So...we made it! My 500th post on this here blog! I would say that I'm shocked or surprised I made it this long, but that would pretty much be a lie. I love blogging. So why would I ever have stopped?
I don't have anything super special or magical to commemorate the day with...just some things I've been ruminating on over the past few days. Ya know, sentimental stuff. Things like I love yall sooooo much and I couldn't have made it these last few years without you!!! Both true statements, but both super cheesy. That's why I made them italicized. To take the edge off the cheese-factor. Did it work?
So I started this blog back in February of 2008. I didn't have much of a goal or "purpose statement" in mind when I started, other than to be less of a creepy blog-stalker and maybe to keep up with friends better. So I guess that I've accomplished those goals. I was a pretty slack blogger in 2008, but in January of 2009 I turned a new leaf and vowed to blog more regularly. Ya know, so that I would be in the habit of it by the time I started popping out kids, which was bound to be any minute.
Apparently I wasn't psychic back in 2009. Or now, for that matter.
To say that blogging has more often than not been the thing holding me afloat as I've navigated the storms of infertility these last 4 years would be an understatement. (Super cheesy metaphor? CHECK!) The ability to selfishly pour out my guts here and receive nothing but support and acceptance, love and encouragement, friends old and new willing to battle in the trenches with me...those things have saved me. Because in real life, I'm just not much of a talker or a sharer. So I don't know-- maybe, if I were more open in real life, I would receive a similar response. But I just kinda doubt it. And I kinda don't care to find out. Bearing my soul in "real life" is intimidating and exhausting to me. Bearing my soul here feels like coming home.
So while I may have embarked on this bloggy journey thinking only of sharing tidbits and anecdotes about our lives and family, it's ended up being something much bigger (and more therapeutic). And while there's a piece of me that wishes my life had gone according to my plan and this blog was a full-out mommy blog by now...well, obviously that's just not what happened. But maybe it's for a reason.
I'm usually hard-pressed to find any of the proverbial "reason" well-meaning people keep insisting this infertility is happening for (did that sentence even make sense?? I ended with a dangling preposition. Oh well). Maybe someday one will become clear. But I will admit that over the past year or so, I've started to feel encouraged that at least there's some purpose emerging for this aspect of my life-- blogging. Yall. The connections I've made with other women traveling this road have been unbelievable to me. Yall started coming out of the woodwork during this last year, sending me the sweetest and most vulnerable emails. Some of you didn't know anyone in real life that you felt like you could talk to, but that for some reason you found me here and felt like you could connect. And then you didn't feel so alone anymore. Some of you asked for advice. Some of you just wanted to tell your stories. Some of you seemed relieved and validated that you weren't the only one thinking these things. And all of a sudden I started feeling like maybe good will come out of this crappy stage of life-- a "good" that's better than just babies. I mean, I don't even know what that good could be...but to think that God could use my lame little blog to connect women who are in an extremely lonely and isolating stage of life? That feels really good. Because being part of a community-- even if it isn't in a physical sense-- where you feel like you belong, where you can share openly...dude, you can't put a price tag on that.
So I guess what I wanted to say was thanks. Thanks for sticking around for all 500 of these long and rambling posts. Thanks for being my "community"-- whether you've personally experienced infertility or not, you have all been so encouraging and supportive...I really don't know what I'd have done without you. Probably be locked in a glass case of emotion (name that film!). You have no idea how many times your words of support and prayer have pulled me up and helped me to focus on hope and truth.
I feel like you're supposed to set some sort of "blog goals" or something when you reach such an illustrious milestone as this, but I'm not really sure what mine should be. Other than to be more popular (and rich) than Pioneer Woman, of course. I guess that for my next 500 posts, I'll just be hoping that yall will continue journeying with me, sharing your own lives and hopes and trials and joys as we go. Thanks so much for giving me a place to vent and a (virtual) shoulder to cry on. Yall are seriously the best.
PS. I'd like to recognize Jenny for being my FIRST COMMENTER EVER back in 2008. There should be a serious prize for that, but in lieu of that, I'll just say that I am seriously so thankful for your friendship and support over these years. Happy 30th!!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
WINNERS EVERYWHERE!!!
Are you ready for it? Cause I am. The long-anticipated announcement of the winners of my FIRST GIVEAWAY EVER!!!
