Shabby Apple Giveaway!

I was generously contacted by Shabby Apple to giveaway a $50 gift card to their website! In case you aren't familiar with this company (gasp! how could this be?!), Shabby Apple is a clothing company that sells lovely modest and vintage-inspired clothing. They have all kinds of adorable dresses, skirts, tops, accessories, etc. I've picked out a couple pieces that I would consider getting if I could win this giveaway:

The Promenade Blouse

I love this cute red blouse, and I don't even normally wear red! The cute center panel that hangs down is just so perfect!

The Francine Skirt

 I am obsessed with this high-waisted pencil skirt. The bow is just the icing on the cake, in my eyes.

So how can you win $50 towards Shabby Apple? Just follow these rules below, my dearies:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Official Rules: You must complete the two mandatory entries. You must have a US shipping address (sorry, international friends!). I will announce the winner within 48 hours of the giveaway closing (Monday Jan. 21 at 12AM).

Good luck!!

PS: Shabby Apple has a current 20% off promotion with the code NewYears. Offer expires 1/31/13. Yippee!

want to buy me a present?

dont worry, i will make up some kind of holiday or occasion so you can get me this:

k thanks ♥


ps: found this lovely shop on gussy's blog. she's having crazy awesome giveaways today, go check them out asap (including a bomb.com one from my girl julianne!)!!

happy holidays, a giveaway! --CLOSED

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS!

csn has done it again, they've allowed me to offer my readers a giveaway!! as you should know by now, CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need from tv stands to cookware to handbags. i am in love with csn, and i thought it would be the perfect giveaway since the holidays are coming up! here are some adorable finds on CSN if you're looking for some gifts for a younger crowd (or young-minded, like myself... i would like any of these!):

[click pictures for link]

cute, huh? so...what could you win from CSN?? a $65 gift certificate!!

the rules:
+unfortunately this is only open to US and Canada readers, sorry!
+giveaway will close Wednesday, December 1 at midnight (MST)
+please leave 1 comment per entry, and include your email address!!

mandatory entry:
+be a follower and leave a comment stating your favorite holiday tradition! [1 entry]

extra entries:
+follow me on twitter [1 entry]
+follow CSN on twitter [1 entry]
+tweet about this giveaway (@yourstrulydear so i can keep track!) [1 entry]
+blog about this giveaway [2 entries]

good luck everyone, and have a lovely rest of your holiday break (if you get one!). i'm enjoying my time with my family in arizona, so blogging will be sparse til i get back. happy black friday shopping!

giveaway winner! and funny story...

drumroll please...out of 63 entries there can be only one winner:

congrats to TJ and Amy! you have won yourselves a $65 gift certificate to CSN stores!

of course, i still cant figure out screen shots. maybe it just wasnt meant to be with me and screenshots. my camera phone did the job though :/

so, funny story time: i had to drive up to Salt Lake this morning to get some data from my boss. when I walked in to his office the district supervisor guy (i dont know his real title but he's pretty important) was standing in there and he took one look at me and said, "are you lost?" hahaha. when you're wearing skinny jeans and fashion boots instead of cargo pants and hiking boots i guess you kind of stick out around the forest service... ♥

[via]

win a $65 csn gift certificate! CLOSED

our awesome friends over at csn have offered to do another giveaway for my readers! yippeeee! in the market for a new coffee table perhaps? or cookware? orr....almost anything!? with over 200 stores you can seriously find almost anything you want or need for your home or office. having ordered from csn myself, i can tell you it's a very smooth and easy process. one time i ordered this rice infuser thing, thinking it did the same thing as a rice cooker. because sometimes...i'm kind of dumb. i called customer support and it was no big deal. they told me everything i needed to do to guarantee a quick and easy return. it was awesome. anyways, on to the giveaway...

csn is offering up a $65 gift certificate!

here are some fancies i would get:

i had an eelskin clutch when i was younger. it was gray though. i'd like this bright blue one, please.

jay-z would love this. it would become his new favorite toy.

i want these boots. in this color. wink wink.

how to enter:

♥ mandatory:

+[1 entry] leave a comment telling me what you've been eyeing from csn

♥ additional entries:

+[1 entry] follow my blog

+[1 entry] tweet the following: @yourstrulydear is having a rad #giveaway from @CSNStores for a $65 gift certificate! see: http://yourstrulydear.blogspot.com/

+[2 entries] blog about this giveaway and leave the link

the details:

*leave a comment (or multiple, i dont care) telling me how you are entering.

