Because It's Monday {A Giveaway!}

Hello, and Happy Monday! I have good news for you - it's a short week!
YAY!

I have even better news for you - I'm doing a giveaway!!!

My sweet blog/twitter/nowinstagramtoo friend Cory sells the CUTEST stuff in her adorable Etsy Shop,

>>--->Eclectic Joy<---<<

I am officially a customer of everything she sells!

A few weeks ago I bought one of her scarves, which I get compliments on it everywhere I go!
I may or may not want to buy every single scarf in her shop.

 And then I had been looking for an excuse to buy one of her adorable onesies, which the BFF's baby shower was the perfect excuse.

She is having a boy - so I got her this one.

 AND NOW Cory is carrying the most lovely stitched notecards.
ACK! I am in LOVE.
I can't tell you how pretty these are in person. I used it as the card to go with the shower gift.
I just think it's all kinds of wonderful.

I am a HUGE fan of notecards - and with the holidays coming up these would be perfect!
(My mother taught me to ALWAYS send a thank you note before utilizing any gift received!) 

 And here's the deal - Cory is giving away a 4 pack of of these sweet cards to one of you!
All you have to do is head over to her shop:  >>-----> ECLECTIC JOY >>----->and tell me what is your favorite item in her shop!

Maybe something you are going to put on your Christmas wishlist or something you want to treat yourself to or even something you would want to give as a gift!

Leave a comment here and that is your entry!

Bonus Entries (Leave a comment for each):

Favorite Electic Joy On Etsy /  Follow Cory on Twitter / Follow Cory on Instagram / Like Eclectic Joy on Facebook / Subscribe to Cory's Blog
Tweeting about the Giveaway
and one more for subscribing to A Cuppa Kim on GFC (sidebar on the right).

And lastly, Cory is so sweet she is offering 15% off of any purchase with the code "TREAT"!!!
Now, get to shopping!

Enter anytime before Thursday at 8pm (PST)
Winner will be picked randomly and announced on Friday!

You Know What is Amaze?

My friend Preston's Hip-Hop Album.
Confessions of a Nine Rhyme Project.
Check it out.
Spread the word.
(My favorite song is #2 All He Wrote)

My friend Betsy's Blog.
She is currently circling the globe.
Literally.
She flew across the Pacific. She'll be returning via the Atlantic.
She emails me updates every couple of days, and I post them to her blog.
It is AWESOME.

San Francisco's Fog.
It has its own twitter and Instagram accounts.
@KarltheFog.
It's like a weather report and entertainment in one.

My girl Hannah is creating some new pieces for her shop.
Bracelets. And Necklaces.
Including these - which benefit Hope4Sudan.
Which, by the way, have you checked the blog lately?
There are some awesome pictures and stories from Phase 1 of the project.
Check it all out.

And lastly, I'm doing a really fun giveaway for one of my favorite shops on Monday.
I think you're gonna want to come back and check it out.
It's a good one. Enjoy your weekend, and I'll see you then!!!

Holiday Cheer!!!

You guys.

It's almost that time.

You know, the hap-happiest season of all?

The season of Happy Mail.

Every day.

You know what I'm talking about.

CHRISTMAS CARD SEASON!!!

I am SO EXCITED!

There is nothing I love more than opening my tiny little mailbox to find big white envelopes with familiar return addresses waiting for me after a long day at work.

I immediately put them on the back of my front door.
A little tradition my mom has done for the longest time, and I do too.

I know there are really cute ways to display cards too - how do you do it? On the fridge? Ribbons? Windowsills? Last year I even made a card wreath!

This year, I'm getting my card through Katygirl Designs - have you seen her selection yet?
It's huge, she has a ton of different designs!
It is super easy, she designs, you print!

I love her style of traditional, truth-laden messages with a modern and beautiful twist.

I am not sure if I am going to be able to decide on my favorite - but these are definitely my TOP choices:

 

Even more awesome? Katy has partnered with two fantastic causes - and a portion of the proceeds from each of these two designs go towards the Joyful Life Library and Hope4Sudan.

And lastly, Katy even does CUSTOM Christmas Cards! So if you want something that is all your own, touch base with her, and she will give you all the details. Check out her portfolio here for even more Christmassy Cheer!

PS Local friends, I'm happy to take your Christmas pics anytime, just let me know when and where and I'm there!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Sweet Katygirl of Scottyboy & Katygirl as well as Katygirl Designs has just opened a brand new print shop!!!

She has been designing some amazing printables for the Hope4Sudan fundraiser over the last few weeks, and helped raise a lot towards the starving people in Sudan. Katy, I seriously can't thank you enough!

She is also the one responsible for my cute blog redesign that I LOVE SO MUCH.

And now, she is expanding her biz to include regular PRINTS!
Like the kinda that arrive at your doorstep in the form of Happy Mail!
 She has a bunch of super new, super cute designs!

So, do me a favor, head over there and check out the adorableness that is Katygirl Designs.

Comments are closed. Go see Katy!!!

Well, Aren't You a Treasure

Good Morning Friends!
Do you miss me?
I miss you.
Seriously.
Being gone this long is weird.
It gives me serious FOMO.

That's Fear. Of. Missing. Out. in case you needed to know.
Only a few days left.
I hope no one is having fun without me.

So...for today, I wanted to share with you a few of my most favorite things on Etsy.

They have this fun little feature that you can collect them into Treasuries.
It's like electronic hoarding, but cuter.
And like pinterest, except you can actually buy everything and you won't have to bust out your own glue gun.

Anyway...let's get started...

Inspired by my travels, Anchored.
If I had been smart I would have ordered that ring for my trip.
I have been eyeing that headband for over a year.
And Katy's print is nautically wonderful.
How cute is all of it?!?

