Design Gal & Her Handyman

{Sundance Film Festival 2012 - Middle of Nowhere}

2012-01-23T22:14:00.001-07:00

Living in Utah and in close proximity to Park City, it's completely natural and a common occurance to see celebrities right and left this time of year. Afterall, there is a film festival going on.

Let's just say Andy Samburg is not on a boat and Taylor Swift is currently freezing her teeny little arms off.

The truth is, most of the time you don't see a celebrity. I've gone up to the film festival a handful of times to see who I could spot, and my one and only celebrity sighting was Bennifer years ago at a gas station. It was late- like midnight, and they were pumping gas into a large SUV while I gawked and pumped gas into my red little Plymouth Acclaim. Naturally, my friends and I wanted to play it cool and didn't dare take a picture (this was before I even owned a cell phone, let alone one with a camera on it), but we squealed and screamed as they drove away. Then we did what any 19 year olds would do. We tried to nonchalantly follow their SUV, until they drove into a gated community and the chase was over. I'm not sure what we were thinking...actually, I do. We were probably thinking that we'd follow them to a party with P-Diddy and get invited in! (Bennifer, in case you can't remember is what they called Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez when they were dating. Yes, it was that long ago!)

And in all the years the festival has been going on, I've never seen a film...until this year (thanks to my amazing mom)!

Last Saturday, we brunched at Gourmandise and then headed over to the Rose Wagner Theater for the showing of Middle of Nowhere.

I loved the film. It was beautifully shot and it was thought provoking. There was some great eye candy (I'm talking to you Omari Hardwick) and I loved Emayatzy Corinealdi's hair. She was overall lovely.

After the film, a few of the cast memebers came out for a quick Q & A with the audience. It was such a treat and so neat to see the stars up close and personal! Of course, my mind blanked and I couldn't think of anything intellectual to say. All I wanted to say was, "Damn baby, you fine" to Omari. Luckily, there were people in the audience who commented and spoke exactly what I had thought of the film. If you get the chance to see it, you must!

Also, at the end of the film, the audience members had the opportunity to vote for the film as it was eligible for an audience award. Of course I gave it the highest rating and I hope it wins! Have you seen any films this year? What did you think?

{picking up a few new hobbies}

2012-01-18T22:18:00.001-07:00

The Utah Valley University Community Education catalog just arrived and I spent awhile last night circling this class and that, deciding which one I wanted to take this year. I have taken the digital photography class (which was great because it taught me how to use my camera better, but the teacher was kind of a grouchy man), and I've thought about taking cake decorating (I love me some cake), but since I'm watching what I eat, I decided on water coloring. I've always been fascinated with it, so I'm testing my artistic abilities!

via lovely indeed

I'm also taking a letter press class and I can't wait!!! I adore letter pressed prints & I can't wait to make a few of my own!

Are you interested in taking some classes too? Check out your local University for Community Education classes! Many of the school districts offer classes too (I've taken everything from upholstery to jewelry making where we soldered our own silver rings!) Here are a few link. Register quickly as classes start soon!

Granite School District Community Education
Utah Valley University Community Education
University of Utah Continuing Education
Sycamore Street Letter Press Classes

{color inspiration}

2012-01-09T21:29:00.002-07:00

I stumbled upon a little gem of a blog the other day and fell in love with her color inspirations! The girl, is actually one of my sister in laws friends from high school- small world, eh?

I'm thinking of going with this one for my guest room/craft room...

Mixed with a little of this...

And I'm thinking of this for Andrew's office- we're both sick of the orange.

What do you think?

{my new year mantra}

2011-12-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'm alive. Don't worry. I've been M.I.A. these last few weeks and I have the holidays to blame...mostly. The 12 Days of Giveaways went really well and I was happy with the results! Sadly, the vendor for day #12 had to back out at the last minute, but it's okay- I have another giveaway planned for the new year!

Speaking of the new year, it's just days away! I've been thinking about resolutions and more than that, I've been thinking of my new years mantra, and while I've never really had a mantra that I have lived by, I decided that this year, I'd start.

