10.2.12

as a way to find balance in our lives- j and I are going out on a date tonight (it's a rare occasion to go out without the kids) so needless to say we are kinda of excited. I hope we can make it a regular occurrence.
giveaway alert! - I made a pair of napkins in a pale blue linen (the most lovely linen) with a small porcupine image printed on the corner. please leave a comment by sunday feb.12th at 10pm EST and a winner will be announced monday. do you have anything special planned for the weekend?
have a lovely weekend friends! xxa

111 comments:

  1. Hey guys, good heart-warming stuff, found out about you and became a fan at Design Exchange shortly after it was opened. Never had a chance to say, and now that you've asked for comments - there it is! :-)
    Would be great to have a set of little porcupines, I saw one actually on a tree! At Blue Mountain a couple of years back, he was sitting pretty high on a tree, many people saw him, but I think he thought he's invisible!

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  2. Glad you guys get a date night! Thanks for having yet another giveaway - so kind of you :)

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  3. Thanks for the chance to win! Adorable porcupine.

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  4. How very lovely! That porcupine is adorable. I hope you two enjoy your night out. My friends and I are going for our Valentine's day tradition: picking oranges in the grove in my neighborhood. :) Girls' afternoon out!

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  5. Enjoy your date! My hubby and I managed a dinner last night as our kids were having a sleepover at school. It was my early birthday dinner date, you have to grab the chance when you can!

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  6. these would be perfect for our VW van kitchen box! looking forward to some coastal birding and a picnic. enjoy your night out ~

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  7. love the porcupine on the soft blue, enjoy your date night, i am heading for my studio the weekend, but our lovely weather might tempt me to just sit and watch the sea...

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  8. good time in perspective ! your animal subjects are a pleasure for the eyes !

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  9. have a wonderful date night! my hubby are going on one too! =)

    i absolutely ADORE all of the beautiful items in your shop. thanks for hosting this awesome giveaway. have a great weekend! =D

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  10. Supernice! Love the porcupine... Have a very nice weekend!

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  11. that porcupine is too cute.. my anniversary is this weekend.. i think we will just go out to a nice little dinner sometime during the week. ive got a baby shower to go to, on sunday. my friend is expecting twins!

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  12. wee super cute! i'd love to have a cute little porcupine in my future homee!

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  13. Have a wonderful date. I love these special occasions from time to time.
    By the way: your calendar hangs in our kitchen next to calendars from 2010 and 2009. The green of the feburary painting is my least favorite in there but still I love having it there.
    So now I can hope to have a second wonderful thing from you in our kitchen…

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  14. Enjoy your night out! I'm in great need of a 'date night' too! I've got a craft market tomorrow night (fun!) and a first aid CPR course on Saturday (not fun, but needed). Sunday will hopefully consist of sleeping in, bike riding if the rain can hold off for a while, and a steamy cup of chai :)

    Btw, love that porcupine! He looks so cuddly despite being a porcupine..

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  15. Oh, these are so lovely! Enjoy your night out. This weekend I plan to go for a nice stroll in the snow which lay on the ground quite heavily where I am.

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  16. It looks wonderful printed on linen! Enjoy your date and your weekend! Hope I can manage to finish the renovations in my studio this weekend.

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  17. It sounds great you are heading out kidless...thanks for one more opportunity. Love the printed porcupine!!! Fingers crossed! x

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  18. I love everything you do! I don't have special plans for this weekend... just to have a quiet and wonderful time!

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  19. Dear Arounna!

    Have a great night together.
    Feel love ;)
    It is so important that you take the time.
    Remember!

    Love
    Kristine

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  20. They are sweet! Porcupine LOVE...
    Enjoy your Date Night! We're heading to the Coast of Scotland for a few days of windy beach and reading by the fire at night.x

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  21. Actually, my boyfriend and I have planned a day out. We rarely do that, so I'm really excited!
    Enjoy your date!

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  22. I 'm in love with all of your work!!!
    have a great night out!

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  23. What a sweet giveaway, as always, Arounna !
    Our plans for this weekend ... we'll eat out with friends on Saturday
    (hubby's working on Saturday morning) but we'll try to do nothing
    and enjoy the rhythm of school break (phew, much needed !)
    Enjoy your date night ;-) oxox

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  24. Really cute! ♥
    After 8 months from my baby boy birth, I'll go out with my friends this weekend! Have a nice weekend!
    Sara

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  25. Hope you had a great time on your date. Took your dad's advice. Good for you! Amazingly, we have porcupines in Alaska. Have to tell you the Porcupine Story sometime. Would love to win these. Thank you so much for your generocity. Hugs from Alaska.

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  26. Can I join too, my weekend is repairing little things in my house and studying, ;-(

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  27. I love your work! The napkin is gorgeous!

