Ear Warmer Giveaway!

First of all, I'm a guest blogger at the ever-awesome Sloanbook today talking about gallery walls. Check it out!

When I first ventured into blogland, I didn't understand how or why giveaways were so abundant. I was skeptical about entering any, quite sure that I would never win (actually, I still haven't--what a bummer). But one miraculous day (or over several days) my eyes were opened as I heard about friends and fellow blog-readers actually winning things via blog giveaways! How cool is that (I thought to myself)? I realize there are often ulterior motives to these giveaways--to endorse a product, to gain readership, etc. However, it seems such a fun way to reach these sneaky goals that I had to join.

With that said, I am happy to announce my first Made on Main giveaway! Pictured below, you will find two lovely winter-friendly ear warmers that I will happily give out in the next three days to a US resident. The purple ear warmer is a basketweave knit, and very comfortable and flexible (meaning it fits lots of heads). I love the deep fall hues of the yarn. The off-white/natural ear warmer has a pattern of two cables running the whole length, and clasps with a simple wooden button. It's a bit more rigid than the purple gal, but it is lined with fleece inside so it will keep ears warm on the coldest of days. Très naturel chic, oui?

So here's the skinny. I'm going to be honest and admit I'm doing this giveaway to gain readers. I get a good share of hits on this blog but I'm just not feeling a lot of commitment here, and we all know how women need long-term commitment. So if you'd like to be considered for this giveaway:

(1) Become a public follower of Made on Main
(2) Comment on this post, with an e-mail to contact you, to tell me which ear warmer you'd rather win (and why if you wish).
(2.5) For an extra entry, read my guest post on Sloanbook and any other fun DIY guest posts she's had recently and tell me which one you'd most like to do.
(3) Cross your fingers and hope for the best!

I'll select two winners via the Random.org number generator and post their names on Monday, November 14th. I hope to see lots of entries!

Thankful Thursday | Textures

Before I start in on the main topic of this post, I'd like to comment about how thankful I am for some of the women in my life. I had the best weekend hearing that both my mom and mother-in-law have read this blog lately! It's really awesome to know they care to keep up on it and see what I've been up to. I absolutely got warm tingles hearing that :).

Today I'm thankful for textures. I rely so often on my eyes and ears to tell me how to navigate this crazy world, but when I take the time to stop and literally feel the world around me, I am always joyfully surprised at what I discover! Even when I'm simply drawing or painting, which are relatively 2D art forms, I have to pay attention to the 3D work that arises, like the faint riffs that come out of a paint stroke. Being in architecture school has taught me that it's not weird to just go up and feel things, run my hands across a wall, sit on a weird surface, put my cheek against a material to feel its temperature. Ok, maybe that does seem weird, but I'm totally comfortable feeling a building up (I sure hope it doesn't feel violated).

For those of you who don't understand my need to touch buildings, I'm sure you can identify with loving different clothing textures. Sometimes I wear certain clothes just for their textures. They can be cut really well and even have great detailing, but what is a great piece of clothing without an appropriate texture?

And as always, mother nature has this one down pat. The textures in nature are nothing short of completely incredible. Don't we live in a beautiful world?

I challenge you all to go feel one different thing today. It could be as simple as the tires on your car or bike, or as complex as feeling every item in your closet. Close your eyes, too; it makes for a completely different experience!

Also, keep your eyes peeled for tomorrow's post! I'll have a link to a guest post I've written for Sloanbook as well as a super nifty giveaway!