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With Gratitude

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I woke up this morning to be absolutely shocked/awed/surprised/honored/humbled/super-de-duper excited that my entry in the Vintage Revivals Room Re-Do Giveaway Contest received the MOST VOTES during open voting.  I am ever so grateful for such a truly amazing group of friends and blog readers (who I totally consider my friends).  Yesterday, I tweeted this, and I mean every single letter of it:

But, I’m lucky in more ways than one.  As I’m sitting here rallying for votes to make over my living room, others have no living room at all.  Not even 10 days ago, some of our fellow Americans across the southeast lost it all to the hand of violent storms.

It wasn’t until the day after the storms that I realized just how close to home those images I was seeing on the news hit to me.  My parents, who live in Tennessee, had a funnel cloud hover over their office.  They had absolutely no idea it was there  until eyewitnesses later told them about it, so we are ever so thankful that it never touched down.  Even more terrifying, my grandparents watched out their window as a tornado completely destroyed a neighborhood only one mile away in their small Alabama town. They don’t have a safe room or a basement – just an interior hallway in which to hide.  My aunt, uncle, and cousins also live in that same town, and they, too, came out unscathed.  I don’t remember us ever feeling quite so grateful to have been narrowly spared, yet so upset that others weren’t so lucky.

I felt kind of silly asking for votes so that my room can be beautified when others have lost so much.  But, I knew that I was going to do something special after the first round of voting was completed, and that’s what helped me make peace with my “vote for me” pleas.

In order to express my gratitude for not only the health and safety of my family but also to you guys for being so supportive of me throughout the years, I am donating 50-cents for every vote received to the American Red Cross North Alabama/Tennessee Valley Region Tornado Relief Fund (the area where my family lives).  I’m certainly not rich (far from it!), but these folks need it way more than we do.  I told my 5-year-old son about my plan while we were watching the news coverage, and he said he’d like to donate money from his piggy bank, too.  So, sweet Zack is donating a penny for every vote received.  If that doesn’t make you want to cry like it does me, his best friend showed up to school on Monday with a baggie full of pennies from HIS piggy bank.  Talk about knowing that we are raising these boys right…chills.

Anyway, I confabed with Mandi @ Vintage Revivals and she said that you guys (and the fabulous readers of House of Hepworths) racked up 398 votes for my room in the contest.  Amazing!  So, between my donation, Zack’s donation, and his BFF’s donation, the North AL/TN Valley American Red Cross will be receiving $203.53 – all because of you.

There are a few more rounds to go in the contest – the judges narrow down the Top 15 to the Top 5, and then there’s another rounding of voting after that.  I hope to be in the Top 5 and be able to harass you for more votes in a few days.  But, even if I’m not, I feel like we’ve all won today.

P.S. Congrats to my blog friends and readers who are also in the Top 15!  If I don’t win, I hope one of you will.  😀

About Lindsay Ballard

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Comments

  4. Tina says

    HI Lindsay,

    I have read your blog for a while now but, have never responded. I live in Tuscaloosa, AL which is one of the town that the tornado hit. My family and I was extremely luckly that we had no damage and no deaths in our famly but, we have had lots of friends and co-workers that have lost so much. So I just want to say a big THANK YOU for doing this, i will vote as many time as possible and i hope you win this room makeover. The devastation that this tornado did is just so undescribeable and sad. So again Thank You for doing this.

    Reply

  5. Holly says

    This post made me cry and gave me chills. I live near Chattanooga, TN and we had tornadoes all around us. We were so fortunate that none of our family was touched, but so many were not as fortunate. Thank you for raising this awareness and giving.

    Reply

  6. kelly says

    Oh my gosh don’t you just love when your children surprise you in such a way! that is beautiful that his friend wanted to help too:) makes my heart smile to hear this!

    Reply

  7. jennifer h says

    Hi Lyndsay! I don’t have a blog of my own I just like being inspired by fabulous bloggers like you:) I was so glad I voted for you; especially after reading the heartfelt generosity of you and your son! I look forward to the next round of voting!

    Reply

  8. Sydney says

    I love your blog- and have been following for a while, but had no idea you had any connection to my home. I am from Decatur, Alabama, and my best friend still lives in Cullman, Alabama. I am touched by your generosity and excited that someone so talented is from my side of the world. Thank you- for Alabama.

    Reply

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