Birthday Celebration: Day 2

Welcome to Monday! Couple things to share with you today...

First, a blast-from-the-past card I made using my Bear Hugs cling set from Whipper Snapper. He's one of my personal favorites. How would you like your own Bear Hugs set? Today's blog candy giveaway might be your lucky chance!

Birthday Celebration: Day 2

Thursday is my birthday and I thought I would celebrate all week long and do a few blog candy giveaways this week! Fun for me, fun for you! Today's packet includes 36 sheets of 6x6 paper (Melissa Frances and Provo), a Bear Hugs cling set (Whipper Snapper), two journal block stamps (Heather Bailey for Autumn Leaves), a blooming hearts stamp (EK) and a set of die cuts (Spellbinders).

If you would like to be entered into the drawing for this set of goodies, please leave a comment on this post. I'd like to know, what's your favorite flower and why?

I'll be choosing one name from the comments on Tuesday, October 5th at 9:00AM! Central -- be sure you leave your name!

Birthday Celebration: Day 1
Finally, one name has been selected from yesterday's blog candy drawing -- thanks to all those that left a note about where they find inspiration! The winner of the Birthday Celebration: Day 1 package of goodies is Kathy (snyderkh)!!

Kathy says:
"Like most everyone here I get a lot of ideas and inspiration from viewing the blogs of some very creative people that share their projects on-line.  I too view a lot of blogs when I can.  One of my favorites is Paperfections.  Another is Mel Stampz.  I also get inspiration for magazines (mostly advertising), commercial cards, nature, and cool stores (like Anthropology and Urban Outfitter).  Happy birthday to you...too...almost!  I hope you love having a Fall birthday.  Mine is September, but I have 3 family members who have October birthdays...Fall is a beautiful time of year and October is one of the most beautiful months of Fall.  Thanks for the chance to win this great blog candy."

Get in touch with me Kathy, and I'll get your package out to you right away! Oh, and yes Kathy, I LOVE having a fall birthday! It's my favorite time of year!

Happy Monday!

Comments

[Shari Fritz]

Happy Birthday! I'm a big fan of your blog. I'm always telling a friend of mine, who owns chickens, about your blog entries. Thank you for sharing your creativity.

[Anne S]

WOOHOO! It's not quite 9am yet! I can still enter!!!!!!!!!! My favorite flower is the daffodil! I'm always SO excited to see them popping up through the ground after a long winter! Hope you have a VERY Happy Birthday!

[Susan Spears]

Gerber Daisy! My all time favorite! They come back in my flower beds year after year and are so big and beautiful!

Happy Birthday!

[Veronica Z]

Happy Hsppy Birthday! My very favorite flowers are Mums, especially the dark red version. They remind me of Fall, my favorite time of year and my Great Grandmother, she loved them to and always had pots and pots of them in her garden and yard.

[Kathy Martin]

Hot dog! Another chance to win a set of your stamps! :)

My favorite flowers are tulips. I adore the way a bunch looks in a vase and after seeing fields and fields of them in Washington at the Skagit Tulip Festival years ago, I was hooked!

[Mary Anne K.]

My very favorite flowers, Anna, are Sweet Peas. When I was growing up, there was a huge trellis of them outside my bedroom window. All summer, the fragrence wafted through. They were heavenly! What a lovely gift you are giving someone. Happy day 2 of your Birthday Celebration!

[Yvonne Russell]

I love tulips because they always seem so elegant and regal. When you see them in a field, all the different hues are spectacular.

The Bear Hugs card is so cute. Thanks for the chance. What a fun way to celebrate your birthday.

[Deb Sims]

Your blog is always the first one I go to when I have a little bit of time to sit and relax. I love the mix of animals, cards, gardening and recipes. My favorite flower is the rose, mostly because I have a rose in my yard that belonged to my Mother and it is hearty and beautiful. You are a fabulous photographer. Every time I see goats, I think of you! Have a wonderful birthday!

[Boni]

What fun Anna! I love reading all about your farm family and all the shenanigans of your "kids"! Your designs are so sweet. My sister and Dad share October birthdays and Fall is my Favorite time of year!

