December Sponsor Giveaway!

Happy December everyone!

All of the following shops and blogs are my large sponsors, and they are each offering one or more items for this huge, one winner giveaway! Last month I did multiple winners but in the spirit of the holidays I thought it would be fun for one person to win it all.

All you have to do is the following:

Leave your name and email address in the comments.

*and see below for a way to get one additional entry too!

Yup! That's it! On Monday, December 20th I will pick ONE winner at random.

To get one additional entry, you can blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave an additional comment with a link to that blog or tweet, along with your contact info again.

So overall you can put your name into the drawing twice.

Be sure to check out my sidebar for all of the new, wonderful buttons I have displayed there, and give each one a little click and say hello!

And now, without further ado, below you will find a small description of each shop, as well as the item or items they are graciously giving away. Have fun exploring and clicking around, and good luck!

1) Hello lovelies! Delightfully Lovely is a little shop filled with pretty things for your house and home. Everything in my shop in handcrafted and made to order. Most of my time is spent daydreaming about life and how to glitterize the world. My blog and shop are where I share my life, idea's and inspirations.


Etsy site: http://etsy.com/shop/oliviadru
blog: http://delightfullylovely.blogspot.com

Giveaway item: Geneva Cupcake Tree and whoever wins can pick out the color they would like.

2) Mountain Girl Soap & Sundries is my handmade vegan soap studio which is nestled between the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada in Northern California. I love creating luxurious bath and body products that are kind to our skin and environment. If you are interested in seeing for yourself the superiority of handmade products over commercially made ones, then check out my portfolio of handmade soap, sundries, and gifts.


http://www.mountaingirlsoap.com/

Giveaway items: A set of 3 premium handmade vegan soaps. Russian Winter (Irresistibly cool & clean: Siberian Fir needle, tart green apple, frosted jasmine & glacial woods), Arabian Spice (An earthy and mysterious caravan of flavors: Sensual myrrh, comforting cardamom, warm cloves, caraway seed, and vanilla), and Peppermint (Exhilaratingly fresh and pepper-minty sweet).


3) Husband and wife fronted band, Bird and Rocket, makes ambient indie folk-rock in Portland, Oregon. They create a dynamic sound that juxtaposes delicate vocals with powerful guitar, haunting melodies with soaring choruses, and simple yet thick instrumentation. After months of doing their own recording in basements and bedrooms, the band released their first EP, 'And The Wind' in July 2010.


facebook.com/birdandrocket

Also, check out a sample song from the EP: The Coming of the Ship by clicking here.

Giveaway item: our first EP, And The Wind.


4) Eileen Josephine (named after my late Grandma - one of my favorite people, ever) is Lindsay Széchenyi, an ex-hairstylist and retail manger turned work-at-home-mom to an almost 18-month-old little girl named Vada. I love blogs, coffee, friends, music, magazines, decorating and making things, which I sometimes sell in my Etsy shop. Follow along on my blog as my little family grows and watch us turn our fixer-upper 1925 American Foursquare into a home.

Blog: http://eileenjosephine.com

Etsy: http://eileenjosephine.etsy.com

Giveaway item: $20 gift certificate to spend in my Etsy shop - Eileen Josephine.



5) Hi everyone, welcome to rockentot home of handmade goodies for little ones...and moms too! I am a wife of sixteen years to my husband Jeff and a homeschool mom of five in sunny Florida. I am so grateful to have this giveaway with Sometimes Sweet.

Also as an additional treat, I'm offering a 15% coupon code for everyone: the code is SOMETIMESSWEET


http://www.etsy.com/shop/rockentot

Giveaway item: Anything your heart desires from my shop!

6) Hello Sometimes Sweet readers! Here's the part where we tell you about us...we're the super fantastically awesome (soon to be married!) owners and runners of Funk Off! A supreme handmade Vegan bath and body product business based out of Northern California...to keep you fresh, not funky!

