Giveaway Winners + Etcetera #7

| Allison

Hello, dears!

It’s about time for another Etcetera post, don’t you think? Today I’m going to reveal the winners of my 5,000 followers giveaway (ARE YOU EXCITED?), and then we’ll proceed as normal with miscellaneous photography of cute pets, pretty macro shots, and more. Sound good? Alrighty then – onward we go!

GIVEAWAY WINNERs

Firstly, thank you all SO much for entering my giveaways! I was happy to see that quite a few people participated, and all the feedback for my future blog shop was super helpful! I’ll do a post with more details whenever I launch it. 🙂

But now, are you ready for the winners? We’ll start with the international giveaway winner:

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CONGRATULATIONS, Sarah! I’ll email you shortly about the details. 🙂 Woohoo!

And for the main giveaway winner…

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winner 1

CONGRATULATIONS, Grace! I’ll email you shortly as well. 🙂 Thank you all again for entering! It was a lot of fun to host. 🙂 And now, for the rest of the post.

Pets

To cheer up those of you that didn’t win, how about a brief intermission of extreme adorableness? Featuring this ADORABLE FLUFFBALL, a.k.a. our friends’ new puppy, Solomon. AHHHH HELP.

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HE IS SO FLUFFY AND SQUISHABLE. And surprisingly calm for how many squealing kids were gathered around him, hee hee.

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Aren’t those blue eyes so sweet? ❤ ❤ I love this picture.

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Now for a slightly less cute pup. XD Maggie IS adorable, but, I mean, what adult dog can really compete with a puffy puppy? Anyway, she was accompanying me on a walk, prancing around with this antler she probably picked up from one of the sheds. :’D She’s always very proud of whatever she finds, whether it’s a water bottle or a stick.

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Let’s switch gears for a moment and talk about cats. I know this looks a lot more like a bed than a cat, but IT’S IN THERE, I ASSURE YOU. Hidden pictures, right? Can you find the cat?

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Ta-daaaa! Tom found the most hilarious napping place – in between my parents’ pillows on their bed. He squeezed himself practically all the way in until just his ears were sticking out and OH MY, it cracked us up.

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I know this is kinda blurry but GUYS. GUYS, ISN’T THIS THE BEST? I couldn’t believe I actually got a picture of him yawning! In a bed! :’D

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Jinx, on the other hand, is far too dignified to sleep somewhere like that. He prefers this rickety side table by the Great Room window where there’s plenty of warm sunlight to bask in. See his unimpressed expression? He doesn’t take kindly to his naps being interrupted by that noisy clicking thing OR the human holding it.

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Plants

Megan and I started some seeds indoors and ended up moving them to our bedroom because the cats were, ahem, destroying our hard work. That’s why there are several bitten off stems in this pot. >:|

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I walked by this brave sweet pea sprout standing in squares of sunlit and had to take a picture. I love how the green plant pops against the dramatic contrast of dark and light.

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I think this photo conveys a sort of watercolor effect with the pale, translucent colors, and the way the blue is concentrated along the edges of the windowpanes.

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Megan is growing those sweet peas, and I’m growing chives and lavender (mainly for the blooms, although I’m sure we’ll cut the greens for use as herbs too.) The chives are thriving! It’s so fun to see the little doubled-up spears popping up all over the soil.

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My lavender is coming up much more slowly. Probably because the cats dug a couple inches of soil out onto the floor and some of the seeds didn’t survive when I scooped it back in. *sigh*

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Lastly, here’s a random picture of a houseplant hanging above the clawfoot tub in one of the bathrooms. I find it intriguing to capture the way light and dark show the structure and translucency of plants. Do you like plant photos too?

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Landscapes

I took several of these pictures on the same foggy day I already posted about twice, but phew, I took so many photos I still have some left! Here are the remaining ones. 🙂

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I rather like how I edited these – the filters really add to the mood, I think. I couldn’t decide whether the landscape or portrait version of the fence in fog was better, so I’m posting both. 😉 Which is your favorite?

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I’m not sure why the loggers left this lone pine when they cleared the woods here, but it looks neat with the balance of the dark fence across from it.

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The landmark of our farm! XD I love our two pineapple entry pillars, especially this one with the yellow and green pineapple on top. (And no, we didn’t paint it – it’s just lichen!)

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Macro Photography

I know I’ve been posting a lot of this lately, but it’s just so much fun! Even if a subject isn’t very photogenic from a distance, like henbit, you can nearly always find beauty or interest when you zoom up. It’s wonderful how detailed even these tiny purple blooms are.

