Fabulous Black Friday Giveaway!!!

The time has arrived for my big announcement! My apologies I did not post it yesterday but I didn't get home until the wee hours of the morning after partaking in some early Black Friday shopping. I had some great success and am hoping that those of you who were out and about had good luck in your shopping fun as well. Speaking of shopping fun - how fun would it be to win 60 awesome items from 60 different vendors?!? It could be your lucky day and think of all the fun gift giving as a result of winning it all!

I am happy to announce that I am part of the Fabulous Black Friday Giveaway Event going on now through November 30th. One winner will not only win a shopping spree with me through Rendi, but that SAME winner takes ALL the items posted in the giveaway. What?!? Yes! You read it right...so hurry to the Fabulous Fun Finds blog to find out how to be entered for all the loot. Good luck! Wish I could enter - there is some REALLY cool stuff in this giveaway! Here's a preview of some of the 60 (yes, 60!!!) items to be won! Who knows, it may be YOUR lucky day. You never will know unless you enter!

Images Courtesy of Individual Giveaway Vendors via Pinterest :: Fabulous Fun Finds Fabulous Black Friday Giveaway Event

Update and Giveaway!

So thanks for hanging with me...we're in the midst of another move...yes, another. But this time, let's hope it's for awhile as we have found our dream home. Once we're settled in, I'll have to post some photos, but we are knee deep in painting and basement remodeling, so it's a bit of a mess.

Just wanted to say hello and tell you about the AWESOME giveaways going on at the Mom of 40 Toes blog...she reached 5000 followers - AMAZING!!! So go check her out...you won't be sorry. And enter one of the fantastic giveaways she is hosting...like this one - from one of my favorites, Gardenhouse.

Once I'm all settled in, I promise you I'll be hosting some fun giveaways of my own...so stay tuned my friends!!!

Ciao - off to pack more boxes!

Pottery Barn Giveaway Winner Announced!

And the Pottery Barn Storage & Display hardcover book goes to....

Entry #31 - Sarah L.!!!

A big thank you to all those who entered the giveaway and your great organizational comments and tips - they were all winners in my book :D

Congratulations to Sarah L. on winning the PB book - I hope you love it as much as I do. You will receive an email shortly with the news!!!

(Image courtesy Amazon.com)

I Did the 'Do!

I LOVE my new hairdo! Not do I only feel 10 pounds lighter (5 inches gone!), but it's much easier to style and will be faster in the mornings to get ready. Love it, love it, love it! Did I tell you how much I love it?

I was pretty apprehensive driving to the salon last night and thought the sudden downpour with 50 mph winds was a sign from above to NOT cut my hair, but I followed through with my commitment, put my trust in my stylist and made the change. I had met Wendi, my new stylist, once at our consultation but immediately liked her personality and warmth.

If you are looking for a top-notch stylist in the Fox Valley, I highly recommend Wendi at Salon Aura. She not only listened to my concerns and wishes, but hit the cut I wanted dead-on. This girl knows how to cut hair. Believe you me, I will be hanging on to this one as long as I can. I couldn't be happier! Thank you Wendi!!! Here are a few pics from (late) last night...

So, what do you think of the new cut? What is the most length you've had cut from your hair?

Don't forget to enter my :: P O T T E R Y | B A R N :: giveaway through Thursday 7/22 at 11:59 pm CST!!!

GIVEAWAY day is here!

So did you guess the giveaway item from the previous hints? One winner will win their own copy of Pottery Barn's Storage & Display hardcover book (a $24.95 retail value) for their personal library!!!

After our multiple moves in a few short months, it forced us to become uber organized people (and I am over the top organized to begin with). We have gotten to the point of color coding our boxes per floor plan and labeling them very specifically so there is no confusion. We can only hope our next movers follow our technique. Long story for another day. *sigh* As they say, the best laid plans...anyway, once we got the boxes in the correct locations here, the fun part started. The unpacking, deciding what to keep, what to put out in the room and what to give away. New and different spaces need new and different strategies. No room is exactly the same, so it's like starting from scratch with a blank slate and all your belongings tend to take on a new feel. Pure excitement! Well, at least for me. So I am asking my readers to answer one question for me to be entered in this giveaway.

