Archive for the 'Giveaways' Category

Congratulations to Rhiannon from Love Wisdom Motherhood! She is the winner of the free spot in Erin’s Eyes Open Creative Photography Course. For all the rest of you…be sure to go and sign up for the course! You don’t want to miss it!

Are you a blogger, amateur photographer, or someone who just got a DSLR that is looking to take their photography to the next level? Do you find yourself getting frustrated with your photos because you just can’t get them to look like you want?

The Eyes Open Creative Photography e-course is a 6 week course full of information, inspiration, and everything you need to take your photography to the next level! Erin Wallace, of a love supreme photography, has written six lessons packed full of information from the basics of photography and understanding your camera, lighting 101, creative living and nurturing the artist within, creative photography, portrait photography, and creative editing!

With personal assistance from Erin, an interactive forum to share photos and discuss the lessons from the course with other participants, weekly videos, giveaways, and inspiring guest posts by other creative photographers, this is one 6 week course you do NOT want to miss!

Once joining the course, the lessons will be available to you at your leisure for 10 weeks. There is no pressure to hurry through anything. Take your time and enjoy the experience of transforming your photography!

Where are you finding your greatest inspiration these days?

Entries for this giveaway will be accepted through midnight (MST) January 29 (Tue).

Please leave one comment below…and tell me what inspires you when you are taking photographs! And don’t forget to go “Like” the course’s Facebook page.

 

Ok friends…the moment you’ve been waiting for! The winner of the Miss Money Bags wallet is:

DANIELLE who wrote:

I would LOVE to have one of these beautiful wallets! The cash system is the BEST! We stopped using credit cards and just pay with what we’ve got!

Congratulations Danielle! I will be in touch with the details.

For the rest of you…head on over to Sarah’s site to get your own wallet. Enter the Etsy code “Entzentz” upon checkout for the 20% discount through tomorrow.

Happy budgeting everyone!

A few weeks ago I was on Etsy looking for a wallet for the cash envelope budget that we are starting. I wasn’t looking for something utilitarian to “get me by”. Matt and I have used Dave Ramsey’s system in the past, and I’ve always used a plastic coupon holder or just plain white envelopes. But this time around, I wanted something to inspire me every time I did the budget. Something that made me smile.

I was looking for something BEAUTIFUL.

And you better believe I found it! I knew immediately upon seeing Sarah’s amazing wallets that I had to have it and I knew I had to share the love with you too!

For God gave us a spirit not of fear
but of power and love and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7

In the Bible, there are OVER 800 scriptures about money. It’s safe to say that Jesus thought it was pretty important. He wants us to steward our money wisely. In fact, it isn’t OUR money at all. I believe that God graciously gives us HIS money to use and live and to bless others.

Even with all this instruction about how to be wise with our cash, dealing with money still remains as the number one problem in marriage and the number one cause for divorce in the U.S. (source) 

Jesus doesn’t want us to stress about money or to use money in the wrong way. He wants it to bring us joy. He wants us to use it to bring joy to others.
Somewhere along the way, with the help of a consumer-driven culture, we’ve lost sight of what it means to be a good steward. The self-discipline that the Bible talks about so much is nowhere to be found. Especially in Target.

When we follow a cash budget, we are intentionally setting forth our goals for stewardship each week. We sit down and look at what we have coming up and how much money we have to spend, save, and give. Just this little bit of communication goes a LONG way in our relationship.

I am putting forth a challenge for you…whether you are married, dating, or single.

Get control of your finances!
Pay off your debt!
Live a life of FREEDOM.

Ok…so now that you’re on board with me, here is a bit more about the sweet wallet and how we make the cash envelope system work for us!

I chose the 6 envelope wallet and I love the size and how it feels in my hand.

I’m kind of obsessed with the wood button. So earthy and lovely and smooth.

The envelopes are not zippered, but are deep enough to keep the cash from falling out. See that last envelope labeled “Fun Money!” ? That one is my very favorite. If I have money allotted each week for WHATEVER I WANT…I am much more likely to STAY on a budget. It doesn’t feel so restricted. I can save it up or spend it all as I please.

Each envelope has a sweet little fabric label that you write on yourself. I used a fine point Sharpie, but you could also use a fabric pen. For my envelopes, I chose:

• Groceries
• Dining Out & Coffee
• Thrifting
• Entertainment
• Gifts
• Fun Money!

