I hope everyone is liking all these giveaways because I’ve got another big one to announce today! Minted, known for their sophisticated and customizable cards and paper goods, is offering a $100 gift card to one lucky T&T reader! With a huge selection and amazing designs to choose from, there’s a card for everyone. With the holidays around the corner, this is a great opportunity to get those cards you’ve always wanted.

I received a sample pack and got to see a lot of these cards up close and I was so impressed! Each one comes with the option to add a coordinating envelope liner, wrap around address label and back-of-card design. You even get to choose from a selection of colors, fonts and paper weights!

As if that weren’t enough paper goodness, Minted just launched a new line of photo calendars! These would make for a creative and fun family gift. You can even mix and match calendar themes or pick your favorite layouts for each month.

To enter to win:

1. Visit Minted to view their Holiday and Christmas card selection.
2. leave a note in the comments saying which Minted card design is your favorite.
3. Be sure to include your email address along with your first name and last initial. Only one entry per person please!

Giveaway closes Tuesday, November 16th at 10pm PST. One lucky winner will be randomly selected from the comments and announced Friday, October 19th. Best wishes to everyone!

Image Source: Dragontrees

I try to keep things light and cheerful here at Twig & Thistle and I choose to make this blog about things that inspire and move me as a designer. But today I wanted to share with you something I witnessed last week at work that touched me in such a profound way.

Just after lunch, a co-worker informed me that a woman was poised to jump off the roof of the courthouse, which stands directly opposite our building in downtown Seattle. Being on the 13th floor, we had a very clear view of her and the image is still engraved in my brain. I can not describe to you the rush of helplessness we all felt for this poor woman as we watched her walk precariously around the edge of the building. She would dangle her legs out and arch her back as if  to prep herself for the next move. The streets were littered with on-lookers and emergency services and you could see other faces watching in the surrounding buildings.

As the afternoon went on, we learned that the 21 year old woman was a witness in an ongoing trial. The accused, her mother’s ex-boyfriend, had allegedly sexually assaulted her as a child and was acting as his own attorney. That morning he cross examined her mother and he was scheduled to cross examine her later that afternoon.

Watching this young woman brought tears to my eyes and reminded me of the fragility of life. My own brother shot and killed himself at the age of 27 when I was 17. It was the most traumatic thing I have ever had to face and I think I stood there mesmerized by her anguish. I wanted to look away and go back to my desk but every attempt to sit and be creative was stifled by my own recollection of hearing the news about my brother and the lasting effects it has had on me since.

I think about Richard often as I will this young woman. She eventually was talked down by an enormous team of police and rescue workers around 4:30pm. The relief I felt for her and her family is indescribable. The entire experience was undoubtedly the most horrific thing I have ever seen but I am so happy she’s down and safe on the ground. I wish that I could have been there to rescue my brother and talk him down from his own ledge.

This woman helped me remember my brother and reminded me to keep things in perspective. To take one day at a time and to cherish those around you. I will never forget my bother and I will never forget the woman on the roof.

As I mentioned earlier, I have an exciting giveaway to announce today. Lindsay Nicole Design, one of our lovely new sponsors, has offered to award a lucky winner one free Blogger template ($40 value). *Note: Templates are for Blogger/blogspot blogs only.

Lindsay specializes in custom and template blog designs. From design concept to installation, she creates a blog that fits both the authors personal and written style. The winner will receive:
• A fully-funtional, unique blogger template – they can choose any template from her collection!
• Complete Installation of new template
• Customization of pictures and blog title in blog header
• Specialty fonts on header and post-titles (as shown in template preview)
• Setup of standard widgets (About, Archive, Labels, Followers)
• Unique background pattern (as shown in template preview)
*The winner can also choose to add-on extra custom features at their own expense (available add-ons listed here)

This is a great prize and a fantastic opportunity if you’ve wanted to revamp or start a blog of your own and don’t have all the skills or tools to design one.

To enter to win:
1. Visit the Lindsay Nicole Design Studio to see her template shoppe.
2. Leave a comment at the end of this post telling us what your favorite blog is (not including Twig & Thistle – obviously! wink!)
3. Include your email address along with your first name and last initial. Only one entry per person please!

Giveaway closes Friday, November 12th at 10pm PST. One lucky winner will be randomly selected from the comments and announced Monday, November 15th.

Good luck everyone!

I just wanted to take a moment to introduce and thank our newest sponsors. We’re incredibly lucky to have such great sponsors supporting us here and they help  make Twig & Thistle a reality. Please take a moment to check them out for yourself and see what each has to offer.

SUGAR AND CHARM

Eden Passante is the owner of Sugar and Charm, a boutique event design and dinner party company. She created the Sugar and Charm blog to post DIY projects, inspiration, adorable boutiques and little snippets of daily life Along with planning amazing events, Eden has a strong passion for inspiring others about lifestyle and entertaining.

I particularly love Eden’s attention to detail and use of color. Take this Beach Proposal event for example: Fabric drink sticks, custom pillows and a downloadable “Love is at the beach” banner  - how sweet is that?!

LINDSAY NICOLE DESIGN STUDIO

Lindsay Nicole Design is your best stop for everything Blogger! Lindsay will handle everything from design concept to installation and work with you to tailor the site to meet your individual needs and style. She takes pride in creating simple, unique, sophisticated blog designs that reflect the writer’s personality and entice others to read.

Lindsay has created some of my all time favorite blog designs and looking through her portfolio is so awe inspiring. She offers both custom design services and blogger templates – Options to fit any budget! Also, visit Lindsay’s blog, Busy Thoughts, to see more of her work and get loads of blogging tips and studio updates. *Stay tuned for a very exciting giveaway later today!

WISKER GRAPHICS

Whisker Graphics is the place for paper goods, printables and the well known Divine Twine. Designer, Whitney Beard founded Whisker Graphics in June of 2008 to share her appreciation of all things paper and crafty.

I can’t tell you how much I love Divine Twine. Whitney is always coming up with the most delicious colors! The most recent additions; Brown Sugar and Plum (due in December)! Made from 100% cotton, bakers twine is perfect for tying up holiday treats or crafting.

Thanks again to my lovely new sponsors and if you’re interested in advertising on Twig & Thistle send me a note and I can fill you in on all the details and Holiday rates.

I’m officially in love with all things Mae! Creators of what are surely the worlds most adorable fabric wall decals, Mae has stolen my heart! Their use of pattern and simple imaginative scenes are the perfect mix of childhood playfulness and grown-up sensibilities. They even just launched a limited edition Mae Christmas collection!

Purchase them from the Mae Shop and visit the Studio of Mae blog for product updates, inspiration and even a few freebies!