FOURTH ANNUAL BLOG ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA WINNERS!

Time to announce the Fourth Annual Whatever-It-Is-Who-Cares Giveaway winners! I’m so excited. Drumroll, please:

Close enough.

Thanks, as ever, to the Random Number Generator, the winner of the copy of Ruby Lang’s Acute Reactions is:

fourwindsharbour! Congratulations, 4-win-harb! (Can I call you 4-win-harb?) Ian and Petra are rather less Canadian and turn-of-the-century than Anne and Gilbert, but I think you’ll enjoy them all the same.

And the winner of the $25 USD Etsy e-giftcard is:

slowseptember! Hooray, slosept! (Can I call you slosept?) You might notice that 4-win-harb and slosept happen, charmingly, to be comment twins. I have, however, verified that they are two different people. No gaming the system here, no sir.

So, watch your email for contact about your winnings, you two–and everyone else, thanks for entering, and I wish I could give you all prizes for being so dang great! Thanks, really, for reading this blog, whether or not you’re in a skirt while you do it. These four years have been a hoot. FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS! It’s a good thing blogs don’t have term limits.

Fourth Annual Blog Anniversary Giveaway Extravaganza!

Obligatory exclamation where I express disbelief in the continual passage of time! Joke about an alternate holiday taking place on the same day as the anniversary! Question inviting readers to share in the joke?

Okay, meta sarcasm over. Traditionally, we here at Reading in Skirts do like to celebrate this blog’s birthday with a two-part giveaway: one half platypus book-oriented and the other Mars clothing-oriented. So, what can you win this time, hmm? Let’s find out.

Part one: remember when I based a Literary Stylings outfit on this delightful contemporary romance novel? If you haven’t already picked up your own copy since then, here’s your chance to read it! One winner will receive their choice of an ebook or physical copy of Ruby Lang’s Acute Reactions. I loved it! USA Today loved it! I bet you’ll love it too.

Part two: look, I like Etsy. You know I like Etsy. A good number of my long-time beloved accessories and other pieces came from awesome independent Etsy vendors like Carouselink and the Faerie Market. If you already use Etsy, you probably have a favorite shop, and if you don’t even know what Etsy is–well, welcome! This is the internet! How are you? The second winner will receive a $25 USD Etsy e-giftcard to be used at the shop of their choice. (Don’t buy anything culturally appropriative, okay? Do me this one favor if you win. Make me proud.)

Here’s all you have to do: leave a comment with a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS on this post and tell us about a) your favorite literary couple, or b) the last time you made something crafty. You can also do both, if you’d like to enter for both giveaways. (Mind that you’ll win one at most, though.) Entries will be accepted until 11:59PM PST on Monday, June 29th. The giveaway is open to everyone, domestic and international! The winners will be chosen at random and I’ll announce them the day after the giveaway closes; if you win, you’ve have 72 hours to respond to the email before a new winner is randomly selected, so be sure to check your spam folders!

That’s all I got for you right now, so scroll down to the comments and enter! Or don’t. Hey, it’s no skin off my nose either way, pal.

THIRD ANNUAL BLOG ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA WINNERS!

Okay, friends. I know you’re excited, but try to stay calm. It’s time for me, with the help of the invaluable Random Number Generator, to announce the winners of the third annual blah blah blah whatever giveaway! Drumroll, please:

Close enough.

The winner of the $34 USD e-giftcard to Powell’s Books is:

Brittneigh! Yay for Brittneigh! Hopefully the books that you buy with your prize will be less terrible, at the very least.

The winner of the giftcard for one t-shirt from Litographs is:

Evelyn! Congratulations, Evelyn! At long, long last you’ll have a Litographs shirt of your very own.

I’ll be in touch with you both so that you can claim your prizes. Thanks for entering and helping me celebrate, everybody! I wish I could give you all prizes like Oprah does, but unfortunately, I cannot. You’ll all have to get your BEES somewhere else.

Third Annual Blog Anniversary Giveaway Extravaganza!

