My Creative Blog:
Contest

YOU GUYS, the countdown is officially on. Yup, that's right. You have only a few days to enter your best project for the chance of a lifetime to work with your favorite blogger and earn awesome prizes. Just to prove it to you, (and because we love some crunch-time project drama) here's the official countdown:

Did you know that we waited until literally the last hour to submit our project? We had done this piece of barnwood art for one of our Nate Show episodes, and weren't technically allowed to post about it yet, but we were dying to be a part of the contest so we slipped it in just under the wire.

So, we totally get it if you're major procrastinators like us. Or, if you need some additional encouragement because you're a little nervous or afraid your stuff isn't good enough, here it is: JUST DO IT! This contest could be a major boost to your blogging career! Just trust us about this. After we won this contest, we got a whole lot more traffic and made a name for ourselves. And you know the awesome Mandi, from Vintage Revivals? She won this contest too, and we all know how incredible her blog is now. Don't waste anymore time. Enter your project here right now!

Also, I bet you might not have known that, YOU (our awesome readers), have the power to select the 12th contestant in this contest! How, you ask? Take a peek at all the fabulous entries and click through for the tutorials.

I know! Isn't that so fun? So, go ahead and tell all your friends to come vote for your project. I mean, really, who wouldn't want to be Miss Popular?? We are so excited about this contest, and already have a few favorites as we click through to see them all!!
We'll be keeping you updated on all the last minute CWTS excitement on Facebook, so make sure you've liked our page or do it right here… we double dog dare you!

Tell us: which project is YOUR fav so far, and which STAR would you most like to work with if you get the chance?

We can hardly believe it, but we're in full planning mode for 2014's Season of Creating with the Stars! We had so much fun hosting the world's best DIY blogger contest last year and of course we're planning to make it BIGGER and BETTER for the upcoming year! Remember how awesome last year's winner's projects were? Sarah Dorsey has mad talent and has had a huge year of success! If you haven't checked out her blog- umm do it!

Even though CWTS won't begin until Feb. 2014, we wanted some input from all of you! Tell Us… What Blog Star would ROCK your world?

Here's last year's epic line up…1- Sherry from Young House Love 2- Whitney & Ashley from Shanty 2 Chic
3- Brooke from All Things Thrifty 4- Jane from Tatertots and Jello
5- Sarah from Thrifty Decor Chick 6- Beckie from Infarrantly Creative
7- Mandi from Vintage Revivials 8- Jamielyn from I Heart Naptime
9- Shaunna from Perfectly Imperfect 10- Beth from Home Stories A to Z
11- Kari from U Create 12- Brittany from Pretty Handy Girl
If you could pick anyone under the sun, who would you choose to be your STAR? Let us know in a comment below, and it just might happen. We can be pretty persuasive when we want to!

PS: We have the winners of our 10K Fan Giveaway…are you ready?
Grand Prize of the $200 gift card from Wayfair.com goes to Kristen Derstein!
2nd Prize that includes gifts of $50 to Royal Design Studio Stencils, $50 to Gussy Sews Shop, and $35 to Vintage Vinyl Journals goes to Carrie Summerlin!
3rd Prize that includes gifts of $50 to Frog Prince Cake & Cookie Design, a $32.00 Mila Rose Designs headband, and $100.00 to HorseFeathers Gifts goes to Priscilla!
We're so happy with the results of the giveaway, a big thank you to everyone who entered and thanks again for helping us reach 10K on Facebook. Congrats to our winners, you will be contacted by email with the details.

A little over two weeks ago we announced the Shout it from the Rooftops Giveaway. The prize was 2 tickets to the The Nate Berkus Show for our live taping on September 1st.

We are so grateful to all of you who entered and shared your love for our blog with your friends and family, and sometimes, even strangers. But, we have a clear winner. It's so great, actually, that we thought it deserved it's own post (the one you're reading now, in case you were wondering).
The winners are…
Dave & Adrienne R. I don't want to waste any more words, so just check out their awesome job for yourself:

. Here's what Dave had to say about his submission: "We wore our shirts around as much as possible in public for roughly 15 days and this is our fun way of putting it all together. It was kind of a Messiah College stinky pants meets flat stanley kind of thing."

Thank you SO much, Dave and Adrienne, for all the hard work you did promoting our blog. We can't wait to see you in NYC!

