Saturday, November 5, 2011

A Contest for this New Season

Because you have been so wonderful
.
Because the winter offers such beauty in the filigree branches of the bare tree
.
For the love of the new season
.
And the wonder of the chill
.

I have made a tree to be won...

All you need to do to be its adorned is to leave me a comment: tell me what you love
about winter, even if it's just simply the act of coming in from the cold!

I will draw a winner on 11/11/11 at 11:11 AM
from the warm shores of Hawaii!!

Little contests like this are simply my way of saying
'thank you'
for reading and being a part of my life in a very big way.

Here's to this winter being a gift
in spite (or perhaps because?!?) of its temperate hardships
and
a balm in its silent surrender.

I wish you
peace
joy
family
love
and
wonder.

Now play (snow)ball!!!

xoxox,
Allison

103 comments:

Kica said...

your jewelry is so beautiful!!! :) and yeyyyi am first;)and about the winter it is easy question for me, i love first snow, it's magical for me:):):)

Julie said...

Sunny,
I love snow-shoeing on a sunny day with my dog.

~ Julz

Dale Smith said...

Trees are a spiritual presence for me. This necklace is exquisite. Whoever wins it will be beyond lucky!

Thank-you.

Magda said...

Winter is not my time. But... last year, big snowflakes, my boy was two years old and he was in heaven. He couldn't stop laughing and tried to catch these snowflakes dancing around. That was magical. He still remembers that moment. And he is waiting for winter. I like snow that covers all that November glumness.

Lizzie Derksen said...

I love hibernating all day, working inside, then emerging, blinking, in the late afternoon to blue ice and an orange sun.

veee said...

cooler weather invites the sweet sounds of sipping hot chocolate (sometimes with brandy)

and

i love me a good set of snow tires! and i'm not kidding!

Tasha Imajin said...

I love summer best, but my favorite thing about winter is the way the sun light looks. You can look at a picture taken outside and just TELL that it was a cold day by the way the shadows are long across the ground. (That is, on the days when we see the sun on a winter day in Seattle.)

Ashleigh Shadowbrook said...

I love going out to the barn. My horses usually tame chestnut coat blazes red against the snow. There's nothing like running your fingers through the fuzzy winter coat of your horse because you forgot your gloves.

Amy Nicole said...

The thing I love best about winter is being able to wear sweaters, and adding an extra blanket to the bed to snuggle under to stay warm. I love to breathe in the cold crisp air, and warming my hands on a cup of hot chocolate!

Sammie said...

My favorite part of winter is remembering a certain Christmas party every Christmas eve with a friend that I will love for all of eternity!! And who could forget burying cigarette butts in the snow!! Xoxo

Isabel said...

I love rolling around in the snow, burrowing into snowdrifts, the sound of snow crunching underfoot, and the way a fresh blanket of snow muffles the usual city neighborhood noise.

Lindsey said...

I love being cold during winter only because it means you get to snuggle up with big blankets and hot chocolate.

Kelly said...

I love the silence. The winter is crisp and its stillness provides me the opportunity to hear my heart and God more clearly than in any other season.

Jaime/GirlLovesGloss said...

I'm not gonna lie, Winter isn't exactly on my list of things I love - BUT, I do LOVE being able to pull out all my pretty gem coloured scarves and using them to dress up drab black winter coats!
-J

Seip Fine Art said...

Winter has kindly taught me over the years that I have patience, endurance, to stay friendly and optimistic in the face of the long, cold and dark hours of New England.

Winter has also given me a sweeter appreciation and deeper Love for Spring, my favourite Season! =)

JPatlanta said...

Winter foods, like vegetable beef soup and chicken and dumplings... we've had both over past week. Have fun in Hawaii. xoxo

Mixedgirlie said...

I love making snow angels! Ryan always thinks I'm crazy, but there is something so freeing about letting yourself fall backwards to the ground, and wiggling around in the snow. It's like getting released from your adultness for a few minutes.

