COTE DE TEXAS: The Julie Neill Chandelier Giveaway Winner

The Julie Neill Chandelier Giveaway Winner

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The Elizabeth Chandelier by Julie Neill – The Giveaway.

The Julie Neill Designs chandelier giveaway was extremely popular!   I had a funny feeling it would be.   Almost 1,000 readers entered, making it one of the biggest Cote de Texas giveaways ever, along with the lantern giveaway from BROWN this past July.  I only wish I had more chandeliers to give away.  These giveaways serve two purposes – first, they are a way for me to give back and thank you for supporting the blog.  And, second, for the donor, it’s a way to advertise their company.  In addition, the owner learns something about their merchandise with these giveaways.   I always require that in order to enter, you must first visit the company’s web site and look at their product.  Then, in the entry comment, tell what you liked best and why.   Your responses go a long way in helping the donors understand what particular product in their line is liked and why.  Giveaways on blogs are secret pleasures.  Even in a popular giveaway, the odds are great that you might win.   When entering a contest, odds of 1 in 1,000 are much better than 1 in 50,000 odds you might find in a magazine contest.    But on smaller blogs or less popular giveaways, your odds might be 1 in 35 or 1 in 100!!!

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The Ingrid – the contemporary choice in the giveaway.

Today, I am happy to announce the winner in the Julie Neill Designs chandelier giveaway!  The winner is also a blogger – THE CLUTTER DIVA.  She is a real estate agent turned home stager who hails from San Antonio, Texas, home of the Alamo.   Congratulations to The Clutter Diva!  Hopefully, we will soon see pictures of her new chandelier hanging in her home.   Some people have asked how I choose the winner.  First, I go to the web site www.Random.org HERE and enter the number of the total entrants.  The web site then generates one number which is the winner.  I go back and pick out the comment with the same number.  This time, The Clutter Diva was the lucky one!!

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The Mollie Chandelier by Julie Neill Designs

As the giveaway rules state, The Clutter Diva left her winning comment on my blog after first visiting the Julie Neill Designs web site.  There, the Clutter Diva said one of her favorite designs is the Mollie Chandelier – pictured above.   This Italian styled chandelier has become the trendiest look in hanging fixtures, after lanterns, so I am not surprised this was her pick.

                                       

As for the giveaway chandelier, I wonder which design she will chose – The Elizabeth or the Ingrid, the more contemporary fixture.  I have a feeling The Clutter Diva will be choosing the Elizabeth. 

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I want to thank the beautiful and talented Julie Neill once again for her wonderful generosity in hosting this Cote de Texas giveaway!  Thank  you Julie, so very much!!!!

And, in other giveaway news:

The last giveaway before Julie Neill Designs was the Harrison Howard print.   Harrison, an artist, has a wonderful web site HERE filled with all his creations.   The giveaway was one print of the winner’s choosing.   The winner of the Harrison Howard print was Kwana Jackson, the very popular blogger of Kwana Writes fame HERE.  Below is the  print that Kwana chose for her giveaway.

“Afternoon Watering” by Harrison Howard

Kwana told Harrison that she picked this particular print, Afternoon Watering, because it reminds her of her and her husband.  As soon as the print has been framed and hung, Kwana promises us a picture of it, in situ!  Congratulations Kwana. 

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inally, in the Paris Hotel Boutique HERE giveaway, Lynn Goldfinger Abrams most generously donated this beautiful antique convex mirror!!!   Much to my surprise, the winner lives about 1 mile from me in Bellaire, Texas, which is right next door to my own hometown West University Place.   Yes, we both technically live in Houston – just a few miles from downtown Houston in fact – but our addresses are in these two incorporated cities within the boundaries of Houston.  Both of our cities, West University Place and Bellaire, have their own mayor, police and fire departments, but we share school districts with Houston, amongst other things.   The winner of the Paris Hotel Boutique giveaway who goes by the name “Camplkidz” emailed me today to say her mirror has arrived and will be up shortly.  In the meantime, she sent me a picture of it awaiting its final placement.

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The giveaway mirror waiting to be placed at its Bellaire, Texas home.