It really wasn't hard thinking of one, considering everything I've been through this year, so I decided on Hope. I have hope that no matter what life throws at me, I can over come it. I have hope that things will work out the way they're supposed to. And more importantly, I have hope in my Savior, Jesus Christ and know that He will never allow despair to overcome my spirit.

I stumbled upon this little clip the other day and it summed up perfectly what I feel. I try not to get too preachy on my blog, as I believe each person has their own, individual believes and I respect them, but I wanted to share this clip.

Last month, Andrew and I decided to try IUI, or Intrauterine Insemination. It was something that we had really thought and prayed about and felt like it was the right time to try it. It's an expensive procedure (our insurance doesn't cover it) and a gamble. It's wasn't guaranteed and the success rate was only 10-20%. Still, we were hopeful that we'd get pregnant.

We told our close friends and family, and they were all rooting for us. After the procedure was done, all we had to do was wait. Those weeks seemed to take forever, all the while I was imagining all the fun ways we could tell our family we were pregnant...and then, it came. My period.

I knew the chances of becoming pregnant were slim, but I had still hoped for a pregnancy. The next few weeks were the hardest, as the people who knew about the procedure were beginning to get curious. Was I pregnant? With each question of, "So...?" or "Any news?" it became harder and harder to shake my head and say, "No...not this time..." and it became somewhat of an elephant in the room. Each year, Andrew's family throws their annual Christmas party on the first Saturday in December. As we were getting ready to leave, I broke down at the last minute and told him I didn't want to go. It wasn't that I didn't want to see his family- I love his family- it was just that I couldn't bear telling one more person that I wasn't pregnant. How could I get through the night without bawling? We went to the party, and did my best to not look anybody in the eye. I tried to stay in control of the conversations, and nobody asked, but I knew it was lingering in the back of their minds. When Santa asked what I wanted for Christmas, I said, "new countertops" when really, I wanted to say, "a baby". I suppose that's what comes with being so public about our stuggle with infertility- everyone asks about it. It's natural to be curious and most people are sensitive about the subject and sympathetic. Still, it's hard.

It's been hard these last few weeks. At times, I have felt that I've lost hope. After all, isn't it easier to succumb to despair, that it is to hold onto hope? Through it all, and especially this time of year, I've been able to focus on the Savior and that has saved me. I have faith that He is mindful of me and that things will work out, one way or another. And I have hope that there is reason to rejoice, even when all seems dark around. Hope is the anchor of my soul.

{winner of giveaway #11: Dreaming of Stiches}

2011-12-20T13:54:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Rebecca VanWinterswyk, who won the Dreaming of Stiches giveaway! Please email me your info!

{winner of giveaway # 8, 9, &10}

2011-12-13T15:23:00.001-07:00

I'm so sorry for the delay in announcing the winners of giveaway #8, 9, &10! So without further adieu, here are the lucky three...

The winner of the Sealed With You monogram necklace is comment #18:

Cameron and Nonie

The winner of the Lap of Luxury cloche hat is comment #28:

Andrea Le Albee

And last, the winners of the Oh Henry Print Shop are comments #13, #9, & 18:

One Fish

dnA

Katie

Congratulations! Please email me your information to pass along to the vendors! Thanks to all who entered!!!

{day #11: Dreaming of Stitches}

2011-12-11T15:07:00.001-07:00

Ah!! Sorry for the delay! I had a few technical issues and I'm glad things are running smoothly again! Today's givaway is by Dreaming of Stitches and they're offering the winner their choice of any of the Ready to Ship onesies!

To enter leave a comment here.

For an additional entry, follow Dreaming of Stitches on Facebook!

The winner will be announced on Wednesday! Good luck!

Also, be sure to check out her Etsy shop to see more homemade ruffle bum onesies and baby leg warmers!

