November 2, 2011

Let's get this party started, K?

UPDATED:

I have added a Not So Secret Santa Button to my side bar.  If you would like to share so others can join the fun please feel free to Facebook, Tweet or add the pic to your blog side bar with a link back to this post.  It'll be like CHRISTMAS up in here!


~~


Y'all know I love the Christmas, and since all the stores have had Christmas decorations on the shelves for 3 months already I feel less crazy about the fact that my own Christmas decorations are at this moment chilling in my living room waiting to be hung, strung, and lit.    What? Too soon?  But Halloween is over, right?

I have a Not So Secret Santa plan this year, and you are officially invited to play along.  For the next 6 weeks I am going to have a Holiday Special listed over at StudioJuls.  This week the special is 5 Focals for $5 each, (plus 1 ugly one for free!).




In addition, once a week between November 7th and December 12th I am going to send a Beady gift to someone random.  It might be lampwork, a necklace or bracelet kit, gemstones, or miscellaneous treasures.

If you'd like to be that someone, leave a comment on this post and include your mailing address and your blog (if you have one).  You only need to comment once to be eligible for the entire 6 weeks.  Tell us something YOU love about Christmas.  And maybe your favorite color, too!

Worldwide entries are welcome to play, and if any of you would like to join in the giving fun please feel free to pick someone from the comments and send your own surprise.  You never know when your thoughtfulness might be just what someone needs, and who doesn't love making a positive difference?

Just leave a comment with the info listed above and you're in!  Easy Peasy.

Happy Merry Joy, y'all.

~~

39 comments:

  1. You are more than brilliant Miss Juls. You are STELLAR! What a nice feel good thing to send something special to a random someone on your list. You can put me in!
    Erin Prais-Hintz
    4800 Nicolet Ave
    Stevens Point WI 54481
    enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com

    I love all color!
    And that first snowfall of the season that stays and blankets everything in fluffy white is a special time (not the crazy stuff that is happening in the NE. Ugh). But I love sparkly white lights and the smell of pine boughs and Christmas music (but not a day before Thanksgiving.)

    I am thinking of you and sending feel good vibes your way. I love you Miss Juls! Be well.

    Enjoy the day.
    Erin

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oops. Apparently I don't know how to read! You wanted my blog not my email.
    http://treasures-found.blogspot.com

    xo
    E

    ReplyDelete
  3. karen4bullittcoop@yahoo.comNovember 2, 2011 at 11:37 AM

    I just wanted to share why I LOVE the Christmas season also. I love that everyone seems to be merrier, many places are playing Christmas music so that stores and places feel festive. I love the brisk air and snow. Christmas lights everywhere, get-togethers with friends and family, and hot cocoa around the fireplace with our family! I am so glad to be able to share the joyous birth of our Christ with others at this time of year! Karen in KY
    karen4bullittcoop@yahoo.com

    KraftHappyKaren
    2221 Coral Ridge Road
    Brooks, Kentucky 40109

    ReplyDelete
  4. Juls I LOVE giving! Seeing the joy on someone's face when they open a gift you purchased or created especially for them is priceless!

    If I happen to be a winner, message me as I wish to pay it forward to someone really special that could use a positive love lift! Please.and.thank.you.very.much! ♥
    http://designsbydawnmarie.blogspot.com

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  5. Love love love this and love love love you!!!!!!! I LOVE christmas because I love giving out presents to people, especially my little girls! The joy on their faces brings tears to my eyes!
    Love you!
    Jenna Ortega :) (dunno why but google won't let me log in!)


    1215 Culmen St.
    Madison, WI 53713

    ReplyDelete
  6. Okay first I have to say there is no such thing as an ugly bead from you! This is so totally sweet of you! Of course I couldn't resist a chance to play with you! Christmas is a time for loving and giving and sweetness and smiles. Sista you have them all!

    Kristen Stevens
    2303 Rolling Ridge Dr
    Avon, NY 14414

    Thank you always for being the bestest you eva!

    ReplyDelete
  7. OH! I love the idea of gearing up for the holidays. AND surprise gifts. . .YAY!!

    There's just so much I LOVE about Christmas, I don't know that I can narrow it down. Hmmmm. . .Like Dawn Marie, I adore giving gifts. I like to see the look on the receiver's face when they open a present from me and are absolutely pleased with what they find inside. It's such a warm fuzzy feeling to make someone else happy. I won't mention the aggravation I feel about shopping for those gifts. (Wait, I guess I just did. Ooops!)

    My info is:
    Hope Smitherman
    18874 Summer Oaks Pl.
    Fairhope, AL 36532

    Favorite color: Blue (especially a bright teal/peacock blue)
    Blog: www.CraftyHope.blogspot.com

    Thanks for the opportunity!

