summer favorites giveaway!

last year, we had an amazing fun doing a summer giveaway and i thought i'd do it again this year. after all, my blog birthday month is still not over. to continue to show my appreciation and love to you, my readers, this whole month is full of giveaways and it is the perfect way to show my gratitude for your support!


now, on to the important details. 
ONE lucky reader will receive this swag full of my favorite things :

* perfect summer nailcolor julep
* colorful sparkle bangle
* sweet hair ties
* nantucket cookie cutters
* set of fairy princess cupcake cups and toppers
* playful patterned tapes
* stripes and dotted paper straws

several ways to enter :

1) leave a comment below letting us know what is your all-time favorite summer item is?
2) follow us via google friend connect and leave me a comment that you did
3) become a facebook fan of SCF and leave a comment below
4) follow SCF in twitter and leave another comment below
5) share this giveaway : re-tweet or pin or share this giveaway via twitter, facebook, pinterest or your blog for another entry

REMINDER : if you don't have a blogger account, leave your name and email address so that we may contact you easily. also, ALL readers including international readers may join!

this giveaway will run till next wednesday july 25th.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING AND GOOD LUCK!

{ this giveaway is now closed }

the way we are bracelet giveaway

HELLO MONDAY!

it's time for our 2nd giveaway to celebrate our 2nd blog anniversary - what a perfect way to start the week! 

one of my favorite bloggers whom i've followed early on is leah of the way we are. i enjoyed reading about her beautiful home and DIY projects and her adorable babies. this year, i am so ecstatic to learn that she recently opened an etsy shop showcasing her creative side by way of making precious bracelets and necklaces made of plastic chain and copper. the unexpected combination of these materials were an instant hit and these chic gems have been flying off her etsy shop ever since!

i'm thrilled to announce today that we are giving away a bracelet of her/his choice to one winner. thank you leah for this generous prize! there are so many gorgeous choices (tough choice!) - so, goodluck! 

 

 

 

{photo sources : leah of the way we are}

here's how to join :

1) visit leah's etsy shop, browse around and let us know by commenting below which bracelet you will pick

additional entries :

2) follow Leah on twitter and re-tweet this giveaway
3) follow SCF in facebook or twitter and share this giveaway

giveaway open to US readers only

this giveaway will run till Saturday July 14th and winner will be announced on Sunday!

Good luck to all!

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*

may books giveaway winner!

thank you everyone for joining our first of the many giveaways to celebrate our 2nd blog birthday! huge thanks from May Books for generously giving away a custom notebook for our winner - i'm sure she will LOVE it! THANK YOU!

via Random.org, our winner is comment # 17 MREE who said " i love the ahoy mates in navy!". 

congratulations, MREE! 

pls email me at swankychicfete (at) gmail (dot) com to claim your prize!

**pls come back tomorrow for yet another fabulous giveaway as we continue to celebrate 
our 2nd year blog anniversary!**

may books giveaway!

it's july!!!!
it's my blog anniversary month and i am just blown away by all your love and support for the past 2 years. believe me, i am so grateful for that! 

i have fabulous fun giveaways lined up for you all throughout the month of july. a little way of showing i am thankful for you - whether you follow me in twitter, facebook, pinterest and lately, instagram. all your encouragement and inspiration mean a great deal to me! now on to our giveaway.....

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to kick off this month's blog birthday, we have the amazing MAY BOOKS notebook giveaway. their company's mission is to eradicate ugly notebooks out there and i am just smitten by their products. their notebooks are all eco-friendly. the certified green canvas covers are sewn (check the video - its' amazing!) to every single notebook in the old-fashioned way. and they are all pretty!

i happen to stumble upon these notebooks at my local boutique one weekend and snapped up a couple for my besties. when i got home, i looked up their site and lo and behold, i was sucked into their shop trying out all their patterns, colors, monogram choices for my own personal notebook! 

everything is fully customizable including what you want INSIDE. the possibilities are endless. you can create your ideal lovely notebook, meal/recipe planner, a baby diary, a bride's planner, agendas or even a pregnancy diary. and it is super light, you can easily toss it in your purse or diaper bag or gym bag everyday! 

here are a few design samples i played with last night for my own perfect notebook : 

i told you, it's hard to pick just one. 

now on to the good stuff, the giveaway rules. 

