300 Followers Blog Giveaway!

I LOVE MY FOLLOWERS! 

YOU MAKE ME HAPPY! 

I couldn't believe it when I looked yesterday and was within 1 follower of 300!  I said, Well...one more and we will have a giveaway!  I looked this morning and viola! Thanks to Coloradolady there was #300!!

Here is what I am offering up today to one lucky reader! This book, written by Sue Patten, is chocked full of some really fantastic quilting designs! I had bought this book a few years ago and then I signed up to take a class with her in Feb 2010!  She had books for sale at the class and I couldn't help but purchase another so she could hand sign it! Well, I have kept the second book all this time and have recently re-organized my quilting studio!  It is time to clear out some things and as I do not need 2 copies of this book, some lucky reader is going to add this to their collection!

Coloradolady is also going to be receiving a surprise squishie in the mail for being follower #300!  Maybe a jar of my homemade pickles?? If she sees this, she can let me know if she likes a good sweet pickle!

To sign up leave me a comment!  If you have been a follower for a while tell me what your favorite post to date has been on my blog.

If you are a new follower, please file back through my ramblings and let me know which story drew more of your interest.

I am not a great writer so my blog can be pretty boring at times but I do try! I would love to know the stories that have really appealed to my readers since the blog went live.  My hubby tells me that I write like I talk... he is always making fun of me like that! But I still love him! :)

If you have just found my blog, !! I would love to have you as one of my newest followers...although I do not make it mandatory to enter one of my giveaways. I am hosting a quilt show, Men Quilt Too, here on Pig Tales and Quilts beginning on October 1st! ....so if you click follow you are sure not to forget to come back to check out the show! The men who have been signing on are some very talented quilters/artists!

I want to take this time to tell my followers that I truly appreciate each and every one of you!  Your comments always makes me and makes me feel like what I am writing about interests you!

Alrighty then! Start commenting! I will draw the lucky winner on September 1st at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time!

Odds And Ends From The Pig Pen!

As I was putting on the border of the quilt I showed last evening, I got to thinking about how my likes and dislikes, as far as quilting goes, have evolved over time!  I used to  hate piecing with a passion! My friend Debbie and I would sit for hours cutting out quilt tops and put them into shoe boxes never for the light to see again, in my case!  I have no idea how many tops I have cut out in my lifetime, only never to sew them up!  I hand quilted and was happiest sitting under the frame working the needle in and out of the fabric and trying to keep my stitches as tiny, uniform and as straight as I could!

I was very proud of  my handquilting talent and was always receiving compliments galore because of it. My friend Jackie told me many times that my stitches were so even and tiny, that it looked almost machine done.  But my fingers knew better!

My Granny Ida taught me all about hand quilting and the importance of doing the best job possible, especially if I were going to quilt for the public!

And that is exactly what I did! I had one customer, Mrs. Johnson, bless her kind soul... she always wanted me to quilt her quilts on both sides of the seam. I would quote her a price and she would have a say about it until I reminded her that I was actually quilting her quilt twice!  Then she would smile and give in to allow me to work my magic on her quilt.

I have only quilted one whole cloth in my time and my Aunt Zula Mae purchased it the day I finished the binding.  I had not intended on selling it but she is special to me so I let her have it. One of these days I will quilt another one but it won't be by hand.

In February 2007 I started experiencing numbness in my right hand and was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.  In lieu of surgery, I go to my chiropractor for adjustments and so far he has kept me away from the knife. So, I no longer hand quilt.

I now quilt on a Gammill Classic Plus longarm system and have grown to love the work that I put out from it.  At first it was intimidating to say the least but now I just relax and have fun.  I really love teaching others what I know and would be happy if I had a full time job of doing so!

Some days I have a hard time deciding which I had rather be doing... quilting or piecing!  Some days upstairs just calls out to me so strong that I find myself upstairs before I know what hit me!  But I have to spend more days downstairs in the quilting studio than upstairs piecing  because customer work comes first.