*Filmed by Nick Orachietti of West Chester Media
*Song called"Something" by Two Door Cinema Club

We made it to Friday! Phew… it was a crazy one in my world! It was actually my last full week off before heading back to school. Boo! Since it was my last week off, I spent lots of time in the evenings catching up on some of my favorite blogs. Today, I'm sharing one with you.

This super-cool blogger has a style very similar to my own and I wanted to share one amazing room re-do she recently did as part of a contest. Before

Amazing After

Awesome isn't it? Head on over to Mandi's blog to see more pictures and get all the details. Also, be sure to check out her cool Anthropologie inspired acid mirrors. They're fabulously cool!
Ok, I'm off to enjoy my last few days of"teacher summer vacation." Have a great weekend and don't forget to enter our Meet Nate Contest!

(For Monica and Jess!)

Well, this is really exciting.

Source
The wonderful people at the Nate Berkus Show have given us TWO EXTRA TICKETS to the show we'll be taping on September 1st in New York City!

Source That could be YOU sitting in the audience within an arm's reach of Mr. Cutiepie himself! (And note to self: do not wear super low-cut top, ie: woman in white shirt below Nate. Who knows what might hang out that you don't want seen on tv?)
Shout it From the Rooftops Contest This is a spread-the-word contest. We want to see what creative ways you can tell the world about The Nate Show and our Debut! This is a totally subjective contest… no Random.org involved! We're picking the winner based on pure awesomeness!!
Interested? Here's what you need to do to score these tickets:
Creatively Spread the word about The Real Housewives of BC being on The Nate Show. (Ex: Rent a highway bilboard, Make us your Facebook status for 15 days straight, Get a tattoo announcing the big news and head to the beach, you get the idea…)

You have 15 days to be as creative as you can and to reach as many people as possible. We're looking for quality and quantity and we're sure we'll get a few laughs in there too! We have a tentative date for the tv airing of the episode, but it's not concrete, so you need to direct people to the blog and facebook to find out when. We'll let you work out the details on your own. We told The Nate Show producers that our readers would do an insane job promoting this upcoming episode of their show, so make us proud, and we'll thank you in person in NYC!!
To Enter: you need to email us and let us know what you've done to spread the word (therealhousewivesofbc@gmail.com ) We'd also LOVE to see a picture of what you've done. The Nate Show wants to see it too! Who knows, maybe you'll be their next guests??!!?? All entries must be recieved by August 15th. We'll be looking over all the entries and annoucing the winner on Wednesday, August 17th!
The Prize: The Winner will get TWO tickets to the September 1st live taping of The Nate Show! We'll both be there and will be so excited to meet you!! (If for some reason you can't make the 9/1 show, let us know a date that works and we'll get you tickets for that show instead). Sorry we can't fly you there or anything fancy-schmancy, but we would if we could!
So, Who's going to win? Who's coming to NYC with us?? Leave us some comment love and let us know if you're ready to WIN!

Today we're super excited to have Bethany from Blossom Bands guest blogging for us. We asked her to share her story of how she turned a hobby into an awesomely successful, work-from-home business. She's a super cool example of what moms can do! We know you'll love her story and her fabulous products as well (you just might win some)!!

Hi! My name is

Bethany and I am the owner of Blossom Bands! What started off as a hobby has truly become a great adventure that has introduced me into a whole new world of homemade goodies!

It feels like yesterday that I found out I was having a girl, and that was the very beginning of my little girl accessory obsession! I remember the ultrasound tech said “It’s a girl” and do you know the first thing I said was, “Thank God I don’t have to worry about a circumcision!” Ha, who says that!? Well, I guess, I do! Then, the thought settled in, a girl, a beautiful, perfect girl! I nstantly, I was beyond excited to fill her closet and drawers with everything girlie I could get my hands on …and so it started! The first thing I ever made for Calia was a navy blue organza blossom for Thanksgiving. It matched her dress perfectly! I knew it was cute, I was excited to make her more, but when people started commenting on how great it was, the real excitement grew! Before I knew it I was researching ideas, self teaching myself how to make everything I make now! I started dying bands myself, cutting everything by hand, and suffering many needle pricks and glue gun burns! I’m proud that I do everything on my own, I’m proud that I taught myself, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come since November 2010!

