hand in hand ~ and a giveaway! :)

good morning. happy monday.
i have been quiet around these parts lately. nurturing myself and my family back to health was vital. thank you for your kindness via emails and comments, they mean so much to me. i am happy to report we are much improved. i am hoping to get back to regular posts here.
and goodness, wasn't last week's weather AWESOME? !!! so good.

i have a few big announcements to share with you this week.
B I G (i am excited!)

today, i am giddy to share a sneak peek of a new book with you. a book i am honored to be a part of,
"Hand in Hand :: Crafting with Kids".

in my hand ~ a giveaway!, a photo by kristin~mainemomma on Flickr.

a little over a year ago Jenny Doh of Crescendoh contacted me about a new book she was in the process of creating.... A mommy & me craft book. i love crafting with my kids. creating, drawing, making, all things we value and honor here in our home. i was immediately interested. Jenny then shared the list of other bloggers contributing to the book. So many inspiring women/mothers/artists/bloggers: Ali Edwards, Maya of maya*made , Amanda Soule ~ SouleMama, Ella Pedersen , just to name a few. of course i said yes and got to work on our contribution. Photos completed, words written, and our craft boxed and mailed to Jenny and her team, our tasks were done. now they worked their magic, weaving all our pieces into a beautiful whole. time passed... fast forward a year, with the release date nearing, i anticipated a box arriving with my copy of the book from the publisher. (the big reveal) last week it arrived, wrapped in pretty polka dot paper. i admit i had butterflies unwrapping it... it is beautiful. really truly. i adore the cover with all the colors and images. i loved the art work inside, the pretty bunting banners and seeing each contributor's craft, images and reading their words. i love how it reads, rich and vibrant, full of life and families creating together. Each craft is explained simply with details of what you will need and how to create it with your kids. i love holding it in my hands, flipping through the pages. it feels surreal, and sharing it with my kids makes it even more so. a piece of us lives in these pages. that feels very very special.
Thank you Jenny. I am honored and blessed to be part of such quality and beauty.

Hand in Hand::Crafting with Kids will be in book stores April 1st.
You can click here to pre-order a copy from Amazon now.
If you are a momma you may love to gift it to yourself, or perhaps you know a little one who loves to make stuff, or a grandmom or grandpa who loves to craft...

now the fun part... i am giving away a copy of the book here. YAY!!!!!!!
all you need to do to enter is leave a comment here on this post. a hello, or perhaps you'd like to share a favorite craft you love to make or used to make with your momma. i LOVE sharing ideas and favorite things. The contest will be open now through Thursday. On Friday morning, i, and my 2 very cute accomplices, will choose a name out of a hat (because that is how we roll around here) and announce the winner of the book here.
for an extra bit of fun, i and those 2 cute assistants, will sign the book for you!
who knows? maybe one of my little artists will even draw you a picture in it.

leave your comment here for a chance to win.
XO good luck!