Giveaway- Pillows By Dezign!

Today, I am absolutely thrilled to partner with Pillows By Dezign to host a fabulous giveaway!

Pillows By Dezign offers designer decorative throw pillows at an affordable price being only $59 including the down/ feather blend form. Each pillows are sewn here in the United States. The best part of all? If you couldn't find the perfect pillow for your home, you can create your own custom pillow using any designer fabrics from popular brands such as Schumacher, Robert Allen, Duralee, Osborne & Little, Ralph Lauren Home and more!

In case you haven't heard, Pillows By Dezign is a designer's favorite. Even The Nate Berkus Show used 10 of their pillows on one of their segment last week! Want to know why? Just take a look at these stylish and beautiful pillows and you will know why!

Throw Pillows

Lumbar Pillows

Bed Pillows

Outdoor Pillows

Now, my lovely readers, you are in luck because Pillows By Dezign generously offered one of Mix And Chic readers an opportunity to win a $65 gift certificate, which means you can pick anything from their wonderful website! 

The great news doesn't stop there because Pillows By Dezign is also offering all Mix And Chic readers a 15% off total purchases made during November 25 (Friday) through November 27 (Sunday). Just mention the coupon code mixandchic during checkout to receive your discount. Mark your calender, this sale will only last for 3 days!

To enter:

You must be a resident of the United States. (sorry, my international readers)

Step 1: Be a follower of Mix And Chic blog via Google Friend Connect.

Step 2: 'Like' Pillows By Dezign on Facebook.

Step 3: Please visit Pillows By Dezign's website and let me know which pillow you would pick if you win.

P/S: Don't miss Step 1 through Step 3 to be eligible for this giveaway. Leave a comment when you have done all the 3 steps above. One basic entry.

For additional entries: (an extra entry for each of the following)

1. 'Like' Mix And Chic on Facebook and leave a separate comment. (if you are already following, please leave a separate comment to let me know as well)

2. 'Follow' Pillows By Dezign on Twitter and leave a separate comment.

3. 'Follow' Mix And Chic on Twitter and leave a separate comment. (if you are already following, please leave a separate comment to let me know as well)

4. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status (include a link back to this post) and leave a separate comment.

5. Tweet about this giveaway (include a link back to this post) and leave a separate comment.

6. Blog about this giveaway (include a link back to this post) and leave a separate comment.

The deadline for entries is Wednesday, November 23, 2011. The winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on Thursday, November 24, 2011 (Thanksgiving Day). Good luck!

*A sponsored post.

Guest feature at Splendid Willow!

Today, I am at one of my friends, Monika's blog, Splendid Willow along with a few other talented ladies to share our 2 cents on a design trend we are loving at the moment. Please hop over and check out her lovely blog when you get a chance. I am sure you will love all her interesting posts!

Here is a sneak peek of the feature: My 2 Cents On A Design Trend I Heart (Via Fab Friends)

By the way, Monika also has a new and stylish store 'Splendid Willow Avenue'. Every item is handpicked by her. Check out some of my favorite items from her beautiful store! 

Don't forget to check out my feature. See you there! Thank you Monika for having me over!

A product review and a giveaway- Children Inspire Design Vintage Alphabet Cards!

A couple of weeks ago, I received a set of beautiful Vintage Alphabet Cards from the kind people at Children Inspire Design. Children Inspire Design is a product line of modern, eco-friendly and culturally diverse wall art, wall cards and posters full of whimsy, designed to help children learn compassion for our earth and all who inhabits it. Artist, mother and social entrepreneur, Rebecca Peragine, has combined her passion for global design with her desire to inspire children to celebrate eco-consciousness and the beauty of different world cultures.

I always love products that emphasize the importance of global responsibility and I am so glad to receive the Vintage Alphabet Cards from this amazing store. Below are some pictures I took from some of the alphabet cards.

These beautiful alphabet cards are well made, the colors are vibrant and I always love a modern interpretation of a vintage retro design.

A close-up on one of the cards.

I already have a few ideas on how to incorporate these alphabet cards in my son's room. My first thought is hanging them on a clothesline like this:

Or perhaps framing the alphabet cards individually using a white picture frame for each card to make a design statement as the focal point in the room. This will be a more time consuming approach but the effect will be fabulous, don't you think? Do you have any other ideas to use these pretty cards in a room?

The full set of the Vintage Alphabet Wall Cards.

I really adore these vintage modern alphabet cards, they are so charming and they are made with good quality paper as well. Like all products on their website, they are made in the USA with recycled paper and earth-friendly inks. What's not to love?

*Based on my honest and unbiased opinion. 