As for a flower - I love daisies and lavender. I love how they grow wild just for the picking and a daisy field or lavender field is perfect for relaxing and watching the clouds shape shift!

[Su C.]

Happy Early Birthday to you! My favorite flower is freesias. I love the fragrance and I think they are very pretty and come in beautiful colors!

[Sabrina]

What a fun way to celebrate your birthday :D.
I'd been saving your entries while catching up after vacation - some blogs just get marked read, some are worth saving to read properly...
My favourite flower - oh my! How do you choose one favourite flower for each month, let alone an all-time favourite. And how do you choose between a little wildflower from a pack of mixed seed and a lovely scented lily for taking indoors? I'll settle for freesias as an in-between compromise - they remind me of the time I worked in Guernsey, and people used to leave them out by the road in buckets with a little honesty box for you to leave a small payment.

[Donna Bylak]

Anna, What would I do without you! You give us recipes, art, inspiration, and you share the wonderful stories of your animals with us. I love them all and look forward to your postings. I love to cook, sew, own 2 dogs and make cards, and your blog cover them all!! I also love zinnias!

[Ida]

Hi Anna, What a wonderful give away package you have here. My favorite flower is a Carnation. They are so pretty and they smell divine. Thanks for entering me in the give away.

[Pam]

My favorite flowers are wild flowers. I love the variety of beautiful flowers that grow in the wild. When my children were little it was always fun to go for walks and see what we could find. So perhaps it is part memory and part the love of the flowers. Thanks for the chance to win. I hope your birthday is simply wonderful.

[Amber Goble]

Bleeding Hearts are so pretty. I love Poppies also!
Happy Birthday!

[Sandy Luckett]

Happy Early Birthday Anna! My favorite flower is angel's trumpet. I love the sweet scent it gives especially at night when there is a slight breeze. Delightful! I also love that my 2 plants came from clippings. Just like stamping it's fun to start with a little something and then the end result is fantastic! Thank you for the chance to win some wonderful items! Mr Bear Hugs is too cute!

[Randee E]

ooh! What fun!! My favorite flowers are Lily of the Valley. Such cute little wedding bell shaped flowers with the most intense fragrance! They remind me of my mother. I think that's why I love them soo much :0)

[Barb S]

Wow, lots of comments! :-)

My favorite flower is the "Peace" rose. I grow one I my garden just like my grandmother did in hers. It's a beautiful single rose, yellowish-peach colored petals with a touch of deeper pink on the edges. The best part is its gorgeous, old rose smell!

[Mecah Dow]

My favorite flowers are Tulips. Spring is so hopeful and the excitment seeing flowers after a long Chicago winter makes me smile.

[Robin]

How can a gal pick just one favorite flower?
If I had to choose (sorry hydrangeas & bleeding hearts) it would be the grape hyacinth!! I love that such a little flower packed such a wallop of a scent!!

[Jan Elmore]

Hi Anna,

CHRYSANTHEMUMS!!!!!!!

While all else is going to sleep for the winter, here comes the MUMS!

[Elaine Moore]

Oh the daisy is my favorite - they're so perky and just make ya smile....they're happy flowers
Happy Birthday!!!!

[Donna]

LISIANTHUS! The first time I met one, I fell in love! So yummy and unique!

EARLY HAPPY B-DAY!

d

[katie]

happy birthday a few days early. My favorite flower is a black eyed susan but I have not idea why. They're just purty.

[Janet Sisk]

My favorite flower is the African Violet. My grandmother(who is still around at 93!) used to raise tons of African Violets in her farm house. She would have table in front of windows just full of different types of these beautiful violets. She could get them to bloom like crazy. When I got married and got my first house, there was a garden window in the kitchen. The first plant I bought was an African Violet. I still have a couple today in my kitchen window sill. :D Thanks for a chance to win this wonderful prize package, too.

[Anette Eakins]

Happy Birthday Countdown!!! Hmmm, favorite flower, that has to be a toss-up between Black Eyed Susans and Larkspur! I love the Larkspur because they come in beautiful blue colors. I'm not sure why I am so taken with the Black Eyed Susans, I have just always liked them and one great thing is they are so easy to grow. I have a whole bunch in my garden.