One day we were sitting around thinking of all the things we could do so we didn't have to work for "the man"...after a serious brainstorm we needed a shower (you know the funk that can come with some hard thinking, its like a slight burning smell)...we were out of soap and frustrated, "how are we gonna get the funk off now?"...and thus "Funk Off!" was born (I mean, not right then and there...there's a gestation period you know...but shortly after). We're fans of all things natural and good for us and the environment...so we wanted to make sure that whatever product we were offering the world had our sincere stamp of approval...and it does! Double stamped even! We took our sniffers for a magic carpet ride of scent sensations and came up with 8 perfect smells that we know you'll love! Then we wanted a little more softness for our sensitive skin and we came up with our Later, Gator! lotions...and when we wanted to get the funk out and the fresh on to every single thing we own (you name it: skin, clothes, furniture, dogs, car, backpack, shoes, carpet...) we popped out a line of Keep It Fresh! sprays!! after that (and after paying $3 for a crappy tube of blistex in a lip balm emergency!) we had thought bubbles of a smooth (not at all gritty), all natural Vegan lip balm that we could make in all the flavors of our wildest dreams...and BAM! Kiss This! Vegan lip balm...in all kinds of flavahs! and just in time for the holidays we've released 2 new scents and two new products! now all up in the mix are Peace, Love, and Soap Suds! shower gels (available in all 10 amazing smells!) and Bust A Move! travel kits!! we're always thinkin up new ideas and products to pull out of our magic hat...so keep checkin in on us cause we always keep it fresh!


http://www.etsy.com/shop/funkoffbrand

Giveaway item: We're giving away one Peace, Love, and Soap Suds! shower gel and one Lator, Gator! lotion in scents of your choice...and one Kiss This! Lip Balm in any flavor you want!


7) Hey there, my name is Jess and I'm a boho momma who is committed to not giving up my style from bump to baby and beyond. On my blog, BohoBabyBump.com I scribble about the crazy ongoing adventures that befall a free spirited newlywed, first time pregger, and brand new mommahood. I love to create fashion that has an earthy-chic flair with a kiss of vintage sweetness.


http://bohobabybump.blogspot.com/

Giveaway item: I'm so excited to sponsor a set of my "lock and key earbobs" and antique "key on a string" necklace. They are always a cherry on top for my favorite duds! I've had a ton of requests for these creations so, here ya go! Enjoy lovelies!


8) That Vintage cracked its own egg in the warm month of February 2008 and fell into the hands of Sophie Hill, a Launceston based bird-obsessive artist and lover of all things handmade. That Vintage pieces are created using the beautiful Tasmanian Myrtle timber that we are lucky enough to have on offer in our own backyard. It began with a Tasmanian Blue Wren and a Common Sparrow, dancing together in the warm sunlight of an early Summer morning – from this friendship, the illustrations were hatched and then turned into wearable pieces of artwork – a tribute to the diversity of friendship. In Sophie’s nest of inspiration you will find cups of tea, synth folk music on repeat, a menagerie made of porcelain and her fair share of fabric swatches. The view from Sophie’s nest is a Native Australian garden, growing with the hopes that the Bottle Brush and Kangaroo Paw will evoke new feathery friendships. That Vintage designs are made with love and really, that is all that’s needed.

http://www.thatvintage.com.au/

Giveaway item: That Vintage Deer Darling Friend Ring: To all those "deer"... "deer" and darling and sweet! This deer darling friend design is beautifully engraved onto Tasmanian Myrtle wood, complete with adjustable ring. Wooden Disc - 2.2cm diameter. Strongly adhered to a fully adjustable ring base - can be tightened/loosened freely!


9) We are Vicki & John, A husband & wife badge making business based on the Cornish coast in the UK. We started Kool Badges in july of 2006 and hand make button badges for our customers. When we aren't badging we can be found listening to live music, sampling teas & coffees from around the world, watching obscure foreign movies & eating good food.


http://www.koolbadges.co.uk

Giveaway items: Two button badge packs - One is a crafty set with a sewing machine, scissors & a craft diva badge. The other is a cute woodland animal set with a hedgehog, a foxy fox & a sweet fawn. The winner will also be able to pick and 10 loose button badges from our site.


10) Creativ*Bee began in 2003 as the creative outlet of Raleigh artist & graphic designer Brandi Bowen. Her designs vary from hand painted silk scarves to one of a kind original oil paintings and illustrations to reworked vintage pieces into original and unique jewelry. When Brandi is not designing, she is blogging for Ever So Lovely her art and design blog dedicated to all things lovely.


http://creativbeedesigns.com/
http://eversolovely.com/

Giveaway item: Fly Away To Paris vintage butterfly necklace


11) Hi Sometimes Sweet readers! I'm Onjoli, one part of Rainy Day Story (the other part is my fiance Jesse). We're from lovely Arizona, despite our hot summers it really is a great place to live. We've been running our own business for 4 years now and it is my full time job. I'm a mom to a smarty pants little boy, I run a few Etsy shops (handmade and vintage) and a small shop-in-shop in Downtown Glendale.