{day #10: Oh Henry Print Shop}

2011-12-10T11:44:00.001-07:00

I love me a great print & even more than that, I love new calendars for the new year! So when I found oh henry print shop on etsy, I knew I wanted her in my giveaway!

Abby's designs are clean, modern, and would look perfect on an office desk or adorning a wall in your home!

Today Abby is giving THREE winners one item of their choice from her shop! Wouldn't this be a great Christmas gift? Maybe even as a neighbor gift with a cute tag that says, "May the new year be filled with many happy days!"

To enter, leave a comment here!

If you blog, tweet, or share the love on Facebook, you can enter again!

Calendars aren't the only thing that Abby designs- I love her modern take on silhouettes! Check out her etsy shop for more of her great designs!

The winner will be announced on Tuesday!

{winner of giveaway #7: Fabulous K Design}

2011-12-10T11:41:00.001-07:00

OMG- talk about an awesome response! It just goes to show how fabulous Kelly truly is!

With that said, the winner of a Fabulous K Design makeover is....

comment #33 from i'm jess!

please email me so I can pass the info along to Kelly!

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who participated!

{day # 9: Lap of Luxury}

2011-12-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Remember awhile ago when I invited vendors to participate in the 12 Days of Giveaways? Well, Melody was one of the first to jump at the opportunity and I'm so glad she did!

She's definitely a girl I would be friends with if we knew each other in real life (I actually read her blog before I even knew she read mine!), and when I found out she designed and created beautiful crochet accessories, I knew she'd be a perfect fit for the giveaways!

Lap of Luxury provides beautiful handcrafted crochet items, but these aren't your grandmother's doilies. Lap of Luxury has trendy, modern and fashionable designs from beanies to headbands for adult women, children and infants!

Today, Melody is giving away a cloche hat (pictured below on the left) to one lucky winner and she's offering 20% off products in her Etsy Shop when you use the code: HOLIDAY2011 when you check out!

To enter, leave a comment here.

For an additional entry, go to Lap of Luxury's blog and become a follower!

You can have one more entry if you become a new follower of Design Gal too!

And last, if you blog, tweet, or share this giveaway on Facebook OR if you like her on Facebook, you can enter one last time!

Good luck!! The winner will be announced on Monday!

{winner of giveaway #6: Jill Witt Photography}

2011-12-08T22:05:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Clair who won a free spring session with Jill Witt Photography!

Please email me to redeem your prize!

Thanks to all who entered!

{day # 8: Sealed with YOU}

2011-12-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for a great necklace! Pair it with a monogram and I'm sold! That's why I love today's vendor, Sealed with YOU. Her wax seal pendants are so unique and lovely- perfect for casual and dressy outfits!

Today, Aimee is giving away a monogrammed initial wax seal pendant and chain (color and letter of choice) to one lucky winner! And to sweeten the deal, she's offering FREE shipping if you mention this blog! (if you send her a message on etsy before you check out she'll take the shipping off!)

To enter, leave a comment here.
For an additional entry, spread the word on facebook, twitter, or your own blog!
And last, if you become a new follower you get one more entry!
Good luck!! The winner will be announced on Sunday.

{winner of giveaway #5: RHB Design}

2011-12-08T00:05:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Krista who won the $50 gift card to RHB Design! Please email me to redeem your prize!

shans_design @ yahoo.com

{day #7: Fabulous K Design}

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting all week for this giveaway! Kelly and I became blog buddies a few years ago when I discovered her lovely blog, Fabulous K. I instantly connected with her style & love for great design! Kelly is graphic designer, fashion lover, and photography, art + design junkie who lives in Dallas, which also happens to be one of my favorite cities! Her blog designs are stylish, unique, and fabulous!

She was gracious enough to offer a custom blogger design, which includes a custom designed header, matching background and color coordination of titles + links ($90 value.)

To enter leave a comment here telling me why you need a blog makeover!

For an additional entry, become a follower.

For a third entry, visit Fabulous K Design and share your favorite design.

And for a final entry, spread the word on your blog or Facebook!

The winner will be announced on Saturday!

