It’s been a while since I’ve done a giveaway, hasn’t it? Because I consigned quite a bit of fabric at Our Fabric Stash recently (which I have yet to talk about), my overflow of fabrics is starting to look a teensy bit more manageable so there may not be too many more of these giveaways…
I was noticing some runway looks with watercolor prints popping up on Pinterest, and remembered this Alexander Henry “Mona Floral” fabric. I think I bought it because it reminded me of my duvet cover from freshman year. Barring the Freshman Fifteen weight gain, my first year at college was very, very fun so I associate that watercolor motif with a new sense of freedom and good times. I made a little top for K when she was just a wee thing, but I still have nearly a yard left of it.
I went through a big Amy Butler phase when I first started sewing. This is “Lotus” for Rowan fabrics. I find that I’m not as drawn to quilting cotton as a whole these days now that I’ve discovered linen, double-gauze and voile. This is a bold yet sweet print, perfect for a pink-loving little girl (or boy) or home decor project. There is just shy of a yard of this fabric as well.
So. These fabrics are up for grabs, and for the giveaway question, I had to reach far into the recesses of my noggin because my brain is a bit over-taxed these days. I gawped neanderthal-like at the screen feeling stumped for a good question. Neanderthal reminded me of what I must look like at the gym while lumberingly huffing and puffing on the treadmill, which reminded me of the many women’s magazines I read while on the evil machine, which reminded me of a Marie Claire section that asks women to talk about their favorite body part. So that’s my question: what is a part of yourself that you love most or are proudest of – it could be a body part, a personality trait, a skill. Don’t be shy! I think we’re programmed to downplay our strengths as women (and as far as I can tell, there are no gents reading this other than my long-suffering husband), and it’s so easy to focus on shortcomings in this Photoshopped world — such a shame.
I’ll go first. I love my eyebrows, though they could use a good plucking stat…I’m also quite proud of my ability to learn new skills quickly. I’ve been told I’m both left- and right-brained and I’ve had the privilege of working in a variety of fields encompassing the creative and technical. And last, but not least, I like to consider myself a good friend. The one you can call in an emergency; the one who will carry your secrets to her grave; the one who will enthusiastically support you and join you in your new ventures whether it be a beets-only diet (true story), crashing a psychic conference or enrolling in a hip hop class in which you are clearly too old by several decades (also true stories). On second thought, a better friend might talk you out of those ventures. What about you, what are your favorite attributes?
I will leave the giveaway open until Thursday, September 19th and will announce the winner the next day! As always, international folks are more than welcome!
My fave is my eyes … I used to hate them as a child because they’re BIG … But now I love them …
Thanks for doing the giveaway, love the watercolour fabric!!!
Hahaha I love your explanation about how you came up with the question!;D For me, I’m quite happy with my great (short term) memory since it always serves me well for exams! And that sounds like too much fun, I’d so love to be your friend 😀
My favorite is my smile. it is big and friendly. And when the rest of me is falling apart I can still smile. Love, love, love the fabrics.
My favorite is my eyes. They are kind of a steel blue but tend to change with what I am wearing or what scenery I am standing in front of. Sometimes they will look kind of aqua or grey. I think it’s neat! Love the floral fabric! Thanks for the give away and for making us feel good about ourselves!
I guess I’d say my hands. They allow me to do all the things I love to do and have yet to fail me. They have the strength to renovate a house, the gentleness to soothe a cranky child and the stamina to knit a whole sweater out of sock weight yarn!
My favorite feature is my smile. I inherited amazing genes from my parents and have perfectly straight teeth (no braces), and have never had a cavity at 30 years old. I also consider myself a good friend. I still buy cards and snail mail them to friends and am the one everyone calls when they need to be cheered up, talk or just veg with. Thanks for reminding me that it’s okay to brag on myself every now and then. You’re absolutely right- I look at my shortcomings far too often.
I (now) love my curly hair and small ankles. Thanks Sanae!
My favorite feature is my eyes; I’ve been told i have big round eyes for being Asian. And to answer your second question, I think I have a thing for numbers. I can remember phone numbers, credit card info, and other commonly used numbers. I guess that’s a good thing if I ever lose my cell phone – I would still remember all the important numbers! Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
HM, I like my smile& teeth, I like my midsection and I like my open-mindedness. I also like my good heart. Although I sometimes want to help *too* much, as my husband may say, I think it’s better to be giving than selfish and I like that about myself.
