Winner. Winner. Chicken Dinner.

You know we love a good contest. And today, we drew the winner of our Statement Necklace Contest. All you had to do was tell us which statement necklace was your favorite and then you had a chance of winning that necklace. Thanks to everyone who entered. It was a fun one.

Both the Desert Sparkle Necklace and the Ring of Fire Necklace got ten votes each. We were only going to give away the necklace that got the most votes, but because we are softies, we decided to give away one of each. Yay! If you voted for either of those necklaces, you were entered to win. Random.org randomly selected the winners. Do you want to know who won? Is the suspense killing you?



The winner of the Desert Sparkle Necklace is... Erica Grinde! Woo hoo, Erica!



And he winner of the Ring of Fire Necklace is... Julie Sandberg! Yippee, Julie! We will contact both of you ladies for shipping details.

We think that living life necessitates making a statement. If you need a statement necklace of your own, head over to Bon Lemon to pick up your very own. For those of you across the United States facing all sorts of crazy weather, you don't even have to leave the comfort of your own living room. Bliss!

Stay tuned for our next contest. We are already dreaming up ideas...

-----
Chicken Dinner image from jayroeder.deviantart.com. Love!

Vibram Five Finger Shoes: Woman or Beast?

I have been wanting a pair of Vibram Five Finger shoes for quite some time. (Do they have an actual name, or do you just call them that?) Our kettle bells trainer was the first one to get a pair and then my partner in crime at NDC Timber was raving about them. I thought they would be perfect for gripping the steep rocks on Camelback.

And for my birthday, 6 Par Farmer got me a pair. Nice! I have narrow feet and my feet often slip around in shoes. One of my favorite things about these crazy looking shoes is how supportive they are. Although, you don't have much between you and the elements... you don't have much between you and the elements! It is awesome. Your feet never slip around in the shoe and you can really feel where you are stepping. I am always rolling my ankles, and I haven't even come close in these babies.

The power of the shoes doesn't stop there. I don't run. When I say I don't run, I don't mean that I don't run marathons or 10k's. I mean, I really don't run. I hike mountains, power walk, do aerobics, etc. I think I have a mental block, because even at points in my life when I was in great shape, I still wouldn't run more than a 1/4 of a mile. So, imagine my surprise yesterday when Dolce and I went out for our daily walk, and I decided to start running. Not sure what came over me. (I am blaming the shoes. Or maybe the fact that it was snowing. I love snow.) Whether it was snow, or the wild beast unleashed by the primal power of the Vibram Fiver Finger shoes, I ran for a mile. Actually, 1.2 miles. This might seem insignificant to those of you who run, but I honestly don't think I have run a mile since 8th grade. I even ran kind of fast. Yay me.

Looking at Dolce's footprints ahead of me in the snow, and then noticing the "barefoot" prints I was making, I couldn't help but wonder, today, am I woman or beast?

These are a few of my favorite things...

On this pre-holiday visit to Great Falls, I have experienced many of my favorite things: 6 Par Farmer, Christmas parties, rum cake ( I didn't know it was my favorite until this weekend), snow, and time with my favorite young ladies.

They were not calling for snow, but we have been getting a few inches a day. It makes the golf course look quite festive and although, 6 Par Farmer prefers waking up to look at a day filled with sun and eighty degree temperatures, I love waking up to a fresh blanket of snow that has quieted the streets and made new turf for snow angels. It has been 5-10 degrees, so it hasn't been balmy, but it is gorgeous.

On a beautiful, snowy Sunday, we joined 6 Par Farmer's fam for Christmas brunch at the Meadowlark Country Club. Everything was decorated, there were some children playing Christmas tunes, and lots of yummy food. The highlight of the day were 6 Par Farmer's nieces in their Christmas dresses. So fabulous! (Big Bon Lemon supporters, I might add.)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Skiing

After a lot of early season snow, I have yet to hit the slopes. Sad face. (Gotta keep Bon Lemon running smoothly for all of my fabulous customers :) Some of my friends have been up and keep referring to it as "epic." Way to rub it in.

I have enjoyed skiing for many years, as my dad raced and had us on skis about the time we started thinking of walking. I never skied competitively and, living a couple of hours from the mountain we only got up a handful of times a year. I didn't reach the skill level of my dad, but I still enjoy getting out in the fluffy white stuff and making a few turns. Especially, now that skiing includes cocktails at the end of the day :)

I thought you all might appreciate this skiing picture circa 1990 ish. I'm the one on the lower right. Don't be jealous of my hair. Or my friend's amazing pants...

The First Snow Angel of the Season

It's official: I made my first snow angel of the season. And it wasn't in Montana. It was here in Olympia! We have had snow for the last few days. It is supposed to be 15 degrees tomorrow. The power was out for a day. And I can't drive out of the little street I live on without sliding backwards. Winter is upon us! And it almost feels like a Montana winter. Woo hoo!

I can't say exactly why I love snow. It could be the way it muffles sound. Or the pretty white blanket it lays on my otherwise unsightly landscaping. (If you can call it that. More like lack of landscaping.) I like shoveling snow. Making snow balls. Although, I have been pegged with more snowballs this year than I have thrown. (6 Par Farmer has darn good aim...) I love making snow angels and wearing furry boots. All of these things probably contribute to why I love snow. Love. Love. Love.

Some people see the snow as a hinderance to their life, which it can be, but I suggest enjoying the calm a snow day provides. Sit down with your blog or your book, a good recipe or a great meal, a lover or a friend, and watch the snow come down. There's nothing better. Now, if I can only find a way to get up to the ski hill...