Giveaway Ending - LOW ENTRIES!!!

My giveaway ends tonight!! Be sure to get your entries in my 10pm. Winner to be announced Saturday or Sunday. Email me your entries if you're having trouble commenting.

1 Year Blog-iversary - GIVEAWAY!!!

Well I can't believe it's been an entire year since I started this blog. It's grown so much, and I couldn't be happier to have all of you following. I'd like to give a shout out to my dad and thank him for encouraging me to blog!!

To thank y'all for all your support over the past year (and hopefully many more to come) I'm hosting my biggest giveaway ever!!

The lucky winner will receive a prize pack containing:

a pair of Hand Made and Lovely earrings,

a personalized 30% off coupon for my Etsy shop (just in case you've had your eye on something),

and a $5 Starbucks giftcard.

Now that you know the prize, here's how you can enter!

Mandatory entry: 

Be a public follower of Hand Made and Lovely (1 entry)

Extra entries: 

Buy something Hand Made and Lovely (10 entries for each item purchased)

Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post (3 entries)

Like Hand Made and Lovely on Facebook (1 entry)

I will be checking to verify these are true. Please leave me any appropriate links along with your email address. It is not necessary to leave a separate comment for each entry. I will add your name to my master list the appropriate amount of times. Giveaway will be closed Friday June 3 at 10pm. Winner will be posted on my blog the following day and also contacted by email.

Winner will be chosen by random.org and posted on my blog 6/4. The winner will be contacted by me via email. Please leave your email address in your post if it is not found easily on your blog or profile. Winner has 48 hrs to respond. After two days, another winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to residents of the U.S. or Canada.

Giveaway! (as promised)

As I mentioned last week, a Hand Made and Lovely giveaway has been posted.

Emily, of Scribbles from Emily, is hosting a Fashion 101 series. This week she talks about your personal style and announced my giveaway. Head on over to Emily's blog to find out how to enter and win your own rosette headband. Let her know I sent you! Good luck!

Facebook Giveaway

Facebook giveaway ends tonight at midnight! Don't miss your chance to win two mum bobby pins!!

Featured Item of the Week

This week's featured item is brand new!

I just posted this colorful cluster necklace this morning! Some of you may recognize this beauty from the giveaway I had at bouffe e bambini. If you didn't win, you now have a second chance to own this necklace!

The different colored beads allow this piece to be worn with practically any outfit. The beads on the necklace for sale are slightly different than the necklace shown.

Be sure to check out the giveaway I'm hosting on my Facebook page! You could have the chance to win 2 mum bobby pins by simply "liking" Hand Made and Lovely and commenting on the picture. Good luck!

I've been crafting new items that I'm very excited to share with you this week. Be on the look out for new items in my Etsy shop!

Giveaway Found

So I just found this amazing giveaway!! Shasta Anne is giving away a $100 Forever 21 gift card AND a $100 Exxon gift card. Is that not the most amazing thing?

Feel free to share with me if you win!! I have tons of things from Forever 21 I'd love to have in my closet!

Facebook Giveaway

I really want to host a Hand Made and Lovely giveaway exclusively on my Facebook fan page. When I reach 100 "likes" (unless I have reached that goal while on vacation), I'm going to host one!!

I haven't decided exactly what I want to giveaway yet though. Any suggestions?

If you're not already a fan, head on over to my page and "like" Hand Made and Lovely. That will move us closer to the giveaway. Spread the word to your followers and friends. I'm going to give extra entries for referrals. The person will simply leave a comment on my wall letting me know who sent them to my page.

Headbands for Sale

I still have two braided headbands and five rosette headbands for sale.

Braided headbands are available for $13 with FREE SHIPPING to the U.S. and Canada.

Rosette headbands shown above are available for $10 with FREE SHIPPING to the U.S. and Canada. Design your own in my Etsy shop.

See the original sale posts here and here.




Be sure to check out the Pampered Chef giveaway I'm hosting. Giveaway ends this Friday, there are low entires, and there will be two winners!!

Featured Item of the Week

This week's featured item is one of my frayed fabric flowers.

This flower measures almost 4" in diameter. I chose to pair the black, blue, and silver fabric with a truly unique black and silver button. I acquired this button quite awhile ago, but was saving it for the perfect project. I lovingly call it my "Lady Gaga Button".

The flower has a pin sewn to the back for easy attachment. I have one on my bookbag. I think these flowers would be so cute pinned to a cardigan or blazer. They add just the right pop of color! See this pin and others in my Etsy shop! Contact me about custom or bulk orders.

Don't forget to check out the Pampered Chef giveaway I'm hosting. It ends this week, and there are low entries! There will two winners!!