*giveaway only open to US and Canada residents, sorry! (csn only ships there..)

*giveaway will close at midnight [mountain time] sunday, september 19
good luck! xoxo

UPDATE: it would be helpful if you left your email so i can contact you if you win. thanks.

newsies

first of all: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY JOSHY-POO (annoying? whaturr)! he's kind of.....old. ok not really, but he thinks he is, so it's funny to try to play along haha. we had the kids we teach in church try to guess how old he was and most people said 22 or 23. to which he replied, "whatever, if i was in normal clothes and showed up to your high school you'd think i was a student!" most of them agreed. he's actually 26 [and he'll probably have me delete that once he sees this post haha].


ok, so do you remember my friend julianne, of made by jewls? she makes the awesome button earrings and other cute accessories. anyways, her stuff is so cute that i decided i need to pierce my ears. they were pierced when i was 4, and i never really wore earrings so they closed up. i just never really was fond of earrings, until these. sooo...julianne and i did a trade and i pierced my ears!! i got them done on monday, and i felt like a little kid again. unfortunately i have to keep the ones from the store in for 6 weeks before i switch them out, but i'm so impatient i just want to wear my new ones!! haha.

in our trade for my earrings, i gave julianne some hair bows, and she also offered to do a giveaway of some on her blog!! go enter her giveaway; there up to 10 ways to enter!! FIVE hair bows are up for grabs, and the lucky winner will get the five pictured below:

what are you waiting for? go enter already!!

let's win stuff!!

here are some lovely giveaways going on that you should check out:

1. my friend julianne (of made by jewls) is hosting a giveaway on her blog for a necklace set from the shop Mountain Love. this is one of the coolest concepts i've seen before for a necklace. it comes with interchangeable "faces" so you can switch out the centers whenever you'd like. cool, huh? go check it out!


2. the blog progressive pioneer is hosting a giveaway for a $25 gift certificate to the shop Modern Organic Fabrics. As described by the owner, Melanie, "In addition to being certified organic, the fabrics I stock are fresh and modern or pretty and fun in a large variety of colors. You can also find some wonderful sewing patterns as well, including Ottobre Design."


aren't both of those awesome? in the words of rachel zoe, "i die." i'm crossing my fingers and hoping i win both. hehe. but because i am nice, i'm telling you about them so you can enter too. ALSO, later this month i am going to be hosting a giveaway on this blog from Julianne's lovely shop! as i got a lot of comments (on my blog and facebook) when i posted about her work before, i know you are all excited for that. so stay tuned, and happy giveaway-entering!

have a fabulous weekend ♥

made by jewls

last week at the farmers market we shared our booth with a lovely girl, julianne. she runs the etsy shop made by jewls. she makes adorable stuff, especially her lovely earrings. it almost makes me wish i could re-pierce my ears (i havent worn earrings in years). look at her cute set up:

the whole table

barettes and earrings

earrings!

bib necklace, headband

mustaches! and cards in a cute cardholder.

i got a mustache. "because everyone needs a mustache!"

isn't she awesome? i know. and even better: she is hosting a giveaway on another blog!! go to enter to win a $25 gift certificate to her shop. woohoo ♥

misikko giveaway winner!

want to know who won the corioliss flat iron?? there were 152 total entries. here are pictures of the winning in action [i don't know how to take screen shots, so these are phone pictures. if you know how to do screen shots on a pc and its not too hard, let me know how haha]


congratulations Tammylyne, who said her daily hair routine was: "I usually style my hair using a flat iron mantality using a curling iron LOL..I dont own a flat so I use my curling iron to straighten it!"

well congrats Tammy! misikko is hooking you up with a LEGIT flat iron! yayyy, no more curling iron (except when curling)!

if you didn't win, check out the misikko website for all your hair needs!

