Saturday, July 24, 2010

Winners and New Blog Ideas!

Gifts are a special part of Christmas-time, so for the last official day of "Christmas in July" I am thrilled to announce the winners of three different giveaways! =)

Quick Note: For Julie Lessman's giveaway, those who didn't leave an e-mail address (if I did not already know the e-mail address of the person) were not entered in the drawing. I apologize if I didn't make it more clear, but I'll try to clarify more in the future. As for the other drawings, I'm getting kind of confused on who wants to be entered or not, so in future drawings I'll try to remember to only enter those who say they want to be entered and leave their e-mail addresses. Again, I'm so sorry for the confusion! Also, I used Random.org's List Randomizer when picking the winners for these drawings.




The winner of her choice of one of Julie Lessman's books is . . .

Bekka!








The winner of the "Christmas in July"
Giveaway is . . .

Julia!







The winner of my 100th Post Giveaway is . . .

Bluerose!





Congratulations to all of the winners! Be looking for my e-mail and please respond ASAP! Thank you! And to those of you who didn't win these giveaways, be sure and check in often--you never know when there will be another one. =)

Thank you so much to all of you for your comments and for visiting my blog! The post with Julie Lessman's interview garnered the most comments I've ever had on one post! I'm so grateful for your enthusiasm.

Now, for the other part of this post! I've been thinking a lot about having my own weekly posts (ones that are repeated every week according to the theme of that day). So I've come up with a list of potential ideas that I would love to hear your thoughts on!

Below I will describe each of the possibilities, and then I would greatly appreciate it if you would pick your top three favorites and let me know in the comments section. I'll probably end up using three or four of these, and I'll make a final decision within the next couple of weeks. I will take the your comments into consideration when making my choice. =)

CHOICES:

Sundays by the Sea: The ocean is a beautiful and mysterious part of God's creation, and I have been blessed to live close to the Pacific Ocean my whole life. For "Sundays by the Sea" I would post devotional thoughts inspired by the sea, drawing from my own experiences and from movies/books which are set on the sea.

True Love Tuesdays: This is for the romantic at heart! On "True Love Tuesdays" we would discuss examples of true love from books, movies, and real life. This would also be an opportunity to share romantic quotes,along with recommendations for clean romantic books and movies.

Winter Wednesdays: To go along with the title and purpose of this blog, "Winter Wednesdays" would be an opportunity to share encouraging thoughts with each other for those times when we're in the winter of our "Seasons of Humility." We all could use some support and comfort for the hard times, as well as reminders of God's sovereignty and plan for our lives.

Travel Thursdays: This would be an opportunity to share where we've traveled in real life, or where we've traveled through the pages of a book. There's much to learn about different places in this vast world, so "Travel Thursdays" would be a fun way to find out more about those places!

Furry Friends Fridays: Many of us are the proud owners of adorable pets! "Furry Friends Fridays" would be days set aside to share fun anecdotes about our four-legged friends. And while I'm at college, I'll either be able to share about the creatures I see on the nature trail or elsewhere on campus, or I could share some of my cute memories of my own pets (from the past and the present!).

Sharing a Smile Saturdays: I've actually implemented this one several times already, so I can continue this if everybody likes it! "Sharing a Smile Saturdays" are meant to make you laugh or at least smile, and the posts can be about jokes, funny college stories, or practically anything that's smile-worthy!

OK, you've seen the choices! (And yes, I realize there wasn't one for Monday. I didn't come up with anything clever for Mondays, so I guess those days will be reserved for reviews or rest!) And I should also say that these posts will only be for those weeks that are not already themed weeks. (For example, I would not do these weekly-themed posts for the "Reading Retreats" Week or the "End of Summer Bash.")

*New update: This morning I went to a MOAA (Military Officers Association of America) meeting at our local Coast Guard station, and I was blessed to have my dad share the videos I had put together from our experiences at Washington D.C. I am so grateful for the United States military, and it was while I was in the car a while after the meeting that an idea came to me. The one day I hadn't come up with a theme for was Monday--and I have a strong desire within me to honor the military in some way. So I'm going to have Mondays for the Military: a day set aside to pray for and in some way remember the U.S. military and the sacrifices they make. This day will not be an option to vote on because I want to implement it no matter what. =) But please feel free to express your ideas on the other options!*

I thank you again for taking the time to look through this and share your thoughts! Have a wonderful weekend!

