Alrighty! My giveaway is finally here, delayed for a day, but HERE! I hope you all are as excited as I am. Now down to business.

{Please leave ONE COMMENT with ALL of your answers and links, and just leave a total point amount at the bottom of your comment. Please include your email address so I can contact you when you win!}

1 point: Follow my blog

1 point: Re-blog this giveaway

1 point: Post this giveaway on Facebook

1 point: Tweet this giveaway

1 point: Tell me your favorite item from my shop: Penny Threads

1 point: Tell me a dream (ambition) of yours

1 point: Tell me something nice you have recently done for someone

1 point: Friend me on Facebook

1 point: Follow me on Twitter

10 points: Buy something from my Etsy Shop during this giveaway.

TONS of ways to enter and get you that much closer to winning!

Now, what's up for grabs:

FIRST, you will win your choice of 5"x7" matte print from my shop, which includes my newest one, Behold, Black Forest Cake!



SECOND, you will win this colorful and playful, hand-crocheted scarf.





ALSO, you will win this vanilla scented candle in a bright, colorful tin.



PLUS, this magnetic notepad for your fridge with 6 gel pens, 2 of which are metallic...



AND a package of one of my favorite low fat candies.



...with a few surprise goodies thrown in.

SO, there is quite a lot of cute stuff up for grabs.

This giveaway closes at midnight on March 6th.

READY, SET, GO! Have fun and ciao for now.
Renea Hanna
Penny Threads.

Okay so my giveaway was supposed to start today BUT I found some more goodies to include in the prize package and I want to go pick them up and include photos of them as well before I post the giveaway...SO...it will start tomorrow and there will be a full post TOMORROW with all the goodies included. Sorry for the delay but I want the prizes to be GOOD ones...so one more day and you'll have your chance.
I hope your Friday has been a good one. Mine's been super busy. :P
Ciao for now lovelies...and thank you for your patience.
You won't be disappointed. :D
Renea Hanna
Penny Threads.

...and would like to get back into soon is Slam Poetry. I can't believe it's already been two years since the last time I performed. It was my weekly release, my "to look forward to night". I find it very funny when I think of the first time I did it, being so scared and nervous and unprepared. I thank the audience that night for not booing me off of the stage as I've seen them do upon occasion. There is nothing like having a room full of eyes on you and knowing that you're about to rock their socks. Here's a video of one of my performances (not one of my best, but one of the only I have recorded):


I had the honor of performing that piece at an art gallery opening not too much later along with many other talented slam artists. The thing that was special about that time was it was the first and only time my parents saw me perform. They live in Bandera, which is where I am now but at the time I was in San Antonio, which was about an hour away. My parents HATE going into the city. They HATE driving in the traffic. But they braved that big bad city to come watch me perform and it brought tears to my eyes. It still does. They were so proud and LOVED it! My little sister was with them and I was happy that she got to see that as well since she has always been a much better poet than I. I wanted to show her what could be done with words off the page.
One day I will do it again. I've been tempted to start a poetry group here in Bandera, similar to Slam, but more tailored to this small community and the people that live here. I want to and think I will one day. It always seems that there is never enough time and too many ideas. Once I get this pesky day job out of the way, maybe, just maybe...

In other news, I don't know if I ever posted this necklace up in my blog but I just love it and wanted to show it off a little bit.

It's My Party Necklace by Penny Threads
It is so playful and fun. Hard to part with it, but I hope it goes to a good home.

ALSO! I am giving my newest print away to one lucky participant...GIVEAWAY STARTS FRIDAY! Stay tuned for that and be here for your chance. My first giveaway ever, I'm so excited. I hope you are too!
Ciao for now you wonderfully inspiring people. Much love and well-wishing.

Renea Hanna
Penny Threads

P.S. If you'd like to see more of me (who wouldn't):
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/pennythreads
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pennythreads
okay okay...gone.

So I finished the painting last night, the JenJen photoged it and prints of it are now available in my ETSY shop! So excited with how cute it turned out and I can't wait to do more.

