Oh Joy!

a silver lining {giveaway}... 4 Dec 2012

It's a busy month over here with giveaways ('tis the season, right?). And I've got a fun one for you today. I love bags that have a little something special to them, but are timeless enough to become a daily staple. So I've partnered with Roztayger to give away this Clare Vivier silver messenger bag (which retails for $358) to one lucky reader. It's been the perfect size to carry around my laptop along with my everyday must-haves. There's a longer shoulder strap (not shown here), and the bag is made of the softest silver nubuck leather...

To enter, simply "like" Roztayger on Facebook**, then visit the Roztayger site, and leave a comment below telling us another purse or accessory from their site that you're loving. Entries must be posted by this Friday, December 7th at 8 a.m. PST, and one winner will be chosen at random*. Good luck!

Also, as a special bonus, Roztayer is offering 10% off anything in their shop. Use code OHJOY thru December 11th.

UPDATE: Congrats to Patricia C. from Chicago, IL for being our winner this time!

*Sorry, limited to U.S. readers only. Please do not leave your email or web address in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes. $358 USD total value. Winner will be contacted by email once comments close, and announced at the bottom of this post soon after.

**If you don't have a Facebook account, you can sign-up for Roztayger's mailing list (on the homepage) as an alternative for entry.

{Photos by Bonnie Tsang. My outfit: trench jacket from A-Thread, corduroys by J.Crew, blouse by Lauren Moffatt (similar), boots c/o Loeffler Randall.}

a mix & match dinnerware giveaway... 27 Nov 2012

In my latest Make Someone Happy video, I prepared a dinner for friends and set the table with some of my favorite pieces in various patterns and colors. Well, today, we have a very special giveaway...a full set of the entire scene! That's right, all of the pieces above to make a lovely place setting for four.

That includes 4 mini butter domes by Crate & Barrel, 4 sets of gold flatware from Design Within Reach, 2 pairs of tea towels from Design Within Reach, 4 cups by Ferm Living, 4 dinner plates by Heath Ceramics, salt & pepper shaker set by Jonathan Adler, 4 small fruit bowls by Kate Spade, 4 pastel spoons from Leif, a brass trivet from Muhs Home, 4 glasses from Terrain, 4 place mats from Unison, 4 napkins from Unison, 4 salad plates from West Elm, and 4 confetti system ornaments from West Elm. A total worth $943!

To enter....

a quirky home decor {giveaway}... 13 Nov 2012

You guys know I love a little quirkiness in my home decor pieces. So, I'm thrilled to partner today with Imm Living to for a giveaway of a handful of my favorite pieces from their always quirky and fun collection. Here are my favorites and how I've used them in my home...

They add a touch of fun and make sure you don't get too serious, don't you think? One lucky winner will win a set of all six of the pieces shown here including the Rabbit Tiered Tray, Little Helper Gnome, both Watering Hole Cruets, a Bust of Louie Jewelry Holder, and a Bird Clock.

To enter, simply visit Burke Decor's special Imm Living page, then leave a comment below telling us your favorite item from my picks above. Entries must be posted by this Friday, November 16th at 8am PST*, and one winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

Also, as a special bonus, Burke Decor is offering 15% off anything in their shop. Use code OHJOYIMM thru December 15th.

UPDATE: P.S. Congrats to Jenna G. for being the winner this time! 

*Sorry, limited to US readers only. Please do not leave your email or web address in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes. $300 US total value. Winner will be contacted by email once comments close and announced on the bottom of this post soon after.

{Photos by Oh Joy}

{blog, inc} a virtual chat + giveaway! 6 Nov 2012

As I prep for the last stop on my book tour and head to Austin on Thursday, I'm excited to share the news about a virtual chat we'll be having here on Oh Joy next week! This is especially for those of you who are in a city where I didn't get to go! I'll be joined by my friend and fellow blogger Naomi, from Rockstar Diaries (who I also profiled in my book), and we'll answer some of your biggest questions about blogging. I'll address some of the most common questions I've received at my Q&A sessions in past cities and talk to Naomi about her experience as a blogger as well. 

You can watch the live chat right here on Oh Joy or on Chronicle Books' blog on Thursday, November 15, at 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. PST). In addition to questions I'll collect in the comments section of this post, we'll also be answering some of your questions via Twitter. So if you want to ask any live questions, simply tweet them to me @ohjoystudio with the hashtag #bloginc.