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Yikes, this thorn looks even more menacing up close. :[] I think the brightly-colored stem is so pretty, though. It’s interesting that the sharp tips are almost gold instead of red.

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I know, yet another water drop photo, heh heh. They’re one of my favorite things to photograph (and see photos of), so I hope you’ll bear with me. 😛 Isn’t it neat how this drop looks like a miniature crystal marble rolling down a grass blade marble track?

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This looks kinda like armadillo scales or something, but it’s not. (SHOCKING. 😛 ) Can you tell what it is? (Hey, that reminds me of the Mystery Pictures posts I used to do ages ago! Maybe I should do those again sometime…) It is, indeed a pinecone. A broken one, anyway.

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The endless beauty and variety and intricacy of human eyes never ceases to amaze me. I’ll gladly take a picture of anyone’s eye, but since I’m the only one who’s always around (heh heh), I tend to photograph my own eyes a lot, which is really difficult, let me tell you. 😛 I was super happy to finally get a good picture of my eye that’s actually clear and bright enough to see! Look at all those tiny, colored fibers… Man, this photo would be hard to draw. O.o

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Etcetera

Speaking of drawing… here’s a photo of my rather unusual art setup one night when the power went out and Dad couldn’t get the generator to work for a while. I lit five tealight candles and turned on one electric one, but it was still so dim I could hardly see what I was doing. After a few minutes, I decided I’d better wait til the electricity returned so I wouldn’t ruin the illustration. XD I’m really pleased with how the drawing turned out and can’t wait to show you guys in a future art post!

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I took this photo at our friends’ house the same day we saw their fluffy dog. My brother, Jeff, brought his stick sword along for the “battle” after book club. XD

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We shall end this post on a sweet note, with CHOCOLATE. My dear friend, Aria, sent me these delectable chocolates for Valentine’s Day. With great difficulty, I have managed to spread out their deliciousness so I still have one left. Mmmm.

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Ahh, I love this photo! I am by no means a food photographer, but this picture does look pretty professional if I do say so myself. 😛

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If I remember correctly, I used softbox lighting (or was it natural…?), and a blank white canvas for the background. And for this particular photo, I used my teeth. Yum. XD

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And that, my friends, is all for now! Congratulations again to the giveaway winners, and I hope you all enjoyed browsing through these photos!

Which category or photo was your favorite? What is the funniest place your pet has napped in? Do tiny plant sprouts make you happy too? And what is your favorite kind of chocolate?

Thanks so much for reading, dears, and have a lovely day!

***Allison***

60 thoughts on “Giveaway Winners + Etcetera #7”

  3. Congrats to the winners! Also, you have the same color eyes that I have! 😛 I really liked all of your pictures! You should definitely start doing the mystery picture posts again!! 😀 Also, THAT CHOCOLATE LOOKS DELICIOUS. *tries to steal a peice* That picture of the cat in the bed. XD XD THAT PUPPY IS SO CUTE!! *boops it on the nose* It has so much fluff and floof!! Great post!! 😀

    -Laura ❤ 😉

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    1. I second the motion! 😉 Wow, really? That’s so neat! Thanks, dear! Ooh, I should. *starts contemplating mysterious subjects* XD YES THE CHOCOLATE WAS DELICIOUS. And no stealing. *frowns* XD XD HA HA I KNOOOW, right?? Thanks for the lovely comment, dear, and I’m glad you enjoyed the post!

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  4. YAYY!! Congrats Grace and Sarah! Love your random posts, they are so fun. Oh MY! Solomon is adorable. 😍 I love the name, too! That’s so cute!
    I cannot wait to see the illustration! I’ve been learning some artsy things on Skillshare (mainly watercolor florals and such) and have been super inspired by other artists like you. I’m looking forward to that post!
    Wow, those chocolates are beautiful—great job on the photo!!! ❤️
    I’m gonna email you later, I’ve been a not-so-great pen pal with emailing lately. 😞 Sorry about that! Did you get my letter? TTYL!

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    1. Hurrah, I’m so glad you like these posts! I KNOOOW, I totally agree 😛
      Aww, thanks! Really? That’s excellent! Skillshare is amazing for that sort of thing. I’m looking forward to making the art post too. 🙂
      Hee hee, thank you!
      Oh, no worries! That happens with me too. I didn’t get your letter yet, but hopefully soon! 😀 Thanks for the great comment, Annie!