This momentary ditching of adultness for a little fun with nature's bits may also be accomplished by: playing in big puddles in the early summer months, and jumping into big piles of leaves in the fall!
-Holly :)

Julia said...

I don't think I could narrow it down to only one thing! I love the need for layers, warm drinks, and glowing fires. I love the smells and the craft fairs and the gatherings. There's a stillness to fall and winter where you can just kind of turn inward and snuggle up and be peaceful.

Sybil Ann said...

I love all seasons and all of nature and weather - but family seems to gather most this time of year and the warmth in the cold can be exquisite.

Much love to all!

cindyh. said...

I love it when it snows in Georgia, my kids get so excited because it rarely happens and that makes me happy! :)

Lucie Veilleux said...

Up here in Québec, the winters are long and cold. The first snowflakes are always exciting! I am not crazy about a ton of snow but i love each single snowflake. They are so beautiful when you look at them closely and each one is unique, quite a miracle no? I think the most beautiful thing about winter is to know that spring will come and everything will rebirth. :)

Tiffany said...

I live in Vancouver so it doesn't snow all that often... but when it does I love the silence that it brings. And then I love the breaking of that silence with the *crunch* of the snow under my feet.

Your talent is an amazing one, indeed.

Cat said...

Wool sweaters, hot drinks, pulling the guest matress out infront of the fireplace to eat s'mores and cuddle. I just love everything about it.

Anonymous said...

i love the world being covered in twinkle lights! :) xoxo sara

gretchen said...

I dream about the winter every night....because every night my heart longs to be home.

Jenny Knight said...

The first time I saw snow was in college. I was so entranced by it that I had to go outside and play in it. My roommates thought I was crazy! What I most like, though, is the security of being wrapped up in multiple layers. I love being in the warm hug of a thick coat or blanket while all the world around me is silent and cold.

NRjewellerydesign said...

my favourite thing about winter is that it is the perfect excuse to curl up on a cold evening with the fire on, a big snuggly blanket, a good book and a nice big glass of baileys and brandy! x

Anonymous said...

A warm fire in the stove, dogs at our feet, hot Choc served in the ugliest Christmas mug you've ever seen :-) had it since I was a kid.....DVR.....set the clocks back, it just don't get any better!

mairedodd said...

this is a very beautiful and generous giveaway...
i adore winter - the temperatures make me feel very much alive... the quiet and beauty that accompany snow fall bring me peace... the migrating water birds keep me attentive... and orion sparkling above reminds me that i am a part of something vast...

m said...

For me, winter is marveling at the soft white flakes slowly falling outside my window while I snuggle a little closer underneath the covers to the one I love. (To be fair, it's also snoeshoeing with my Dad at the local nature preserve, drinking wintery brews with the ladies at the local pub, and baking up a STORM! Bring it on, old man winter...hehe.)

Heidi said...

I really love this tree design! I love so much about winter, my favorite season. ok, my top two things I love (I couldn't pick one): seeing a crisp freshly fallen field of snow sparkle in the sun/moon/street light. And two: Flakes falling from the sky- sometimes gentle, sometimes harsh, sometimes slow, sometimes furious, big, small... it's all beautiful to me.

Anonymous said...

i love warm fires, good friends, and food, the feeling of new beginnings and the anticipation of the holidays when family gathers.

Lisa said...

Winter is my favorite time of year. I love the way the air smells in winter. I also love snuggling up with a mug of hot tea. I knit, so winter is the time of year that I get to wear everything I make.

Roselle said...

I was born in February, so winter is in my blood. The challenge of staying warm on a cold day in the mountains, the snow, the ice storms, wood stoves, chai tea, listening to the water of seasonal streams flow under the ice...

I am also a runner, so winter is a welcomed guest. There is something so gratifying about breaking a sweat in negative degree weather.

BTW, I adore your blog and your compassion.

Namaste.

Debbie D. said...