In January my website-savvy husband launched http://www.blossombands.com/ and we worked on setting up our Facebook account right after that. I worked and worked on inventory, creating close to 200 products ready to sell! They’re all long gone now, and everything is made to order. I’ve tried to add new items since then, introducing tutu’s and new designs and styles regularly.

I don’t know when I really noticed how successful my little venture was becoming, it seemed to happen overnight! I have people contact me frequently to carry Blossom Bands on their websites or in their stores. I’m in awe of the amazing photographers I’ve been blessed to have photograph my work, like Heidi Hope Photography or Melissa DeCastro Photography who were the first I reached out to. The day I got an email from Piggy Toes Photography to swap a free photo session for Blossom Band props I really got excited! Blossom Bands has grown so fast so quickly, and Facebook has played a huge part in that! Networking, who knew!? I didn’t!

I did this for Calia, because I wanted to make her fun accessories. My children are my world, and have been since I had my son in February of ’07. The one thing I find myself struggling with is time! I am not a sit around and watch TV all day Mom! I’m an “everybody up, everybody get dressed, everybody in the car” kind of Mom. I go places with them; the beach, the zoo, the park, picnics, sandbox adventures, and playdates weekly. It’s hard finding a balance between a business that now demands a lot of time, and being a stay at home Mom. When do I work?!? Nap time & bed time! It works for now! And I know that there is a chance of a third baby in my future which might slow me down a bit, but my number one priority is my family…and then I think, can you imagine how amazing Blossom Bands will be when they’re all in school!? It’s going to be huge, and I hope you stick around to watch Blossom Bands blossom, Ha! So, thanks for letting me share a little bit of my story with you. And, as I finish writing this, I look up to see my son wearing half his clothes and fairy wings and my daughter stomping blueberries into my white rug, and still I know, it’s going to be a good day!
Because Bethany Rocks, she's giving away a Custom Blossom Band to one of our readers!! To enter to win,"Like" The Real Housewives of Bucks County and Blossom Bands on Facebook by clicking HERE and HERE. Then, leave a comment here on the blog letting us know you did!
The winner will be announced Friday morning, with our Fab Find! Good Luck!

Gooooood morning, friends!We’ve got a special surprise for you today… who doesn’t love a little friendly competition and GIVEAWAY?!?! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The premise of this contest stems from the fact that all of us are guilty of Pinning an idea without ever checking the source… guilty as charged! But there are likely pins on your boards that are from your favorite bloggers, and you don’t even know it! (Are we right? C'mon, admit it.) And that’s where the contest comes in:

Here’s the line-up! Such an amazing group of bloggers that we wrangled!!

And below are projects from each blogger (including us!) that you’ve likely seen viral all over Pinterest!

Before we get to the rules, can we talk about how RYOBI is giving away $800 worth of POWER TOOLS? Just in time for Father’s Day!

Perfect timing if you ask us.

$400 RYOBI Giftcard goes to our randomly selected winner, and $400 RYOBI Giftcard goes to the first person to correctly match up all 16 bloggers with the correct projects! (there will be a randomly drawn winner in addition to the winner of the contest, so you should enter both ways!)
When you click on the Contest Form (at the bottom of this post), it will direct you to a page that will show you an image of the project, and a drop-down menu of bloggers. You just go down the line and select away! Some projects you probably know already, but some you may need to snoop around blog-land to find!We call this blog-hopping, and it’s highly encouraged in the blogging world.

Here’s the links to the home page of each blog (in no particular order). Now get busy!

1. Sawdust and Embryos
2. All Things Thrifty
3. Interiors by Kenz
4. Whatever Blog
5. Home Stories A to Z
6. Sarah M. Dorsey Designs
7. Twist Me Pretty
8. The Idea Room
9. DIY Village
10. Pretty Handy Girl
11. Domestic Imperfection
12. One Good Thing
13. Kara Paslay Designs
14. Nine Red
15. Vintage Revivals
16. East Coast Creative

a Rafflecopter giveaway

• One entry per person, per entry method.
• Winner of matching contest will be emailed, and publicly announced on Facebook.
• Winner of random-drawing giveaway will be announced on Father’s Day here on the blog, as well as Facebook.
• Be sure to hop over to RYOBI Nation and check out some amazing inspirational projects!
• Be AWESOME today!! (that’s a given)