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Corioliss hair straightener from misikko

GIVEAWAY CLOSED. THANKS FOR ENTERING!

guess what? i have ANOTHER awesome giveaway for you!! ever heard of misikko? they have professional hair straighteners and the best hair dryers. they carry a variety of brands, including these lovely ones that you may recognize: chi, paul mitchell, hot tools, and of course: corioliss.

misikko generously sent me one of their top sellers: a Corioliss Classic 1” Black Flat Iron to review, and offered to give one away! yippee! when i came back from camping, the hair straightener was waiting for me at home. i was sooooo excited. when i opened it up, it was the loveliest packaging i have ever seen for any kind of hair product. it also included a couple free gifts, as well as a heating pad you can place the straightener on when it's hot (before this i was using a sushi plate to keep mine on...classy i know...). it also included a little booklet explaining the corioliss line, product information, and even a how to guide w/pictures.

so, i wanted to take some before pictures so you can see what my hair does naturally. it gets kiiiind of crazy. if i hadnt put my product in it before it dried [naturally], it would have been worse. so this is what i was dealing with:

awesome, huh? i told you so. ok, so i sprayed my hair with heat protectant first (a must do!) and then went at it. at first i didnt have the heat up high enough for my craz-o hair so i was worried and thought "oh no! i dont like it!" but then i realized my problem and turned the heat up a bit. then it was perfect. the plates are longer than my last straightener so it can handle more hair at a time and get it all straight. it heats up in record time, which was awesome. when i was finished i got this lovely end product:

cute, right? by the way, the adorable shirt i am wearing came from the etsy shop come shop pink lemonade. you should definitely go check her out and snag one for yourself!! now back to the review: i would highly recommend this hair straightener. it also comes with a 2-year guarantee, just in case something goes wrong. 2 years? hollaaa! it works great and as you can see it straightens like a dream.

how do you get one?* well, you can buy one here at misikko (valued at $200, currently on sale for $89!), or you can enter this giveaway! here are the rules:

1. [MANDATORY] Leave a comment telling me how you usually style your hair everyday (1 entry)
2. Follow my blog and leave a comment saying so (1 entry)
3. Follow Misikko on Twitter and leave a comment saying so (1 entry)
4. Blog about the giveaway on a personal website & leave a link to it in a comment (2 entries)
5. Join Misikko Newsletter and leave a comment saying so (3 entries)
6. Tweet this: "@yourstrulydear is giving away a @misikko corioliss hair straightener! enter here: http://yourstrulydear.blogspot.com/" (1 entry)

that is a total of 9 possible entries. as always, be shameless (you know i would be). enter away, and good luck! Also, please leave an email address so I can get ahold of you if you win!

*this giveaway is [unfortunately] only open to the US or Canada since this particular iron is not dual voltage. so so sorry!

GIVEAWAY WILL END @ MIDNIGHT (mountain time)
FRIDAY JULY 2.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED. THANKS FOR ENTERING!

GIVEAWAY!!!! ♥ --CLOSED

hey guys! remember when i did that giveaway with csn stores? they have graciously allowed me to do another giveaway! first, let me talk about csn first, since they have been so generous. they have over 200 stores and basically have everything you could ever want to purchase. want a beautiful vanity (i do!)? or pet accessories? or maybe some cookware? seriously guys, you really should look into all their stores. they usually have really good sales, and a lot of products have free shipping.

now, for the giveaway. ONE winner will win a gift certificate worth $60 to use on any of the csn sites. umm, hello freedom! the options are virtually limitless. with over 200 stores to chose from, you can get whatever you/want need!