Everyone will have different priorities and different categories for their envelopes. I chose these because they are areas that I struggle with and also categories that I am able to use cash for. All others will remain in the checking account (bill pay, gas, rent, etc.) to be paid electronically. The thing with cash is the I DON’T LIKE TO GIVE IT TO PEOPLE! So I tend to spend less and save more. I love setting a budget goal for an outing and watching the cash grow in the envelope each week.

There are places for your cards up front.

And a removable zippered pouch for change, stamps, etc. Behind the zippered pocket, I keep my checkbook and receipts.

The back of the wallet has another pocket and pen holder. I purchased a cute matching journal so that I would always have a notepad to write stuff down.

I love all the little details that Sarah puts into her handiwork! Such love.

And now for the details:

The giveaway will run through Tuesday, July 24, 2012  (noon MST).

Enter by leaving me a comment!

Any comment will do, but I would love to hear about YOUR experiences with the cash budgeting system.
You can gain additional entries by sharing this giveaway on your Facebook page and/or Twitter. Please leave separate comments for each entry.

Sarah is offering a generous 20% discount with the Etsy code Entzentz. This code will be good all week and through July 26.
She is also offering to reimburse you for the cost of your wallet if you buy one this week and then end up winning it.

Good luck and have fun spreading the word!

 

And the winner of the Texture giveaway is…

LINDSEY SHINKEY!

Congratulations Lindsay. I will be in touch with details. For those of you who didn’t win…take advantage of Texture’s generous 20% discount (promo code happy20) for my blog readers. The discount is being extended through Wed. July 11 is applies to your whole order…so don’t delay!

Happy Monday everyone!

It’s a well-known fact around here that I LOVE Texture Clothing. We’ve held several giveaways for Teresa’s delicious creations (here & here).  Buttery soft and the perfect amount of stretch? Yes please. Pretty colors and styles that can go anywhere? Love it! At the beginning of my pregnancy with Emma, I ordered two of these simple cowl tanks and continued to wear them throughout…all the way through my 9th month!

But the best surprise came AFTER she was born…when I discovered that they make amazing nursing shirts as well! I’m constantly in search of “regular” shirts that are easy to nurse in…and because I like to pull them down from the top to nurse, they need to be super stretchy. The cowl tank is perfect. It keeps it’s shape and is flattering for many body types. Love love love it. *check out the photo out take here

I also have the short sleeved simple cowl tee and I love it just as much as the tanks. This purple color is so gorgeous in person…it has beautiful flecks of blue in it (side note…there is a Superhooper polypro giveaway happening right now at my blog, The Happy Hoop…hence the photo).

:: Up for grabs is your choice of simple cowl tee…tank, short sleeve, or half sleeve ::

There are four wonderful ways to enter the giveaway (you can do them all if you want — leave a comment for each one).

• Leave a comment and tell me your favorite summertime food or drink.
  
• Share this giveaway on your Facebook page.
• Share this giveaway on Twitter.
• “Like” the Texture Facebook page (if you’re already a fan, you can add another entry).

I will randomly choose a winner on Friday, July 6 (entry cutoff is at 12:00 p.m. MST).

If you simply cannot WAIT until Friday to see if you win and you must order now…Teresa is offering a 20% discount to you as well…just enter the code HAPPY20 (valid through July 9). So many goodies to choose from!

*Big thanks to Matt and Bella for taking the photos above! And because I know someone will ask…the patchwork apron skirt in the first photo is from ChopstixWaits and the shoes are Birkenstock Gizehs. The pants are Texture posh pants (adore!). And the bottom skirt is a little gem from Shauna at Poor Pitiful Pearl.

Have a happy day!

And the winner is….

Cindy at cindycindy (at) aol (dot) com!

Congratulations Cindy…I will contact you soon to get your address and color choice.

Thanks again to everyone for entering and spreading the Happy Cow love. Check out their website for all the goodies. They do stock some retail stores in the U.S…so check out their site for locations. If you’re in the Boulder area, Umba on Pearl St. carries some of their styles.

Have a great weekend!!

From the moment I saw this Happy Cow hip bag, I was in love. I’m all about being hands-free, especially with two little munchkins running about. So you can imagine my excitement when the lovely crew at Happy Cow generously sent me one to review and give away!

My favorite thing: I have everything I need around my waist at all times. It has 2 pockets on the outside…I carry my iPhone in one of them and random odds and ends in the other. The main pocket is nice and roomy and there is enough room in there for my small wallet, one diaper, and a few wipes. There is also a zipper on that compartment…along with another zippered hidden pouch on the side that is against your body.

It’s especially nice to use when we’re going on a walk downtown, to the park, or when we’re at a festival…the benefits of not carrying a bulky bag during these times are too numerous to count!

