Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Red Bead Tales: My Very First Giveaway!

As I mentioned earlier today, I am celebrating the change of seasons and some changes for this blog by hosting my first ever giveaway!

I will be honest. I have had that post written for a week now. But I am a very indecisive person, and I just couldn't figure out what to give away. I always overthink these things. And by some flash of inspiration, it came to me yesterday.

Red Beads.

"Red beads?" you say. "What's so special about red beads?" Well, my friend. These aren't just any red beads. These are red beads with a story. Two stories, really. Lets call them The Red Bead Tales.


Story One: The Tale of a Necklace Shared

It started on New Year's Eve, 2009. I was at Ingrid's house, affectionately called The Nunnery by friends. There was dancing and singing and every kind of merry-making. And Ingrid was wearing red beads. I complimented her on them, and she said, "Red beads go with everything, don't they?" Well that was an interesting though. Actually, I'd never considered it. Do they?

I gave that simple sentence an unwarranted amount of thought over the next couple of months. I determined that yes, red beads do go with everything, and I would like some very much.

Enter June. I was newly unpregnant. At the grocery store with my fresh-from-the-womb bundle. And who did I run into but Ingrid. And Rebecca, who was wearing red beads. "I love your beads!" I told her. "Red beads go with everything, don't they?" It came out before I realized I was quoting Ingrid from several months ago. I really believed it, though. I was still without my own red beads, and I decided then and there that I was going to fix that.

"Wait," Rebecca said. I'll take care of it."

The next day Rebecca came over to hang out with Malachi and I. She handed me a package that contained, of course, the Red Beads. The same beads that she and Ingrid wore. I was so excited! "Where did you get these?"

"Let me tell you about these beads," she said.

Story Two: The Tale of an African Treasure

This is a very special string of glass beads that was purchased from The Binaba Shop, a fair trade non-profit shop here in Roanoke. They are antique French beads that were made in Venice 300 years ago and used throughout Africa for trade and commerce.

I thought that was very cool, so when I had some gifts to buy a couple of weeks later, you know what I did. There are now two midwives and a doula that are wearing these beads as well.

Atieno Asiyo, the store's fascinating and beautiful buyer and manager, explained to me that many beads were created for this purpose between the 15th and 20th centuries. Evidently beads were an important part of many world cultures, and they are now collected and made into jewelry.

Since they are beautiful artwork as well as former currency, many beads have been replicated for modern jewelry. I'm sure you would recognize some of the designs. By the way, if you are local to Roanoke, please stop into The Binaba Shop downtown across from Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea. It is an awesome store with beautiful art, jewelry, home furnishings, and natural bath & body products.

The best part: everything in the shop is fairly traded and the proceeds build hospitals and provide micro-loans in Africa. If you are interested in learning more about The Binaba Shop and Atieno Asiyo, you can read "The Education of a Kenyan Radical" (pg. 36-39) online in September's Valley Business Front. There is also an interview with Atieno here.

So those are the stories of the Red Beads. I wear mine all the time. Each time, I am reminded of the sweet women who gave me or received from me the same necklace. I have discovered, of course, that there are the occasional things you can't wear with red beds. But I can wear them more often than not, I tell you. One lucky person is going to have the same great pleasure.

So, on to the details...

You can enter up to five times. Please leave a separate comment on this blog post for each entry so you will be counted in the random number generator. Leave a way for me to get in touch with you for each entry. Deadline for entries is Wednesday, September 29, 9am. I will try to announce the winner later that day. Here are the ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post stating what you are looking forward to about Fall. (required)
2. Blog about this giveaway with a link to my blog, and post a link in your comment.
3. Post a Facebook status update about this giveaway with a link to this post.
4. Become a follower of this blog (see column on the right side), or let me know that you are already are.
5. "Like" Binaba shop on Facebook (Binaba Shop Facebook page).

Let the fun begin!

40 comments:

  1. I love your red bead tale! And I also love fall. Of all my favorite seasons, fall is my favoritest, due to the perfect temperatures for wearing sweaters, the colors that coordinate with me perfectly, and all the great food and perfect reasons for a bonfire.

    And I especially appreciated your last post about How to Grow a Grasty. So very precious. I love you guys very much and treasure your new family life.