Mae
I think my favorite part is my hair! It’s thick and I can wear it either curly or straight. It’s the part of me I worry about least, anyway!!!
Well I’m self-teaching myself to sew and the stuff I have made for my daughter has been getting compliments from strangers, which is always nice. I hope I don’t beem with too much pride when I answer that I made it 🙂 I’m also very proud of my memory. I have a great mind for details, useless trivia, and football stats! Body wise I think I’m proudest that I’m strong. I might look like a chubby short gal, but I can do A LOT of pushups, one to two pullups, and still swing myself around the bars like I did in 4th grade! And I love the positivity of this question and the answers you are getting!
i think my favourite part is my hands. i like how they look used (in a nice way) and enable me to be creative.
Hmmmm… I like my ears. They are perfectly shaped, they don’t stick out and they work perfectly! I also think that I am very compassionate and open-minded which are nice traits to have!
I am fairly content with my appearance, which is properly unusual. When I consider carefully what I like most about myself, I think it is that I am a good friend. I listen well, and I am supportive and present when friends are in need. I keep in touch. And of course, I like to sew and make things for my friends, too.
Beautiful fabrics 🙂
Honestly, I love that I love myself. I am well aware of my shortcomings, but through it all, I manage to be comfortable in my own skin and love who I am. I am creative and I am short. I am a mother and I am fat. I am loyal and I am easily frustrated. All of these things, good and bad, come together to make me who I am and the woman that my family and husband loves.
I think my laugh is a good thing. Laughing is something I do a lot (can’t help it) and people seem to remember it. Apparently I even had a big laugh as a small baby. I dunno, sometimes things are just funny to me; maybe it’s just the absurdity of life 🙂
p.s. I’ve never been much into pink but for some reason I am totally drawn to pink flowered fabrics lately!
My best attributes are, my voice…husky and sultry, and my sense of humor. If I can’t get out of trouble with my voice, than I’ll comer back at you with my charming wit. Game over.
I think I like my eyes the best, big and brown ;-)…and to answer your second question, I’m very good with numbers and I’m also quick finding anything they ask me for, from long forgotten and archived emails or documents at work, to something kept at home for a very long time when nobody remembers where it might be…that’s my memory at work I guess…thanks for the chance to win, I love the fabrics!
I’ve always been told that I’m a good listener. I also remember things very well (maybe because I’m a good listener) which always amazes my friends.
I just tend to go for things I want to TRY, even when it means going out of my comfort zone. I do have a little tug war between my fear and my desire so it is not always easy but I just go for it. I also have an ease for creating which helps when jumping into new crafts!
I can sing like anything! I also have a big, beautiful, winning smile that I now see shining back at me from my infant daughter’s face. I’m so happy she inherited that trait from me 🙂
I must admit, overall, I really quite like myself! There are small changes I’d make, like not having to wear glasses, or swearing less in stressful situation, but I still think I’m pretty good. More than anything else, I’m happy to say that I am a person that genuinely tries hard to be good without being sanctimonious or judgemental about it.
You have the best giveaway questions! So much better than having to ‘like’ a bunch of stuff on Facebook to enter.
Lately, one thing I like about myself is my interest in continuing to learn. I’ve been learning sewing, and a variety of new computer-based skills, and I am finding the satisfaction of learning to do something new almost as good as the results of the skill I am learning, like the sewed dresses and the Excel-ed spreadsheets! I’m glad that I have a continued thirst for learning.
My eyelashes!! I have nice long eyelashes! Not sure if that’s considered a body part but I do love them. At my friend’s wedding she had to do my top lashes last. She said she had to do this because if she did my bottoms last I’d get mascara on my eye lid area. My favourite trait is my laugh though. People tell me they can hear me in a crowd and know if I’m near :-). It’s loud and uncontrollable 😉
Great question!! Especially in a world that seems to focus on negatives!
Gorgeous fabric as well! Thank you for the chance!
I am a very loyal person. maybe because i hate change. 🙂 but really, I have few friends but hold all of them dear and near to my heart whether i talk to them once a week or once a year. it’s all the same to me as if nary a moment has passed!
Fave body part would be my eyes. I have my grandma’s and mum’s eyes and passed them on to my daughter, so it’s 4 generations of women with similar eyes. When my daughter was born, I looked at her and saw my grandma’s eyes. It’s something special that bonds us together.