[Kathryn]

Gardenias, the great big ones and the star lily. They both can smell an entire room with their wonderful fragrance. Happy birthday to you allllll week long :-)

[Lauralee Camilleri]

I recently just learned how to keep orchids alive and I love them!!! The colours, the cool waxy feel of them and the fat little buds inspire me. Thanks for the chance to win some great blog candy. I love your site, especially the posts of your menagerie. Thanks!!

[Ann Lind]

My favorite flowers are Sweet Peas. I love their perfume and their delicate blossoms. Thanks for the chance to win some wonderful blog candy. Happy Birthday (in advance) . I have a busy day tomorrow so no online time. Hugs Ann

[Theresa Grdina]

I love all flowers!!! I don't think I can choose just one...but I really love cala lilies! Aren't they lovely???? And then my next favorite is a RED geranium...so simple but so beautiful to look at!

[Jessie McLaughlin]

Anna Happy Birthday Week!! I hope you are having a wonderful week! My favorite flower is lily of the valley it reminds me of my childhood and my Mom. :)

[Toni K]

Happy Birthday again!
My favorite flowers are daisies. I love their simplicity, which is funny because I don't like other things simple. Thanks for the chance to win ;)

[Andrea S.]

My favorite flower is the rose. Actually I love all kinds of flowers, but roses are my favorite.

[Debby Watkins]

Hi Anna! Love your blog and all your creations. My favourite flower is a daisy ... why ... they just make me happy to look at ... especially when I see a field with loads of daisies all over the place.

[Bertie Hilgert]

Well, Happy Early Birthday Anna...Oh, I Can
sing to you now....Hee-Hee
I Won't, don't want to hurt your Ears:)
My Favorite Flower of All Time is the Sunflower...it's got to be the Happiest flower in the world, Why....Because it Loves the Sun....Their Little Heads Look at the Sun
all day...as if to say aaaahhhhhhh :)
Happy Flower....They Have a Sun Face:)

[Renee]

Happy upcoming birthday! Hmmm...I can't follow the directions and pick just one flower! :) My favorite flower for stamping stuff is a poppy. My favorite one in a tree is a magnolia, and my favorite that I can grow is a shasta daisy. My Dad was so smart to dig some up from my Grandma's in Waco many years ago, and wherever my parents or my hubby, kids & I have moved, we take a clump of shasta daisies with us and plant 'em at our new place. Hope you get your favorite flower(s) on your b-day!

[Janet B]

I really love the peony--not sure why but I do like how bushy it is and how big the flowers are. I love sweet peas for their smell too. Thanks for the chance to win.

[Kelly Bee]

I don't have a favourite flower but daisies remind me of my Mom so if I had to pick one that's the one I'd pick!

[Michelle]

What a great time of year to have a birthday! The blog candy looks amazing!

Tulips.. I love the colors and they are the first sign of beauty each Spring. It's when the Earth is going through a rebirthing and if they can bloom when it's still so cold out. Well... so can I

[Harriet Hensley]

My favorite flower is the peony... they smell heavenly and have such soft delicate petals and such beautiful colors.... thanks for a chance to win ...

[Dawn B.]

Happy Birthday, Mine is next thursday...OCt babies rule. As for my fav flower, geesh how do you pick? It's like picking your fav kid or something...I like zennias, they are cool colors are fun and there easy to grow. I like a lot of flowers but they are in the top 10 for sure.

[Aunt Min]

Violets, of course. They are delicate flowers, yet strong, hardy plants that grow in almost any conditions. My mom encouraged a huge patch to grow under the Night Post Light--the leaves got as big as the palm of your hand--scary mutant sized ones from getting light 24-7! Mom passed away a year ago yesterday. Thanks for helping me "conjure up" a delightful memory!

[gail]

Hi Anna,

Happy Birthday to you!.... mt fav flower would have to be the Mini Carnation... they are so durable and long lasting, you can color them any color you want and you definately get your monies worth :)

[RitaK]

Happy Birthday-week! What a huge and lovely candy, I would love to win ;-)My favourite flower is the coltsfoot (tussilago) which peep up early springtime. They make me like a kid again, picking some to put in my kitchen to say "The spring is here" ;-)))

[Amy]

Thanks, Anna! My favorite flowers are daisies... especially the purple ones!

