I'm Having a Giveaway!

Hello faithful followers,
I've decided to host a giveaway...just because I feel like it and because I love you all! So, to kick off the holiday season, I'm giving away my "Jolly, Happy Soul" painting:

 

This miniature painting meaures approximately 5 1/2" by 4 1/2" and is painted with acrylics on a wood plaque, ready to hang or sit on a decorative easel. It's signed and dated on the back. To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post. If you aren't already a follower of my blog, I'd really appreciate it if you'd also sign up to follow me. I'll announce the winner next Wednesday - the day before Thanksgiving.

 

 

Speaking of giveaways, I also want to share a couple of things I won recently! First, this wonderful painting by Tracey Fletcher King. You all know how much I love my tea, so this was perfect for me! I'm going to frame and hang it in my kitchen. To see more of Tracey's artwork, visit her blog HERE.

 



 

If you visit her blog, you'll see why I adore her work! She paints lots of tea cups and tea related items. Here's another example of one of her watercolors...need I say more?

Her work is fabulous.  Again, Tracey Fletcher King's blog can be accessed HERE

 

 

I also won this necklace from a website called "Whatever Is Lovely". 

 

 

I discovered "Whatever Is Lovely" on facebook, where I entered the giveaway. If you love antique and vintage items, you'll really enjoy browsing this shop. They have very unique jewelry, handbags, hats, home decor and more. Their online shop can be found HERE. The following photo is from their website, and it gives you an idea of some of the lovely things you'll find there.

 

Photo courtesy of: Whatever Is Lovely

 

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win my snowman painting!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your week!

Until next time,

Cindy

 

Linking to the following blogs:

The Artist's Play Room at Just Add Water, Silly

What's It Wednesday on Ivy and Elephants

Pink Saturday on How Sweet the Sound

Seasonal Sundays on The Tablescaper

 



An Unexpected Gift

Imagine my surprise when I recently opened my mailbox and found a package from my good friend, Cindy Adkins (this is another Cindy Adkins. We have the same name and are friends. She lives in New Orleans and I live in Ohio!) She made this altered tin for me called Stay A While - isn't it beautiful? Thank you, Cindy, for your thoughtfulness! It certainly made me smile!

Cindy is an amazing artist and bestselling author. Right now she has a great tutorial on how to make your own mixed media journal on her blog, Cindy Adkins' Whimsical Musings, which can be found by clicking HERE. This is a picture of a journal she made (her photo from her blog.)

Cindy is also featuring these Remembrance necklaces, for sale on her blog HERE. I love these!

Photo belongs to Cindy Adkins' Whimsical Musings

I'm sure you'll enjoy a visit to her blog - she has all sorts of interesting and beautiful things there - including links to her free seminars, how to purchase her ebooks, free graphics for you to download and use for your own art, and much more! Just click HERE to visit the home page for Cindy Adkins Whimsical Musings and enjoy!

 Until next time,

 Cindy

New Book by Cindy Adkins: Stella Finds a Home

Our friend and fellow author/artist/blogger, Cindy Adkins, has an adorable children's book just out titled "Stella Finds a Home."  Buster, Sam and Rudy are very happy that she has written a book about kitties and they give this book a big PAWS UP!!

Here is a brief introduction to this book:
This is a story for parents who enjoy reading to their children. There are no illustrations.

There is an endearing, homeless tuxedo cat named Stella who is longing to be adopted by a family. She wants a warm place to live with people who will love her. Stella is scared and lonely out on the street and wants more than anything to find a place to belong. Her best friend, Zack, is a Persian cat who lives a comfortable life with his own family in a nice neighborhood. He has a trick up his sleeve to make Stella's dream become a reality as the two of them work on a scheme to help secure her a new home. Join them on a quest that is filled with plenty of feline antics in this story that will warm the hearts of children 5-8. Length: Approx. 2400 words.

Many of my blog followers are also followers of Cindy - but for those who aren't - this book is not written by ME, but another Cindy Adkins! Yes, there are two of us!! And, we're not related (except as soul sisters!) Cindy is a very talented writer and has several ebooks available on Amazon.com. She has written books about blogging, mixed media art, as well as fiction novels for young adults and a paranormal romance. I hope you'll check out her books! To order "Stella Finds a Home" simply click on the link below and it will take you to it on Amazon.com. 

 Until next time,

Cindy

Linking to Pink Saturday on How Sweet the Sound

Author Interview with Cindy Adkins

 [To avoid confusion, please note: Cindy Adkins and I share the same name and are both writers and artists. This is my interview with her.]

Hello Everyone,
I'm very happy to share my interview with best-selling author and gallery artist, Cindy Adkins. Cindy lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is the author of 11 ebooks on Amazon.com that cover a variety of subjects from blogging and mixed-media art, to her fascinating books about angelic encounters and spirituality. Her latest book, "Spirituality: Making God Personal - Finding Joy" was just launched this week on Amazon.com and it's already a best-seller!  Please remember - if you don't own a Kindle, you can download a free app from Amazon to download books and read right on your computer (that's what I do and it's super easy.) To download the app, click HERE. Enjoy the interview!

