When I met Sandy Coughlin at Blissdom ’09, I immediately saw her as a genuine grownup – smart, beautiful, and gracious. When the weekend was over and The Nester and I had succeeded in showing our idiot sisterly ways to our roommates Sandy (and Melissa!) over the course of 48 hours, I realized Sandy was not just a real grownup, but that she truly knows what it means to connect on levels both deep and outrageously silly – my two favorite levels.
After Blissdom that year, I began to read her blog, Reluctant Entertainer, and I loved her even more. She writes about inviting people into your home and being available to host, not to impress but to love; not to just feed their stomachs, but to feed their soul. Reading Sandy, I began to almost believe I could be that type of hostess too, the type who focused on others rather than worrying about vacuumed floors and perfect pasta.
Yesterday I wrote about the joy it is for me to have close friends over for dinner every week and Friday I will start my series on 31 Days of Grace. I’m excited to have this giveaway today because Sandy’s heart is really the bridge between hosting dinner for friends and remembering to give and receive grace in the process. Consider these words from Sandy’s book:
“Simple entertaining combined with some inspiration can create spiritual monuments in our lives. It not only gives us hope, but it teaches us the benefits of moving forward and not looking back. It is a beautiful gift without a price tag.” The Reluctant Entertainer
Today, Sandy’s publisher, Bethany House, is offering two chances to win a book. So two lucky winning commenters will each get one. Trust me, you want to win this one. When I got it in the mail, I just wanted to carry it around the house with me. It is a substantial, beautiful, hardcover book filled with glossy, colored pages of simple recipes, tangible inspiration, gentle advice, and lots of encouraging personal stories and photos.
How to enter
Easy. Simply leave a comment at the bottom of this post by clicking comments and then enter your name, email (seen only by me and necessary so I can contact you if you win), and your blog or website if you have one. If not, you can leave that line blank. I will leave the giveaway open until Friday morning when I will announce the two winners. I hope you are one of them! But if not, you may purchase Sandy’s book here or put it on your Amazon Wish list here. And after you come to see if you won on Friday, be sure to visit Sandy as she begins her 31 Days Series as well: 31 Days to Stress-Free Entertaining. I can’t wait for it!
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