Monthly Faves : September

Can I just say, HOLY COW, how is it the end of September? Cannot believe it. Right now is about the point each year when I desperately want make sure I'm enjoying each day and working towards the intentions I set in January, in hopes of ensuring I'm making the most of these final few months of the year.


• A useful bit of inspiration -- Why artists keep visual journals.
• Everybody and their sister has been recommending this site/magazine, but I gotta plug it too because Tavi is my neighbor. {Not really. But we do live in the same town!} And I would have loved to have had something smart and inspired like this when I was a teen.
• Pretty cool project combining the faces of celebrities from different eras.
• This post on time management by Doniree is perfect timing given my recent thoughts.
• This is the kind of war I can get behind. Love it.
• Do you use Google Reader but miss seeing blog posts in the context of the actual blog, design and all? Enter the Next button.
• A sweet looking new craft magazine called Mollie Makes that I can't wait to get my hands on.
• New blogs I discovered recently: Spoon Fork Bacon, One Sheepish Girl, Krameymartin


• Olivia filmed a dinner at the French chateau where she is living. I have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that this is not a scene from movie, and that she (and the others) are actually living that life. It spurs a mix of envy and longing within me, honestly.
• It looks like video recipes are going to become a regular monthly item! This month it's a plum jam recipe -- I love the vintage, Anthropologie feel of it.
• A beautiful film series called Paper Scraps that looks at how different creative people come up with and store their ideas.
• Coming soon from Wacom, maker of the popular computer tablets, is the Inkling, a real pen that will take sketches directly from paper to the computer. So cool.
• Newest obsession is vlogger and comedian Grace Helbig from DailyGrace {she's probably Old News to some, but she's new to me}. Some videos are admittedly obnoxious in that "she must have spent a lot of time staring at herself in the mirror when she was young" kind of way, but most of the time she's pretty hilarious. Some favorites: 200 Things I Learned from the Internet; her how-to cooking segments; love/hate relationship with bad reality TV; and Q&As.


• Despite my feelings about Zooey's new TV show (my review, in short: UGH), I am admittedly excited about She & Him's Christmas album, out October 25.
• Good thinking: Pandora has launched workout stations.
• And for those who work out to hip-hop/rap music, a perfect new tune for your playlist is Can't Hold Us by Macklemore, a Seattle hip hop artist that I discovered through KEXP.
• Joseph Gordon Levitt covering Nirvana's "Lithium." Love that boy.


• Don't Feel Sorry for Yourself. There's something kind of meta about recommending this site. It's a collection of links-- updated monthly-- to inspire you to dance, think, play, create, etc. They clearly stole the concept from me ;)
• Homemade Lara bars that don't cost $2 apiece. I'M IN.
• Galaxy nails are pretty stellar (ha!) but I don't think I have the patience to wait for those layers to dry.
• Photos of books and the bodies that love them. I used to pose with this book to make my husband laugh -- clearly, I need to submit a photo.
• Get some pilates-inspired workout inspiration from the new-to-me blog Blogilates. Check out her printable workouts and videos.
• As an always self-conscious/often quiet/sometimes socially-awkward chica, I'm loving this Blogging For Confidence series from One Sheepish Girl. This might have to be a project in the future. On my list: vlogging (*shudder*), bold lipstick, taking photos in public (still not comfortable with this), self-portrait photos posted on the blog, eating dinner at a real sit-down restaurant alone, making small talk with strangers, coming out as a blogger to real-life friends and family. I could go on and on.

Monthly Faves is a series featuring my favorite links and bits around the interwebs.

Three Years.

Three years ago, I married my best friend.

A lot has happened in the past three years. Mark and I have had amazing experiences together, including trips to Costa Rica and Charleston/Savannah. We witnessed his grandparents celebrate 60 years of marriage with a heartfelt vow renewal ceremony, and saw friends get married. But we've also had our lows-- we both lost our jobs, we dealt with job changes, career doubts, and the stress of letting a friend move in with us. That first year of marriage was admittedly much, much harder than I was ever expecting, but we came out of that period stronger than before because we learned to fight for each other, and to love each other even when it's hard. Or, more accurately, especially when it's hard.

During this third year, the best thing I've learned is to really relish the small moments. The simple gestures that would go unnoticed by outsiders, but that speak the secret code of our relationship language. The subtly sweet, mundane, everyday love.

