giveaway – Elizabeth Smillie

Mercy Shop {GIVEAWAY}

February 21, 2014 Elizabeth Smillie

Lovelies, I have something really special to share with you today – have you heard of Mercy House? If you haven’t, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to browse their website and learn about what they do – such a wonderful ministry to women in need!

They provide a safe haven for mamas {and their babies} in Kenya, as well as education, counseling and life-skills training, all the while in a nurturing and loving environment. So far, “more than a dozen girls have been rescued from the slums of Kenya and shown the love of God, and a dozen babies have been born, healthy and thriving” – isn’t that amazing?!

From their site:

The Issue:

Annually, 21,000 women are hospitalized from having an illegal, unsafe abortion in Kenya. (Center for Reproductive Rights)
Abortion is a volatile topic in Kenya.
13,000 Kenyan girls are kicked out of school for being pregnant. (Center for Reproductive Rights)
25% of pregnant women in Kenya are HIV positive (ObGyn in Kenya)
Every 30 minutes, a woman is raped in Kenya. (Nairobi Women’s Hospital)
Mothers often force their daughters into trading sex for food in the slums (CNN)
More than 20,000 children are sex trafficked in Kenya (Human Trafficking)
1500 women die in childbirth every day across Africa (WHO)

“The Vision of Rehema House (supported by Mercy House):

Provide a safe place-a guarded home with at least 12 maternity beds
Partner with local churches
Prenatal Care- checkups, medical assistance for healthy deliveries
Proper Nutrition-protein and regular healthy meals
Counseling-post abortion/prostitution, rape recovery
Ministry-prayer, Biblical teaching, regular devotions
Education-help catch girls up in school thru 8th grade, then continue on to high school, or vocational tract
Livelihood Skills-cooking, jewelry-making, art, sewing, etc
A nurturing environment in-which to give birth and breastfeed babies
A safe place to stay and learn and heal until they graduate
An account to start small business or go to school (from products they make and sell)

“The Plan:

Our residents are invited to stay in the program for a minimum of two to four years, but our desire is to support each mom and baby throughout their lives. Each girl earns money through our Sustainable Skills Program and it will be dispersed over a long-term period to continue their education and even start a business as a part of our Graduate Program. Since our residents are at-risk- abused and even orphaned, we will assist them for as long as needed. We want to be their forever family and will tailor our help to each girl’s situation. Our goal is quality, not quantity and total discipleship.

It is the desire of The Mercy House team to fulfill Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good: And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and love mercy, to walk humbly with your God.”

Their blog about the House has wonderful updates about the ministry, the mamas and babies, and ways that you and I can help. Also, you can follow along with Kristin Welch’s {the founder} blog here.

So now I have a lovely set of prizes for someone to win – the Large Red Funky Paper Bead Necklace pictured (a $25 value!) and a $20 e-gift card to the Mercy House shop!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

– All prizes are supplied by myself, and the photos and text are used by permission from Mercy House. One winner will be selected to win the giveaway bundle listed above. This giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on Sunday, March 1st at midnight PST. The winner will be emailed on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2014.

facebook giveaway

August 20, 2013 Elizabeth Smillie

Oh, you guys – you did it! I’ve been teasing you on Facebook for about month now with a promised giveaway, hanging it out in front of you like a carrot for when we got to 200 “likes” on the fan page – and you came through! In less than a month, through you sharing it with friends and spreading the word about our little shop, we’ve added over 20 new friends and now I’m thrilled to share the giveaway! {and yes, I know I just had a giveaway – but you guys were fast!}

I’ve been working on getting the kinks out of these sweet little Glittered Votive Holders so that I can add them to the shop, and they’re finally ready. Just in time to give one to you. :) These votives are perfect for weddings, holidays {Christmas and New Year? Of course! 4th of July? Definitely!}, parties – I even have one in our bathroom to add a bit of glittery-glam :)

So, how can you win one? I’ll be posting this on the Facebook page, and all you need to do is leave a comment there {not here}. I’ll randomly pick a winner next Tuesday morning {August 27, which also happens to be my parents’ 30th anniversary! Yeow!} and announce the winner both here and on Facebook.

Now for the nitty-gritty – the votive up for grabs is the one pictured, and this giveaway is open to all of you {even you international lovelies!}. I will cover the shipping expense and even toss in an unscented tea-light so that this pretty little votive is ready to use. :)

new little things

August 17, 2013 Elizabeth Smillie

Hi Lovelies,

There are some new little things in the shop! Have you seen them yet? I’ve been having so much fun making up these pretties to share, and now they’re finally ready!