    ReplyDelete
  8. You so know the right way to start the season girl! Love this idea, I'm in. Christmas is my fav season, cause people tend to be kinder as they remember the reason for the season. I love getting to talk to my kids about that, and to hear their perspective on it. We enjoy riding thru neighborhoods that are all decorated and oohing and aahhing over the lights. I love the baking part, and a new tradition I started 2 years ago. I bake up appetizers, cookies and junk food in general, and on Christmas Day, everyone gets to eat whatever they want. If they just want to eat chocolate all day, have at it. (But no stomach ache complaints are allowed!)Have to say my fave colors are deep pinks and blues, like rasberry and cobalt, you know?
    www.beadsandbread.blogspot.com
    Shirley Moore
    49 Hill Dr.
    Pawleys Island, SC 29585

    ReplyDelete
  9. you are just too sweet Juls, and generous too! please add me to your list!
    normaturvey@yahoo.com
    hhttp://moonlitfantaseas.blogspot.com
    831 S Clark St
    Longview WA
    98632

    ReplyDelete
  10. Living in the Caribbean, Christmas is about going to the beach and given that most of us are not near extended family, we create large groups of "family that are our friends" events. A big tradition in our house is that I make about 200 gingerbread cookies of various shapes and invite my daughters' friends and many others over and pull out tons of decorations for the cookies...anything goes and the sugar and pariels fly! We go to a big Brunch on Christmas day and bring potluck...it's a very international community so the various dishes are fabulous and a great way to celebrate! I don't have a blog (yet) as I only sell in galleries on island. My mailing address for the US is
    Krys Mann
    421 Homeplace Drive
    Salem VA 24153

    We don't have anything mailed to our Turks and Caicos address as it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 11 months to receive it (yes once I got cookies 10 months after they were sent, can you say disgusting!) Love the Christmas spirit and wondering when you have made an ugly bead?

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  11. A clever sale! How fun to include an ugly bead. But really I'm sure there are no ugly ones from you.

    The thing I love most about Christmas is our family Christmas Eve dinner with lots of great food. After the table is cleared, we all go to the church for the candlelight service. It's the most beautiful way to celebrate the season with people you love.

    www.alice-dreaming.blogspot.com

    Alice Peterson
    815 Morningside Terrace
    Osage City, KS 66523

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a cool sale! I love Christmas, too, but I get a little frustrated with how early they get some of the stuff out now...but,it is my favorite holiday...

    Favorite color? Blue or green :) what do I love most about Christmas? Making stuff for people and giving people little treats to put them in the holiday spirit...My hubby is super sweet about giving me great gifts, so I make sure to give back to as many people as I can...

    My address:
    Katie Nelson
    3123 Snowbird Meadow Dr
    Spring, TX 77373

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh boy... favorite thing about Christmas? It's always been my favorite holiday, ever since I was a little girl. Why? Well, not for the reason you'd expect likely lol. I love to sing. And every Christmas eve, when he wasn't out to sea, my daddy and I would stay up late singing along with Bing Crosby. It is easily one of my favorite things I look forward to each year. And when we can't be together now I have my own little ones to sing with :). My favorite colors are ocean-y. Blues and greens and greys. Thank you Juls, you're a really classy lady :)

    Jennifer Justman
    4846 Buffalo Dr SE
    Salem, OR 97317

    http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love this idea! Spreading holiday joy - how cool! I'm not a fan of snow, but I do love how Christmas lights look against the snow. Or a moon shining down through the bare trees. and giving gifts to the people I love!

    Skylar Bre'z
    710 Pleasant Ave
    Kalamazoo, MI 49008

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, I forgot - my blog! Just started it - inspired by you!

    http://brisingbeads.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  16. Juls, you ARE hilarious. One ugly bead for free. Your idea of "ugly" is my idea of gorgeous. That makes your "prettyz" all the more fabulous!

    I am not even gonna lie...I like Christmas because I am still a kid and I like to open presents! I also like wrapping up presents and putting them under the tree and torturing my little hooligan with "guessing" games about what his presents are!! (Yeah, "Mom of the Year" award, right around the corner, no doubt!).

    My blog is: http://michellelcsw.blogspot.com/

    I'm pretty sure you have my address "on file" - seeing as how I have exhibited a great deal of "impulse control problems" in your bead world!! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  17. wow. that is such a amazing n generous idea!
    thing i love about christmas has gotta be all the getting together n the lights ;)
    i don't have a blog :)
    address- 2 jalan taman #05-03 singapore 329023
    limboonkuan@hotmail.com
    xoxo!!
    Boon Kuan

    ReplyDelete
  18. Juls, you are an amazingly generous, kind soul. :D This is a great idea. :) My fave color is purple, though I love all colors!

