Tea Themed Giveaway Winner!!!

As always, I'll cut straight to the good stuff!!!

I squealed out loud with glee when I drew your name, Laura!!!!!
THE WINNER IS THE LOVELY AND ONE OF A KIND LAURA B. OF "THE DAILY DODO" BLOG!!!

I wish so much that I could send an identical set of goodies to each and every one of you who entered.  You are all so sweet!  As my hand was in the drawing tin, swishing the pieces of paper around, I was hoping for each name in turn, because I love you all!

But I can't, as much as I want to.  If you didn't win, don't forget that there are giveaways on this blog pretty often, so keep trying!  I think the next one, I will come up with something that is 5 or 10 of a small gift.  That way, more people get to feel special and it creates variety in the drawings.  We'll see!

Congratulations, Laura!  Your package will be on it's way to you next week!

Tea Themed Giveaway!

I am so blessed.  Seriously.

I have a dear friend (who wishes to remain anonymous), who does not have her own space in the blogosphere, but who regularly delights in the comments and goings on of you who read The Modest Peacock that I share with her.  She says you are some of the highlights of her day! (I'm looking right at you, Muskoka River, Square Tooth Girl, Feathered Nest, Daily Dodo and all of my Snail Mail related blog rollers!!!)

A fellow tea drinker like me, she has asked to partner with me and contribute items for a Tea themed giveaway to celebrate the signs of spring that are popping up here in the South!!!  Isn't that the sweetest thing!  Of course I said yes!!

Together, we are offering a goody package that will have the following items in:

• One Old Country Roses by Royal Dalton Demitasse teacup and saucer set
• One box of Twinings Tea - Variety set (Eng. Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Lady Grey, Earl Grey)
• One package of Biscoff tea biscuits
• One box of Pims raspberry tea cookies
• One jar of Sweetwater Creek Farms local wildflower honey
• One tin of sugar cubes
• One box of International Delights French Vanilla creamers
• The current issue of Tea Time magazine
• One custom, one-of-a-kind beaded stretch bracelet, made by yours truly
• One set of notecards by Pooch and Sweetheart and a cool pen

All tied up with a fancy ribbon and signed with x's and o's!!!

Just leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing!  I'll select the lucky winner at random on Friday, March 22!  Don't forget to send your friends over as well!  "Tea for two" is twice as nice! ;)

Giveaway Winner! :)

I was kinda wrapped up in Lucy Jane stuff earlier today and almost forgot to do the drawing for this blog!  There were almost 40 entries.  I will cut straight to the chase!

The winner is Cathy Olliffe-Webster of the blog Life on the Muskoka River!

If you haven't read her blog, you are in for a treat!  She is absolutely hilarious!!! :)
And if you didn't win this time, be sure to visit again, because there will be more giveaways (yes, plural!) coming up very soon to celebrate some recent achievements!

Grow Your Blog Party Time!!!

Hi!!!
This is a very special post, sending greetings to anyone who may be stopping by from the Grow Your Blog event, hosted by the fabulous and amazing Vicki of 2 Bags Full!

I started blogging 4 years ago- well, closer to 5, actually; my blogaversary is in April!  Cute Gremlin the Younger had just been born.  I only made 15 posts that year.  In 2009 our lives were turned upside down, but I managed to hide it really well for a long time.  I only posted 6 times the whole year, and 12 the next.  Finally in 2011 I decided to jump into blogging like I had never really done before.  It has been AWESOME.  I have met so, so, so many dear and wonderful new friends.  I have used my blog as a way to document and facilitate my newly revived love of hand-written letters/pen pals.  I have been welcomed with open arms into the lives and adventures of other bloggers who inspire me to be a better person, encourage me to live my dreams, and sometimes just make me laugh from my toes!

It's cold outside (at least in the Northern Hemisphere!)!!! So I've decided to host a GIVE AWAY with this Grow Your Blog event, with this peacock colored scarf, lapel pin, and journal as the prize!

Just leave a comment as your entry and I will pick a random winner on Feb. 1st and contact you for your mailing address.

As you read my blog, I hope that you find something beautiful, edifying, cheerful or downright hilarious here that makes you smile!  I've learned so much about blogging, and like to think I have improved over time. (Fewer giant walls of text, for example!) :)

 I'm going to visit and follow as many in the party as I possibly can.  If you decide to follow The Modest Peacock, a big HUG and THANK YOU to you!  I can't wait to get to know you all better.  Here's to growing and traveling and learning and laughing with our blogs!