[Rebecca Ednie]

I love so many flowers but my favourite is lavender. I also love peonies, roses, hyacinths and daffodils.

[karen q]

My favorite flower is a daisy. I am not sure why, but they always fascinated me. I had daisy corsages for proms and daisies on my wedding invitation. They are simple flowers and very common but I love them.

[Lisa Dahlseng]

Hi Anna!

Happy Birthday week! My favorite flower has to be Gerber Daisies. I love all of the different colors they come in. They always put a smile on my face!

[kathynruss]

OMG, this is so easy! Peonies! Oh, I miss my whole row of pink and white and red peonies growing down the side of my driveway in Spokane. sniff Happy birthday a few days early from Central Florida, where it has finally cooled off. I don't think AC turned on even once today. Humidity went away, too, and we opened the house this a.m. to air and cool off naturally.

[Carol H.]

My favorite flower is the marigold. I like that they are a hardy plant, continuous blooms, and especially as most flowers are dying off in the fall they are still so pretty. Fall is my favorite time of the year!

[Mary Lou Kemp]

Pansies would be my favorite flower. My dear grandma loved them too. I especially love the little johnnie jump ups that are a miniature pansy.

[Gail S.]

I really love carnations. I love that they are long lasting and are just pretty flowers to have for a centeer piece. I like all of the colors, but probably would say yellow would be the one I usually select.

[K Hutchinson]

Your card is soooo adorable!

My favorite flower is the lotus...since it has a parallel to my life! Rises up from the ickiness into some beautiful!

[Connie G]

Seriously....how do I pick ONE? I love flowers. Orchids are absolutely intriguing and fun to grow but I love yellow roses too!

[Michelle L.]

Happy birthday week, Anna! Without a doubt, my favorite flowers are irises. I have loved them for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the Willamette Valley, where they grow a lot of irises, and I have always loved the vibrant fields of color you see driving in the country or even along I-5.

[Robb_eeie]

My favorite flower hand's down is the Iris ~especially purple ones.

My Grandmother came to Canada when she was 18 (from Holland) and was married & had a home before she was 21. She saved every penny but wanted some *special* bulbs from a magazine in the USA. She ordered these bulbs and now some 80+ years later, I am enjoying their "off spring" in my garden. They are a shade of purple that you don't often see, so they attract a lot of attention & conversation. My Grandmother lives on through my garden :)

[Gabriela]

First and foremost - best birthday wishes to you! Second, congratulations to Kathy who won yesterday's fabulous blog candy. I too obtain inspiration from various blogs and Paper Crafts magazine. Aside from your exquisite images and enviable water coloring, I also look to Debbie Olson and Melissa Philips for inspiration.

[Bev J.]

There is something about a daisy that just makes me happy! The wild daisies are so special early in the year and the other daisy 'type' flowers help make the season special-echinacea, rudbeckia, asters, gaillardia to name some. Tame and wild asters are in bloom right now.

[Sue from Oregon]

Darling card!! Hope your birthday is the best ever! As much as I hate getting "lily dust" on my clothes, I must pick the precious Lily...so fragrant and delicate!

[Mary H.]

My favorite flower is the tulip. I love how they droop when they're in a vase. And they're such a bright pop of color in the spring!

[Karen]

Happy birthday! What a lovely card - signature sweetmissdaisy :-)
My favourite flower is the purple coneflower. I love its striking colours, and bold look, and how it brings butterflies to the garden.

[Lisa]

My favorites are gerber daisy. I love the bright colours, they always put a smile on my face.
Hope you have a happy birthday

[Jennifer Scull]

what a precious card!
my fave flower is the wood violet. I enjoy them so much because of their simplicity. my dad and I used to grow them when I was a young girl. each time I see them, they remind me of him! :)

[Chris]

My favorite flower is lily of the valley -- because it is my Birthday flower and my Mom and Grandmother would give me a bunch every Birthday. BUT I also love dahlias, hydrangeas, bluebells blooming by the river, sunflowers or tulips filling a field... so many!

thanks for the great celebration...

