23madison studio giveaway

my obssession with these adorable illustrations started when dear friend nina gave us her girlfriends these hermes birkin calendar as gifts this past christmas. soooo cute!

this art illustration and stationery etsy store has every fashionista long for it's precious designer bags and cosmetic art illustrations perfect as desk accents or bathroom and closet artwork pieces. i have recently ordered this "what's in my hermes birkin" 13 x 17 piece (for a steal!) as an early birthday treat and i am absolutely in love with it!

the shop also carries stickers and notecards in your favorite designer duds. the studio also accepts custom work requests, so if you can't find anything you like and want something more personalized or if you're needing a different size ~ they will definitely work with you!

and as a new year's treat, i have partnered with 23madison studio to giveaway not one but TWO of these "favorite nail polish set" (see art below)!

we will pick 2 winners to win each a lovely print and i just can't wait to get this giveaway started! thank you so much to our friends at 23madison studio for this generous giveaway! 

win this gorgeous artwork!

all photos by 23madison studio

please read details below and 2 winners will be announced on january 8th.
join now! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

pretty organization

starting fresh and new is always the best way to kick off the new year. with so much holiday stuff to stow away, strategic organization is key to a succesful clean up. 

i have invested in huge plastic containers to store my holiday decor and they are sturdy and tough to hold all those stuff. i normally start putting away after new year's day (i hang on to all those warm holiday decor as long as i can!) and slowly tuck them away. 

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the rest of our house just needed to be tidied and dusted away to start a new year. i also try to rearrange furniture or corner nooks and vignettes to give it a fresh look. i survey my acquired new christmas gifts and see which ones i can use to spruce up our home decor and some i add to my work office desk (which again needed an overhaul for the new year too). 

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our refrigerator also needs to be cleaned up and i start throwing away leftovers from holiday meals that can't be recycled on a new recipe (but some of the sweets make it to my mouth!). i have to confess, some of them i bring to work and i start snacking on them at my desk!

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since my blooming poinsettias are still beautiful, i try moving them outdoors and bring in fresh white flowers inside. i also start changing up my pillow covers in bright spring-y colors. believe it or not, rearranging coffeetable books and adding new accent items give your table a whole new look! 

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i also amass a great amount of new makeup and scents as holiday gifts, so i try to toss old lipsticks and makeup and bring in the brand new palettes. i also do the same with my makeup kit inside my purse. since perfume bottles are too pretty to throw away, i try to arrange them beautifully on my dresser but sometimes if it gets out of hand, some of those half-filled perfume bottles i move to our guest bathroom and powder room and set them up along with extra little details such as flowers and candles.

but if all else fails and there's just too much stuff around that you think you don't need, donate them to the nearby goodwill or start selling old clothes via ebay and such. i know it's not spring cleaning time yet but it's a great feeling to get a headstart especially in the new year!

best of instagram 2012

i joined instagram late of 2011 and it has been a big part of my social media participation in 2012. thought i'd share some of my favorite images of 2012. 

i hope to continue to capture spontaneous beautiful shots as my days go by whether it's of my family, pretty things, lovely friends and yummy bites ~ instagram has made them extra special! 

if you wish to follow me in instagram, i'm @swankychicfete

i hope you are enjoying the first day of 2013!