Pink Glitter Heart Cupcake Toppers

Kraft Heart Toppers

Pantone Emerald Green Toppers

Pastel Hanging Stars

Red, White and Blue Hanging Stars

Also, I’ve been tweaking some of the features here on the site – and I’m enjoying the changes. I’m not sure about you, but doing deep cleaning and sprucing in our home can be fun for me {not always, but it can be :)}, and here in the shop it’s the same! Little things like lightening the color scheme and adding some new commenting tools {have you noticed?} are each little things in themselves, but put all together they have made a huge difference!

Also, do you remember how I mentioned on the Facebook page that I’ll be giving away a new “little something” when we reach 200 fans? That was only a few days ago, and you have already gotten us with 2 of the giveaway! Speaking of a giveaway, have you entered for a chance to win the gift card yet? I’ll be posting the winner on Tuesday morning, so you have just a few more days to enter :)

I hope you are having a lovely, relaxing weekend enjoying this tail end of Summer. And I’ll see you here soon!

dreaming to live {and a giveaway!}

August 14, 2013 Elizabeth Smillie

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

-Howard Thurman

So, I recently stumbled upon a new blogger {Jessi of Suzie Studios} who I’m loving, and yesterday she penned a post about dreaming {let’s dream again}. It struck such a chord with me – I’ve been feeling something very similar, and my husband and I have been having conversations about “new” – new ideas, new plans, new dreams.

I believe that dreaming is a needed part of an abundant life. There is something soul-awakening about being open to the ideas and thoughts that God directs, and I can tell when it is lacking from my days. Of course, talking about dreaming and actually doing it are so very different – it seems that I need slowness and space to dream, to listen to my husband’s dreams, and that needed slowness and space do not come easily in this house!

Do you have dreams? What do you dream about?

Some of the things I’ve been dreaming about are related to the goals I have for this year, and others are connected to this shop, our future, or my walk with the Father. Many of these dreams are not fully formed, and some – if I/we pursue them – will take quite a bit of sacrifice. They might turn out “successfully” or they might not, but for the present, the fact that we are dreaming is in itself a success. The dreams are dim sometimes, but as we begin to pursue them we come alive.

Sometimes, in the midst of the busy, I lose my dreaming. My thoughts get foggy, full of work, kiddlets and the “need to do”. I lose the zest, the joy and the delight in beauty and life. And then I realize that I’ve let my priorities slide and focus shift away from the Light. But then faithfully, every time, He kindly shows me beauty again, reminds me of my dreams or gives a new one.

One of the biggest blessings of having the shop and blog has been the freedom of being able to work out my dreams and share them with you – and then seeing it spark a creative flame in your own lives and hearing how you share it with others. And on a related note – how would you like to win a PLTMarket.com gift card to use for things you’ve been dreaming of or to use as a gift?

I’d love to give one of you lovelies a $15 gift card to the shop, and it can be used on {or toward} anything you’d like {some garlands, perhaps?}! Use the rafflecopter widget below to add your name to the drawing, and come back daily for additional chances to enter. {If you’re reading this via email, you’ll need to click through to the blog to enter}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will end midnight on Monday, August 19, 2013 and anyone worldwide is eligible to enter! I will announce the winner the following day. <3

we have a winner! {and some blog housekeeping}

July 1, 2013 Elizabeth Smillie

well, it’s that time – the giveaway has ended {did you have a chance to enter?} and we have a winner! Rachel W., be looking in your inbox for an email from me!

{this photo is just a lovely bit from our yard the other day and really has nothing to do with the post – but I couldn’t leave you without a bit of eye candy!}

In other news, I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Google Reader has come to an end. Have you found a new favorite way to get updates from your favorite blogs? My favorite is to just get them emailed straight to my inbox {if that’s your favorite also, you can request these posts to wing their way to you, too!} but for the blogs that don’t have an email option, I’ve been using Bloglovin’. {have you chosen something different, such as Feedly? what do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!}

If you’d like to give Bloglovin’ a shot, here’s a handy dandy sign-up button:

or you can just go old-school {but it’s a blog – how old-school can it be? I digress …} and come over via a bookmark on your internet browser or just look us up! If you have any questions or if trouble with the links, feel free to email me and I’ll do my best to help you get it straightened out :)

Extra Large Red, White and Blue Star Garland from the Path Less Traveled

the giveaway is ending soon! :)

June 29, 2013 Elizabeth Smillie

just popping by to remind you – the giveaway ends tomorrow night!

So if you wanted to enter but forgot {or would like to add another entry?}, don’t dilly dally – it’ll be over and the prize on it’s way before you know it!

time for a giveaway!

June 22, 2013 Elizabeth Smillie

Yippee – it’s time for a giveaway! This time I have a sweet set of 4th of July themed goodies for one of you darling readers!

This awesome prize packet includes one of my newest garlands – the Large Red, White and Blue Star Garland! – and a dozen of our classic {for good reason – they’re so darling!} Red, White and Blue Star Cupcake Toppers. Wouldn’t these be the perfect ouch for your 4th {and pretty much any Summer party}?