What is your all time favorite organizational tip?
It can be for a room, a house, a closet, a move...think about it and let me know by leaving me a comment.

One winner will receive a brand new hardcover copy of Pottery Barn's Storage & Display - Stylish Solutions for Organizing Your Home!
This book is absolutely fabulous - I have one in my home library I reference all the time!

To enter, please leave your best or favorite organizational tip along with your name (first name and last initial). Entries without a tip will be disqualified. You can enter once a day with a new organizational tip.

To earn an extra (optional) entry, become a follower in Google Friend Connect (lefthand column - click the Follow button) and leave me a comment that you did so.

Giveaway will run through 11:59 p.m. CST on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010. One winner will be selected from total comments at contest end via random.org and announced sometime on Friday, July 23rd. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents at this time only.

Thanks for participating and good luck!

(Image courtesy Amazon.com)

Is it time for another GIVEAWAY?

Yes, it's about that time...I think I mentioned that regular posts would commence in early June after our big move. Well, it seems like my posts jumped from end of May to beginning of July - where, oh where, did June go? I'm still trying to figure it out.

Here are some hints to the upcoming giveaway early next week...it's a good one!
Be sure to come back and enter; you won't be disappointed.

We have a winner!

THANK YOU to all who left such fun comments and participated in the Skip Hop Zoo Pack Penguin backpack giveaway from CSN Stores. We had lots of votes of adoration for the dog (4 votes); however, this little penguin guy gets to go home with one lucky reader. Here are some of the other animals readers voted for: Panda (3), Monkey (2), (Sea) Turtle (2), Tiger (2), Lion, Seal, Giraffe, Seahorse, Penguin, Hedgehog, Llama, Bird, Elephant and Bunny (all with one vote each).

Congrats to Manda who posted this comment:

I will be emailing you shortly to request the rest of your information! Congrats!

I'm hoping to stop by each of your websites and blogs to say hello and learn more about you. Thanks again everyone and stay posted for more upcoming giveaways! Moving day is less than a week away, so they will commence once we are settled in June.

The Incredible Minted Invitation Suite Giveaway!

June is right around the corner and that means summer weddings! Are you getting married soon? Do you know any brides- to-be? If so, please forward this fabulous information on to them. To celebrate the launch of Minted’s new wedding invitation line, they are giving away 100 complete wedding suites to one lucky bride! Brides can enter by simply leaving a comment at www.minted.com/blog. But hurry, the contest closes this Friday, May 21st at midnight.

Pictured below is what the winner will get - they are giving all of it away! While the bride-to-be waits for those exciting results of the giveaway, Minted.com has two very special offers for shoppers. An awesome 15% OFF Wedding Stationery or 15% OFF Save the Dates at Minted.com. Be sure to enter code: LAUNCH15 at checkout.

::::: PS Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY here :::::
:: ends TOMORROW Wed 5/19 at 11:59 pm CST ::

(Images courtesy of Minted.com)

Start Packing GIVEAWAY!!!

I feel that all I've been doing the past few days is packing...ah yes, the upcoming move...light at the end of the tunnel, light at the end of the tunnel. Anyway, on to the product review and giveaway! You all saw the teaser of the adorable SKIP HOP Zoo Pack Penguin backpack last week, right? Well, he arrived (rather quickly - thank you CSN stores shipping department!) and we tested him out with a little sleepover to Nana and Papa's house. Boy, can this little guy really pack a lot! I've always loved penguins...my mom loves owls...my sister loves hedgehogs. Those would make some really cute backpacks, right? We do have the owl zoo lunchie and yes, he's equally as cute...but I'd love to see a hedgehog created. Would get one for the sis in a heartbeat!

