Giveaway: Elva Fields Decade Necklace

In celebration of jewelry designer Elva Fields’ 10th year of business, the brand is giving away this beautiful gold Decade Necklace to an LCY reader! I love the simplistic elegance of this design; a stark difference from her usual bold, colorful statement pieces. You may remember we featured the Kentucky designer behind the brand, Emily Maynard, on The Everygirl earlier this year. It was so fun getting to see inside her workshop.

To enter: 
Like Elva Fields on Facebook or follow Elva Fields on Instagram, then leave a comment on this post letting me know you did! Make sure to include your email so I can get a hold of you.

U.S. entries only.

GIVEAWAY: Win a $5000 Dream Room Makeover! Runner-up Wins a $1000 Room Restyling!

The Everygirl and Fizz56 have teamed up to offer two lucky ladies the chance at some major home refluffing! One grand prize winner will receive a dream room makeover valued at up to $5000 to be used toward any brand or store and one runner-up will receive $1000 toward styling product from Lulu & Georgia!

As long as you are on one social media site (Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook), you can sign up! Winners will work with Danielle and me to redecorate one room in their home!

Click here for full details on how to enter.

Winner will be announced in two weeks! Gooood luck!

party planning, giveaways, graphic design, and other fun stuff!

i am so sorry for the radio silence the past WEEK! and i was doing so good too... but haven't you heard? it's the everygirl's one year anniversary on friday (can't believe it.) and we are celebrating anniversary week over on the site! and we have an amazing event happening at west elm in lincoln park this thursday night - cocktails, desserts, smilebooth, music, giveaways, and of course 15% off shopping at west elm. we'd love for all of you to come! and please do say hello if you make it! rsvp details in the invite above. note the gorgeous hand lettering is by the talented molly jacques.

in other words, i've been working around the clock. SO much work goes into planning events it's shocking...

i've also been diligently emailing all of my favorite brands trying to get them on board for what might be the GREATEST giveaway ever! it went live on the everygirl today - you seriously need to check it out. as a way to thank our readers for supporting the site in our first year, we are offering the chance to win 13 highly covetable items. here are just five of the 13 giveaways going on...

p.s. i love/miss graphic design. i had so much fun laying these out.

well what are you waiting for? go sign up to win!

GIVEAWAY: Win a Free Night at Radisson Hotels

Radisson Hotels is celebrating their 50th anniversary and are giving away 50 free nights for 50 days across the blogosphere! Today, the giveaway has come to Live Creating Yourself!

A few places I'd love to visit? Seattle or Charleston. Easy.

One winner will win one night voucher that is valid for one free night, standard room, double occupancy at any North American Radisson Blu or Radisson Hotel of the winner’s choice. The voucher expires one year after issue date. The full terms and conditions are located on the room night voucher.

TO ENTER:
- Leave a comment letting me know what North American city you'd visit for your free night at the Radisson! See the list of destinations here. And tell me: what do you have planned and when would you try and go? Girls trip? Visiting a long-distance friend or relative? Just need a night away? Be sure to include your email in the comment so I can contact you!

DEADLINE:
- Sunday at midnight. Winner will be announced on Monday, November 19!

Lo & Sons Travel Bag ($300 Value) Giveaway - CLOSED

Have you heard of Lo & Sons? They make the best travel bags (and camera bags, laptop bags, and other convenient carrying satchels) and offered a giveaway on The Everygirl a couple weeks ago. Lucky you gets another chance at winning one here on Live Creating Yourself! The folks at L&S are offering one reader a bag of their choosing - either the slightly larger OG or the medium-sized OMG.

The bags are lined to safely transport laptops and there's a separate compartment to store shoes (heels, sneakers, slippers, whatever the case me be). Valued at almost $300, this is quite the opportunity!

So which will it be?

The OG?

or The OMG?

and...

Exciting, right?!

Easiest guessing game of all time: which stack of luggage is mine and which is Danielle's?

To Enter:
Like Lo & Sons on Facebook and leave a comment here letting me know which style (the OG or the OMG) and color you'd want if you are the winner!

Deadline:
Monday, September 25th at 11:59pm - winner will be announced the next day!

Have at it!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED! WINNER HAS BEEN EMAILED AND WILL BE RECEIVING HER BLACK OG VERY SOON! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED!

Pottery Barn GIVEAWAY and A Morning with Nathan Turner

A week ago, I had the pleasure of meeting designer Nathan Turner at the Chicago Pottery Barn store, where he presented The Perfect Wedding Décor workshop. Seeing as I am helping plan a bridal shower and wedding taking place in the next two months, I diligently noted Nathan's ideas on arranging flowers, cheap and chic decor tips, and food service.

FOOD SERVICE

This is not a spanking new idea, but I loved how scaled down this candy buffet is.

His suggestions:

1. Mix up the shape of the serving dishes. They should be varying heights and widths.

2. Try and stick as close to the event color theme as possible.

All pastels. All green candies. All pinks.