As a bonus, I'm offering a very special giveaway. One of my favorite parts of my business is my consulting service for small business owners, in which I give feedback and advice about their businesses and products, provide guidance on how to increase their customer base and followers, or offer tips on growing a blog. So next Thursday, I'll be giving away a free one-hour Oh Joy Rx session (to be conducted via phone) to give you feedback on your very own blog and share tips on how to improve it, grow it, or answer any other questions you may have. In addition, five lucky readers will get a signed copy of Blog, Inc. to keep for themselves or give as a gift to a loved one for the holidays.

To enter, simply leave a comment here with your blogging-related question. It can be about anything you're curious about and it can be a question for me, for Naomi, or for the both of us. I'll announce the winners at the end of the live chat next Thursday! (And if you won't be able to tune in live, I'll share a link where the chat can be viewed afterwards). Comments will close this Friday, November 9th at 9p.m. PST and the winners will be chosen at random. Chat soon!

P.S. Sorry, giveaway limited to readers in the U.S. only for this one!

the {splendid summer} winners... 24 Aug 2012

You guys did a seriously amazing job putting together your boards for the Splendid Summer contest. I reviewed over 900 boards and found myself getting inspired by so many images I had never seen as well as so many awesome Pinterest accounts that I've since started following. It was tough to narrow down the winners, but I chose the top 4 {grand prize winner + 3 runners-up} based on those who created a mood that felt cohesive within the board and made me want to jump right into their vision of their perfect summer.

Megan G. from Minneapolis, MN is our grand prize winner for her beautiful retro-inspired board. The colors, mix of photos and illustrations, and retro-style images of summer really captured a mood that I just loved. Megan won the grand prize of an Apple iPad in a Clare Vivier for Splendid case, a $500 Splendid gift card, Splendid skin care products, and a Splendid towel and bag.

Lindsay M. from Brooklyn, NY captured her summer in a more photo documentary way, and I loved the outdoorsy nature of the images she selected.

Amy H., a student in New York, created an eclectic and vibrant version of her perfect summer with colorful and quirky images.

Finally, Minna S. from Washington, D.C., put together a board that looks like a big bowl of rainbow sherbet with it's consistent color story throughout images of fashion, food, and home decor. These three lucky ladies receive $250 Splendid gift card, Splendid skin care products, and a Splendid towel and bag.

Also, a few more from the top 10 whose boards I really enjoyed: Jennifer Stuart, Honest Vintage, Jennifer Govero, and Sina Richert. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to enter and for showing me your summer! — Joy

{first photo by Bonnie Tsang, board montages by Oh Joy pulled from each winner's Pinterest board linked above}

my splendid summer {contest}... 19 Jul 2012

My 4-part series with Splendid this week was my way giving you a peek into my summer as well as sharing ways that I love mixing and matching pattern and color in my outfits while enjoying my favorite summer activities. The finale in the series has all been leading up to a fun contest that I'm super excited to be hosting and sharing with you all. I've never done a contest on Oh Joy before, but I'm pretty psyched about what's up for grabs... 

The grand prize is: an Apple iPad in a Clare Vivier for Splendid case, a $500 Splendid gift card, Splendid skin care products, and a Splendid towel and bag with an approximate retail value of $1275.

There will also be 3 runner-up prizes that include: $250 Splendid gift card, Splendid skin care products, and a Splendid towel and bag with an approximate retail value of $480 each.

Here's how to enter:

1. Follow Splendid on Pinterest.

2. Create a Pinterest board called "Splendid Summer" that epitomizes your ideal summer. It can include food, fashion, travel, DIY, inspirational images, or anything that tells us what means summer to you. You can even upload your own photos, snapshots, or bits of summer inspiration from your own life. Make sure to tag your images with #splendidsummer. Here's my Splendid Summer board as an example for you.

3. Once you've created your board, leave a comment on this post with a link to your "Splendid Summer" Pinterest board. Please do not leave your email or web address in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes.

Entries must be received by 11:59pm PST on August 7, 2012. I will select one winner and three runners-up by August 21st. You can see here for a full image of the prizes and contest details. Please note: You must live in the US to be eligible. For any questions regarding the contest, please email: sweepstakes@splendid.com.

Thanks again for all your kind comments this week on the series. Here's part 1, 2, 3, and 4 if you missed it! Have fun, and can't wait to see what you guys put together!

—Joy

UPDATE: If you've left a comment saying that your comment isn't going through, it is going through! Any comment after the first 100, you have to scroll and click "read more comments" or hit the arrow to see the newest ones. Sorry for any confusion!

{Top photos by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy + Splendid. iPad photo by Splendid} 

a "this & that" summer {giveaway}... 10 Jul 2012

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is enjoy a cool treat outside in the warm sunshine. So for this summer's "This & That" giveaway, I'm thrilled to pair this Fabric & Handle multi-use tote {it converts from a tote bag to backpack to shoulder bag...} and that set of Jeni's Summer Ice Cream Assortment {um, hello deliciousness!} to welcome the sunny season and plenty of outdoor relaxing.