Pampered Chef Giveaway! and other important news

Be sure to check out the Pampered Chef Review and Giveaway I posted on Thursday! Two winners will be chosen, and there are two great prizes!! Joanna at Dance and Dream 4 Ever was awesome to offer this to my readers! There are tons of easy ways to enter!!

It's not too late to link up with Lauren and me for "See where I Cook"! We want to see your kitchens! You can even link to a previous post! I'm leaving the linky up through Sunday evening.

BONUS!! I want to offer my 150th follower a coupon code to my Etsy shop. Please leave a comment with your email address letting me know you are #150 so that I can email you that code! I will also offer coupon code to the next 5 people who "like" Hand Made and Lovely on Facebook! Leave me a comment letting me know you'd like the coupon code!

Hand Made and Lovely is also being featured in a giveaway at Bouffe e Bambini if you're interested in entering!

Stay tuned next week for a recap of my family's art show opening! It was a lot of fun!

This post has so many links!! Here's another one!

Pampered Chef Review and Giveaway

I was so excited to be given this opportunity! This is my very first product review and giveaway. Joanna over at Dance and Dream 4 Ever is an independent Pampered Chef consultant and generously offered up three products for me to review and two products to give away to two lucky winners!!

Joanna sent me two baking spices and an awesome gadget!! Isn't it just the best to get a package in the mail?

The first spice I tried was Pampered Chef's Lemon Pepper Rub. I LOVE chicken!! It is definitely my favorite meat. So, I knew I wanted to make some lemon pepper chicken even though this spice can be used with other meats. I have made this before with a store brand spice blend, so I already knew how. I prepared my chicken with olive oil and the spice blend and baked it at 425 for about 20 mins. It was delicious! I actually liked this lemon pepper blend better than the other brand I've had. It wasn't as "spicy", which I was glad about.

The second spice Joanna sent me was Pampered Chef's Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend. It's called cinnamon plus because it's meant to be used in recipes that call for a combination of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or allspice. I think this is so clever! Anything to simplify life is awesome and welcome! Now, I'm not the biggest fan of cinnamon, so I wanted to get an unbiased review. I made these spice cookies for my roomies. (Pretty sure that puts me in the favorite roommate position!)

They made my apartment smell like Christmas. Catherine said "They taste like November." They both liked them, and I'm sure they'll be gone by the weekend!

I'm positive Joanna sent me the perfect Pampered Chef gadget! I love apples but hate cutting them up. This stainless steel Apple Wedger slices an apple into ten perfect wedges. It even removes the core! I will say, this wasn't the easiest task. You have to put a little bit of muscle into it, so don't buy one for your little old lady neighbor.

I am extremely pleased with this product! Since it's dishwasher safe, clean-up is super easy! Anyone who eats apples needs one of these in their kitchen! Don't you think mine looks just like the professional picture??

Well I'm sure all of you are ready for me to get to the good stuff! Joanna is offering two Pampered Chef products in this giveaway. That means two winners!!

The first winner will receive this Stackable Cooling Rack!

 Stackable Cooling Rack — $14.00 
Cool your freshly baked treats on stacks of racks! Use each rack flat or extend the legs and stack them for space-saving cooling. The nonstick grid surface keeps items from falling through.
18" x 10".

The second winner will receive this Baking Pan!

Square Baking Pan — $12.50 
Even baking and browning! Like our Sheet Pans, we designed this pan with heavy-duty aluminized steel for strength and superior heat conduction. It's sized to perfectly accommodate most package mixes, like cakes and brownies. 8" x 8" x 2". Broiler-safe.

Both of these items are kitchen essentials!!

Here's how to enter this Pampered Chef giveaway:

1st Mandatory Entry:

Head on over to Joanna's Pampered Chef page and tell me your favorite product! They have so many great things!

Other Entries:

1. "Like" Joanna's Pampered Chef facebook page.

2. Publicly follow Joanna's blog.

3. Buy something from Joanna. (10 entries - no previous purchase credits)

4. Follow my blog publicly.

5. "Like" Hand Made and Lovely on Facebook.
6. Grab my new button for your blog's sidebar. Be sure to leave me a link! (3 entries)

7. Blog about this giveaway and leave me a link. (3 entries)

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on Friday, March 11th. There can be a total of 21 entries for each person!!

Entries do not need to be separate comments. You can leave them all in one, and I will add your name to my master list the appropriate number of times. Please leave your email address with your comment, so that I can notify you if you win! Winners will be chosen via random.org and announced on Saturday, March 12th. Winners will be contacted by Joanna and will have 48 hrs to reply before a new winner is chosen.

I was provided the items to review, but the opinions expressed are my own.

Featured Item and other Exciting News

This is the last Monday of February. That seems weird!