Go show some LOVE.
Also, I never posted this lovely photo my good friend Laura of Violet Bella did wearing my Teal Me It's True Scarflette.

Isn't she just the cutest? I personally "HEART" her very much!

In other news, it snowed today in our little South Texas town of Bandera. And that, my friends, is a rare rare thing!
Hope all is well with you and yours.
Ciao for now.
Renea Hanna
Penny Threads.

P.S. I also have a:
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/pennythreads
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pennythreads
add me! i LOVE new friends. :D

perfect way to relax after a CRAZY day at my "for the bills" job: chill at the local coffee shop to some live music (including the local talented duo, art and lisa) and flit around the net in search of lovely things. i will be making my way over to the wine bar/cigar lounge later this evening, but right now i am just enjoying having nowhere to go and nothing to do but be where i'm at right now.

image.examiner.com
check out these adorable penguin classics!

amazon.com
i LOVE the covers and LOVE the classics. i think they sell for around $20 each normally but it looks as if amazon has marked them down right now!
in other news, jen, my boyfriend's little sis is an amazing photographer! she has a massive collection of 365 photos...i think she's going on her second or third year??? anyhoooo.
as vain as it sounds, i love how i look in her photos! and i used to REFUSE photos because i hated them so much.

GO SEE SOME OF HER AWESOME PHOTOS!
alrighty, i'm off for now. gonna go peruse the web some more, crochet a bit and try to ignore this grumbling in my tummy. i think she's craving an asiago cheese board. mmmm.
ciao for now you wonderful humans!
Renea Hanna
Penny Threads.

P.S. You can also stalk me on:
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/pennythreads
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pennythreads

So today on my way out of town after running errands and such I thought I'd pop into the thrift store. Didn't expect to find much because it seemed to have run dry there for awhile, so I expected to leave with nothing. I was wrong!
I found two LARGE embroidery hoops!

www.katzxstitch.co.uk
AND
six lovely vintage floral pillow cases!

anniescupboard.blogspot.com
those aren't actual photos as i am currently without a camera. boo! thought i was gonna get one with my tax refund...that didn't work out. anyhooooo...they are very similar though, and in perfect shape!
i plan on making skirts out of a couple of them. two are matching and going to fill those lovely large embroidery hoops as wall hangings in my soon to be studio space. and i have no idea what to do with the other two...but i'm sure it will come to me.
i ALSO, and i think this is very special, found a Witch!

antiques2jewelry.com
a Witch, apparently, is a vintage automatic needle threader made in West Germany dating from the 1950's. So cool!
and i ALSO found four antique thimbles. i haven't taken pics of those yet but will maybe use my phone tomorrow or this weekend to try and get some.
it was a most epic day for little thrills and i am satiated for now.
Well I am going to finish this glass of wine (a sauvignon blanc) and hit the hay...or bed. either will do.
please go show some love for my current treasury: I've got sunshine...
GET YOUR SUNSHINE HERE!
ciao for now you fabulous people!
Renea Hanna
Penny Threads.

pennythreads.etsy.com

P.S. please take a second and stalk me on
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/pennythreads
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pennythreads

ever since i was a little girl i have dreamed of many things. all of them, whether they be astronaut, actress, dancer, artist, writer, required that i be a strong independent woman. they all required that i have focus and determination and drive. they all DEMANDED my commitment and investment, as any worthwhile dream should.

susanhenschen.wordpress.com
even though many of those dreams were not to be, there were two in particular that i am still holding onto today. one day i wish to be a dancing astronaut.

www.fotosearch.com
only kidding. it's virtually impossible to tap dance in little to no gravity scenarios....errr...at least i imagine it is since i've never actually tried it.
ANYWAY.
the two dreams that i am still holding onto and pursuing are: artist and writer.

artslink.wordpress.com
through everything, every day, bad or good, the number one ways in which i seek to express myself or my feelings are through writing and art. some days i act on that desire, lately, many i don't. it has been a bad habit of mine to let my dreams take second seat. i am so done with that.