I love winter because this season gives me an opportunity to adorn a piece of your jewelry via this contest!! I also love the vibrant blue skies that come along with this season!

Zorah said...

beautiful piece. I love how bright the world is after a snow. I'll take snow over rain any day!

Kelly said...

oooo a lovely contest to put it quite mildly.... i love the change of season here in cali...to some it would seem so slight, but the cool, crispness in the air, the fire burning in our living room, warm blankets on my bed, little pitter patters down the hall in the early morning climbing clumsily next to me in bed...soft hair of wee ones to bury my nose in and breathe deeply & feel, once again, the flood of thankfulness...just to name a few...thank you!

jordan said...

i love most things about winter, apart from its length in the Canadian prairies...but i'd say the thing i love MOST is the silence, and the mornings when there's hoar frost all over the trees, the fences, the dried up weeds in the ditches....and little bits of silver floating down from the sky. oh, and my beautiful baby boy was born in the dead of winter too.

Kirsten said...

I LOVE your work! I really love this necklace! The three seeds of the tree remind me of my three children, the foundation of our precious family!

My favorite part of winter is staying cozy in front of the fireplace with a good book and the comforting warmth in my mug.

kwpershey said...

Whoa: what I love about winter? The naked trees. They arrested me last year, when all the leaves had fallen off. So stark and strong and delicate all at once...

What a gorgeous necklace!

Carol said...

I love winter because I prefer cooler weather in California than the 100+ weather we have in the summer.
I love to curl up with a movie, a fire in the fireplace, soup on the stove and my knitting in my lap. Socks are a favorite to knit when it is cold.

Heather King said...

My favorite thing(s) about winter is snuggling indoors where it is warm, playing in the snow with my daughter, the holidays, and staying up late watching school closings pretending I'm the old kid version of me hoping school will be closed :) Enjoy Hawaii!!!! xoxo

Jennifer said...

Winter here in Hawaii is full of breezy gorgeous days and blustery restless winds at night. I love falling asleep to the sound of the trade winds ruffling (and sometimes roaring) through the trees. But I gotta say my favorite thing about winter here is how decadent I feel being able to go swimming in the ocean at night in the middle of December. :).

I know you will have a fabulous time on the Big Island! Say hi to Pele for me and have a great time!!!

- Jen

Daniela said...

Winter is all about the knitting for me. Wearing handknit socks, pullovers, scarves and hats... Lately, Ive added spinning and weaving, so I'm crafting a whole pile of garments for the cold season. Thank you for the give-away!
Daniela from France

Anonymous said...

I love the way sound changes when there is snow on the ground ... there is nothing quite so peaceful as a morning with fresh snow. Miss you, beautiful! *kisses*

bonddi said...

Lovely necklace! The drop in temperature is envigorating. I pull out the old flannel sheets and fluffy quilts for the bed. To warm the house, I make fires in the fireplace, cook lots of breads, pies, cakes, and stews. The most favorite thing is waking up with my four cats all nestled between me and my husband for warmth. Even Mr. Stand Offish suggles perched on the very corner of the mattress -- just don't look at him too long or he will slink away.

Amanda said...

The excuse to wear handknit scarves and drink peppermint cocoa. Also, fireplaces.

Have a great time in Hawaii! My family is from Hawaii so it's one of my favorite places on the planet. :) If you get a chance and have a rental car, take the Round Top/Tantalus Drive- beautiful views of Diamond Head with zero tourist crowds. Also head out to Makaha Beach- absolutely stunning.

Lynsey Phelps - VerreEncore said...

i love fresh winter snow! i always feel playful in the beginnings of winter :) the silence of snow is so pure.

enjoy those sunny beaches!
xo

Jenna said...

I love frost etchings on windowpanes, red berries on bare branches, and visible exhales. Thank you for this beautiful contest, have a magical vacation!

Katie said...

I mostly dislike winter, however, I do love the peace and quiet of a soft snow fall in the evening, where it feels like you are standing in the middle of a snow globe, and also the mornings I happen to wake up early enough to see the trees covered in hoarfrost.