I recently expressed a little envy at a former classmate/Facebook friend of mine who bought a gorgeous, expensive downtown condo with her boyfriend, decorated it in designer wares, travels somewhere exotic for every single one of their birthdays and anniversaries, and just got an engagement ring that's practically a quarter of the length of her finger. And while it's sometimes easy for me to get distracted by glitz and glamour, when it comes down to it, you couldn't pay me to trade in my life for hers. I honestly love the life that Mark and I are building together, simple as it may be.

I love how we can have as much fun staying in as going out. How willing he is to be my sous chef in the kitchen, even if it means I'm a little bossy and/or controlling. How he says "Zoo-y Bechamel" instead of Zooey Deschanel because it makes me laugh, every time. The back rubs, forehead rubs, foot rubs. The tradition of our Saturday morning walks to the farmer's market, even if it's just to get fresh donuts and not a single piece of produce. How we allow each other to read the dictionary when playing Scrabble and usually pretend we're just checking the spelling of a word. When he randomly suggests baby names he likes (for future/currently non-existent children, in case that's not clear). How much fun we have watching marathons of TV shows on DVD. Random trips to the grocery store for cereal that end with us running around the store for the ingredients to make butterbeer (this happened last night). How excited he gets over his hobbies (disc golf and floor hockey), even if I poke fun at how nerdy they are. When he lets me use the giant, fluffy bath towel, since we only have one. Our daily (and excessive) exclamations about how comfortable our bed is.

These kinds of memories don't get as much glory as the international trips or the meals at Michelin-star restaurants. But these moments make up our everyday lives, and are special because we are together. Mister-Pister, I'm lucky to have you by my side. I can't wait to see what memories--big and small--the future holds for us.

{Photo Credit: Olivia Leigh Photograhie}

Dreaming Up a New Design

Apparently, I'm in a phase of starting a million different projects-- the most recent being a whole new blog design.

Perhaps it's the change seasons. Or simply the feeling that things are looking just a bit too familiar for my liking. Most likely it's a bit of both, combined with some reflection on my style statement and Pinterest boards that makes this current homemade, artsy vibe feel a little too clutter-y and in-yo-face.

To gather some ideas and start to point me in the right direction, I created this inspiration board that channels the mood I hope to create with my new design.



I find it amusing that almost all of my inspiration images come from cafes and food sources, although it's not really that surprising. When I think of the atmosphere I want to create with my blog, I actually think of an airy, modern-yet-cozy cafe where people can gather to read, nosh on good food, or chit-chat with friends. A place like Hope and Union in Charleston, or an Intelligentsia coffeebar, where you might hear Django Reinhardt jazz streaming from the sound system {I'm speaking metaphorically, mind you. I won't commit Blog Faux Pas #1 by putting music on the site}. I dream of a relaxed setting that invites you to stay a while. Where it's not so chaotic or cluttered that it takes away from the experience and content.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how these thoughts manifest themselves in my site design. I hope to have the new design up in a few weeks, but I can't make any promises, given that I have about a million other projects in the pipelines.

Photo Credits: Please visit my Pinterest boards {Design Inspiration + Interior Design} for image and logo sources; color palettes are from Colour Lovers.

Foodie Friday : "Clean Food" Quotable

Today, things are getting a little crazy. My Foodie Friday series has been crushing hard on my Well Said series, and they've been canoodling in the blogger closet. When I wasn't looking, they created today's gem of a mashup. Let's call it "Well Said, Foodie." 




"The further we remove ourselves from the source of our food, the less we are able to maintain physical and emotional balance. Our processed food diets that are so lacking in nutrition that we require coffee to wake up, sugar to get through the day, television to calm down, alcohol to let go of our inhibitions, chocolate and ice cream to feel satisfied, pills to sleep through the night and drugs to provide us with the illusion of health. [...] Have we become a society that is artificially sustained?"

"What we need is connection -- to our bodies, hearts and spirits, to our families, to community, the environment, the land, the season and to a purpose."

~ Terry Walters, "Clean Food" cookbook

{Isn't that so true? Definite food for thought, in the truest sense of the phrase.}

Listed // Fall To-Do's

Last year, I started writing a seasonal series called "Ten Tips for Savoring Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer," aimed at capturing the unique spirit of each season. While many of my tips for autumn from that list can still be applied, I thought it would be fun to come up with a new little list of specific activities and simple pleasures that I hope to partake in this fall.

