Winner!

The winner for the Friday Contest with a Twist is ThePrincess!

She was pretty easy to pick, what with being the only entrant and all. A princess should definitely have smooth and supple lips, so I hope she enjoys the scrub and the smoothies just as much as I do.

The Verbosery will be closing for maintenance later today. Hopefully for no more than an hour or two. Mostly I just want to play with the layout and the colors and maybe sling a new banner up there.

Also, I received the samples for the next Friday Contest and I'm excited to get to testing. It's something I think a certain Girl might be interested in because it contains no detergent.

That's the only clue you're getting, so you're just going to have to stay tuned!

PS: If anyone wants to volunteer to make me a new banner, please let me know!

Friday Contest With a Twist

Up for grabs:

One Two-Ounce Jar of GudonyaToo’s Sweet Lips TRIPLE SUGAR Lip Scrubby, just like the one pictured here, only in Peach.

Two of GudonyaToo’s Lip Smoothies lip chap, just like the ones pictured here – One in Mango Mango, and one in Caramel Cream.

YUM!

This should definitely help you shake those winter blues and all the yucky, flaky, dry, chapped and burned winter lips.

Are you ready for spring?

Are your lips?

Because this is Friday Contest With a Twist, this particular contest is running from right now through midnight, Pacific Time, on Friday, March 28^th, 2008.

Why midnight? Well, I don’t plan on being awake at 7pm, either, so you may as well have some extra time.

Otherwise, (updated) regular rules apply! Enter the contest by posting a comment or by emailing me directly. You can enter one time per day, right up to the day the contest expires.

Not interested in soft lips yourself, but know someone whose lips you’d love to treat? Friday Contest Freebies make great gifts.

Honest.

Friday Contest Announcement for March 7th, 2008

Up for grabs today is two treats from Etsy seller tropicalbomb!

I ran across this shop by way of Etsy's rotating "new listings" on the front page. The listing was for a solid bar of hand lotion. I got very excited because, hello, I have never seen such a beast before. I promptly ordered up a two pack, so that I could share one with y'all. You'll be getting this one. It comes in a nifty little tin that's perfect for tucking in a purse, a pocket, or a jockey box. The lotion really is solid. You rub it on your hands like you would solid hand soap, only no suds, water or rinsing. Just rub it in. Perfect for travel!

Because I couldn't leave well enough alone, I looked to see what else they sold, and bought a two pack of lip treats. I love lip chap, so I often toss a tube into an order if it's possible. My order ended up coming with an extra tube as a freebie, so that's what you're getting. This one. It smells fantastic, very cocunutie. I would keep it for my greedy self, because I love coconut, but SweetPea is allergic to coconut. I have a feeling that putting coconut on my lips might not be the greatest idea in the world.
I'm also including the cute little travel pouch thing that came with my order.

Contest rules are available here.

I am extending this contest a bit, and entries will be open through 7pm Pacific time on Tuesday, March 11th. But that's just because the time change will probably knock me on my ass.

Again.

Good luck!

In the Interest of Full Disclosure

I know everyone's waiting for the big announcement, to see who won last Friday's Friday Contest. I know I'm late with this, but it's ok, because I have already confirmed that I do, in fact, already have the winner's address.

There were only the two entrants - GruppieGirl and SweetPea.

As much as I love SweetPea, and as much as I love how excited she gets when she wins contests, I know she has access to a plethora of Rissues. And, also, she lives with me, so it's not like I can't just order her more if she'd like them.

No, there was no "drawing". They're going to Gruppie, and I think she'll get a kick out of them.

Also, I totally meant to email you back, Gruppie, but I got distracted, and then I was reminded that it was PTA night and then all hell broke loose. I'm sure you understand how it is.

Friday Contest may be taking a hiatus, as interest hasn't really been what I was hoping. Also, I doubt that, given past experience, the items slated for next Contest's prize would have generated even that much interest.