Thank you for your generosity. I greatly admired the tree piece you posted recently and was not fast enough to snatch it up. Enjoy your time in Hawaii!

Rin said...

I love the concept of Winter... the death that leads to new life. Also... nothing makes me smile quite like sprinkling snow from the sky.

I also adore the necklace design. :) Thank you, Sunny.

Xumi said...

What I love about Winter... Drinking hot chocolate with Baileys, snuggling with warm hubby, the chance to wear comfy clothes - like CORDUROY!

Which I will definitely be wearing on 11/11/11 at 11:11 !!! Perhaps it will bring me good luck in winning that beautiful pendant.

akamilby said...

Sipping hot coffee and driving to work on a cold morning. Losing layers while shovelling off the deck. The delight on the kids faces when they wake up to a snowy morning (first one today). The pines and cedars shaking off their load of snow and primly standing straighter like proud women. The way real snow sometimes flutters just like the snowglobe I loved to shake when I was little.

Thank you for your giveaway!

Feri said...

What a gorgeous necklace, Sunny!!! I love winter because of the beauty of our city when covered with a white blanket of snow!!! we have several BDs including mine in winter and more than anything else, I LOVE celebrating Christmas!!!Be safe Darling! xoxoFeri

Cat said...

beautiful beyond belief...
sign me up!
but even if I don't win, walking this journey of life with you is gift enough&heats;

love and light

Cat said...

PS
what I love about winter is the deep silence to it brings....
I love walking in the snow at night as it lightly floats down from the sky
I love the brightness
I love how when it snows the whole world around me slows down and the earth exhales

love and light

Carlene said...

That necklace is amazing!!!
I love the smell and feel of winter. Crispness, earthy rotting leaves, the smell of snow :) That's what I love about winter. And that barren tree necklace!

Belinda Saville said...

Ohhh, you are so generous, Allison...what a gorgeous giveaway!

I must confess that I'm not a huge fan of the cold weather that comes with Winter though these are some of things that I do love: the crisp clear nights that somehow make the stars shine that much brighter...being forced to spend the day indoors, playing games with my cherubs and snuggling with my hubby...layering my clothes, and pulling out all of my favourite scarves from hibernation!

Have a fabulous time in Hawaii (of course you will!!!)

B.
-xxx-

dailycoyote said...

"...the wonder of the chill..."
I love that!
and the necklace ~ so mysterious....
Zipping you an email in two shakes....
xo S.

Erin said...

The necklace is beautiful, Allison!! Just like you!!:-)

My favorite things about winter are beautiful snowfalls, cold days snuggled inside with my family, and a slower paced life. -

J said...

that necklace is gorgeous!

my favourite thing about winter (I'm from a canadian city, there's lots to love) is the build up of frost on windowpanes.

jen

Kristen said...

Hot chocolate! (Maybe some Bailey's Irish Cream mixed in.)

Unknown said...

I love the sparkle and hush of winter nights. When you go outside and the sky is crystal clear, the air so sharp and brittle it makes you gasp, and the whole world seems frosted in diamond dust.

So magical and peaceful.

Lovely necklace!! I hope you have a fabulous trip to Hawaii.

Thanks for the giveaway!
Beth

S said...

Breathing in and learning to love the dark. I'm up north, so the dark rules my winter.

KKreates said...

I love snow days!! Staying home from work and watching the snow fall in a warm safe place :)

Julane said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Julane said...

Hello! What a gorgeous necklace. I almost snagged the amber one off etsy!

I'm from a tropical country, so the monsoons are as close as it gets to winter.

Here when the year-end monsoon hits, I love to stay warm and dry at home with a nice cup of hot chocolate, snacking on cookies or cake while watching a movie on the telly and snuggling with my cats!

I also love dressing up in my boots if I have to venture out in the rain.

lynn1231 said...