here are a few things that fit below the $60 certificate amount (although you can use your $60 towards a bigger purchase of course) that i fancy. click on pics to go to their listing:

think josh would allow this for our bedding? haha

pet bed! wouldn't this be purrrfect for jay-z?

i love adorable tea towels

ok, so how do you win this giveaway for $60 to csn, right? well first of all, this giveaway is open to EVERYONE. and i don't require you to have a blogger account to leave comments. here are the ways to enter:

**[MANDATORY--1 entry]: leave a comment w/your email address and tell me what color scheme your bedroom is

additional entries:

*[1 entry]: tweet about this giveaway (link it back to @yourstrulydear) and let me know your twitter name in a comment

*[1 entry]: be a blog follower and let me know in a comment

*[3 entries]: blog about this giveaway and leave the link in the comments


that's 6 possible entries. so be shameless! [i would]
make sure you leave your email/link in the comments so i can get ahold of you if you win!

GIVEAWAY WILL CLOSE ON FRIDAY JUNE 18th AT MIDNIGHT (utah time)
note: i am not getting paid for this. i just like you guys, and csn is awesome.

CLOSED

BESTeam feature: Artesia

this week's BESTeam feature is on this awesome shop: Artesia. honestly, i don't even know where to begin. not only does this lovely lady make natural bath products, she also donates 10% of her proceeds to Water 1st International. umm, hello--i am all for this! "Water 1st grants funds to communities to establish sustainable safe water systems. Buying from Artesia allows you to pamper yourself while giving the gift of clean water to others. Share water. Drink Deep." amazing, right? to top it all off, her products are awesome and i kind of want them all [good thing josh took away the credit card...].

without further ado, here's introducing Artesia! (click on pictures to go to their listings)

What's your favorite color?
Hmmm… I don’t really have one, but I do favor purple more often than not. Mostly I am enthralled with the just right color that expresses a perfect energy for the appropriate situation.

What inspires you?
A good challenge. I get bored easily and would rather be moving on to master something new.


What do you love most about what you do?
I especially like that I don’t have to rent my brain out to another entity 8 hours a day. I get to decide what I spend my time on. Being a one-woman show means I have many different hats to wear and there is always something to work on that fits the mood of the day. I get to be creative when the mood strikes, and I get to fuss over details on bean counting days. This approach works in a holistic way for me that I am very satisfied with. I also get to decide when it’s time to pack the kids into the Jeep and head to the lake.

[i want 1 of each. they're all flavored...so i'd probably just eat them...]

Is Etsy part-time, full-time, or hobby for you? How do you balance it with everything else?
Etsy is a full time job with hobby wages right now. There is always more to do. Balance is something we are always striving for. When it is slow I am able to get most of my work done while the kids are in school or after they go to bed. Other days, my husband picks up the slack. He is wonderful! What more could you ask for than a partner who goes to work all day and then commutes home and is perfectly willing to cook supper and heard children so you can plug away at being creative and building an empire?

What are your top favorite blogs or websites?
I am a late comer to the whole blogosphere experience. I have just started following a few semi-regularly and there is another gaggle or so that I pop in on once in a while. As far as websites, I’m all over the place. It all depends on what I am researching at the time. I have to admit that after resisting Facebook forever, I now have both a personal page and a business page and I check in several times a day. I also lurk on the etsy forums quite a bit. I guess that helps make up for the reclusive times a self-employed artisan must endure.


What are your current projects?
Well, I don’t want to give away too much too soon, but I am really excited about a couple of bath product ideas I am working on! It’s a bit tricky but when I figure it all out I should have something totally new for the bathing beauties. I got the initial idea after listening to “Ripple” by the Grateful Dead over and over for a day and a half. I just couldn’t burn the song out of my skull until “poof!” this new product idea came to me. Stay tuned….

[with products like this, i can imagine any new products will be awesome. this turns your bath water colored (w/o coloring you or your tub!)]

