Trend Alert: Patterned Bridesmaid Dresses

I'd like to open with saying that it's hilarious that I just used the phrase "Trend Alert".  I mean, my haircut is inspired from a page of last year's LLBean catalog and I am currently wearing an all-maroon getup that includes both a Bates T-shirt and Bates shorts.  But bear with me.  I happen to know some trendy people, oooookay?  And popping up everywhere are patterned bridesmaid dresses, which I think are a great departure from the traditional.

At my friend Jane's wedding, for example, her sisters wore blue and white ikat dresses.  They were festive and summery, but also less stuffy than the traditional bridesmaid dresses you usually see (of which I own a bunch).  Here are a few patterned (AND off the rack) dresses I think would be sweet bridesmaid dresses:

1. J. Crew (the aforementioned blue and white ikat dress)
2. Anthro
3. Lilly
4. Nordstrom (this dress is $42 if you really want your bridesmaids to love you)
5. Boden

Depending on the season and feel of your wedding, I think it's definitely something to consider.  Two years ago, I dressed my bridesmaids in solid, nearly-fuschia dresses that none of them seemed especially into.  In retrospect, I wish I had mixed it up a bit with patterned dresses.

What do you think?  Do you prefer traditional bridesmaid dresses or would you be willing to try out patterned dresses?  Anybody else starting to see a lot of patterned bridesmaid dresses?  Let us know and stay hip!

Hip, On the House: RococcoLA

Today's winner goes to lucky number 49!  Poor Badger Creations - please email us so we can put you in touch with the shop!  hardlyhousewives@gmail.com.  

I stumbled upon RococcoLA's super unique prints and fell in love. Zlatka is generously offering one lucky Hardly Housewives' reader a $25.00 gift certificate to the store.  Check out some of my favorite prints.

Here is the Love Carries All print...


Here is The Happy Elephant...




So cute...although the thought of riding a tandem bike with Charlie in downtown Chicago scares me.


Check out the rest of Zlatka's super unique prints at RococcoLA.

Now for the good stuff.  Here are four ways to win:

1) First, go look through the RococcoLA shop on Etsy and leave a comment below with your favorite item from the shop... 

2) If you want another chance to win, be sure to "like" Hardly Housewives on Facebook here and leave another comment letting us know that you did (or if you already have)

3) Join the Hardly Housewives follower community - publicly follow Hardly Housewives via Google Friend Connect

4)... and for a last chance, add  RococcoLA to your "Favorites" on Etsy. 

Hip, on the House: UUPP

This giveaway is now closed!  Thanks to everyone who participated.  Our lucky winner is Kairi!!  Please contact us at hardlyhousewives@gmail.com to claim you prize!

This is such a Jaisa style giveaway.  I'm attracted to whimsical kitchen art like a moth to a flame.  I stumbled upon UUPP's Etsy shop and fell head over heels in love.  I checked out Carrie's blog and she has BOATLOADS of adorable stationary, prints, and other wonderful items (like cookies!!).  Check it out.  For this Friday's giveaway, Carrie is offering one lucky Hardly Housewives reader a $25 gift certificate to her shop.  BOOM.  Goes the dynamite.

I think this should say...Every Woman (Except Jaisa) Should Have a Blowtorch...

 

Julia Child and I would have been the best of friends...

This print is absolutely hilarious.  I, too, imagine my silverware as happy friends of mine.  

So Carrie has some awesome kitchen art, but she also has other beautiful prints I'm obsessed with...

Ok peeps...here are 4 ways to win...

1) First, go look through the UUPP's Shop on Etsy and leave a comment below with your favorite item from her website... 

2) If you want another chance to win, be sure to "like" Hardly Housewives on Facebook here and leave another comment letting us know that you did (or if you already have)

3) Join the Hardly Housewives follower community - publicly follow Hardly Housewives via Google Friend Connect

4)... and for a last chance, add UUPP to your "Favorites" on Etsy. 

Good luck to all our Hardly Housewives readers and as always, stay hip! 

Hip, On the House: TexturedINK

This giveaway is now closed!  Congrats to Anne!  Please reach out to us about claiming your prize! 

