Sephora Gift Card Giveaway!

Who wants to win a $250 Sephora giftcard? {Me me!} The contest starts today at 9am and ends February 13th! It is open worldwide and you can enter daily. The winner will be notified by email. Good luck girls!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

XoXo

Blogger Giveaways

Are you a blogger who is looking to gain more followers by hosting giveaways? If so, I have the perfect opportunity for you. Oh My Gosh Beck sets up tons of great giveaways and all you have to do is sign up for her email list. Every now and then she will send out an email listing the giveaways she has coming up. It is your choice to be a part of them or not.

For instance this Friday she is doing a Sephora gift card giveaway which I thought would be awesome for my readers so I decided to sign up for it! In February she is doing 4 giveaways, one of which is a $300 Anthropologie gift card giveaway so I jumped on it!!! I always go for the giveaways that I think my readers would like best. And come on, who doesn't love Sephora and Anthropologie!????

If you are interest in these giveaways for your readers too, please follow this link and mention that Justine from Life As A Baltimore Girl referred you. I will be oh so appreciative and I know you will love the giveaways that Oh My Gosh Beck has to offer!

XoXo

Terrariums!

I'm currently obsessed with terrariums (mini greenhouses). They've seemed to be all the rage for a while now but I'm just jumping on the bandwagon. I've been doing my research and they are pretty easy to make and REALLY easy to maintain! Sign me up.

All you need is a container, rocks/pebbles, charcoal, soil, and plants. You layer them like the photo below. Not much to it, see? Now as far as upkeep goes, if your container is closed {has a lid} you do not have to water your plants very often. If your container is open, they say to spray your plants with water every few days or once a week.

I'm currently trying to find a container so that I can make mine. It will be on my kitchen table so I want an over sized and dramatic look. But I also don't want to break the bank. I have a feeling I will be doing some searching over the weekend. 

Here are a few that have caught my eye {at varying price points}:

IMAX Lefroy

Archway

Belle Aged

H Potter

Ikea

Have you jumped on the terrarium bandwagon yet? I'll update ya'll once I choose a container and get mine going! I'm not even sure what plants I want to use yet but I'm thinking a mix of cacti and succulents.

XoXo

ClassPass Baltimore

I am so excited to announce that ClassPass has launched in Baltimore! ClassPass is a fitness membership in which you can visit multiple gyms/studios at one low fee. This means you can attend your favorite yoga class, pure barre class, and exhale without having to pay for multiple gym/studio memberships. ClassPass helps you discover the best fitness classes in your city!

Memberships start at just $99 a month and ClassPass is offering my readers a special opportunity to skip the wait list just by following my personal invite!!! 

XoXo

Wine & Wish {Featuring Avalon}

Wine

The Avalon California Cabernet shows bright vibrant aromas of blueberry jam, strawberry tart, and boysenberries with hints of vanilla and toasted oak. A dash of Zinfandel give this wine a hint of spice that is followed by rich black cherries, red raspberries, and juicy ripe plums on the long smooth finish.

Pair with grilled prime sirloin burgers with sharp cheddar cheese, brick oven baked Margherita pizza, smoked or rotisserie chicken.

Avalon

Wish

I love everything about Lisa Vanderpump's home and style. She has such a chic and flawless look going on. I love how she pulls different elements and colors together. I used this picture of her drapes with tassels as inspiration for my bedroom drapes. Another thing that I admire about her home is the fresh flowers and plants that she always has!

Source

XoXo

It's Friday Five Ya'll

1. Mark your calendars because on Monday when you order vegan sofritas (my review here) from Chipotle, you will receive a gift card for a free burrito to use later on!!! Woop woop

2. Jon and I saw American Sniper last week and it was great. Although it was emotionally hard to watch, I did not cry!!! This movie was a big reality check and reminder of how thankful I am for our military and police. I know a simple thank you isn't enough for them risking their lives but THANK YOU.

3. Have you entered for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card? If not, head on over to this post! The winner will be announced next Friday.

4. I have a tendency to kill plants. No matter what I do, they die. Not to mention the winter weather in Maryland... not very many potted plants can thrive in the cold. The Lakeside Collection saved my butt when I came across these artificial topiary plants last week. The price was on point especially since I know they will last a long time. Another plus is that they light up. Currently I do not have the batteries in but I just know they will look great on a Summer night so I can't wait! {Monogrammed doormat from Rue La La}

5. I am SO excited because tonight my sister in law is hosting a girls night. We are going to do some fondue, wine, and play games. Each girl is going to bring a cute item that they no longer use (maybe a pair of earrings or some nail polish etc.) and we are going to put it into a trade pile. Throughout the night when you win a game you get to choose your item to take home. It should be a great time!

Joining these 3 link ups...

XoXo

MissionCute January 2015

My box has arrived and this month it is benefiting One Simple Wish! In 2006, Danielle Gletow and her husband Joe became foster parents and it changed their lives forever. Watching as an 18 month-old little boy nervously entered their home wearing a coat two sizes too big after being removed abruptly from his abusive home, The Gletows knew they had to do more for children in foster care. One Simple Wish was born in 2008 to empower more people to support children who've been victims of abuse, neglect and abandonment in very simple yet meaningful ways. Children deserve happy childhoods. One Simple Wish creates them.

What a great cause, right!? The thing that I love most about MissionCute is that 50% of net proceeds go to a different charity each month. Pretty amazing if you ask me. So by becoming a member, you receive tons of cute goodies AND you give back all at the same time!!! Win, win.