List 04 // A Bucket List for Fall

01. Enjoy my first Salted Caramel Mocha of the season from the Bux.
02. Go apple picking and eat a cider donut from the orchard.
03. Jump in a leaf pile.
04. Take a sweatshirt nap with the husband.
05. Listen to my Nick Drake, Bon Iver and The Frames albums from start to finish.
06. Make butternut squash bread pudding again.
07. {Attempt to} crochet a pair of wrist warmers.
08. Take a forest hike with my camera.
09. Go out for Indian food.

What do you plan to do this autumn to enjoy the season?

Getting Busy With Pinterest : DIY Body Care

I don't know about you all, but I CAN'T. STOP. PINNING. And as much as I want to spend all of the day pinning all of the things, I'm finding that Pinterest is not-so-secretly one big procrastination tool {and exactly the kind of thing I'm trying to eliminate}. Granted, it's dressed up in a very pretty outfit, but it's still one of those sites that you go to aimlessly click around while you are on the phone with your BFF only to look up hours later and realize that you've looked at a hundred pretty recipes and stylish outfits but have failed to eat anything or put on clothes other than pajamas at any point during the day. Not that this has happened to me. Of course not.

To avoid the fate of becoming a person with perfectly curated Pinterest boards and a mess of an actual creative life, I have developed a plan. This is revolutionary, people. Are you ready for it?

I am going to take what I see on Pinterest, and I'm going to do something. Make those DIYs. Cook those recipes! BUY ALL OF THE CLOTHES. Well, maybe not that, as to avoid massive credit card debt. But I will use my clothing boards to work on my fashion sense within my own closet.

I'm going to aim for one project a week, although I'm not holding myself to any strict rules or guidelines. I'd like it to be a fun process, much like Pinterest itself, with the additional satisfaction of trying my hand at some new projects. And, bonus points-- the holidays are approaching, so if something goes particularly well, you can bet your bottom that someone will find it under their Christmas tree. {Well, likely not the following two projects, as neither are particularly suited to gift-giving without offhandedly insulting the recipient. But those reindeer-face cookies? Perfect!}

Up first are these two pins: Homemade Deodorant (via How About Orange) and The Oil Cleansing Method (via Simple Mom).


And my versions:



I was able to whip up batches of both recipes in less time than it would have taken me just to search for my car keys to drive to the store, and the ingredients cost much less than the store-bought goods if you break it down to the cost per batch. I just stored them in some old containers I had. {The deodorant is in a Nivea lotion container-- sorry for the white on white; I wish you could see it better, but it was the best jar I had!} I use the mini-spatula/scraper to help me get the deodorant out of the container without getting gunk under my fingernails. It's liquidy in the picture since I heated the coconut oil a bit to mix ingredients, but it is normally solid like stick deodorant at room temperature and melts as it touches your skin.

I had heard great things about the homemade deodorant, and love that I'd be able to avoid the aluminum and other nasty ingredients that are in most commerical products. As for the olive oil cleaner, I was am a little more skeptical. A little context: I am the girl whose husband likes to torment her with greasy pizza fingers, since I tend to freak out at the thought of anything remotely oily ending up in my facial region. So, I'm supposed to not only put oil on my face willingly, but use it to cleanse my face? Icky. But, I'm also easily influenced by social media, and if Joy the Baker recommends it, I'm willing to give it a shot. And I do tend to get dry skin in the colder months, so if it helps that problem, I guess I can put up with a face that smells like salad dressing.

Big, huge, blinking-marque-sign caveat: Proceed at your own risk if you decide to try out these DIY items yourself. I literally just started trying out these methods over the weekend, so I have not had enough time to adequately judge whether the homemade deodorant will cause me to lose friends or if the face cleaner will make me break out like a hormonal teenager. I'm simply writing about these projects as a part of my quest to use Pinterest more interactively, and will have to return with a more thorough assessment of the recipes at a later date, if y'all are interested.


I'm curious to hear-- is Pinterest mainly visual inspiration for you? Or have you gotten some inspiration for hands-on projects from the site? And, more importantly, would YOU put olive oil on your face?