Oh my god, you guys. Three years? Nahhhh. I mean, time is a meaningless social construct anyway, so it definitely hasn’t been three years since Tia and I started this blog. Let’s just have a get-together commemorating the Battle of Seven Oaks, instead.

No? Oh, fine. We’ll do another giveaway, then, I guess. I mean, if I have to.

image via powells.com

Part one of the giveaway: a $34 USD e-giftcard to Powell’s Books! I’ve only been to the giant Powell’s flagship store in Portland once, but it was GREAT. There were LOTS OF BOOKS, as one might expect.

image via litographs.com

Part two of the giveaway: a giftcard for one t-shirt from Litographs! (If you win and the site’s available sizes do not suit you, let me know and we’ll work something else out.) I don’t personally own any of their wares–yet–but rest assured, I am quite interested in several of their designs, like The Last Unicorn, for example. Yeah? Yeahhhh. It’s a very book-themed giveaway this time around, mostly because this is (half) my blog and I do what I want.

Your instructions, should you choose to enter the giveaway: leave a comment with a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS on this post and tell us about a) the worst book you ever read or b) your favorite book cover that would make a kickass t-shirt design. You can also do both, if you’d like to enter for both giveaways. (You can only win one, though. No fair sweeping both.) Entries will be accepted until 11:59PM PST a week from today–that’s Thursday, June 26th. The giveaway is open to everyone, domestic and international! The winners will be chosen at random and I’ll announce them the Friday after the giveaway closes; if you win, you will have 72 hours to respond to the email before a new winner is randomly selected, so be sure to check your spam folders just in case!

Okay, friends. Help me celebrate this wonderful day of Kuwaiti independence blog anniversary. Go forth and cloister yourself in a quiet space with a book and ignore all your worldly responsibilities! It’s what I would do.

Second Annual Blog Anniversary Giveaway Extravaganza Winners!

Have you guys been waiting for this post all week? I know I have. (I like giving people things. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.)

Hold your breath, everyone! It’ll make the moment feel more dramatic!

Thanks, as usual, to that particular witchcraft of the Random Number Generator, we have our winners. The winner of the $20 USD credit to the Book Depository is:

GoldfishGirl! Way to go, GG! May you read your winnings in the tub without interruption until your toes are all wrinkled and pruney.

The winner of the $20 USD gift card to Sock Dreams is:

Megan Gann! Hurrah, Megan! It’s probably a little warm for sock times on your side of the country, but you can dream about them for the cooler months. (Also, oh my freaking god, sleeping with a book under your pillow is the cutest damn thing. I used to hide a tiny flashlight alongside my mattress so I could read after lights-out. This was after my stepdad took away my nightlight because he’d find me reading by the light of it, of course.)

I’ll be getting in touch with you both so that you can claim your winnings. Keep an ear out! To everyone else, you may not have won the prizes, but you’ve won…my love. And isn’t that really the greatest gift of all?

Wait, where are you going? Guys?

Second Annual Blog Anniversary Giveaway Extravaganza!

That’s right, fellas and fellettes! It’s that day again!

No, I’m not talking about World Sauntering Day. Or Day of the Independent Hungary. Or Salman Rushdie’s birthday.

What I’m talking about is Reading in Skirts’ second blog anniversary. Yeah, this thing has been lumbering onward for two whole years now. Weird, right? So anyway, this is a great occasion to have the SECOND ANNUAL BLOG ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA! Wooooo!

Giveaway part the first is, as last year, dedicated to the “Reading” half of our blog title:

No, it’s not my battered old copy of Ella Enchanted. Although that would make a pretty good giveaway too, Ella Enchanted is the bomb. It’s a $20 USD credit to the Book Depository! Reading is the best, so why shouldn’t we share that with our readers? (Haha, see what I did there?) The winner will have to let us know their choices since the Book Depository doesn’t have an actual gift card system set up, but they do free shipping internationally, so I think that makes up for the minor inconvenience.