This week's featured item is a favorite among my fans. I fashioned this sparkly bobby pin out of two vintage "screw-on" earrings. Each cluster of three rhinestones was an earring. I combined the two to make an interesting and unique hair pin. Get this one of a kind hairpiece here.

I have a lot of exciting news to share!!

1. A Hand Made and Lovely giveaway has been posted to bouffe e bambini. Be sure to check it out! There are several ways to enter. If you're reading this, you probably already qualify for one!

2. Lauren (a modern day wife) and I are hosting another link-up this Friday! It's part of our "See where I..." series to be posted the first Friday of each month. We want to see where you cook! Be on the look out for the link-up post on Friday!

3. I'll be posting my very first product review and giveaway this week! You won't want to miss out on this amazing Pampered Chef giveaway! Two of you will be winners!

4. I still have rosette and braided headbands available for sale. Please contact me to let me know which one you'd like shipped to your house! Free shipping for a limited time!

Giveaway Winner!!!

I was so pleased with the number of entries into my very first giveaway!! I never thought I'd have this many people participating! There were 103 total entries. And the winner who will be able to design their very own Hand Made and Lovely rosette headband is...........

Jessica @ Pearls and Pink Polka Dots

Thanks to everyone who entered!! Be on the look out for more giveaways in the future since this one was such a success!! I've emailed Jessica, and she has 48 hours to respond before I pick a new winner. Check your email, girl!

For those of you who didn't win, I have made a listing in my Etsy shop for a "Design your Own Rosette Headband"!! I have included FREE SHIPPING for a limited time!! Don't forget about my other new headband creation, still at the blog-exclusive price of $13 with FREE SHIPPING!

Giveaway ends Tonight!

Reminder to all my lovely followers that my first giveaway ends tonight at midnight!! Winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon!

I'm so Excited...

and I just can't hide it from my lovely followers. I've been busy crafting a new item for my Etsy shop, and I'm hoping you're going to love it!

New style of fabric headbands!!! I just love these! Two frayed fabric braids sewn to a stretchy hair tie make this Hand Made and Lovely headband. I only have the three made now, but I definitely plan on making more in all my favorite fabrics.

Pretty in Pink

Blue and Silver

 Flower Power with Orange

As a blog exclusive, I'm offering these new headbands to my readers first (and at a discounted price). I have these three styles ready to be shipped for $13 with FREE SHIPPING!! I can also take custom orders from the fabrics I have as choices in my giveaway. I'll be listing these headbands in my Etsy shop next week at $15 plus shipping, and this special price will no longer be valid. Just let me know if you're interested!

Here's a few pics of me modeling the pink one...since it matched my shirt.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Entries are being accepted through midnight Friday! Winner to be announced Saturday! Purchasing one of these headbands would give you TEN extra giveaway entries!!

Oh, Thursday

Thursdays are usually pretty random posts. I try to make them about a new craft project I'm working on or my latest studio project. Neither of those things will be featured in this post. This past week my pink Kitchen Aid was very busy! It saw more action in two days then it has seen in quite a while!

First, I made cookies for my valentine. I usually stick to the traditional chocolate chip or sugar cookies, but I saw a recipe for chocolate peanut butter cookies on bouffe e bambini that I just had to try. My boy loves Reeses!! I used this recipe, but I did change some things. I could not find peanut butter chips in Wal-Mart...does anyone know where they hide them? So, I didn't add those. I used one stick butter and one stick margarine (does that make it healthier??). I'm not sure if this is an acceptable substitute, but I used hot chocolate mix instead of cocoa powder. And I doubled my vanilla, like I do for every recipe! Warning: This recipe makes A LOT of delicious cookies!! Next time, I'm definitely cutting everything in half.

I baked some of the dough in cupcake papers to make cup-cookies. They turned out really yummy! I added a couple minutes of cook time because they are thicker.

Then, on Sunday, when the boy and I celebrated Valentine's day, I made homemade pizza. I made the dough from scratch and rolled it out into a heart!

Please excuse the cut down the middle. I totally meant to take pictures through my entire making and baking process, but this is all you get. I realized after I cut it that I wanted to take a picture to show all my lovely followers. I must say, it was delicious!

Enough about food, it's making me hungry! Yesterday, I mailed a Hand Made and Lovely package to Emily. She'll be receiving her new ring and earrings in the mail shortly! As a bonus, she got 10 entries into my giveaway for her purchase! Entries are being accepted through midnight tomorrow, so don't miss your chance to design your own rosette headband! There are several easy ways to enter.

Speaking of giveaways, I found an awesome one today! Jen at Slumber Designs is hosting an amazing giveaway from Shabby Apple!

Now, Thursday is great, but I'm ready for Friday and the weekend!!!

Featured Item of the Week

So, I still don't have any "Valentine" themed jewelry in my shop, but I am featuring items this month that people "heart" on my Etsy site. This week's item is this lovely filigree pendant necklace, hearted by two.