Etsy Inspiration : The Serenity of a Cabin in the Woods.

the serenity of a cabin in the woods by caitididdesigns

For several weeks now, I have been trying to plan a little getaway up to my parents lake house in Wisconsin. I haven't been up there since last Christmas, for shame. I'm still not sure if my travel plans will work out due to some potential commitments at home, so in order to bring a little of the Northwoods spirit down to me I hopped on Etsy to make this treasury inspired by the calm and the critters of cabin living.

If I concentrate real hard, I can almost hear the leaves rustling and the water lap the shore.  No, wait, that's just Chicago traffic outside my window. *Grumble, grumble, grumble.* Needless to say, I really hope I can squeeze in a getaway one of these days...

Side Note: Some of you might be wondering what happened to my Creative Tithing project. For boring budgetary reasons, I put it on hold for a while to keep my savings account fatter and happier. Bah, being a grown-up is so lame sometimes. But, in place of creative tithing, I hope to share more of my favorite Etsy picks through treasuries like these or individual artist features.* Plus, as I do my holiday shopping over the next few months, I'll certainly share my gift picks as well.

*Do YOU have an Etsy/Big Cartel shop? I'd love to feature some interviews with talented crafters, and it'd be awesome if some of the features were with my blog readers! To be considered, please email me at CaitididDesigns [at] gmail [dot] com. Thanks!

Exploring Values (a.k.a. Why am I wasting so much time watching TV?)

Remember a few months ago when I bought The Joy Equation from Stratejoy? When I first got it, I worked diligently, keeping up with the daily journal prompts and listening to the weekly audio sessions. But as I am prone to do with e-courses, the program got pushed to the sidelines when I got busy with the rest of life. Somewhat tellingly, I stopped working on it in the "Cultivate Powerful Habits" section. {Nice work, Caiti, you clearly don't need any help with cultivating habits.} With about a week of the 30-day course left, I have picked it up once again with the hopes of actually finishing this time.

One of the things that is jumping out at me the most as I re-explore my Joy Equation guide is a section I completed on values. Molly's audio sessions guide you through the process of picking out the eight values that are most important to you in your life. Notice that I didn't say the eight values that are actually appearing in my life, because I likely wouldn't need to work through the Joy Equation if my core values were actually appearing on a somewhat regular basis.

As simple of an exercise it seems, it was incredibly eye-opening. I think we all instinctively *know* our values, but we don't place nearly enough thought into how to honor these values in our lives, and thus sometimes (or often) find ourselves feeling dissatisfied, uneasy and simply not quite ourselves. At least this is what is true for me, and became incredibly clear as I identified my eight values, as defined by me:

Connection: Being surrounded by people I love. Having bonds that are deeper than surface level. Being a part of a community. A strong family.
Authenticity: Being aligned with my core, speaking my truth even if it is hard to do. Being comfortable in my body and with myself. Having deeper, true relationships with people. Having integrity and honoring my commitments.
Creativity: Trying new things. Looking at situations with a unique perspective. Being a maker, using my hands. Expressing my vision. Self-expression, inspiration, beauty.
Thoughtfulness: Being intentional with my words and actions. Being able to see how we are all connected. Meditating on life and improving myself. Pondering, dreaming. Being mindful.
Compassion: Expressing care, empathy and love for others, even those I find difficult to love. Being sensitive to the lives and situations of others. Helping when I can.
Health: Feeling vibrant and alive. Emphasizing good, clean food, movement, stress-management and positive, strong relationships. Contributing to a healthy planet as well.
Calmness: A peaceful existence. Focusing on quiet, simple times. Being centered, balanced. Trust in things working out. Minimal, non-crowded environments. A sense of ease, comfort.
Learning: A focus on expanding my knowledge. Trying new things. Offering my knowledge to others. Openness to new ideas and viewpoints. Exploring new places, ideas and things.

