Entries for this giveaway have been closed!! Thanks for entering!

One year ago today, I started this little bloggity blog of mine and this is the first thing I wrote in the {about} section.

    A new decade brings new beginnings.  This blog was started in January 2010.  Hopefully I can keep up with my hobbies and the blog for at least a year… AT LEAST… hopefully longer.  =)

I did it, friends!  I have blogged for a year and hope to do so for many many more years! 🙂  Actually, blogging is what MADE me keep up with my hobbies such as crafting, sewing, photography, cooking, and decorating my home.  Isn’t that nice? And now let me just take a minute of your time to be mushy here… never in a million years (err just one year) did I think my blog would grow to be what it is today.  I never had good handwriting so this blog was and still is an online journal for me to post my photos and things I am working on.  In my first few months of blogging, it was my real life friends (for lack of a better term) that were reading and commenting, but now, I’ve built this whole blog community,  met some of you in real life and hope to meet the rest of you in real life too!  I can’t even explain in words how supportive, encouraging, helpful, and sweet everyone is, am I right y’all?  And although blogging may seem like a lazy activity, it’s creating blog content that keeps me motivated to try new recipes, play with my camera, and have fun with different outfit combinations!  And if you are new to blogging, here are my two cents of advice…

1) Quality posts > quantity of posts but make sure to post at least a few times week so readers will keep coming back.
2) Prepare/schedule blog posts on weekends so you can spend more time reading blogs during the weekdays.
3) Visit/comment on other blogs consistently.
4) Blog because you love it and have fun! 🙂

And since I love you guys so much, I’ve put together a SUPER RAD GIVEAWAY WITH FIVE DIFFERENT WINNERS (APPROX. $112 VALUE BECAUSE IT’S 1/12)!!

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Giveaway #1 – The Dish

My first blog post ever was based on a peanut butter cookie recipe by Bakerella, so I think it’s only fitting that I give away her latest Cake Pops Book! 🙂

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Giveaway #2 – Flavors To Follow/Nest Designs

I totally think chalkboard decorations are so neat!  I did one of my Flavors To Follow posts on chalkboard finds!  So I am giving away a set of four 9″x12″ Peel and Stick Chalkboard Sheets!

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Giveaway #3 – Picture This

I love taking pictures with my DSLR and learning the ins and outs of my camera!  And I definitely think that the photo effects that come out of toy cameras are so intriguing, unexpected and beautiful!!  So I’m giving away a Lomography Diana F+ Medium Format Camera or Holga 120N Casablanco Holgawood Camera (winner’s choice)!!

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Giveaway #4 – In Style

I love fashion and I LOVE shopping! Enough said. Win a $25 gift certificate to your (the winner’s) choice of one of these fashionable shops that I have blogged about before:

Anthropologie/Spotted Moth/Modcloth/ShopRuche

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Giveaway #5 – Sponsor Love

See all those buttons over there on the right that make my blog so pretty? I 100% whole heartedly support each and every one of them! To show my appreciation for them, I’m giving away a $25 Gift Certificate (including shipping) towards any of my sponsors’ shops!  The winner is free to mix & match!

*I love all of these products and the companies (for giveaways 1-4) in no way sponsored or are representative of this post. I’m doing the giveaway out of the goodness of my heart to show you all how much I appreciate you, my lovely readers!

FIVE. LUCKY. WINNERS.

But because I want you ALL TO BE WINNERS, my sponsors and I are also offering you some AMAZING DISCOUNTS FOR FIVE DAYS ONLY (January 12-16, 2011).  Feel free to right click -> Open New Tab on the buttons to take you to the shops!

10% off with Coupon code: SALM1YEAR

10% off basic session fee (kansas city area pet photography), mention this post

12% off with Coupon code: SALM1YEAR1

15% off with Coupon code: SALM1YEAR

20% off with Coupon code: SALM1YEAR

Sending a big THANK YOU and virtual *hug* to all my sponsors!  HAPPY SHOPPING friends! 🙂 Remember, these are only good through January 16, 2011!!

And finally…

How to enter the giveaway(s):

You must be a Google Friend Connect follower (on right) to enter!

1.  (Mandatory) Leave a comment telling me what is your favorite thing about blogging! Or if you don’t have a blog, what is your favorite part of reading blogs? (one entry)

For additional entries:
2. Follow @sandyalamode on twitter (one entry)
3. Tweet/blog/facebook about this giveaway and leave the link (one entry for each)

Here’s a few different tweets you can use, I’d love it if you could help spread the word:
Did you see? @sandyalamode is celebrating her one year blogiversary with a GIVEAWAY! Enter to win one of the 5 prizes! http://bit.ly/hyZkcS
Be one of 5 winners! @sandyalamode is having a GIVEAWAY worth $112 of loot for her one year blogiversary!  http://bit.ly/hyZkcS
Giveaways, discounts and a one year blogiversary over on @sandyalamode! http://bit.ly/hyZkcS

Giveaway entries will be closed on Sunday, January 16, 2011 at 11:59PM CST.  Good luck and thanks for being a follower and a reader! 🙂

Entries for this giveaway have been closed!! Thanks for entering!