How did you get started w/your Etsy shop (what made you open it)?
I found Etsy when I was doing research into starting Artesia. I like to do A LOT of research on whatever topic or project I am currently obsessed with. I happened across a blog post about a soap seller from San Francisco and the article mentioned etsy.com as a venue for handmade. I checked it out and added it to the list of things to try. In the end I chose to open a shop on Etsy because the price is right, the traffic is (was) good, there is a strong community aspect, and for me it was a good place to figure out the whole virtual marketplace concept.


AND guess what? she's having a giveaway on girlygirlgiveaways!

where you can find Artesia:
etsy
twitter
facebook
blog

hollaaa

yay for another awesome feature! we have just been rolling in them lately!! maybe i should make a new tab for them or something! (put on to do list for later!)

also, if you havent done so yet, go enter this giveaway for one of our crocheted flower headbands!

i will write a proper post later but for now i am STRESSED because i have a huge project due at 5pm. wish me luck! ♥

feature AND giveaway!!!

hello!! want to win one of our lovely headbands??

the daisy. [giveaway is for a blue one, this is purple]

please check out my feature and a yourstrulydear giveaway on the lovely eleise's blog over at one artsy mama!

hair secrets

thats why her hair is so big. its full of secrets! -mean girls

ok, so lately i have been getting a lot of comments about my hair, much to my surprise. i mean i love my hair, but its different when other people make comments about it too. ive even had people ask to touch it because it looks so soft. and then i awkwardly go "umm...ok" and sit there while they caress my hair. but anyways, since people have been asking about it so much i decided to just do a little blog about it.

so, my number one hair secret is....i never wash it. i maybe wash it once every 3 months. sometimes four months. ok, thats a lie, but i'm just preparing you so you're less grossed out when i tell you the truth. i only wash my hair once a week. thats the truth. and i really think it has a lot to do with how my hair looks. i dye and straighten and sometimes blow dry my hair and yet everytime i go in to get it done the hairdressers always say how healthy my hair is. i was just blessed with not really getting greasy hair, so i can go a week without washing it. and i dont work out or sweat or roll in dirt, so its never really gross. if you do have greasy hair, theres hair powder you can use. i have also heard that corn starch works, and doesnt appear white or anything (like baby powder can).

now, on to the products i use. i am a big paul mitchell fan. i wash my hair with paul mitchell's color protect shampoo and conditioner. i also use their super charged moisturizer, which helps with my dry scalp and my tangly hair. after i get out the shower i put a whole bunch of gunk in my hair:


super skinny serum (closes your cuticle to help get it nice and straight)
quick slip (helps w/styling, and reduces drying time--a big plus since my hair takes FOREVER to blow dry)
regis designline 'press it' (heat protection for blowdrying, etc)
and then after its dry, before i straighten it, regis designline 'get it pressed' (heat protection/styling for straightening)

i love all of these products. the regis ones are only sold in regis salons, and they work really well. i highly recommend them. when i let my hair air dry (usually twice a month) i still use all the products, to help it be more manageable. and i always straighten my hair, so heat protection stuff is important. i use an ionic hair straightener that i bought at sally's. a professional hair straightener will make a world of difference in your life. i know, cuz i used to use the cheap-o hot tools or conair types, and my hair was only reduced to a a slighty-poofy mess (vs full blown frizzy afro).

speaking of hair straighteners, the lovely blog CREATE has a giveaway right now for an awesome hana-hana pink pro flat iron. click here to see details and enter!

anyways, thats pretty much all i do for my hair. only wash it once a week, blow dry it about 2 times a month, straighten it all the time, and use a ton of product. also, you should regularly get your hair trimmed (like every 6-10 weeks) and always get your color done at a salon. box color will fry your hair and you will have serious damage. dont do that to yourself. even just go to a hair school and have them do it so it will be cheaper, but your hair will love your for it. i promise.

what are your hair secrets? ♥

[ps idk why the text size is all messed up, sorry!]