MAY BOOKS is giving away ONE notebook to one lucky S::C::F reader. here's how  to join :

each comment below is an entry (total of 7 entries) 

1. take a peek at MAY BOOKS & tell us what your favorite pattern/combo 
2. follow MAY BOOKS in facebook and also let them know what is your favorite pattern/combo. do let them know SCF sent you! 
3. follow MAY BOOKS in twitter and tweet this giveaway!
4. let us also know if you PINNED your favorite MAYBOOKS notebook and link it up here 
5. follow SCF in twitter and tweet this giveaway!
6. follow SCF in facebook and share this giveaway in your FB wall
7. lastly, follow us here in google friend connect (see right side blog wall)

*open to US residents only*

giveaway will end saturday July 7th and the winner will be announced on Sunday! good luck everyone and have a great week ahead!

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED**

1st blog birthday guest blogger : linh

wrapping up the line up of some of Houston's fabulous bloggers' guest posts to celebrate my first blog birthday, is my super chic friend Linh of la-la-linh. she's here today to share some of her latest finds from her new gig being the bridal manager of anthropologie's bridal sister store, BHLDN! 

see lucky for us here in Houston, the store will open on Aug. 18th and it will be a treat for all brides-to-be (and even for those who are not) as it is widely anticipated and I cant wait to see what the store has to offer!

Hi dolls! This is Linh from La-La Linh and I am SO excited to be guest posting for Lili. I blog about my love for ALL things beautiful in fashion, home design, and weddings. I recently made a career change into the wedding industry with BHLDN and have LOVED every minute of it! So, I thought a wedding-related post would be appropriate for today.

As you know, BHLDN (a sister company of Anthropologie) has a gown and special occasion collection, but did you know we have a decor collection as well dedicated to tabletops, decorating, lighting, keepsakes, and stationery? Quite lovely isn't it??  How great would it be to decorate your wedding or party event with these beautiful and whimsical items?

LOVELY WEDDING GIFTS FOR THE BRIDE AND GROOM

PLATES : : FORKS

MIX&MATCH SILVERWARE and EXCLUSIVE TREAT PEDESTALS

(plates are exclusive to BHLDN) 

FLATWARE : : PLATE PEDESTALS

CRAZY FOR CHALKBOARDS

PLACEHOLDERS : : PLANTER

HANKY PANKY

(exclusive to BHLDN) 

BRIDESMAID : : MADE OF HONOR

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE

PLANKED : : TURQUOISE : :  SILVER

BEAUTIFUL DECORATIONS

(more colors to choose from)

POM SET : : CRINKLE WHEEL

TAKE YOUR PLACES!

(pegged placeholders on right are exclusive to BHLDN)

BIRCH : : PEGGED

To view the entire decor collection, click HERE.

{Images via BHLDN}

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thanks Linh for dropping by and i cant wait to see you in the store! if we have been in love with anthropologie all these years, i'm sure we will be smitten with BHLDN!

BLOG ~ TWITTER ~ FACEBOOK

if you are in the Houston area and would love to visit the store, come by and see her and say hello! 

1st blog birthday guest blogger : megan

it's still my first blog birthday month and in continuing with my anniversary celebration, i am excited today to have Megan of Honey We're Home and she's here sharing some incredible tips on home decorating! 

i have followed Megan's popular blog for awhile now and apart from being smitten by her dapper little guy James, i am envious of her crazy organizational skills! LOL. i have a few of her previous projects featured here in the blog before and i'm still constantly amazed by her daily tips and deals for successful DIY home and decor projects. that's why i never fail to read her blog posts everyday! 

I'm Megan from Honey We're Home, a fellow Houstonian and first-time mom to a beautiful 16-month old son.  Lili has been one of the most encouraging blog friends I've known since I've been blogging, so I'm really thrilled to be helping her ring in her blog birthday!

Today I'm sharing with you an easy and inexpensive way to add art to your walls.  

Here is one of our bedroom walls, completely empty and bare!

I love botanical prints and decided to do a grouping of 4 on the wall adjacent to our bed.  I found a book of botanical art (The Botanical Palette) for $22 (after my discount card and coupon) at Barnes & Noble and bought 4 frames (16x20 with 8x10 mat) from Aaron Brothers (again with a coupon- never shop there without one!)  They even scanned the coupon from my phone:)

To save even more money, you can print botanical art at home from your computer like my friend Courtney {A Thoughtful Place} did.  I wasn't as patient with the website she used and I think my printer is out of colored ink!  Also, she found great frames at WalMart.  Gotta love that!

For our botanicals, I kept the color palette in the purple family, but there were so many gorgeous photographs to choose from in the book.

I liked them so much, I added two smaller versions to our master bathroom!