I want to take this time to tell all of you who have entered these giveaways - thank you for your support.  I started writing Cote de Texas in 2007 – and it has turned out to be so much more than I ever envisioned or hoped for.  As must bloggers say, I only expected my friends and husband to read it, but truthfully, my husband rarely if ever reads it, and only a few of my friends do.  Yet, somehow, over 70,000 people a month do read it, a figure that staggers and profoundly humbles me.   The vast majority of readers are people I have never met – most are from Texas and the United States, but there are many from Australia and other parts of the world I will never have the privilege of visiting.   Writing the blog has been a lot of fun and a lot of hard work too.   It’s not easy to come up with something worthwhile to say every week, but I do try to be original and interesting.   Sometimes it is, sometime it’s not.   Your positive, and even those not so positive comments, are what keeps me motivated to continue.   When I first started, I tried to answer each and every comment – which back then was a manageable feat.  Today, the comments are numerous and I have spent many hours feeling guilty about not being able to personally respond to all of you.  For that I can only offer my apologies and hope that you understand.   I wish I could still answer each and every comment, but know that I do read and digest them all.  

As for personal emails, I get an amazing number of emails a day – most are spam or cookies driven, but sometimes personal emails get lost in the shuffle.    If you have emailed me and I haven’t responded within a week, please email me again.   It’s probable I never saw the original message.  It’s hard to believe it’s already November and the holidays are quickly approaching.   I have a few more smaller giveaways planned for the end of the year.  I wish I could have one each week!

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The interior design of Greet Lefèvre, the woman behind the Belgian Pearls blog.

On another topic, there is a new Skirted Roundtable interview now available with Greet, the talented interior designer and cabinet maker from Belgian, who writes the only blog from that wonderful design conscious country:  Belgian Pearls.   To listen to this interview, please go HERE

And finally, speaking of lost emails,  will the person who sent me this picture below please email me again!  I don’t know who sent these pictures!!!  

Bar

54 comments :

  1. Congrats to all the lucky winners! Giveaways are so fun and thank-you Joni and all your lovely givers!
    pve

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  2. Congratulations to all the lucky, lucky winners, these were fabulous giveaways! Thanks to Joni too and all the wonderful people who donated the prizes!

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  3. I am always thrilled to learn who wins the giveaway, it is very exciting to know something wonderful happened for someone.

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  4. Congrats to the Clutter Diva on this incredible win! YAY for my friend Camplkiz who won the gorgeous mirror, so happy for both lucky ladies.

    Joni~ thanks to you for all that you give. You were the spark that got me started blogging and you continue to inspire so many people with your informative posts, witty words, and never ending eye candy.

    Happy Monday. :)
    T

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  5. Sad that I didn't win the giveaway but I am sure the will items are going to good homes.
    As for future posts, I wish you would show the house and decorating style of the rest of your family, I am pretty sure that you have a sister and mother.
    Also, after the stir up last year I hope you will still show the family Christmas, I laugh out loud at some of the presents and I would love for you to show your SIL shopping list, she must start January 2.

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  6. Congrats to the Clutter Diva!! The chandelier contest was a lot of fun! ; )

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  7. Congrats to the winners and to YOU for bringing us such amazing giveways! Please, can you write another sublime deco educational note like the one about Chinoiseries? Looking Foward to reading your posts! A big hugh from Mexico City!

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  8. Congratulations to the winners and thank you for hosting these great giveaways. They are great ways to discover new deign sources.

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  9. Congrats to the Clutter Diva! The chandeliers are beautiful. I've never heard of www.Random.org. This is a very good idea. Next time when I have a giveaway on my blog I'll use that site. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful new week!

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  10. Hi, just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to blog. I am from Australia and love your blog. You always post such detailed posts. Love them!! My daughter and I often check out the posts together :))

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  11. Congrats and thank you!

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  12. Joni the Julie Neill winner is a very lucky girl..... I was doing the 1st phase of the installation of the project I am doing and we did 4 of her sconces and not have a beautiful Beatrice chandelier on order....In the silver leaf.I Missed this one.......Oh well!!!!!Maryanne xo

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  13. Joni... you do such amazing posts that the rest of us value them as a private lesson in interior design, architecture and the Life of Joni + Mr. Sockman. We're honoured to be a part of your readership.

    xoxoxoxoxo

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  14. Joni!!!!You are toooo wonderful!! This was so much fun! I an honored to have had you do this giveaway because your blog is the BEST!! I loved reading all the comments, and you're so right, it is great feedback on what designs are the most popular and why.
    I can't wait to see the winning chandelier in place in the Clutter Diva's house.
    Thank you so much to everyone who left comments and mostly, Joni, THANK YOU!!!
    xoxo Julie

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  15. Congrats to the winners. Thanks for hosting such great giveways and for all the time and effort you put into your blog.

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  16. Joni, I have enjoyed your blog for several months now as I read it along with about two dozen other design-related blogs. I enjoy the creativity, and ideas, and photos that inspire to try something different in my own home. Largely because of your example,I have incorporated seagrass and slips and white linen in my own home---and i love it.