But first, some reflections on the giveaway. Whew. That was a lot of work. OK actually it wasn't until about 15 minutes ago. But it was a really busy 15 minutes. The first 4.5 days were just plain fun because I got lots of comments (who doesn't love comments?) that were super entertaining to read. But for the last 15 minutes...well dang that was a lot of Random Number Generating and Screen Shot Taking/Editing in Paint and saving and what-not. Fifteen minutes of hard computer labor basically does me in, yall. I'm old. But it'll be worth it, right? Because yall are about to find out who WON-- and as a bonus, you'll find out a bit more about the inner workings of my mind and how I went about choosing the non-random winners!
So to review: When I posted the giveaway, I said I'd pick one random winner...and then if the Spirit led, I might pick another winner based on quality-of-comment. Well, by Friday morning, the Spirit led Colleen (author of the book we're giving away-- stick with me here, yall) to offer to give away SIX copies in all...some random, some not...just because she was loving the comments so much. So that made this even MORE fun!
So without further adieu, may I present the WINNERS of their VERY OWN, AUTHOR-SIGNED copy of the newly-released, bestselling book Elly in Bloom!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winner #1: (Not Random)
Allison of the Blogivers!!! Colleen specifically requested that you be one of the winners, and several other commenters (and myself) agreed.
Take-home message: Miscarriages are horrible and unfair and awful and a book isn't going to do anything to fix that, but might provide a few hours' distraction...so, yeah. We love you, Allison!!
Winner #2: (Random)
Commenter #13 is Susan!
I'm not sure if we'll be shipping UPS or not, Susan, but I hope you will be excited either way! Also, LOLed at "what can brown do for you" part. HA!
Winner #3: (Random)
Commenter #16 is Val!
You're welcome!! Glad all of your dreams could come true today!! Haha.
Winner #4: (Random)
Commenter #3 is Becky!
LOVE that you needed something to entertain and keep you awake while at work-- and I'm particularly curious about how you managed to find my blog first! At any rate- glad you did, and thanks for the fun comment!!
Winner #5: (Non-Random)
I picked Courtney because a) she was the FIRST to comment, and I think that should count for something, and b) she responded to every single "comment suggestion" I gave. I appreciate that kind of thoroughness in a person. In conclusion, based on these two facts I'm pretty sure we could be best friends, so therefore I select Courtney to win one of the books!
Winner #6: (Non-Random)
I picked Natasha for several reasons. For one, she also responded to every one of my comment suggestions. For two, she comments on almost every single post I write, which is amazing and admirable and worthy of a grand prize in itself. For three, SHE BRIBED ME (please see underlined/arrowed section above)-- and if she comes through with the bribe (I'll keep you posted), it might be the first mail I've ever received from Canada-- which would be awesome. Also, cookies. Awesome. So let the record reflect that I respond favorably to bribery when there are cookies involved. For four, she responded to the "favorite book" question the exact same way that I would-- and also, she spelled it "favourite," which is infinitely classier than the way I spell it. Stupid American spelling.
So there we have it-- my SIX WINNERS! Did you have any idea that a simple giveaway winners announcement post could be this long? Me either, actually-- but leave it to me to do the impossible!!
Winners!!! (Susan, Val, Becky, Natasha, Courtney, and Allison...in case you've already lost track of who you are amidst all this screenshot mess...) Please email me (mattyerika AT gmail DOT com) with the mailing address you would like your book mailed to! I would not recommend leaving that information in the comments here, what with the serial killers and all. But don't let that discourage you from leaving a comment of joy and happiness, as I know you were already planning to do. Also- if you enjoy the book, take a minute to leave a positive review on Amazon or Goodreads!
And for the rest of you who sadly did not win a copy of the book, a parting gift and a word of advice:
Parting Gift: You could go watch this video, which is hilarious and not at all stereotypical and wrong. This should keep you entertained for at least five minutes and six seconds...longer if you re-watch it!
Word of Advice: Go buy a copy of Elly in Bloom or download it onto your Kindle!
