{silly me design} etsy giveaway!

why hello, everybody!

so glad you decided to stop by today because I have some very exciting news to share with you:

I JUST WON AN ALL-EXPENSE PAID TRIP FOR TWELVE TO PARIS!

you all know I'm kidding, right?  right.  

actually, I'm here to tell you about something faaaaar better, so listen up.

have you ever found yourself at some big box store (ie; Costco, Walmart, etc) browsing through their selection of holiday greeting cards, but not really liking anything you see?  and so, out of sheer desperation, you end up choosing a design that you kind of like, but not really, and then later as the Christmas cards start to roll in, what do you know!  turns out every Tom, Dick and Harry just so happened to "kind of like" that same card too!  hmph, so much for your card being "original."

well, here's your chance to kiss those "cookie cutter" cards good-bye, and say hello to a unique, one-of-a-kind card instead.

Kim, from Silly Me Design, has offered to give away a custom designed holiday card (a $20 value!) to one of my blog readers!  isn't she sweet?  or if you prefer, you may also choose from an extraordinary array of pre-fab holiday card designs, which you'll find HERE.         

while browsing through her stylish designs, here are a couple that caught my eye:

       
can you say GORGEOUS?  in fact, Kim just recently put together a birth announcement for Finley and I absolutely LOVE how it turned out!  all I had to do was email her my picture, along with any specific info/sentiment I wanted on the card, and she took care of the rest, simple as that.

the finished product:

so cute!

no matter what you decide to go with, your holiday cards will be sure to stand out among the rest of all those run-of the mill Costco cards.  Kim's work is THAT amazing.

catch Silly Me Design here: facebook, etsy, blog 

interested in a chance to win?

if so, simply leave a comment on this post specifying which card style you prefer.  do you love bright, fun colors?  or are you the more the traditional type?  vintage?  retro? no clue?

*you may also receive one extra entry by liking Silly Me Design on facebook.  just be sure to come back and leave another comment letting me know you did so.

contest open through Thursday November 10th midnight PST.

good luck!  

-jessica

PS. if you comment as "anonymous," please remember to include your name.

own vs rent: which do you prefer?

*FYI there's a giveaway at the end of this post*

a few days ago, Gary and I were discussing the pros and cons of renting versus owning a home.  while we both agreed that we're perfectly content with renting at the moment, eventually we'd like to own a home again.

one thing we certainly haven't missed is dealing with all the headaches that come with owning a home; endless projects, fix-ups/repairs, maintenance, painting, painting, painting, and so on.  oh, did I mention painting?  they all amount to a great deal of time and money spent.  with renting, if there's ever a problem, we just call up the landlord.  furnace quit working?  call the landlord.  leaky dishwasher?  call the landlord.  toilet plugged?  CALL THE LANDLORD! (okay, kidding. I meant the hubby.) plus, with no projects or yard work to tackle, that leaves every weekend FREE. yeah, baby.    

on the downside, if you ever have the sudden urge to change something-- remove carpet, swap out light fixtures, or paint a wall for that matter-- well then you're pretty much out of luck.  and by golly you better love tan carpet, tan walls, and ugly light fixtures. (uuuurgh.)

speaking of light fixtures, when we first moved in, the only source of light in the living room was one lone ceiling fan.  and if there's anything I can't stand more, it's trying to visit in a dimly lit room.  nice if you want to hide a zit or something, but c'mon, let's shed a little light on the subject!  so I immediately went out and purchased a lamp for behind the couch.  but this isn't your run-of-the-mill lamp, by any means.  this particular one has feelings.
seriously, check it.

somedays its up:

somedays its down:

and somedays it neither up nor down:

okay, so the lamp doesn't really have feelings, it's called Kids Can't Ever Leave Anything Alone.  Period.  honestly, if I owned this house, I would have SO put in recessed lighting.  like yesterday.

so tell me, would you rather rent or own a home?  are you the project type?  or would you rather just "call the landlord."

simply leave a comment on this post and you'll automatically be entered to win $35 (in the form of a gift code) from CSN stores, good at any of their 200+ online stores. (winner is responsible for any shipping costs.)

-one entry per person.

-contest open through Sunday March 20th, midnight PST.

-winner to be announced Monday morning, or whenever I get around to it ;)

good luck!

-jessica

{1crown3tiaras Boutique} etsy giveaway!

by now, I'm guessing quite a few of you are undoubtedly suffering from a bad case of The Winter Blahs, especially as the spring catalogues begin to arrive in the mail, flaunting the latest fashions (on perfectly tanned models) that reek of warm weather and the promise of spring blooms around the corner.   

but alas, it's only February.  outside your window, a vast expanse of snow-covered landscape glares back at you, nary a smidgen of green in sight.  a quick glance at your pasty, white skin only serves to further darken your spirits, not to mention the fact that it's still another couple months before you can even think of donning a cute pair of sandals.  you begin to despair.  will spring EVER arrive?  and so, after drawing buck teeth on a few of those perfectly tanned models, you rip up the catalogue, slam it in the garbage and begin frantically searching online for affordable plane tickets to a tropical location. 

well hey, good thing you stopped by, because I have just the perfect cure for those winter blues!  the amazingly talented Lori from 1crown3tiaras Boutique just debuted her 2011 spring line, and to celebrate, she is giving away a $50 merchandise certificate (to be used in her etsy shop) to one of my blog readers.  YAY!     

1crown3tiaras new spring line showcases an array of beautiful, one-of-a-kind dresses, tops and coordinating ruffle pants in stunning prints and gorgeous colors.  guaranteed you'll fall head-over-heels in LOVE! (sizes run from 12 months to 6 years.)    

here is a small sampling of her amazing boutique apparel (btw, I had the most wonderful opportunity to photograph a few outfits for her):

Gumdrop Knot Dress.  love the bright, fresh colors and fun mix of patterns.

my spring chicken modeling the Cinnamon Tulips Knot Dress and coordinating Buttercups Double Ruffle Pants.  simply charming.

