Giveaway – Sugar and Spice Earrings

I’m baaaack! 😉

Whew, Kids! It was quite the week off….

Shall I tell you about it?

When you’re a kid, there are times you hear adults talking, but don’t really understand what they’re saying . . .

I can remember listening to my parents and their friends as they discussed vacations. They said that one week just isn’t enough – you need two weeks in a row. They insisted you only begin to relax during the first week, and it’s not until the second week that you are able to fully absorb the benefits of time-off.

After the week Sir Beads and I just had, I think I finally understand exactly what they were talking about!

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This year, we’ve had 2 vacations – one week each – and come to think of it, neither turned out to be very restful. I suppose the fact that they were “staycations” may have been a contributing factor, because we did incorporate household tasks into the mix. We probably should have planned to take both weeks together. Maybe, next time!

With respect to last week though, besides more days-off, we could have used fewer instances of Murphy’s Law! (You know – “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”)

“What the heck are ya talkin’ about, Crystal?” (You ask. 😉 )

Well, I guess I’m trying to say that I feel as if I need a vacation after the vacation I just had. 😉

First, there was the weather…

Holy Moly! We had scorching hot days, some of which were 100 degrees plus! And the humidity – ouch! The air was so soupy that our little air conditioners groaned as they valiantly tried to keep up.

Next, there was the plumbing repair gone haywire….

We thought it would be convenient to let a plumber replace the bathroom shower/hot water mixer, faucet, and drain plug in our bathtub. Sir Beads is very good at home repairs, but we were looking for a quick fix this time – no searching for parts or having to buy a new tool. The plumbers arrived and what should have been a 2-hour job turned into two long days! What went wrong? Everything it seems. Ay-yi-yi!

No good deed goes unpunished . . .

We promised my parents we’d spend time doing chores for them. We wanted to accomplish a lot, so we set aside an entire day. Our daughter wanted to help, too, so she took a vacation day from work to join us. Wouldn’t you know; the temperatures soared to 103 degrees that day! Since we had plumbers coming later in the week and dear daughter had arranged for the time off, we decided we had to keep with our scheduled day – even though it was going to be hot, hot, hot! Can you say nightmare? 😉 We did finish a portion of what we had intended to do, but were as wilted as dishrags by sunset.

“Gee, Crystal, can you please get back to talking like your cheerful old self? We don’t want to hear you whine!”


Yes, of course, kids – sorry! It must be the heat talking (still brutally muggy, here.)

All of you were in my thoughts and I’m happy to be back with a new question and a new giveaway! 😀

During July and August, I’ll have the weekly questions, as usual, but it will be a “monthly” giveaway until autumn.

Sugar and Spice

For July’s giveaway, I have a beautiful pair of pearl earrings. They feature Vintage Swarovski round faceted beads in a gorgeous shade of forest green aurora borealis called “Turmaline AB”. The aurora borealis flash makes them twinkle like a rainbow of stars on a clear night.

I’ve added Swarovski clear crystal rondelles and also Swarovski tear-drop shaped glass faux pearls in creamy white.

ALL metal components are STERLING SILVER, including the elegant artisan-crafted earwires! Overall measurement is just over 2 inches in length.

Contest Rules and How To Enter

You can have multiple chances to enter!
Any day you leave a comment on this blog – it is counted as a chance to enter the current giveaway.

For example, if you answer today’s question (you’ll find it below!) that will give you one chance.

But if you then come back another day and comment on a different post – you will have earned a second chance! Visit again and comment and you’ll have 3 chances, and so on.

(When you comment, you do not have to mention that it’s an entry in the giveaway. My blog program shows me all of the “comments” as they come in – so I do not miss any of them, and all will count to be entered into the drawing!) 😀

Today’s question is:

Describe the most enjoyable vacation that you’ve ever had. It can be anything from a relaxing week at home with no schedule, to a day-trip to the beach, to a sightseeing tour of another country. Please tell us about the vacation that was the most fun for you! 😀

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The Boring Stuff . . .
You must be 18 yrs. old. After the completion of the contest, the name of the winner will be listed here. The winner will also be notified by email. If the winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be mailed via USPS First Class Mail

All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 07/30/10, and the winner will be selected on or about 07/31/10.

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Comments

Giveaway – Sugar and Spice Earrings — 62 Comments

  1. We went to a health spa in Granada for our 10th wedding anniversary. It was an all inclusive resort with spa services included. It was a wonderful, relaxing, beautiful week.

    Hey, how was the lasagna? If you didn’t like it, thats ok, I’m looking for honesty.

  2. Sorry about all the problems you had during the vacation. Having problems on vacation is so wrong on so many levels. Doesn’t mother nature know we work hard for our vacations, the least she could do is co-operate.

  3. Hi Kelly!
    The lasagna was delicious 🙂 That recipe is a keeper!
    I know it will be one I return to again and again.