Zoo packs from SKIP HOP are little kid backpacks and lunchpacks where "fun meets function". Their product is PVC-free, Phthalate-free and BPA-free - which in layman's terms means no harmful chemical exposure for your itty-bitty. Yahoo! The interior is deep and roomy - it held quite a bit of the trip essentials. There is a designated gray nametag inside where you can write your child's name or iron/sew on one of their name labels - very nice! The side has an adjustable mesh bottle pocket that expanded very nicely to accommodate our (rather large) sippy cup. The padded, adjustable straps were easy to work and very comfy on my itty-bitty's shoulders...no complaints! Get this, there is a pouch on the front that is insulated just for snacks and has a mesh interior pocket for all your little stuff! How cool is that? This little guy measures 10 inches wide x 11.5 inches high x 4 inches deep - very manageable even for a three year old! And the fabric...a breeze to clean - wipes up very easily. A must for toting it everywhere with a toddler/preschooler.

The pack, however, is not suitable for children under 3 years of age due to small parts (zipper pull attachments are cute little fishies) and a long cord (side bottle pocket cord - it's enclosed, but could be pulled out if stretched very very hard) - just wanted to mention that to you who are entering.

One lucky reader will win this same backpack (a $19.98 retail value) shipped directly to you from CSN stores for FREE (I will provide them with the winner's email and they take care of the rest - easy peasy)! Their customer service is top-notch, shipping was uber fast and the variety of options they have to pick from their 200+ stores is outrageous!

Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only in the contiguous states (my apologies to my international friends and readers - I am working on a giveaway that will include you soon). Please leave your name and email address in the comment field so I have some way to contact/notify you. Be sure you leave a separate comment for each entry item you complete.You can earn up to eleven (11) entries before the giveaway closes!

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is answer question #1 - easy peasy - that's it!

1. Tell me what is your favorite animal and why? (One entry.)

OPTIONAL additional entries can be made completing these steps - be sure to leave a separate comment for each one you complete:

2. Become a follower of my blog through Google Friend Connect in the left hand column - select the 'follow' button, then leave a comment that you follow. If you already follow my blog, let me know in your comment. (One entry.)

3. Subscribe to my blog feed under 'Subscribe to' and leave me a comment that you did so. (One entry.)

4. Follow me on Twitter @CatherineStern and leave me a comment that you did so. (One entry.)

5. Here's where you can earn up to seven (7) more entries - one per day per person! TWEET about this giveaway on Twitter once a day until giveaway close (5/19) and leave me a comment that you did so. Be sure to include the tag @CatherineStern in your tweet so I can track your entry. (One entry per day!)

Good luck and be sure to check out CSN stores for all your needs - there is something for everyone!

Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19th. Winner will be announced Thursday, May 20th and must claim prize within 72 hours or a new winner will be selected and announced. Winner is randomly chosen by www.random.org and odds of winning are based on total number of entries submitted by giveaway end.

This giveaway has ended. Thank you to all who participated! The winner will be announced soon!!!

{ This product review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience with the item sample I received. I was not additionally compensated for this review. }

(Image courtesy of SKIP HOP via CSN Stores)

Planning for the Big Move (and another GIVEAWAY coming SOON!)

As you know, we are planning a big move back to the city from which we moved...Confused? Yes, so was I when we got the news. Ironic? Eerily. Easy? Well...I could think of many, many other things more painful, so you won't find me complaining. On the bright side, there are many fun things on the horizon like updating our daughter's room to a 'big girl room' and getting her ready for preschool come the fall. CSN stores recently approached me to do a review on one of their products and I happily agreed (insert cartwheel here). Have you heard of them? They have everything under the sun in one place from an awesome variety of toddler beds to some of the cutest options in children's wall art. Moving and making our daughter's new room 'perfecto!' will be a piece of cake with CSN stores, that's for sure!

And let's not forget preschool this fall - new experiences are always so exciting! I will be receiving this adorable Skip Hop Penguin Zoo backpack to review for our daughter and giving one away to a lucky reader! Come back here in the very near future to read about the giveaway and enter. In the meantime, check out the 200+ CSN stores - but make sure you have ample time to browse their goods...you'll need it. Seriously.

(Image courtesy of CSNstores.com).

And the winner of the Where Women Create magazine is...

...lucky number 13...seriously! And number 13 is SANDI (3/16 at 11:37 pm) selected by Random.org.