My favorite part of winter is the end when the snow is melting!

lynn1231 said...

My favorite part of winter is the end when the snow is melting!

Heather Burt said...

I love taking a walk early in the morning to watch the sun rise... hearing the crunch of the snow beneath my boots, everything else silent, and the ice-blue snow slowly turns a soft pink/peach. To have the world to myself for a moment, quiet and peaceful.

jessi sawyer said...

I love gettng snowed into my apartment. It gives me a good excuse to open up a bottle of wine and bake cookies.

I really adore all bits of winter -- bundling up in my carharts and snow boots and standing in the middle of a snowy field feeding the horses, snowshoeing all over the place, and finally getting to wear all of my scarves and mittens and coats. Minnesota winter is brutal but I not so secretly adore it.

Lucia said...

I love listening to the snow fall and then, once I'm cold, going inside for a yummy grilled cheese sandwich. XO.

Debbie said...

My favorite time of the year...winter...cool, crisp nights, snuggled under down. Pretty blue skies, walks with my hubby & warm, good coffee after.

Mena said...

I adore the chill that makes my exposed skin feel fresh and frozen while on a long hike through naked deciduous trees lining a frigid, fast-moving mountain stream. I love filling my lungs with cold air, the delicate burning sensation in my chest. Lets me know I am really alive.

songbird said...

Thank you for this give-away contest! As for winter, I adore coming in the house all snowy and putting my boots on the boot rack, and hanging up my snowy mitts on the drying rack -- and listening to the drip, drip, drip as they thaw out! :o) Plus,everyone's pink cheeks makes them look so healthy and robust!!

Lisa

Michelle said...

Mountain cabin getaways with my hubby, son & our chocolate dog! The more snow, the better. It's pure magic!

Nialah said...

Hi dearest Allison,

What I love about winter are the rainy days where you can just sit and snuggle with the ones you love. Kara sends kisses by the way. :D

xoxoxoxoxo

M

reconstructing sarah said...

The quiet. The glisten. The warmth.

Xoxo.

gallerydarrow said...

I love the smell of damp foliage, sweet compost, walking as long as I want in a sweater,without the menacing sun and the rattlesnakes fast asleep :)

hattie said...

In wintertime I love going for evening walks and seeing people inside their homes with the lights on and the warmth of dinner almost palpable from the sidewalk.

(My Nana turns 92 on 11.11.11!)

resolute twig said...

Sunny you are the greatest!

I have a tattoo that looks very much like that neclace and I think it is calling my name :)

This winter I am excited to bundle up and go on long walks in the crisp cold and (I hope!) snow.
xo

nova by tess said...

did someone say filigree branches?

oh so beautiful!

I love all the layers of clotting in the winter. I guess I feel a little less exposed. A little safer, and much warmer. And I love snow. The kind you can make snowballs with and the kind that makes funny sounds when you walk on it. I love that there is so many kind of snow :)

genie marie said...

I miss winter SO much! My favorite bits are snow angels, dogs biting snowflakes as they fall and wearing cozy sweaters!
Lovely necklace my dear
Xoxo
Genie

Gregarious Hermit said...

I love the snow fall and the quiet solitude of winter.

Aisha said...

My favorite things about winter are getting to break out all of my hand made winter gear, hot chocolates made with half and half, and being able to see the stars so clearly and for so long every night.

Lisa Sage said...

I love the bare, black trees against the pale winter sky. My trees are sentries, watching and waiting for spring. They bend in the wind, bow under ice and snow, but stand and wait until it's time, and then suddenly there's an explosion of green buds. I have one old girl who is on her last leg, and our farm won't be the same once she's gone. So I let her be, and I enjoy each day she chooses to stay standing. I hope this isn't her last winter!

Woman of Promise said...

Winter...cosying up by a roaring fire with a mug of hot tea!!

Anonymous said...