    However, I have noticed a disturbing trend among several of my go-to blogs. Some of them spend so much time with give-aways and with promoting their friends' or sponsors' products that they give less and less space to their own blog's intended purpose. I understand that some want the blog to become a business, but I hope they don't sell their souls in the process.

    I am looking for more about seagrass and linen and slips---and well-desisgned homes!

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  17. Thank you Joni for all that you do and for always making me smile. Since Mr. Slippersocks Man isn't keeping up on his reading of your blog, you can use it as a forum to kvetch about him and he won't know!

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  18. Re: the above commenter
    That applies to a lot of bloggers, but:
    a)Joni doesn't do that many giveaways.

    b)When she does, they are big (not a bar of soap or home-spray)

    c)She's a prolific blogger; we don't see the giveaway sitting there for a week or more, waiting for real posts. She puts up regulars posts every week, sometimes twice.

    So please, keep on giving!

    That said, Joni, I emailed you pictures of my kitchen after you asked to see the finished product, and you didn't respond. That's not my photo above, but I'm glad I shouldn't take it personally! I can imagine you have piles of emails daily.

    Thanks for the great posts and occasional high-end giveaways. It's always a pleasure. :)

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  19. Thank you for the into to Julie & her lovely merchandise and thank you for continuing to host such lovely giveaways.

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  20. Congratulations to all the giveaway winners, lucky souls all! We have a Julie Neill chandelier in our breakfast room and it really makes the room -- I'll bet the Clutter Diva will be absolutely delighted.

    Joni, your blog continues to be a real treat!

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  21. I am so happy to be a winner. Thank you so much Joni. I think I went crazy choosing and in the end I choose one very close to this one. I will send you a pic once it is hung. I'm in love with it and Harrison.

    Congrats to The Clutter Diva too! Thank you again.

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  22. Congratulations to the Clutter Diva! I wonder which design she is going to choose? Fun fun! Joni and Julie, thank you so much for all of your great work and generosity. The giveaway was so much fun!

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  23. Dearest, Lovely Joni, I am over the moon to be winner of the Julie Neill chandelier!!! You cannot imagine what a full circle moment this is for me. Back in 1982 this small town girl from Denton, Texas moved to New Orleans on a whim, fell in love with a city and lived happily in the French Quarter for 10 wonderful years until I met my husband at Mardi Gras in 1992. To have a jewel from my beloved Crescent City in my home is truly special. As you predicted, I choose the Elizabeth, it reminds me of my apartment on St. Philip Street. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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  24. I appreciate you sharing the "pick the winner" process. Congrats to Clutter Diva!

    I left your blog open on my computer and this morning my husband read it--he was very impressed with the thorough and detailed writing on your blog--which is much more thorough than any shelter mag. I have laying around.

    Thanks for blogging, we both enjoy it!

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  25. Joni, Congrats to all the winners and thank you for hosting such fabulous giveaways!
    xo, Sherry

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  26. Congrats to Clutter Diva!, but dang I wanted to win!!:) I could so use one of her chandeliers in my new barn room! Thank you Joni and Julie for such a wonderful giveaway... even if I didn't win!;)

    best,
    joan

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  27. what a great give-away joni!
    and what i took away from it was a new source, julie's incredible lighting.

    just want to say that you are indeed so appreciated and the work and research is mind-boggling.

    isn't it interesting; blogging and husbands? mine never reads my posts either and just shakes his head that i have blogging friends i care deeply for. usually followed by a dry "and you met them where?"
    xo
    debra

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  28. Joni,
    You have set a bar in blogging that few of us will ever reach. I learn something each day I do this....and have been amazed at the friendships made without a face to face meeting.

    I love hosting a give away - and yours was over the top! I know your sponsor must be pleased. And lucky winner......her San Antonio will shine even brighter soon!

    Thank you for the time and effort you spend in educating and inspiring so many of us!!!

    ~ Elizabeth

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  29. * Dear Joni~

    This was such a delightful read tonight!!! There's great joy, & warmth in one's heart, in seeing OTHERS happy, as we all know the winners certainly are for sure!!! But IMHO, we're ALL winners, because you choose to give so much of yourself to so many... we're very lucky that way, my friend, and you are very much appreciated... I hope you know that!!!

    Warmest blessings, hugs n' THANKS,
    Linda in AZ *
    bellesmom1234@comcast.net

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  30. * P.S. I just finished reading everyone's comments, and wow! It sure is a WELL-DESERVED "Let's appreciate dear Joni night!!!", for SURE!!! And here I thought I was just being so "sentimental" about your generosities & kindnesses~~~ seems EVERYONE is appreciating you & all you do.... and isn't that NICE??? XO, Linda *

    Another sign that "Great minds..."