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  28. i went on a date with my daughter last night
    diner at a little french bistro
    and then
    we saw the love train, a motown inspired tribute
    show to benefit local charities

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  29. Hope you have a great night out. I'm having a date night on Saturday, going to see Kathleen Edwards at the Phoenix. thanks for the give away!

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  30. love the porcupine! enjoy your night out.

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  31. Yea for date night! I LOVE date nights! None planned for me this weekend, only non stop kid stuff. But hey. Valentines Day is almost here, I'm hoping the mister has something planned :D
    Love that porcupine...and that linen!

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  32. Hey:) I'm so happy for You - about Your date evening, i hope it will be great:) Wish You much Love:) As for me and B. we need some rest from work lately, we decided to stay at home, feel cozy under covers, and spend some time together, just enjoying our company:)

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  33. Beautiful!

    Date night = wonderful!

    We have a winter fun day at the park planned for Satruday, buying some valentine's treats with my 6 year old son (who wants to use his own money to buy something special for everyone) and make some homemade cream for my kiddos sensitive skin.

    Love all of your creations!

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  34. Very important to go out sometimes without the kids! We try as well, but it's not easy to plan with young children and busy jobs and social life. Have a nice evening!
    They are so lovely these napkins! Love, love your work (and John's, am dreaming of one of his benches).

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  35. how beautyfull... I love your work!

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  36. Hope you enjoy your night out! The funny thing is that I collect napkins and tea towels but I don't use them, I frame them as art because they are such beauties like this one!

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  37. This weekend, I'm going to start packing because I get the keys to my first house in exactly a week (and these napkins would look lovely in it!).

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  38. I hope you will enjoy the date with your husband. Me and my husband haven't been out alone since our first daughter was born and she is almost six now. It's about time to do it. Enjoy your evening!!! Oh, and needless to say, the porcupine is beautiful!! Love, Ivana.

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  39. Just beautiful! I tried your embossed heart tutorial and it's so easy. It looks so professional when it's done too. Thanks!

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  40. It is great to have a date with your husband from time to time!Lovely teatowel!AriadnefromGreece!

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  41. all you need is love + a wee bit of creativity and life will unfold as it should! love the napkins!

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  42. This porcupine drawing is so cute! You definitely deserve a little night out, enjoy! and congrats on your new online store!

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  43. Happy Valentine's Arounna & John - have a wonderful time! We're planning a relaxing weekend and the sun is shining so a long walk too. The napkins are beautiful - we don't have porcupines here, so he'd be a novel guest with us!

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  44. And if they send these beautiful works of the Polish. I would have a super surprise. I am impressed with your work. I would make a lot of fun. Greetings from the cold Polish

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  45. Happy Day of Hearts! The fiance and I are going to see my favorite play (next weekend) called "Noises Off."
    Love those little porcupines! Thanks for the giveaway and enjoy your date night!

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  46. Love your work, the napkins are beautiful. Congratulations on the opening of your bookhou online shop - inspiring!

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  47. Enjoy the date together! Love your art and thanks for organising these giveaways :)

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  48. You have a wonderful evening planned.............enjoy yourselves. You deserve the break.

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  49. Have fun on your date! These are adorable, thanks for the opportunity!

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  50. that cute porcupine needs to point itself toward Colorado! Truly special.

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  51. have a great date, you two! loving that porcupine! no real plans this weekend...that's nice for us!

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  52. Happy Valentines day! Have a lovely date! I'm hoping to do the same with my partner, if all goes well! The napkins are very adorable also:)

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  53. I just love the porcupine napkins!
    Have fun on your date!

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  54. Hope you enjoy your date night! Love, love, love the porcupine, so very cute! Happy v-day :)

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  55. adorable little porcupine! lovely.

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  56. LOVE pale blue with black. Porcupines make it all the better. Happy date night!

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  57. Great porcupine drawing. Happy Valentines Day!!(:

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  58. I love your animal prints!

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  59. These are beautiful! Will you be making more? Also, I don't see any kitchen towels in the new online shop. Are they coming soon or are you discontinuing them?

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    1. yes - later, I am going to have new designs

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  60. I hear you on the dates - they are few and far between! Sadly our folks are miles away, so we will have a weekend date with the kids, which is actually pretty fun. These porcupines are adorable! I would love to put one up in my son's room.

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  61. this weekend will be spent with my toddler, with my partner working. we have a date planned in the near future that i'm excited for :) love these napkins!

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  62. Oh, I adore that darling porcupine! My wild animal loving girls would draw straws to see who could enjoy the company of that beauty beside their plate each day :) Thanks for sharing. I'll be having a date with my sweetie this weekend, too. It's lovely to make time for each other amidst the hours of child raising and everyday life. Enjoy your date!

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  63. Wow!!!!love your art...have a great night!!!

