A product review and a giveaway- SimaG Jewelry!

Today, I will be doing my first product review for a beautiful and personalized jewelry courtesy of Sima Gilady. Check out what I received in the mail the other day!

My personalized jewelry beautifully tied with a red ribbon over a lovely box.

My gorgeous necklace with my Chinese name 'Yuann' on it.

A close-up of my brand new necklace.

A sweet and personal hand-written note from the jewelry designer herself, Sima Gilady!

When I got this lovely gift from Sima, I was so excited. Needless to say, I was not disappointed when I opened my gift. The necklace is clearly made with care and love. Each letters were carefully imprinted in the sterling silver disc. It is absolutely well-made and very pretty in person. The pearl on the framed rim disc is a nice addition giving the overall necklace an added visual interest. This necklace is not very long and sits slightly below my collarbone. It's perfect for layering with other longer necklaces. Simple and delicate in design, one can wear it on a daily basis with a casual top or a girly dress. Bottom line: I highly recommend this necklace for its look, quality and versatility!*

*Based on my honest and unbiased opinion.

Are you in love with my necklace yet? If you are, today is your lucky day because one lucky reader will have a chance to win a similar necklace courtesy of Sima Gilady! Sima generously offered one of Mix And Chic readers an opportunity to win one of her beautiful, unique and personalized handmade jewelry. The winner of this giveaway will get to pick their own personalized disc necklace between Little Tiny Wish (valued at $30) and Every Disc Has A Story (one disk from the framed rim disc valued at $50). The winner can choose a name in either Hebrew or English for personalization.

'Little Tiny Wish'

 'Every Disc Has A Story'

Sima's Etsy store has so much more gorgeous offerings. Below are some of my favorites:

If you are in love with Sima's jewelry and you need more than one/couldn't wait for the giveaway to end, you can purchase any of her jewelry with a 10% off discount using this speacial code: SIMAGJEWELRY10.

To enter:

1. You must be a follower of Mix And Chic's blog via Google Friend Connect.

2. You must be follower of Sima's blog or a fan of Sima's on her Facebook.

Simple, isn't it? Leave one comment when you have done both.

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

1. Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment.

2. Follow SimaG Jewelry on Twitter and leave a comment.

3. 'Like' Mix And Chic on Facebook and leave a comment.

4. 'Like' SimaG Jewelry on Facebook (if you follow Sima's blog on GFC previously) and leave a comment.

OR

Follow SimaG Jewelry on her blog (if you follow Sima's blog on Facebook previously) and leave a comment.

5. 'Heart' SimaG Jewelry Etsy store and leave a comment.

6. Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment.

7. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment.

8. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status and leave a comment.

9. Visit SimaG Jewelry Etsy store and let me know your favorite item/ items (be specific) and leave a comment.

This giveaway is open to readers worldwide. The deadline to enter is August 31st. The winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on Thursday, September 1st. Good luck, ladies!

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

Today, I am thrilled to announce the winner of the recent fabulous giveaway generously offered by Arcadian Lighting.

I used random.org to choose the winner and here it is! The lucky winner of the Arcadian Lighting $75 gift card is Pamela Ravek from OR Design!

Congratulations, Pam! I will email you shortly. Thanks to everyone who entered. To those who didn't win this time, don't despair, I have more exciting giveaways lining up shortly. So, check back often. Have a wonderful day, my lovelies!

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

Today, I am excited to announce the winner of the recent fabulous giveaway generously offered by Samantha Radkte.

I used random.org to choose the winner and here it is! The lucky winner of Samatha Kay's Jewelry is

the lovely Meera from First Sense!

Congratulations, Meera! I will email you shortly! Thanks to everyone who entered. I promise there will be more exciting giveaways lining up shortly, so check back often. Have a wonderful day, my lovelies!

Giveaway- Samantha Kay Jewelry!

What better way to start the week off than with a fabulous giveaway? I am excited to team up with Samantha Radkte to host my very first giveaway today. Samantha generously offered one of Mix And Chic readers an opportunity to win one of her unique and beautiful handmade jewelry. The winner of this giveaway will get to choose any piece from her Etsy store. Yes, you get to pick your favorite jewelry! How fabulous is that? Below are some of my favorite jewelries from her store.