Once I got that all down on paper, I looked around at my surroundings and circumstances. It's no wonder I feel something is "off." Months have gone by without seeing my family. My health has given me issues for the first time in at least 4 years, and it could have potential consequences to my future if I'm not proactive now. I work in a job and a field that, although familiar, still doesn't fit me and is simultaneously stressful and boring. I sometimes spend on the upwards of two and a half hours in the car commuting to and from work in a single day, in bumper-to-bumper Chicago traffic. Creative projects have piled up, untouched. The house is cluttered. There is just too much time spent lurking on Facebook and Twitter. The TV is on far too much, mainly used for zoning out at the end of a long day. Exhaustion and lethargy, although real, have been my excuse for not exercising more and for relying on a box of Annie's mac and cheese instead of making a real, healthy dinner. My blogging has been lacking the spark of inspiration it used to have.

This isn't meant to be a pity party or a "woe is me" list of complaints. Returning to this list has lit a fire in me to make some changes. Big ones. Because I'm realizing that just because I hold these particular values doesn't mean they will automatically find a place in my life. It takes work, it takes a commitment to what you want and deserve, and a conscious decision everyday to work towards the things that are important to you. I'm not okay with the status quo, not okay with quiet desperation.  I want to define my own vision of success and fulfillment.

I'm in the midst of some changes and putting new practices into place with a renewed commitment, and I hope to share more about these with you all soon. After all, my Word of the Year for 2011 was "Cultivate," and with 3 1/2 months left of the year, I've gotta get crackin'!

Renegade Chicago

  rcpostel  Can you believe that I live in Chicago, yet had never been to Renegade before this year? The timing just never worked out in the past, but I'm glad that I finally dragged myself {and my somewhat unwilling husband} downtown for a few hours of meandering through crafty stalls and soaking in the inspiration of all the creative sellers. I ended up not snapping nearly enough pictures, so these are some Flickr photos that capture the spirit of the craft fair.




{Photos from: Rich Go // Wayside Violet // Kaitlyn Sullivan -- click each photo
to go to Flickr for more information}

I really love art and craft fairs because it is so cool to see the artists right there selling their creations. Even when you buy directly from an artist on Etsy, there is still the technological barrier between maker and buyer. I loved being able to put real live faces to some of my favorite online shops and blogs. It was fun being able to introduce myself to Jessica Swift and tell her I am one of her Kickstarter supporters. She was as sweet as can be, and I loved seeing her work in person. Elsie and Rachel were adorable, and I had a moment where I felt like I spotted a celebrity when I recognized Valerie from Project Runway in her booth for her fashion line Yellowcake.
 
I got to see some of my old favorites, and discovered even more new shops. Here's my list of Renegade notables.

Old Favorites
- Dolan Geiman: I've loved his Southern-inspired collage work since I first saw it at Art on the Square in Madison, Wisconsin a few years ago. The picture above with the whale and USA map is from his booth.
- 1Canoe2: Bright, colorful letterpress cards featuring some fantastic hand-drawn calligraphy and illustrations.
- Isette: Bold, graphic, laser cut jewelry in wood and acetate. I love her work because she seems to share my penchant for ampersands.


New Favorites
- Sophia Masri: Her work was among my favorite at Renegade. She makes gorgeous porcelain jewelry that looks perfectly vintage without appearing dated.
- Fernworks: Stunning nature-inspired jewelry and mixed media paintings made from resin and ephemera that create layered, dreamy scenes. Looking at their website, the work was a million times more intriguing in person.
- Another Feather: A jewelry shop that mixes natural elements like feathers and flowers with geometric lines.

I'm super happy to have attended Renegade for the first time, and I've already put the Renegade's Holiday Chicago on my calendar (December 3-4, in case anyone is wondering)!

Summer Reading Pledge Giveaway Winner

To conclude my Summer Reading Pledge, the winner of the $30 Amazon gift card is comment #21, as picked by Random.org ...

... which corresponds with a comment from .... Glass*Plant! Congrats!

Thanks again to everyone for reading along with me. I had a blast! Keep on reading :)

Foodie Friday : Food Photography (and some giggles!)

Today, let's talk about food photography.

All I have to say is... 

I've come a long way. 
A long, long way.

The proof:

First photo {of asparagus and poached eggs, in case you can't tell} is circa mid 2009. 

The latter {zucchini fritters} is from this summer.