The Pink Scarf Project

My beautiful friend Vicki, of the blog "2 Bags Full", has created an AMAZING year-long event/project to raise awareness and support for breast cancer patients.  She is asking for donations of pink scarves from anyone and everyone in the blogosphere who will be kind enough to oblige.  She is generously giving away a GORGEOUS, one-of-a-kind wrap that she knitted especially for this project.  If you have ever seen her knitted nests, you know that she can't make anything that isn't just perfection itself.  (If you haven't been so fortunate as to have seen the nests, go here to see my personal favorite.)

I've always said I know only enough about knitting to be able to make a scarf.  Well, perfect!  I'll be sending her at least one of those.  I also know (marginally better, if I'm honest) how to crochet a bit, and I will be creating a scarf (or 10) by that method.  I'm not going to sugar coat it- I want to win that wrap! (Credit for construction will actually go to Lucy Jane, though.)

But much more than that, I want to help Vicki in this worthy cause.  Many of you don't know that someone in my family has had a brush with this awful disease- fortunately it was caught and removed quickly and without much fuss and bother.  But sadly, many, many women are not that fortunate.

So here's an extra incentive to Vicki's wonderful project:  Anytime you send her a scarf and post a comment on her Pink Scarf Project Page that you have done so, come here (there will be a button on my sidebar shortly) and post a comment telling me that you have done so, and you will have an entry to win this Lucy Jane Pennybright "Hope" elephant, complete with her very own pink scarf!  (The mailing address to send the scarves and all of the wonderful details are on her blog at the above link.)

The drawing will be held NEXT October 1st when Vicki's project ends, AND I will also accept comments on this Lucy Jane post about the project.  (But only one entry for the ellie per scarf made and sent!!  I'm just allowing you to choose which blog you leave your entry on!)

So what are you waiting for??  Go to Vicki's blog, find out all the details, and start knitting (or crocheting, sewing, or whatever it is you do) a pink scarf to send her way!!  Best of luck winning the wrap and/or "Hope"!

PS- Here is Lucy's first scarf to send.  What do you think? :)

Letter Pouch Giveaway WINNER! :)

Hi!  I know I have a few weeks of blogging to catch up on, but I'm posting this first:

This was up for grabs:

The Cute Gremlins were all in bed, so I did the drawing myself- with the help of the trusty un-biased bird tin, of course:

Yes, that's my blue polkadot pj pants and pink bath robe.
Blogging from the comfort of my own bed. :)

AND THE WINNER IS:

Congratulations, Pocci of Vanessas 52 Weeks of Mail blog!
Email me your snail mail addy and I'll get this pouch (plus some goodies!) in the post to you!!! :)

Thanks, everyone, for entering.  Remember, if you didn't win this one, there will be a few more given away in the future!

I'm off to draft some more posts, in order to get all caught up!
See you soon!

Getting and Giving

Yet again I find myself retro-posting blog entries!  Another week has roared by and I'm way behind on my Frank Friday, 52 Weeks of Mail, Music Monday, Video Wednesdays flipping everything.  Don't forget to check the Blog Archives list to see what might have gotten slipped in that you may have missed in the update feeds.

I am loving my new job and am getting lots of hours!  I worked from 1 til closing last night.  I get to do that again tonight and then have Thanksgiving off.  Black Friday and Saturday will be hectic, but not horrible, as I'm set down for very reasonable hours.  (By reasonable, I mean my full 8 hour shifts don't start at 4 a.m.)  Sunday afternoon, I am planning on taking a couple of hours to get completely caught up here on The Modest Peacock.  I have a lovely little journal that I write out a post schedule in (and then scribble all over, as things swap and change and get mixed around!).  I also write out post ideas/memory joggers for later reference.  So rest assured, dear reader, I have some good posts in store if you will just hang in there with me! :)

In the meantime, I'm hosting another giveaway!

You may have seen the Avon widget on my righthand sidebar.  I've been an Avon Rep for 2 full years now, and I love it!  I'm still getting started, really- it takes time to grow a business, especially when you can't devote full time to it because of kids and other responsibilities, etc- but so far I have loved getting to know people in my community.  I buy as much Avon as I sell, but it all works out in the end. :)  Well, Avon had these FABULOUS cosmetic bags to go with some skin care products a few campaigns back and I had to get a few to share!  They are 9 and 1/2 inches long by about 6 and 1/2 inches tall with a zipper on top and a see-through back.

(Cards not included, but I will be throwing in some other mail goodies with it)

They are technically "cosmetic bags", but the possibilities are endless as to how you could use them!  I'm using mine for a mini writing kit to take along with me to places- a couple of favorite pens, some postcards, some notecards, and some stamps and voila!  Letter writing stuff that goes where I do! :)

I have 3 that I will give away- one now, and the other two sometime throughout next year.  So if you don't win this one, you'll have another chance later!  (If you just want to go ahead and purchase one (or several), you can email me privately and I will help you with that.  They are $10.00 each, plus tax and shipping.)