Now we have a nice reflection from my husband's mirror and something pretty for me to look at when I leave my closet!

How pretty!

Adding art to the walls is really making a difference in how our home looks.  I love the fruit botanical art too and was considering adding some to the dining room or mudroom, but thought it might be overkill!

Thanks so much for having me Lily!!

BLOG ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER 

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we moved to this new home almost 3 years ago but i still have a lot of re-organizing and redecorating to do.  religiously following and reading my favorite interior design blogs, like Megan's, gives me a lot of inspiration to finally tackle the million things left to do!

 thank you so much Megan for dropping by today. i'm looking forward to enjoying more of your blog posts and seeing James growing to be a handsome young boy! if you are not following Megan yet whether in blogger or facebook or twitter, you ought to!

1st blog birthday guest blogger : meredith

it's time for another fabulous guest blogger feature and i am absolutely thrilled to have the lovely
 Meredith, of the Tichenor family blog today!

if you recall, meredith was responsible in creating the screenprinted tshirt favors for aston's party last may. we met last december in a houston blogger meetup she hosted and you can't help but be drawn by her positive attitude and sincere personality. meredith is just a joy whether she's with her adorable boys in a fun adventure or hanging out with her gal pals. being pregnant with her third baby is NOT slowing her down!




Hello lovely followers of swanky::chic::fete! It's my absolute pleasure

to be a guest blogger for Lili as she celebrates her amazing blog's first birthday.

My name is Meredith, I write a family blog, merry & bright: the tichenor family.

I love to get my craft on, adore fun and fabulous parties & I'm obsessed with all things for the home.

If you know me well, you know that I am a lover of the color orange. 

Any way I can get it, I love it. Frank Sinatra hit the nail on the head with this quote...

 With Fall just a couple of months away (seems like eons for those of us slugging out 

this unbearable Texas heat) it's the perfect time to embrace orange. 

I scoured Pinterest {my most recent obsession} for some fabulous orange finds for you.

Ease into it in the month of October with a fabulous display of pumpkins, 

 splash some color on your walls (or your nails if you're not that bold). 

Add in an unexpected splash on home decor. 

You can incorporate a "slice" of orange to your plate, your feet, 

your home, or party and bring a little bit of happiness to the occasion.

Orange you glad it's almost Fall? I just couldn't resist!

Thanks Lili for having me as a guest blogger for your birthday celebration.

It's a pleasure to know you, both virtually and in "real life." You're a doll.

Hope you all find a slice of orange happiness today!

BLOG ~ TWITTER ~ PINTEREST

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meredith, i LOVE orange as well and i'm glad we share the same passion for this vibrant color! thank you for  sharing this and being here today. blog anniversaries are special and i am glad you are a part of it!

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friends, don't forget to print out your FREE thank you cards and address labels!



you can dowload them HERE.

1st blog birthday guest blogger : susan

kicking off the weekend is another guest blogger post from my friend, Susan of Green Eyed Susan (her macarons are my absolute favorite dessert!). she's here today to share an exciting event she recently attended celebrating women and their creativity. 

read on to check out the fun gathering as narrated by her and if you are in the Houston area and plans to attend future art events, please check out the schedule at the bottom of her post! 

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Fabulous Flower Friday: a tribute towards the fetish I have for flowers, and the name for my macaron boutique, Green Eyed Susan, seemes a perfect way to commemorate the anniversary of Swanky::Chic: :Fete { http://swanky-chic-fete.blogspot.com/ } . Although nobody can quite fill Lily's shoes, Lily has invited me to share with each of you. It is my goal to share the very latest and greatest ways to celebrate just as Lily would in my guest blog post, Flower Power : Be You, Embrace Me, Support Us. 

Last night approximately 50 lively boistrous, creative ladies congregated at Estebans in League City inside the Art Shack  Fiesta Shack for the first ever "Women Who Art". Originally invited to showcase and sell my Green Eyed Susan Macarons, { http://www.GreenEyedSusan.com }, I quickly traded in my Chef coat for a painters apron,paint and brushes to begin learning how to create my Floral "masterpiece".  

Jewellery/Crosses foreshadow the Gem of the Evening.

The night began with introductions...........instaneous friends were made

And shopping.........yes all in one place. See the pretty jewelery? It took me the whole evening to find out who made these beautiful crosses, but it was Terri, the one who coordinated the entire event--how did she find time to do it all? Terri kicked off the evening by encouraging each and every one of us to leave the judgment at the door and just have a good time.  The phrase she used that reverberated within each one of us little artists just trying to get out was "Be You, Embrace Me, Support Us." 