and the winner is...

so last night, it was midnight, and then josh was like draw it now!! and i was like ughhh it will take a while and i need sleep! but then he talked me into it. ha ha ha. so there i was, in my pj's, cutting out little pieces of paper with all your names on it.

so first i wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who entered, and everyone who reads this little blog. i ♥ you!

out of 52 entries, there can only be one winner!

congratulations to RITZYMISFIT!!!
RitzyMisfit is this lovely girl with a rockin' etsy shop
[her necklaces have been worn by ladies on the bachelorette, kendra wilkinson (girl's next door), and a monster of the bride (style network). go check out her stuff!!]

[we thought it would be appropriate to have a pic in front of our zebra pic in our living room haha]

congrats to RitzyMisfit, and sorry to everyone who didnt win (i hate that feeling...it usually happens to me). but, if you love the rug as much as i did, you can snag it for yourself here ($55 and free shipping, not bad for such a nice big rug!!). thank you CSN for this lovely giveaway!!

♥

giveaway!! [finally!]--CLOSED

yayyy, i finally reached 50 followers!! i try to stress that people only follow my blog if you like it, so hopefully that is the case ♥

i have a FABULOUS giveaway for you to enter! have you heard of csn? they have over 200 sites from kids bedding to cookware to home decor to...anything! you seriously need to check them out, because they have tons of awesome stores with great products (and the shipping won't kill you either)! now, csn graciously offered to either do a product review or a giveaway, and because i am SO NICE, i decided to do the giveaway [youre welcome]. so i spent...umm a long time...searching through their products for something that i would love to win.

and finally, i found it!

a 5'3'' x 7'5" zebra print rug!

straight from the rug's listing: "The perfect choice for active households, the Zone collection features an array of exotic, tribal and contemporary designs. Machine woven of soil, stain and fade resistant olefin (polypropylene) yarn, these rugs are extremely durable." umm hi, do you love it? if you dont you can just give it to me after you win hahaha.

TO ENTER
1. be a blog follower and leave a comment saying so (1 entry)

2. leave a comment telling me your favorite animal (1 entry)

3. blog about this giveaway [&leave the link] (1 entry)

4. tweet about this giveaway [@yourstrulydear] (1 entry)

ok, so there's a total of 4 entries available for everyone. be shameless (i would). make sure you leave a link or email address so i can get ahold of you, kk?

**giveaway will close monday (march 15th) at midnight. us and canadian residents only (sorry!)

[note: i'm not getting paid for this, they offered this opportunity and they have an A+ from the better business bureau, so theyre good people. and you could get an awesome rug. win win? i think yes]

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. CONGRATS TO RITZYMISFIT♥

umm..

sorry about my earlier post. i was just kind of down, and i dont feel well today (a cold is infiltrating my immune system!!! !@#$%^).

today i lounged at home, did homework, crocheted, watched tv, and even picked up dominos tonight. it was delish, and im not kidding about their new pizza. yummm.

hopefully this cold will leave me alone, and tomorrow will be a much better day. also, i keep getting more followers so thank you so much!! (honestly, it does make me feel good haha). if i ever hit 50 i'll do a cute giveaway. how's that for a bribe?

nighty night ♥ off to hear azarenka sound like the pillsbury doughboy (go serena!!)

pick me pick me!!!

ok, so this lady is the one who designed the blog template i have now (free templates). she's doing a contest that ends on the 20th to get a custom blog template. I WANT IT!!! she has cute stuff, and i love birds (in picture form, remember, ID-ing them in real life is beyond me).

the contest is related to resolutions, which is fitting since one of mine is to pump up my blog. which is why i hope i get picked.

karma...even AGAIN!?!?!

i won another giveaway, first prize. this is freaking AWESOME! (at this rate i won't have to go christmas shopping this year haha).

i might have to start thinking of another giveaway or something so i can keep this karma flowing. happy saturday everyone! now go out and party!

we are going to kathy griffin tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cant wait ♥