Sunday, December 27, 2009

Cabin Award Winners: December 27, 2009

 

Merry Christmas to Carol Victory and Colleen Lawrence!

vivid

Your names have been chosen as the winners of Aurifil Thread packs in the color themes of your choice. Suggested retail price, $48.00. Everyday low price at DCQ: $43.00.  Sorry, I missed blogging last week so I decided to post two winners today.

Please send an mail to Laurie-Ann at promotions@dakotacabinquilts.com with your mailing address, and she'll help you redeem your rewards.

The next "Cabin Awards" will be posted on Sunday, January 3rd.

At least three lucky winners will receive a “Look What We Found!”  grab bag of special items we find in the shop when we are doing inventory.  When we do inventory, we start at the front of the shop, and move to the back, counting every single item in stock. We’re always surprised at the treasures we find tucked behind something, or carefully set aside for a reason.  What reason…. we’re not sure… but we do think we must have had a reason to set them aside.

Anyway, this year I think we’ll make some nice grab bags with our “found items”, and will gift at least three of them in next weeks blog.  Value?  I don’t know yet…. I’ll post that when I announce the winners.  Be sure to check for your name, and respond in a timely fashion, because if the prizes are unclaimed, we’ll gift them to someone else.

Cabin award winners are randomly chosen from our list of blog followers. To become a follower, click on the colorful “FOLLOW” icon on the left side of this page, and proceed with the instructions.

Emerging From the Blizzard

Well, we all have a little cabin fever this morning. We've been "snowed in" since Thursday evening, due to a dangerous blizzard. Finally this morning, we woke to clear skies, sunshine, and huge snowdrifts in our front yard. Fortunately, we were stayed warm and cozy, and didn't lose our electricity.

As a result, we had a quiet Christmas, just the three of us and all our furry friends. We had lots of good food, warm quilts, and new toys to keep us busy. Santa brought Matthew a Wii for Christmas, so we've been playing tennis, baseball, and golf in the living room. What fun! Matthew catches on much quicker than we do, and is quite the fierce competitor. Wesley and I are just happy to finish the game.


The blizzard was hardest on Sox, as he had to stay cooped up in the house for days on end. He is such an athletic dog, used to running for miles, so the confinement made him a little nutty. He had the good sense to be terrified of the blizzard, and we literally had to pick him up and set him on the front step before he would go outside to potty. He weighs a lot when he is resisting. He is one happy dog this morning, jumping over the drifts and racing around the house.

You would think that with three solid days at home I would have a tidy house and lots of completed sewing projects. But, it's quite the opposite. Instead, remnants of Christmas are scattered about, and my sewing room is full of treasures of one kind or another. So, this afternoon is time to get organized, pick up, and get ready for a productive week ahead. Our "to do list" is pretty long, as we have to do inventory, prepare for a quilt show in January, and get fresh spring samples ready for the shop.

I hope you also had a wonderful Christmas weekend! We look forward to helping you with your sewing and quilting projects as we all settle into our winter routine.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

nativityset

Good morning.

Another wintry morning in North Dakota, another week gone by...

I love this time of year, as Christmas preparations bring me great joy and inner peace.

Wesley and I do our best to make the holiday a special time for Matthew, and try to find a good balance between "Santa" and the religious significance of the holiday. Both of us love traditions, and this year we've added a couple more to our daily routine.

Since December 1st, every evening before bed, Matthew has carefully placed the next sticker on an Advent calendar we gave him. The countdown is on... only 12 more days 'til Christmas!

Just before Thanksgiving, a UPS package arrived with Matthew's name on it. It came from Barnes & Noble (mommy shops there a lot). Inside, Matthew discovered a wonderful gift: "The Elf on The Shelf". A cute little elf, dressed in red & white felt, perched inside the box, along with a delightful story book.

Matthew proudly read the story of the little elf, one of Santa's helpers. Each day, the elf watches over the children in the home, making notes for Santa. He knows if they are "naughty or nice," and remembers any special acts of kindness. Each night after dark, he travels to the North Pole, reports in to Santa, then reappears before morning, in a different spot in the home. He loses his magic if touched by little hands. Finally, on Christmas Eve, he makes his last trip to the North Pole. He will reappear next year, to signify the beginning of another holiday season.

It's been great fun every morning to see Matthew leap out of bed, bleary eyed and tousled, and scamper through the house looking for the elf on the shelf. He finds him with a squeal of delight, and marvels at the elf's ingenuity at finding new places to perch.

If you are interested, it appears that the "Elf on the Shelf" is currently near the top of the bestseller list at B&N. Click here.

The Christmas tradition that gives me the most joy is our stained glass nativity set. These beautiful figurines were handmade in Hettinger at Glassworks, a stained glass and gift shop. Early in our marriage, Wesley started a set for me, and then added to it each Christmas. A few years ago, when Glassworks closed (such a sad day), he made sure to complete the set. Every December, Wesley sets it up for me, and it usually remains in place until sometime in February, when we reluctantly put it away.