    My favorite thing about Christmas? Well, there are two--one is giving presents to the people I love, and seeing their faces. The second is a little odd, but totally true! I absolutely love the Sunday School Christmas Program. Everything about it. The costumes for the kids, the kids themselves, the songs, the lines, the party afterwards....just everything. I love it more now that I'm in charge of it! :)

    My blog is www.pmaximdesigns.blogspot.com
    My address is:
    Paige Maxim
    53 Wings Mills Rd
    Readfield, ME
    04355-3148

    :D

    ReplyDelete
  19. There are ugly beads in those groupings? Really? Dang - I didn't a single one.
    The fact that you are ready to start decorating for x-mas has me reexamining our friendship.
    Just sayin'.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am still trying to find the "ugly" bead... you are such a sweetie for doing this.. I love this idea and think I might do something similar for my blog if you don't mind me stealing the idea :D

    My favourite thing about "my" Christmas is that we can celebrate it any time. As I live away from all of my family we can't always travel at Christmas to be with each other on the day so usually get together before or after in January. I love that it doesn't matter to us what day we celebrate Christmas... it's the excitement of seeing each other that matters the most. We only see each other around once (or twice if we are lucky) so it's a real joy to catch up.

    My postal address is:

    Karyn White
    P.O. Box 822
    Toowong Qld 4066
    Australia

    I love turquoise and browns or teal greens... just sayin...cause I know you were wondering!

    My blog is http://www.releasesbyrufydoof.blogspot.com/

    Thank you ♥

    ReplyDelete
  21. Well Juls, the question is, are YOU going to play along?! I'd love to be in the running :-) My address is Flat 3, 34a Clyde Road, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2HN, UK. And if you fancy emailing me back with your postal address, then perhaps there might be something in the post for you sometime before Christmas.....

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  22. oof, I missed my favourite thing about Christmas! Well, I'm not religious. But I think my favourite thing is going to Midnight Mass on Christmas eve. I love the calm, warm sense of anticipation that is there. And the minister at the tiny wee church we go to is so lovely - really progressive, welcoming to all, creates a beautiful atmosphere. And I just can't get enough of singing carols. Is there anything better than singing carols?

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love your holiday ideas. I always look forward to your posts in my emails, you have a great sense of humor. I do hope you are having that lump taken care of right away.

    Your work is amazing and the new work is great. My favorite color is purple and I like that you use it a lot. What I love about Christmas is my grandkids visiting from Calif, and begging to do more art please Grandma.

    I hope you send pictures of your Christmas decorations, I bet they are so fun. I’ll be thinking of you and sending healing thoughts. Have a Merry bright Christmas Julianna, take special care cause you are the best.

    Bev Oettle
    1010 Ridgeway St.
    Rose Hill, KS 67133
    arielheart@cox.net

    ReplyDelete
  24. Favorite thing about Christmas? Watching my daughter's face when she opens her present. My favorite color is purple, though greens and blues sometimes have been known to catch my eyes.

    Kristi Jaro
    116 E Cypress Ave
    Yukon, OK 73099
    http://curiositiesbyk.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  25. What a great way to celebrate the Christmas Season!

    Purple is my favorite color, although I wear blue more often than any other color.

    I love seeing the Christmas Tree decorated and all the memories we have with the ornaments we use to decorate.


    Beth Caudill
    116 Oldefield Lane
    Garner, NC 27529
    http://bethcaudill.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  26. What a way to celebrate the season. My favorite part of this season is the opportunity to spend time with the ones that are dear to me.

    My favorite colors are the warm autumn ones. The Browns, golds, teal, oranges.

    Oh and my address:

    Shaiha Williams
    5117 S 9th St
    Tacoma WA 98465
    http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh, Juls! How nice of you to do this. Of course, I'm in! I love lots of things about Christmas (but not putting up decorations). I love the family and friends and food. I love doing Christmas crafts and cookies. When my girls were younger they always had cookie decorating parties every year. The older they got the raunchier the decorations (the hormones of a teenager, you know -- and the fantasies, I think). But it was such fun and I miss that. For color? I love all those colors that used to be called jewel tones, the maroons, dark green, dark cobalt blue, rich purples. All those thing. But I also love rainbow brights on occasion. I just love color.

    My address is: Sally Anderson, 3114 Mountain Oak Ct, Houston, TX 77068 (but I know you have that one from my many forays into your shop!)

    Thank you again. You're a sweetheart!!

