Picture Recap, and a Giveaway!

Remember the bootie and cap set I made for my new cousin, Kathryn?

Well, I was blessed at Thanksgiving to get to see her wearing it in person, AND her mama graciously gave me this photo of little Kat modeling it. :)

As you can probably tell, Kat has a little bit of growing to do in the noggin area before it fits perfectly... I resized the pattern from a 6-12 month pattern and clearly didn't make it small enough. Oh well! The good thing about babies is that they grow fast, and in the meantime, she doesn't seem to mind.

Last Sunday we stuffed our ham! For those of you who are not lucky enough to live in St. Mary's, stuffed ham is our regional dish. :) It actually has its roots in Africa, where natives would preserve meat with greens and spices to keep in the heat. When slaves were brought to Southern Maryland, they brought the recipe with them and adapted it to their new land. Google it for more info, but in short, stuffed ham involves tons of kale and cabbage, onion, spice, and fun. We were lucky enough to have friends from church join us!

Alexa, Dad, and I were in charge of processing the kale, cabbage, and onions. We had two food processors set up with me in the middle, trimming kale and cabbage to be minced.

Dad, deboning our ham.

Once stuffed, the ham is rolled up tightly, tied with twine, and wrapped in cheesecloth.

It sometimes requires two people - or more! :)

Thanksgiving was stressful for me this year. I love the holidays, I love being with family, and for me the holidays are a time to set aside the pettiness that we get caught up in. Unfortunately, not everyone shares this opinion, lol, and so our Thanksgiving this year was more about conflict and tension that giving thanks. :( I got lots of practice in using all the new coping techniques I've been learning in class. And that's about the best thing I can say about it.

My mom chose to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends from church instead of her family this year, so our morning was pretty much spent getting our Thanksgiving dinner ready.

In the midst of this, the cat decided to be needy and kept meowing at the door until Maggie relented and went out to hold him. :)

Such a bad cat!
We had an absolutely stunning, Normal Rockwell-esque bird this year. Even I was impressed, and normally I could really care less for turkey. I guess this is part of my tastes changing, because somehow this year I can't get enough.

I didn't get any pictures once our guests arrived, because I was having absolutely too much fun! We had a lady from church and the same family that we stuffed hams with over, and we spent all afternoon regaling each other with funny stories and tall tales. :)

Around 5, Maggie and I headed over to my grandfather's house to celebrate with my mom's family. There is nothing like being with family... as soon as we arrived, all my stress melted away and it suddenly started to feel like a true Thanksgiving. :) I am so grateful for my family - my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was especially fun to get to see the two new family additions, Kat and Zoe. :)

My Abster was there, also, but spent too much time running around shrieking in delight to be photographed. :)All in all, I am thankful for the holiday, and thankful that it's over and it'll be a year before I have to stress about it again. :)

Now - on to the giveaway...

I am not a huge crafter, but I got a chance to sit down today and make some holiday gift tags, something I've been putting off but couldn't procrastinate on any longer, seeing as the pile of wrapped gifts in my room is growing and I'm anxious to label them before I forget which gift goes to whom. :) I got all my tags made, and even got a chance to make a set of twelve tags, which I am giving away to a reader! :)

This is a set of twelve tags: four large, four medium, and four small. All are red cardstock with stamped or punched vellum overlay, tied with green ribbon.

The small tags.

The medium tags.

The large tags.

I will say the camera makes them look orangish, whereas they really are true red. Aren't they cute?

Close-up of one of the large tags.

If you'd like me to send them to YOU :), here's what you do:

1) Leave me a comment for one entry.

2) Become a follower for an additional entry.

3) Blog, tweet, or mention this giveaway in your Facebook status for additional entries (be sure to leave me the url of your blog/twitter in your comment).

I will randomly select a winner on December 4th! :)

I hope y'all are well into your Christmas celebrations by now, and that you're feeling the blessings of the season!

Giveaway Winner!

Sorry I've waited so late to pick and announce a winner... to be fair, I didn't say what time today I'd share the news, and this is the first time I've sat down in front of the computer all day.

Anyway... Drumroll, please... :) and the winner (selected by Random.org) is...

FashionAddict of Fashion For The Econonically Challenged!