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  64. He's so sweet! Hope you have a great time!

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  65. Sounds like a good weekend :) And the little porcupine is adorable!

    Weekends are when I work outside of my house, but I still want to try and get a sewing night in.

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  66. So cute! Nothing special, just studying this weekend.

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  67. This porcupine, like all your work, is extremely classy. Have a wonderful evening!

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  68. I hope you and John have a lovely date! Where are you off to? You should do it more often! I am hoping Jin and I get to go on dates regularly too after the baby arrives! We'll see!

    xo

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  69. Understated and beautiful. Have a great date

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  70. Dear Arounna,
    I love the soft blue linen, and would be very happy to have them in my home.
    For the past week I have been carrying my new triangle tote bag, which I see is already sold out in your shop. It actually fits the laptop I am lugging back and forth from the office to home and I LOVE it.

    Have a wonderful weekend, and enjoy a little grown up time, too.
    Cynthia

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  71. The porcupine is such a lovely idea! Your work is beautiful.

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  72. I don't have any exciting plans to go out this weekend, but I plan to stay home with my 3 month old baby and do some painting.

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  73. Love the porcupine! How adorable is he????

    Ashley Barker

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  74. Your blog makes my life a little more joyful each day... thanks!

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  75. this is my favourite animal print :)

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  76. we have nothing planned for the weekend, but i hope your date is fabulous.
    i love the porcupine!

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  77. Hey Arounna! I so love reading about you working with your partner - hearing about creative couples really inspires me (I love Charles and Ray Eames, Robin and Lucienne Day - what inspiration!). I'm in a *new* relationship with someone who's as obsessed with making/drawing/doing as I am, and it's the most exciting time ever :) Enjoy your special date together and thanks for a wonderful blog and site x

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  78. Skating on the rideau canal in Ottawa and eating beaver tails (of the pastry variety). None of the napkins I will use to wipe the cinnamon sugar off my face, will be as amazing as those porcupine napkins!

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  79. This is lovely! I plan on getting one of your adorable bags soon :)

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  80. Oh, I just made a set of stripy blue linen serviettes, these are beautiful!

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  81. we have a blissfully plan free weekend!

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  82. enjoy your date! what a nice early vday evening!

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  83. a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.

    thanks for being so awesome!

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  84. The napkin looks lovely, as do all your designs :) I was wondering if you will stock more ceramic pieces in your shop, I got there too late to buy one! They are so beautiful, so simple and elegant.

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    1. yes - I have a few more I will post next week and will be making more in the next few weeks, so glad you like them.

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  85. I love that image and the colour is beautiful.

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  86. AHmazing. My weekend plans are to get started on this project: http://recovergirl.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/jean-quilt-inspiration/
    xo recovergirl

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  87. how nice on this light blue linen..spring seems to be closer.
    we plan to do as much ice skating as possible. we have an ice rink on top of the swimming pool....magic ! the really cold weather keeps going. greetings from switzerland
    P.S. and i always like to read about your projects, an inspiring place for the eye and the hands. lovely.

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  88. that's so adorable! would be great for my boyfriend as he is such a messy eater!! food ends up on his lap all the time and we don't have any table napkins at home. :)

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  89. hey, no dinner table should be porcupine-free. ha.

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  90. just thinking those napkins exist make me happy

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  91. Hope you have a great date tonight. Mark and I are also going out tonight, I can't wait!

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  92. Oh i want to win!! =)
    Hope you had fun

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  93. That is such a wonderful giveaway!

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  94. Lovely giveaway!
    I wish you a nice *just the two of us* time :)

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  95. Love these! This weekend is the start of a week long holiday for me. Staycation + Family Day weekend northern getaway with my partner = one happy me!

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  96. What a delightful gift and I'm hopeful! Oh, the weekend has been cold for us here in Louisiana and I love that I have ongoing projects to work on to fill the hours and be able to stay warmly snuggled here in my sewing room.

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  97. Here is to many more date nights! Thanks for your generous and beautiful giveaway.

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  98. hi arounna,
    these would be lovely for a sunny lunch date for myself and our wee one on the way...birds chirping, trees blossoming, grass growing and porcupine linen napkins from bookhou to complete our delectable meal!

    thank you for sharing your creativity.
    melissa micoli

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  99. Porcupines!!! What a lovely giveaway. Happy weekend to you, too.

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  100. Lovely giveaway. We've been up to Bristol for a reunion of my husbands rugby team of 10 + years ago. Cold! X

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  101. Hi Arounna, I hope you and John had a great night out. I love the porcupine napkins, you are so generous with your giveaways. xoxo Rendell

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  102. Such great napkins. I would love to have a porcupine eat at our table.

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  103. Such great napkins. I would love to have a porcupine eat at our table.

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