I wasn't in a writing mood this morning.

I was in more of a giveaway kinda mood.

So it's been a while. But I'll be honest: If you read, you know I've been super busy with some other things going on in my life.

I'm having a major giveaway to make up for it.

TWO winners.

Jamin and I have been really blessed. We all have been blessed in more ways than we can count. Chalk up this rambling entry to some hormones, if you want. But I just know that we have a lot to be thankful for. All of us do. No matter what hardships we currently face.

This may sound silly, but this blog has been a major blessing for me. In the past 3 years, in my journey and stuggles as a mom, I've learned a lot about myself, and I'll just leave it at that.

I'm tired of reading about giveaways with provisions placed on them. I'm really confused on how many entries I get if I email, facebook, or repost about them. I'm not bashing. I just don't want provisions on this one.

Sometimes its good to give things away, simply beacuse it makes you feel good. This giveaway will benefit the winners (If you LIKE the items and I'm assuming you will if you enter...) But I'll be honest. This giveaway benefits me more than anyone, because sometimes it feels good to make someone happy.

For the girls we have...

plaque handpainted by yours truly. Measures 16" x 12"

Got a boy? I'm not biased.

Original oil painting by me.

19" x 16"

No provisions. Just rules: Play Nice.

Each reader may have two entries. One for a boy. One for a girl.

Please do not leave multiple comments for one gender.

If you don't have kids, then simply win it and save it, or pay it forward.

If you don't have a boy and just a girl, enter for the boy anyway, if you want.

Give it to a friend. Just tell them where you got it. ;)

Leave me two seperate comments. Start each comment with the word Boy or Girl. It doesn't matter when you enter. I will be doing this the old fashioned way...wadded up peices of paper in a hat!

Contest ends Thursday June 4th at 7:00 P.M. Central time. I will announce the winners by 8. Contact me via email with your shipping info. Good luck and happy commenting!

read more:

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supaflowapowagalore

out cold

1. a little incentive:the link to the left.

So guessing on the mysterious wee mills babe officially came to a stop for all (3) of you. I don't think my own mom has entered a guess yet. ;) If I don't know you, guess anyway. If you never leave a comment, guess anyway. If you hate me: guess anyway. This is what we call humoring the fat girl. Something I can print out for little Mills' baby book to make him/her feel special one day. Just hit the link to the left, and make a guess. You can change your answers up until the first of July. This is the LAST time in forever I get to do this. {Even if Jillina thinks I AM having a fourth since Jamin hasn't been snip-snipped.}

Time to play.

AND...I'm upping the ante. I mentioned a prize...You can win this: with your own custom colors, letter, and pattern. I will be sending it around a month after the babe has made its brave new arrival and I can stand again without falling asleep, but its still a prize! No matter how slow it comes in the mail. I'll announce the winner, according to the best guess, and then you can wait patiently

...Guess. NOW. DO IT.

2. questions regarding Etsy:

I've had a few inquiries regarding print availability from Pure Innovation. Despite the fact my Etsy is now officially shut down for a while, in a few weeks I should have my printer officially repaired. I'm just not in a rush, since it's supposed to cost a small FORTUNE to accomplish this. I'll keep you updated, and if you are interested, prints will still be available, 5 x 7 = 15, 8 x 10 = 20. Along with occasional artwork (via my discression and current energy levels ;)) (Shhhh don't tell Jamin.) You can still see my work on this page. Click on the pic for slideshow mode. I'll probably be adding more in the future. Please send all other pricing inquiries to my email address on the left. Thanks for your continued interest!

3. more moody, maybe not even hormone induced thoughts from me.

Dear Walmart,

In the past week alone, my husband and I have been stopped twice by the receipt police upon attempting to exit, because all the items in our cart were not encased in necessary Walmart baggies.

I have decided after careful consideration and my experiences with said receipt police, that I now harbor a distinct distain for your employees who carry this title, and the message they carry for your store.

Times are tough. Yeah. Whatever. But do we seriously have to experience a cavity check every time we exit the sanctums of your doors?

We were headed for the door with our items, when we met the seargant of all receipt police. The royal guard to all things held pure and holy in the phamaceutical section of the hair removal and foot creams department. There she waited, ready to pounce. To stop the injustice that is un-bagged articles, as we, the innocent shoppers, attempted to proceed to the parking lot.

At the pinnacle of her power trip, she slowed the husband and myself down with an insistently rude mumble. I wanted to stop her (as she greedily hovered over our receipt hoping to catch us doing something illegal) and ask if she would mind speaking audibly with coherent sentences. After all, weren't we doing HER a FAVOR? I mean, are we really REQUIRED to stop?

Of course, I waited patiently.

We had our groceries and a crib mattress perched on top of our cart. It was too large to place in a bag. So this insistent, and apparently mute woman took so long to locate the necessary item that my husband offered his assistance with a (VERY polite) "I think its probably the first thing on there."

She simply remained focused. Unresponsive. Searching.

Uh, Hello?

The seconds ticked by. And then the minutes...

It only complicated matters that I was pulling a classic Ashley with the insistent need to the relieve my squashed bladder yet again. The sweet tea I'd had for lunch was taking a toll on my lack of tag team kegels. I wonder what the power tripping security of utmost highest receipt police would do if we simply ran past her. Peeing as I went. I seriously considered bowling her over with our cart. Or, there was always option B: letting a plasma screen fall from underneath my dress as I decided to abandon my last ditch efforts to pull one over on "security" lady, while we both hightailed it to the car. I think the plasma choice would be a nice touch. I'll be filing that one away under "next time."

She then pulled away after what seemed to be TEN MINUTES of a thorough "investigation" and replied with an oh so snide "It was second," slicing through the long white sheet of paper with one authoritative stroke of her highlighter.

It took her so long to speak, we were clueless as to what she was referring to. Nor could we believe the amount of 'tude oozing from the elderly receipt checker.

I had no idea a yellow highlighter could make someone feel so important. Props to you, Walmart, for helping people find their true role in life. You make me want to sign up for said position, so I might also join the forces of your crime stomping teams.

I also want to thank you, and your ever so important receipt police. I may have been desperately lost with no direction whatsoever for the REST of my PITIFUL and meaningless LIFE here on earth had you not shown me the light. The true location of my supposedly stolen product on said receipt. Thank you for restoring truth and order in an otherwise meaningless world of lost receipt articles.

{read: BITE. ME.} (yeah, I still say that.)

Sincerely,

Ashley Mills
Officially irked and pregnant shopper
{read: loaded on hormones and ready to blow.}

More {new} posts here:

feeling Blue

sewing obsessions

sleeping habits