A little about myself: I like chocolate and coffee too much, should probably go to the gym more then I ever do and I can be kinda shy and awkward in person (not the cool kind the uncomfortable kind). I start way to many projects (luckily I finish most) and I make goals to last me years and years:)


Shop link: www.rainydaystory.com
Blog Link: http://rainydaystory.blogspot.com/

Giveaway Item: Set of 6 Block Printed Note cards, your choice of print and color.


So don't forgot, just leave your name and email to enter once, and you can come back and enter a second time by leaving your name/email again in that second comment, along with the link to a blog post or tweet about this great giveaway!

Good luck! :)

p.s., If you'd like to get a jump start and reserve your spot for January, email me at sometimessweetblog@gmail.com and be sure to check out my ad info page here.

Henry: Week 1

Well, one week has passed since I gave birth to our beautiful son. It's so surreal to me to look at him, and hold him, kiss him, and just lay with him sleeping on my chest. This is our son! Wow! It's so, so neat. I also feel incredibly lucky that my c-section recovery has been relatively easy. I've been up walking and feeling pretty okay from day one, and now, a week later I'm probably at a 90%. I've still been taking it completely easy- not lifting anything heavier than Henry, and not going crazy getting things done, but I have no problem moving around, sleeping, anything. My incision is healing well. I know this is not the case with most c-section patients so I am feeling very fortunate my body is reacting well and bouncing back quickly. My post-op check up is next week so I'm looking forward to that.

Emotionally at first I was pretty up and down for the first couple of days. Not sad per say but just super emotional about everything. Henry would yawn or do something adorable and I would start to cry about how beautiful he was, or I'd start thinking about how scary it was to be a parent, all of the things that could go wrong. Lots of tears in those first days. But now I'm feeling back to my normal self and although I still have all of those fears, I'm not crying at the drop of a hat! Oh, hormones! I will say that it is pretty scary to be a parent. I feel like Hank and I are constantly checking to be sure Henry is breathing, and even if I get 3 hours of sleep, I spend a bit of that time checking to be sure everything is okay.

As far as Henry...gosh. What a darling, darling boy. He is the sweetest baby I've ever met. Granted, I'm sure I'm biased because he's my son, but I can just feel the kind, wonderful energy he puts out. I can't wait to see what he's like once he can start communicating more with us. He sleeps for about 3 hours at a time, he wakes up and I change him, he eats (I'm breastfeeding), then at night he'll go right back to sleep (last night he slept for 4 hours in a row!) and during the day we'll hang out a bit before he falls back asleep. I've had NO issues breastfeeding. He took to it from the first moment in the hospital and will usually eat for at least 20 minutes at a time. I've experienced no pain and no discomfort from it and I am so, so thankful for this. The boy loves to eat! At night he is sleeping in his pack n' play next to our bed, in his sleep sack, and like I said he will sleep for about 3 hours straight before he wakes up. If he needs to be changed he will wake up sooner but for the most part he sticks to about a three hour sleeping time. It'll be interesting to see how this changes as time goes on. We swaddled him at first, but after a few nights we found that he actually enjoys his sleep sack more. While he's sleeping he makes these cooing noises, and sometimes it even sounds like a little high-pitched yip. Seriously heart-melting.

I always imagined what it would feel like to meet my son and look into his eyes, but nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming emotions I'd feel. I've never been happier. Hank and I are just beside ourselves with this deep, deep love for him, and for each other. We've been having the best time getting to know Henry. He's a very calm baby. Hank and I have had numerous moments where we'll catch ourselves doing something kind of funny that we wouldn't have ever imagined before. Case in point: high-fiving after successfully sucking a stubborn booger out of Henry's nose with the nasal aspirator. Yup. "Did we really just high-five to that?!" We've been laughing a lot and having a blast. We'll be getting our first professional photos of him done next week and I really can't wait for beautiful pictures of his tiny hands, and feet, and that little face.

My Mom has been here for the past week and it's been so nice to spend everyday with her, and learn all of her baby tricks and gain some knowledge and wisdom from her. Her and Hank are as close as can be, and we kind of want to keep her hostage so she can never leave! I'm so thankful for her.