To enter:

For basic entry to this fabulous giveaway, you must be a follower of both Mix and Chic and Samantha's blog via Google Friend Connect. Also, please visit Samantha's Etsy store and tell me your favorite item. Leave a comment. 

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

1. Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment.

2. Follow Samantha on Twitter and leave a comment.

3. 'Like' Mix And Chic on Facebook and leave a comment.

4. 'Like' Samantha on Facebook and leave a comment.

5. 'Heart' Samantha's Etsy store and leave a comment.

6. Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment.

7. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment.

8. Mention this giveaway on your Facebook status and leave a comment.

This giveaway is open to all readers. The prize will be shipped to the winner in any part of the world (both domestically and internationally). The deadline to enter is August 3rd. The winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on Thursday, August 4th. Good luck, ladies!

Lucky me!

Why am I lucky? You may ask. For someone who has not win anything based on pure luck for the past 30 odd years, to win not one, not two but three giveaways in a row feels pretty amazing. I find it hard to believe but I am definitely thrilled, happy and excited!

My first lucky win is a stylish American Apparel clutch, a giveaway hosted by the lovely and fashionable Linh from La-lalinh. (Thanks, Linh) The best part is I can pick my clutch in whatever color I want. I mean, how cool is that? Previously, there are not much color to choose from, so I was thinking between the white or the black. In the end, I picked the black for practicality reasons.

Below are two pictures of me taken recently at the Chicago Botanic Garden with my new clutch. The weather was supposed to be perfect that day but not long after we arrived, the weather started to get chilly. Shortly after, it began to rain. And with the little one getting fussy and noncooperative, I didn't have a chance to take more pictures, so these two were the best pictures we had that day. I wish I had a red pea coat instead so it would have a wonderful contrast with the black clutch, but oh well, my wardrobe is very limited.

What do you think of my whole look? Did I rock the clutch? I am clearly not a fashionista, so please bear with me, my lovelies. Anyway, my husband took all these pictures and I was playing the director of photography that day! :)

Up next is my second win, a giveaway hosted by the lovely Elizabeth from The Mustard Ceiling, courtesy of Radiance From Ruins. It was a pair of 20" dark pink and white geometric pillow covers. Again, I was given these three options to choose from.

Option #1

Option #2

Option #3

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I instantly knew Option #3 would look great with the rest of my pillows. I was actually looking for a pair of geometric pillows for a while and these couldn't come at a better time! And the best part is, the shipping was fast. I was pleasantly surprised because these pillow covers arrived two days after the giveaway winner was announced. Talk about great customer service! Many thanks to Elizabeth and Katie from Radiance From Ruins for the wonderful prize! The pillow covers were of good quality and heavyweight fabric and they were very well-made. I am incredibly happy with how they look in my living room. 

Aren't they perfect with the rest of my pillows? By the way, please ignore the blank walls behind my sofa. My living room is far from completed and I am still on the look out for suitable artwork or mirrors for these walls. :) When the pillow covers came in, I did not have any inserts for them so I thought of shopping for inserts that very same weekend. I ended up visiting a few furniture stores and a consignment shop.

Luckily for me, I found two pretty zebra patterned pillows at $10 a pair at the consignment shop so I bought them instantly thinking I would use them if I ever want to change my decor. I have always wanted to have a zebra patterned rug in the future so I thought these pillows will come in handy. After I got home, I thought maybe I can take out my zebra pillow covers and replaced them with my two new pillow covers so I can save some money instead of finding two new inserts. Unfortunately, the inserts didn't come with a cover and they were just filled with polyfill stuffing. I thought it will be a hassle to take them all out and stuff them back inside the two new pillow covers. So I just took the new pillow covers and cover them over the zebra pillows. Fortunately, they are the same size and they fit perfectly! Yay! As always, everything worked out in the end.

Next up, my third win, a giveaway hosted by the talented designer, Caitlin Creer, courtesy of Plum Street Prints. Now, Plum Street Prints is a darling shop selling printable art and iPhone cases run by two sweet girls. Their designs are modern, affordable and chic. Best of all, everything in their shop is customizable from designs, colors, names and initials.

