Love for Jenny Auction: Bidding Today through Tomorrow!

Feel the love! Run on over to the Love for Jenny Auction and bid on some of the wonderful items available. You may even want to bid on a photo session with me. Bidding goes today through tomorrow night.

Happy Valentine's Day friends!

xoxo

~Kim

Friday.

I am so thankful it is Friday. I don't know why, it is no different than any other day. It is not like I am going to spend more time with my family than I normally do, or see my husband any more. Perhaps it is because I get to have a free day on Sunday. No working out. Possible nap. I get to see my brothers and my step mom. I dunno there is just something about it.

In other news, thank you to the -6- people who shared about the auction for Jenny.

*Crickets*

I think those six people all deserve something for sharing, so throughout the next few weeks each one is going to get a Claire de Lune CD from me. Please send me an email at: kimsueellen[at]gmail[dot]com with your address.

This auction meansso much to me because I am a mother. I would do anything for anyone to help comfort his/her fight with cancer, so thank you. THANK YOU!

Also, a HUGE thank you to everyone who donated to Jothan's jump for Parker. He raised $190 almost twice as much as his goal of $100. My heart was full and I cried tears of joy at your ginormous hearts and willingness to serve so others can have good and healthy hearts as well.

Stay tuned for next week. I have lots of emotional vomit to spout off. Blogging is cheaper than therapy, and heaven knows I need lots and lots of therapy.

xoxo

~Kim

How big is your heart? Guest blogger: Jothan

Hi guys. Remember last year when I guest blogged for my mom?

Well, I came home again last Friday from school, and I begged, and begged, and begged my mom to let me jump rope for the American Heart Association. Last year I raised well over my goal and this year I hope to raise at least $100 for the American Heart Association.

I need your help.

Let me tell you a little bit about my little friend Parker.

(His blog is really cute and I like to look at his photos. You should check it out sometime. He sat behind me at church yesterday and I felt pretty lucky and thankful that he was healthy and able to come to church and be my friend.)

Parker has a special heart. When he was inside his mom the doctors discovered his special heart. It didn't beat as fast as my heart beats. In fact, it beat really. really. really. slowly.

My heart beats like this. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

While Parker's heart beat like this - - - - -

His heart should have beat more like this.............................

Parker almost had to be born REALLY early to help save his life.

Parker is really strong and he held on super tight to his mom, and he was born healthy.

When he was ONLY two days old, he had heart surgery on his special heart.

He now has a pacemaker attached to his heart. His pacemaker is in his tummy.

Here is a photograph my mom took of Parker when he was 3 weeks old:

He is getting bigger and stronger every day. Except he is still smaller than my baby sister was when she was born. He is that tiny.

I want to jump rope for Parker and for other kids with special hearts.

I have until Friday, February 4, 2011 to raise $100 for the American Heart Association.

Will you help me?

You can donate here:

American Heart Association

Thank you so much for helping me achieve my goal. I learned some cool things about the American Heart Association and wanted to tell you about them. Sometimes it helps to know what you are donating to, and why your donations are so important.

Thank the American Heart Association Research if:

A loved one has had a successful heart bypass

Someone you know has recovered from a heart attack.

You had open heart surgery and slept through the whole thing.

You take medicine to treat your hight cholesterol.

CPR saved your life or the life of a loved one.

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) saved your uncle's life.

Someone you know has a new heart valve.

You take medicine to regulate your hight blood pressure.

If pacemaker regulates your son's heart rhythm. (Like Parker's.)

Clot-busting drugs helped reduce the severity of a loved one's stroke.

You are one of the one million survivors of a heart attack this year.

You were able to return to work after having a stroke.

A friend or family member received a heart transplant.

For more information please visit:

www.americanheart.org

We Love Jenny Auction and a Giveaway

A few weeks ago I was on facebook when a dear friend of mine posted a link to an online auction in honor of Jenny.

I, of course clicked and began to read. With tears streaming down my face I knew I had to act. I emailed the donation form and donated what I could. I got a prompt response back from my dear friend Emily (the one who had shared the link on facebook). I was surprised (but not so really because Em is amazing, in fact you can read about her amazingness here.) that she was in charge of such an enormously beautiful act of love and service to her friend.

