yarn-crafting, homeschooling mama of five who has the kindest smile and the biggest heart.
We connected last summer through a series of emails with Sarah, Holly, Marcy, and Vanessa as we all tried to stumble our way through designing and redesigning our blogs. She’s part of the incredible #fmfparty crew, too, and last October, I got to hug her in real life at Allume.
And she gave me a sticker that said You are Loved. I stuck it on the spiral notebook that I use to scribble down post ideas and words of inspiration, and whenever I get stuck thinking blogsphere is too big and trying to do this writing thing is too hard, I see those words. You are Loved. It’s the best reminder that always there are people who go from complete strangers to dear friends in just a matter of moments when your hearts connect.
Andi is one of those who makes me feel gotten, you know? Like even though we don’t know each other that well, I can bounce ideas off her and she understands what I’m fumbling around trying to say.
Then there’s her shop...
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| {source: Andi Gould Designs} |
Seriously, how cute is this? I’m going to get her to Google hangout with me soon, so she can teach me how to crochet these sweet little hearts because I tried to teach myself and it. did. not. work.
Besides my sweet sticker, Andi also brought me one of my most favorite things to Allume: her homemade lip balm.
Y’all, it is the greatest chapstick ever. I’m never buying Blistex again. Ever. Even if it’s on sale and I have coupon. Well, maybe then, because my girls love chapstick and I’m not sharing mine.
Andi’s is all natural and comes in really great flavors like the one I’m using right now, Vanilla Creamsicle. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you know this is exactly what you’re needing to get those dry lips ready for some smooching.
So kicking off my month of giveaways, a chance to win a 3-pack of Andi Gould Designs exclusive lip balm.
To enter, all you have to do is fill out the entry form below. It’s super quick and easy, plus it helps me share this around social media so everyone can check out Andi’s shop. I’d love it, too, if you left me a comment about someone who did something unexpectedly special for you recently? a Rafflecopter giveaway//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js
Lindsey P. Brackett 