I am in the beginning stages of designing a quilt for one of the major quilt shows and I have decided to devote a good bit of time to doing just that!  I will still take in quilts for others but on a very limited scale.... and most of those will only be show quilts.  I do have 4 or 5 customers who are expert piecers and I will quilt for them no question about it!  And that will still leave lots of time open for me and my own show quilts!

This is another area in which I have changed... I don't want to be "everyone's quilter" the rest of my life. I want to quilt for myself and enter shows and get my work out there!  I really want to make my mark in the quilting world somehow before I can no longer quilt!

I have 3 quilt shows brewing in my mind and am in search of a partner at this moment to come on board with me. The 3 venues in my mind would be pretty new to the circuit so I am certain they would be successful!  And hubby and I are still researching bed and breakfasts and retreat centers. This is my dream and I will make it happen or at least die trying!  If I don't at least try, I will never know if I could have!

So, on this beautiful Monday morning why don't you share how your  likes and dislikes have changed in your quilting throughout your life. And share your dreams with us too! We all have dreams!

I Could Use Your Help! - UPDATED!

Update: Thanks to all of your wonderful support, Allie's Tea Party took first place in the embroidered quilts contest this weekend!! Thank you all so much for your votes! I have won a 25.00 GC from Patchwork Gracie!

These were the top 10! 

• Allie's Tea Party (31%, 135 Votes)
• Ognjen (19%, 84 Votes)
• Bird of Paradise (15%, 68 Votes)
• BeDazzled! (13%, 57 Votes)
• Three periods of life (13%, 55 Votes)
• Scrapbook stitches (11%, 48 Votes)
• Mary's Trapunto (10%, 46 Votes)
• My Gipsy Village (7%, 31 Votes)
• Something Pretty For Me! (4%, 19 Votes)
• Home Sweet Home (4%, 18 Votes) 

_____________________________________________

I have entered Allie's TeaParty Crazy Quilt into a contest over at The Quilting Gallery and would love it if you all would go over and take a peek at all of the entries! If you like my piece better than any others, please give me a vote! ... I would appreciate all votes I can get but I also want you to see the beautiful quilts in the competition!

Go here for close up photos of my work!

QUILT SHOW!

Thanks to all in advance!

A Quilt Top and a Border Tutorial!

I have been busy over the past couple of weeks, sneaking in an hour here and an hour there, working on this quilt top. I was inspired to make this quilt while on a visit to Sew4Home's blog and seeing this really cute baby quilt!

If you regularly read my blog you will remember this post  where I gave the Fat Quarter Shop a shout out for awesome customer service over a mix up on an order I placed with them!  I came out smelling like a rose when it was over so I wanted to do something special for someone else with some of the fabric that they gave me.

I also have missed the past 2 weeks on tutorials so I decided to mix in a small tute just for you!  I will show you how I apply my borders to keep them from having fullness and walking with me when I try to longarm quilt the top.

First off you need to take 3 measurements across your quilt top.  Decide if you are going to apply your side borders first or your top and bottom borders first.  In this case, we are going to apply the top and bottom borders first.

1. Measure across the top edge of your top, measure through the middle from one side to the other, and measure across the lower edge. (the 3rd line drawn represents the lower edge of the quilt...I thought I got the entire quilt top in the photo but I didn't...sorry)

2. Now..add all 3 of these numbers together.... and then divide by 3.  The number you get will be the length you cut your top and bottom border strips before sewing them to the quilt top...and in my case the length I will need once I finish piecing my strips together for my borders.  Here is my top border, pieced, measured and ready to sew on to the top edge of my quilt.

3. Next... You will need to find the center of your border strip by folding it in half and then mark it with a pin.

4. You will want to find at least one more reference point between the middle and the outside edge of the top, on both sides of the middle,  so now we will bring the left edge of the border strip over to the pin in the middle. We will finger crease the fold to mark the halfway point of the outer edge and the middle pin and add another pin at this reference point.

 Now we have 2 pins in place!

5. And to find the last reference point bring the right side of the border strip over to the center pin.  And as before we will finger crease the fold to mark the halfway point of the outer edge and the middle pin and add another pin at this reference point.

Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 to the top edge of your quilt top.

6. Now we are going to pin the border strip to the quilt top! With right sides together, match your pins on your border strip to the corresponding pins on the top edge of the quilt top and pin them together!

7. It is time to sew your border strip to your top! You may have a little fullness from one pin to the other and the way I tackle that is to pick up the quilt top and border strip where a pin has joined the two together and slightly..very slightly...tug toward myself to erase any fullness there may be while I sew down to the pin.  Do not manhandle this slight tug or you may stretch your border out of shape.

Be sure your top edges are flush and even and begin sewing!

Tug ever so slightly if needed to erase any fullness!

8. Press the seam allowance toward the border strip once you have the entire border strip attached!

Repeat steps 3 thru 8 to apply the bottom border strip to your quilt top!

Now it is time to add your side borders!!  This is done in the exact same way that you applied your top and bottom borders except now you have the top and bottom borders to add in to the equation!  You will take the same 3 measurements as you took before but you will measure from the top edge of the border strip to the lower edge of the border strip!

Remember to add all 3 measurements together and divide by 3 to get the length your border strips should be!

Repeat steps 1 thru 8 to apply the left side border and the right side border! And then you have a quilt top ready to be quilted and your borders will be straight and have no fullness in them!

How do you like my variation of the quilt on Sew4Home's website?  I actually had a sloober doober but decided instead of using the seam ripper, I would use it as a design opportunity! ha! Can you spot the slip-up?

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial of how I apply my borders.  There are as many ways to do things as there are quilters so I am not saying my way is the "only" way.  It is just how I do it and it works for me.  I just hope that I can help someone else with my little tips and tricks.

I am linking up with Lee and WIP Wednesday!

Where Did You....

spend your honeymoon?  Anything exciting happen while there?

I was talking about my honeymoon this past Saturday evening... re-living the excitement of that weekend!  We got married in February and had a trip to Charleston, SC planned for our honeymoon.  We had been invited to a preview showing of Gods and Generals by hubby's first cousin so we left our reception and headed to the theatre.  The weather was fine during our wedding and during the time it took to get to the movie but when we came out of the theatre 3 hours later, sleet was 2 inches deep everywhere!

We got a hotel right there for the night so we would not have to travel in the dark.  The next morning we got up and proceeded slowly down the interstate.  There wasn't much traffic and what was out there was moving slowly too.  There was a car in front of us that was going super slow so hubby pulled into the far left lane to pass him.  When we were well in front of him hubby decided to get back over one lane.  Well, when he attempted this the rear end of the truck started coming around to the front... Hubby was cool and kept his way about him but the truck was having its own way.  Thank goodness all of the traffic behind us was going slow because they all were able to get stopped.  After shimmying from side to side for what seemed like forever, the truck started sliding backwards across all 5 lanes! We ended up in the ditch!  We sat there while the other traffic finally came on through and then we managed to get back on the interstate and resume our journey.  It was not but about 5 miles on down the road that it was like a switch had been turned off.  The highway was DRY!!  No sleet in sight! Really wierd let me tell you!  I was just glad that we got through that unscathed...us, our truck...and anyone else for that matter!

Then if that were not enough excitement, we were driving down one of the narrow side streets in downtown Charleston and there was a dumptruck sitting half on, half off the sidewalk.  They were doing some kind of repairs and throwing the garbage into the backend of the truck.

There were some college kids ahead of us and hubby was watching them so he wouldn't hit anyone when all of a sudden we heard a gunshot!!  Immediately my lap filled up with glass from the passenger window!  I almost freaked out and went to looking at my body to see if I had been shot!

Come to find out the large mirror on the dumptruck had hung our mirror, which wasn't small by any means of the imagination. Ours was a break away but when the dump truck mirror hung it and then as we got past the truck, it let go of our mirror with such a force that it banged into the passenger window and busted it out!  It took us a while to find someone to repair the window that day but we did get it replaced.

