I might be the hugesest Field Notes fan that I know. It all started when eliepstein kindly sent me a Just Below Zero 3-Pack, and the rest as they say, is history. I can’t help it; they are so useful, and so pretty.

A lot of people have asked me where I get my Field Notes fix and are dismayed when I say that I order all the way from Chicago, IL, where these beauties are made. I’m happy to announce that Avalon.ph has now made the classic Field Notes books available in the Philippines!

Avalon.ph and Nothing Spaces (me!) are giving away an original 3-pack (ruled paper) and the 2012 18-Month Workstation Calendar to one lucky winner!

I use Field Notes for everything. It’s a no-fuss notebook, that is both useful and easy on the eyes. I’m a huge Futura nerd, so I love the design to pieces. It’s also great for lists, sketches, notes (for reviews and blog drafts), and full-blown sketch battles with my dad in the emergency room:

Field Notes is a super portable notebook, great to keep in the back of your jeans or shirt pocket. It’s slim enough so that it’s not a nuisance to bring around, but the 48-pages are just the right amount before you’d need to whip out another one.

Did I mention that it’s beautiful?

The paper is lined with a soft brown soy-based ink.

The back of the calendar has a list of useful dates.

FIELD NOTES GIVEAWAY MECHANICS
Winner of the Field Notes set (Ruled 3-pack and 18 Month Workstation Calendar) will be picked at random using a randomizer. Do at least one of the following; each counts as an entry for you. Open only to residents of The Philippines.

1. For Twitter users: Tweet “Dear Nothing Spaces and Avalon.ph, I am joining because I want to remember now. http://bit.ly/ns-fieldnotes #NSGiveaway” You can tweet only once during the contest. Don’t forget to use the hashtag.
2. For Tumblr users: Follow my tumblr and reblog this entry. Each counts as 1 entry.
3. For Nothing Spaces readers: comment with something you want to remember
   or link http://bit.ly/ns-fieldnotes in a blog entry and comment on this post with the link.

Good luck! Comment if you have any questions or clarifications.

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Avalon.ph has been up and running since 1999. It’s a great resource for wonderful limited edition and signed books, among others, gift and novelty items, and stationery, including Moleskine journals, and now—Field Notes! They carry all the original variations, but will eventually make other products (Steno pad, pencils, etc) available as well. For more information on Field Notes products available on Avalon.ph, click here.

You can also check them out here:
Google+: http://gplus.to/avalonph
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/avalonph
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/avalonph

Quick post to announce the winners of the Chabon giveaway! Congratulations to Diane Cortes and Angeline Arcenas. I’ll be mailing said books off on Friday. Another contest is currently going on, so join while it’s still up! Click to join the contest here.

As of yesterday, I’ve imposed a strict 30-hour workweek on myself, effective next week. The reason for this is because I’m a horrible, lazy person. I found a pretty effective spot for productivity. I know this to be true because I’ve been up here since four this afternoon, and save for a quick bite of dinner, I’ve been crossing off things on my to-do list. It’s been eight hours.

I would give myself a pat on the back, but I have this unspoken resolution for myself to be less annoying. So, I won’t.

I can’t wait to fix this workspace up and post photos. It’s totally Person 2.0 of me, but I don’t care. I’ve sort of embraced it. I think I’m more Person 1.0 now than I used to be, though. I should tag this post as #Progress2k11, huh?

Winners for the Chabon contest will be announced in about four days. For this leg of giveaways, I have three books up for grabs. Honestly, a part of why I am doing this is because I have no more room in my room for new books. Another part is because of International Literacy Month—which is a “cause month” that I can get behind. And yet another part just likes being nice, I guess.

I got all three of these books in 2008 on a trip to the States, and they’re all what my friend would call airplane books. Which is to say, they were entertaining to read to pass the time, but I haven’t really formed any close bonds with any of them.

First up is Water For Elephants, which was apparently a NaNoWriMo novel. It’s been developed as a film with Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon as the leads. It’s about an old man who reminisces about his days in the circus as a young man. It was a pretty quick read—I read it in a resort in Florida.

This book, I actually read on an airplane, and shuffling in airports before my flight from Florida to New York City. Possible Side Effects is an entertaining and amusing collection of personal stories by Augusten Burroughs.

Fangland, I got from CostCo. It’s a vampire novel. To be honest, I only reached until chapter thirteen, but it was a sufficiently creepy novel. It takes part in a shady part of Europe where vampires are said to roam.

Anyway, same general rules, but as there are three books in one entry, I had to tweak them a bit. People outside the Philippines are welcome to enter, but please be open to paying for shipping.

GIVEAWAY RULES & MECHANICS:
Winners will be picked randomly.