I love most prints in their shop but in the end, I decided to go with Boy's Monogrammed "Conversation" Children's Print because I need some modern and stylish artwork for my son, Isaac's future bedroom. I contacted the girls, Lori and Shannon at Plum Street Prints and tell them my favorite print, my preferred background and colors. These wonderful girls quickly worked their design magic and came up with these four choices below for me to choose from. I thought the design from the first row on the left was what I had imagined in my head, so I picked that one although the rest was quite adorable, too.

Which one would you pick if you were me?

The final design.

In case anyone is interested with any of Lori and Shannon's prints at Plum Street Prints, let me reassure you, these girls are a breeze to work with. They are very patient, accommodating and efficient! I have yet to print this artwork but I am sure it will be pretty fabulous! Many thanks to Caitlin Creer for hosting this great giveaway and my sincere thanks to Lori and Shannon, for this awesome print! I love this print very much!

So, there you have it, my three wins in these few weeks! Among these giveaways, which one is your favorite?

The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award!

Thanks to the lovely Kate from Travelmoon for this wonderful award. I feel truly honored. Kate's blog is filled with a great mix of fabulous travels, amazing photographs, stylish fashions and chic decor. And each visit to her blog is always full of surprises and inspirations.

And with this award, I am required to share 7 random facts about myself and pass along this award to 15 other blogs.

Fun facts about me:

1. For some unknown reason, most strangers think I am a teenager or someone in her early 20s. For example, when strangers knocked on our door, the first thing they asked when they see me is, "Are your parents home?" When I tell them I am the homeowner, they look puzzled, maybe thinking I was playing a prank on them or something. Some said they thought I looked 16. The other day while I was at the Banana Republic outlet applying for a credit card, a supervisor (I assumed) asked me how old I am. I felt slightly uncomfortable, so I asked her why. She then asked me if I was over 18 because only those above 18 years old can apply for a credit card. I told her I am definitely over 18 and I am already a mom. Her reply was,"You looked very young." Hmm...sometimes, I wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing. For anyone wondering, I just turned 31 this April.

2. I love watching comedies, thriller and horror movies. 

3. I can walk for a few hours (even while heavily pregnant) but I can't run for 15 minutes straight. 

4. I have never read a single romantic novel in my entire life. Perhaps I am too much of a tomboy to appreciate such stories.

5. I am obsessed with anything to do with birds. Bird nests, bird eggs, bird figurines and birds decor, etc.

6. I do not have a proper beauty routine but I do put on make-up when I go out. I don't use any cleansers, toner or whatnots. I don't even use any moisturizer until I met my husband years ago. He introduced it to me and I wear it mostly before applying makeup for easier application. Believe it or not, I have not had any facial treatments either.

7. I am afraid of the dark and I would start to imagine horrifying images when all lights were out. How ironic is it for someone who enjoys watching horror movies?

Hopefully, you enjoyed reading about the little quirky things about me. And now, I am passing the award to other fabulous blogs. And now, 'The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award' goes to:

1. Anya Adores

2. The Vintique Object

3. The Mustard Ceiling

4. Spicer And Bank

5. Wish You Were Here

6. La-La Linh

7. A La Mode

8. Bird On A Wire

9. My Beautiful Life

10. Gold & Gray

11. Decor Is Like Butter

12. BrideBlu

13. Rooms Of Inspiration

14. Good Life Of Design

15. Style In The City

My first mood board!

I have always wanted to make my own mood board but I didn't know how. Many bloggers mentioned that they used Polyvore to create their mood boards so today, I gave it a try. Needless to say, I really love it. However, there is one problem. I couldn't import images from other websites despite attempting to use the 'clipper' function a few times. I followed the instructions closely but this is what I got instead, "Sorry! Items from polyvore.com may not be imported." Have any of you encountered this problem? Do you have any idea how to fix it? 

Anyway, since I am very determined to learn how to do this, I created a mood board using the limited items I found on the website and this is what I came up with. For paint color on the walls , I would use a lighter shade of gray using 'Farrow & Ball Pavilion Gray 242' but any brand of interior paint with a similar shade will do.

'Farrow & Ball Pavilion Gray 242'

via

My mood board.

Modern, chic and glamorous living space.