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  2. Comment #1 I LOVE this picture of your family as your header. It's awesome : ) What I'm looking forward to in the fall is some temperature relief! I'm pregnant and SO HOT!!! : O

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  3. Comment #2

    Here's the link to the post on my blog:

    http://creative-outpour.blogspot.com/2010/09/fun-giveaway-on-my-friends-blog.html

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  4. Comment #3:

    It is now mentioned & linked in my Facebook status!

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  5. Comment #4:

    I am now officially following your blog.

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  6. Comment #5

    And I now like Binaba Shop on Facebook. : )

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  7. I love fall - the smell and crunch of leaves, the brisk cool air. It always makes me feel like sharpening pencils and buying school supplies - even when I didn't have anyone in school! I love the fall flavors, pumpkin, nutmeg, eggnog. And I really begin looking forward to our annual family Thanksgiving time. It will be so great this year with several new additions. I love babies even more than fall!

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  8. I am looking forward to cooler temperatures, cozy sweaters, the smells of the season and lots of recipes containing the word "pumpkin"!

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  9. entry #2 for jessica jones for doing a facebook status.

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  10. entry #3 for jessica jones since she follows this blog.

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  11. entry #2 for julie since she follows this blog.

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  12. I am looking forward to the food! I love the squashes and apples and cranberries and cinnamon and nutmeg and cloves. Mmm! And the drinks that go with them! Rich, hot drinks and spicy red wines.

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  13. Entered on FB. Here's a link to my Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/NicholeLNelson

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  14. Followed your blog. I had already subscribed to your RSS Feed, but I forget that I can see other blog posts you share.

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  15. My blog post: http://nicholelnelson.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/how-to-grow-a-gratsy/

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  16. For fall I'm looking forward to wearing sweaters again, pumpkin scented candles and of course fall leaves!

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  17. I love fall! It is my favorite season :)
    I love the 'comfort' foods that come-- soups/stews/chili & it is the start of baking lots of goodies too.
    I also love seeing my girls play in the fallen leaves.

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  18. I am now following your blog--
    posted the link on my FB status--
    liked Binaba on FB
    :( i don't have my own blog.. so I put a comment on my fb status about what you are doing

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  19. Entry #3 for Dawn for link to us on her FB status.

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  20. Entry #4 for Dawn for becoming a "follower" of this blog.

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  21. Ok... You made my heart CRAVE red beads! Job well done!

    What I love about fall? SWEATERS!!! Oh, and so many other things. I am obsessed with fall. Pretty much every aspect EXCEPT the thousands of leaves and acorns that cover my yard at all times.

    E

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  22. I'm also a new follower... Can't believe I wasn't before!

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  23. I love the cooler weather. The smell of the leaves. The beautiful colors. Family gatherings. Fall is my favorite season.

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  24. Posted a Facebook status update about this giveaway with a link to this post.
    I am a follower of this blog.
    "Liked" Binaba shop on Facebook.

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  25. Rachel's 3rd comment - for following the blog.

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  26. Rachel's 4th comment - for liking Binaba Shop on FB.

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  27. What im looking forward to most about fall is the gray skies and the cool breezes. I love the crisp fall air.

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  28. #4 - Liked Binaba shop on facebook

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  29. Comment #2 for Crystal - likes Binaba shop!

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  30. How pretty! I've got some antique seed beads that were made in the late 1800's, but no beads that are 300 years old! My antique beads are so tiny that I have to use a table-top magnifier when I string them. Now a days the smallest size seed beads made are size 15, and I have ones that go all the way to size 24 (the bigger the number, the smaller the beads).

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  31. Debbie - comment #2 for liking binaba shop.

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  32. Hi Sandra- guess I'm entering, but mostly just wanted to say a long overdue HI. My husband Brian is an old childhood friend of yours and i don't think we've ever met, but I've really enjoyed reading your blog lately. We're newly expecting(12 weeks along) and i've been sick as a dog -hypemesis, yuck, so seeing your precious son and the whole process/life change has been very helpful and reassuring ;) You're quite the inspirational momma!

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  33. You are officially my first blog to follow. :)

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  34. I love the fall for the changing of the colors on the trees. Absolutely beautiful. We have seen it happen in many areas of the country from Virginia, to Texas (probably the least impressive), to Washington, to Pennsylvania, to Kazakhstan. One of God's most breathtaking seasonal works of art.

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  35. it is easy to like that store. But I have officially done it on FB. What a fun little give away thingy. :)

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