Good luck!

{winner of giveaway #4}

2011-12-06T21:33:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Patsy who won the 30 minute massage the winners of Jill Massage & to Jen who won the lavender bath salts! To redeem your prizes, send me your email so I can pass it along to Jill!

{day #6: Jill Witt Photography}

2011-12-05T23:25:00.001-07:00

Today's giveaway is from my friend, Jill Witt who is a creative genius behind Jill Witt Photography! She's a fantastic photographer with a great eye- something that can be hard to come by!

"I love lifestyle photography, but don't turn away completely from traditional. I love shooting in natural light at new locations. My goal as your photographer is to capture YOU. I want to capture personality and individuality. Thank you for trusting me to see and freeze those moments. This is what drives me! Having you as my client and inspiration allows me to create true art...and I thank you."

Today, Jill is giving away a free spring session to one lucky winner!

To enter, leave a comment here. For an additional entry, become a follower and/or tell about this giveaway on Facebook!

The winner will be announced on Thursday!

Isn't this photo precious? Love!

{winners of giveaway #3)

2011-12-05T23:19:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Karlie who won the jewelry holder & Mrs. Robinson who won the magnet board! Please email me your address so I can mail your prize!

Thanks to all who entered!

{Day 5: RHB Designs Hand Stamped Jewelry}

2011-12-04T23:56:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, I ordered a necklace from Rosalynn, owner of RHB Designs. The necklace was a simple, stamped disc charm that had my husband and my initials stamped into it, S & A. I love that necklace & what it symbolizes.

I was thrilled when Rosalynn said she'd participate in the 12 Days of Christmas giveaway!

Today she is offering one lucky winner a $50 gift card to use in her Etsy Shop, RHB Designs!

Also, from now thru December 8th, she is offering 10% off your entire order when you enter the code: designgal when you check out.

To enter, leave a comment here telling me what necklace you'd choose. For an additional entry, blog about this giveaway, and/or add the giveaway button to your blog!

Winner will be announced on Wednesday. Good luck!

{Day 4: Jill Massage}

2011-12-04T15:11:00.001-07:00

Feeling the stress of the holidays already? *This giveaway is for you then!

My good friend Jill is giving away a free 30 minute massage to one lucky winner!

Jill offers customized massage sessions that are tailored to each client's personal needs. Weary about getting a massage? Don't worry- you'll feel right at home & relaxed in her newly remodeled spa. You may visit her site by clicking HERE!

For those of you out of state, you can still win! Jill is also giving away lavender bath salts to another lucky winner! Who doesn't love lavender?

To enter, simply leave a comment! If you'd like an additional entry, tell your friends about this on Facebook! And if you aren't already a follower, you can follow for an additional entry!

The winner will be announced on Tuesday!

*winner of massage must live in Utah as the spa is located in Draper, Utah

{winners of giveaway #1 and #2}

2011-12-04T14:15:00.001-07:00

Congratulations!

The winner of $30 to Katie's Wish Digital Designs Etsy Shop

is commenter #6, Danielle! Please send me your email to pass along to Kathy to redeem your prize!

The winners of the Tasty Suite Vinyl Studio decals are
commenter #3, Silly Steeneck's, who won the monogram
and #20 Gavin who won the giant alphabet!
Please send me your email to pass along to Alisa to redeem your prize!

email shans_design @ yahoo.com

Thanks for all of you who entered! Keep entering! There are many more prizes!

{Day 3: Yours Truly- Jewelry Holder & Magnet Board}

2011-12-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today's giveaway is brought to you by Yours Truly! That's right, I'm contributing!

One of my favorite projects that I've gotten so many compliments on is the jewelry holder I made last year. I've made another (similar to the one shown below) for one lucky winner!

I've also have a fabric magnet board for another winner! Two prizes is always better than one, right?

To enter, leave a comment here. For an additional entry, become a follower and/or share this post on Facebook! The winners will be announced Monday morning.

Good luck! Have a great weekend!