I'm from Western New York and recently moved to Louisiana, so winter is a topic very near & dear to my heart--and one that I miss very, very much. Trying to explain my favorite part of snow is impossible to these southerners: when it's late late at night or early in the morning, and you are the only one awake; you go outside, and it is snowing, and the world is absolutely perfectly silent. There is only you and the snowflakes settling on your eyelashes.

ashley shaffer said...

I escaped winter by moving from Pittsburgh to Phoenix. Now I miss it...icicles as long as my arm, how snow looks blue in the shadows, how the wind sounded like a banshee outside my window. How did I not see that beauty in front of me? Your necklace is a nice reminder of home...beautiful work :)

Rachel Noel said...

My favorite thing about winter is looking at frost patterns on glass =)

Cinder said...

What a generous give away. Thanks!

I love winter dinners by the fireplace, playing in the snow with my dogs, x-country skiing under the stars. I really do love getting big snowstorms (snow days!). It brings the community together!

Have fun in Hawaii. : )

tmbarclay said...

I'm a Canadian prairie girl. I've never loved winter, nor have I loved snow, but I do love the changing of the seasons. I love how such change marks the passage of time. The onset of winter permits most living things the chance to rest, and for those of us who live in snowy climes, it permits our minds and hearts to rest with thoughts of family, beauty, and creativity.

xoxo Say Hi to Hawaii for me :)

Lavonne said...

Hi Allison!
Stick your tootsies in the ocean for me while you are rejuvenating in Hawaii! :)
My favorite thing about winter is when I slip under the covers on our bed and put my icecube feet on my furnace-of-a-husband to warm them up and he yelps but then starts laughing when I tell him it is an old family tradition - that my mom used to do the same thing to my dad many moons ago.

sunny's smile said...

Gorgeous necklace. The thing that I have come to like best about winter is the slower pace that it brings. Entire days spent inside crafting by a warm fire while sipping hot coffee.

Sonya said...

Wow!! I can feel the essence of this necklace! To me it represents everything that I love about winter - the stillness, the quiet, the infinite, the earthiness of strong, deep roots, the land of dreams. To me winter is the perfect time to go inward, to look within and listen to the magical dreams of the seeds of infinite possibilities.
In the darkness of winter the light of spring is conceived. On bare branches, the footprints of feather friends reside.

Gemheaven said...

I Love walking along our beaches in the winter ~ when the crowds are gone and its only my family and a few dog walkers. The cold sea air is so refreshing and I love watching the crashing waves.

Cold crisp dry days are the best!

kat @ withachanceof said...

Oh my my my! What a lovely necklace! I'm so glad I've been following your lovely blog. You're work is amazing!

My favorite part of winter isn't coming in from the cold, it's actually going out into the cold. We live in Arizona now and I really do miss taking the first step out the door to a fresh layer of crisp white snow. I love when it burns a little to breath in the cold fresh air. I really miss driving down the road we used to live on. After a good snow the trees would be covered in a beautiful white layer. It would create a sort of tunnel and it seemed like you where in the mountains all by yourself. Beautiful. Really beautiful.

HouseThatCrowBuilt said...

What I love about winter is sled riding with my three children and husband. It gets dark sooner now and we usually go in the dark to a local park that used to be a stadium. The place where the bleachers were is the best place to sled ride. Sometimes I just lay back in the cold snow and look up at the sky. The sky is so clear and the stars are so brilliant. It is such a wonder to see.

MrsLittleJeans said...

I love that I can see my breath xx

UmberDove said...

Any time I have the excuse to drink 37 cups of hot tea in one day is a good day.


Girlie, you've come such a long way and I've LOVED watching the journey.

Heather said...

Winter means the Tucson Gem and Mineral show is almost here!

Rebecca Dortzbach said...

i love the smell of snow, its quiet softness dulls my dirty city streets.

love your work. you are amazing and uplifting.

Cate said...

SnOW!! That glorious cottony coco puffy white stuff that we don't get to see much of down here, in the deep south :)
p.s. your baby bump is cute!!!