Some other things I'm loving this week:

• nightly story time. Hank reads Henry a book every night before we go to sleep. I know he's only a week old but we've done this every night and I know he's taking it all in! :)
• breastfeeding. I love it. It's just the most amazing thing to know that my body makes everything that our baby needs. It's just so bonding and the way he snuggles up to me after he is done seriously kills me every time.
• sleep smiles. All of Henry's little facial expressions are adorable, but he makes this little smile in his sleep that is just super cute.
• watching Hank be a Dad. He's an amazing father and the love he has for our son is really, really beautiful.
• Henry's little koala hold. He loves to lay right on my chest, head in my nook and legs tucked up really tight.
  

Oh, and yesterday I also submitted my official resignation letter to the school district and now I am truly and officially a stay-at-home Mom. I am beyond excited for this chapter in life, and I'm looking forward to being able to be home with Henry every single day. A week in and I absolutely cannot fathom leaving him. I feel very fortunate to be able to do this. After sending the letter I got a little sad though because I do miss my kids a lot. It's hard not to see the people that brought so much joy to my life everyday. I've mentioned it before but this year has been the best teaching year of my life, with the sweetest kids in the world. I definitely miss it. But, life changes and goes on, and this is where I'm at now, happily.

Before I go, I wanted to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who left such lovely comments and congratulations about Henry! My little family appreciates it so much.





my Mom picked out this onesie of course!


sprawling on Daddy's lap


Daddy/Henry nightly story time

Tattoo Tuesday V.46

Name and blog name: Vanessa Grenier/veganessa.blogspot.com

Age: 24

Occupation: Leasing Agent

Age of first tattoo: 18

Favorite tattoo: AH! I am not really sure! But I would have to say it is my newest addition on my right arm, it is not finished yet but I still love it. It reminds me of my grandmother and veganism, both of which are very important to me. Allyson Bennett at Staring Without Caring in Tucson drew this but when I saw it I knew I just HAD to have it. My grandma's nickname was Bunny so it is very fitting that there is a little bunny crawling on the woman's head. It is kind of hard to tell from the picture but the lady is holding a baby deer and the flowers at the bottom are purple lilies. When I was younger I used to help my grandma plant purple lilies in her garden.

Featured tattoo/location: Phoenix on my left side of my thigh and my feet tattoo

Artist/shop/location of featured tattoo: Phoenix by Ed Slocum at Tattoo Artistry. The flower on my foot was done by a guy in Vegas... However I do not remember his name or the shop (whoops!) ha and the ship on my left foot was done by my friend Marc Nava who works at Staring Without Caring.

1) Tell us about your featured tattoos:

The Phoenix-I had wanted this tattoo for a few years but decided I would wait to get it until I knew where I wanted my life to go. It also meant me overcoming a lot of obstacles and as cheesy as it may be, like the phoenix, I rose up from the ashes aka all of life's stresses and started a new life. The flower on my foot is probably the most important one to me. It is a matching tattoo that my younger sister and I have. She is my most favorite person in the world! We got this tattoo together in 2005 and since then we have been the best of friends. She currently is living in Seattle and I miss her to pieces but thanks to this tattoo I will always have a piece of her with me. I decided to get the ship because my younger brother, sister and I love the band Broadway Calls and their song 'Save Our Ship' really hits home for us. My brother may not know it but I am so proud of the person he has become and he really is my anchor. I thought the pieces were best put on the foot because that way it was like my brother and sister would be there with me every step of the way.

2) Do you have any other tattoos?

My first tattoo was my name in Elvish on my lower back and I also have two lilies on my right hip. Both of which are hard to take pictures of by yourself. (ha)

I have a pinup pirate on my left arm, she is an Elvgren girl.

A heart inside a treasure chest with the words "blood is thicker than water" in Latin.


Scrolls on my shoulders-"Tomorrow holds another chance not just to smile but make it real for what its worth I wont give up"

A heart inside a treasure chest with a banner that says blood is thicker than water in latin. I feel like I am going on and on about them so I will let the pictures do the talking.

3) Do you plan on getting more?

Yeah...eventually, whenever I am not broke!

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)?

My friends love my tattoos and as far as family goes... My mom and her family think they are great.My uncles are all bikers and have tattoos and my aunt has tattoos too. My mom wants to get a sunflower on her but she says she is too much of a baby.Both of my sisters are tattooed as well. My dad and his family wish I never started. When my dad found out I went to a tatoo convention for my 18th birthday and got a tattoo he told me I ruined my temple and said at least it was only one. Now fast forward 6 years and 14 tattoos later, he still dislikes them. Whenever my coworkers find out I have tattoos they usually freak out because they never thought I was the "type" to get tattoos, yah know, the booze hound hooker type because that is the kind of woman that gets tattooed! I even had someone say that I was too hardcore for them and too wild because I had too many tattoos, whatever that is supposed to mean.

5) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

I say wait on the idea a little longer because this is something that will stay with you forever. When I was in 5th grade I used to draw tattoos and say I was going to get them when I turned 18. If I kept with that thought I would have a ton of horse shoes and four leaf clovers.I would also warn you that random people WILL approach you and touch you.Not just men either! I was waiting at school for my next class to start and had some middle aged woman caress my thigh where my loch ness monster is. I will never understand what posses another to to touch someone's tattoo.

Do not worry about what others think about your tattoos, get them for you. Oh and... Do not get tattoos done by your best friends boyfriends cousins friend in their kitchen. It may be cheaper but trust me, it will look a lot better done in a shop.

Using Liquid Latex As Body Paint

The main advantages of using liquid latex over other kinds of body paint are duration and durability. Other body paints tend to rub off and smudge against fabric, often leaving dirty and possibly even stained clothing. Once liquid latex has dried on the skin it does not present these issues. Clothing will remain unblemished by the latex for as long as it is worn. Whilst perspiration and body heat may encourage the latex to separate from the skin slightly, the latex will not smudge or run but remain intact until the wearer removes it by simply tearing or peeling it away from the skin. Again, this does not leave a residue on the skin like many other body paints. Depending on your activities and the thickness of the applications, latex should last many hours before it begins to separate from the skin. If latex is painted entirely around body or body parts it will continue to cling to the body and can still be worn for an unlimited time. Generally, it can be worn out for an entire day or night, can be worn in water, and will last many hours through photo shoots, performances and many other activities.

There are however some minor disadvantages, nothing that should discourage the use of latex, more the need for a little common sense and preparation. Before applying latex to the body it is necessary to patch-test a small area of the skin to check for any allergic reactions. It is quite rare, most people are not allergic to latex, but a small percentage of users have reported skin irritation after coming into contact with this kind of body paint.

On occasions where liquid latex has been applied to the skin over hair it can be both difficult and painful to remove. Wet latex will bond permanently to hair as it does to fabric. The only way to remove latex with hair stuck to it is to pull it off, which of course also rips the hair off the skin. Anyone who has experienced body waxing will be familiar with the level of discomfort. The best preparation when applying liquid latex is to first remove hair from areas of the body to be painted. However, it is not always necessary as liquid latex can be removed from moderate amounts of body hair with little effort and minimum discomfort. Body hair may also be trimmed very short instead of shaving.

When buying liquid latex it is important to read the label and avoid any brand that does not specify 'for cosmetic use' or 'suitable for use as body paint'. Liquid latex is used in many other industries and you need to make sure you buy latex that does not contain toxic chemicals. Purchasing from a reputable body paint supplier is the safest way to ensure you're getting non-toxic latex suitable for skin application.

For the reasons stated above, children should be supervised by a responsible adult at all times when using this type of body paint.

Guest post from Rachel/Smile and Wave!

Rachel Denbow is a force in the blog world. She's fiercely creative, incredibly talented, and her blog is a place where I never fail to find inspiration. Rachel has also given me some wonderful advice throughout my pregnancy and for that I am so grateful. I was ecstatic when she agreed to do a little post here; she's one busy lady! So today, I'm really excited to share this post from her. I'm sure almost all of you already frequent Smile and Wave, but if you don't, head over right now and take a few moments out of your day to check out all of her fabulous photos, creative DIYs, and inspiring writing. And thank you to Rachel for being a part of Sometimes Sweet for the day!

Hello, from Smile and Wave! My name is Rachel and I've been chasing after my son, Sebastian, for 4.5 years and just celebrated my daughter, Ruby's, first birthday! We've had about five years of experience trying to find trendy, long lasting toys that fit in with our personal style and won't break the bank. Here is a round up of some of my favorite toys for babies and toddlers for the holidays!

A wooden trike that's easy on the eyes,

and this modern rocking horse.

A wooden camera with moveable parts!

The Plasma Car,

a crocheted car,

this adorable daschund pillow,

a trendy rhino teether,

this sturdy wooden dump truck,

and colorful building blocks.

I am so happy for Danielle and Hank and this exciting transition into parenthood! There is no doubt this little man is going to be well loved by his mama and papa but I have a feeling that he's going to grow up well read, too! Enjoy all of the special moments and memories you'll be creating in the following weeks. We can't wait to meet your little man!

xoxo,
Rachel