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  28. How nice of you. I would love to have some of your beady goodness. I was lucky once to win the 1/2 skills day in August so hopefully I will win again.
    I love getting together with family.
    Shannon Chomanczuk
    1289 Union Ave
    Newburgh, NY 12550
    formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. I can not believe I missed this on the 2nd. You are a very generous person and I would love a chance to be a random winner of one of your beautiful creations. I enjoy Christmas Carols I start listening to them the day after Thanksgiving they really put me in the mood. I also love making gifts. I have always felt that a hand made item comes more from the heart. Anyone can go and slap some money down on an item, but hand made takes thought, time and love to make.
    Thank you
    Therese Frank
    511 Jule Dr
    Montgomery, AL 36109
    theresestreasures59.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. You are such a doll!! I can't tell you how many complements I get on your beads in my wire work ocean bracelet- even linked you in my latest blog post!!! Share the LOVE right!!??? Would love to join your NSSS list- brilliant idea!!
    Elizabeth Woodford
    3 Washington and Lee Blvd (so darn hoity toity, but, NOT!) , Stafford VA 22556
    my blog: Elizabethcreates.blogspot.com
    Purples and green together and then Bright Screaming brights!- A new passion!!
    Big Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  31. What a fabulous idea! Somehow I missed this post the first time around - thanks for posting it again today! What I love about Christmas? Let's see...I love the music the most, I think. And the decorations. And the food. And the warm fuzzy time with family and friends. But mostly the music. So much red everywhere too - such a happy color!

    My address is:
    13134 S. 178th Avenue
    Goodyear, AZ 88338
    http://www.beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com

    Thanks Juls! :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hey Miss Juls...i too ust have missed the post...curiousity got the best of me and i just had to click on the secret Santa button LOL...count me in & nay cloror if my fave color

    Lana Kinney
    3622 Bliss Road
    Windsor,Ontario
    Canada
    N8W 3B9

    http://somethinguniquebylana.blogspot.com/

    you are so sweet and thoughtful...thnaksf
    for that & Christmas is a hard one for me...idk if i can say i really like it so much...but what i do love is the smiles it brings to the faces of children...they are what it is all about :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Wow! I just stumbled upon this post. I love Secret Santa ideas. They're so much fun. I'm so happy I found you also Juls. I hope you're feeling better! Sending warm thoughts your way.

    Christmas to me is all the love that is with in all of us. The Greatest gift is our Saviour,
    Jesus Christ!

    Maureen Huzinec
    4118 Maxwell Ave.
    Erie, PA 16504

    ReplyDelete
  34. I just saw this!!
    I already missed a couple of weeks but better late than ever!!
    HUGE fan of your work...
    Christmas is my favourite holiday, love the red and green!!

    Ioanna, yana_ven@yahoo.gr
    Samothrakis 1 & Skyroy 4, 54453, Salonica, Greece

    ReplyDelete
  35. My sister told me about this, so generous of you!!
    I love your work, amazing...
    Christmas will be hard this year in Greece, people are suffering for real.
    But we will do our best, they won't take this, too, away from us...
    I love red, green and white/silver as far as festive colours are concerned

    DESPINA VENETI
    SKYROY 4
    54453
    THESSALONIKI
    GREECE

    deb_oro@yahoo.gr

    ReplyDelete
  36. Wow! What a great idea and thank you for the opportunity!!! I love Christmas, I start listening to Christmas music as soon as they start playing it on the radio. I love having the Yule log on the tv with the background music, but what I love most is watching my son's 4 year old face light up talking about Christmas cartoon specials, what he would like Santa to bring him and about us having a live Christmas tree this year. Nothing more special than seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child.

    As of late my fave colors to create with have been pink, purple and chocolate brown.

    Traci Zeller
    111 Cranfield Circle S. E.
    Calgary, Alberta
    T3M 1H1

    ReplyDelete
  37. WOW! What a great idea! My favorite colors are blue and purple.

    I love Christmas music and the smell of a fresh pumpkin pie baking in the oven!

    Collette collins
    1322 21st Street
    Port Huron, MI 48060

    ReplyDelete
  38. I forgot to say I LOVE PURPLE AND GREEN!!
    Your work with those colours is AMAZING!!

    DESPINA VENETI
    SKYROY 4
    54453
    THESSALONIKI
    GREECE

    ReplyDelete
  39. Holly Jolly Christmas, the best time of the year!!! I love being with friends and family at the holidays. Most people seem to be kinder at this time of year too and I really like that. I love wrapping presents for my little ones and hoping that they will be thrilled with what Santa put under the tree.

    Juls, I just found your button today, I don't know how I missed the post, but I love your idea.

    Favorite colors: brown, yellow, orange, red, teal

    my address: Penny Neville
    146 Kingsland Heights, Airdrie, AB T4A 0A2 Canada

    http://copperpennydesigns.blogspot.com

    What are your favorite colors? What is your favorite thing about Christmas?

    Take care,
    Penny

    ReplyDelete