Ooooo I love today's giveaway. I actually love all of our giveaways, but this one is super funkalicious and hungry inspired. 

I believe the kitchen is the heart of any home, so why not spruce up your space was some modern kitchen art? 

Check out these SUPER sweet prints by TexturedINK.  We can thank our pal Ankita, the shop owner, for offering our readers the chance to win a kitchen print of their choice. Thanks Ankita!!  We'll have to beg and plead to do another giveaway in the near future because there are SO many cool items (none kitchen) related in the store.  LOVE us some TexturedINK. 

I love chevron and I love color.  I think the spatula with the teal background is my favorite here...

This one is ADORABLE and one I could totally see in Caitlin's kitchen...



I also love this...what a perfect gift for a newlywed couple...



Cool, right?

Ok guys and gals, check out these four ways to win:

1) First, go look through the TexturedINK shop on Etsy and leave a comment below with your favorite item from their shop... 

2) If you want another chance to win, be sure to "like" Hardly Housewives on Facebook here and leave another comment letting us know that you did (or if you already have)

3) Join the Hardly Housewives follower community - publicly follow Hardly Housewives via Google Friend Connect

4)... and for a last chance, add TexturedINK to your "Favorites" on Etsy. 

Good luck to all our Hardly Housewives readers and as always, stay hip! 

Hip, on the House: LLFarm

This giveaway is now closed!  Thank you to everyone who participated.  The lucky winner is...

Lucky number 34!   Danunepthys, please email us at hardlyhousewives@gmail.com to claim your prize! For those that didn't win, we have another AWESOME giveaway we will be posting later today. 

You guys remember me freaking out over Julie Mom's lavender scones I had while visiting Midland, MI? 

Yeah. So good. 

Get excited because Karyn is sending me lavender buds so I can make the recipe for you guys. 

Yeah. So excited. 

I was buzzing through Etsy for lavender buds and came across the most amazing store ever:  Lizzy Lane Farm.  Even though I was only looking for lavender buds, I found so much more!  Organic herbs, and soaps, and salves...oh my! I contacted Karyn, the shop owner, and she put something extra, extra special together just for you guys.    

This weeks giveaway will be a lavender GIFT BASKET complete with Lavender Salve, Lavender Soap, Lavender Bath Salt, and of course Lavender Buds.  SCORE.

I love Karyn's Lizzy Lane Farm Blog.  It's so inspiring and envy inducing.  She lives on this amazing farm in New Hampshire.   Be still my Mainer heart.  

Check out Karyn's famous Lizzy Lane Farm House Lavender Lemonade recipe.  I'm SO making this and you can too :)

1 tray crushed ice cubes
1/4 cup dried lavender
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup organic sugar
8 organic lemons
5 cups cold water

Place ice cubes into a 2 quart pitcher. Place the lavender into a bowl, and pour boiling water over it. Allow to steep for about 10 minutes, then strain out the lavender and discard in the compost bin.  Mix the organic sugar into the hot lavender water, then pour into the pitcher with the ice.  Squeeze the juice from the lemons into the pitcher, getting as much juice as you can. I use my Grandmothers old glass juicer. Top off the pitcher with cold water, and stir. Taste, and adjust lemon juice or sugar if desired. Pour into tall glasses, pull up a bale of hay and watch the chickens run around the yard, and relax!

Can I move in Karyn?  I can almost smell this soap from here...mmmmm...

I could use some of this salve and I bet you could too.  I have incredibly dry, sensitive skin.  I'm always rubbing chap stick everywhere so this would be a more appropriate, and appealing way to remedy my dry skin situation. 


 Gotta musta needta have this giveaway?

Yeah.  I thought so.

Check out these four ways to win:

1) First, go look through the LLFarm's Shop on Etsy and leave a comment below with your favorite item from her shop... 

2) If you want another chance to win, be sure to "like" Hardly Housewives on Facebook here and leave another comment letting us know that you did (or if you already have)

3) Join the Hardly Housewives follower community - publicly follow Hardly Housewives via Google Friend Connect

4)... and for a last chance, add LLFarm to your "Favorites" on Etsy. 

