BLOGIVERSARY: you bet it's a party so you better get on over here!!

so before we start this party...

before i dive into anything super emotional, i have a pretty good feeling that someone messed with the dates of my blog...'cause i was pretty sure that my blog-anniversary is on Feb. 22nd! however, when i looked over the date of my first blog post...um, it says Feb. 19th?! since when...?! i feel like a bad girlfriend best friend wife blogger that forget her boyfriend best friend husbands blog's anniversary! 

okay, okay. this is a little embarrassing (laugh it off) but whatever. the day is gone - so we're making this a continued celebration! the date is not gonna change the goodness of this part-aaaaay! it was a very ilene-moment...and we're gonna move forward with it. you game?

are you ready? really, really ready for this? 

let's bring it!

  

on feb. 19th...er, feb. 22nd,

much love illy (the blog) was born.

so you ask, why did you start blogging?

well, i'm glad you asked! 

[my first blog banner]

when i did, i remember starting the entry with little idea of where it would head. i had a blog on tumblr but it was pretty random and i got tired of how long it took to load my posts - and my friends always complained that they could never comment on it. also my sister and some close friends moved away and so this was one way i knew i could keep in touch with them. another best friend of mine even told me she was surprised that i didn't have a blog - that i seemed like a person that would. 

 [my first etsy shop banner]

my etsy shop also started to take off and so i wanted to have a place to record inspiration as well as include shop updates. and like many bloggers, there was so much inspiration out there in blog world, that i needed my own place - my own sort of bulletin board to tack on all my ideas. 

[home sweet chicago]

i was always taking so many pictures - and sometimes facebook just wasn't doing it for me. i'm a writer at heart and i wanted to write, journaling my love for life, my family, my faith and relationship with Jesus Christ, and...just to write. i also wanted to showcase photos so of course, blogging started to hit the spot for me as i recorded adventures with Ryan and friends in the my favorite city in the world, Chicago.

[one of the first pic to appear on da blog. me and the ryans]

and of all years to start blogging, i'm glad i started it that particular day. 
why? because seriously so much has happened. 

spring break in the philippines. first much love illy giveaway ever. JSB 2010. cupcake dates. first craft show. family adventures in the city. making a BIG decision. ryan's graduation.  my first date with my canon rebel. chicago adventures. the alphabet hop. a sulu brainstorm. first current obsession wednesday. bruiser the cat. meeting sandy and shia. hit 100 followers. i got ENGAGED to my best friend in the whole wide world. saying goodbye is hard. it was really hard to say goodbye. the big move. hello, georgia. hello, south carolina.  first outfit post. birthday partay. engagement pictures. first blog crawl. first giveaway. first sponsor love friday. more outfit posts. CHWH swap 2010. thanksgiving with the fam. christmas with the fam. 

and the adventures have continued into this new year. what started to be a way to connect with family and friends and a creative has grown into a community that i would never have expected to be a part of and i have YOU, my friend, to thank.

 and because of YOU, i wanted to celebrate YOU today. 
i want to thank you for making this year so amazing for me. 
for allowing me to grow alongside you. 
for encouraging me with your sweet comments. 
for letting me awkward and whiny.
and awesome on some days.

and to celebrate YOU, we are talking up some major giveaway stash. 

vanna white, will you please...?

behind curtain #1...

i have been a long time fan of these lovelies, so when i got my hands on my own pair you bet this made it to my list of favorite things! so for one special winner today, the winner will receive one modern pearl necklace in their choice of color - and there are oh, so many!

next we have curtain #2 

and is that also a curtain #3?

before i let you in on giveaway package #2 and #3 (unless you decide to scroll all the way - totally your choice but also your loss)...i want to introduce to you three very special women who have had specific impact on my journey as a handmade seller and as a blogger. they have been with me from the very beginning. 

meet sandy, kim, and ashley.

every single one of them reached out to me when i first started. i am talking about THE very beginning. they were encouraging, supportive and were the cheerleaders that told me keep going with "this etsy/blog thing" - without needing anything back from me. i've asked them questions. i've vented - and they've been there. i've looked up to them and admired the examples they have set as women, friends and as bloggers. they are real and were there for me when i needed them. so they are definitely  a huge part of my bloganniversary because they helped me to even get this whole thing started. sooooo...the following giveaway packages include goodies from their incredible shops! 

handmade goodies package #1.

  ohsweetjoy ruffled stripes coffee cuff / LMM mustache necklace

sandyalamode lacy mustard yellow bow

(package valued: $32)

handmade goodies package #2.

ohsweetjoy happy bunting coffee cuff / LMM cateye glasses necklace

sandyalamode diana red felt bow

(package value: $32)

talk about an amazing stash of handmade goodies from some of the best out there!

and speaking of handmade, behind curtain #4...

like i said, the Much Love, illy shop is a huge part of me and my blog. 

it's a collaboration of my love for fashion and for handmade.

and last but not least, behind curtain #5...

i think i've been raving about my love for the lemode traveling bag for forever. you've seen me blog about it probably every week. it's so perfect for throwing in your every day junk. it's great for the casual and for the not-so-casual outfits. so many of you seemed to love this bag as much as me, so i thought i'd throw one of these in the giveaway too! oh and adrianna of lemode also offered these sweet set of floral transformation earrings, one of my favorite from the lemode collection. 

via lemode

okey-dokey. 

breathe in. breathe out.

are you still out there?

if you are loving these goodies as much as i do,

then here's how you can get your hands on them.

or at least the chance to.

'cause if i could give every single one of you everything on this list, i would.

like donkey said in shrek, really-really. 

we're talking 5 amazing giveaways 

to 5 incredible Much Love, illy readers!

{how to enter:}

- be a public follower of Much Love, illy
- comment by telling me ...
what is your absolute favorite thing about blogging or blog-world?

{do you really, really 

want to win?}

(keep in seperate comment boxes to count!)
- comment with your favorite Much Love, illy blog post and why
-follow @muchloveilly (that's me!) via twitter
 - tweet about this giveaway
(include @muchloveilly so i can track it) 
-blog about the giveaway and include your link
-heart the muchloveilly etsy shop 

Giveaway will be open to US and International Much Love, illy readers until Monday, February 28th. 
Winners will be announced Tuesday, March 1st. 

and just a couple more things..
(let me be a cheeseball 'cause that's who i am. )

just a little bit of thanks.

God:
for life. for giving me a reason to live and to write.  
Ryan:
encouraged me from the beginning with blogging and my etsy shop 
(but he doesn't have an etsy shop so i couldn't do a giveaway for him - hehe)
Daddy, Mom, Bethie, Pey-Pey, Kristine and Ryan:
for always, always being there for me and reading all my posts 
(and letting me blog about our crazy life)
Whit, Ashley T., Dannon, Julie, Nora, Stephanie, Timmy T, Jen, Sarah, 
Fenton, Josh and Joe:
you know who you are. thanks for letting me get excited with you about art and blogging - even though some of you had no clue what i was talking about. you were still excited with me.
Sponsors:
You continue to blow me away with your support. thank you, thank you!

[happy blogiversary, 
my dear sweet blog!]