24 comments:

Project Journal said...

Okay, I voted! It's not showing up, but hopefully it will later....? Lol..

That's cool that you're doing that. They all sound fabulous, so it's hard to just choose 3! LOL!

CONGRATS to all the winners!!!! YAY! That's really fun.

Not working today *dun, dun, dun dun, dun, dun dun, dun! dun, dun, dun dun, dun, dun dun, duuuuun, dun!* Heehee....well I'm happy! But we are babysitting tonight. 2-10 (probably 10), and then I have a 20 minute drive home. Since I have a car, they make us drive to them now instead of picking us up and bringing us home. There's pros and cons to both.

Ah well! Talk to you soon,
HAnnah

Amber Holcomb said...

Hannah,

Thank you for voting--hopefully it will show up soon, like you said. ;) And thank you for your enthusiasm! I hope they turn out to be fun and edifying for all of us. :)

So nice of you to stop by and offer your congrats, and I hope babysitting is fun for you, and not TOO stressful. ;)

~Amber

Bluerose said...

Congrats to Bekka and Julia on their wins, and Thank you so much for mine!!!
I voted, but mine didn't show up, either. That was a hard choice! I really like 4 of them, although they were all great. :)

Project Journal said...

Oh bluerose, I had 4 faves too!

Thanks Amber! I'll try...though I don't think it will be. The kids are the absolute sweetest. We are the luckiest babysitter's to have them!
Hannah

Amber Holcomb said...

Bluerose,

Thanks for stopping by to offer the others your congrats, and you're welcome! :)

I'm sorry the poll isn't working right! :( I'll leave it up for a bit longer and hope that it works eventually. If not, maybe I'll just ask for everyone's opinions in the comment section.

And thank you for the support! I'm so glad you liked the choices--I had a really fun time coming up with them. ;) I have a couple of favorites myself, so I'm curious to see what ya'll think!

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Hannah,

Hmmmm...I wonder if you both had the same favorites? Now I'm REALLY curious, and I wish that silly poll would work! ;)

And you are so sweet Hannah! I'm sure the kids must be wonderful, but I must add that they, too, are lucky to have a babysitter like you. :D

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Hello again!

Bluerose and Hannah,

I got rid of the poll and I'm just going to ask everyone to share their favorites here in the comment section. If you read this comment, would you mind sharing your thoughts once again here? Thank you! :)

~Amber

Bluerose said...

I voted for True Love Tuesdays, but I also really liked Sundays by the Sea, Furry Friends Friday and Sharing a Smile Saturday. (Probably even in that order, but REALLY close!) :)

Amber Holcomb said...

Thanks, Bluerose!

I like your choices. :) "True Love Tuesdays" and "Sundays by the Sea" are definitely ones high on my list!

Thanks for your input!

~Amber

Susan Anne Mason said...

Hi Amber,

I like "True Love Tuesdays", "Sunday by the Sea" and "Sharing a Smile Saturday". But I also REALLY like book reviews, especially since you're so good at them.

Just my two cents worth ....

Sue

Mary Bast said...

Awesome stuff for everyone! Yay!! :) I'm so happy for them! God bless!

True Love Tuesdays all the way!!!!!!! Love conquers all, no? :P

Congrats to all the winners!

Mary ^_~

Amber Holcomb said...

Susan,

I'm glad you like those three, too! :) Thank you for sharing your impressions!

And no worries! I plan on having plenty more book reviews coming your way. ;) Thank you for the sweet compliment--I hope the reviews are helpful and enjoyable!

Good to hear from you!

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Mary,

That's so nice of you to stop by and offer your congrats! It's so much fun doing these giveaways, and I hope you'll be able to stop in again for some future ones, too! (The "End of Summer Bash" might be a good opportunity to enter more giveaways...just a hint!) ;)

And oh, yes! I'm thinking "True Love Tuesdays" will be popular among my readers. ;) Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

~Amber

Renee (BlacknGoldGirlsBookSpot) said...

Is it too late to vote? If not I pick True Love Tuesday, Furry Friends Friday and Sundays by the Sea! :-)

XOXO~ Renee

Project Journal said...

My four faves were:
- True Love Tuesdays
- Travel Thursdays
- Furry Friends Fridays
and...
- Sharing a Smile Saturdays

They all sound really great though, Amber!!