By the way, here are some of my favorite products from their fabulous store. Adorable, aren't they?

If you have a moment, you should definitely check out Children Inspire Design's blog as well. They have included so many fun and fabulous FREE downloads on their blog. The art freebies are my favorite!

Now, the fun part! Children Inspire Design decided to offer the same Vintage Alphabet Cards to one of Mix And Chic readers, too. 

To enter:

1. You must be a resident of the United States or Canada.

2. Be a follower of Mix And Chic blog via Google Friend Connect, visit Children Inspire Design and let me know your favorite product. (one entry)

For additional entries (An extra entry for each of the following):

1. Follow me on Twitter and leave a separate comment. (if you are already following, please leave a separate comment too to let me know)

2. Follow Children Inspire Design on Twitter and leave a separate comment.

3. 'Like' Mix And Chic on Facebook and leave a separate comment.  (if you are already following, please leave a separate comment too to let me know)

4. 'Like' Children Inspire Design on Facebook and leave a separate comment. 

5. Blog about this giveaway (include a link back to this post) and leave a separate comment.

6. Tweet about this giveaway (include a link back to this post) and leave a separate comment.

The deadline for entries is November 23rd, 2011. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on Thursday, November 24th 2011. Good luck!

And the winner of the giveaway is ..........

I am excited to announce the winner of the recent fabulous giveaway generously offered by Two Lumps Of Sugar.

I used random.org to draw a winner and here it is! The lucky winner of the stylish hanging travel kit is

the lovely Maria from One Style At A Time. 

Congratulations, Maria. I will email you shortly. Thanks to everyone who entered. There will be many more  fantastic giveaways coming up soon. So, check back often. Have a gorgeous day, my lovelies!

The Inside Scoop- Furniture Store (The White Attic) in Chicago, Illinois.

Last Saturday, we made a trip to Chicago for dim sum in Chinatown again. When the drive is more than 2 hours back and forth between our home and Chinatown, I always take the opportunity to visit my favorite furniture stores in the surrounding areas. On that day, we managed to visit The White Attic, Brimfield and West Elm. I took some pictures at The White Attic and Brimfield, but none at West Elm because it was already quite late at night and I need to put the little one to bed early. I managed to grab a few things at West Elm and then, we had to head home.

Today, I wanted to show you the pictures I took while I was at The White Attic. The White Attic is a small furniture store that offers refinished furniture, mostly mid-century pieces and home accessories such as table lamps, mirrors, artwork, boxes and vases.

What I love about this store is the unique vintage pieces they acquired. I also like how they refurnished each piece of furniture and give it a modern spin whether it is a bold contrasting colors inside the drawers or bold new paint color on outside. The end results? The refurbished pieces look fresh and brand new with a classic twist.

The store owner, Terry told me he handpicked every item in the store himself. When he started the business, he would refurnish each pieces himself but currently, he had a team of two guys to help him. Apart from their beautiful vintage pieces, another unique offering from this store is none other than 'The Lamp Bar'. Customers can design their own table lamps using the selection of bases, shades, fabrics and base colors available. The best part is you can mix and match your table lamp on their website to see how it looks beforehand or you can choose to buy it online. They also offer free shipping anywhere in the continental U.S. So awesome, don't you think?

Now, let's take a look at some of the pictures I snapped the other day, shall we?

What do you think about these pieces? Do you have a favorite? Personally, I love 90% of the things I see in this store. If I have the means, I would buy so many pieces from here. You should definitely check them out if you live in the area.

Here is their store address:

5225 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60640.

I have been there several times and Terry, the store owner couldn't be more friendly and helpful during each of my visits. That day I asked him if I can take pictures inside his store so I can feature it on my blog. He said yes and then he asked about my blog. He checked it out right there and then. He also complimented on my mood boards, how sweet of him!

If you are interested to know more about this store and their products, please visit their website. I hope you enjoyed this feature because I have another one coming up next week! So, stay tuned!

Disclaimer: The author of this blog did not receive any monetary payment or compensation associated with this particular post.

My living room revealed!

As promised, I am going to post more pictures of my living room today! I have never published any pictures of my home previously because not a single room is completed. For some reason, I decided to decorate my living room first, perhaps it is my most favorite room. The beautiful vaulted ceilings, the charming stone fireplace and the wall of closets in the living room are some of the great features that stole my heart when I first saw this home. We bought this home after relocating from North Carolina last year. 

Being a young family and living in a household with only a single income, we do not have a generous budget to work when it comes to decorating. Therefore, every piece of furniture and accessories you see in the following pictures are purchases made from big box stores, mostly bought during sales or clearances. 