Through the course of the last two weeks, I have watched this auction grow from a few items to nearly 50. I have seen it start with items for the D.C. area, and move into Utah and across the country. I have had people write on my facebook wall, "Hey Kim! I know Jenny, we went to college together, how can I help?"

Well, do you want to know how you can help? You can donate, bid on February 14, 2011, share the word on facebook, twitter, your own blogs. You can pray for Jenny and her family. There is so much you can do, so that is what this post is about. Just by doing that and I will give you the chance to win one of Emily's Little Claire de Lune: Lullabies on Harp CD's. This beautiful CD is guaranteed to help me be sleepy and to take my stress level from 10 to 0 by the time it is finished. The good thing about this opportunity? If you don't happen to win the giveaway, you can purchase one here for a STEAL and help benefit orphans in Bulgaria.

So, how can you enter:

1) Leave a comment here if you plan to donate OR bid on Jenny's auction on February 14, 2011.

2) Facebook a link about Jenny's Auction: http://welovejennyauction.blogspot.com/

3) Tweet about Jenny's Auction: http://welovejennyauction.blogspot.com/

4) Post to your blog about Jenny's auction, then leave a link to your post in the comment.

5) Share about this post anywhere, facebook, twitter, blogging.

That is up to 5 chances to win this beautiful harp CD. Please be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.

I will choose a winner Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. MST.

***Disclaimer: I was not asked to, nor given anything for posting this blog post or giveaway. We should all do good things for others, I am just giving people the opportunity to do so. xoxo***

The Rubied Apple Wallet Winners

And the winners of the wallets via www.random.org are:

Commenter number 6:

CaryManda said...

Easy Peasy. Rubied APple half apron.
ADORABLE.
Love the wallets :)

Commenter number 55:

Kate said...

I really like the Bowling Balls Mini Wallet from The Rubied Apple store.
kate.obrien219@gmail.com

Finally, Commenter number 75:

Tipper said...

I love her Gren and Blue Patterned Emmeline Reversible Apron with Pockets. Too CUTE!!!

sparkofutterance(at)hotmail(dot)com

Thanks so much for all of the entries! Wasn't this a fun one? Also, thank you to Nakia at The Rubied Apple for supplying our winners with these delightful wallets.

Come back tomorrow afternoon for the second giveaway of birthday week.

Cheers.

~Kim

That first of two giveaways, remember?

Sigh.

Deepest apologies.

I got a migraine.

For. Two. Days.

Today was a wee bit better.

So, on to those giveaways, to celebrate my birthday, I wanted to give you guys presents, feel the love?

First off, we have three, YES, THREE lovely little wallets from The Rubied Apple.

I contacted Nakia, the owner and master designer behind The Rubied Apple about purchasing one of her adorable wallets to give away to my readers. She was so excited she donated ALL. THREE. WALLETS. to you!

Let me tell you, The Rubied Apple is more than wallets. They are sexy, sophisticated, back to your roots, high heels in the kitchen, APRON wearing kind of days. That is how I would describe The Rubied Apple. One meal wearing these aprons will bring back the whimsy and excitement of days gone by, and may put more home cooked meals on the table (and your bedroom). (Zumm, zumm.)

The Rubied Apple recently started carrying the most adorable baby bibs as well. Makes me long for another slobbery baby to put them on. Oh well, there are always massive amounts of baby showers in Utah. They are on the gift list for sure.

Anyway, onto the giveaway:

So, how do you win?
Easy.

Leave a comment here telling me which product in Nakia's shop is your favorite. Simple, easy, fun.

I will give one additional entry if you "Like" The Rubied Apple on Facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rubied-Apple-Aprons/118227098204285

And another one, if you decide you "Like" my new photography page on Facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kim-Orlandini-Photography/167210249989237

Lastly, if you want on last chance, either twitter or facebook this entry to your friends.

Please be sure to leave an additional comment per entry.

