i never {really} win anything...

I love a good contest.

Maybe it's the hopeless romantic in me but, I've always liked the concept of throwing my name in a hat, commenting on a blog or typing my e-mail in an entry form followed by the hopeful wondering, the "will I or won't I" suspense. I wouldn't begin to try and count the number of giveaways I've tried for. Thousands, perhaps. There have been little things I've won here and there. The small stuffed animal won in a Hallmark raffle when I was about nine. My beloved Scotch ATG adhesive gun from a first anniversary drawing at my (then) local scrapbook shop. A post-bound album at a weekend crop. No matter how small, I was always grateful and excited to win. But, secretly, doesn't everyone hope to win a big one? The lottery? Something grand?

Tonight, I did.

I entered a birthday contest at The Maternal Lens blog a couple of days ago. There were several amazing prize package giveaways related to photography and any would have been wonderful . But, the last prize was something a little more special - a photo shoot with the incredibly talented eye of Tara Leigh. She is based in New York and her photographs? Ah-mazing. Since we live in the area, I threw my hat in the ring. Why not? Could happen, right?

Um, right.

It DID happen.

I won....squeeeee!!!

Thank you to Shannon, Jen, Meg, Sarah and Megan at The Maternal Lens. I am thrilled and so, so grateful!