[michelle]

My favorite flowers are violets, with pansies a close second. And the set you're offering today is perfect for me, because I come from a family who gives BEARHUGS!

[Ronda C.]

My favorite flowers are Sunflowers. I love, love, love them. We plant a bunch of them in the garden and at the side of our yard so they bloom all summer long.

[MichelleH]

Love your cute card! My fave flower is tough....black tulips because they're so unique and regal, bleeding hearts for their gorgeous shape, green roses (on St. Pat's) because they're just fun, dandelions because my kids bring them to me with big grins.

[Diane Cooper]

Happy Early Birthday (in case I don't get a chance to wish you one later!!!)
Fave cut flower is a Gerber Daisy for sure! Fave in my garden has to be either hibiscus or sunflowers!
But I have to say I am partial to just about any colourful flower!!!!
Diane

[Carol Dee]

Congrats Kathy. (Lucky girl
Another really cute set Anna. Yes add me to the drawing!
My favorite flower. Hmmmm, That actually is a hard one. So many to chose from. Lily fo the Valley for the fragerance. Bleeding hearts are so unique and our neighbor had the most amazing BIG bush of them. Holly Hocks, so many fun memories of making holly hock dolls when I was young.
hugs...

[Sally]

My favorite flower is the rose, because it reminds me of my grandmother. She had beautiful rose gardens and a green thumb to tend them all. Unfortunately the gene did not pass to me, hence I have no roses. I also love iris and all the variety. They grow like weeds here.

[Darlene]

Sunflowers! Because they are just happy, of course! I can't pass a sunflower without smiling. A photo, artificial, stamped or real sunflower always brings a smile to my face.

[Diane]

Thanks for the chance to win blog candy. My favorite flower is the daisy because it is so simple and elegant at the same time.
Diane

[Carmen]

My favorite flowers are tulips... They don't grow in Guatemala (where I grew up), so they always seemed extremely exotic to me! My husband not only surprised me with some for my birthday this year, but he also got them in purple (my favorite color).

And a VERY CLOSE second are violets... They remind me of my grandpa who had tons of them all over the house. When he died, all of his violets died soon after...

[Adair]

One of my favorite flowers is a daisy. I just love their simplicity and brightness. I can't but smile when I see one!

[Jennifer K.]

I love this birthday set too!! My favorite flower is carnations - I love their spicy scent and the fact that they last so long :)

[Troy Louise]

Love that card! Happy early b-day to a fellow Libran & oh so close birthday celebrant, mine is the 8th! My favorite flowers are pansies because when I was a little girl my Grandmother showed me the mini fairy that lives in the middle of them. (Loved your chicken card & tag.) Hugs.

[Holly]

Happy Birthday, girlie! My favorite flower is and always has been the gerber daisy. I love the rustic simplicity of this gorgeous flower. :-)

[Aimee]

My favorite flower well i have two, first Sweet Peas, because they remind me so much of my grandfather and helping him in the garden every spring and summer. Second Hydrengas, because they are HUGE and you can change the colors of your flowers with your soil. :)

[Ali Smith]

Hi Anna,
Huh...favorite flower. Well, If I had to choose I would say Birds of Paradise. When I first saw them I decided they were the best because they were orange, my favorite color, and they looked like a bird. For a long time I called them "Birds of Prey", like the dinosaur Velasa Raptor, because I had seen Jurassic Park shortly before seeing them. :)
Thanks for this give away and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

[Dawn G]

Favorite flower is pansies - my pappy used to have them planted at his house and I love the little faces.

Happy birthday! Thanks for the chance to win.

[Shala]

Favorite flower? I'll have to go with Liatris punctata, also known as Spotted Gayfeather. I love finding these on the prairie because they are like finding jewels.

[Carrie C]

Happy Fall Birthday! Mine is the 20th and, like you, I love having a fall birthday. Thanks for the chance to win your adorable stamp set and the other great goodies. My favorite flower is the lilac because its blooms mean that spring has arrived. It has a lovely fragrance that perfumes our whole yard. Mmmmm.

