Coffee and Cashmere

Cabin Fever

This past weekend we took a trip with the family for William's grandmother's 80th birthday. We enjoyed catching up with folks we haven't seen in foreves, and Adrienne was just happy she could swim her little heart out. #mermaidbabyforlife

Here are a few of the million photos I snapped.

Winsome Words Wednesday

#knowwhentoletitbe

Also, I'm giving a moment of silence for all the people who were lost during the unforgettable 9/11. If you want to see my views on 9/11 and ~~our~~ ~~the~~ their now war with Syria, read this article. He pretty much nails it. Wake up people. And grow a pair.

Endeavour Toys GIVEAWAY [OVER]

This giveaway is OVER. Congrats Harley! You have won your choice of WoolPet from Endeavour Toys! Thanks to all you other folks who pressed your luck!

Okay. Guys. I have to admit something. I'm so sick of all these other bloggers and people on Pinterest showing me up. They bake the most ridiculous foods, decorate some amazing parties, craft the coolest stuff. AND then take awesome photos of it. Like how? I can barely get dinner on the table at a decent hour. Ramen, again? Sorry I'm not sorry.

Anyineedmorehoursintheday, Endeavour Toys, a toy company that specializes in clever kid things, sent me a WoolPet Needle Felting Kit, one of their best selling crafting kits, to help get my creative juices flowing. Now, this isn't a craft for kids. It's more like a grown-up activity, and then you give the kiddos your finished product. Yea, I just spent all this time creating a tiny, pretend pet for you, so don't destroy it, okay?

I started on my fox pet, not really knowing what it entailed. These WoolPets come with directions, different shades of wool, a few beads for eyes and noses, and the needles. Yes. Needles. These felting needles are legit. They are probably sharper than any sewing needle I've encountered. I even literally stabbed myself with the thing and bled for an hour straight. I immediately quit for a while because, well, I love and need my fingers. Needless to say, you should probably use a thimble or a concrete glove while doing this.

I'm not going to lie. After I got the hang of needle felting, it was relaxing. My fox started looking like a bear-monkey mutant, but I didn't care. I was creating something again. And I felt good about it. It was also fun that Adrienne was watching me with amazement. She also kept praising my ~~progress?~~ ~~attempt?~~ work. Plus, these kits are made with all natural materials in the USA, and the box the kit comes in can even be turned into a bird feeder! Win slash win.

My fox turned out to actually look somewhat fox-ish. Sure, his legs could have been skinnier and shorter, but Adrienne loved him and named him Mr. Foxers. There is even enough wool in these kits to have another go round at a Mrs. Foxers in the future.

Now for the GIVEAWAY. I've teamed up with Endeavour Toys to offer one lucky winner their choice of WoolPet! There are some pretty cute little critters to choose from! Like hedgehogs, owls, and kittens, oh my! They even have holiday kits perfect for gift-giving. The winner will also receive a foam pad to make their needle felting life easier.

For your chance to win, just log into the Rafflecopter below (or make a new Rafflecopter account), and follow the directions for each entry. Please make sure to actually do what's required for each entry. If you just click enter and not do what it's asking, I'll know. If you are unsure how to do one, skip it and contact me. I can't stress this enough. I go back and check to make sure the winner actually did what was required. I will not let cheaters win. DON'T CHEAT. Meh.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is OVER. Congrats Harley! You have won your choice of WoolPet from Endeavour Toys! Thanks to all you other folks who pressed your luck!

This giveaway will last until Saturday, September 14th. One winner will be picked at random via Rafflecopter and will receive a WoolPet of choice and a foam pad from Endeavour Toys. The winner will be announced on coffeeandcashmere.com and will also be notified via email. The winner will have ONE week to respond to the email to claim their prize. If the winner never responds, a second winner will be picked at random.

Thank you, Endeavour Toys, for finding such unique imagination builders.

Also, I will be out of town this weekend for a mini vacation with the fam. Catch me around here on Monday!

Winsome Words Wednesday and a WINNER

#shinyhappypeople

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats Debnmike M.! You have won the iTunes gift card from Kia! I will be emailing you today! Thanks to all you other lovers who entered this great giveaway! Don't worry! There will be a brand new giveaway tomorrow!

Lizzy's Whimsy

I hope all you lovelies had an amazing holiday weekend!

I wanted to stop in to show you guys an amazing portrait of my little Adrienne that the absolutely fabulous Lizzy's Whimsy created!

Lizzy is an uber-talented artist who can turn any photo into a work of magical art. I basically emailed her a photo of Adrienne and told her my child is princess-obsessed (aren't we all?) and stays in costume. For awhile she even SLEPT with a crown on her head. Adorable? Totally. Comfortable? Notsomuch.

And you know what Lizzy created? A Snow White version of my kiddo. ::swoon::

Dead. Seriously.

I mean, how amazing is that? I'm a sucker for custom work. And an even bigger sucker for my child's fat cheeks.

Lizzy absolutely captured Adrienne's pudgy face, big blue eyes, and hair perfectly.

Lizzy's Whimsy's prices are unbeatable. For under ten dollars you can email her any photo of your kid, you (if you're narcissistic), or pet, and she will email you the high-res copy of the finished art. Then you can print it at any local print shop. Wham. Bam. Thank you ma'am.

Oh, and these would make great Christmas gifts! Hey-oh.

Sponsor Coffee and Cashmere

Hey all you lovely readers! It's time to sponsor me again. So, I'm calling all other bloggers, small businesses, big businesses, or if you would just like to see your name in bright lights, come on down! I have room on Coffee and Cashmere to promote YOU.

I've worked with many big name companies (Infantino, Kia, Skechers, LG, Party City, Panera Bread, ViX, etc), some up and coming awesome companies (Charm City Babies, I AM MARYANN, Conscious Box, Bonfaire, Yogi Clothing, etc), two of my all-time favorite companies (Freshly Picked, Blabla), and have even been mentioned on prime time television (Funny or Die's Billy on the Streets). Hey-oh. So, you probably want to work with me. Just sayin'.

Sponsorship

High Roller: 200x250 is $50 per month (BOOKED UNTIL DECEMBER 2013)
- Just for the big spender - want to be on the very top of the list? That will cost you a pretty penny at $50. This includes the best ad spot and a solo blog post introduction.

Large: 200x250 is $40 per month (2 SPOTS LEFT!)
- Includes prime ad space and solo blog post introduction

Medium: 200x150 is $25 per month (4 SPOTS LEFT!)
- Includes a group introduction with other small and medium sponsors.

Small: 200x100 is $15 per month (4 SPOTS LEFT!)
- Includes a group introduction with other small and medium sponsors.

But wait, there are package deals. Yowza. If you buy a three month package with the small, medium, or large ads, you get the fourth month for the free! These package deals can only be used once per sponsor. They don't work with the "High Roller" ad space. ::sigh::

Giveaways and Reviews

I am always down to do these. When I host a giveaway, I request samples be sent to me so I can take my own pictures. Another sample is needed for the actual giveaway. I will review the product, with my own pictures, and then promote that giveaway on 2 Facebook accounts, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin', Instagram, etc. all throughout the duration of the giveaway.

Pretty much same goes for reviews, except no giveaway. The samples need to be sent to me, then I take my own pics, write a blog review, and promote on all my social media platforms. I will be brutally honest in the reviews, and I don't just review anything. If I don't think your product is right for my blog, my readers, or me, I'll have to turn you down. Ever so gently, though.

I also offer sponsored and guest posts. You can email me at jade@coffeeandcashmere.com anytime to ask questions or just to chat if you are feeling lonely.

Hearts and stuffs.