Here's what she had to say:

Hi there! I'm a huge fan of WWC and was pleased to find you and become a Follower! One of my many favorite creative sites is:

http://the-feathered-nest.blogspot.com/

Not only is Dawn a talented artist, but she's directed me to many other creative and beautiful blogs that I probably wouldn't have found on my own!!

Sandi

CONGRATULATIONS SANDI - I will be emailing you for your mailing address and sending off your Where Women Create Spring 2010 magazine as soon as I hear back from you!

Thank you for all your comments and excellent inspirational blogs you shared! I plan to stop by each and every one of your blogs and say hello, as you did to mine. I'll have some more fun checking out the great links you all left for inspiration...and I'll put together a list of them for you all to have some fun in your free time. Thanks again for making my first blog giveaway so much fun! Look for more giveaways in the future!!!

(Image courtesy of Where Women Create)

My Very First Blog Giveaway!!!

Where do you look for inspiration? Nature, art, architecture, blogs, magazines, books or maybe all of the above? There isn't a right or wrong answer to that question and the happy thing about it is that it differs for everyone. How fun! Awhile ago, I was given the book Where Women Create and have enjoyed every page of it...over and over and over again. The book highlights the creative workspaces of a variety of women - it's true eye candy and is inspirational on so many levels. Did you know that Jo Packham and Jenny Doh are releasing another book called Where Women Create: Book of Inspiration: In the Studio and Behind the Scenes with Extraordinary Women? (Insert squeal of delight here.) It's due out on April 5th - you can check it out for yourself and pre-order yours today here.

Where Women Create also has an awesome blog where you can lose yourself for hours, if you're not careful. Be sure to check out the WWC BLOG here, or click on their button in the lower part of my left sidebar to visit. They have put together a wonderful couple days in September called The Creative Connection. Crafters come together over a few days in Minneapolis to take classes and enjoy creativity...it's going to be on my calendar; how about yours?

I was ecstatic when Stampington announced that they were creating a quarterly magazine that would feature more creative spaces of women on a regular basis. I've purchased every issue since the first and frequent the pages for a quick creative fix or a peek into someone's studio...a mini vacation.

I'm happy to announce my very FIRST BLOG GIVEAWAY!!! One lucky reader will receive the Spring 2010 issue of Where Women Create (a $14.99 value)! I MUST share this creativity with you!!! Here's a sneak peek of one of my favorite articles in this issue (PAPER SOURCE!).....

Here's what you need to do to enter the giveaway...two easy steps:

1) Become a 'follower' in my Google Friend Connect window in my left sidebar. If you are already a Google Friend, fantastic and thank you! Skip down to step #2.

2) Leave a comment letting me know the URL name of your favorite creative or inspirational blog. I'll write a post later highlighting some of the great blogs you mention.

Also be sure to leave your name and an email address so I know how to get a hold of you when you win!

Giveaway is open to US residents at this time only.

One entry per person please.

Enter through Saturday, March 20th at midnight CST.

One winner will be selected via random.org on Sunday and announced here sometime on Monday, March 22nd.

Do YOU have the luck of the Irish? Be sure to enter to see if you do! Have fun!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER WILL BE POSTED MONDAY MORNING, MARCH 22nd. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!!! WATCH FOR OUR NEXT GIVEAWAY...

(Images courtesy of Where Women Create and Amazon.com)

Matilda Jane Hammond Bay Trunk Show

Spring is right around the corner! That is the Matilda Jane Spring 2010 Line. I'm soooo very excited to be attending a Matilda Jane Spring Line Trunk Show this upcoming Saturday, March 20th! {insert cartwheels here} Remember my previous post highlighting the MUST HAVE outfits for Gabrielle? Ack! I feel like a kid before Christmas (breathe, breathe, repeat)...I can hardly wait to see their fabrics, the combos and all the cute outfits I can put together. Better leave my checkbook at home. I could do some serious damage in a very quick time. Here's some eye candy to hold you (me) over until Saturday...are we there yet?!?

REMEMBER to come back here tomorrow, Tuesday, March 16th to enter my VERY FIRST BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!