And then the funniest thing ever... We finally made it to our hotel and checked in.  The place was super nice and we went out sight seeing for a while.  Hubby took me to Fort Sumter and gave me a history lesson.  yes! on our honeymoon. :)

But the funny thing that happened that night... We were deep asleep... it is about 1 a.m. in the morning when management banged on our door.  We finally got our wits about us and went to the door.  He told us he would have to call the law if we did not quieten down!! WHAT!!!  We told him we were asleep and had been asleep and he just looked at us like "uh huh".  I was so embarrassed!  He had the wrong room but I bet the one who needed the knock on the door heard what was going on in the hall because we didn't hear any loud noises after the man left.

However, we both looked at each other and started laughing hysterically. Now THAT is a honeymoon memory my friends!

So, I just wondered... would you like to tell us about your honeymoon?

Odds and Ends From The Pig Pen! :)

I am hosting a Dare To be Ugly Challenge on the HGTV Quilting and Needlework Forum with 28 ladies participating!  I started these challenges in the summer of 2009 and held one in 2010 as well.  It is time once again for the ladies to crank up their machines and create something they think is pretty out of the ugliest fabric that I could find!  Trouble is, the larger majority of them like this years fabric! eeekkk!  I think I lost my touch this year!

Let's recap from the past 2 years...

2009! 

 My friend Penny even wrote up a summary about this fabric and there was no hiding how she felt about it when you read  what she posted on the forum. lol  If you will visit this post you will see some of the creations made from that very first challenge!

2010!

The ladies had a time with this fabric and all it's mummyness! They were wondering about me when they got this in the mail!  I never uploaded the photos of what everyone made for this challenge but this post shows what I made.

2011!

 Now tell me what there is to like about this fabric? Turkeys all dressed up like pilgrims, Indians, and football players!  screechhhhh! Halt!  What???  What do football players, pilgrims and Indians have in common? hmmm.. They worried about me over the last 2 fabrics... I am kinda worried about them this time. LOL

I can't wait to see what they all create this year! And I promise to show you after the challenge is over!  And I do have a few more half yards of this fabric if anyone in blogland wants a stab at creating something pretty with this horrid piece of mess! ha!

____________________________________

On another note... November of this year will find me at yet another retreat with my friends from the HGTV Quilting and Needlework Forum! A full relaxing weekend of just pure dee ohh sit and sew time!!  I cannot wait!  We are going to have a jelly roll race which sounds like tons of fun! 

We will be staying at the Magnolia Park Retreat in Odenville, AL right outside of Birmingham! We are to bring UFO's or anything we want to work on and this is the one I am taking!

Guess what is in this box?

I have joined a challenge for the past 3 years and did not get to finish either year and this box is full of the fabrics I was given to use! Each person had to send in a pair of 6 inch squares, one light and one dark. I still have them all paired as they came in and have started making mini Churn Dash blocks. I have incorporated some fun black and white fabrics for the middle squares as (2) 6 inch squares was not going to be quiet enough to do a whole block. I am so excited to have a full weekend to dedicate to this quilt!

_____________________________________

My hubby and I love to put together puzzles and this is the newest one in the line up.  When we finish, I will have it framed and hang it downstairs in my quilting studio!

__________________________________________

This is my latest haul from the Fat Quarter Shop! I have to tell you they have the most awesome customer service EVERRRR!!  I originally ordered the Little Golden Books prints and a jelly roll for the Jelly Roll race at the retreat.  I bought a jelly roll off of their sale page at 50% off.  When my package came they had sent a Fat Quarter Bundle instead. I called them immediately because everyone knows that Fat Quarter Bundles cost a whole heap more than a jelly roll.  They apologized and apologized and wanted to make it up to me! WHAT!!  I told them there was no need in that but they kept insisting.  

I kept the Fat Quarter Bundle and they sent me a different jelly roll because they were out of the ones on sale.  The one on sale that I ordered only had 26 strips.. the one they sent me had 40 strips!!  OK.. I had paid 11.00 for the one on sale... The one they sent was NOT on sale... and all I did was pay for the Fat Quarter Bundle, which was half off too!! You CAN NOT beat that kind of customer service ANYWHERE people! They are awesome to deal with! And always giving back to the quilting community through sponsored blog giveaways! You don't have to look hard to find a blogger doing a sponsored giveaway from the Fat Quarter Shop! When merchants give back like that, I will always do business with them first!