To enter, simply visit Fabric & Handle and Jeni's, then leave a comment below telling us...what you like to pack for summer picnics. Entries must be posted by this Friday, July 13th at 8am PST*, and one winner will be chosen at random.

As an extra bonus for all Oh Joy readers, Fabric & Handle is offering a special 20% discount from today through July 16th on anything in their shop. Simply enter the code OJ20 at check out. Good luck! — Joy

UPDATE: Congrats to Katie E. from Minneapolis, MN for being our winner this time!

*Giveaway limited to US residents only but the special Fabric & Handle discount available for anywhere they ship. Please do not leave your email or web address in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes. $168 US total value. Winner will be contacted by email once comments close and announced on the bottom of this post soon after. Good luck!

{Photo by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy. Blanket from Serena & Lily, wooden spoons by Sucre}

put a scarf on it {giveaway}... 19 Jun 2012

One of my favorite accessories during the slightly cooler months is a lightweight scarf with fun colors and patterns. But when summer comes around, I usually don't need the extra coverage so I love the idea of tying the scarf onto your bag. As an ode to wearing scarves in the summer, we've teamed up with Ellington Handbags and A-Thread to give away this folding tote bag and striped scarf shown above.

To enter, simply visit Ellington Handbags and A-Thread, then leave a comment below telling us how else you'd use a scarf like this in the summertime. Entries must be posted by this Friday, June 22nd at 8am PST*, and one winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

Also, as a special bonus, A-Thread is offering 10% off anything in their shop. Use code OHJOY10 thru July 3rd. And, as with every purchase from A-Thread, 5% of your purchase is donated to a charity of your choice! — Joy

UPDATE: Congrats to Kelly R. from Minneapolis, MN for being our winner this time!

*Sorry, limited to US readers only. Please do not leave your email or web address in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes. $186 US total value. Winner will be contacted by email once comments close and announced on the bottom of this post soon after.

a summer neon {giveaway} with shopbop... 6 Jun 2012

I'm totally a kid of the 80's and 90's and witnessed first hand some of the terrible trends we had back in the day. From acid-wash jeans to Z.Cavaricci's, there are certainly some I hope never come back in style. However, one trend from the 80's that's back and seems better than ever is neon. It's been making its way back into fashion over the last couple years and is now even on stationery and accessories, too. To encourage a little neon love for those of you may be too shy, we've teamed up with ShopBop to give away a$200 gift card to one lucky reader to add some neon to your wardrobe!

To enter, simply visit ShopBop then leave a comment below telling us which of these neon items you'd pick to incorporate into your existing wardrobe. I love bringing in one item in neon {the star of the show} paired with neutral colors and simple patterns for everything else in the outfit. Entries must be posted by this Friday, June 8th at 8am PST*, and one winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

UPDATE: Congrats to Stephanie V. from Winnipeg, Canada for being our winner this time!

*This is open to any reader worldwide to anywhere ShopBop delivers. Please do not leave your email or web address in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes. $200 US total value. Winner will be contacted by email once comments close and announced on the bottom of this post soon after.

{Photo by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy. My outfit above: Nanette Lepore neon skirt c/o ShopBop, StyleMint tank, J.Crew blazer (similar), neckace By Boe, bag by Overlap.}

a summer bed {giveaway} with auggie... 15 May 2012

One of my favorite things to constantly switch up at home is the bedding. I love throwing together a mix of sheets, pillow cases, and duvets in various patterns so it always looks a bit different every time. I'm not one of those people who can sleep without any covers, even if it is a warm summer night. So when summer comes, we usually store the duvet away and add a lighter quilt on top. As an ode to summer bedding, we've joined together with Auggie {whose mini quilt we have in Ruby's room and love!} to give one lucky reader a queen-sized cross-stitch quilt and shams perfect for layering with your existing bedding for the upcoming summer months.

One lucky reader will receive the cross-stitch quilt and shams {in color of your choice!}. To enter, simply visit Auggie, then leave a comment below telling us which color you'd choose and how what bedding you'd mix it with {is your current bedding striped, floral, solid, etc.}. Entries must be posted by this Friday, May 18th at 8am PST*, and one winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

UPDATE: Congrats to Esha R. from Somerville, MA for being our winner this time!

{*Limited to residents of the US or Canada only. Please do not leave your email or web address in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes. $403 total value. Winner will be contacted by email once comments close and announced on the bottom of this post soon after. Photos by Oh Joy. Other bedding in photo: duvet by DwellStudio & dotty cases by Castle.}