1. Comment on this blog post. Indicate which book you are trying to win. This counts as one entry. (Make sure your email address is valid.)
2. You can comment only once per book. (Make a new one for each entry.)
3. Tweet one of the following:
   - “I want to win a copy of “Fangland” from Nothing Spaces! http://bit.ly/ns-three #BooksAreSoCoolLike”
   - “I want to win a copy of “Possible Side Effects” from Nothing Spaces! http://bit.ly/ns-three #BooksAreSoCoolLike”
   - “I want to win a copy of “Water For Elephants” from Nothing Spaces! http://bit.ly/ns-three #BooksAreSoCoolLike”

   This will qualify as your additional entries in the lottery. You can tweet per book once daily.

   REMINDER: If your Twitter is locked, I won’t be able to see your Tweet.

4. You can comment until 11:59 PM on September 25, 2011 (+8:00 GMT).
5. Winners must reply to the email alert within 24 hours of receiving it. Otherwise, I will pick another winner.

Feel free to share this contest (link: http://bit.ly/ns-three) or to join the first leg.

Thank you! I have a bunch of other books to give away, so stay tuned.

I’d like to challenge myself to be diligent in updating this September. Words and books have a soft spot in my heart, so I like putting them in the spotlight when I can. I’ll be having a few more giveaways and launching book-related projects until the end of the month, so watch out for those, too!

The first leg of these giveaways (because there will be several) concerns a book that I haven’t read by an author that I love. The Yiddish Policeman’s Union is a novel by Michael Chabon. I always pass by used bookstores and sales, and I always feel compelled to buy it because I totally judge books by their covers.

Unfortunately, I keep forgetting that I already have a copy of this book, and that is how I ended up with three. I’m keeping the first edition that I managed to find, but I’m giving away these two paperbacks.

I’m going to do a random picking again, like my last giveaway. Again, for international participants, I’d ask you to shoulder shipping fees, if you feel compelled to join.

GIVEAWAY RULES & MECHANICS:
Winners will be picked randomly.

1. Comment on this blog post. A “Hello, my name is!” is fine, but try to tell me something nice! This counts as one entry. (Make sure your email address is valid.)
2. You can comment only once.
3. Tweet the following: “Two copies of “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union” up for grabs at http://bit.ly/ns-chabon #BooksAreSoCoolLike” This will qualify as your additional entries in the lottery.*
4. You can comment until 11:59 PM on September 16, 2011 (+8:00 GMT).
5. Winners must reply to the email alert within 24 hours of receiving it. Otherwise, I will pick another winner.

If you know someone who loves Chabon and does not have this book yet, feel free to share this link: http://bit.ly/ns-chabon.

Visit me for the rest of September for other book-y goodness. I’m also trying to revive my kind-of-dead book blog, so fingers crossed. I’ve actually been reading a lot. Not as much as Sasha, but I’ve been reading!

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* Thanks to Val of QuietGirl.net for this idea! You may only Tweet once a day.

I just picked a winner for this giveaway! Waited for the whole DTI fiasco to die down before proceeding with the contest, and it seems we’re currently in the clear!

Congratulations to Madi! Please wait for my email. I used http://random.org to pick the winner, in case anyone is wondering about the mechanics. Here’s a video of the process:

Thanks to Fika Fika Fika, for making this contest possible. Stay tuned for a future giveaway I’m cooking up.

A few months ago, Kwen messaged me to tell me that Frankie, one of my favorite magazines, is available through a local shop called Fika Fika Fika.

I immediately ordered Issue #41, May-June 2011, and the process was quick and painless. The delivery was also very prompt. I was surprised to see that in addition to the issue I ordered, as well as some other goodies (paper products, writing tools, etc), she also enclosed a back issue! I already had this issue (and I’m trying not to be a big packrat anymore), so I asked Fika Fika Fika if I could just give it away to a Nothing Spaces reader, and she said yes!

Anyway, up for grabs is Frankie #39, Jan-Feb 2011.

Since the issue is about feeling like you belong somewhere, all you’ve got to do is comment with your name and where/when you feel like you most belong.

A few notes and rules:

• The contest is open to all. However, you must be willing to pick it up from a gallery along West Avenue, Quezon City or pay for shipping. (Normally, I would pay for it, but I am trying to save!)
• You can only comment once.
• Winner will be picked randomly.
• Winner must reply to the email alert within 24 hours of receiving it, otherwise I will pick another winner.
• You can comment until 11:59 PM on July 31, 2011 (+8:00 GMT).
• Pop by Fika Fika Fika! The shop’s got a lot of interesting things for sale, as well as back issues of Frankie. Unfortunately, Issue #42 is sold out. However, I can vouch for every issue of Frankie they still have stocks of.

Okay, that’s it! If you have any other questions, please leave a comment below, and I’ll try to get right back to you.

Happy commenting!

Was supposed to post the winners yesterday, but I had server issues, so apologies for that!