But first, some reflections on the giveaway. Whew. That was a lot of work. OK actually it wasn't until about 15 minutes ago. But it was a really busy 15 minutes. The first 4.5 days were just plain fun because I got lots of comments (who doesn't love comments?) that were super entertaining to read. But for the last 15 minutes...well dang that was a lot of Random Number Generating and Screen Shot Taking/Editing in Paint and saving and what-not. Fifteen minutes of hard computer labor basically does me in, yall. I'm old. But it'll be worth it, right? Because yall are about to find out who WON-- and as a bonus, you'll find out a bit more about the inner workings of my mind and how I went about choosing the non-random winners!
So to review: When I posted the giveaway, I said I'd pick one random winner...and then if the Spirit led, I might pick another winner based on quality-of-comment. Well, by Friday morning, the Spirit led Colleen (author of the book we're giving away-- stick with me here, yall) to offer to give away SIX copies in all...some random, some not...just because she was loving the comments so much. So that made this even MORE fun!
So without further adieu, may I present the WINNERS of their VERY OWN, AUTHOR-SIGNED copy of the newly-released, bestselling book Elly in Bloom!!!!!!!!!!!!
Winner #1: (Not Random)
Allison of the Blogivers!!! Colleen specifically requested that you be one of the winners, and several other commenters (and myself) agreed.
Winner #2: (Random)
Winner #3: (Random)
Winner #4: (Random)
Commenter #3 is Becky!
LOVE that you needed something to entertain and keep you awake while at work-- and I'm particularly curious about how you managed to find my blog first! At any rate- glad you did, and thanks for the fun comment!!
Winner #5: (Non-Random)
Winner #6: (Non-Random)
I picked Natasha for several reasons. For one, she also responded to every one of my comment suggestions. For two, she comments on almost every single post I write, which is amazing and admirable and worthy of a grand prize in itself. For three, SHE BRIBED ME (please see underlined/arrowed section above)-- and if she comes through with the bribe (I'll keep you posted), it might be the first mail I've ever received from Canada-- which would be awesome. Also, cookies. Awesome. So let the record reflect that I respond favorably to bribery when there are cookies involved. For four, she responded to the "favorite book" question the exact same way that I would-- and also, she spelled it "favourite," which is infinitely classier than the way I spell it. Stupid American spelling.
So there we have it-- my SIX WINNERS! Did you have any idea that a simple giveaway winners announcement post could be this long? Me either, actually-- but leave it to me to do the impossible!!
Winners!!! (Susan, Val, Becky, Natasha, Courtney, and Allison...in case you've already lost track of who you are amidst all this screenshot mess...) Please email me (mattyerika AT gmail DOT com) with the mailing address you would like your book mailed to! I would not recommend leaving that information in the comments here, what with the serial killers and all. But don't let that discourage you from leaving a comment of joy and happiness, as I know you were already planning to do. Also- if you enjoy the book, take a minute to leave a positive review on Amazon or Goodreads!
And for the rest of you who sadly did not win a copy of the book, a parting gift and a word of advice:
Parting Gift: You could go watch this video, which is hilarious and not at all stereotypical and wrong. This should keep you entertained for at least five minutes and six seconds...longer if you re-watch it!
Word of Advice: Go buy a copy of Elly in Bloom or download it onto your Kindle!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
the good, the bad, & the ugly
This weekend Matt and I went with the Gurleys down to south Georgia to visit our besties the Moores. The Moores used to live up here in Athens...but then 3.5 years ago they moved away and left us, and it is so sad. So we always look forward to our twice-or-thrice-a-year visits with them. Here's a quick (ha!) breakdown of the weekend-- and be sure to stick around til the end of the post, cause there's big news regarding my giveaway!
The Good:
Well, time with friends is always good. And when the six of us (plus 2 kids) gather, there is always an abundance of good food to accompany our hanging out. We went to a restaurant Friday night that apparently serves the largest Philly cheesesteaks known to mankind:
Yeah, seriously. And it was only $10!! And it came with a side!! Ridiculous. Yes, it lasted 2+ meals. Other "good" included everything Amanda cooked. Homegirl's a great cook.