Phew! I'm SO hot! Lol....
Hannah

Amber Holcomb said...

Renee,

Nope! Although I've already started forming a plan in my mind... But no worries! I think your votes help confirm it! ;) Thanks for letting me know which choices you like!

~Amber

Amber Holcomb said...

Hannah,

Thanks for taking the time to share your opinion once again! I appreciate it! :) And your vote of confidence is definitely encouraging. :D

Have a wonderful trip! (I read your post recently--I'm not stalking you.) ;)

~Amber

Ashley (Ibreath2read) said...

Hey Amber,
Congrats to the Bekka, Julia and Tammy for winning the giveaways!! And I'm so sorry I haven't congratulated you sooner on your 100th post:(. So, CONGRATS Amber!!!! 100 posts is an amazing feat, one which I have yet to attain to. You go girl!!LOL;D

I LOVE all the themes you came up with, Amber. It's gonna be hard just picking a few, but I think:
~True Love Tuesdays (of course;)
~Travel Thrusday
And.....
~Furry Friends Fridays
would be my top three choices.
Can't wait to see which ones get picked in the end;)
I hope you have a great week Amber!!
Love Ya,
Ashley

Ashley (Ibreath2read) said...

P.S.
LOVE the new background, Amber.
It's very beautiful;)
Love Ya,
Ashley

Amber Holcomb said...

Ashley,

So nice of you to stop by and offer your congrats to the winners! :) And thank you for your congrats to me for the 100th post! You're so sweet!

Also, thank you for sharing your opinion! I just posted the finalized schedule, which you can see in the sidebar. Let's just say there was no way I couldn't implement "True Love Tuesdays"! ;)

I'm so glad you like the new background, and did you get a chance to check out the post for the fourth day of Christmas in July? I put some pictures up that I thought you would especially enjoy. ;)

Talk to you soon!

~Amber

Amanda Stanley said...

Congratulations to all those lucky winners!

Amber, those are some great post ideas, I love them all! But my top 3 favorites would have to be...

LOVE the "Sundays by the Sea" idea! Like you said, the ocean is a beautiful and mysterious part of God's creation. To me, standing at the ocean's shore, is like standing on the very definition of the sovereign grace of Almighty God. I love going really early before the crowds show up and spend some quiet time with the Lord. I think Jeremiah 5:22 gives the most beautiful and poetic description of the ocean and the power our God has over it- I encourage you to read it when you get a chance (KJV version). And, of course, since I live in the "Ocean State", its sort of a given that this would be my first pick :D

I also LOVE "True Love Tuesdays"! LOL, any excuse to talk about romance ;)

And finally, "Fury Friends Fridays" sounds like a wonderful idea! I just love animals and I have 2 ADORABLE puppies of my own- even though one is 5yo and the other 12yo, they'll always be puppies to me! :)

And "Mondays for the Military" is a FABULOUS idea! And that is so AMAZING that others got to see your POWERFUL videos!!

Can't wait to see what posts makes the cut :) Praying for you, my friend!!

Blessings,
Amanda Stanley

Amber Holcomb said...

Amanda,

First of all, thank you for the congrats to the winners! :D So nice of you to stop by!

And second, thank you for sharing your thoughts! I'm glad to see that our opinions are very similar on which ones are our favorites. ;) I put up the "New Normal Weekly Schedule" in the sidebar, which shows which ones I'm implementing. "Sundays by the Sea," "Mondays for the Military," and "True Love Tuesdays" have all been chosen! I'll have to keep "Furry Friends Fridays" in mind to as a future option, because a lot of people seemed to like that. Maybe I'll just have to do random pet posts or something! ;)

Thank you again for your time and your encouragement! You are such a GREAT friend!!!

~Amber

Amanda Stanley said...

LOL- Am I blind or what?! Sorry, I totally missed your new schedule in the sidebar. I had wanted to comment on this post since the weekend and went right to it without looking at anything else. Oh well, I LOVE the ones you picked anyway ;)

Sorry, I'm such a goose :D

Blessings,
Amanda Stanley

Amber Holcomb said...

Amanda,

You are NOT a goose! ;) Like I said in one of my more recent posts, I was just kind of eager and impatient, and so I just posted the schedule that I thought would work well and people seemed to like. I'm glad you liked the result! :D

~Amber