GIVEAWAY: Snail Mail Fun Pack

Oh hello again! Come back for more have you? Well, if you're in a crafty mood, thanks to this post on making your envelopes très fabuleux, then I've got a giveaway just for you!!

One winner will get a fancy little starter pack chock full of fun goodies to make their snail mail stand out.

4 Coral flag labels

3 envelopes & flat cards (one is hand-bordered in gold)

2 gel pens

1 A2 clear envelope & 1 4bar clear envelope

A tiny envelope of confetti

Seals, labels, & neon stickers

We have a winner!
#28 Caryn!

Giveaway ends 9/7/14

US Residents Only (sorry)

♠

Second Annual 29th Birthday

I've been "planning" for it all year, and now it's come and gone. My 30th birthday, that is. Bye, bye twenties! It's been swell!

 The whole theme was rocks and dinosaurs.You know, old stuff. I was first inspired by these cupcakes and eventually ended up sending out these geode invitations.

 I didn't feel like tracking down rock candy for my cupcakes (plus, it doesn't seem like it'd be too pleasant to eat a whole cupcake coated in the stuff). Instead, I spray painted little plastic dinosaurs! I found everything at Fred Meyers! Even the little star sprinkles are from the baking section. What flavors you ask? The yellow cupcakes are apricot and the mauve ones are fig-blackberry. Not my most impressive, but still pretty delicious.

I had high hopes of finding a table, but who knew people like to go to the beach on Sundays in the summertime?

The hexagonal plates are from Paper Source. I've been waiting like 3 months for a reason to buy them.

 My mom and sister came up, and of course, my niece, Tilly. She helped me get dressed! I would try things on and she would tell me either "Umm, no, not special enough" or "Yes, that's special!" The dress she's wearing is actually one of mine. So is the bracelet.

Such a perfect place to celebrate being alive.

♠

Joyeux Neon: DIY Christmas Cards

  Who says neon pink isn't a Christmas color? It sure as heck brightens up those long, cold nights! This year, I decided my cards would be gold and neon pink. Honestly, I wasn't too sure about the colors, but they are turning out spectacularly! Well, at least I think so.

The picture of the card does not do it justice. Neon can be tricky to photograph, but I think it gives you the idea of what can be done with a little neon and a lot of gold!

Sourcing your materials:

1. Vintage Kitsch

Christmas decor and gift wrap are the things no one wants at garage and estate sales, so it's easy to find great stuff at dirt-cheap prices. I found the bell seals, the neon poinsettia, the super cool Santa in a sports car, and the snowy tree all at one estate sale. If you don't have time to go estate saleing, there's tons of cut vintage stuff on Etsy. This set has a lot of great pieces. I have a couple small kits for sale, too, that would be perfect for holiday crafting. 

2. Cut It Up

Post cards and old books are fabulous for crafting (the pine cone is from an old kid's encyclopedia). You can use every part! Text adds texture, hard covers can be used as canvases, and many old books have beautifully patterned end pages that can be used for all sorts of decorative purposes.

3. Think Outside the Pages

Even easier and cheaper? Recycled magazines and newspapers! The polka dot snowflake was a Wall Street Journal and the reindeer envelope was either a Martha Stewart Living or National Geographic.

4. Practice Makes Perfect

I write out a lot of my own greetings on the front. With a little practice, you can have beautifully lettered holiday cards. Each one unique! Get some watercolors and a fine brush or use a nice pen and just write out your words until you like them! You can get ideas from Pinterest or watch a tutorial if you're not sure where to start. If you live in the Seattle area, Sarah at Paper Source, teaches an amazing hand-lettering class!

♠

Look of the Day: Cozy & Bright

I can't tell you how excited I am to be wearing these sweatpants. That may sound silly, but get this! Chictopia and Victoria's Secret PINK actually sent them to me and asked me to be a part of their holiday campaign!! Styling sweatpants is a little daunting, but a neon pink shirt with lace shoulders & some festive additions definitely make it easier!

I cut all the snowflakes myself. It's something I do every year around this time. I can sit for hours cutting them, which means I have tons! I had to get creative with my shoot, since the weather was beyond crummy, and these little paper wonders came in quite handy! The battery operated lights from Crate & Barrel saved my photos from being too dark & dreary.

Visit PINK New & Now to shop my outfit and see the other bloggers that created holiday looks. More of my stuff is also in Chictopia's Victoria's Secret PINK gallery!

More to come!

♠

PINK Lace Shoulder Raglan Tee - PINK Campus Pant - Vintage REI duck boots - Vintage pompom hat - H&M scarf