Now moving on to this months BOX. Lots of goodies that I'm raving over and can't wait to use including a gorgeous long pearl necklace. And this tumbler.... you can never have enough cute tumblers! Perfect for your morning drink... whether you prefer lemon water or iced coffee, tumblers are best for on-the-go.

Isn't this print adorable? All I need is a frame to put it in, but in the meantime it is making its mark on my fridge!

How about this head band? I have a feeling I will be wearing this a lot.

And this travel jewelry/make up bag. The quality of this is impeccable. I can't believe this was included in the box to be honest. I'm thinking I might use this for the make up I carry in my purse.

If there aren't already so many great reasons to join MissionCute, here's one more: each item is from a small business! Starting at just $17 a month, you can be a member. Please follow my personal invite.

XoXo

Home Updates!

Okay, maybe I should've named this "Home Changes!" because it's not like we are doing renovations over here... just changing things around and decorating :) In fact my entire bedroom is different than the last time I shared it on here. So much that I think it deserves its own post so that'll be for another day. For now though, here's what's been going on in the Ciemny household:

In the living room I added some picture frames to our record player {Yes, this is actually a working record player that I bought off of craigslist for $50}. I love how the light and dark colored frames look! Some of these frames were wedding gifts and others were moved from other areas of the house. I love shopping in my home and moving things around. You can redecorate without spending a dime! Oh and that frame all the way on the left is from the Dollar Store. Can you tell? {Angel}

On our end table I added a tray that we were gifted for our wedding. I think fresh flowers really make a home so this vase always has a beautiful bouquet! I've also put an album full of photos from our rehearsal dinner and honeymoon for guests to look at while they are visiting.

Next up, I finally completed our wedding album and was so excited to add it to our ottoman next to my favorite mirrored tray {bought at HomeGoods but similar here}!

I actually bought this snake plant from a nice lady off of craigslist for $10 including the beautiful pot. She told me it was low maintenance so I figured I could handle it. It's already starting to die on me! I don't know if I'm watering it too much or too little. She told me to water it once a week and that's what I'm doing. Any suggestions from you green thumbs out there would be appreciated ;) {stair treads}

This might be my favorite update yet! I had my eye on this mirrored table from Target for a while. It was $70 but I wanted to hold out and see if it ever went on sale. Black Friday came and went and still nothing. Finally about 2 weeks ago I decided to randomly check on it and to my surprise it was on clearance for $49!!! I jumped on it and also went through Ebates so that I could earn money back on my purchase. Unfortunately it is now out of stock. {Chair, Throw Blanket}

I moved my "bar cart" from the corner of my dining room to this little space in my kitchen. I've also rearranged it and added some glasses that we were gifted at our wedding!

We have so many things on the counters in our kitchen so I'm constantly moving things around. Right now I'm loving how this area is looking.

And I love this little coffee area too! Condiment set from Pottery Barn {gifted to us at our wedding}.

I recently told ya'll about this valance a few posts ago. I simply adore it.

Moving upstairs, I took the chalkboard seating chart from my wedding {that we bought as a frame from HomeGoods and made ourselves} and turned it into a beautiful sign hanging above our staircase. Seeing this every morning before I head out to conquer the day is a great reminder of who I want to be... a follower of Jesus Christ.

Last but certainly not least, I changed out my white shower curtain for this curtain from Pottery Barn. You can bet I waited until it went on sale... and unfortunately it is no longer available! {Valance}

XoXo

Wine & Wish {Featuring Broadbent}

Welcome to Wine & Wish, a series that I am starting because of my love for sipping on wine while fantasizing about my dream home. It's my favorite thing to do after a long day of work! So lets get right to it shall we!?

Wine

Vinho Verde, the most popular white wine from Portugal, is a deliciously refreshing, light wine. "Verde", meaning "Green" refers to the hints of lime color. It is an ideal warm weather wine, excellent for lunch and picnics, or an evening aperitif. It makes a brilliant pairing with any fish, shellfish and poultry.

Broadbent

Wish

I just love the simplicity of this bathroom and the color of blue that was chosen. That ottoman is to die for and I can picture it in a formal living room as well. I have a love for trays because I think it is a great way to visually organize multiple items. And that tub: swoon!

Source

XoXo

Five on Friday + A Giveaway

1. I'm a little too excited with the fact that Joanna Krupa now follows me on Instagram (#starstruck). What an amazing woman she is to use her beauty and fame to be a voice for the voiceless! Her rescue, Angels for Animal Rescue saves lives every day. Thank you Joanna.

2. I will be starting a new series (on random Sundays of my choosing) called "Wine & Wish" where I will highlight a bottle of wine and share an inspirational home decor photo. This was influenced by my love for sipping on wine while fantasizing about my dream home. In fact this is my favorite thing to do after a long day of work. I pour myself a glass of wine and peruse the internet for home decor ideas!!!

This Sunday will kick off the series so please stay tuned! I encourage you to join in sharing your favorite bottle of wine and/or favorite home decor photo.

3. Rue La La is currently having a shoe sale but hurry because it ends soon (as in today- so run don't walk)! I have an addiction to BCBG shoes... I just love them all and these beauties are going for only $99!!! If you are not currently a member of this discount designer site, please follow my personal invite.

4. I was gifted a bottle of Lillet by a coworker for Christmas. It is a French aperitif wine from Podensac that you are supposed to drink chilled, on ice with an orange. But the website shows tons of other recipes that are commonly made with Lillet. Jon and I finally got to try it last night and we are total fans! I definitely recommend picking up a bottle and trying for yourself.

5. Who wants to win a $50 amazon gift card? All you have to do is enter below!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOODLUCK ;) The winner will be chosen on January 30th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

XoXo