 We couldn't wait to get started with that introduction. We taped off our negative space on our canvas and I signed mine with my new friend Julia looking over my shoulder and laughing. She laughed alot at my finished piece too--I'd like to think that the depth of the painting brough her so much joy, but maybe not......WE HAD FUN!

Each of us received our own paint palette of colors. I just needed a beret, but instead I wore my pink cowgirl hat. We all stared at the instructor in dismay as she went through our pain instructions color by color. 

Our table had already tapped into our inner Van Goghs Margaritas

 Voila, a finished work of art!

 Here's Susie mixing her colors to create depth to her flower......In between all the work there were women of all ages weaving through the easles to Abbas' "Dancing Queen" and "I'm So Excited" by Diana Ross

 And here's the rest of the crew, Masterpiece in Hand

I Think Debussy would have been proud of all the "Women Who Art". So much light and reflection in each piece and artist. Women Who Art will be offering workshops the 3rd Thursday of every month. Membership fee is $120/year or $40/event. Paint Pub were the instructors of this evenings Painting class and will be opening a shop  soon in the Clear LakeArea (November, 2011) where you can hold your own paint party.  Find the best entertainment and wonderful company throughout the year with all the Women Who Art Events below.

Calendar of events:

July 21: Paint Pub

August 18: Decorative Clipboards

September 15: Social Event, Creative Speaker Karen Royer

October 20: Zentangled

November 17: Creative Memories

December 15: TBD

January 19: Stephanie Rubiano

February 16: TBD

March 15: TBD

April 19: Mosaics by Michele

Happy Anniversary Lil.  
Here's looking to a wonderful year of celebrations and joy in every word and event you share.  Love you much. SUSAN AKA Green Eyed Susan


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thank you so much Susan for being here celebrating my first blog birthday with me. you are such a big part of my first blogging year and i'm grateful to have met you! 

blog ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ shop

1st blog birthday guest blogger : ailynne

continuing my first year blog birthday celebration, i am excited to have lined up a few Houston fabulous bloggers that i admire and truly find inspiration in their own blogs and creative work.

first up is my niece, ailynne, who have been my go-to source for photography tips and shopping deals. i'm sure she can tell you how much i harass her via emails for queries and clarifications whenever i'm ready to upload photos or simply processing them. seriously, i dont know how she does it. she's a mommy to two darling little boys, a fulltime school teacher and part-time photographer accepting portrait sessions and covering local parties/events on weekends!

she's here today guest blogging to share photography tips you can apply when you want to capture those special moments and occasions on your own! do take notes!

My how one year goes by! I just love how this site always inspires me with new ideas, not only for planning events but also for getting ideas of photos I want to capture. Thank you Lili for letting me share some of my photo tips with your fans! I hope these suggestions help you photograph your swanky chic fete!

1) Have other photographers on hand! You will be too busy!  So tell your guests to be photographers for the day (or hire a photographer)! I just love how my sister captured this shot of my son during his third birthday.

2) Plan ahead of time so that  important display tables are located across a window for that perfect lighting! If you have a hard time deciding if you have enough lighting, take your camera phone and snap a test shot. The setting for this shot (you've seen this before) had windows all over. Lighting was perfect!

My back is against the window when I shot this centerpiece.

3) Take those important shots (the birthday celebrant or family shots) early. The decor will still be in place and most everyone will still be cooperative.  The following shots were taken before guests arrived.

4) Capture the details! 

5) Most toddlers won't look at your lens but they do love it when you are making funny faces. If you want that shot where the toddler is looking into the lens,  practice getting your subject in the frame and before you shoot, move your face from behind the camera and let them see your face!  Whenever I take portraits of families, I also tell the adults to follow me with their eyes as I am moving around taking the young child's lead. 

Just a little technical

If you like the blur in the background set your aperture setting from 1.8 to 2.8.

 For group shots, set to atleast 2.8. 

For editing, try this site PIXLR. If you have an image with a lot of noise (that grainy look) you can get rid of it on this site! Go to filter and then denoise.

Enjoy partying! Thanks again for letting me be your guest! 

thank you ailynne for all the valuable tips you have shared with us! i have been playing with my camera for awhile now but i have not decently used it to it's full potential. thanks to your post, i can't wait to try it out once more!

AILYNNE ABARADO PHOTOGRAPHY
facebook ~ twitter ~ blog

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DONT FORGET! have you joined our latest giveaway yet?

click HERE for details on how to join!

good luck all!