This contest/giveaway is in NO WAY affiliated with Pinterest or Facebook, and we hereby release them of any liability related to this promotion, the receipt of prize winnings, etc. The giveaway prize has been generously provided by RYOBI Nation. All prizes will be mailed by the sponsor and all participating blog owners are not held responsible if the prize is not fulfilled. Giveaway starts Monday 6/10/13 at 5am est and ends at midnight on Saturday 6/15/13. Alternate entry available by sending your entry via email to wehopeyouwin@gmail.com. Winner will be announced on Sunday 6/16/13 and will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prize, or another winner will be chosen.Winner must be 18 years of age or older and a US citizen in order to win. May the force be with you.
Good Luck, guys!! Thanks for playing along!

Don't Try This at Home This mother's day weekend, I had a DIY happy mother's day to me project planned. I bought two inexpensive Adirondack chairs and planned to make them fabulous.

I was all geared up for a perfect DIY, camera in hand

I planned to use this cute paper on the back of the chair and then seal it with mod podge.

However, I forgot that I am a lefty, living in a right-handed world. I stink at cutting! I went through five pairs of scissors before I realized this was NOT working out.

I actually texted Jess a picture of the blister I got from using these dreadful scissors!

Oh, but look how cute this could look. What you can't tell from this picture is that it took me nearly an hour and a half to do that one strip and I had 11 more to do! (I might have been a little OCD and trying to get it perfect!)

I did two more strips and then decided this was a DIY not to try! I quit and peeled off all the paper. Blah!
Do Try This at Home! We're in the middle of the Design Challeng{ed} contest, and we want your pictures! Use the menu tab above to get all the details. Take a picture that shows your challenge room and you could win a professional design consultation by ME! What? What has this lady ever designed? Good question, and one we thought we should answer for you!
Although, I now only do design work on the side, I loved the years I spent making staging and design my occupation. The majority of the homes that I worked in were vacant or semi-vacant. I used a combination of the homeowner's belongings and rental furniture. Having a staged room makes a big impact on a potential buyer. Another home looking Empty and Blah

Simple Staging and ready for buyers!

The tricky part to staging is that you're not designing the room based on your preferences, (or even mine as the designer) we worked off of the demographics of potential buyers and the feel of the space.

This room isn't my personal style, but it was the right look for this high-end condo on the Main Line.

We're really excited to work with our Design Challeng{ed} winner. We hope that this mini portfolio peek gets you excited to think about a room makeover in your home!
So, my advice is to pass on the Adirondack DIY, and instead to use your time taking pictures and entering the Design Challeng{ed} contest so we can work together designing the perfect space for you! Good Luck!

P.S. Don't forget that you can enter the Design Challeng{ed} contest even if you're not in Bucks County! Virtual design is all the rage and this"cyber teacher" has all the right technology to make it happen for you!

Linked up to: The Stories of A to Z, Tip Junkie

Well, Monica and I have been putting in some late nights trying to improve our blog, increase functionality, and perfect our"look". We're pretty happy with it so far, but it will continue to be a work in progress. (Feedback would be lovely, thank you.;) So, here is What's New on our blog!
Page Tabs : Underneath our header you'll see we've added a few new pages for you to browse through. Make sure you check out the ever-growing list of blogs we love and sneak a peek at our cute and crazy families! Also, we'd love to hear from you, so if you have questions, feedback or just want to chat, send us an email through our"contact us" tab.
Post Finder: We've made it easier than ever for you to find a post according to topic. Just click on any of the titles to the right and you'll be taken directly to all of our posts that are related to that topic (ie: DIY).
Follow Us: You can follow us by clicking on the tabs to the left, either by email or via RSS. And, please, please, please"like" us on facebook. We're a new blog and are trying to spread the word about it! We are ever so grateful for your help!: )

And now, we are so excited to announce our first contest: Design Challeng{ed}! Please read all the details below. (*A page has been created especially for this contest, so feel free to come back and check the contest tab as often as you need to!)

We've created this icon for you to grab for youselves once you've entered. Add it to your facebook profile, your blog, or email it to all your friends and family. Remember, the most votes win, so do whatever you can to get those votes!

Now go forth and be challeng{ed}!
Good luck!