And, of course, giveaway part the second is dedicated to the “Skirts” half:

No, it’s not my new pair of Sweet Marcel OTKS; it’s a $20 USD gift card to Sock Dreams! Socks are also the best, and Sock Dreams has an impressive selection: they’ve got socks with lace and socks in space, socks with toes and socks for your nose! Well, maybe not that last one. They do have gloves, legwarmers, and other things too if socks aren’t so much your thing. (Please note if you’re an international reader that while Sock Dreams has free shipping within the US, they do charge for shipping elsewhere–please consult their shipping page for more information.)

So: all you have to do is leave a comment with a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS telling us either a) where your favorite place to read is or b) about your favorite pair of socks! You can also do both, if you’d like to enter for both giveaways. Entries will be accepted until 11:59PM PST a week from today–that’s Wednesday, June 26th. The winners will be chosen at random and I’ll announce our two chicken dinners the next day! The winners will have 72 hours to respond to the email before a new winner is randomly selected, so look lively, y’all.

Now that that’s all settled, let’s dance the dance of the joyful in honor of the anniversary of the first officially recorded game of organized baseball  Reading in Skirts turning two!

DAMN GIRL THAT STYLE IS FAT Giveaway Winners!

Thanks once more to the special magic of the Random Number Generator, I’m pleased to announce the winners of the DAMN GIRL THAT STYLE IS FAT giveaway!

What, winners? As in plural?

Yup! We got so many good comments that I decided to give away two copies to disseminate the love as much as possible! I’m like frickin’ Johnny Appleseed over here.

Without further ado (because there’s been plenty of ado already), WINNER ONE IS:

Gracey of Fashion For Giants! Congratulations, Gracey, and please enjoy the representations of plus-sized ladies of color!

And WINNER TWO IS:

Ellie! Congratulations, Ellie–may this book help you on your style journey and remind you that people can be stylish and awesome no matter their size.

I’ll be emailing you both for more details, and you’ll have DAMN GIRL THAT STYLE IS FAT in your hands before you know it.

I wish I could give a copy to everybody who entered–truly I do. I really, really want folks everywhere who have felt excluded from fashion due to their size (and not just felt excluded but have been excluded–things are getting better, but many companies and people in the fashion industry still show a lack of interest in providing quality, affordable, stylish plus-sized clothing, especially in larger sizes)–I want these folks to be able to read this book and feel encouraged and represented and like it’s an okay thing for them to want to look awesome, because it is! But if you didn’t win, I highly recommend picking up a copy of DAMN GIRL THAT STYLE IS FAT for yourself, in print or as an ebook! Or just follow Aimee, who is a cool-ass stylish fat lady herself. Either way, godspeed, friends, and I love you.

Edit: Sorry to piggyback this on a silly-type post that was written this morning, but I hope all friends, readers, and strangers in Boston are okay/will be okay. My heart is with you all.

Crazy Mia’s Amazing Emporium of Total Book Madness: DAMN GIRL THAT STYLE IS FAT Review + Giveaway

About a month ago, over at Nisaba Be Praised I mentioned that Aimee Fleck, captain of my heart, was planning to expand her fat-fashion zine into a book sometime soon. And what do you know, that time is now! A copy of DAMN GIRL THAT STYLE IS FAT arrived in the mail on Monday, and I sat down and read that thing like I had nothing better to do. (I didn’t.) Some observations:

– The format is sort of like the best parts of a women’s magazine without all the body-policing bullcrap and advertisments. It’s bright, fun, and energetic!

– As expected, the illustrations are great; they’re super eye-catching and feature a good variety of fat body shapes (and ethnicities too, which is super important since fat POC women are frequently excluded from fatshion circles). I want paper dolls of these ladies!

– It consists of pretty basic info for someone just getting into wearing stylish clothes, but this is an important starting point for many folks who, as Aimee points out, have felt excluded from fashion for a long time.

– However, there are a couple pieces of advice that really hit home for me:

+ A wardrobe purge is a good idea every once in a while, even if you’re already further along the road of your personal style journey. Personally, I like to wardrobe purge at the beginning of a new season when unpacking that season’s clothing!

