Create Studio Reviews Giveaways

Christmas Cards from Shutterfly

2011-11-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

This year I vow not to let the Christmas season be stressful and to try and enjoy every minute of it. That's a lofty goal, but I've made lots of lists and we're slowly working through what needs to be done. First thing on the list was deciding what my gift wrapping scheme was going to be (brown paper, red twine...very simple.) Does anyone else get as excited as I do when it comes to choosing a color scheme for Christmas?

Next on the list was taking a Christmas card picture. Ugh.

First attempt good, beautiful mountain foleiage... check! Everyone smiling... check! But what's with the bad shadows and Kyle's horrible shoes? On to take two...

"Take two" at the Carolina vs NC State game. Good picture, but a horrible game outcome led me to look for a chance to take a different one... (my Tarheels lost for the 5th year in a row and I lost the battle to dress at least one of my boys in that beautiful baby blue)

"Take three" in West Palm Beach, FL. Sunny day... check! Rosy cheeks... check! One small failure was the fact that Trey fell head first off of the bed that morning, but if I were going to wait for zero bumps and bruises we just wouldn't have a picture this year!

The picture taking process was definitely not easy, it never is, but I knew where I was going to buy my cards. Every year I get my cards through Shutterfly. They have quick service, and great quality for the price.

Their Christmas Card designs are extensive... there are 930 different designs to choose from!

We send out about 100 cards every year. It gets pretty pricy, but this year they offered me 50 free cards for telling you about their cards, which I of course jumped all over. I am a very happy Shutterfly customer, and you know I would never steer you in the wrong direction. They have great photo books too.

Since I'm getting some free cards I should share the love, right? Would you like 25 free cards for your family? I have three codes to give away to the first three people to leave a comment on my Facebook page with the answer to the question: How do you get your kids to smile for pictures? Can't wait to read about it! :)

Don't forget to pop over to Shutterfly too and check out their new Christmas card designs. Thanks Shutterfly!

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Shabby Apple Review

2011-06-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

One of my new favorite places to see the latest in women's dresses is Shabby Apple. I love that they take a current trend and make it so wearable. Have you noticed that nautical is big right now? Shabby Apple has a whole new line of dresses with classic nautical lines and details.

How cute is the Seven Seas in Seersucker!? Flattering and let's be honest, most importantly machine washable!

Those nice Shabby Apple folks knew my brother-in-law's wedding was coming up, so they rush shipped the light grey San Gabriel dress over to me to do a review for you. So here goes, my honest opinion on my very first Shabby Apple Dress:

Each dress on the site has non-biased reviews from real women who have actually bought and worn the dress. I found these to be super helpful in choosing which dress I would pick out and what to expect from the quality and fit. There were even detailed descriptions of how big the arm holes were or what jewelry to pair it with. And if you ordered the wrong size, return it and they will ship you the right size for free! That's nice.

Being a seamstress myself, I was immediately struck by how well the dress was constructed. The fabric was beautifully ruffled and the buttons were good quality. I have never seen a dress like this before which was one of the reasons why I chose it, it is very unique.

The dress was a simple cotton material; lightweight, so it was great for an outdoor dinner in 90 degree weather. It was not lined though, which I would have expected if I had paid $86 for it. It was a total bear to iron and I have a good burn on my finger to prove it, but it is machine washable and that's definitely something to be thankful for!

So, my final word? The fact that it was not lined made me feel like the dress was a bit overpriced, but I would place a high value on the uniqueness of the dress and its wearability. Check out the website and read the reviews before you buy. I will definitely shop Shabby Apple in the future, in fact I think my next purchase will be a bathing suit. These are adorable!

**Mention the code createstudio10off and get 10% off your order or like Shabby Apple on Facebook and get additional discounts.**

Shabby Apple Dress Winner!!

2011-03-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

The winner for the Shabby Apple Dress giveaway has been posted on the Create Studio Facebook fan page. Congratulations!!