I have some items that I will be putting up for grabs in the coming weeks. Something that I had planned on using in a Friday Contest and a product that I have used and enjoyed and I think some of you will, too. However, the particular items that I have require the phrase "in the interest of full disclosure" in the description, so I don't think it would be particularly fair to offer them up as contest fodder. That's going to be more of a "raise your hand if you want this" type deal.

I will, of course, keep y'all in the loop and there is the possibility that the next Friday Contest will go on as scheduled. There is also the possibility that I need to step back and re-evaluate before going forward with Friday Contest.

In other blog news, I'm hoping to sit down today and write a proper rant. Y'all should know I've got a few to choose from rattling around in my head. I also need to work on a letter for PTA (y'all will be hearing all about that, as it's one of the rants I'm working on), and... oh, yeah.... work.

Further, I'm totally not going to tell you about the puppies I found that are going to be ready to go to their new homes on my birthday. Because as freaking awesome as that timing sounds like it is... We're still really not ready for an actual puppy.

Puppy-proof? Not so much.

If I keep chanting "I have patience. I can wait. It's best to wait." then maybe I'll actually get the patience.

HA.

Contest Announcement for Friday, February 8, 2008

Up for grabs in this Friday Contest is a fabulous fun pack from the HagRag!

The prize pack includes:

Two large size Rissues
Five regular size Rissues
One small size Roundie

You can review the contest rules here. This week's contest will run from right now through 7pm Pacific time on Monday, February 11, 2008.

The winner of the contest will be announced on Tuesday morning, by 8am Pacific time.

The winner needs to email me with a mailing address no later than 7pm Pacific time on Thursday, February 14, 2008.

Failure to do so will result in the prize being forfeited, and a new winner drawn.

For your viewing pleasure, here are the items in the prize pack:

Two large Rissues

Five regular size Rissues

The whole she-bang

And the winner is....

Last night after dinner the Monkeys helped me choose the two contest winners by random drawing. First, I wrote all the entries down on purple sticky notes like so:

Sarah
Anonymous
JBlue
Gruppie
Gruppie (for her blog post - thanks, hon!)
Lesha
Wine Dog

Then I folded all the sticky notes in half, and stuck them in my pad bag. I asked each of the Monkeys to choose number one or number two. Monkey See chose number one, and Monkey Do chose number two.

I shook the bag and had each of the kids pull one sticky note.

For Prize Package Number One, Monkey See pulled:

Anonymous

For Prize Package Number Two, Monkey Do pulled:

Lesha

For those of you who don't know, Anonymous is actually SweetPea. Which means I don't need her address.

As for Lesha, I will totally need your mailing address. My email is over in my profile, and, according to Contest Rules, you have until 7pm Pacific time on Thursday, January 31st to email me with your mailing address. If you don't, I will redraw a new winner on Thursday night and make a new announcement on Friday morning.

Thanks to everyone for participating, and stay tuned for the next Friday Contest, which will be announced on Friday, February 8th.

Contest Announcement for Friday, January 25, 2008

Due to the fabulous generosity of Wash the Day Away, today's prize pack is actually a two-fer.

That's right, kittens, there are two prizes up for grabs in today's contest!

Prize Package Number One includes:

1. One sample sized bar of Black Honey Soap
2. One sample sized jar of Peppermint Tea Tree Foot Cream

Prize Package Number Two includes:

1. One sample sized bar of Carrot Cake Soap
2. One sample sized jar of Carrot Calendula Facial Moisturizer

The contest rules are available here. Please note that, for this contest only, there is no restriction to the number of prizes you can win. If you earn more than one entry to the drawing, and you are lucky enough to be picked for each prize you really will get both prizes.

The contest starts right now and ends at 7pm Pacific time on Monday, January 28, 2008.

The winner of the contest will be announced on Tuesday morning, by 8am Pacific time.

The winner needs to email me with a mailing address no later than 7pm Pacific time on Thursday, January 31, 2008.

Failure to do so will result in the prize being forfeited, and a new winner drawn.