Give Me Liberty!

Liberty of London for Target! Today is the day...are you ready? If not, hop on your bike, get in your car, hail a cab, jump on the train...whatever you do, get to your nearest Target to check out the flowery goodness of Liberty of London goods. If you don't have a bike, you may want to check out this one from Liberty of London for Target, slated to be priced under $200.00.

This is will be my last Sunday blog post as I am reserving Sundays for time with my family and for non-media activities. Regular posts will continue during the weekdays and Saturdays. Thanks for all your comments and support! I appreciate each and every one of my readers :)

Don't forget - come back here Tuesday the 16th to enter my VERY FIRST BLOG GIVEAWAY!

(Images courtesy of Target.com)

And the winner is...

...could it be you? Did you enter HGTV's Dream Home Giveaway? Be sure to watch the giveaway special on Monday, March 15th 8/7 C. The giveaway had over 40,640,000 entries - wowsers!

Here are a few of my favorite Dream Homes from HGTV from years past:

My number favorite is the Tyler, TX house in 2005. It is the largest of the Dream Homes with a second house on the lake. I seriously would have dreams about this house during the contest as if I was already living in it - I knew it inside and out. *sigh* Oh, the memories...

Tyler, TX

I also loved the 2008 Dream Home in the heart of the Florida Keys as well. Remember this kitchen with that gorgeous tile? Who wouldn't want to live in a town named Islamorada (meaning 'purple island') with palm trees in your yard? I've only lived in the Midwest, so palm trees excite me. Seriously, love them.

Islamorada, FL

Another favorite is the 2006 Dream Home in Lake Lure, NC. This house had great outdoor space with picturesque views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and a really, really cool craft room. Love that shake siding detail. Nice.

Lake Lure, NC

What was your favorite HGTV Dream Home? Come back here on Tuesday the 16th - I'll be sponsoring a fun giveaway for you! No, it won't quite be a house...stay tuned!

(Images courtesy of HGTV.com)

Go Ahead...Play with Your Food

As you all know, I enter a lot of giveaways and as it goes - "Many will enter, few will win...". Well, luck has been on my side as I won my daughter a Melissa & Doug Wooden Fruit Cutting Set from Gifted Imaginations through Savvy Sassy Moms (two GREAT sites!!!). Find them on Twitter here: @GiftedImagStore and @savvysassymoms - be sure to check them out as they run some really fabulous giveaways and have some really great content.

It all happened shortly after I joined Twitter which wasn't too long ago *blush* (hey I still haven't joined FB...yet...there's only so many hours in a day to get everything done). Anyway, I digress. So, I joined Twitter and entered a giveaway by tweeting their contest info...a few days later, I see my name pop up after the @ sign that I've won - to DM them my mailing address. WHAT?!? Is this some joke? No. It's real. After jumping up and down wildly, I finally figured out what I was supposed to do, send her my mailing address and a few days later, this wonderful toy arrived at our house to an ecstatic three year old.

Seriously, this toy is such a great teaching tool and the pieces are attached together with Velcro, so when you cut it, it crunches and sounds like you're cutting a piece of fruit. Very.cool.

Thank you Gifted Imaginations and Savvy Sassy Moms - you made our...day/week/month!!! Now, if I can only get some of that luck spread to finding a job for the hubs or for me...

(Images courtesy of Melissa & Doug via Gifted Imaginations)

able mabel - finding the fun in functional

I am happy to say I was a winner of a giveaway from Today's Creative Blog awhile ago and got to pick some really fun things from Able Mabel's Etsy Shop. Swing by and check out their goods - here's their bio:

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!

Welcome to able mabel.

===============================================
Here are the items I was able to pick out - a wonderful little double sided blanket/minkie (Japanese linen print with an uber soft brown minky) - sans the baby, of course - and a cute decoupaged double light switch plate cover.

It was fun to spend $25 and my experience was fabulous - excellent communication and superior customer service. Two thumbs up to Able Mabel and another THANK YOU! They also have a fun little blog that you can find HERE.

(Images courtesy of Able Mabel)