Spring Poppies Sundress with white dress capris.  the bold, mod poppies pack a lot of punch.  sure to make your little sweets stand out in a crowd.

Antonia Dress.  simple, yet stunning.

let's all share the LOVE!

catch 1crown3tiaras Boutique here: facebook, blog, etsy

and now for the nitty gritty: CONTEST IS CLOSED

to enter, leave a comment ON THIS POST by Thursday February 10th midnight PST. (winner will be announced on Friday February 11th.)

you may also receive up to 3 extra entries*:

1.) like 1crown3tiaras on facebook (if you're already a fan, then just say so in a separate comment)  

2.) blog about the giveaway with a link back to this post

3.) share this giveaway on your facebook page (simply click the FB button at the bottom of this post)

* just be sure to come back and leave another comment letting me know what you did.

-contest open to any legal resident WORLDWIDE (ahem, Aussies and Canadians, here is your chance :)

-winner is responsible for any cost above and beyond the $50 merch cert.  also, the merch cert. can not be applied towards shipping costs. 

*1crown3tiaras Boutique is currently offering 10% off for all Room for Nine readers.  Enter ROOMFORNINE in the coupon code at checkout to receive discount.  so, if you were planning on making a purchase, do it now while everything is on sale!

good luck and keep your fingers crossed!

-jessica

PS. a few of you have mentioned that you can only comment under "anonymous."  to remedy this, first type your comment, then select the NAME/URL tab and insert your name (leaving the URL part blank.) this should allow you to leave a comment with your name instead of anonymous. 

{able mabel} etsy giveaway!

are you ready for yet another giveaway on this here Internet Website Blog Thing?  no?  fine then, I'll just give this $30 merchandise certificate from able mabel to someone else.

yes!  $30!  that's a whole $30 more than $0 (just to reiterate, in case you're  s l o w  like me and don't always catch things the first time.  it happens to all of us.  those.. those.. shoot, what are they called again?  I forget.  oh yeah, senior moments.)

anyway.

as I was saying, the amazing talent behind able mabel presents itself in the form of two highly intelligent, creative, hip and hilarious sisters, Jen and Leann, who, as luck would have it, also happen to be very good friends of mine. (or at least they tolerate me anyway ;)

and, for those of you with inquiring minds wanting to know more, here's a little insight behind their wonderful etsy shop... in their own words:

"We bring you quality and originality in the treasures we fashion. Mixing our father’s dry sense of humor with our mother’s artistic abilities, we come up with imaginative makings." 

"As artists, we are inspired by everyday things around us...family, nature, colors, emotions, moods, etc. Give us a fun piece of fabric, paper or beads and it's off to the races! We love finding the "unusual" and making it into something functional!"  -Jen and Leann

a small sampling of their products:

don't just take my word for it, though.  head on over and check out the awesomeness that is able mabel for yourself... where you'll find fabulous handmade bibs, blankets, lovies and other fun items. (so what if I'm biased?!)

you can catch able mabel here: etsy, blog, facebook, twitter


rules and regs: CONTEST IS CLOSED

• contest is for one $30 merchandise certificate good towards any item(s) of your choice (did you get that yet?) 
• winner assumes responsibility for any cost above and beyond the $30, including shipping and handling fees.
• one winner; to be chosen at random
• one entry per person
• open to any resident on the face of the planet (yes, able mabel ships anywhere)
• contest open through thursday, December 16th midnight PST
• winner will be announced friday, December 17th

so, do you have a "Christmas catastrophe" to relate (like the time your kids discovered their gifts in what was supposedly a "secret" hiding place), or perhaps a fun holiday tradition you'd like to share?  how about a favorite Christmas carol or holiday treat?  leave a comment on this post and I'll hook one of you up with this fab gift.

ready?  GO!

-jessica 

Baby Gizmo 12 Days of Christmas giveaway.

real quick, I just wanted to share this with you because I think it's pretty awesome.

Baby Gizmo is hosting a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway.

"From adorable baby shoes to diaper bags to a fabulous luxury stroller (hint: it's a BUGABOO!!!), Baby Gizmo is having a holiday giveaway extravaganza! This is one giveaway that you do not want to miss! The Baby Gizmo Giveaway of the year! 12 Days! 36 Winners! Thousands of dollars worth of prizes!"

The 3rd Annual Baby Gizmo 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Extravaganza celebrates the holidays by giving away their favorite things to lucky winners twelve days in a row! (December 1st - December 12th.)

The best thing about the giveaways is that all you have to do is log in to be entered to win. For the first 11 days, a random winner will be picked from all the people that log in on that day.  Prizes include products from: Inglesina, Storksak, Step2, Peg Perego, Mutsy, pediped, Kushies, kokopax, Moonlight Slumber, Oilo, Little Tikes, Baby Legs, Britax, Silikids and BUGABOO!!

On the 12th day, a winner will be picked from everyone that logged in during the entire 12 days for a fabulous, ultra-chic Bugaboo Cameleon Stroller. Easy as that!

so what are you waiting for?  enter today for your chance to win!

also to my fellow bloggers out there:
Share the word about the Baby Gizmo 12 Days of Christmas with your readers and you'll be entered to win a $250 VISA Gift Card!  for more details, click here.

how sweet is that?

good luck!

-jessica

PS. don't forget to check out Baby Gizmo on facebook and like their page.  once they reach 7,000 fans they'll be giving away a Phil & Ted's stroller to one lucky fan!