    Thank you so much for sharing it. I am going to put it in the recipe box (located on the right) so that everyone can find it easily. (Scroll down to: “What’s for Dinner?”, and look for “Crock Pot Lasagna” by Kelly”)
    Hugs,
    Crystal 🙂

  4. Good Morning and welcome back! The earrings are beautiful!

    My best vacation was about 3 years ago when we took the boys to Mammoth Cave in KY. We spent the weekend in a hotel located in the park. One day visiting the caves and a walk around the mountain. The next day enjoying the entertainment venue around the town. It was the greatest time. The heartwarming thing for me is that one of their best memories that they still talk about is our hike around the mountain especially when “a bear was walking almost right next to us”. Wonder where they got THAT idea ~lol~

    Glad you are back. Sorry you had such hot weather. We had a super long weekend over the 4th. Felt like a vacation, especially since the boys went to FL with their mom.

    xx, Carol

  5. This was decades ago, but it was the best. I took my 2 week vacation and spent it at my parents summer home. It was early in the season, so there were not many people. The home was on a small private lake. I just layed on the small pier by myself and read, relaxed and listened to music. It was the peace I needed back then while dealing with my hectic schedule.

  6. I went to Israel during the winter in 2007, such beautiful scenery! My favorite place there was Mt. Masada!

  7. Welcome back. Sorry about your plumbing problems. We usually have those problems when we have company from out of state and it’s a holiday! Backed up sink, plugged toilet, second floor shower leaking into the ceiling below.
    The weather has been miserable – I’m looking forward to the LOW 80’s! I never thought I’d say that.
    Best vacation: when my three children were all adults and we went to Disney over Christmas. It was relaxing – no dinners to cook, no gifts to buy or wrap (we made the trip our gift), no rushing around. We relaxed, shared a drink with our grown children and laughed a lot.

  8. 2 months in Tuscany in the summer of 2008 was the most enjoyable and relaxing vacation I have ever had. We ate amazing olive oil, met lovely people, drank Chianti and Vin Santo and truly shed the stress of work and living in America.

  9. Hey, you are back!!

    I had some of that same weather last week. Way too hot to do much of anything. Glad you were able to get some of your ToDoList items scratched off and spend time with family even though the weather did not cooperate.

    Love the earrings. As you know, I always take notice of the earwires. Maybe one day you could share where you buy your findings.

  10. mmm well its actually our only real vacation.After 17 years with no real vacation we went to Cuba with our son.It was wonderful and for that week our son was almost our old smiling boy again…..but he returned to his angry\miserable teenage self when we got home !

  11. The most relaxing vacation would have to be 2 weeks in Tampa, Florida. We got an incredible deal on the hotel, which served the best breakfast and had free dinner/cocktail time from Mon to Thurs. And…it’s the first time I didnt freak out about sticking to a schedule or worrying about doing this or doing that. It was the longest vacation Ive ever taken and it was so relaxing. We all did things we liked but didnt feel pressed that we had to do everything or squeeze this or that in. Really fun!!!

  12. My mon and dad took my sister and I to the bahamas one year during the 4th of July and it was the best! We had so much fun at the beach, walking around the island and seeing new and different things. Oh and shopping of course was great! The Olsen twins was having a beach party but we could only see from way down the beach.

  13. I’ve had many memorable vacations over the years. 7 days in Hawaii but was sick with the flu the last 3. Very memorable!! A weekend in New York City, wanted to ride the subway, never been on one. Hubby got pickpocketed. Again, very memorable!! LOL!!

    I guess my favorite vacation would be a week we spent in the Poconos celebrating our wedding anniversary. Can’t remember which one.

    But I remember the employee assigned to us to be at our beck-and-call. He took pictures of us clothed going up the steps to our cabin, in front of our fireplace (in July!!), in our very own private indoor swimming pool. And get this. We wanted pictures of us in our huge red HEART shaped hot tub. But I wanted pink and red flowers in the photo. He went to the town to get them. And then took pictures of us (in swimsuits) completely covered in bubbles.

    I even rode a horse called Elvis. Fed him the apple from my lunch sack, right from the palm of my hand. And shot a gun at the shooting range. All firsts for me. We had a blast. With all the photos I have, it is a vacation I will never forget.

    Needless to say, our beck-and-call guy got the biggest tip we have ever given anyone.

  14. Beautiful earrings (no need to enter me into the contest though), just wanted to welcome you back! Sorry your time away didn’t go exactly as planned, I would of been miserable if the weather got THAT hot yuck! LOL

  15. My most enjoyable vacation has always been when I get to go home to see my family.

  16. The most memorable vacation for me was 3 years ago when my husband took me to Hawaii. One of our excursions, which was a first for both of us, was deep sea fishing where my husband caught a 10 ft 255 lb Blue Marlin. We were told by the crew that we were going at a really slow time of the year so we probably won’t see much. I told him if I was going to spend the day that far out in the water with a fishing pole I was going to bring home a BIG fish. After the day was over the crew wanted to know if I wanted a job on the boat because if I can make predictions like that I need to be working with them. LOL :o)

  17. Hiya Crystal!

    I missed you so much!!!! I’m so happy you’re back!