I have to admit, I am sooo excited that she won. I love reading her blog and I love her mix of fashion, life, and intelligence (for instance... check out her post on Barbie doll and its effect on women's self-esteem). Although we don't agree on all the issues of life, we do agree on many of them, and I have a great respect for the work that she does! I also have an incredible respect for all the great outfits she puts together... and I hope this scarf will find a place in her wardrobe!

So FashionAddict... when you read this, drop me an email at taleia_and_company@yahoo.com and I will get your scarf in the mail and on its way!

Fiftieth Post - And A Giveaway!

I can't believe that this is my fiftieth post! Although I have been blogging for years, I've had a few "stops and starts!" I look forward to blogging for another few years now that I've found my "voice!"

Anyway, I have chosen to celebrate my fiftieth post in a very special way: with my first giveaway! :)

As you may recall, one of my New Year's vows was to crochet a new pattern or project each month. Well, the project I chose for January was two beautiful scarves; one to be donated to Threads of Compassion, and one for a lucky reader! For those of you who are unfamiliar with this great organization,

"Threads of Compassion is a loosely connected group of survivors of sexual violence who desire to offer comfort and support to recent victims. The idea is simple. Anyone whose life has been affected by sexual assault or abuse is welcome to knit or crochet a scarf which in turn will be given to a victim of sexual violence when they enter the hospital for emergency treatment. Having been through similar experiences ourselves, our hope is to offer support at a time when a person is feeling forsaken, fearful, and extremely vulnerable, and in a simple way let them know they are not alone. So many people are lost in how to respond to friends and family members that have been victims of sexual abuse or assault, so they opt to do nothing. Their fear of adding more pain by saying or doing the wrong thing results in
silence. This silence is heartbreaking to the victim...a silence that offers no validation to the pain they are going through and that adds to their feeling of isolation. The silence produces shame.

One of the main goals behind Threads of Compassion is to break through this silence by acknowledging the pain. The gift of a scarf not only shows the knitters/crocheters concern for the victim, but also expresses their sorrow for what has happened. Each scarf is made by someone who wishes to provide a small amount of comfort against the pain being faced, and by doing so, lets the victim know they are not alone. The scarves are tangible objects that can be held, wrapped around the neck or shoulders, with the deeper meaning known only by the wearer. As each victim touches the threads of the scarves they receive, they are connecting with someone who cares about what has happened to them."

I am doing this giveaway to raise awareness for Threads of Compassion, in honor of my best friend, who in 2009 was the victim of rape. While I am constantly amazed at the strength that she has displayed in these incredibly tough circumstances, and at how God has chosen to work even in a horrific situation, I have also been affected by the grief surrounding this act of violence.

This topic is often ignored because it is awkward or uncomfortable to discuss; however, consider these statistics.

One in six women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime; every two minutes someone is sexually assaulted in the United States; 60% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police; and only 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail.

The scarf was crocheted by me, Taleia, using this pattern, in a beautiful soft multi-toned lavender color. The pattern featured many interweaved loops, signifying the unique bond shared by all those affected by sexual violence. The lucky winner of the second scarf may choose to donate it to Threads of Compassion, or she may choose to wear the scarf and tell others about Threads of Compassion whenever she receives a compliment on it. :)

To enter the giveaway:

1) Blog, tweet, or post a Facebook status update about Threads of Compassion for one entry each. Mentioning this giveaway is appreciated but not required (the goal of this giveaway is to raise awareness for Threads of Compassion, not Taleia & Company).

2) Drop me a comment and tell me how you shared (if you blogged or tweeted, make sure to give me the address).

Optional 3) If you happen to be crafty and you decide to crochet a scarf of your own to donate, be sure to snap a picture! I will be hosting another Threads of Compassion giveaway later on this year and I will definitely give extra entries to anyone who donates! (If you're a particularly speedy crocheter and you finish a scarf for donation before the giveaway ends, drop me a comment and let me know).

On January 25th I will randomly draw a winner and post the exciting news! The winner will have until January 29th to contact me at taleia_and_company@yahoo.com and claim their prize; if I am not contacted within that time, I will redraw.

Good luck! If you haven't embraced the scarf fad yet, check out these picts for some inspiration, featuring the giveaway scarf as graciously modeled by my sister, Elizabeth!< /div>