And then, there is home, sweet home.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again.
I love where I live.
And yes, I'll admit I cry when I come home from vacations,
but coming home to this city, well, it makes it a whole lot easier.

I wear Hannah's earrings as my lucky Giants accessory.
I almost bought this card when I saw it in a shop in SF last month.
And, it's been 100*+ in Europe. I'm ready to return to the fog.
I foggy heart SF BIG TIME!

You should head over there and treat yourself to a few goodies.
Etsy is a happy little place, isn't it?

Sunshine After the Rain

So, back in high school, when I picked my boyband horse, I picked 98 Degrees.
No, not N*Sync.
Not Backstreet Boys.

98 Degrees.

Sadly,  they fell into oblivion.
But, hey, Nick Lachey, he's still famous, right?

Also, they left me with a plethora of earworms that bring me back to having a brand new driver's license, a car with no air conditioning, a part time job, a little bit of spending money, friends who were 18 and could buy me lotto scratchers, and lots of hot tub parties looking for shooting stars.
Being 16 was awesome.

But, I digress.

That wasn't really where I was going with this post.

Little by little, I'm adding a little color back into my black and gray bedroom decor.
A little bit of yellow.
Just a smidge.
Because, I only do yellow in moderation.

A little sunshine in amidst the rainy grays.

And Etsy has been helping me jump back on the yellow train.

I can't get this print from Yellow Heart Art out of my brain.
I think it's the first one I'll be getting.

Typographical prints always catch my eye.
And I want my house saturated in scripture.
This one  From Fancy That Design House will definitely be next.
Definitely.
(ps thanks Katy for the rec!)

And you know those deep yellow flowers that are tiny.
Like a daisy.
But not.
I LOVE THEM.
Apparently they are called Billy Buttons?
How cute is that!
I love how simple they are.
They help me like yellow.
So does this print by Retro Menagerie.

And this one by Eve Sand.
This is just dreamy.
I would nap very well with this floating on my wall.

My super hilarious, amazing friend Denise and her husband opened a shop, Kiss the Sky, making the most amazing canvas prints.
I saw this.
It's a must have.
Super must.
Super saving up.
ASAP.

And, of course, these pillows from Classic By Nature wouldn't hurt either.
Even though I already have some awesome ones I love.
These just scream whisper FABULOUS.

Happy Days by Wifey Singer

Alright fools, let's talk.

Ever since I started blogging, like for reals (cause I blogged for a while not so for reals), I have met some amazzzzing other bloggers.

One of them is Hannah, from the encouraging and lovely blog HAPPY DAYS.

Here is what I love about Hannah:

I feel like she is the welcome wagon of the blog world.
She is always introducing me to new bloggers, and seems to be friends with everyone.

Everyone I know admires her greatly.
And for good reason.

Hannah is also the biggest supporter of her friends' handmade shops and businesses.
Girlfriend LOVES herself some handmade.

And Hannah herself is getting in the game.
I am SO thrilled to tell you about it!
Hannah's sweet shop, Happy Days by Wifey Singer has just opened, and you need to go check it out.

And support our favorite friend Hannah.
Her stuff is AWESOME.
Dainty.
Delicate.
HAPPY.

Look at her adorable packaging?
Washi tape, bakers twine, pops of color.
Imagine coming home from a long day of work, or checking your mailbox after a crazy day with your kiddos, and finding this in your mailbox.

And these are her lovelies.
Totally gorgeous beads. Shiny happy.

Loving my two newest accessories.
Please, do yourself a favor, and go check out her shop!
I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy myself THESE, if you don't beat me to it.
Because, HOW CUTE ARE THEY?!?!
Oh, and guess what!? She is actually doing a giveaway with them over at her place today!!

So run, don't walk, over to Happy Days by Wifey Singer.

Lofty Dreams

I have lived in my condo for SIX years coming this July. Crazy!

I have decorated and redecorated my bedroom once. And I am kinda mixing up my living room style and color palette.

But my loft has been in need of a major overhaul!

I had previously been using my sister's full sized dorm bedding on the extra twin bed I had up there. Just cause it was what I had. In the words of Tim Gunn, I was making it work.

(and it wasn't really working)

Anyway, I commissioned the amazing Betsy of It's Etsy By Betsy to whip me up one of her amazing String Art Maps.  I had known I was going to hang it in the loft, and so when she completed it this week I knew it was time to kick off the overhaul!

PS The canvas above the fireplace was also done by Betsy. Girl has SKILLS.

I started spiffing up the loft by hanging the map, my Psalm 37:4 print, my Micah 6:8 canvas (The Mercy House Kenya), and a picture of my Compassion child, Felista (she is from Tanzania, and way too cute).

Basing the decor off the map, and keeping an international, globally minded theme was my inspiration.

The chair, green table, globe and lamp were purchased a couple of months ago at Home Goods to create my reading nook...Home Goods may be the closest thing to heaven on earth. Making the loft a more usable and livable space was the goal!

I also made a quick trip to Ikea, and got some simple white bedding that actually fit the twin sized bed to complete the loft makeover (disregard the wrinkles). It isn't too exciting, but I love that the chair and map get to be the stars!

Now, I can curl up with my Kindle in the nook, and not be distracted by what needs to be done with the space, and instead, enjoy my new favorite corner in my home. 

Another bonus? I finally figured out which outlet corresponds to the light switch on the wall....it only took me six years. Ha!

And PS I heard that Betsy was a little nervous about my custom color combo for the map, but I think she really loved it! She offers her maps totally customizable, but you can also order it in the Bold and Beautiful color combo selected by your's truly!

Wordless Wednesday: A Cozy Cuppa

Found this via Gussy's Tea Party last week...

...and enjoyed some Royal Swedish Tea with it this morning.

Is there anything more perfect for me?