Modern, Chic & Glamorous Living Space by www.mixandchic.com featuring hot pink handbags

Kate Spade hot pink handbag
$275 - zappos.com

Sahara Frame Indoor-Outdoor Rug | Crate&Barrel
$13 - crateandbarrel.com

Starburst Mirror
$199 - crateandbarrel.com

Haley Table Lamp
$249 - crateandbarrel.com

Regency Pink Fabric Cushion
25 GBP - habitat.co.uk

Vivacious Embroidered Linen Pillow in Pink by Trina Turk Modern Chic...
$140 - modernchichome.com

Seyhan Özdemir & Sefer Çaglar pumpkin side table
$2,195 - hivemodern.com

Orchids in Round Mosaic Mirrored Planter - Topiaries And Silk Plants -...
homedecorators.com

Spool Accent Table

$199 - crateandbarrel.com

via

What do you think? Please note that all items in my mood board are not done according to scale. This is my first attempt with mood board and I did it solely for fun.

Anyway, to all experienced Polyvore users out there, if you know any other ways to import items from other websites to Polyvore, please let me know. Also, do you know any good websites or wonderful software that provide similar functions? Any feedbacks and suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

The Versatile Blogger Award!

Many thanks to the lovely Michelle from Ispirato Design for this award. Michelle, it is very sweet and kind of you to present me with this award. I feel truly honored. I also enjoy visiting Michelle's blog because her blog is always full of gorgeous inspirations.

Once again, similar to the Stylish Blogger Award and the One Lovely Blog Award, I am required to reveal 7 interesting facts about myself.

1. My all time favorite color is green. I knew it was my favorite color even when I was a child because when I see green objects, it makes me really happy. Other colors are beautiful too but they didn't evoke any emotions like green does. I remembered the first time I felt in love with green, it all started with the green grasses. To me, green is like a breath of fresh air. Do any of you love green as much as I do?

2. I have a topiary obsession. I like them because they are green (obviously) and they are manicured to perfection. Being a perfectionist, I just love anything that looks perfect and symmetry. Since owning a home a few years ago, I have been buying so much topiaries, from small topiaries (about 1 feet) to bigger topiaries (about 4 feet). Now, I have 9 topiaries which included artificial green and brown ones and those preserved ones in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Crazy, I know.

3. As much as I love interior design and all things decor related, I do not read design blogs till a few months ago. I knew blogs existed since year 2003/2004 but all I read are food blogs, personal blogs and fashion blogs. Do you see a pattern here? Have you noticed how weird I am?

4. I remembered the first thing that inspired me. It is the four color combinations I see in a banner in a mall when I was a kid, about 5 or 6 years old. Those colors are red, yellow, blue and green. I was so inspired with these four color combos that I chanted these four colors repeatedly (but quietly) until I got home from the mall because I want to remember it. You know how kids have coloring books and that sort of thing, so with my "new found knowledge about colors", I would make sure I color everything in those four colors to create the most impact. If I need to introduce a new color to that color combo, I will start with orange then purple. When I thought I found a "formula" for something, I tend to use it again and again.

5. I am a collector. Because I don't have much toys as a child, I tend to collect things. I have collected colored feathers, stickers, foreign coins and currencies, stamps, first day covers, bookmarks and anything I deemed beautiful and adorable at that time. I am still very much a collector till these days. Besides topiaries, I love collecting Parade of Cows figurines, watches, office magnets, etc.

6. I do strange things during strange hours. I have found myself cleaning the microwave or the oven at odd hours, say 1 am or 2 am at some nights before I go to bed simply because I discovered a tiny stain and I feel the need to get rid of it right away. And that tiny stain lead to deep cleaning usually.

7. I can play the piano but not at a performance level. I have passed the Grade 5 practical examination and the Grade 6 theory examination. I also passed a duet examination (Grade 6 with distinction). I love playing my favorite songs but I hate practicing. I wanted to learn how to play the piano when I first saw someone played it beautifully in a movie.

Hopefully, you enjoyed reading bits and pieces of quirky little facts about me. And now, 'The Versatile Blogger Award' goes to:

1. My Beautiful Life

2. First Sense

3. V T Interiors

4. Decor Is Like Butter

5. Blurry Bright

6. Santi Royal Home

7. Travel Moon

8. Seven Seven Inspire

9. Wishful Thinking

10. The Short And Sweet Of It

11. Sublime Home

12. Swirls Of Happy

13. B For Bel

14. Homestilo

15. A Casa Dava

When you get a chance, please visit these fabulous blogs. They are my daily dose of inspirations. I am sure these blogs will inspire you, too.