Just be glad I wasn't blogging yet when I first started taking pictures of my recipes. Most of them should never see the light of day, except for laughs, like the atrocity above. I hadn't really taken the adage of "We eat with our eyes first" to heart yet. Now, my husband may laugh at me for spending time "plating" and my dinner often gets cold before I finish shooting the pictures, but at least everything looks mildly appetizing ;)

Listed // Fall Reads

Apparently, the Summer Reading Pledge* only fueled the fire for reading within me. I'm finding myself trying to arrange my day so I have bits and pieces of time to steal for a few pages, whether that be in bed when I first wake up in the morning, an audiobook on the commute in to work, or even a few pages from a book surreptitiously stowed on my lap under my work desk (shhh!). I probably won't be running another version of my reading pledge until next summer, but the cool fall weather we've been having has me dreaming of days spent curled up in my favorite blue armchair, with a pot of tea and the fuzziest blanket I can find. Here's what I plan to read this fall and winter (a few of these are leftovers from the Summer Reading Pledge, since I ended up reading a few different books that weren't on my original list). PS- Are we sensing a theme here? Seems like I can't get enough dystopian Young Adult Lit and Spirituality/Personal Development. Got to mix a little light in with my dark! :)

List 03 // Reads to Round out the Year

01. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
02. Living Your Yoga by Judith Lasater
03. Divergent by Veronica Roth
04. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller
05. Women Food and God by Geneen Roth
06. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
07. True Colors by Kristin Hannah
08. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
09. When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron

* Psst... have you entered the giveaway from my Summer Reading Pledge yet?? You have until Friday to enter!

Snapped Snippet : Four Seasons

As I was perusing through my photo archives recently, I noticed that I have the tendency to turn the camera upward towards the sky, particularly during leisurely strolls that I often take around the neighborhood. I made the happy discovery that I have photos from each season perfectly captured with this upward gaze. I'm inspired to try this once a month to see what a collection of twelve photos might look like at the end of a year....

Snapped Snippets is a blog series in which I share bits and pieces of my creative life that I capture on camera.

Etsy Favorites // Autumn is Coming.

Yesterday's gloriously cool temperatures had me scrambling to find my long-buried-away sweaters and, cliche that I am, jet off to Starbucks for my first annual pumpkin spice latte-- which I never did obtain, as I had hoped to get cozy with my laptop and some blog writing, but there was nary a free table in sight. Even so, I was just as happy to take a stroll around the neighborhood, feeling the breeze with its nippy edge, hinting at what's to come.

{But when we are up to our necks in snow, feel free to come over and kick me in the shins for wishing summer away so swiftly.}

It's no secret that I love fall. It's the time of year that first inspired my seasonal "10 Tips" series, and I feel that fall best represents my personal style -- layers, neutral colors, textural fabrics and knits, and earthy, natural elements like wood, stone and jute. To welcome my favorite season with open arms, I turned to Etsy and created a pair of autumn treasuries.

autumn winds across the prairie by caitididdesigns

a subtle shade of halloween. by caitididdesigns

PS-- These are my first two treasuries EVER. I'm so happy with them, especially the Halloween treasury! I've kind of fallen in love with the process of making them-- it's such a fantastic exercise to work on styling, composition, and color, and, like my other favorite site, really helps me see my style visualized. I have the feeling a new addiction has been born...

Summer Reading Pledge Concludes (with a Giveaway!)

Today is September 1st, which means the first ever Caitidid Designs' Summer Reading Pledge is officially OVAH. Let's all give ourselves a round of applause for making the commitment to reading throughout this summer season! *Clap, clap, clap.*

My main goal was to make a public commitment to get back into reading. Not only was I successful with that, but I had some wonderful people join in along the way. Thanks to everyone who participated! I enjoyed the comments on my summer reading posts, I loved reading the reviews that some of you posted on your own blogs, and I really appreciate everyone who shared word about the pledge by posting a button on your blog.

To wrap up my Summer Reading Pledge, I'm offering up a giveaway of a $30 Amazon gift card! Rules: Just comment below with the name of the best book you read this summer. Tweet or blog about this giveaway for one additional entry (just add a separate comment with a link to your post).

Now, please note that this giveaway is open to book lovers of all kinds, not just those who publicly participated in my Pledge. BUT! if you DID happen to be one of the original supporters of my Summer Reading Pledge (either by commenting on one of my book posts or through a post on your blog), you are eligible for an additional entry if you post a separate comment with a link to the original post you commented on or wrote.

I will do a random drawing on September 9th to select a winner!

Thank you all again for reading along with me!