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget in this post {email subscribers will need to click over to the blog} and follow the prompts.

Pretty simple! I’ll announce the winner on Monday, July 1, 2013 and mail the prize as soon as they confirm their address.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

note – this giveaway is open to readers in the United States only

Instagram bits

May 5, 2013 Elizabeth Smillie

the photos that I capture on Instagram are just little bits and pieces of our life, and it’s really interesting to see what moments I capture {and which ones I don’t} – of course, it seems as if {since I instagram from our iPad} I only capture the things that stand still. Which of course explains why Emma Grace, Ian and John don’t show up very often, but flowers, projects and Olivia do. :) I’ve really been loving having fresh anemones, and on Tuesday I shared a photo of them along with a quote from the Wall Street Journal here on the blog – I’ve still been pondering that quote, thinking about the “willingness to try” in all sorts of areas of my life, not just our business. Sometimes it seems as if the determination to continue on, even when it’s rough, thankless and others would toss in the towel, is one of the hallmarks of the path less traveled, doesn’t it?My bright and early companion, ready for her oatmeal breakfast! Sometimes she wakes up soooo early! And hungry! But who can be grumpy at the sweet little voice saying, “Mama, Mama? I’m hungry – you wanna get me breakfast? And make coffee?” {she knows me well}
May Day “baskets” for the kiddlets Bible study teachers! I tried out a Pinterest recipe for Rosemary Olive Oil Bread – it was pretty yummy! Olivia rolled over for the first time! We were on the sewing room floor together – Olivia playing and me packaging orders – and all of a sudden her half-roll {that she’s been doing for the last 2 months!} turned into a complete roll-over! She was so happy :) And I was happy that, even though I didn’t have my camera in the room, I had the iPad next to me and was able to snap a few photos to capture her reaction! And then she tipped herself all the way over for a 360* roll :) Funny baby girl! More on this coming soon! Let’s just say I’m excited :)

I’m having a giveaway! The details are all {here} All that brings us to today, which was a rainy one. Emma Grace took a rest from all the indoor bike riding under the piano – with her scooter next to her, of course.

And did Ian need a break from riding? No way! He just kept riding, and riding, and riding … until he had to go catch some bad guys upstairs {note the gun in his hand} :)

a Mother’s Day giveaway

May 2, 2013 Elizabeth Smillie

Mother’s Day is just around the corner {is it sneaking up on you, too?} and to celebrate I thought it would be fun to have a giveaway! Would any of you like to win a lace garland, either for you or for your mom? :) I’m giving away two this weekend!

This giveaway will be short and sweet, ending at midnight on Sunday, May 5th to allow time for it to arrive by Mother’s Day. :)

And to make it even more fun, it’s going to be refer-a-friend style! Both you and a friend {or your mom, maybe?} can win! To enter, just refer your friend(s) to “like” our Facebook page {here} and post a comment mentioning that they have been referred by you. Your entries are only limited by your number of friends – and the best part is, both of you have a chance to win! Monday morning I will draw a pair of names and contact the winners.

Have fun! <3

note – this giveaway is limited to U.S. entrants only. All entries will be selected from our Facebook fan page, not from comments on this post.

little pieces

April 22, 2013 Elizabeth Smillie

the photos that I capture on Instagram are just little pieces of our life, and it’s really interesting to see what moments I capture {and which ones I don’t} – of course, it seems as if {since I instagram from our iPad} I only capture the things that stand still. Which of course explains why Emma Grace, Ian and John don’t show up very often, but flowers, projects and Olivia do. :)

here are some of the little pieces of this last week:

blooms in our yard – they make me soooo happy! clockwise: anemones, our new peach tree, returning tulips and sprouting veggies. If only I could keep these lovelies all year long <3 packing up a bunch of Atlas Heart Cupcake Toppers – they are always so lovely!John turned on the radio when he arrived home Monday afternoon and my heart broke – it seems as if there has been a fresh tragedy every day to add to our prayers. It makes my heart long for heaven more, but also yearn to love my darlings that much harder. “for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a strong mind”
we introduced Dessert Garlands to the site! Olivia came down with a fever on Tuesday/Wednesday and then shared it with me – we are just now catching up with everything that went undone while we did extra cuddling <3the sewing corner – so many, many miles of garland get sewn here, so many projects for loved ones and tiny clothes made {and mended}
feeling better – yay!!!I came back to my project after getting the kiddos a snack one morning to find this: a Nerf gun, dart and little boy tools mingled with the white wedding hearts ;D so much love! a bundle of 75 red, pink and white heart dessert toppers, each stamped with “LOVE” on Saturday I was all caught up with orders {yippee!} and took the rest of the day to catch up on cleaning – and baking. Apparently, making things with sugar rests me :) then, once the littles were in bed for the night, John and I stayed up with a movie, cheesecake AND cookies and a game of Scrabble :)