Giveaway For My One Year Blog Anniversary!!!

I really wanted to do a little giveaway to celebrate my anniversary of my blog turning one, which I blogged about here, to give back in thanks for all that blogging has given me.

So I did!

What I am giving away:

A toast pin,

A little drawing book with "IDEAS" written on the front,

A pencil for drawing in the above book,
A mini drawing of a party bird that I drew just for you :),

and a mini umbrella just because!!!

The little mini drawing fits in my hand! And a toast pin!

So you like what you see?!?

You want it?

Well, here's how to enter. Be sure to leave separate comments for each one of the following please!

1. Leave a comment saying your name and an email address so I can contact you.

2. Do a post about this giveaway on your blog, and leave a comment saying you did.

3. Or leave a comment saying something that made you smile today.

Whichever you choose to do, be sure to leave your contact (email and name) information!! Please!

If you do all these you will have been entered three times.

I am willing to ship overseas. The giveaway will run from today to next Thursday July 1st, 2010. Depending on how things go I might include something else as well.

Good luck!!!!!

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

(P.S. Thanks for all the sweet comments about my anniversary!)

One Year Blog Anniversary!!!

A year ago last June 13th, I began to blog.

This blog has been an amazing place for me to come and share my newest creations, inspirations, and so much more. I feel happy with all that this blog has brought me. It has been a sunny place for me to come after a hard day. It has been a shining light in my life.

Through it I have made friends, been inspired by other bloggers, gotten closer to my own sisters, and made connections.

In essence, I feel blessed to have it, and while I know I haven't been the best blogger in the world. I am proud of all that I accomplished because I did it.

I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the blogging community for welcoming me and taking the time to write about me and my work. Also I would like to thank my sister Jessica for pushing me to start it in the beginning, when I was too timid to, and then helping me to figure it all out. Love you sissie. Also thanks to my mom, and sister Kaitlyn for proofreading my posts and helping out! You're the best ever guys!!!

So how exactly does one crafty kinda gal celebrate a one year anniversary? By making cupcakes of course, with Jessica's help. We made totoro cupcakes to be precise. Since I love My Neighbor Totoro!!!

This past year has been life changing for me. In a very good way. And I feel like this blog helped me do that.

So thank you once again for rockin' my world.

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

(P.S. You might want to come back tomorrow for something really AMAZING!
Hint hint hint, cough, cough, maybe there might be a giveaway...)

Amigurumi Elephant

Well, I know you've seen him once before here, but he is back for more :)

I love this little amigurumi I made and thought he deserved some better pictures.

So here he is!

Have a great weekend!!!

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

Granny Square Pincushion

I finished this little pincushion on last Thursday. It is made from old squares I had made back when I was first learning to crochet.
I actually was planning to make a quilt but ended up using all the yarn on other projects such as Maxamilliano.

It fits in the palm of my hand.

I can't even tell you how great it felt to finish it finally... a surge of hope, pride, and happiness all at once. I had this hazy good feeling until I looked at the list of other projects. And just began another.

Have a great Tuesday!!!

I love this song. Thanks to Kaitlyn :)

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

Vacation Time

We went camping along the Guadalupe River on Memorial Day weekend. It was fun and hot :)

I got to spend time with my family and swim in the river.

We made so many smores that I got somewhat sick but in a good way of course.

Smores are one of the best things about camping.

The water was so cold it was a shocking reprieve from the hot day.

We went fishing, talked, I knitted on my shawl, and painted watercolors.

One thing I always look forward to seeing when we come here is this tree with its roots spreading along the riverbank. It brings back so many memories.

Vacation time well spent in my book.

Elephant Reading Drawing

I drew this elephant, which turned out to be similar to this amigurumi I made, although I didn't try to. It just worked out that way :)

He makes me smile.

What made you smile today?

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

1. Matrioshkas for Elvi!, 2. Ida, 3. dell stewart, 4. Hexillow, 5. Unseasonable!, 6. german matchbox label, 7. Dolo strong man, 8. Misako, 9. Untitled, 10. yummy, 11. german matchbox label, 12. waiting pom-poms, 13. Untitled, 14. french press slippers, 15. poney candy, 16. Happy cloud painted shoes, 17. Monster, 18. knitted wedding, 19. Untitled, 20. Untitled, 21. Wall of Apak, 22. amigurumi Pooodle and Chicke friend, 23. 31-decorusoculi-wm, 24. COOK-IE -food collection, 25. #121 sold

Here's the truth.

This past few weeks I have been working like mad trying to finish projects. So many projects that if I dared to tell you exactly how many I have unfinished it is a little baffling. I had so many that I couldn't think straight because every time I turned around lo and behold there was another unfinished project laughing maniacally at me.

It doesn't help that I have quite a few hobbies and that is obvious from the assortment of projects waiting to be done. Not everyone can have three unfinished crochet amigurumis, an unpainted block of wood, an old wooden hanger (to be painted of course), a scarf, a few quilts (ahem!), a few granny squares, a couple *cough cough* drawings,a half painted canvas,...and the list goes on. This doesn't even break the ice.

Going through them has been baffling, hard, surprising, and at the same time good. Some projects I have just let go of, not really seeing the same inspiration that I did when I started, some I have taken note of and begun, some have been finished (WOO HOO!!), some I'm not sure why I didn't finish at the time. All in all, I have realized one thing . I have found that these unfinished projects were an exact replica of how my life felt unfinished, un-done, half-done...These projects weren't helping.

They were hurting.

The moment I realized that I knew what I had to do. I had to finish what I started. I had to take a deep breath and finish.

Somehow I have convinced myself that this is for the best, and therefore I have vowed not to start any new projects until these are finished. All of them.

Mind you, saying that is really hard for me especially since every time I turn around I feel like I want to start another project.

At least not until a few are done...hee hee.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic day!!

xoxo

Callie