    I wish you and Sir Beads could have had cooler days on your vacation, and better luck too! The heat is on over here also, and I’m counting the days till fall! 😉

    Those earrings are so beautiful, as usual! So girlie and dainty. 🙂

    Best vacations?…It’s not really a vacation, but I loved fishing with my dad. When I was a kid, we’d go just about every night after he came home from work.

    xoxo
    Paulette

  18. My most relaxing vacation was a week we spent at Cape San Blas, Florida. It’s a very laid-back place with some great seafood restaurants.

  19. My best vacations ever have involved circumnavigating islands in open-air vehicles. My sweetie and I have mopeded around Cozumel and jeeped around Puerto Rico. We make lots of stops and see lots of places that most tourists miss.

  20. Time off never goes as planned does it? My most enjoyable vacation was my honeymoon with my husband. We started in Puerto Rico and took a week long cruise through the Caribbean – a different island each day! It was fantastic – didn’t have to plan where to stay and got to see lots of incredible places. Most islands we had tours already booked, so someone would just pick us up at the dock and drive us around all day, usually ending up at the beach for an hour or to on each tour. Talk about low stress vacationing! I’d go again in a heartbeat!

  21. My most enjoyable vacation was at Disney with my children and wife. I had gone to Disney at a very young age with my parents. Looking back at the pictures I saw the wonder and joy from my face. This look I wanted to see on my own children. I was not disappointed. Hoping someday my own children will experience this.

  22. The most enjoyable vacation for me is always the next one–I’m like a kid in a candy store with the planning parts of it!

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    –Liza

  23. Lovely earrings and my favorite vacation was when we visited Morocco, stayed in the Medina in Marrakesh, shopped in the souks, visited the Berbers and camped in the Sahara Desert with the Bedouins. I’m still struck dumb!

  24. My honeymoon was the most enjoyable vacation, I was so happy to finally be with the man of my dreams, and Hilton Head had such great restaurants and a great beach to view from our hotel window

  25. We took a trip to Hawaii one year for our wedding anniversary. I would love to go back there and just sit by the beach for hours. What a beautiful island!

  26. My favorite vacation was our 3 week road trip in our VW… 3 weeks, 10 states, no schedules… What a beautiful country we have. Can’t wait to see all of it.

  27. Hi! I enjoyed the week the whole family went to Pigeon Forge,TN. We were close to the Great Smoky Mountains and it was so pretty there in the mornings. We did shopping next to our hotel and got to see black bears in one store that we could feed apples to. I thought that was so neat. We also got to go to Dollywood and I really enjoyed myself there. It was a beautiful park and I hope someday to be able to go back. 🙂

  28. My best vacation was the two weeks my husband and I spent driving around Ireland. I would love to go back!

  29. My best vacation by far was when I was in college and I went with friends for 3 weeks in Ireland. We visited a lot of the important historical sites and ate in some wonderful pubs. Ireland is a lovely country!

  30. I am not sure if this was my best vacation but I really enjoyed trip to vienna last year… few warm autumn days in busy city and many many museums and arts… impresionists and hundertwasser.:-)))

  31. My two weeks in Japan! Everything was beautiful, the food was delicious, and I did tons of shopping 😉

  32. I loved our honeymoon to the Wisconsin Dells. I really like water parks and we got to spend a lot of time at all the awesome water parks there!

  33. The week that my hubby and I spent in Jamaica. It’s was our honeymoon….a while after we got married. But it was quiet, warm, romantic and the best week ever!

  34. My favorite vacation was this past May when we took our 5 year old daughter to Disney World for the first time. She’s really into the princesses, so we did the two princess breakfasts. It was really nice.

  35. My favorite vacation was my honeymoon. We took a cruise to the Caribbean islands. It was a carefree time with my new husband.

  36. I have two boys and our favorite vacation was when we went on the great amusement park run. We bought a annual pass to Six Flags and visited 6 parks in 10 days and we only paid for the hotels since we had the annual pass. What a blast!

  37. A week in Cancun, extra enjoyable because I won the hotel portion! We just relaxed, drank lots of miami vices, and swam. Would love to go back.

  38. My best vacation was when we went to the forest with friends. It was a nice day 🙂

  39. Our Son turns 14 this weekend and He has never been on vacation further then 50 miles away…We would love to take Him to Disney or Universal

  40. My best vacation ever was a cross-country road trip with a good friend. It was awesome.

  41. my trip to Ireland. Everyone is super friendly and well… i was a college kid in a country where my drinking age didn’t matter!

  42. my favorite vacation was when my family and i drove around yellowstone in an rv (:

  43. My husband and I went to Italy this spring! It was my first time out of the country and we got to explore Rome and some nearby towns, eat lots of good food, and just soak in their culture. It was amazing!

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