thumbs.dreamstime.com
i have been dying to reach for the sky, so to speak. i had a feeling about this year when it quickly approached and i still have that feeling now that we are almost two months into it. and two months into it i am not pleased with my progress or my mental state. i am not happy. i should be. this is MY year! i just need to seize it!

www.savagechickens.com
there are so many things i am doing right now that are not conducive to productivitiy or creativity for that matter. i have an opportunity to make my life better. to pursue my dreams. to put my nose to the grindstone of my choice. why am i not doing all i can to make sure that i will be spending many years to come making a living doing what i love? why am i not running like my life depended on it? i would not be happy waking up for my day job the rest of my life, when i know i could be waking up to a studio, a painting, a children's book in progress with only me, my coffee and my imagination left to run wild all day. i want that. and i am going to have that.
blogs.infosupport.com
the next few weeks will involve some revamping of my creative situation. it's do or die for me at this point...not THAT dire, but i'm serious and seriously not going to give up on my dreams or let them take the back burner anymore.
ciao for now, lovelies. i am off to work on a very promising little painting.
*mwah*
Renea Hanna
Penny Threads.

P.S. I also have a TWITTER: www.twitter.com/pennythreads
and a FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pennythreads
ADD ME! pretty please. ;)

...for a jog. So I've finally bought some running shoes and broke out the ol' jumprope and sports bra. I jumped rope, jogged, did knee lifts, pushups and finished off with some power walking to cool down. My motivator?

la-story.com/fashion_trend
A red fifties styled swimsuit much like this one. I can only hope that I can look this good in it. Hence, the jogging and jumping and exertion. We have planned a trip to Port A this summer. For those of you not from Texas, that's Port Aransas in the Gulf of Mexico. A frequented summer retreat for my family since I was a little girl and since I haven't been back in over ten years...well, I figured it was time.

rentalo.com
Super excited and motivated. I really want to look good for this return to my favorite summer place ever! We will be spending a full week there. Camp on the beach a few nights, go deep sea fishing and play some frisbee in the sand. *sigh* Bliss, here I come.
Ciao for now lovelies. I hope your Valentine's Day was sweet and happy.
Renea Hanna
Penny Threads.

For many years I never admitted my LOVE and fascination with fashion but I always bought InStyle and Vogue and secreted them away to my room to stare at all of the lovely clothes and designs and such. And even then, when I was a closeted fashionista, I adored the designs and outright GUTS of one designer...Mr. Alexander McQueen.

telegraph.co.uk


fashion-ation.net


freshnessmag.com

He died today. According to authorities it was at his own hand. His death comes less than two weeks after the death of his mother, who was a HUGE part of his life and support. I can't imagine the pain that he must have felt to drive him to that. He will be greatly missed in the fashion world. He truly was a one of a kind. There will be no other like him. *sigh*

Ciao for now, you lovely people.
I hope all is well on your side of the world.
Renea Hanna
Penny Threads.

This is a lusty Monday in that I am lusting after a bunch of really cool items I have stumbled across in the blogosphere. Want to see them? Well, you're going to anyway, cuz I feel like spreading the lust...or love, whatever you want to call it. :D

Check out these shirts! I so want one. They print the covers of out of print and out of date novels and publications. Of course, there's the Catcher in the Rye (R.I.P. Mr. Salinger):

and the Lolita Tee:

Love these!

And I REALLY want to try this GreeNoodle. It is supposedly a nutritional alternative to the conventional instant noodle. Hmmm...sounds good to me. AND they have vegan ones as well! Can't hurt to try them eh?

YUMMY!



Today is gray and misty outside. Somber and serious. This weather calls for a grey fitted jacket, knee high riding boots, and a yellow head scarf. Too bad all I own is the head scarf. LOL! I would be much more stylish if I had the funds to support such style.



So instead I choose my second hand Antonio Melani boots I found at a thrift store for $12, dark denim bootcut jeans, a light gray long sleeve, and a black knit vest with silver buttons. Nothing too unconventional today. Have to go grocery shopping and dye the JenJen's hair etc. I'll be home late this evening so I don't expect I'll be back on the blogosphere till tomorrow afternoon. Ciao lovelies! And as always, thanks for stoppin' in!