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway

2011-03-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

*** Giveaway Now Closed***

Shabby Apple is an online vintage dress boutique with tons of cute dresses for women, little girls and they even have a line of maternity dresses!

I'm so excited to let you know that Shabby Apple is giving away this adorable pink and orange medallion printed dress called Creamsicle! The little girl dresses are size 0-6 months through size 8, so they are sure to fit your little princess, whatever her age. Wouldn't this be perfect for Easter!?

How to enter:

"Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook by clicking here. Leave me a comment with your email address to let me know you've done that.
For a second entry, become a follower of Create Studio and leave me a second comment, also with your email address.
Giveaway is open to anyone in the U.S. with a normal mailing address.
One winner will be picked via random.org and emailed with additional info. The winner will receive one Creamsicle dress in the size they choose.
Giveaway will end Thursday 3/17/11 at 10pm (Eastern Time).

If you want to shop Shabby Apple now, Create Studio readers get 10% off using the coupon code: createstudio10off. Happy shopping!

Designed By You Special Occasions Fashions Kit WINNERS

2010-12-11T03:54:00.000-08:00

We have some winners! Congrats to Jennifer, April and Julie. I don't know if you'll have contacts, a laptop or a new bra (ha!) coming your way, but you'll definitely have a Designed by You Special Occasion Fashions Activity Kit from the Santa's over at Creativity for Kids!

I've already emailed each of you. I'll need to hear back from you by Monday to claim your prize. Congrats and I hope you enjoy it!

Jennifer said...

This may be crazy, but I'm asking Santa for contacts!

jtauanuu@gmail.com

April said...

I am asking for laptop. I need it now that I am addicted to blogging. Thanks for the giveaway!

April

jerry_sharp@comcast.net

Julie said...

I need a new bra! (blushing)

julie dot m dot mall at gmail dot com--

Designed By You Special Occasions Fashions Review and Giveaway

2010-12-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

**Giveaway is now closed.**

I don't know if you're like me, but I was totally hooked to Project Runway this season. Now that it's over I've considered asking for a dress form this Christmas and trying my hand at some fashion desinging of my own. That's why I was so excited when the folks over at Creativity for Kids asked me to do a review of their Designed by You Special Occasion Fashions Activity Kit.

It has everything a budding fashionista (or whatever the guy version of fashionista is!) would need to create amazing designer originals. Totally unplugged and learning exactly the way I learned to sew... trial and error! All you need to do is add imagination… and in my opinion those are the very best kinds of gifts for kids!

When I received the kit I was struck by how big it is! It has more than 60 high quality pieces. This video has a great overview of all of the pieces. I took this beautiful (ha!) picture of me in my sweats to show you the scale of the box. What little girl wouldn't be thrilled to open this box this Christmas?

That brings me to the targeted audience for this gift. The box says that it's for anyone ages 9-99, but I would narrow that a bit to say ages 9-15 although, I could also see it being a super fun team building exercise for a group of women from a MOPS group or a group from your church. Can't you see a big group of competitive moms getting into making Barbie clothes together!? I think it would be hilarious!

There are a million and one (almost!) teeny little accessories and trims. Included is: Mannequin, Satin Dress, Assorted Fabrics, Assorted Trims, Spools of Thread, Sewing Needles and Threader, Thimble, Pins, Pin Cushion, Scissors, Tape Measure, Fabric Swatches, Sketch Book, Pencils and Sharpener, Iridescent Sparkle Accent, Silver Sparkle Accent, Satin Roses, Satin Bows, Tiaras, Velvet Accessories Storage Bag, Instructions and Ideas.

I love that this is also a learning tool. What are the differences between A-line, Empire, Halter, and Mermaid dresses? What does Draping, basting, applique and embellishment mean? I would have totally eaten this up when I was younger!