Reason #83 Why I Love Neighbor

"Damn Cowboys lost. Stupid football!"

You have to picture that in the most dejected voice possible.

She just cracks me up!

Neighbor is affectionately referred to as "my girlfriend", and we meet in her driveway at least once a day for a smoke. When the weather's decent, we have driveway parties over at her place.

Yesterday I was discussing with codejnki some issues he's having with the girl he's dating, and I realized something kind of funny. When I feel like it's time for a smoke, I send Neighbor a text message. If she doesn't respond, I'll call her twice and then knock on her door.

Stalker, much?

Then again, it's not like I don't know if she's available or not. So I guess that makes me only mildly stalkerish.

Ha ha.

By the way, it would be super if someone other than the WineDog would enter the damn contest. Maybe it would help y'all to know that you can win more than one contest? So it's not like if you win this one, you can't win the next one if you like the prize better.

Speaking of prizes, I am currently in posession of a total of prizes for four future Friday Contests. Of course, if nobody is interested in Friday Contests, I can use them for something else.

(Friday Contest, by the way, runs every other Friday.)

Contest Announcement for Friday, January 11, 2008

Today's contest prize is one sample size container of Coffin Color's Electric Mayhem:
The best way I can describe this color, in person, is electric Barbie-doll pink. It almost reminds me of the florescent Crayolas I had as a kid. It's a fabulous, bright color.

This sample is brand-new, still sealed in all its packaging, even though I'd love to take it out and shake it all over my face try it on.

Your prize package will also include one eye shadow brush that will be neither handmade nor from Coffin Color, because I'll be picking it up, just for you, at some giant retailer.

Whatever!

Please review contest rules here.

This fabulous First Edition Friday Contest starts right now and ends at 7pm Pacific time on Monday, January 14, 2008.

The winner of the contest will be announced on Tuesday morning, by 8am Pacific time.

The winner needs to email me with a mailing address no later than 7pm Pacific time on Thursday, January 17, 2008.

Failure to do so will result in the prize being forfeited, and a new winner drawn.

Contest Rules

All contests run from the time of initial contest post until 7pm Pacific time on the following Monday. Specific dates and times will be announced at each contest.

Winners will be chosen by random drawing.

You have three two ways to enter!

1. Post a comment in the contest announcement entry for one entry into the random drawing.

2. Email me directly: dolphyngyrl at gmail dot calm. Don't forget to put "contest entry" in the subject line!

2. Blog about the contest, including a link to the blog or the specific contest post, and then include a link to that in your comment. You earn one entry for blogging about the contest, and, if it's your first comment on the contest announcement entry, one entry for the comment for a total of two entries.

3. Refer a friend! If that person posts a comment and says they heard about the contest from you, you get one entry for that post, and the commenter gets one entry for that post.

There is a maximum of four entries per person, per contest.

There is a limit of one entry per day, per person, per contest.

The contest winner will be announced by blog post on Tuesday morning. Contest winners must email me a mailing address no later than 7pm Pacific time on the very next Thursday. If I do not hear from the contest winner by the appointed time, I will re-draw a new winner.

In order to win the contest, you must be willing to provide me with a mailing address. It can be your address, a post office box, the local 7-11 where the cashiers know you a little too well... Anywhere you can receive a package!

This contest is only open to people living in the United States or Canada. Postage for prize packages comes out of my own pocket, and, y'all, I am not a wealthy woman.

Because the prize packages include samples of products that are handmade by artisans and craftsman who, often, are trying to make a living doing what they love, I ask that, in return, you post a review of their product once you've had a chance to use it. Obviously, I don't expect every review to be a glowing one, but an honest and constructive opinion would be greatly appreciated, I'm sure.

If you have any questions about the contest at all, please email me directly.

Ta-Da!

We have the very first prize in our new Friday Feature!

YAY!

I hope to post the review and contest information in the morning. The contest will begin Friday morning and run through Monday afternoon.

Keep an eye on this spot!