[IsabelleM]

My favorite is lilac because it's small soo good ! I also like plumeria because it's remember me some good memories..

[Terri W]

Happy Birthday! I like daffodils because they are a great sign of spring!

[MarilynY]

Happy Happiest Birthday to YOU! I don't know about you but for me the years seem to go by faster and faster as I get older. But the greatest part of getting older is I feel wiser, happier, more relaxed and am certainly enjoying life a whole lot more. I wish you the same and more. My favorite flower is the Magnolia. The fragrance and beauty of the flower is so out-of-this-world. So white and a simple structure but stunning. Have a great day!

[kittie Caracciolo]

ooops! I forgot to say Happy Birthday on my post. I hope you have a wonderful day, Anna!

[Janine]

Hi Anna!! Glad to be able to celebrate your birthday with you!!
My favorite flower is a freesia because it is the first flower my husband ever gave to me!!

[Sharon Swindell]

Happy Pre-Birthday! My favorite flower? That's a tough one. I think I'm very fickle because my likes change with the season! In the summer, I love lots of color and the smell of lilacs. In the spring, I adore my tulips, The fall brings the warm colors that my Mums reflect. In the winter, the pops of color that poinsettias bring are striking. Like I said, I'm a little fickle!

[Lisa]

I love daisies. Simple. Beautiful. Cheerful. And not overwhelmingly scented. :)

[Judy Inhoff]

Happy Birthday! My favorite flower is a yellow rose. I love how they look and the smell. Thanks for a chance to win.

[Cindy J.]

My favorite flower is the tulip. I think it's because they are so colorful and signal that spring is about to start.... my favorite season.

[diane mcvey]

Oh, that cute bear is so adorable! I thought I recognized that card! :D
I hope you have a truly wonderful birthday! I'm sure Alan will make sure that it's extra special :)
I love all the flowers, but one of my favorites is the peony. They smell so wonderful, and my Grandmother (whom I ADORED) grew them in her flower beds. I have so many memories of being at her house, and helping with flowers (and weeds!)
Thank you for the chance to win!

[Elsie]

Happy Birthday!! I love love love your blog and stamped creations. My favorite flower is Lily of the Valley. When I was a very little girl (many years ago) they grew along the fence in our yard. My grandmother lived with us and passed when I was only five. Whenever I see those little "bells" I think of summers spent with my Grandma.

[Jean]

Happy birthday Anna---almost! My favorite flower is the iris because they are so pretty. Thanks for the chance to win some birthday blog candy.

[Patsy Behrendt]

I like any flower that will grow for me! I must have a purple thumb since no matter what I plant, it dies! My friends laugh and call me the "Dr. Kavorkian" of plants! My husband usually gives me Daisies since I think they are so plain and simple. I am not a frilly person and they seem to suit me.
Happy Birthday to you and may this be the first of many more! Love your blog and the animals! My bulldogs love the Daisy biscuits!

[Catherine Kraft]

Happy Birthday!! I pray that this week will be filled with special moments and memories for you. My favorite flower........so hard to choose as I love flowers. I love tulips as they are one of the first to bloom in the spring and we lived in The Netherlands for 6 1/2 years and I loved the beautiful bouquets of mixed spring flowers.

Hugs,
Catherine
[email protected]

[Susan G]

That looks like quite a prize package. Thanks for offering it. The bear is just so cute. My favorite flower is the daisy. I used them at our wedding 40 years ago and they are still a favorite. They are such a bright, happy looking flower and make me smile. Just wish they lasted the entire summer.

[Darlene L]

I have always been partial to gardenia's. It was my first corsage for homecoming and I was the only with a gardenia--everyone else had roses or carnations. My bf made me really feel special. I have loved them ever since--the bf--not so much--LOL. Thanks again for the chance to win.

[Debbie Fisher]

Happy Birthday week! Gerber Daisies are my favorite flower (one of them any way Ü). I've always loved daisies, no particular reason.

[Julie Phillips]

Happy Happy Birthday Anna! My mother's birthday is October 10th. I have always loved Fall the best, for many reasons. I hope that you have a great week and have cake lots!

Hugs
Julie