So it's a $39.99 value and THREE of you will be getting them for free!! You have two opportunities to win. Here are the details:

Leave me a comment and let me know what you're asking for from Santa
Leave your email address in your comment.
For a second entry, become a follower of Create Studio and leave me a second comment, also with your email address.
Giveaway is open to anyone in the U.S. with a normal mailing address.
Three winners will be picked via random.org and emailed with additional info.
Giveaway will end Friday 12/10/10 at noon (Eastern Time)

Christmas Cards From Shutterfly

2010-11-21T11:56:00.001-08:00

Are you starting to get into Christmas mode yet? Our family always decorates for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving so that we get to enjoy our Christmas tree for the absolute longest amount of time!! We also start thinking about taking the family Christmas picture for our cards.

We always do a photo card for our extended family and friends... we send out over 100 cards each year and that can get pretty expensive, so the past few years we have used Shutterfly. Shutterfly is great because they are quick, affordable, they have awesome quality and they include free envelopes! This year they have a ton of new designs and I'm super excited to tell you that because of this post they are offering me 50 free cards! (If you're a blogger you too can get 50 free cards, find out all of the info here.)

So back to those adorable new designs for the Christmas Cards. I love the layouts that give you options of using mulitple pictures. Some of the folded cards even have options to add more photos inside, with lots of space to write a summary of the year or captions for photos of family vacations in a "timeline" format. Here are some of my favorite card designs:

Modern Merry Squares Christmas Card

Red Revamped Christmas Card

Merry Moments Christmas Card

I'm already a happy Shutterfly customer, so I'm stoked that they are giving me almost half of my cards for free! Since I'm saving so much money, maybe I'll splurge for a calendar this year. I love the size of their desktop calendars:

Or maybe I'll get some Christmas address labels. There are so many adorable things to choose from, the hardest part is going to be making the decision. I think I'll start by taking our family's picture (the hard part!) and then I'll see which card fits the best. What would you choose if you had 50 free cards?

Ella Skye Designs Review and Giveaway

2010-06-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

**Giveaway is now closed.**

I recently realized how much I enjoy the color aqua. There's just something about that color that makes me happy, so when I saw Ella Skye Design's shop banner I just knew there were good things in store. (It didn't hurt that I'm also related to Kristin, so I'm also familiar with her fabulous style!)

I love her Blue Skies earrings because I can imagine they would fall at the perfect spot on your face... not too long, but not too short either, and of course they are aqua!

How fun is this Freshwater Pearls and Shells Necklace? Do you imagine it with a white sundress at the beach too or is it just me?

Then there is the Freedom Necklace made with black hematite semi-precious stone beads and an aqua bird on the pendant. Um, love it!

Now if aqua isn't your thing right now, don't fear. There are a bazillion different colored pieces to choose from like the unique Pink Taiwain Turquoise Necklace below and Kristin also takes custom orders. You know what that means, June brides?! Awesome, affordable and custom jewelry for your bridesmaids! And for the rest of us attending all of these June weddings... why not have Ella Skye Designs make you a custom piece for that new dress you just bought?

Kristin was nice enough to allow me to have a piece from her collection so I could see her hard work first hand. She gave me the Seaside Bracelet and from the minute I laid eyes on it I immediately started dreaming up the different outfits I could put together around this bracelet... yes, it is that pretty, even in the packaging!

I have really small wrists, so I don't usually wear bracelets, but I'm proud to say that this wrap around style fits wonderfully. It has a good stretch too it and would easily accommodate anyone. I also love that it doesn't hang around where it could easily get caught on the crazy little wild man I chase around all day or the dinner I'm working on. (How annoying is it when you have to remove jewelry to make dinner?! ugh!)

Enough chit chat, let's get on to the good stuff... how can you get your hands on one of the beautiful Ella Skye Designs pieces? Of course you could always visit the shop, but if you want some free jewelry, here are the giveaway rules:

Visit Ella Skye Designs and pick out your favorite piece. Leave me a comment and let me know what you love!
Leave your email address in your comment.
For a second entry, become a follower of Create Studio and leave me a second comment, also with your email address.
Giveaway is open to anyone in the U.S. with a normal mailing address.
One winner will be picked via random.org and emailed with additional info. The winner will receive their choice of one item from the Ella Skye Designs shop!
Giveaway will end Thursday 7/1/10 at 10pm (Eastern Time).

