Oh hello giveaway - you are loved!

Are you a fan of oh hello friend?

If not, I think you should be. I love popping on over each day and seeing all the beautiful eye candy, craft projects and design inspiration that Danni has to share.

And this latest giveaway is SO exciting ...

see ...

a little love.

 

So I have blogged before about my love of this sweet etsy shop. And now the lovely Alli is hosting a giveaway on her blog.

So hop on over to Hooray and you could win a cute canister filled with valentines goodies...

But please don't win cause I want this one pretty bad ;)

!

love.

I think I...
earnestly
joyfully
happily
freely
truly

love this little Etsy Shop and particularly this print (it's only $8 M!!) ,these mailing labels and these airmail bags.
Which were found over on Oh, hello friend.
& there's a giveaway too - I think you should check it out, but let me win of course ;)

the winner...

So I do believe that i promised to draw the giveaway today...
I had planned to do a cute video, involving balloons and M and I running through them and balloons with names in them being popped and some fun music (I even brought those balloons!)
something creative...
but alas a full Saturday of driving around wine country looking at wedding venues and a Sunday of bike riding and sunshine dragged me away from said plans.
So I simply drew a name from a pretty little vase instead, but there is still a winner indeed :)

So here are the lovely ladies who have entered. They are all so sweet and have some amazingly creative ideas so stop on by and say hello for yourself...

Jess from Living the Swell Life showcases her swell wedding here.
Leslie from My Happily Ever After remembers her amazing 'i do's' here.
Kim from Adventures of a Supermom lets us have a sneak at her special day here.
Skippy Mom has a lovely sweet idea for wedding favours here.
My real life friend Niki from Friday Enough actually made her own wedding dress! & shows her wedding off here.
ArtseyAnne from Creative Caring's mother remade her debut dress into her wedding dress.
newlywed Kate (as in a few weeks!) from KtDid has some beautiful creative images of her wedding here.
Katie from My Paisley Apron blogs about her fall wedding here.
Courtney from A Cottage Family gave some great advice as she remembered her own winter wedding here.
Unfortunately Chelle from the Value of Cheerfulness' wedding photos are all packed up in between house moves but she has a spot full of all kind of wedding ideas and inspiration images here.

And the winner is Miss ...

Jess if you could email me your address to ktbearxox@hotmail.com I will send something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue off in the post for you soon :)

And thank you everyone who entered you definitely had some fun and amazing ideas to share and some beautiful weddings.
It was such fun to read about all the stories and details of your wedding days.
All these ideas have definitely inspired us in our wedding planning to make something truly unique and creative and we very much enjoyed the fun ideas and advice!

Thanks again girls! :D

Giving it away!

Just a little reminder to anyone who was wanting to enter the 'Something old, something new, something crafty, something blue' giveaway but has not yet posted or commented. Giveaway ends today (Friday) at 12.00 am Sydney time :)
ok seriously why am I up at 12.05 am? Definitely not to write this post I assure you!
ok I'm off to bed now and hoping to wake up to some fun wedding posts?! :)

Giveaway!

Hi all...
just a little reminder that there is only a little bit over a week until the 'Something old, something new, something crafty, something blue' giveaway is closed.
Closing on Friday 21st August 12.00 (Eastern Australian time)
So if you haven't joined in yet & would like to please do.
pretty pretty please say you will!!

You can enter here.
& I will be uploading a list of all the ladies who have participated - there has already been some lovely ideas and memories shared :)

ps. you don't have to already be married to enter. Sharing an idea you have seen online, or from a wedding you have attended will grant you entry into the draw aswell!

Giveaway!

pretty image by Jose Villa

So Morgan and I have come down (a small bit) from our engagement hype and have started to talk about our ideas, plans, guests lists and what we would like to incorporate into our special day. We know we want a ceremony that will reflect marriage as God's ultimate design and a testimony to our faith, a wedding where friends and family (and their talents) will be greatly involved and of course with lots of little handmade touches that reflect us as a couple. So we thought it would be fun to get a giveaway (yes I said GIVEWAWAY) up and running on the blog where we can get some creative and inspiring ideas - and where else but from you wonderful crafty lot of bloggers, many whom have been there before?! Plus I thought it would be a fun way to drag out some of those wedding photos from some of you who I have not seen before ;)

The winner will receive a very fun little package.
Inside will be something old, something new, something crafty & something blue!
(I can't work out a way to send something I have borrowed, without the other person being upset ;)...