3. Make sure to have little goodie bags at the table so guests can scoop their favorite candies and take them home as a favor.

When serving food buffet-style, whether it's a large bridal shower or a dinner party, wrap flatware in a napkin so it's one quick grab for guests. Tying the napkins with faux flowers, twine, or a ribbon make it both beautiful and practical by holding the set together.

Set glassware on a tray for added dimension and sparkle to the table.

Similar to the candy bar, make sure serving pieces on a buffet are of varying heights. Nathan mentioned there is nothing more boring than seeing a long, flat table with no interest. Three-tiered stands and raised cake platters are a great way to bring in dimension. Candlesticks, flower arrangements, and a champagne bucket all help spruce up what could be a very boring presentation.

FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS

Nathan kept stressing that YOU DO NOT NEED TO USE A VASE for your floral arrangements. Here he's showing how he used an oasis (green foam) in this champagne bucket to prop up peonies. How grand for a gift-drop table or the name card table at a wedding?

Above you see Nathan made use of a soup bowl, pitcher, and cappuccino cup.

Items of note:

1. The striped vases and votives you see are actually clear vases wrapped in paper from The Paper Source. All you need is double-stick tape!

2. Use coordinating paper (the stripes and the hydrangea) to mix it up without being too matchy-matchy.

3. Look at the bouquet on the right. Nathan noted how we all see little Granny sneaking away, weighed down with the huge centerpiece at the end of the night... he suggests making take-away bouquets and adding a little note, "Take me!" Much easier for guests to grab and those expensive flowers won't go to waste! And bunching three in a single vase gives the appearance of a full floral arrangement.

Another affordable centerpiece option is placing small bud vases along a lengthier table with little votives scattered throughout. Nathan said this was one of his favorite techniques when he hosts dinner parties at home. It would also be pretty on a buffet or side tables in your house.

I got to hang out with Crystal at the event. She is also hosting this same giveaway today, so make sure to pop on over to Plush Palate for another chance to win!

With the man himself. Nathan Turner.

He had on such a great outfit! It was a blue checkered shirt, skinny knit tie, and loafers sans socks. And don't get me started on the thick-rimmed glasses (shown in previous photos).

...and because I love playing this game, I just need to point out how much Nathan looks like Greg Kinnear, one of my favorite actors (Little Miss Sunshine, As Good As It Gets, You've Got Mail).

GIVEAWAY

Pottery Barn is offering this beautiful medium-sized Villa Bottleneck Vase to one lucky winner!

1. Follow Live Creating Yourself (in left-hand menu)

2. Comment on this post with your favorite Nathan Turner tip to enter for the giveaway.

INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL so I can contact you if you win.

Winner will be announced Monday next week!

**UPDATE: Congratulations to Torrie for winning the Villa Bottleneck Vase from Pottery Barn! Thanks to everyone who participated.

Soc Chic All Week: Jess LC Giveaway!

I am insanely proud to call the beautiful and brilliant Jess of Jess LC jewelry and Makeunder My Life blog a friend! I was thrilled when she asked me to participate in a giveaway she is hosting throughout the blogosphere this week. One of her jewelry collections, the Soc Chic line, includes nine necklaces, each of which has its own positive message and a coinciding non-profit organization. That's right - 10% from each Soc Chic necklace sale goes to its designated non-profit, which makes these beauties that much more special. What a wonderful gift to give to a friend or family member!

To raise awareness of the line, Jess sought out eight other bloggers to take part in hosting her generous giveaway this week! That's right - there are NINE necklaces to be won, all of which are part of her Soc Chic collection! And you have until Friday, June 11 to visit the other blogs and sign up for a chance to win them!

Here at Live Creating Yourself, you have the chance to win the Pink Lemonade Necklace! According to the Jess LC website, "this necklace is for those who turn life's lemons into lemonade." Two hand-wrapped Swarovski crystals dangle from either a gold-filled or sterling silver necklace. The Pink Lemonade necklace coincides with the Bright Pink NPO, a group "that provides education, support, and a sense of community for young women at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer." Wow. Talk about female empowerment. I think every girl and woman should have one of these in her jewelry box.

To win the Pink Lemonade Necklace:

1. Browse the Jess LC website

2. Leave a comment here mentioning what your favorite collection or piece of jewelry is!

-- MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE EMAIL--

And be sure to hop on over to these other blogs for a chance to win the respective Soc Chic necklace!

Elements of Style giving away the Bright Side Necklace

Purchasing this necklace supports the Care. Commit. Change. organization.

In Honor of Design giving away the Match Made in Heaven necklace

Purchasing this necklace supports Imerman Angels.

Ish and Chi giving away the Good Intention Necklace

Purchasing this necklace supports smaller non-profits.

Jen Loves Kev giving away the Silver Lining Necklace

Purchasing this necklace supports Team In Training.