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  31. congratulations to all the winners. It's such a treat to win something, but seriously, for me, it's enough of a treat to read your well planned out, stunning posts. Thanks again for all the care and time you put into this blog for all of us to enjoy. xo Lidy

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  32. Congrats to all winners! Can't wait to see the pics of how the winners have decorated with the items they've won! Joni, I'm anxiously awaiting your next post. Each post is always so very informative & I like how you include lots of pics! You really should write a book!!! I'd be first in line for a signed copy:)

    Karen T.

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  33. Joni, you may not realize it, you inspired me to start giving back by offering more giveaways of quality and interest. "Artist of all Kinds and Genre's"

    I hope that you will come enter my giveaway from Jane, Empress of the Eye!

    xoxo
    Karena

    Art by Karena

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  34. Congrats to all the winners!!! Thanks for writing such a great blog! I check in multiple times a day.

    Have a great turkey day!!
    Karen

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  35. Congratulations to the lucky winners!!!! So happy for each of you!!!

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  36. Thanks for informing us how you pick the winners, and announcing the winners. Congratulations to them all!

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  37. So bummed to see my name wasn't the chandy winner! ARgh...well I will have to hang the chandy I am refurbishing and will post about it later this week!

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  38. Joni,

    I stumbled into the design blog world about 2 years ago and yours was the very first one I read. I LOVE reading each of your posts. You have such a beautiful way of writing and your pictures are always amazing. I have learned so much by reading your blog, and fantasize about having you come work your magic in my house!!

    Even though we have never met, I feel a connection to you since I live one neighborhood away from you in Braeswood Place! I also sent my daughter off to college this fall, but she is only 3 hours away. I wonder how you are coping as an empty nester? Hope to run into you in person one day--maybe at Starbucks! LOL

    Congrats to all the winners and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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  39. Thank you for introducing us to Julie Neill, I love handmade things. I am a painter and would be interested in having one of my works as a giveaway. Joni, if you would like to look at my work, christenhumphries.com
    Blessings~

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  40. Oh, this woman is going to be SO happy! Brilliant job, Joni. I've never seen such a wonderful giveaway. I'm having a trunk show in Rice Village December 10th (my jewelry) at Elaine Turner boutique, I would love for you to post a tiny blurb about it as we get closer. Thanks & happy holidays, Marsha

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  41. Congratulations to all of the winners!
    Thank you Joni for all of the time and effort that you put into each post. Your hard work and passion for C de T is what your readers respond to. It's why we love you!
    I can imagine that the amount of comments and emails you receive must be overwhelming. Let go of the guilt (if that's possible!). We, your readers, understand.
    Now, I'm off to download Greet's interview!

    xo
    Brooke

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  42. Thanks Joni for the best give away ever... both chandeliers were beautiful. I just wanted to thank you also for your hard work. Your posts are always either informative or entertaining - pleasing us in the business as well as your loyal readers who are not. You are the best and your blog is much appreciated and I just wanted you to know that. 70,000 readers is pretty impressive!

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  43. Congrats to the winners!

    Your blog has taught me so much about design in ways I never knew existed. I knew nothing about design until I started reading Color Me Happy and then in turn found your blog. Your blog is consistent with information that actually teaches us about elements in a room. The details you put into your posts are wonderful.

    I do read about 5 or 6 design blogs now and most have gotten to a point where they do a very small post and its nothing more than what they have going on in their lives. Not that we don't want to hear about that at all its just not why we started reading the blog. Yours stays true to what it is and I LOVE IT!

    Belinda

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  44. Oh, huge congratulations to the lucky winners! Thank you Joni for such lovely giveaways...and I enjoy your blog immensely!

    Oh, and I recently referenced you in a post I did on libraries.:)

    H.H.

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  45. Joni,

    You are so kind to take the time to thank all of your loyal readers...for me personally your site is educational and always feels like I'm listening to a very knowledgeable friend. I love the skirted round table discussions and am trying to listen to all of them since I only learned of your site within the past year.
    Thank you for all you provide for those of us addicted to the design/home decorating field.
    Karen

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  46. Joni, you were the first blog I ever read and are still the best. Congrats to all the VERY LUCKY winners. And by the way, I sent you an E-mail but in case it ends up in your junk mail again, I'm the one who sent you those pictures. Mona

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  47. I look forward to your posts even without the contests--although I never thought about the odds...I SHOULD be entering!

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  48. Lucky winners! I absolutely love those gorgeous chandeliers. They'd look amazing in any home.
    xoxo
    Lila Ferraro

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  49. Joni,
    You were the first blog I ever read as well. You are so sweet to have these fab giveaways.
    Happy t-day!
    xo

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