Good luck to all our Hardly Housewives readers and as always, stay hip! 

Hip, on the House: ProjectType

This giveaway is now closed!  Thank you to everyone who participated.  The lucky winner is...

Lucky number 79!  Lindsey, please email us at hardlyhousewives@gmail.com to claim your prize! For those that didn't win, we have another AWESOME giveaway we will be posting later today. 

We are SO excited to share today's giveaway.  Here at Hardly Housewives, we simply adore Miranda Lyn's ProjectType prints.  They are fun, sassy, modern, and totally hip...just like our readers.  Miranda has generously offered to give one of our readers a print of their choice.  It's times like these where I wish I was a reader...not an author.  LOVE her work!

One of my favorite songs of the moment is Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros:

So of course, when I came across this print, I basically flipped:

I'm starting to think that Miranda crawled inside my brain, because this also happens to be one of my favorite sayings (of course, coming from a loud mouthed, out spoken person like me):

I must have this.  Must must must.  How sassy and colorful and adorable is this kitchen print?  It also sort of matches our blog.  Loves.

Ok I'm officially obsessed - how about you guys?

Here are the 4 ways to win...

1) First, go look through the ProjectType Etsy Shop and leave a comment below with your favorite print from her shop... 
2) If you want another chance to win, be sure to "like" Hardly Housewives on Facebook here and leave another comment letting us know that you did (or if you already have)

3) Join the Hardly Housewives follower community - publicly follow Hardly Housewives via Google Friend Connect

4)... and for a last chance, add ProjectType to your "Favorites" on Etsy



This giveaway ends NEXT FRIDAY morning!  Come back to see if you've won.  



Good luck and stay hip!

Hip, on the House: Double Bravo

This giveaway is now closed!  The winner is...

Lucky number 7!  Sarah, you are the winner!  


Happy Friday!  We are excited to be working with a stationer who hails from Chicago, lives in Brooklyn, & loves letterpress as much as we do.  The best of all worlds, right?  Barbara has offered a $15 gift certificate to Double Bravo Designs and we're glad to be sharing it with one of you!

Barbara from Double Bravo Designs has a clever line of paper products including city-specific "Year We Said 'I Do'" and "Year You Were Born" cards that I think are perfect little wedding or baby gifts...

The Los Angeles "I do" one includes spots for the bride & groom to fill in their favorite food truck, their last movie seen before getting married, & cost of a gallon of gas...

As somebody who was born & raised in Park Slope, this one obviously speaks to me.  I don't know what the hottest ticket on Broadway was in 1983, but it's Book of Mormon for sure now.  And what New Yorker doesn't know a new parent in Park Slope?  I think this would be the sweetest baby shower gift.

In addition to the year celebration cards, Barbara also does custom work, such as this change of address card.  Awesome, right?

Also, Barbara has a few notecards in her shop, including these adorable Softee Ice Cream "Fill in the Blank" cards.  Perfect for thank-yous for a kid's birthday (or maybe sent in a summer camp care package)...

The winner of this giveaway can use their $15 gift certificate as they choose... two "Year You Were Born" cards (if you have a lot of baby showers), towards getting some custom stationery done, or for her premade notecards.  I'm so jealous!

Here are the 4 ways to win...


1) First, go look through Double Bravo Designs Etsy Shop or Double Bravo Designs Website and leave a comment below with your favorite item from her shop... 

2) If you want another chance to win, be sure to "like" Hardly Housewives on Facebook here and leave another comment letting us know that you did (or if you already have)

3) Join the Hardly Housewives follower community - publicly follow Hardly Housewives via Google Friend Connect

4)... and for a last chance, add Double Bravo Designs to your "Favorites" on Etsy

This giveaway ends NEXT FRIDAY morning!  Come back to see if you've won.  

Good luck and stay hip!

Hip, on the House: The Pied Paper

This giveaway is now closed!  The winner is...

Lucky number 30!  Robin, you are the winner!

