WELCOME to the LAUNCH of LUCKY RED HEN blog … and giveaway

Don't you LOVE free surprises?

Boy howdy I’m excited! Are you? You ARE? (fist pump) Yesss! I knew it.

Are you here because you want to win the giveaway? No? You’re here because you love me and want to see me happy that you’re here? Yesss (another fist pump)! I AM happy you’re here. Muah!

Let’s start the launch by sharing my favorite book and reason for the above photo. However, before I tell you what my favorite book is, I must disclose to you my thoughts, exactly…

I’m not a good reader, you see, I prefer being out of doors.
Oh, I mean, I can read, of course.
And I’m not suggesting you can’t read out of doors, of course.
I wish I read more, but there always seems to be so many other things to do.
Yes, that is exactly what I meant.
Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennett ~ Pride & Prejudice

Many years ago, I saw a book review in People magazine that intrigued me then a week later my friend Ashley suggested I recommend it as my pick for the next BookClub. It’s hard to recommend a book to ardent book club women when you DON’T READ.

I was/am a beginner reader. I didn’t/don’t have a favorite author, genre, or series like other ladies. Most of the books I’ve read have come as suggestions/gifts from friends who know me, not Book Club lists or Oprah’s Book Club.

Speaking of OBC, I swore off her recs midway through House of Sand and Fog. Even though I finished it (hard for me to stop a book/movie cold turkey; I need closure), I wish I hadn’t started it. SUPER well written (coming from someone who doesn’t really know what that means exactly, except that the book MADE me finish it), but so incredibly depressing, leaving me feeling a bit depressed. Maybe I care too much, and it seems silly that it’d be over a book character of all things. You’ll find me crying at commercials or when I see a stranger be kind to another.

*ahem* Wait a minute. That’s not the direction I was going. Boo hoo. Cut it out.

Tender at the Bone, by Ruth Reichl (NY Times Restaurant Critic and Gourmet Magazine’s Editor in Chief) is my all time favorite read. It’s her story about how she grew up to appreciate food, from when she was a wee one to college. It’s funny and there’s recipes. The next book Comfort Me with Apples continues the story. Now I’m reading the third, Garlic and Sapphires, which is where I discovered the cute owl card/bookmark. It’s like there was a sticker on the outside of the library book saying… FREE PRIZE INSIDE! Sweet! Free is right up my alley.

Now I’m trying to think of what free prize I can leave in it. Wonder if the person who left the owl was the first to do that, maybe it was an accident and they didn’t mean to leave their bookmark in it, or they were paying it forward from someone who did it before them. Who knows, but I like it!

Speaking of FREE PRIZE… I know you want to win a $65 value custom Blog Header from The Blog Fairy(the reason I am blogging again/today)! Maybe you’re in need of more than just a header… that’s ok, just pay her the difference! Check the available services and the waiting list on The Blog Fairy’s website. Here are beautiful examples of some of her Blog Header designs:

To enter the giveaway: leave a comment on this post with your blog address/link and that you’d like a custom Blog Header. If you’re not entering the giveaway (maybe you already have what you need, don’t blog, or want someone else to win), please leave me a comment anyway. I’d like to know who came to see/read me. And, everyone, come back tomorrow and the next day! The winner will be announced this Thursday (that’s the day F.R.I.E.N.D.S. aired on TV, and I like friends).

Thank you, Blog Fairy, for making all my dreams (and a lucky winner’s) come true!

P.S. You have a light hearted, happy ending book recommendation for me?