Kind Over Matter giving away the Raindrops on Roses necklace

Purchasing this necklace supports the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Life in the Fun Lane is giving away the Falling Star necklace

Purchasing this necklace supports the Kids Enjoy Exercise Now organization.

Makeunder My Life giving away the Lucky in Bed necklace

Purchasing this necklace supports the Paws 4 People organization.

M Loves M giving away the Soul Mate necklace

Purchasing this necklace supports the Paws 4 People organization.

So does this make for a Happy Monday or what?!

Thank you, Jess!

Tote around

I can't get enough of these J.Crew canvas totes. At only $10 a piece, they make the perfect summer bag for carrying groceries from the farmer's market, grabbing lunch with the gals, or heading to the beach. I bought one a month or so ago at my local store, but they just showed up online. Hurray for all of you who don't have a beloved Crew near you!

Guess which one I went with:

1. poodle gallery

2. four friends

3. dog days

...and which one would you get to tote sun block and sunglasses around in this summer?

-------------

GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Congratulations to the THREE WINNERS of the "I can write a blog, I have thoughts," print giveaway! I used Random.org to generate the winners:

1. Ali from His Birdie's Nest

2. Rachael from Fancy Pants

3. and Jillian from Fabulously Dirty Martinis

First off, how GREAT are those blog names? Secondly - all three of these ladies wrote up sweet blog posts about the print, and I thank them - and everyone else who tweeted and blogged - from the bottom of my heart! So many nice comments. It means a lot.

Ladies, email me with the colors you'd like your print in! I will ship this out within the next few days! Congrats!

Thanks, again, to everyone who participated! Know that there will be more LCYgraphics giveaways in the near future! And if you didn't win but need this print, it's for sale in my Etsy shop for $15.

Bits and pieces

1. You have until MIDNIGHT tonight to sign up for the "I CAN WRITE A BLOG. I HAVE THOUGHTS," print giveaway!

2. Listen to the completely random but awesome playlist that I've had on repeat the past week. Scroll to the bottom of the blog and enjoy!

3. You can still email me for free Artropolis tickets! I have more left!

"I can write a blog. I have thoughts," print GIVEAWAY!

In my mission to get one of my "I can write a blog. I have thoughts," homage to Julie & Julia prints into the homes of every blogger, I am offering THREE to you, my lovelies, in today's giveaway!

As you can see, I already have one hanging in my own office.

And the best part is that these 8x10 beauties come in any color you want! Just send me the RGB, CMYK, or web code, and I'll match it.

...or in any color on a white background! Hey, I'm flexible.

And if you have no idea what this quote is, shame on you. You can see the darling Amy Adams deliver the line here at the 0:55 second mark:

To Enter:

1. Tweet this giveaway and leave one comment

2. Blog this giveaway and leave TWO comments

3. Do both and leave THREE comments

(leave your email if your profile doesn't include it)

I will be choosing THREE winners next week, Thursday, so you have a week to blog and Tweet away! Oh, and please mention/link to my LCYgraphics Etsy shop in the post. This isn't a requirement, but it would be gee-golly nice of you!

(Feel free to click on images for higher-res versions to use in your post.)

If you don't have a blog so this print doesn't exactly pertain to you, odds are you know someone you could gift it to!

West Elm + PATCH NYC = LCY GIVEAWAY

Hurrah for spring! As part of their new seasonal line, West Elm has partnered with the very talented New York artists and designers, John Ross and Don Carney of PATCH NYC. You may already know them for their gorgeous collection of jewelry, scarves, and home knits (if you don't, check it out stat - I want a scarf in each color!). And you can see a collection of Carney's original ink drawings here:

According to the PATCH website, "Carney uses a unique assortment of tiny brushes and eyedroppers to create the precise variation of line quality." What?!? Eye droppers?! What?!? (If you're wondering, this is me speechless.)

And here are some of Carney's detailed, nature prints reproduced for West Elm!

the thistle and rose prints are 11.5" x 14" and the smaller, grey prints are 12.5" x 10" and come in these high lacquered black frames - not bad for the $34 and $29 price point, respectively

You can also find the PATCH-West Elm collection on white ceramic dishes with black silhouettes...

...and on these beautiful linen pillow covers with metallic graphics!

And guess what, dear readers.

West Elm is offering a pillow cover to one LCY reader!

And the winner can choose which cover they want - black w/ pidgeon, green w/ thistle, or beige w/ rose.

Oh, how I love this store!

In order to be considered for this giveaway, you must:

1. Follow this blog (in the left-hand column) AND

2. leave a comment below

(make sure to leave your email if you do not have a profile account with an email listed!!!)

You can enter again if you:

1. Tweet this giveaway

2. Blog this giveaway

3. Facebook (status) this giveaway

(each of these three items that you do means you get another entry - but that entry comes in the form of you leaving a comment about it! Otherwise I won't know!)

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED MONDAY MORNING!

Click here to see the West Elm-PATCH NYC collection online!