 I have always love fashion (my ambition was to be a fashion designer when I was 9) so when I saw these inexpensive illustrated fashion prints earlier this year, I had to buy them. The prints are stand-ins for now. (I have other ideas for the fireplace mantel.)

Speaking about stand-ins, the chair, the faux plant and the terracotta warrior figurine are temporary solutions in the living room as well. I am still looking for the perfect piece for this little corner. 

I know what you must be thinking. Yes, the television is huge. Our previous living room was quite spacious so we opted for a bigger tv. I love this furniture layout but in reality, the white sofa faces the tv. I hope to get another sofa or two more chairs (that faces the television) in the future so I can retain this layout.

A closer look at my coffee table vignette. I have a few accessories lying around the house so I just put this together in a jiffy to create some visual interest. What do you think?

We took some pictures of our living room before we moved in but the pictures were missing. Anyway, to give you a general idea of how our living room looks like previously, here is an image from the real estate website.

The previous owner's vision for the living room: 

Not my furniture or my entertainment unit.

When we first saw the house, there is this orange and red color blocking on the walls. The orange paint continued on both sides of the fireplace. The other walls are mostly painted in beige with the exception of an interesting mural across the tv wall. (We lost the mural wall pictures, I will update this post again once I find the pictures.) Blinds were installed in majority of the windows in this house including the sliding glass door (with vertical blinds) that leads to the outdoor deck. Of course, we have changed things since we moved in. 

My vision for the living room:

Here it is!

My design process was fairly simple. I had a general furniture layout idea in my head and then, I started to do some window shopping. When I shop, I don't always have any specific pieces in my mind, I just went with what I like and thought might look good in the space while hunting bargains along the way. The room evolves over a period of more than seven months with some older pieces from our previous home as well. Without a doubt, this room will continue to evolve and I will definitely post updates when something changes!

The resources:

Wall paint: Taupe Tone (7633) from Sherwin Williams

Fashion prints: $29.90 each from HomeGoods

Topiaries: $40 each, on sale (discontinued) from Target

Orchid: $10, on sale from Home Depot

Picture frame: $3.48, on sale from Target

White stools: $129 each, from CB2

Chair: $350 from Bombay Company (now closed)

Terracotta warrior figurine: $50, on clearance from  Bombay Company (now closed)

Faux plant: $150 from Bombay Company (now closed)

Olive green curtains: $34.95 per panel on clearance(discontinued) from Crate & Barrel

Area rug (5'x 8'): $350 (discontinued) plus shipping from CB2

Acrylic coffee table: $249 from CB2

Branch sculpture: $28 (discounted and discontinued) from Chiasso 

Yellow bowl: $2/$3 from Marshalls

Small faux plant: $5 from Marshalls

White tray: $29 from West Elm

Birdcage bank: $29.90 (discontinued) from Z Gallerie

Spotlight floor lamp: $75, on sale from Chiasso

Bird prints: $12.99 each from HomeGoods

Faux apples: $6/$7 from HomeGoods

TV/Storage combination: $349 from Ikea

White boxes: $4.99 (2 per pack) from Ikea

Red bowl: $29.99 from Ikea

Tall vase: $9.99 from Ikea

Medium vase: $7.99 from Ikea

Small vase: $4.99 from Ikea

Black crow: $12/$13(discontinued) from CB2

White faux leather sofa: Less than $900 (tax, assembly and delivery included) on sale from Chiasso

Striped decorative pillows: $15 each, on clearance (discontinued) from Z Gallerie

Now Panic And Freak Out Pillow: $18.99 from HomeGoods

Pink geometric pillow covers: Gifted (giveaway win) from Radiance From Ruins

I hope you enjoy my living room tour. My wonderful readers, thank you for all the lovely comments yesterday! You guys are simply the best!

If you are interested to know how I scored my sofa and floor lamp below regular price, read here.

If you need help decorating your home, please click here for further information regarding my design services. 

Featured on House Of Fifty!

The third and newest issue of House Of Fifty is out! Have you seen it yet? In this special holiday issue, there are chock-full of wonderful interior inspirations, fun fashion, holiday gift ideas, delicious holiday recipes and more!

The best part of all? I am being featured on House Of Fifty. I am still so incredibly excited! It has been hard for me to keep this a secret from all of you for months but I decided to do it anyway because I want this to be a complete surprise! Well, surprise no more, you can now check out my feature on page 144. There, you will find my never before published living room pictures on 'Why Do We Love Her Blog' segment, a regular feature in House Of Fifty! 

As a special treat, I will post a few more pictures of my living room and resources tomorrow, so stay tuned!