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      1. I definitely do enjoy them. 🙂 Well, actually I enjoy ALL your posts, haha!
        Thanks for recommending Skillshare! I’ve used it a lot lately and am learning so much with business stuff for my photo business and also art. 🙂 Love it!
        You should get it this week then, yay! Alrighty, I’m off to finish school and then email you 😉 ALSO..I ordered those adorable bunny envelopes for my sis for her birthday. We are allergic to bunnies *it’s so sad* but my sister said she wanted a lop-eared bunny for her birthday (she said stuffed was fine) so we are all going together to make her a bunny themed gift (so cute!) ❤ They are adorable envelopes!

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        1. Aww, you’re so sweet! ❤
          Sure thing! I'm so happy you're enjoying Skillshare. Yes, I learned a lot of business stuff on there too!
          Hurrah! Hee hee, sounds good! Oh YAYYY, I was wondering if that was you! 😉 Thanks so much for the order. That's such a nice idea! I hope she enjoys her bunny-themed gits. 🙂

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          1. Aw, thank you! 🙂 You are too!
            Haha, yes! My mom probably ordered it under her name. 🙂 You’re very welcome, I’m so excited for C! She will love it. ❤

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  5. Ooh, lovely! Congrats to the winners, AND OH MY WORD THOSE EYES THOSE EYES *squeals and dies*
    I should start my seedlings now, huh.. *rushes to balcony to get dirt*

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  7. Aww, thank YOU so much Allison! You have made my day ❤️❤️❤️
    Ohhh my goodness, THOSE PUPPIES ARE JUST ADORABLE!!! And your gorgeous photos never cease to amaze me!

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  10. Awe the puppy is SO CUTE! ❤ And Maggie…and the cat. XD And I'm not much of a plant person, but the little loopy chives are so cute too!
    I love your pineapple pillar! The lichen made it look so realistic!
    Water drops are so cool! The little crystal marble is adorable. 😀
    Ha! I knew that was a pinecone! XD
    Oooh, I like the pic of the candles. But, yeah that would made it really hard to see enough to draw anything. 😛
    OOOOHHHH CHOCOLATE!!!! 😛 It looks so good, I want some! XD
    I love dark chocolate, and chocolate with beanut butter. Reese's are the best! 😀

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    1. EEEP I KNOOOW! Ha ha, aren’t they? I love how you described them: “loopy chives.” 😀
      I love how the lichen looks too! (That sounds weird. O.o 😛 )
      Hee hee, YES.
      OH GOOD FOR YOU. *applauds* 😛
      Why thanks! And yeah, it was. XD
      IT IS DELICIOUS. Here, have a virtual taste. *hands you remaining chocolate*
      Mmmmm yes, same. Good choice. 😉

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  14. OH MY GOODNESS, TOOOMMM. That is HILARIOUS! AND SQUISHY DOG. And…ahh, I just love all your pictures. That one of your eye turned out really well! Sad mine didn’t. And OOH, the chocolate pictures turned out great!

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  16. OH MY GOODNESS, THAT ADORABLE LITTLE FLUFF BALL!!!! ❤ Too cute!!!
    And Tom! Hehe, that's hilarious! My kitty finds lots of interesting spots to nap too! XD And haha, my sister recently got a picture of our cat yawning and it was hilarious!!
    Of course, we can't forget Maggie! Maggie is cute, as always! 😉
    I love flowers and little plants! *sighs* So pretty!
    AND CHOCOLATE YUM.

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    1. Oh, and about the cats’ interesting napping places (if I were a cat I would want to nap in a bed too 😉 ) our cat is strictly an outdoor cat (he helps by catching gophers in the fields) and his favorite napping places our in our dogs’ house, on top of any available ridge-poles (except for our house’s thankfully) or on top of our garbage can. XDD

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  19. what??!! This is the first blog giveaway I’ve ever entered and I can’t believe I won! I’m so excited to receive the calendar and envelopes, and I’ll definitely be using the Etsy coupon to buy the mushroom print since the mushroom post is one of my favorites that you’ve ever done! Thanks so much Allison, your blog is such an inspiration to me. 🙂

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  21. Congratulations to the winner! 😀 *sigh* No adorable bunny calendar for me… 😦 XD
    AWWWWWW CAN I PLEASE COME HUG THAT PUPPY? *melts* He’s too floofy to be real. 😛
    It’s always hard to pick favorites on these posts, but I think this time it would have to be either the close-up of your eye or the hilarious picture of Jinx yawning in bed. 😂 Ninja likes to sleep on top of the van, and sometimes I’ll just see one paw or a fuzzy tail hanging down when I walk by. XD

    -Clara ❤

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