1. What inspired you to write this book?
This book is really close to my heart. I think that it provides readers with a way to reach out and make God real in their lives. He is someone who we can talk to and this book makes that really clear. Also, I really wanted to be able to focus on a few Bible verses that are infused with hope and bring those to life, so to speak, in such a personal manner that lets people know that God promises us joy and we are able to find it through Him. Once we do, it changes everything.

2. How did you come up with the title?
I think that so many of us think of God as an entity that is “up there” somewhere - not close at hand and willing to listen to us whenever we come to Him. So, I chose the title because I think that when we make God personal and speak to Him heart to heart, it can change our lives.

3. What is the central message (in this book) you hope your readers grasp?
 I would say that the main theme of this book is that we all have questions about life. Some of them have no answers, such as why someone dies when we least expect it or why relationships don’t work out. But, even if we do not have the answers, we need something tangible to hold onto and that is faith.
Through this book, I also want readers to be aware that there are so many ways in which the Lord can make himself known to us if we start to pay attention. It provides people with guidelines for how to be sensitive to those nuances that are around them. What I want readers to know is that God is just as involved in our lives today as He was with those people that we read about in the Bible. He created us. We are important to Him.

4. Who are some of your favorite authors/books?
  My favorite author is Debbie Macomber. I enjoy her books immensely and I also love the book by Squire Rushnell entitled “God Winks.” When I discovered that book a few years ago, my husband and I were on vacation in Florida. After I read it, I went back to the store and bought 20 copies and mailed them to all my friends. I think that we all need inspiration around us and we can give hope to each other. That is also why I wrote “Do You Need a Hug from Heaven?” because so many of us receive “hugs” from heaven and may not recognize that we have experienced one. The whole point of my spiritual books is to let readers know that they are not alone and that at every point in their lives no matter what is happening, they have an ever-present Heavenly Father who loves them and that there are angels watching over them.

5. Do you have any advice for other would-be authors?
  I would say that if someone feels compelled to write something, they should sit down and begin. You see, we may write in solitude, but our words can impact thousands of people and change lives. I am comfortable with writing because I used to teach English and also the thesis I wrote for my Master’s Degree prepared me for doing extensive research. For 3 years, I had my own column in the newspaper, so writing is something that I find extremely enjoyable.

6. Can you tell us anything about any future books/projects you’re working on?
  I am very excited about something I am working on currently and it is a Young Adult Christian novel. I know that many of the books that I read when I was young influenced me greatly and I would like to make a positive impact on young people. In fact, when I was about twelve years old, I used to devour a series of books that is no longer in print and in those books, the author wrote about her daughters’ trips to Europe. By the time I was 18, I was on a plane headed for Europe and went as far east as Turkey. It was because of her stories because they made such a lasting impression on me.
So, can you imagine writing a Christian novel that talks about how fulfilling it is for teenagers to go on a mission with their church or how meaningful it is to start a non-profit organization? Today’s teenagers are savvy. They certainly have more exposure than I did as a teen, but I think that it is important to write for them in a manner that is not only intelligent, but also, pertinent to today’s world with ideas that they can wrap their brains around. Naturally, it has all the elements of “boy-meets-girl,” mixed with old-fashioned values. This novel is not preachy - it’s realistic. I have a feeling that my young readers’ mothers and grandmothers may be borrowing it because of the story. Why? Because it’s a tearjerker.

Thanks so much for the interview, Cindy - and thanks, also, for sharing the exciting news of your plans to write a Young Christian Adult novel! I'm sure it's going to be just as engaging as all of your other books.

If you're interested in purchasing Cindy's newest book, Spirituality: Making God Personal - Finding Joy, I've provided a link (below) that will take you directly to it on Amazon.com. I've also provided links for all of Cindy's other spiritual books: Spirituality: Are You Hard-Wired for Happiness?, Do You Need a Hug From Heaven?, and Angels at My Door. Simply click on the picture of whichever book you're interested in seeing. To visit Cindy's blog "Whimsical Musings," click  HERE.

Until next time,

Cindy

                                Linking to:  Spiritual Sundays
                                                  A Return to Loveliness
                                                 What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants
                                                  Potpourri Friday at 2805

New Book Review "Do You Need a Hug From Heaven?"

My "same-name" good friend, Cindy Adkins, has just published a new book, "Do You Need a Hug From Heaven?" Many of you know Cindy from her artwork and blog, "Cindy Adkins' Whimsical Musings," but she's also a very talented writer, with several bestsellers on Amazon.com. In "Do You Need a Hug From Heaven," Cindy shares her own angelic encounters and spiritual experiences, as well as those from others (including a story of mine.) This book is a follow-up to one of her previous books, "Angels at My Door." Whether for yourself, or as a gift, these books are so full of uplifting, positive experiences - the kind of everyday miracles that happen all the time, but are often overlooked. I promise you will not be disappointed in this book! It's available as an ebook for your Kindle or other e-reader. But, if you don't have one (and I don't!) you can still easily download a free Kindle app on your computer to read these books. Clicking on the images below will take you directly to Cindy's books on Amazon.com. AND, Cindy is offering her latest book for FREE this Sunday and Monday!! So, hurry on over and grab it! In the meantime, if you're not already a follower, you can visit Cindy's blog by clicking HERE. She offers several free tutorials and seminars, including "Calling All Angels Seminar,"  "Amazing Art Adventure," and one for "Beginning Bloggers." ALL FREE!!  She's not only talented, but very generous with her time and knowledge of the blogging world.