(A special thank you to my plants for posing so beautifully!) Have a great weekend!

Book Review: Thank You Martha!

2010-05-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts by Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Cliffs Notes Version: Techniques taught, fabric 101 and projects to inspire

Rating: 5 (out of 5) golden paintbrushes

Thoughts: Who are the people who work for Martha Stewart Living Magazine and who wouldn't die for a job that super cool? A big pat on the back to these talented people for creating yet another super-mega informative book including everything you've ever wondered about fabric, thread, and stitching then coupling that with project ideas that make you want to doggy ear the pages like mad then pull out your needle and thread.

Did I mention I was inspired? And not just because I was sitting on the dock at the lake laughing with my best friends and admiring my fresh coat of pinky-pink toe nail polish (although those things did help!) I have some new Michael Miller fabric that would be perfect for this multi-compartment tote bag!

I've just started preparing the nursery for our new little boy and one thing I noticed I needed more of were good drool bibs, the kind that will really protect his shirts, not just look pretty... thank you Martha, these Oil Cloth Bibs would do the trick, and they are even cute too! (Plus, I've been dying for an excuse to buy the new Amy Butler laminated fabric!) I checked this book out at my library, but I think it might be one I need to ask for for my birthday... July is just around the corner and maybe I can keep renewing this copy until then!

"Get Out And Play" Spring Giveaway Winner

2010-04-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

**This is an older Giveaway moved from my homepage to my new review site and it serves as an example of the way I like to do Giveaways. Unfortunately the original comments were deleted when it was moved. I welcome any suggestions you may have for future Giveaways.**

Thank you all so much for entering my "Get Out and Play" Spring Giveaway! I really loved reading about all of the fun things that you girls do outside with your kids!

Lots of "bubbles, sidewalk chalk and walks" comments inspired me to draw a maze with Owen on our driveway. He loved it. I don't have a picture of the maze, but I do have a quick video of his other favorite outdoor activities... golf and digging!

A big thank you to CSN Stores again for providing the Little Tikes Slide. Now what you're really waiting for... the winner!

Congrats to Stella Barker! Her little Moses likes to play in his wagon and rake the pine straw and now he can add "slide down his brand new slide" to his favorites!

"Get Out And Play" Spring Giveaway!!

2010-03-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

Spring is most definitely here and I love getting to spend more time out in the fresh air with my little man! One of his favorite toys is the Little Tikes folding slide. I love it because it is lightweight and portable. It folds up tight so that it is out of the way when we are done playing and best of all, when the April showers roll in you don't have to end the fun... the slide can be used indoors and out!

Would you like one too? The fine folks over at CSN Stores have graciously allowed me to offer one as a giveaway! Of course I love them for that, and I also love that you can find great deals on everything from toddler beds to Tinker Toys and everything in between in one, easily searchable spot on their site. There are over 200 stores collectively known as CSN, so you're sure to find what you're looking for.

What really impressed me about CSN stores are the different ways you can search their inventory. You can search by a child's age, by price range, character/theme, even the number of pieces... genius! On top of that, there is even a Toy Expert on hand to help you if you get stuck! These guys have thought of everything!

On to the giveaway!

Didn't I tell you it folded up nicely?

You have three opportunities to enter to win the Little Tikes Playslide:

1. Leave me a comment telling me your favorite outdoor activity with your little one(s).

2. Become a follower of Create Studio by clicking on the "follow" icon in the left hand column.

3. Post about my "Get Out And Play" Spring Giveaway on your blog and link back to this post.

Leave a separate comment for each of the above entries. Be sure to include your email address. I will contact the winner via email next week. Giveaway ends this Saturday, April 3 at midnight and is open to all readers in the US and Canada.

Good Luck! I hope you enjoy this slide as much as we have!!

UPDATE: Giveaway is now closed.