So how to play along yourself...

1. Leave a comment on this post to let me know you will be playing along.

2. On your own blog create a new post. If you have been married before post a photo (or a few) from your wedding and tell us something that made your day special and unique or share a creative idea from a wedding you have attended. You can also link to a creative wedding idea you have seen online, a link to your favorite wedding blog (or wedding post), or a favorite Etsy wedding find.

3. Spread the word on your own blog about this giveaway and encourage your friends to join in by popping on over here and leaving a comment and sharing their own wedding photos and inspiring ideas on their blog too.

4. And have a tonne of fun reminiscing, gaining new bloggy friendships and looking at everyone's wedding photos - I will also upload a list with a link to each ladies blog who participates.

Remember to be included in the draw you must leave both a comment (so I know to enter you into the draw) along with a creative wedding idea, a link to your favorite wedding blog or wedding post, or a favorite Etsy wedding find - which can be posted in the comment section or on your own blog post. Those who create a post on their own blog with a link back here will be given a bonus entry into the draw.

This giveaway will close on Friday 21st August 12.00 EST and announced on Monday 24 August. The winner will be randomly drawn.

So Since I have never been married before (duh!) I thought I would leave you with some photos of a wedding I was lucky enough to be a part of - my lovely cousin Larissa's and her equally amazing husband Brant. They were married at North Sydney on 2 October 2004 in the same church our Nanna & Pa and her parents were married in, with a ceremony which left everyone in tears! One of the highlights of the wedding was having some of our photos taken at the theme park - Luna Park on Sydney Harbour. It was fun to walk through the park champagne in hand and left some great opportunities for some amazing photos. We even got to ride the old 1920's carousel for free, which of course was the page boy's absoluete highlight (ok maybe one of mine too :) !

my stunning cousin.

Thanks for your help ladies!
Love Kt & Morgan :)

Little Stitches

Inspired by my new book I accidentally stumbled across in a bookstore in Newcastle on Wednesday while visiting an old friend. It kept finding it's way off the shelf and into my arms so I just had to buy it. Totally not in the new 'student budget' but very worthwhile. There's maybe up to 30 patterns inside *grin* which are all in a cute little envelope inside the front cover. I'm just stoked I got it for a cheaper price than on amazon plus postage (seeing the Aus dollar is so poor at the moment only worth 60 something cents US !!)
I can't wait to get crafting :)

want a sneak inside?
How gorgeous is this bedding set?

I also want to try these booties:

and this playtime quilt :)

And speaking of inspring things how cute are these little fabric fortune cookies (found via decor8). They reminded me of these paper ones I blogged about here & how I had planned on making them one day...
I was actually going to try and make the fabric ones as valentines this year but time simply ran away from me today!

Speaking of Valentines Day tomorrow. Insert reason # 999 why I may be possibly one of the best girlfriends ever.
I'm going on a Subaru Liberty car forum cruise with 17 other 'Subaru enthusiasts' tomorrow. Valentines day is all about filling his love tank right? We're driving up to Newcastle in a big group and taking plenty of photos of the cars by the ocean. Think plenty of exhausts and modified cars. I'm actually a little excited to tell the truth and love the idea of just being with M and chatting it up during the drive and looking at the old town houses by the sea. Plus I just brought the new Real Living magazine to pour through during the day. yumm! Did I mention he's currently tinkering with his car right now?

ooh and I must mention that sweet Jess is having a birthday giveaway over on her blog. To celebrate her own birthday, so sweet! You should pop on over. You'll love it there. Jess is a crafty genious and has the best eye candy on her blog, plus this gorgeous little drool-worthy apartment *swoon*.

& the winner is...!

Now.. for the post you've all been waiting for. The drawing of the 'I don't know what I'm giving away giveaway' (although now I know who's won I have a better idea ;)

I tried to think of something exciting to do for this post and really liked when Wendi did her 'Now you see what I'm saying' video blog post & I thought I'd give it ago too.. plus i thought it would be fun for you to get to see us draw out the winner.
ooh and in front of us with candle intact is a profiterole. I was going to go with a cupcake.. because that's what I felt like for afternoon tea but the profiteroles won Morgan over (they are his favourite) and they were on special.. and you know how I love a special ;)
and yes I did let Morgan eat it after wards for helping me out and all, actually I think he ate about 3!
ooh and I have been told I do usually let Morgan get a word in ... which is good to know...phew!

ok so now to quickly publish this post before I totally loose my nerve :)

And to the dear sweet winner would you be able to send me your address via email to ktbearxox@hotmail.com so I can get your little package off to you!