P.S. Out of state peeps can enter as well! We can ship it!

{day 2: Tasty Suite Vinyl Studio}

2011-12-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today's giveaway is from one of my favorite vinyl studios, Tasty Suite. When I was first introduced to their shop, I fell in love with their modern, clean, and funky designs.

"Watching a space transform in minutes, discovering something friendly and personable in the most insignificant and tiniest of places. That is what makes me happy." - Tasty Suite owner, Alisa

Today, Alisa is offering TWO lucky winners a chance to win! The first winner will win a double layer monogram decal (shown above) and the second winner will win a huge vinyl alphabet decal (also shown above)!

To enter, leave a comment here and tell me where you'd use your vinyl! For an additional entry, become a follower of my blog or post the 12 Days Giveaway button on your blog (if you haven't already)!

And to sweeten the deal, Alisa is offering Tasty Suite customers 25% off at her Etsy shop to Design Gal customers thru December! Enter the discount code: DESIGN12 when you check out.

Need help commenting? Click HERE

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Finally, since it's Friday, I wanted to share another freebie! Every year the hubs and I throw an ugly sweater party, and designing the invitations is probably my favorite part! I loved this years design so much, I thought I'd share it with all of you!

Are you throwing an ugly sweater party too? I made a special invitation that you can download & fill it in with your own personal information. To download the template, click HERE.

I had mine printed on 4x6 photo paper (so much cheaper), but you can print them on any paper you'd like! Now go and rock those ugly sweaters!!

{Day 1: Katies Wish Digital Designs}

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! I'm so excited to kick things off with one of my favorite designers & digital design shops, Katies Wish! I'm a huge fan of digital scrapbooking & using digital images to create fun invitations, cards, & other fun crafts! I stumbled upon Kathy's blog a few months ago and was instantly hooked! Not only is she affordable, but she offers so many freebies, and who doesn't love a freebie!?

Today, she is giving away $30 credit to use at her Etsy Shop, Katie's Wish!

To enter, leave a comment! For an additional entry, place the 12 Days Giveaway button on your blog. It's as simple as that!

This giveaway will close Friday at midnight (you have 2 days to enter) and a winner will be announced on Saturday.

Also, be sure to check out Kathy's blog out by clicking HERE. If you're new to digital scrapbooking and not sure where to start, don't fret! Kathy shares her favorite tutorials so you can get started!

Kathy is also offering a 30% discount for Design Gal readers at her Etsy Shop!. Just type in the coupon code: 12DaysHoliday when you check out, now thru December 30th.

And finally, she was generous enough to also offer this free printable of Christmas gift tags! I'm loving the vintage look! Click HERE to download the PDF.

Not sure how to enter the drawing or leave a comment? Click here!

{how to enter the giveaway and leave a comment}

2011-11-30T22:48:00.001-07:00

I've had a few people ask me about how to enter the giveaway! Hopefully these answer your questions...

First, you DON'T have you live in Utah to enter! Live out of state? Feel free to enter whatever giveaway you'd like! Everything can be shipped (with the exception of one giveaway)!

Second, if you don't have a blog, you can STILL ENTER!

Here's how...

At the bottom of a post you'll see something that looks like this...

Click the area that is underlined,where it says "comments" and a box will pop out that looks like this...

You might need to scroll down until you see an empty box. Type your comment there & leave your name & email address (as I've illustrated above). Then click the box that says "Anonymous" and finally, click publish your comment. Your comment won't show up right away (I have to approve it first, to filter out the spam) but I try to update the comments every few hours!

If you have any more questions or comments, feel free to email me!

shans_design @ yahoo dot com

Good luck!!

{12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!}

2011-11-28T21:11:00.001-07:00

Only 2 days left until the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! I'm so excited about the vendors this year! Everything from jewelry & vinyl to massages & photography! There's a giveaway each day starting December 1st thru the 12th! Spread the love and grab a button for your blog!

(It just might get you an additional entry! *nudge, nugdge, wink, wink*)