Giveaway ends Wednesday morning at 11:00 a.m. I will try to be a good girl and choose the three different winners Wednesday evening.

Have a good weekend friends. Happy Birthday to all of you this year. May it be one of your best and most fulfilling, as I hope mine is for me.

***Disclaimer. I received no compensation for this giveaway, besides the three wallets that Nakia gave to me for this giveaway. She was so kind and dear to give me one of my favorite wallets as a thank you present. This in no way influences my opinion of her shop, because this here is my blog and my opinion has always and will always trump any form of compensation. I just like to have a good time and share the love with others. -Insert giant grin here-***

Of Moosh's, Mozzi's, and amazing friends.

Dear Casey,

8 years ago. Can you believe it has been that long?

It all started with you taking over being Princess of Ladies Tops while I was downgraded to Wench of Men's Tops. I would have much rather fondled the male bottoms all day, then I wouldn't have had to look over and wonder, "Who is that new girl?" I would ask around, "So who is this Casey girl? What was the name of that bundle handler? Oh, you know the older one with longish hair and nails for days, my mind escapes me. She was my source of info. You were loved and adored, and somehow I had to get in on it.

Then, oh! One day a treat, it was a late summer treat in the break room. Orangesicles, and fudgesicles. You took the last orange. I was obviously pregnant and on a rage, and opened my big mouth! "Way to go and take the last orangesicle, Casey!"

That was it. We have been friends ever since. This is how most of my amazing friendships start, and I am thankful you were no stranger to my tremendously odd ways of, "Oh my goodness, I could NEVER be friends with her." *giggle*

I have watched you become a mother once, and happily, now twice. I know the journey has been long and stressful and one full of tears. Sadly, I know that journey too. My heart has ached with yours, when I found out much too late about some of your bouts with depression while pregnant with Moosh, and now with Mozzi. It doesn't help that I am so far away from you that there isn't much I can do but check up on you through email, text, and phone calls. It just isn't the same. Please know massive amounts of thoughts (ALL good now) and prayers are coming from this home all across the country on your behalf. The Big Man loves you tremendously, tremendously.

So today, today my gift is all about you. It is about the strength and ability to keep our cool, keep our heads in the heat of the battle, in the depths of depression. It is about recognizing our strengths in the turmoil of our weaknesses. YOU are strong. You are fighting the battle...and winning. You are going to be an amazing new mother to this Mozzi girl. (Gift is in the mail, you should have gotten it with STRICT instructions not to open it until today. I don't know if I could have waited, but I hope you did, it will make it funner. Sorry it isn't raw bacon.)

That is what we BFFs do. We stick together and fight, with the occasional hard words to be said and chocolate cake, sausages, and vacations along the way.

Love you to the moon and back and onto Pluto. Enjoy the next 15 weeks of Mozzi love.

Mwah.

xoxo,

Kim

Follow along on Twitter, hashtag #mozzi.

Blue Lemon

Be still my heart. The Blue Lemon is one of my favorite places to eat. It has been since I was happily introduced to them two years ago. Until now, the only way for me to enjoy it was to hop in my car and drive an hour and a half to get there. Believe me, their tomato bisque soup was worth every second of that car ride, and then this week I discovered there is one just 12 minutes from me.

12. Minutes. That is: 720 Seconds until I can have my mouth on some soup, or sweet potato fries, or the steak griller.

Do you understand the beauty of this?

To make my life even better, this past week I, along with a handful of other Utah bloggers, was invited to come and tour and taste, and be treated to the beauty that is their new downtown Salt Lake City, City Creek Location.

Their first restaurant is beautiful, but this time they may have outdone themselves.

(In the craziness of my week, I completely walked out the door without my camera, or my stack of business cards. The following photos are courtesy of Lindsey, Vanessa and Stephanie. Thank you for sharing guys.)

Me, deciding what to eat. This is hard in that EVERYTHING is good. I am being 100% truthful when I say you cannot order something bad off of this menu. If my tummy was big enough I would eat it all.

Me in awe over the 'not quite pebble' ice. Yummy.