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

And Jacy, you poor thing! Praying that wrist of yours heals quickly and all goes well with Ryder's birthday party on Sunday. I'm sure you will make it a total success, one handed and all :)

*edit note: I forgot to say Thanks to my morgan for putting this video together. For getting it all set up on his little tripod and editing it like a pro (it really didn't take him that long) and the 'bahahaing' and pics and music are his doing.

And also.. I think I said Shannon and Jacy's names weren't in the draw... sorry girls you were in there just not twice. I don't think I phrased that quite well :)

one.

picture from here.

Today my blog is one.
And I so almost missed this important date. Here I was browsing through the old archives of random blogs and wondering just the exact date I started mine. A quick check and I realised it was exactly one whole year ago today.
Wow. Kinda freaky.
And just how did that whole year go by so quickly!?
(I think I'm getting a mini grasp on exactly how mum's feel when they say this about their children!)

Blogging to me has brought so many highlights that I never could have possibly dreamed up!
This year I..

- I have been inspired by the crafty and sewing projects of so many amazing craft blogs.

- I realised there are people out there as Morgan says 'just like you!' - those crafty little designing homebodies :)

- I got my sewing machine out more than ever before and re-discovered my love for sewing and giving handmade gifts.

- I have run to the letter box for something exciting more times than I can count.

- I have brought more things online this past year than all the past years put together.

- My material and craft stash has gone from 'modest' to 'well established' (and then some).

- I have driven my boy crazy with my 'blog talk'. Thanks for putting up with my ramblings love :)

- I realised how fun sewing vintage style aprons can be and I made a few.

- I have been involved in apron swaps and received two lovely little numbers to wear in the kitchen :)

- I have tried new recipes found through blogs.

- I have been blessed by the kindness of strangers when this cute apron from Beth arrived in my letter box for no other reason, other than my swap partner decided not to send me anything and Beth decided to fill in because she's sweet like that.

- I was blessed enough to have been involved in a bloggity baby shower! wow wow wow.

- I realised how much more amazing it is to give, than to recieve.

- I met some incredible women. Women who inspire me with their faith, with their outlook on life, with their devotion to their families, women who are in essence my role models, who have gone through seasons of life before me and who I know I can turn to for advice. Women who I have laughed with and prayed for and cried for and who I know would do the same for me. Women who are so strong and beautiful. You girls know who you are - one day I hope I have give each of you a hug :)

- I have had the privilege of being involved in some 'email conversations' and getting to know some of those lovely ladies spoken of above better... And how I cherish and love each email (and comment) that comes in.

- I have received some lovely e-cards that have brought tears to my eyes... Thank you!

- I have been able to share a blog with some amazingly talented women.

- My faith has been strengthened especially through the writing of this lady and this one and this one (and about a dozen others).

- My eyes (and debit card) have been opened to the world of Etsy. nuff said ;) oh and Amy Butler and Alexander Henry and and...

- I have been inspired by amazing photography found throughout blog world and finally took the plunge into getting myself a good camera.

- I actually photographed a wedding!

- I have enjoyed being tagged and tagging back.

- I entered my twenty's. And have been able to document a year in my life and have recorded many things that would of faded from my memory with the passing of time.

- I have signed in almost everyday to read up on the life of strangers for fear that I would miss something terribly exciting.

- I have realised I am not going to stop any time soon ;)

And now I would like to say thank you to you gorgeous girls out there with a giveaway :D cause I know how much you all love giveaways!
So I had this idea of organising this great giveaway for months now, but that year really did creep up on me and I kinda have no idea what I will be giving away. Sounds kinda crazy huh - a giveaway without anything to giveaway. But I have decided I kind of like the idea of finding out who the winner will be and then 'stalking' their blog (in the nicest possible way) and being able to send something slightly more personal that will hopefully be something the winner will adore.

Oh and speaking of 'stalking' if you have been over to my page and never said hi, please do leave a comment I'd love to meet you :D!

So to enter? Simply leave a comment in the comment section and tell me one of your 'blog highlights' or post about it and let me know when you do. The winner will be randomly drawn by Morgan (because I don't have a cute kid to draw the prize, just a cute boyfriend :) .. so stay tuned for that post, I have some ideas. The winner will be drawn Saturday 8 Nov.

Love Kt x