The drawing for this one will take place on Saturday, Dec 10th.  I'm giving an extra couple of days because of the Thanksgiving holiday and a lot of people not in town/online because they are spending time with family (which is exactly as it should be! :)).

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!  I LOVE YOU AND I AM THANKFUL FOR YOU! :)

Yours Ever,
Jenny

52 Weeks of Mail: Week 4

First the incoming:
Look what's arrived in my mailbox!

On Tues, Nov 2, I got a letter from a penpal in Nashville TN (who, incidentally, could be my twin in interests and personality), and a letter from a penpal in OH.

Along with her super cute letter, my Nashville friend sent me 2 seasonal teas to try!

And the letter from my Ohio friend had wonderful characters drawn on it!

On Wednesday the 3rd, I got this wonderful postcard of the Little Black Sambo story from Bev Sykes over at The Penpal Project.  The postcards came from a restaurant in Santa Barbara, CA as a set of 8 with one telling the story and the other 7 illustrating.

When I was little, I had this version of the book:

I loved the part about how the tigers chased each other faster and faster until they all melted into butter.  I think it's a shame that the book was given such a negative stigma with/involving racial slandering.  I thought it was wonderfully told and illustrated and, as I was a child, I never understood any of the controversy of it.  I have that copy still, packed up in my storage somewhere from our last move.

And now here is the outgoing:

Today I sent out Misty at Confessions of a Pen Thief's giveaway winnings, a letter to my OH penpal, a letter to a penpal in MO, and a postcard to help a student project.

I copied this about the postcard project from Bev Sykes' blog (see link above with Sambo postcard):

"His school is collecting postcards from around the country and around the world for their diversity/international day in the early spring.  It doesn’t matter if they get multiples from each state, they're just trying to rock the class's world with the amount that Hunter can bring in!
     So, if you wouldn’t mind sending a postcard to him, that would be great, I know we have people EVERYWHERE!  Before taking them in to the school Kelly plans to put them all out together and take a picture, she says she’ll be sure to share the picture when they’re done. There is no set deadline, but she's thinking if you can do it between now and the end of November that would be best.


Hunter Johnson
8443 Sand Point Drive West
Jacksonville, FL 32244


Feel free to share his address with any friends and family you may have in other parts of the world as well, the more the merrier!"


That was all for Week 4.  Write more letters, and I will see you at the mailbox!

Giveaway Winner!

Hi, Lovelies!!!

It's time to draw for the winner of these lovely notecards!

I enlisted the help of Cute Gremlin #1 to do the drawing:

Trusty drawing tin

Shake-a, shake-a, shake-a

"I'm not peeking!"

And the WINNER is... !

Yay!  Congratulations, Misty of Confessions of a Pen Thief!!!  I'll be mailing you this lovely set next Thursday, when I head to the Post Office with my 52 Weeks of Mail- Week 4 mailings!  Congrats!

If you didn't win, don't worry!  Another gorgeous giveaway item is coming soon!!!

52 Weeks of Mail: Week 3

I didn't get as many of my letters written as I'd wanted to, but that's ok.  I have 49 more weeks in which to send out to Japan, Canada and everywhere else I've mentioned. :)

On Wednesday there were 3 bits of lovely mail in my mailbox:

1. From a penpal in MO, which oddly enough turned out to be another introductory letter, so she must not have gotten my reply a few weeks ago.  I will be writing her today to see what happened. :)
2. This BEAUTIFUL card from fellow blogger and 52 Week-er, Kendall, over at Happy Little Mailboxes.  The photo doesn't show it very well, but it is all sparkly with glitter too!  I had seen these cards in one of her previous posts and could not believe my good fortune when I was the recipient of one!!!  Thank you!!

3. Inside the box in the photo above was a bunch of these

from my friend Eddie in Leeds, UK.  I LOVE these things and can't get them here, so he sends me a box periodically.  I send him a box of Twizzlers in return when I can.  :)  Yay for sugary sweet swaps!

There wasn't any post for me on Thursday, but after Bible study I did mail out what I had ready:

It included a reply to my letter from Germany, one to Spain, a thank you card for the walnuts I received from the Poindexter Nut Co., a sticker decorated folded letter, a thank you to a local restaurant, and 3 postcards going to Ireland, OK, and OH. :)  9 pieces in total.

Don't forget, there is still time to enter my giveaway!  I will be choosing a winner sometime tomorrow.  And also remember that if you want to snail mail with me, you can email me at themodestpeacock@yahoo.com to swap addresses.  See you at the mailbox!