Giveaways and more giveaways!

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." ~Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Some cool giveaways....

My friend Heather Powers of Humblebeads just came back from a month of vacation at the beach all fired up to whip her studio into shape. I enjoy seeing glimpses into the studios of artists so this was particularly fun. But Heather is having a giveaway of some earrings. But hurry! The giveaway is only for today! Go here to read all about it.

And another bloggy friend, the great and talented glass bead artist Cindy Gimbrone is also having a fun giveaway. Check it out here.

And those fine folks at Interweave are holding an earring swap in honor of the new book 101 Wire Earrings by Denise Peck. Heather Powers likes the book so much that she has been crazy inspired to make all sorts of earring designs. I have to get a copy of this book. But participating in a swap with a couple thousand of my closest bead-y and blogg-y friends is too fun to resist. You can read the rules here. So...not a giveaway per se, but a swap to receive a randomly fabulous pair of earrings. How cool is that?

But the mother of all giveaway is happening on my friend Lorelei's blog. She is a fantastic artist and someone I admire deeply. She is teaming up with the great people at Green Girl Studios to promote Cynthia Thornberg's upcoming book Enchanted Adornments. She will be giving away a whopping 8 prize packages between now and November 2nd! WOW! Count me in! If you want to get in, too, check it out here.

And not to be outdone, I have a July giveaway of my own.

My friend Tom Girolamo just published his first book, Your Eco-Friendly Yard. Tom is a passionate and fun-loving person who really takes his mission to produce lifestyle-centric landscapes to heart. His book is fun and informative and has more than a few tips that even me with my black thumb and aversion to getting my hands dirty could do. You can read about the book at Amazon here.

And here is my review:

"Eco-friendly.

It means different things to different people.

Everything from cars to washing detergent to anything in between is being touted these days as Eco-Friendly.

What I think of as Eco-Friendly is a friend of the earth....someone who practices what he preaches....who cares for this place called Earth and shows that in every aspect of his living...who believes wholeheartedly in the truth that we are one people on one planet and we all must do what we can to make ourselves more sustainable while protecting and conserving our natural resources. That person is Tom Girolamo.

I have heard Tom Girolamo speak on numerous occasions. Tom is a perfect blend of entertaining enlightenment. There is one thing that defines who he is: Passion.

Tom is passionate about creating landscapes that suit your lifestyle and are therefore sustainable. There is nothing he likes better than to design a beautiful outdoor space that is inviting and Earth-friendly, or take your existing landscape and re-work it to make it fit your present and future lifestyle.

Tom shows his passion for sustainability throughout his book. And he is not into cookie-cutter landscape plans but really wants to tailor a space to be perfect for you.

Tom is a passionate educator. He has a great sense of humor and a warmth that always shines through in his presentations, and this book is no different. Since I have met Tom personally and heard him give educational talks on this very subject, I really enjoyed how his personality shines through in this book. It doesn't read like a textbook, but rather like having a conversation with a trusted friend who happens to know an awful lot of practical advice about landscapes and outdoor spaces.

Tom is a passionate about having fun. I love his ideas on things that are not what I would typically think of when planning a landscape...like the pleasures of outdoor shower rooms and a wood fired brick oven for entertaining. He really takes the time to get to know who his clients are to ensure that their landscape is not just pretty green space that is viewed through their windows, but rather an extension of their living spaces, integrated perfectly into their lives.

If you are looking for a fun, informative and passionate guide to help you create a personalized ecosystem for your green space, then Your Eco-friendly Yard: Sustainable Ideas to Save You Time, Money and the Earth is a great book for you or as a gift for anyone who loves the Earth."

If you would like to win a copy of the book (and a suitably earthy piece of surprise jewelry from me!), please leave a comment on this post answering the following question:

If you could have a yard makeover, what is the one thing that you would like to have to ensure that your greenscape fit your lifestyle?

I will choose a random winner of my July Giveaway for a copy of Tom Girolamo's book Your Eco-Friendly Yard on Saturday, August 1st.

Check It Out::Landscapes 4 Life

Enjoy the day!