Me, being silly inside the walk in refrigerator. Loved being able to see the 'behind the scenes'. Everything is so clean and organized and fresh. Just what you like to see when you go out to eat.

Me, sitting next to Lindsey devouring my favorite dish on the menu.

Tomato Bisque Soup.

Stephanie and I both ordered the Blue Lemon Steak Griller. Bacon, Gorgonzola cheese, garlic mashed potatoes.

Heaven. Divinity. I am not sure what else I can say, other than I ate every bite. AMAZING.

The portion sizes are generous, yet not over the top.

I felt like I could finish my entire meal guilt free. I like that in a restaurant.

The lovely ladies from the evening. Me, with everyone's hands on my shoulder. I am truly loved. :)

The Blue Lemon folks have been generous enough to offer a coupon to my readers for the next week only! Be sure to copy the coupon now, as next Saturday it will be gone, gone, gone. (Only one per blog reader please. Let's be nice.)

All I ask for you to do is to like the Blue Lemon on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blue-Lemon/118845631471495

Then leave a comment letting me know that you did so. Then you may copy and print off the following coupon.

***Coupon has been removed.***

Good at this location:

Salt Lake City:

801.328.BLUE (2583)
55 W South Temple, SLC, UT 84111

The winner of the Thanksgiving Point Annual Pass is:

according to www.random.org the winner of 93 comments is commenter #46:

The Snellie's said...

I am a follower now!!! Still crossing my fingers!!!

Wednesday, December 08, 2010 5:03:00 PM

Thanks so much for all of the fun comments and ideas of things to do at Thanksgiving Point. I wish I had a pass for everyone to have the opportunity.

Have some Happy Holidays everyone!

Thanksgiving Point 2011 Annual Pass Giveaway

Due to being censored for the next 29.5 days (completely looking forward to that birthday present), you may enter this giveaway HERE.

All previous entries and comments are still in affect. Thank you!

Palmyra and The Hill Cumorah, Upstate New York

***Edited to add some info to help identify the photos (I tend to miss a few things when I blog at 2 a.m. Sorry guys):

Old and new. The Palmyra Temple as seen from the property of the Smith Family's farm.

Palmyra, New York Temple

Smith's log cabin.

Alvin's Tree

Replica of the box the Book of Mormon was hidden in.

Sacred Grove

Moroni Monument, Hill Cumorah, New York

Monument

Monument, other side.

(all photos shot fuji 400h on a Nikon N80, using a 50mm 1.4, at 1.4)

My brother has been BEGGING me to continue posting photos from our trip, so I thought what better time than now?

Travelling to New York City, then to Upstate New York was a fulfillment of a life long dream. I am such a history buff it isn't even funny. Combine that history love, with the love of my religion, and well, I am one happy girl.

The peace I felt in this place is indescribable. Tears come to my eyes just thinking about it. My heart longs to go back. If I could, I would live there. LIVE there I tell you. It is beautiful, peaceful, reverent. Amazing.


Very grateful I could take my sweet family there, and share such a neat experience with them. I wish you could have all gone with me. Truly.


Because I wasn't able to slip you all into my suitcase, I want two of you to be able to have a little piece of this trip to hang on your wall. SO, that means a giveaway! Leave me a comment telling me which photo is your favorite from this little post, because if you win, that photo will be yours! The two winners will get a mounted 11x14 of their favorite image from this post. (I'm sorry, I know the kids are adorable, but I won't give you a photo of them.)


Share the giveaway love with your facebook and twitter friends...I want everyone to feel the joy.


I will take comments for the giveaway until Noon MST on Sunday, November 14, 2010. I will choose two winners that evening.


xoxo

Hubbs Openly Mocks Me

So, the conversation went something like this:

Hubbs: "So, when are you going to post some good stuff to your blog?"

Me: "I KNOW! I just have so much to write about, and yet nothing all at once."

Hubbs: "I am so sick of your propoganda."

Me: "So am I, but it has to be done, I needed people to freaking vote for that bond, and dood, readers like free stuff."