Anyway, because my parents are amazing people, I have drawn 5 names, instead of 2! So, I’m giving away 5 pairs of tickets to the ManilArt 10. I used http://random.org to draw the names.

1. #2 Mara
2. #8 Krinessa
3. #23 Jeric Rustia
4. #25 Nante
5. #29 Tim

Because I drew Tim’s and Krinessa’s names first (so they are, technically, the original winners), they will be the only people I can probably LBC/mail the tickets to. Please send me an e-mail to yankee@nothingspaces.com. To the rest of the winners, let me know if you can pick up the tickets from West Gallery, 48 West Avenue, Quezon City. Gallery hours are 10am – 5pm, Monday to Saturday. If not, send me an e-mail so we can arrange something.

Yay, congratulations!

For other ticket concerns, please send an e-mail to jonsy@manilart.com. I’ll ask about the tickets (if they will sell onsite, etc) and make an update for everyone else interested.

I’ve got four extra tickets to ManilArt 2010 that I’d like to give away to 2 lucky art-lovers. (2 tickets for each winner, so you can bring a date, or go on two different days, if it turns out that you have no friends.)

What is ManilArt anyway? MANILART10 is the second international art fair hosted in the Philippines, featuring the country’s leading art galleries. This is a place where art collectors and enthusiasts can view some of the finest examples of Philippine Contemporary Art today. (Here is a confirmed list of exhibitors.) There are also lectures and talks held over the duration of the art fair.

MANILART10 will be open to the public from 11 am to 8 pm, from July 30 to August 1, 2010. Admission tickets are priced at Php200 or approx. US$4.50 each. (You can buy tickets by e-mailing jonsy@manilart.com.) It will be held in SMX Convention Center.

Well, what’s so great about this? Well, my cynic-friend, the excellent thing about this is that you will be able to see some of the best works of art made by some of the best Filipino artists, curated by the some of the best galleries in the country today. That’s what’s so great about it, man-friend¹. You don’t even have to buy anything (but buying art is good for the soul—both yours and the artists’, since they get to eat and live another day); you can just go there to see all the pretty things!

SOME IMPORTANT NOTES:

• You can use the tickets on any day of the exhibit duration, but they will only be valid once.
• They are complimentary tickets and cannot be sold. (Don’t be a douche!)
• You must be in Manila at the time of the exhibit, or else we are just wasting time.
• You have a valid mailing address. Gon’ ship these tickets to you, if you win, is why.

So, just leave a comment, and I’ll use an Internet randomizer to pick the winner. Since the event is going to be in a few days, I’m going to leave this post up until the weekend (July 24th, 3pm Philippine time!) and announce the winner then.

Yay for art!

Click to visit their Facebook page, where there is a gallery of some of the featured art. Here’s a few:

Kapitbisig” by Elmer Borlongan, 60″x48″ , oil on canvas, 2010 from 1/of Gallery

“After Yves Klein” by Annie Kabigting, 48″ x 72″, Oil on Canvas, 2010, courtesy of Finale Art File

“Growing A Peach Tree” by Amy Aragon, 36″ x 60″, Oil on Canvas, 2010, courtesy of Manila Contemporary

Please comment if you have questions, etc. I’ll be glad to answer them if I can. For basic information about the event, visit their official website.

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¹ If you get where this is from, then you are automatically cool in my book. Unless you are an asshat.

Here’s the list of winners for this give-away. Sorry it was a little late; some things came up so I wasn’t able to post it on time.

Anyway, the answers I picked were the ones I found funny, poignant or mysterious enough without being too melodramatic or personal. Two of them, I also picked, because I felt they told a story. Without further ado:

Runner-up Winners:
• Martin — (It pays to be Whedonesque!)
• Evee
• Ching
• Baddie
• Pineapple

Winner: Dani

Congratulations!

I don’t have a picture of what to give the runner-up winners, but I have some things in mind. (If you don’t want it, well, tough.) To the winners, wait for an e-mail from me! I’ll send them in the morning, because I have to take care of a couple of things, but yay, congratulations!

To those who participated: thank you so much. It makes me glad that you people are still interested in reading! If it helps, John Green books are located in the young adult sections of bookstores. It’s actually on sale now, in Amazon. At $3.69, that’s a frakking steal.

You guys have about six hours until I close the comments on this post, so hurry if you still want to enter! I will send you the book, even if you live outside of the country, if I like your entry the most.

For those who’ve been asking, the runner-up prize is a care package made by me, because books are expensive and I don’t really make that much money. They’ll be pretty swell, if you can believe it. I just have to find the time to put them together and make a picture post.

So, there. You have six hours. I’m closing the comments at 12 midnight, +8:00 GMT. It’s 5:30 P.M. right now, so get on it!

D.F.T.B.A.