You know I love a good set of stationery and a good pun, and The Pied Paper delivers both.  This sweet Etsy shop has an awesome selection of beautiful notecards and delightfully lined envelopes.  Mily, The Pied Paper's owner, has generously offered a set of 5 notecards to a lucky Hardly Housewives winner.

The winner can choose any set they like, but here are the ones I'd go with:

These awesome thank you notecards with peacock feather lined envelopes...

... or maybe these bumblebee notecards (4 weeks to go until my backyard honeybees arrive!)...

I think these anchor notecards are so sweet and summery.  Of course I'm also loving the vintage maps used as envelope liners...

There are a bunch of other designs, colors, and custom monogram cards.  I think these would make an awesome gift for a friend (or yourself) and I'm very excited to be working with Mily at The Pied Paper.

There are a few ways to win your choice of a 5 notecard set...

1) First, go look through The Pied Paper and leave a comment below with your favorite item... 

2) If you want another chance to win, be sure to "like" Hardly Housewives on Facebook here and leave another comment letting us know that you did (or if you already have)

3) Join the Hardly Housewives follower community - publicly follow Hardly Housewives via Google Friend Connect

4)... and for a last chance, add The Pied Paper to your "Favorites" on Etsy

This giveaway ends NEXT FRIDAY morning!  Come back to see if you've won.  Thanks, Mily for the cards!

Good luck, dear readers, and stay hip!

Hip, on the House: Modern Vintage Market

This giveaway is now CLOSED!  

The winner is our 64th commenter, Krista!  Congrats!  I will contact you about your prize.

Caroline from Modern Vintage Market is generously giving a Hardly Housewives reader a 3-pack of her printed modern paisley tea towels!  I'm excited to hook up with Caroline on this because not only does she have a fabulous Etsy shop, she also has a blog that I really enjoy reading.

The Modern Vintage Market blog includes serious homey eye candy alongside craft projects, design inspiration, & some tasty looking recipes.  If you enjoy what Hardly Housewivess is all about, I'm sure you'll find something for you at Modern Vintage Market as well.  Caroline clearly shares my love for paper products, inspired homes, & holiday decorating.

Back to Modern Vintage Market's Etsy shop... Caroline makes GORGEOUS printed tea towels, pillows, & canvas tote bags.  In addition to the tea towels she's offering one of our readers...

...I'm in love with these bird ornament towels & need a set for next Christmas (though truthfully I was so taken with them that I didn't even realize they were ornaments at first.  Maybe I just need a set for... now):

I'm also loving this key tote (the people at my local food co-op openly glare at me when I forget to bring my own bags):

There are a few ways to win the 3-pack of modern paisley tea towels...

1) First, go look through Modern Vintage Market and leave a comment below with your favorite item... 

2) If you want another chance to win, be sure to "like" Hardly Housewives on Facebook here and leave another comment letting us know that you did (or if you already have)

3) Join the Hardly Housewives follower community - publicly follow Hardly Housewives via Google Friend Connect

4)... and for a last chance, follow Modern Vintage Market Blog publicly on Google Friend Connect.

This giveaway ends NEXT FRIDAY morning!  Come back to see if you've won.  Good luck and stay hip!

Hip, on the House: Panting Portraits

This giveaway is now CLOSED...

Sarah from Total Basset Case - you are the winner!

Here's a giveaway for the dog owner, dog lover, and dog breed enthusiast.  Laura Bergsma of Panting Portraits has offered a 8 x 10 print to a lucky Hardly Housewives reader.  Panting Portraits are awesome, punny artistic imaginings of dog breeds.  When looking at her site, be sure to read the descriptions of the dogs...I couldn't stop cracking up.  I think these would be great office decor or the perfect gift for your friend who has everything (including four Great Danes).

While I wait for Laura to work on Basset Hound print, here are the ones I love:

How cute is this little guy?  He reminds me of a little pug named Sammy Tucker I knew in Seattle.  Minus the pipe smoking.

"Spot has had a black eye since the day he was born..."

I think the Afghan Hound print is hilarious... maybe because I identify pretty closely with the scenario pictured above.

See the rest at the Panting Portraits website or at Lauren's Etsy shop.