Fave skill that I am most proud of is knitting. Sometimes I look at the product of my knitting and I’m amazed at what my clumsy hands are capable of, and it makes me really happy on the inside.
Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to stop in the middle of the day and think positive thoughts about myself 🙂
Those fabrics look yummy. Thank you for the opportunity. In response to your questions, sadly I don’t have my favourite body part. I grew up in the family that only told me what was not good about me, and I believed it. Only when I moved away from home, found God, and met my husband that I started to accept and love myself more. Anyhoo, enough of downers… it is better now, though I still like my butt and thighs the least (so so common, no?). 🙂
I love your questions and would want to participate just to introspect in a bit more unusual manner!
I love that I’m non-judgmental. I almost always give the benefit of doubt, and am ready to empathise. If I could carry these traits and age gracefully, I’d be happy!
Thanks for opening this up for international readers. Though I’d chime in even if you didn’t!
I Love my muscles. All the fun stuff I do is because of my muscles. I like those little ‘discussions’ we have when they say no more and I say keep going. I like how they punish me the next day. I love how they make me look when I look after them properly. Most of all I love how they represent my strength, capability, and purposefulness. I also love their sense of humour, for example, my right vastus medialis is currently doing a very good impression of an eggplant!
Thanks for encouraging us to focus on the good bits Sanae.
These fabrics are so beautiful, Sanae!
About your questions… I love my lips, just because my grandma told me always that they were perfect… and I think one of my strengths is my sense of humor, it helps when I’m a bit down or when the people around me are down too…
I love my eyebrows too! They’ve always had a beautiful high arch shape, and I’ve never plucked them. And I love my patience. I never realized how much I have until marriage and having children!
Ooh…a giveaway!
So here goes: I think I can keep a secret, really really well. I have had friends from college ask me, so you really never told what I told you back then, and my answer is Yes!, even though the person in question has stopped thinking of it as a secret a long time ago. And then also I like the fact that I am honest, and a perfectionist (that is a good thing right?)
I like my eyes, well, ok people like my eyes and so I have kind of come to believe it, but what I really like is my hands 🙂 No one has complimented me on them yet, but still I like them. They are not pretty, but I think I consider myself deft, and they are good working hands.
Is that good enough? Oh, I so hope I win!!
Thanks for the lovely fabric giveaway.
I like my eyes. They’ve been described as chocolate brown and are very expressive. What a great giveaway! The fabric is so cute, and I love thinking about all the good stuff about me!
Thank you so much for this giveaway, Sanae! I love those fabrics!
Well, as for the question you are asking us, everyone says I have great hair. I actually love its color after summer time as some blond hair pop up (no white hair yet…) And I have to admit that is it a “good quality strong hair” 🙂 As a mother I think that my biggest quality is to be able to let my children be free to try new things and not trying to protect them to much.
I hope that I am allowed to enter, I live in Australia.
Anywho, I love my hands, they are small/petite, but they do an awful lot everyday! Cooking, cleaning, sewing, knitting, scrap booking, typing, playing with my two gorgeous girls, & a million hours on pining on Pinterest 🙂
I also love my ability to do a bazillion projects all at the same time, whilst having two kids at home with me all day 😉
Oh Sanae – what a wonderful discussion you have started! So beautiful to see women loving themselves in a world that shows us unattainable images of perfection.
This question is difficult for me to answer, not because I suffer from being self-deprecating, but because I am so aware of how much I can continually improve. That being said, I have been told that I am a good listener and a loyal friend. As I get older, I treasure the friendships that I have more and more and see them for the gifts they are!
Thank you for the giveaway Sanae. I find it hard to name body parts or character traits that I am proud of or that I particularly like. I think I like (and sometimes hate) the fact that I am sensitive and can pick up peoples moods and feelings even when they are hidden. That can be great because it makes me empathetic but can also be very difficult when I feel how people are dissatisfied or unhappy about things I cannot change.
I really love my hands which I have made many creative items with. They are pretty dry and getting wrinkly (need loads of pampering), but I love them all the same. When I hold my children’s soft and smooth hands, I tell them to remember the feeling of my hold and that moment in time.
Hmm, I like my hair a lot , I’m pretty chuffed that it’s still glossy and dark and I haven’t had to deal with grey hairs yet. And I’m amazed and grateful to my body for producing two gorgeous children- and that my tired old body just keeps on going!