Enjoy...and until next time,

Cindy

A Special Gift ~

I want to share a special gift that I received from my good friend, Cindy Adkins, who has a fabulous blog called Whimsical Musings. This beautiful collage was created by Cindy on a vintage book cover and has a little charm that says "know" hanging from the ribbon.

This image reminds me of my dear mother. It exudes such peace and the "know" reminds me that she is one of my angels, watching over me as I go through life.

Cindy is a best-selling author and very talented artist. More importantly, though, she has such a generous spirit, as all those in blogland who know her would agree. To read her post about our special friendship "A Tale of 2 Cindys," click HERE.

Until next time, Merry Christmas Everyone! 

Cindy

 

Thank You and a Giveaway!

It's been six months since I posted my first blog entry! I've learned so much along the way and have met so many wonderful people, from all around the world, through blogging. When I first started, my goal was to have 50 followers by the end of the year ~ I now have 155! To say blogging has exceeded my expectations is an understatement. I'm amazed every day by the talented and creative people out there - your words and photographs and artwork inspire me and uplift me day after day. Thank you for every visit, every comment, every email.

I'd like to say a special "thank you" to two people. I thought about starting a blog for a long time before I actually took the plunge. My friend, Suzanne de Cornelia, encouraged me to "just do it!"  I knew absolutely nothing about blogging. Suzanne not only encouraged me, but sent tips and advice on how to begin, and she patiently answered all of my questions. Suzanne is a writer who lives in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Her lovely blog, French Heart, can be found by clicking HERE. Thank you, Suzanne!

Once I began blogging and was still "feeling my way around," I ran across a blog called "Cindy Adkins' Whimsical Musings."  Humm...my name is Cindy Adkins!  When I looked at Cindy's blog and saw her beautiful mixed-media art, and read that she's a writer like me ~ I immediately became a follower of her blog and wrote to tell her of our "same-name" connection. Cindy and I have since become friends and we have so many things in common, we're convinced we're long-lost twins! Cindy has been very generous with her time and advice, and her books, "Blogging - It's a Woman's Thing," and "Blog From the Heart - A Woman's Guide to Blogging," have been extremely helpful to me. For more information on all of Cindy's books and free seminars, click HERE. Thank you, Cindy!

To celebrate and say thank you, I'm having a give-away! You can win this sweet St. Nicholas Square "Holly Jolly" tea-for-one teapot!  

It's decorated with holly leaves and berries and says "Have a cup of cheer."  To enter, just leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Wednesday, December 14th. Feel free to post my give-away button on your blog and thanks so much for visiting!

Until next time,

Cindy

Linking to:
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

White Wednesday at Faded Charm

What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants

Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage
Tea Cup Thursday at Miss Spenser's Blog

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Potpourri Friday at 2805

Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound
Homemaking Weekend Link-up Party

                                                                            

"Do You See What I See?"

I was so encouraged after reading my friend, Cindy Adkins' free seminar, "Amazing Art Adventure" last night, I got out my paints and brushes, and painted this winter scene with one of my favorite Christmas carols in mind. I used acrylics on a piece of old roofing slate.

"Said the night wind to the little lamb,
"Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite,
With a tail as big as a kite."

"Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
"Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea,
With a voice as big as the sea."

For more information on this, and other free seminars, as well as all of Cindy's books, visit her website HERE. Until next time, thanks for visiting!

Cindy

Linking to What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound
Sass's Sunday Salvation Show

Angels at My Door ~ Book Review

Today is a special day for my friend, Cindy Adkins (yes, she and I share the same first and last names ~ but more about that on a later post!) Today, I'm happy to annouce the publication of Cindy's new ebook on Amazon ~ Angels at My Door!

Cindy is a fabulous mixed media artist, writer, blogger who lives in New Orleans. Her new ebook is filled with inspirational, true stories and experiences that happened to Cindy and also features stories from several of her blogging friends (including one from me.)  When I started reading Angels at My Door, I could not stop until I'd finished the whole book! I must say in today's world with so many horrific stories on the news, Cindy's book is uplifting and filled with hope and miracles that will astound you! To find out more about Cindy's ebook or to order, click HERE.

Cindy has also created a free seminar to go along with her book that is available through her blog, Whimsical Musings. For more information about the seminar, click HERE.

Cindy is the author of four other ebooks, including "Blog From the Heart: A Woman's Guide to Blogging."  In addition, she creates beautiful, one-of-a-kind shabby chic inspired art pieces, designs custom blog headers and blog buttons, and runs her own Etsy shop! This is one busy woman whose talent, energy and generosity I greatly admire! To visit Cindy's blog, Whimsical Musings, click HERE:

Cindy's Etsy shop, click HERE

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Until next time,

Cindy