Just look at my yummy fabrics! Thank you Fat Quarter Shop!

________________________________

I also want to draw your attention to the quilt show that will be live right here on this blog October 1st!  Men Quilt Too! Check out the post!  If you know a male quilter, please pass the word on to him and a link to my blog! I would surely appreciate it and please come for the show! You don't want to miss this!

And if you would not mind, please post the badge off of the post on your blogs to help spread the word! I will be ever in your debt! Thanks so much!

What Do You Get When You Think Hardware Store!

 If you are a regular reader of my blog you will recall this post that discusses a group that I started with 12 other women and we call ourselves The Bakers Dozen.  The group was formed after I happened upon the Twelve x Twelve blog and was so inspired, I decided to start a group similar to it!

Every 6 weeks we have a challenge theme and we all interpret it the way we choose.  Your interpretation does not have to be in quilt form but if it is, the quilt should be 12 x 12.
Over the past few weeks we have been interpreting the theme of Hardware Store...

I went to the local Ace Hardware and walked around for what seemed like forever trying to let inspiration hit!

When I walked into the store the man behind the counter asked if he could help me find something.  I told him he probably had never had a request like mine and he said "Oh I bet I have".

I told him that I was looking for things to make a quilt with and he looked like he had swallowed something.  He said "Nope! Hadn't had that one and went to laughing!".

So, I just galavanted around the store for a while picking up one thing and eventually laying it down for something else. I finally spied the Flag Tape and thought how cool it would be to make my own fabric out of that!  wrong!!!  I didn't think about how I was going to affix it to something to hold its shape!  I was just happy I had found something I could work with!

An idea started brewing and I went and retrieved a lock, light switch and a plug in.... Can you see where I am going?????

Well... here it is in all it's glory! I had to leave off the plug in because it would have been over crowded...

This started out as a mini quilt....  I had the hair brained idea to lay out the Flag Tape into a braid-like design on to double sided Peltex. When I took it to the ironing board, I laid a piece of fabric over the piece and laid my iron down and picked it up and down until I had gone over the whole area.

Well... it bowed up a little... Enough that if I had left it in quilt form, it would not have laid flat. So I reverted to a pillow and I LOVE it!!

Before I finished the pillow I sewed up and down the strips so that the braid design would not shift... I then found a backing and cut a piece of batting and sewed the pillow form.  It was a heck of a job turning it right side out but I finally won!

I embellished with the lock and light switch with one of the long doll making needles after I stuffed the pillow.  If I had thought I could have sewn them on before I stuffed it! Oh well, I am a gluton for punishment. :)


I hope you like my interpretation! It won't win any awards but I do like how it turned out!

Linking up over at:

Lee's and WIP Wednesday!

We Did It Wednesday! 

Whatever Goes Wednesday! 


Remember, 3 links are a charm!

2nd Annual Pets on Quilts Show 2011 - August 15-19th 2011

Darlene over at SewCalGal is hosting the 2nd Annual Pets On Quilts Show  that runs from Aug 15 - Aug 19th!  If you have photos of your pets lying on your quilts, quilts that you have made with a pet theme, or Electric Quilt Designs in the pet theme then this show is for you!! Art Quilters are also welcomed!

My entry for the show is of a quilt that I made for my husband for Christmas 2003!  It is of his beloved Benitta who was bought from a breeder in the southern part of NC in December 1982!  She was originally bought for his brother but Benitta took up with Butch immediately and she fast became known as "HIS" dog.

 My husband has been a tobacco farmer for over 30 years and Benitta would walk up and down the rows while he cultivated with the tractor and when she tired she would go lie down under the shed until he was finished.... or go to the house and beg inside where it was cool.  She was a house dog..YES! even as large as she was...