The Bad:
OK SERIOUSLY???! The fact that the vast bulk of my talking about our weekend visit with our friends will be summed up in the "bad" section is just wrong, okay? Don't think I'm okay with this. (NOTE: Endometriosis/"women's health"-related TMI to follow)
I spent 95% of Saturday in excruciatingly unbearable pain. I'm not exaggerating. I felt good for about one hour in the mid-morning, and other than that I was laid out on the couch with a heating pad, crying and hating life. IT SUCKED. What was the problem, exactly? It wasn't a cyst rupturing, although some of the pain was similar. It wasn't any kind of "normal" cramps associated with being on my period (although I'm starting to figure out the my "normal" isn't necessarily a non-endo-girl's "normal"). Basically it felt like everything between my rib cage and my thighs was twisting and pulsing and radiating pain. Without stopping. It wasn't like...10 minutes of bad cramps, a few hours of semi-tolerableness, 20 minutes of pain, few hours of I can deal with this...OH NO. It was hour after hour after hour of relentless pain. Tylenol didn't even touch it. I spent the whole day fantasizing about the stash of narcotic painkillers from surgery that I still have...at my house, four hours away. Honest to God, the pain yesterday was worse than anything I experienced after surgery. Now of course, I stayed on the aforementioned painkillers on a religious schedule after surgery for that very reason-- so I wouldn't experience excruciating pain. So that's why this was worse. It was almost the worst pain I've ever felt, but I'm afraid that that coveted award still has to go to my hemorrhagic cyst. But I only had to feel that pain for a few hours before the hospital put me on a morphine drip, whereas this experience dragged on for about 14 (until I fell into a sleeping-pill induced slumber).
So what was it?? Your guess is as good as mine. Pretty much, I'm thinking this is just the pain associated with endo. A lot of endo girls describe being in pain like this regularly, which is why endo can be such a debilitating disease. I've had brief episodes of pain like this, but they've never lasted longer than an hour or so at a time, and have been more intermittent (with periods of more tolerable pain breaking up the acute pain). And while the pain was very much like that of rupturing cysts, it was just different enough that I'm pretty sure it wasn't that. So if all it is was "endo pain," then AWESOME...THIS is what I get to look forward to for the rest of my life? I'm not even two months out of surgery!! I thought it was supposed to get BETTER! So I was equal parts in pain and TOTALLY PISSED about this whole situation yesterday.
Let's not forget-- we were out of town, VISITING OUR FRIENDS while this was going on. Except for instead of visiting, I was hogging an entire couch, moaning and crying and lamenting that NOTHING EVER GOES RIGHT IN MY LIFE. I can't even enjoy a stupid WEEKEND. Ugh. That, my friends, was "the bad."
The Ugly:
Well, on FRIDAY night (before all that "bad" nonsense took place), while we were driving to the restaurant that serves giant sandwiches, Amanda and I found ourselves riding in the trunk of the minivan, sitting on the floor. Yeah, we ran out of seats, so we did what had to be done and had fun lounging on the floor. And had a little photo shoot.
And then we decided to try to take some beautiful "duck face" shots. Which I happen to be awesome at (amateur luck, I promise). And Amanda happens to be NOT awesome at.
Sorry for the blur, but it's just how it goes. You can still see my impressive cheekbones and duckface-lips. And you can see how Amanda deals with things that might end up looking ugly...like her attempt at duckface.
So that was my exciting and unfortunately pain-filled weekend (PS- I feel much better today. Still have some residual aching/cramping, but much more normal and tolerable. Nothin my BFF the heating pad can't take care of.)
Exciting Giveaway Update!!!
OK-- LOVE all of yalls hilarious comments. And so does Colleen-- which is why she amended the giveaway offer and now wants to giveaway SIX COPIES OF THE BOOK!!! Isn't that fun??! So if you were thinking about entering but haven't...go ahead and do it, cause the odds of winning are pretty dang good! To enter, leave a comment on the original giveaway post!!
The Good:
Well, time with friends is always good. And when the six of us (plus 2 kids) gather, there is always an abundance of good food to accompany our hanging out. We went to a restaurant Friday night that apparently serves the largest Philly cheesesteaks known to mankind:
Yeah, seriously. And it was only $10!! And it came with a side!! Ridiculous. Yes, it lasted 2+ meals. Other "good" included everything Amanda cooked. Homegirl's a great cook.
