Giveaway!!!

If it’s 1/11/11, it must be your lucky day, my dear blog readers! Allmodern.com, a division of csnstores.com, has gifted me with a $25 coupon code in appreciation of yesterday’s link. To show my appreciation for you, I’m passing this on in my first S.L.B. Giveaway.

This is super-exciting to me for several reasons:

• I’m a young blogger (not even 3 weeks old), and it’s nice to feel like I’m getting off the ground.
• It’s a great chance to reward the people who’ve encouraged me on this venture.
• I am a total interior design freak.

Though I may not show it here, I harbor a secret dream of someday doing work in interior design. (This goes hand in hand with becoming a pastry chef, naturally.) I read design blogs, have an inspiration folder of 1500+ photos, and can watch HGTV all day. (That my apartment-mates don’t want to pay for the cable package that includes Candice Olsen, Genevieve Gorder, and David Bromstad has probably increased my productivity by 200% or more.)

All Modern carries some pretty expensive things, but I’ve done some price-point scouting in the oeuvre of one of my favorites: Thomas Paul. Because it’s for this blog, I’ve tied them into literature. My humble suggestions:

• For lovers of Moby Dick who love to entertain, you can try this whale tray on for size.
• Fans of the Iliad and the Odyssey should have a look at these dessert plates or this tray.
• Though a giant squid is featured in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the book also alludes to “The Toilers of the Sea” by Victor Hugo. In that poem, the monster attacking the ship is a giant octopus, though this octopus dish towel is more sweet than savage.
• These two leafy items (here and here) remind me of that fantastic pear tree scene in Their Eyes Were Watching God. (Plus it was just Zora Neale Hurston's birthday.)

Of course, these are only suggestions. Get whatever you want! (Just tell me about it later. I’m curious!) The coupon code is valid at any CSN Store (like www.cookware.com and www.shoesgotsole.com).

Since a chair started it all, to enter the drawing, tell me about your favorite reading spot in the comments. (This is a great way for any lurkers to introduce themselves!) I will be accepting entries until 11:11PM EST on Wednesday, January 12, after which I'll use a random number generator to select the winning post. Good luck!

PS. I guess today is my lucky day too. Kickass Cupcakes is offering my favorite flavor (Cookie Dough Cupcakes) for a dollar. Boston readers, get thee to Davis Square!