I love the simplicity of this necklace. The antiqued gold finish makes the pendant seem vintage, even though it is not. This necklace is so versatile and could be worn with any color. I think it would look great with a navy blue top.

I have to keep this Hand Made and Lovely piece hidden from my roommate (who is modeling it above). This past week she told one of our friends about it and made me show it to her. I thought she was being an awesome publicist!! Then, she begged her not to buy it.

Be sure to head on over to my shop and "heart" your favorite items. I have two more "Fan Favorite" featured items for February.

Random thoughts:

I'll be posting on Thursday about the dinner and dessert I made the boy for our Valentine's date.

My giveaway is open through Friday! Winner will be announced Saturday!

I'm really confused about a lot of the Grammy winners. Who is that girl who won best new artist? She must be extremely new. I'm not ashamed to say that I was rooting for Justin Bieber. I would have been happy if Drake won too. I can't believe Lady A took home so many awards!! Love them, but I was surprised! A friend that I've known since before I had hair escorted Lady Gaga down the red carpet. Not one of the weird performers holding her egg, one of the nice guys in suits telling people to move.

That's him on the left with the clipboard.

My Valentine and I had heart shaped Chick-fil-a chicken biscuits this morning. It is our third Valentine's together (fourth if you count the awkward "group date" he asked me on freshman year, which I don't).

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone! I'm so excited that I got to post my first giveaway yesterday!! Be sure to check it out if you haven't already. There are several ways to enter!

I've also found another amazing giveaway from Gussy Sews. If you don't follow this blog, you should!! It's amazing, and she makes the cutest bags!

This weekend I'll be making homemade pizza and some delicious looking cookies!! I'm posting my recipe for pizza dough next week, and you can find the cookie recipe here at bouffe e bambini. I'll be sure to let you know how they taste!!

My 1st GIVEAWAY!!

I've finally reached 100 followers!! Well, actually 102, which is amazing!! I can't believe it! Thank you to everyone who is following Hand Made and Lovely! I've been promising and awaiting this giveaway for quite awhile, and I'm so excited that it is finally time!

Enter this giveaway for a chance to design your own Hand Made and Lovely rosette headband! This item is not yet available in my Etsy shop. I’m offering it exclusively to my blog followers first.

When designing your headband, you’ll have your choice of fabric, rosette size, number of rosettes, and headband color (see choices below).

You will be able to choose 1,2, or 3 of these fabrics for your headband.

You will be able to choose the size and combination of your rosettes.

{1 large & 1 small} {2 mediums} {3 smalls}

The rosettes will be attached to either a black or silver thin metal headband. The headband color is your choice as well. This is truly a "designed-by-you" Hand Made and Lovely piece!!

Entering is simple:

1. Follow my blog publicly (1 mandatory entry)

2. Like Hand Made and Lovely on Facebook (1 entry)

3. Add my Etsy shop to your favorites on Etsy (1 entry)

4. Blog about this giveaway with a link to the post (3 entries)

5. Buy something Hand Made and Lovely (10 entries - no past purchase credit)

I will be checking to verify these are true. Please leave me any appropriate links along with your email address. It is not necessary to leave a separate comment for each entry. I will add your name to my master list the appropriate amount of times. Giveaway will be closed Friday February 18 at midnight. Winner will be posted on my blog the following day and also contacted by email.

Winner will be chosen by random.org and posted on my blog 2/19. The winner will be contacted by me via email. Please leave your email address in your post if it is not found easily on your blog or profile. Winner has 48 hrs to respond. After two days, another winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to residents of the U.S. or Canada.

Featured Item of the Week

So, this is my first featured item of February…the month of love (or at least the month of Valentine ’s Day). Sadly, I don’t have any heart pendant necklaces in my shop. Instead, I decided to make all the featured items this month about items that y’all love (and when I say y’all, I mean people who heart things in my Etsy shop).

This week’s featured item is a Frayed Fabric Flower Headband. This Hand Made and Lovely piece has two hearts in my Etsy shop.

I love this headband as well. The fabric is so fun! It makes me want spring. The fabric features a bold paisley pattern with gray, pink, lime green, and teal colors. The button in the center is a vintage cream colored button. Its imperfections make me love it even more.

Head on over to my shop and “heart” some of your favorite pieces…maybe they’ll be featured next Monday!

A big thanks to everyone who linked up this weekend! Be sure to join in on the first Friday of March for the next installment of “See Where I…”. It’s a great chance to see where your fellow bloggers live, work, or play!

I’m currently looking for 17 more followers before my big GIVEAWAY! I’m super excited because it will be my first! I’ve already started preparing something Hand Made and Lovely for you!

Also, can I just say…Black Eyed Peas?? What?