Yesterday, Matthew was allowed to carefully unwrap the nativity set from well worn tissue paper, and arrange the scene on the sideboard, with Wesley's supervision. As they worked, his daddy explained the significance of each piece, and they talked about the Christmas story. As Matthew carefully cradled each figure in his hands, and gently set them in place, I said a silent prayer. I hope that one day I will see him with his own children, and they'll set up the nativity set in their home. Hopefully, this will become a cherished family tradition that carries on through the generations.

After last week's music, a number of readers e-mailed that the video was a good addition to the newsletter. So I'll include a song each week during the holiday season. Click here for this week's selection.


Congratulations to Sharon Hughson!

Your name has been chosen as the winner of a $30.00 gift certificate from Dakota Cabin Quilts.

Please send an mail to Laurie-Ann at promotions@dakotacabinquilts.com with your mailing address, and she'll help you redeem your reward.

The next "Cabin Award" will be posted on Sunday, December 20th.

The next lucky winner will receive an Aurifil Thread pack in the color theme of their choice. Suggested retail price, $48.00. Everyday low price at DCQ: $43.00.


"VIVID" AURIFIL THREAD PACK



"SKIN" AURIFIL THREAD PACK

Because small quantities and specific colorways are needed for sewing and hand applique, these are sewing and hand applique packets that are put together for this purpose. Each includes 12 spools of Cotton Mako 50wt 220 Yards each.

Thread packs are currently available in 12 different colorways. Click here to view them all. For convenience and additional savings, consider joining the DCQ Thread Pack of the Month. Click here for more information.

The Thread Pack of the Month is one of our most popular auto-ship programs, for the simple reason that this is a great product at a great price. We’ve never had a customer quit the program part way through, and everybody appreciates the “parting gift” of a 5 spool basic thread pack with the final shipment. Customers are sad to see the program come to an end, and wish additional packets could be added.

Hmm… should an Aurifil thread pack be added to your Christmas Wish List?
~~~
Cabin award winners are randomly chosen from our list of blog followers. To become a follower, click on the colorful “FOLLOW” icon on the left side of this page, and proceed with the instructions.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Let There Be Peace on Earth








I woke early this morning, and took Sox out for a walk as the first rays of the sunrise appeared over the horizon. I needed to clear my head a bit, as I had "writers block", needing some inspiration for this morning's message.

As we walked, I thought about motherhood, the Christmas season, and our future. The lyrics of the song "Let There Be Peace on Earth" appeared in my mind, and perfectly reflected my most heartfelt hopes and dreams. At first, I intended to write an essay about the song. Instead, I found this video on youtube, and it expresses my message much better than any words that I could write.

If you do nothing else today... Stop, sit, breathe deeply, and fill your heart with this:

Click here.

~ A simple message of hope, from our family to yours. Please have a wonderful day, full of inspiration, creativity and happiness.

It has become a DCQ tradition that we give special thanks to our customers at this time of year. Accordingly, we are pleased to pay the shipping on all USA orders over $50.00 between now and Christmas. Shipments to Canada/Mexico and overseas will receive a discount on their shipping equivalent to the cost of shipping the package to a USA address. Coupon expires December 24, 2009. Happy Holidays!



During online checkout, you'll see a box titled "ENTER COUPON OR GIFT CERTIFICATE NUMBER". Please enter this coupon code exactly as shown: THANKS2009

Cabin Award Winner: Sunday, December 6, 2009

Congratulations to p_leldridge!

Your name has been chosen as the winner of  our newest quilt kit, Ellen’s “Rouenneries” Quilt, using the pattern “Open Season” designed by Miss Rosie’s Quilt Company.  Retail Value: $44.00.  This stunning small quilt features scrappy flying geese with a pieced sashing. The result is simply lovely. Finished size: 28” x 34”.  Click here to view the kit.

 

 missrosieopenseason rouennerieslogo

Please send an e-mail to Laurie-Ann at promotions@dakotacabinquilts.com with your mailing address, and she'll help you redeem your reward.

The next "Cabin Award" will be posted on Sunday, December 13th.

The next lucky winner will receive a $30.00  gift certificate from Dakota Cabin Quilts.

dakotacabinquilts

At this time of year, we create lots and lots of gift certificates.  Click here. Arrangements are very flexible.  Certificates can be used either in store or online, and can be emailed, “snail mailed”, or picked up in person. 

NOTE: if you purchase online, the website will automatically add shipping to the price of the certificate.  The shipping charge is immediately removed, before anything is charged to your credit card.  We do not charge shipping on gift certificates.  Also, there is no sales tax on certificates sold to ND customers, even though the website will add it (the tax is collected when the certificate is redeemed).

Cabin award winners are randomly chosen from our list of blog followers. To become a follower, click on the colorful “FOLLOW” icon on the left side of this page, and proceed with the instructions.