The Bad:
OK SERIOUSLY???! The fact that the vast bulk of my talking about our weekend visit with our friends will be summed up in the "bad" section is just wrong, okay? Don't think I'm okay with this. (NOTE: Endometriosis/"women's health"-related TMI to follow)
I spent 95% of Saturday in excruciatingly unbearable pain. I'm not exaggerating. I felt good for about one hour in the mid-morning, and other than that I was laid out on the couch with a heating pad, crying and hating life. IT SUCKED. What was the problem, exactly? It wasn't a cyst rupturing, although some of the pain was similar. It wasn't any kind of "normal" cramps associated with being on my period (although I'm starting to figure out the my "normal" isn't necessarily a non-endo-girl's "normal"). Basically it felt like everything between my rib cage and my thighs was twisting and pulsing and radiating pain. Without stopping. It wasn't like...10 minutes of bad cramps, a few hours of semi-tolerableness, 20 minutes of pain, few hours of I can deal with this...OH NO. It was hour after hour after hour of relentless pain. Tylenol didn't even touch it. I spent the whole day fantasizing about the stash of narcotic painkillers from surgery that I still have...at my house, four hours away. Honest to God, the pain yesterday was worse than anything I experienced after surgery. Now of course, I stayed on the aforementioned painkillers on a religious schedule after surgery for that very reason-- so I wouldn't experience excruciating pain. So that's why this was worse. It was almost the worst pain I've ever felt, but I'm afraid that that coveted award still has to go to my hemorrhagic cyst. But I only had to feel that pain for a few hours before the hospital put me on a morphine drip, whereas this experience dragged on for about 14 (until I fell into a sleeping-pill induced slumber).
So what was it?? Your guess is as good as mine. Pretty much, I'm thinking this is just the pain associated with endo. A lot of endo girls describe being in pain like this regularly, which is why endo can be such a debilitating disease. I've had brief episodes of pain like this, but they've never lasted longer than an hour or so at a time, and have been more intermittent (with periods of more tolerable pain breaking up the acute pain). And while the pain was very much like that of rupturing cysts, it was just different enough that I'm pretty sure it wasn't that. So if all it is was "endo pain," then AWESOME...THIS is what I get to look forward to for the rest of my life? I'm not even two months out of surgery!! I thought it was supposed to get BETTER! So I was equal parts in pain and TOTALLY PISSED about this whole situation yesterday.
Let's not forget-- we were out of town, VISITING OUR FRIENDS while this was going on. Except for instead of visiting, I was hogging an entire couch, moaning and crying and lamenting that NOTHING EVER GOES RIGHT IN MY LIFE. I can't even enjoy a stupid WEEKEND. Ugh. That, my friends, was "the bad."
The Ugly:
Well, on FRIDAY night (before all that "bad" nonsense took place), while we were driving to the restaurant that serves giant sandwiches, Amanda and I found ourselves riding in the trunk of the minivan, sitting on the floor. Yeah, we ran out of seats, so we did what had to be done and had fun lounging on the floor. And had a little photo shoot.
And then we decided to try to take some beautiful "duck face" shots. Which I happen to be awesome at (amateur luck, I promise). And Amanda happens to be NOT awesome at.
Sorry for the blur, but it's just how it goes. You can still see my impressive cheekbones and duckface-lips. And you can see how Amanda deals with things that might end up looking ugly...like her attempt at duckface.
So that was my exciting and unfortunately pain-filled weekend (PS- I feel much better today. Still have some residual aching/cramping, but much more normal and tolerable. Nothin my BFF the heating pad can't take care of.)
Exciting Giveaway Update!!!
OK-- LOVE all of yalls hilarious comments. And so does Colleen-- which is why she amended the giveaway offer and now wants to giveaway SIX COPIES OF THE BOOK!!! Isn't that fun??! So if you were thinking about entering but haven't...go ahead and do it, cause the odds of winning are pretty dang good! To enter, leave a comment on the original giveaway post!!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
blooming
Wanna know something super fun?? I KNOW SOMEONE WHO JUST PUBLISHED A REAL LIVE BOOK. Like a for real book that you can like...find in a bookstore! Or a library! Or Amazon!
Not gonna lie, it makes me feel pretty special. One degree of separation to a legit author! Woo!
My friend Colleen just released her first novel, Elly in Bloom!!!