She slept on the bed with my husband every single night!  He said she would lie on her back with all 4 legs stretched out at times and these nights he did not get much sleep.  But he did not mind.  Her usual style of sleeping was on her side but even with that, she took up a lot of the full size bed but hubby made the best of it.... He is just tenderhearted like that!  He would never be mean to an animal... especially his Benitta!

During the day if she wasn't outside with my hubby, she liked to lay on her back in the hall just outside his room.  The floor was always cool and she loved it!

Benitta made sure she was in the truck every time he went somewhere.  She would either lie down in the seat with her head on his lap as he drove or he would row down the window and she would sit in the passenger seat with her head hanging out the window with her tongue just swinging in the wind. lol

And if he stopped at the store for a chocolate bar, well... she had to have hers too or he didn't get to eat very much of his!  And the Frosty Maid was her favorite place to go! She was always ready for her ice cream cone! He spoiled her rotten and she loved it!

By July 1995, Benitta had arthritis really bad in her hips and back and it was all she could do to walk.  My hubby would help her walk a lot of times but it got to the point that he knew what he had to do.  Although it broke his heart in to a million pieces, he had her put down.  She now lies in his mother's front yard with beautiful azaleas surrounding her grave.  He still cries for Benitta... there will never be another one like her!

If you would love to feature your beloved pet, all you need to do is write up a story about them and head over to Darlene's and link up to the Pets On Quilt Show!

And any quilt show is not complete without prizes! Some of the fabulous sponsors are: Fat Quarter Shop! -  The Raspberry Rabbits! -  Jane's Fabrics! - The Quilted Kitty! - Fabric.com! - InchWorm Fabrics! and many more fabulous sponsors!!  Head on over to Darlene's and check out all of the sponsors!

Darlene is also collecting photos for a calendar that will benefit the Humane Society!  If you have a photo that you would like to see in the calendar contact Darlene!

So what are you doing sitting in front of the pc! Scoot on to your sewing rooms or grab those cameras and get something ready so you can join in on the fun!

You can link up through Aug 19th!

GO! :)

Show Us Where You Create!

Since my granddaughter came for a month long visit and made her first quilt I have been hankering to reorganize my sewing room and make her a spot just for her to sit and sew in.  I had also gotten hemmed in behind my machine and didn't have as much room as was needed for maximum comfort when working.  So for the past couple of days I have been working on getting the room rearranged and cleaned up.  I was quiet pleased with how it looked when I finished tonight!

I wanted to share photos with my friends so I thought, heck! Why not give them the opportunity to share as well...and possibly motivate some to get in their sewing rooms and do some reorganizing and cleaning of their own!  If you are like me, it only takes seeing someone's progress to put me in the mood to do the same!

So, make those photos of  the places where you create, create a post on your blog and come link up using the Mr. Linky below!  Please be kind and link to my blog in your post so others can find their way here and share their creative spaces as well!

After you link up take some time to visit the other quilters and their blogs.  You never know when you will find a new blog that you will fall in love with!  And all because of Mr. Linky!

Here are the photos of my creative space! It is upstairs in part of our bonus room. There is another room behind that closed door but it is used for storage so no peeking. :)

I am going to link up with Lee over at Freshly Pieced and WIP Wednesday because this definitely was a work in progress!

Welcome  To MY Creative Space!

This is Miss Allie's Sewing Corner 

(there WILL be a machine there before she comes back!)

And we cannot forget about The Gang!!

Before you go thinking that I have gotten floosie in my old age, the columns and glass shelving had been used downstairs in our in-home gift shop.  Hubby has retired from wood turning so we tried to sell the displays but no-one needed them.  So, we took down the regular banquet tables that I originally was using and brought these upstairs.... it was either that or take them to the dump because we had nowhere to store them!  Made the room look larger, I will give them that! :)

So.... Feel free to link away and let us see your creative space!!

Be a sweetie.....If you are linking to an older post on your blog, Be sure and do me the favor of linking to my blog on yours with a new post telling your readers about the linky party and to please come and link up too.  

How About A Giveaway! Double Winners!