+ The emergency notes at the end are invaluable–good notes about self-care being the priority, and the reminder that fashion doesn’t have to be for you if you don’t want it to be. Even as a straight-sized chick I get down on my body during shopping sometimes, because we’re all basically trained by society and the media to have major body insecurity, and how much worse and more insistent is that message directed at fat women?

Overall, I think DAMN GIRL THAT STYLE IS FAT is of greatest value to plus-sized folks who are just gaining an interest in fashion, but it’s a good, thoughtful (and fun!) read for people of any size and at any stage. Which is why I’m doing a GIVEAWAY!

That’s right, you have until April 11, 2013 at 11:59pm to leave ONE comment (with a valid email address) about what you think you’d get out of DAMN GIRL THAT STYLE IS FAT, and at the end I’ll randomly pick one lucky winner. Anybody can enter–even if you’ve never commented before, don’t be shy!

SO HOP TO IT, DORKS.

Giveaway Winners

Drumroll, please!

Close enough.

Okay, y’all, thanks to the Random Number Generator, the winner of the signed copy of Lucy Knisley’s comic travelogue French Milk is:

Amy Shelley! Congratulations, Amy! That hippo story is the cutest. There’s no Turkish delight in French Milk but I hope you like it anyhow.

And again, thanks to the Random Number Generator, the winner of the blue sarong with green and yellow sea life is:

Chelsea S! Felicidades, Chelsea! I may have to steal that outfit idea to try with one of the remaining sarongs in my wardrobe. Summery!

I think I already have your address from the Month of Letters project, Amy, but Chelsea, if you could email me over at figwiggin-at-gmail-dot-com with an address to which I can send your prize, I’ll get it all out by the end of the week.

And hoorays and huzzahs all around! Thanks for the well-wishes, everybody. You’re all the greatest, and you’re all winners in my heart! (Well, except for you losers. You know who you are. No, not you, those other loser people.)

First Annual Blog Anniversary Giveaway Extravaganza!

Heyyyy, guys! Guess what day it is!

…well, no, besides Juneteenth, I mean.

…and besides World Sickle Cell Day.

…AND besides Zoe Saldana’s birthday.

Look, I’ll just tell you, okay? It’s the first anniversary of this here blog! That’s right, fools, Tia and I have been blathering on about our clothes (and ourselves) for a whole year now. Woof! I’m tired just thinking about it.

Anyhow, to celebrate this obviously great achievement of ours, I would like to welcome you to the

FIRST ANNUAL BLOG ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA!

(Never mind that “annual” and “anniversary” are redundant and that it’s more of a two-item giveaway than an extravaganza, but bear with me here.)

The first half of the giveaway deals, appropriately, with the first half of our dear little blog’s name: “Reading.”

That’s right, folks and folkettes, you (you!) could win a signed copy of Lucy Knisley’s charming travelogue French Milk, which is a convergence of many things I hold dear: indie press, autobiographical comics, travel, and, yeah, food. You can read my review of it here if you haven’t already!

The second half of the giveaway encompasses the second half of our blog’s name: “Skirts.” Well, insofar as “skirts” means “clothing” in this case.

Again, that’s right–you could win this purdy, purdy blue sarong with green and yellow sea life that I bought in Hawaii a long time ago! It is a fraternal triplet with two other sarongs I brought back, one of which you can see in action here. I solemnly swear to give it a good laundering before it gets sent on its merry way. Works marvelously as a scarf, beach cover-up, creatively-tied tube top, as well as a number of other ideas that I’m just not creative to think of right now. The mind boggles!

So here’s the scoop: all you have to do is leave a comment telling us either a) what your favorite travel memory is (bonus points if you mention a favorite travel meal), or b) how you’d dress the sarong up (or down)! You can even do both, if’n you wanna enter for both items. Entries will be accepted until 11:59PM PST a week from today–that’s Tuesday, June 26th. The winner will be chosen at random and I’ll announce our two lucky duckies the next day. Get it? Got it? Good!

Now go forth, my little cabbages, and celebrate, for today it is St. Zosimus’ Feast Day Reading in Skirts’ first birthday!

They grow up so fast.