So, to appease both sides of the masses, Hubbs and free stuff, here I am to say:

"Hubbs, I love you, I will have some good things to blog in a day or two. JUST for you. Hopefully this post will suffice, because as per our conversation earlier today, I told you I would be blogging this."

As for you, the masses:

"I hope that the occasional giveaway is fun. I honestly get asked to do a lot, and I only choose the ones I feel are awesome and beneficial. So, to honor that, and to honor National Adoption Month, and along with the r house couture , I would like to give you a $5 off coupon code good for any custom order from my etsy shop during the month of November. Think of it as an early Christmas present from me to you. We are going to be loading the shop with LOTS of fun and affordable Christmas gifts in two weeks, so watch for those."


Anyway, here is to more (amazing) propoganda, and to many more 'Hubbs' worthy posting. My heart needs it, oh I have so many posts to share...let me just say, I am getting more and more brave to share some things, and when I do, I am going to let it all out.

Happy Wednesday.

xo

Winner! Winner!

The winner of the giveaway can be found HERE!

Healthy Home Giveaway!

A fun and exciting giveaway can be found on my review blog HERE.

The r house couture giveaway winner is:

Thank you random.org for choosing the winner of the r house couture giveaway.

" mrs. m said...

sarah mann: i am in love with this necklace!

iamwomann@gmail.com"

Saturday, June 05, 2010 10:52:00 AM

Thanks to everyone who entered!

It has been SO fun to get to know so many people through the r house couture shop and to make so many special pieces for so many people. Stay tuned in the near future for another giveaway on a totally radical blog.

Loves.

Giveaway: Be Still Necklace from The R House Couture

(this was suppose to post Friday, but blogger is being a 'doob' so I guess I start early? check out my other ladies tomorrow to enter.)

In honor of the r house couture's first real publication in the spring 2010 edition of:
Latter-day Woman Magazine
(see page 8)

Leisha, Lindsey, and I have decided to reward all of our wonderful customers and friends with the chance to win the necklace in the feature.
We are each giving away one of these beautiful pairs.

Sterling Silver "Be Still" Necklace with Butterscotch Amber
and matching earrings.

It has been a remarkable past 10 months since opening The R House Couture with two of my best friends. We have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.

If you would like to enter this giveaway, here are some ways to do it :

• Just leave a comment here on my blog and include your email address so I can contact you in the event of your winning.
• Enter Lindsey's giveaway on her blog.
• Like The R House Couture Page on Facebook and enter Leisha's giveaway there.
  

Extra entries available:

...leave an additional comment with your email address for each extra entry.

• follow my blog
  
• subscribe to simply me
  
• follow me on twitter (http://twitter.com/kimsueellen)
• tweet about this contest, using @kimsueellen in your tweet! (this can be done once per day.)
• blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post (leave a link to your post in your comment)
  
• email your family and friends about this giveaway (send the email to me too)

for example, if you are already a follower of my blog you would write in your comment:
"already a follower. here's my email: blahblahbla@whatever.com."

then if you tweet about this contest you would make an additional comment:
"tweeted about it today. here's what i wrote: check out this giveaway at simplyme: {link to this post}.
here's my email: blahblahbla@whatever.com."

Entries will be accepted until Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 11:59 PM MST.
The winner will be announced on Wednesday, June 9, 2010.

(Please note: I am co-owner of The R House Couture)

Little Claire de Lune Winner!

...Mary!

Mary (MEM) said...

How beautiful- (lullabies on the harp AND helping orphans)!

And at the risk of sounding like a total brown-noser I have to agree with Natalie's comment, YOU'RE beautiful too, Kim!

Thursday, March 25, 2010 8:38:00 AM

(Apparently brown-nosing totally pays off...either that or she and random.org have an in...lucky number 7!)

Mary, e-mail me at kimsueellen [at] gmail [dot] com and I will have Emily send over your new CD!

Thank you to everyone who entered.

Let's do this more often shall we?
xoxo

You asked for it...

The ring?

From

Charlotte Russe

$4.00

Run, don't walk.

Look at all the other lovlies they have.

Mmmm.