WE HAVE 2 WINNERS!!

 

Mommarock said...

I am a happy follower :)

Mommarock! Congratulations! You are the winner of Stupid Is As Stupid Does!

AND

Sallie said...

I'm a follower of your blog. Thanks for the chance!

Sallie! Congratulations! You are the winner of Cooking With Character! 

Thank you all for playing and I hope those of you who did not win, might find a book that inspires you on Bill's website, and send him an order. :)

______________

 My cousin Janet is married to an awesome fella by the name of Bill!  If you were to be her friend on Facebook, you would see how much fun this couple has romping all over the U.S.! Well it just happens that Bill is a writer and he has graciously offered up 2 of his books for me to give away this week!  I will be pulling 2 winners and each will receive one book each!

Please let me introduce you to Bill!

Bill Griffin is a retired educator who has a passion for children and children's literature.  He holds a B.S. and M.A. degree in early-childhood education and a M.A. and ED.S. degree in Educational Leadership. Bill began his educational career as a Kindergarten teacher and ended his career as principal at Florence Middle School in Florence, AL.

Bill has a passion for the outdoors and enjoys riding his motorcycle, fishing, and boating.  He is adventurous and loves to travel! His Droid is always at his side and many of his ideas for writing are created during his travels.  Bill, and his wife, Janet, have three children.  They reside in Florence, Alabama, along with their dog, JD, and goldfish, Griffin.

Bill travels across the country speaking on various educational subjects.  He is available to speak in schools and at conferences.  He can be reached at bill@billgriffinbooks.com.  

_________________________________________

I have not had the pleasure of meeting Bill yet but maybe this Christmas we can fix that! I know he would be very interesting to sit and chat with.

Although his books are oriented for use in classrooms to help teachers and administrators be able to interject "fun learning activities" into their lesson plans, he does have 2 books that he feels a wide audience would love to read!

And for those of you who are school teachers or work in a profession that surrounds you with children, check out Bill's website for some great books to add to your library!

These 2 books are up for grabs! 

Stupid Is As Stupid Does!

The title of this book should be enough to encourage you to want to read it from cover to cover.  Chapter one opens with the subject of kissing.  When a man courts his wife before marriage, he is all into kissing.  But, shortly after the wedding, he turns into a big "chicken."  The husband gives his wife a "peck" on his way out and that is the extent of his kissing.  They have gone from passionate kissing to pecking.  What a let down!  In Stupid is as Stupid Does, Bill has compiled a list of twenty-five things, especially kissing, that a husband can do to make his wife happy.  Cause, if Momma is happy, then everybody is happy!

Cooking With Character!

Who wouldn't enjoy a healthy plate of Wordy Durds for breakfast, perhaps some Angry Mush for lunch, or some Shake, Rattle, and Roll Salad  for dinner? These recipes, and many more, are found inside the pages of Bill's Cooking With Character. Bill has created some of the wildest, most tasteful, and just "plain" fun recipes everyone will enjoy. You may have experienced many of these dishes before, but Bill has added a side of character traits with entertaining stories to accompany each one. Everyone who experiences Wordy Durds will come away with an understanding of teamwork. When preparing Angry Mush, one will learn the importance of self control. Shake, Rattle, and Roll Salad teaches the importance of punctuality.

Bill's Cooking With Character is more than a cookbook. It teaches important life lessons, with a twist of humor. The recipes are easy and will be a hit, with the old and young alike, for many years to come.

So, how is that for a fun giveaway!

To enter... leave a comment here on my blog and your name will go in the drawing once. (Be sure I have a way of contacting you! No-reply bloggers are voided)

Become a follower of my blog and your name will go in once more! (if you already follow let me know)

Post this giveaway on your blog and your name will go in a 3rd time! Leave a seperate comment with the url to your post.

That's it! The opportunity to have 3 chances to win one of these books!

2 winners will be drawn on August 14th at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time!! They will each win one book!

1st winner determined by Random.org will win Stupid Is As Stupid Does!

2nd winner wins Cooking With Character!