Here's how you can win an 8 x 10 print of your choice...

1) First, go look through Panting Portraits and leave a comment below with your favorite print... Pom-Pomeranian?  Saint Bernard?

2) If you want another chance to win, be sure to "like" Hardly Housewives on Facebook here and leave another comment letting us know that you did (or if you already have)

3) ...and while you're on Facebook, be sure to "like" Panting Portraits' Facebook here (and comment that you did)

4) Finally, for one last chance, join the Hardly Housewives follower community - follow us publicly via GFC.

Giveaway will end NEXT Friday morning.  We will pick one winner and the prize will ship to the US only.  Thanks, Lauren!  

Hip, On the House: CAPow WINNER

This giveaway is now closed... thanks for playing! The winner is lucky number 13, Brooke M.   Brooke, I'll be emailing you...

Hip, On The House: As You Wish Printing Company

And the winner is...

Kelly Nash!  We'll be in touch about your gift certificate!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED...come back this afternoon for another giveaway with lots of funky prints, beautiful photos, and maps (duh).

Happy Friday, our homey and hungry friends!  Today we're sharing a giveaway from a great Etsy shop we came across, As You Wish Printing Company.  Adrienne from As You Wish makes some gorgeous prints that you can use anywhere in your house and she's generously offered a $25 gift certificate to her store to one Hardly Housewives reader.

If I had access to a $25 gift certificate to As You Wish, here's what I'd go for:

I've got an empty spot waiting for this in my office...

My favorite left coast city...

"As You Wish" in teal... name that movie...

You have four chances to win this $25 gift certificate... here's how:

1) First, go look through As You Wish and leave a comment below with your favorite item... are you as map crazed as I am?  Or do you like some of the kitchen prints? 

2) If you want another chance to win, be sure to "like" Hardly Housewives on Facebook here and leave another comment letting us know that you did (or if you already have)

3) ...and while you're on Facebook, be sure to "like" As You Wish's Facebook here (and comment that you did)

4) Finally, for one last chance, join the Hardly Housewives follower community - either subscribe to Hardly Housewives (info on the right sidebar of our blog) or become a follower ("Join this Site", below) OR do both and comment.

Giveaway will end NEXT Friday morning.  We will pick one winner and the prize will ship to the US only.

Hip, On The House: Max & Magnolia WINNER

This giveaway is now CLOSED!  

Ali Yarb, you are the winner!  Please contact us about getting your prize!

For everyone else, hit up Max and Magnolia for info on getting yourself a cute State Pride onesie.  Thanks again to Rebecca!

*******

We're excited to kick off the weekend with a giveaway from the cutest Etsy shop ever, Max and Magnolia.  I came across Rebecca's shop when searching for a baby shower gift back in November and she's kind enough to share one of her adorable State Pride onesies with one of our lucky readers....

  

The State Pride onesies are simple - you tell Rebecca which city & state you'd like, and the color & size.  I think these are pretty much the perfect baby shower gift... one-of-a-kind and colorful and soooo stinking adorable. 

Rebecca is kindly sharing one State Pride onesie with a Hardly Housewives winner (a 0-3 month size in either green, pink, light gray, orange, white or brown. Winner can choose the state, city for the "heart" & either white or black stencil)   There are four (OMG) ways to win...

1) First, go look through Max and Magnolia and leave a comment below with your favorite item... would you go with your favorite state & city?  Or with one of her applique products?  How about those owls?

2) If you want another chance to win, be sure to "like" Hardly Housewives on Facebook here and leave another comment letting us know that you did (or if you already have)

3) ...and while you're on Facebook, be sure to "like" Max and Magnolia's Facebook page here (and comment that you did)

4) Finally, for one last chance, join the Hardly Housewives follower community - either subscribe to Hardly Housewives (info on the right sidebar of our blog) or become a follower ("Join this Site", below) OR do both and comment.

Giveaway will end NEXT Friday morning.  We will pick one winner and the prize will ship to the US only.

Thanks to Rebecca from Max & Magnolia.  Happy Friday & stay hip!