Now seriously-- who else judges books by their covers? I know I'm not the only one. And the cover of this book? I mean, even if I didn't already know Colleen and want to read the book just 'cause she wrote it-- I would definitely pick this book by its cover. How pretty is it??! (Relatedly, back in June (months before the book was published) Colleen shared the inside scoop on just how the cover art came to be. It is so interesting!!)
So you can imagine how excited I was a few weeks ago when Colleen contacted me and was like "hey, I'm going to mail you my book!" Because I was planning on buying it anyway, so basically she just saved me a little wad of cash, which is always nice. Plus it meant I got something in the mail, which is also something I'm a fan of. And yesterday the book came!
Look!! I'm holding her book(s) in my VERY OWN HANDS!! Surreal, I tell you. She even wrote on the front page for me (which is my personal love language: book inscriptions. True story.)
Erika, Thank you for being the most wonderful internet discovery since Pinterest! I am so glad we found each other in the internet stratosphere, my skinny soulmate. I hope someday we can meet in person and sing Les Mis from beginning to end. Keep on blooming! Love, Colleen Oakes
If that doesn't prove we're BFFs, I don't know what would. She calls me the "best thing since Pinterest" (HIGH PRAISE), "skinny" (HIGHEST PRAISE), and wants to sing through my favorite musical ever with me? Soulmates indeed.
But wait! Did you catch something 2 pictures ago? There are TWO books there. Guess why?
'Cause I'm giving one away!!!!!
I know, I can barely contain my excitement! My very first giveaway!!
First, let me tell you a tiny bit about the book (if you need more info, you can check out the synopsis/reviews on Amazon). This summary is stolen directly from Colleen's blog, btw:
Surrounded by lush flowers and neurotic brides, chubby 32-year old Elly Jordan has carved out a sweet little life for herself as the owner of Posies, a boutique wedding florist in St. Louis. It’s not bad for a woman who drove away from her entire life just two years ago when she found her husband entwined with a red-headed artist.
Sure, Elly has an embarrassingly beautiful best friend, a terribly behaved sheepdog and a sarcastic assistant who she simply calls “Snarky Teenager”, but overall her days are pleasantly uneventful. As a bonus, her new next door neighbor just happens to be an unnervingly handsome musician who has an eye for curvy Elly.
Just when she feels that she is finally moving on from her past, she discovers that an extravagant wedding contract, one that could change her financial future, is more than she bargained for.
With the help of her friends, staff and the occasional well-made sandwich, Elly bravely agrees to take on the event that threatens to merge her painful history with her bright new life, and finds herself blooming in a direction she never imagined.
I read the whole entire book yesterday and let me tell you-- it was fabulous. I actually laughed out loud (literally!) a few times. And I lusted over the descriptions of flowers (and sandwiches). Yall know I've been reading like crazy lately, and this book is definitely one of the most enjoyable I've come across. Elly is easy to relate to and impossible not to root for. I was very sad to see the book end.
And now YOU can have the pleasure of Elly in Bloom, too!! Because Colleen's going to give one of YOU your very own SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR copy! All you have to do is...
...basically nothing. I'm a newbie giveaway girl, okay? I can't see myself doing all that "follow me and friend me and look at my Etsy shop and do a backflip and some long division" stuff that Serious Giveaway Bloggers do. I'm makin my OWN rules here, okay? So if you WANT to do any of the above (especially a backflip, but be sure to record yourself trying!), feel free. Otherwise, just leave a comment on this post. Here are some suggestions for things you can say in the comment:
-"Erika, MAKE ME A WINNER!!!!!!!!!!"
-"Erika, you are so cool and awesome and I am so jealous you know a famous author."
-tell me your favorite book
-tell me your favorite kind of cookie
-tell me about how poor and bored you are and how you really really need this book to get you through the weekend
-tell me what TV show you're loving right now
And so on and so forth. Just leave a comment (be sure to include your email address or some way I can get in touch with you if I don't have it already) and then I'll figure out how to do that random number picker thingy and pick a winner! I also might (if the Spirit leads me) decide to pick a non-random SECOND WINNER based on my personal favorite comment. So may that be your incentive. And may the Force be with you! And may the odds be ever in your favor!
Giveaway ends Monday-ish! So start commenting!!
And if you can't wait that long to read Elly, you can go buy it now on Amazon-- yes, it's released on Kindle as well!
