Blogoversary Wrap-Up

All good celebrations have to have an ending, just like good books and chocolate cupcakes. But all good books and celebrations have happy endings too, right? Luckily, we have a happy ending for our blogoversary, because we have some WINNERS!!!! First things first, the winner of the writing contest. It was really hard to pick between the entries, but there can only be one winner, right?

Without further ado, the winner of the writing contest is.... Hailey Hudson! Congratulations, Hailey! =) You should receive an email today about your bookmark prize. Here's her winning entry, titled "When You Left":

It was snowing when you left. You were making a joke about Frosty the snowman, flipping up the hood of your red parka that I’d borrowed so many times without you knowing, double-checking to make sure that your luggage was in place. You were walking towards the door like you weren’t going to turn back—like you weren’t going to even tell me goodbye.

I wanted so many things in that moment, standing there hugging my arms to my chest and feeling the cool hardwood floor through my socks. I wanted to tell you that I remembered that time we went exploring the city after nightfall, how we laughed over chai lattes in our favorite hole-in-the-wall coffee shop and snuck into our favorite ice skating rink without paying and then found our way to a friend’s high-rise apartment and stood so close that the frosty clouds of our breath mingled into one as we watched the city light up. I wanted to remind you about that time we were sitting in my kitchen early one Saturday morning; I wanted you to remember how you added peanut butter to the pancake batter without even asking me because you knew that was my favorite, and I wanted you to remember how you made jokes about us being an old married couple one day, and I wanted to tell you that the sunlight slanting through the window had hit your face in just the right way as you turned back to the stove and all I wanted was to kiss you right then and there. 

But instead you were walking out. You were leaving, and you weren’t giving me a second thought. You meant so much to me—but I finally realized I meant nothing to you. 

I wanted so desperately to tell you so many things. But I couldn’t. All I could do was stand there in the front hallway, well after the door had shut behind you, hugging myself and thinking—this was never part of the plan. 

It was snowing when you left.

Wasn't that gorgeous? =)

But there's still another winner to pick, isn't there? Drumroll, please. The winner of the wooden bookmark giveaway is.... Amelia! Congratulations, Amelia! You should receive an email today about your bookmark prize. =)

I just want to give a HUGE thank you to all of my readers! You guys are the BEST and you all have made this past year of blogging (and this blogoversary) absolutely wonderful! *throws confetti* What was your favorite blogoversary post? Didn't you love Hailey's entry?