Plus, there just aren’t many “fanny packs” out there that can even compare to this gem. In fact, just typing the words “fanny packs” makes me think of my band director in high school. His was definitely not as cool as this.

The only two things I have noticed is that it’s a little harder to use in cold climates because it’s kind of awkward under a winter coat. And, I haven’t ever been able to successfully where it IN my belt loops. I think maybe my jeans are just weird. Or maybe I’m just weird. Who knows? But it doesn’t matter…I just wear it on top of whatever I’m wearing. It’s especially cute with skirts and dresses.

The leather is amazingly soft and the best part is that it is made out of discarded scraps of leather from furniture manufacturers. They also come in several colors. My friend Alicia totally ROCKS the red one. *love it*.

Be sure to check out their other bags as well. I’m kind of in love with this one.

To enter the giveaway:

• Leave a comment…any comment.
• Post this giveaway to your Facebook or Twitter page.
• “Like” the Happy Cow Facebook page

Leave a separate comment for each please!

I will choose a winner randomly on Friday, April 1. Entries must be in by 12:00 MST.

 

And the winner is…

Anna Laura Hopper

I will contact you soon! Thanks so much to all who entered…don’t forget that Gina is offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders through February 28. Jump on over to Lettergirl and get yourself a sweet stamp and *smile*

Have a great night everyone!

*address is intentionally altered for privacy

The first time I saw the Lettergirl store on Etsy, I squealed with excitement. If you’ve been reading my blog for any time at all, you know that I LOVE anything that has to do with mail and stationary. And you will understand why I went nuts over these adorable stamps. I’m a little obsessed with mine (above). It’s so unique…just looking at it makes me want to run to my desk and start writing letters!

There is just something magical about one’s address. It’s home. It’s familiar. It’s happy. I’ve always loved learning the address at every new home we’ve lived in. And I couldn’t think of a better way than to say “we’re staying!” than to get a custom stamp of our new address!

These custom beauties are the handiwork of Gina in Minneapolis, MN. I just had to know more about her story and give you all a chance to win your very own stamp. She does more than just address stamps too…if you have a sweet idea, she can help! Wedding stamps, business stamps, bag or tag stamps for your retail/Etsy store, book plate stamps, you name it.

When did you first fall in love with handwritten or “real” letters?
When I was in college, I somehow tested into an advanced French class which was way over my head, and the only other class I could find to transfer into was called “Crafts”.  I hadn’t planned to take another art class, but this one turned out to be my favorite – we did traditional crafts like weaving on a loom, copper enameling, ceramics, and calligraphy.  It was a lot of fun!

Have you always had beautiful handwriting!?

As you can see, I didn’t always have great handwriting!  This recipe card is from high school when I had the same handwriting as everyone else.  My lettering style has developed through years of practice.  I started by doing traditional calligraphy, but I would always provide my clients with a sample in my regular handwriting to make sure that everything was just right before embarking on the “real” calligraphy.  One of my early clients didn’t want me to rewrite it, she wanted her stationery in my handwriting instead.  Since then, I’ve developed almost a dozen different lettering styles.

How long have you been in business for yourself?
I’ll celebrate my 19^th anniversary in May.  Things were pretty different back in 1992!

What is your favorite part of your job?
I have two favorite parts.  One is getting to know my customers – I’m grateful for a lot of repeat business.  I’ve enjoyed working with couples on their wedding stationery, and then helping them with their baby announcements.  I’m about to work on a bar mitzvah invitation for the son of a couple I first worked with 14 years ago!  My second favorite part is the flexibility.  I love being home when my kids get off the school bus.  Depending how much work is on my plate, I’m not always relaxed when they get home, but it’s still nice to have a little break and hear about their day.

What are some of your other passions?

I love reading and sewing and hiking.  I wish I had snowshoes because we’ve had a lot of snow in Minneapolis this year!

—————-

This giveaway is for one custom stamp of your choice.

There are three wonderful ways to enter the giveaway (you can do them all if you want — leave a SEPARATE comment for each one).

• Leave a comment and tell me one delightful little thing that happened today.
  
• Share this giveaway on your Facebook page.
• Share this giveaway on Twitter.

I will randomly choose a winner on Tuesday, February 22 (entry cutoff is at 12:00 p.m. MST).

AND…Gina is offering FREE SHIPPING to my blog readers through February 28!! Just enter the discount code “HAPPY” when checking out of her store on Etsy (be kind and please remember to do it when checking out so she doesn’t have to do a lot of shipping refunds!).

Happy letter writing!