Not gonna lie, it makes me feel pretty special. One degree of separation to a legit author! Woo!
My friend Colleen just released her first novel, Elly in Bloom!!!
Now seriously-- who else judges books by their covers? I know I'm not the only one. And the cover of this book? I mean, even if I didn't already know Colleen and want to read the book just 'cause she wrote it-- I would definitely pick this book by its cover. How pretty is it??! (Relatedly, back in June (months before the book was published) Colleen shared the inside scoop on just how the cover art came to be. It is so interesting!!)
So you can imagine how excited I was a few weeks ago when Colleen contacted me and was like "hey, I'm going to mail you my book!" Because I was planning on buying it anyway, so basically she just saved me a little wad of cash, which is always nice. Plus it meant I got something in the mail, which is also something I'm a fan of. And yesterday the book came!
Look!! I'm holding her book(s) in my VERY OWN HANDS!! Surreal, I tell you. She even wrote on the front page for me (which is my personal love language: book inscriptions. True story.)
If that doesn't prove we're BFFs, I don't know what would. She calls me the "best thing since Pinterest" (HIGH PRAISE), "skinny" (HIGHEST PRAISE), and wants to sing through my favorite musical ever with me? Soulmates indeed.
But wait! Did you catch something 2 pictures ago? There are TWO books there. Guess why?
'Cause I'm giving one away!!!!!
I know, I can barely contain my excitement! My very first giveaway!!
First, let me tell you a tiny bit about the book (if you need more info, you can check out the synopsis/reviews on Amazon). This summary is stolen directly from Colleen's blog, btw:
Surrounded by lush flowers and neurotic brides, chubby 32-year old Elly Jordan has carved out a sweet little life for herself as the owner of Posies, a boutique wedding florist in St. Louis. It’s not bad for a woman who drove away from her entire life just two years ago when she found her husband entwined with a red-headed artist.
Sure, Elly has an embarrassingly beautiful best friend, a terribly behaved sheepdog and a sarcastic assistant who she simply calls “Snarky Teenager”, but overall her days are pleasantly uneventful. As a bonus, her new next door neighbor just happens to be an unnervingly handsome musician who has an eye for curvy Elly.
Just when she feels that she is finally moving on from her past, she discovers that an extravagant wedding contract, one that could change her financial future, is more than she bargained for.
With the help of her friends, staff and the occasional well-made sandwich, Elly bravely agrees to take on the event that threatens to merge her painful history with her bright new life, and finds herself blooming in a direction she never imagined.
I read the whole entire book yesterday and let me tell you-- it was fabulous. I actually laughed out loud (literally!) a few times. And I lusted over the descriptions of flowers (and sandwiches). Yall know I've been reading like crazy lately, and this book is definitely one of the most enjoyable I've come across. Elly is easy to relate to and impossible not to root for. I was very sad to see the book end.
And now YOU can have the pleasure of Elly in Bloom, too!! Because Colleen's going to give one of YOU your very own SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR copy! All you have to do is...
...basically nothing. I'm a newbie giveaway girl, okay? I can't see myself doing all that "follow me and friend me and look at my Etsy shop and do a backflip and some long division" stuff that Serious Giveaway Bloggers do. I'm makin my OWN rules here, okay? So if you WANT to do any of the above (especially a backflip, but be sure to record yourself trying!), feel free. Otherwise, just leave a comment on this post. Here are some suggestions for things you can say in the comment:
-"Erika, MAKE ME A WINNER!!!!!!!!!!"
-"Erika, you are so cool and awesome and I am so jealous you know a famous author."
-tell me your favorite book
-tell me your favorite kind of cookie
-tell me about how poor and bored you are and how you really really need this book to get you through the weekend
-tell me what TV show you're loving right now
And so on and so forth. Just leave a comment (be sure to include your email address or some way I can get in touch with you if I don't have it already) and then I'll figure out how to do that random number picker thingy and pick a winner! I also might (if the Spirit leads me) decide to pick a non-random SECOND WINNER based on my personal favorite comment. So may that be your incentive. And may the Force be with you! And may the odds be ever in your favor!
Giveaway ends Monday-ish! So start commenting!!
And if you can't wait that long to read Elly, you can go buy it now on Amazon-- yes, it's released on Kindle as well!
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