And the winner of the boardgame giveaway is...

Homemaker!! Congratulations! Thanks to everyone for playing. :-)

GIVEAWAY: What's a Dame to Do? boardgame

NOTE: THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Last week I reviewed my last board game obsession, What's a Dame to Do? The mastermind behind this game, Games for Dames, has generously agreed to give away a copy of What’s a Dame to Do to one lucky reader! Here’s how to enter:

NOTE: You can enter multiple times using the methods below and will only have to post once. Just be sure and mention everything and don’t forget to leave a way for me to contact you if I can’t do so through your Blogger profile!

1 ENTRY: Leave a comment.

1 EXTRA ENTRY: Begin following this blog or mention that you already do so.

1 EXTRA ENTRY: Join The Sweet Jelly Bean’s page on Facebook. Please let me know if you do so by commenting on this post!

2 EXTRA ENTRIES: Mention this giveaway on your own blog and link baack to this post. Please let me know if you do so by commenting on this post!

This giveaway ends Monday, April 27, 2009, at 7pm PST. All eligible entries will be thrown into a bowl and a winner will be drawn. The winner will be announced here and contacted following the close of the contest. Good luck everyone!

SwitchFlops giveaway winner

So my SwitchFlops giveaway ended last night and I’ve only now gotten around to announcing a winner. 45 of you gorgeous ladies entered the contest for a total of 74 entries! I only wish that I had the opportunity to give you each a pair of these fantastic floppies for your tired tootsies. Okay, enough alliteration. The winner is….

Bee and Rose

Well, she certainly deserves it! This girl was one of my very first followers and always leaves such thoughtful comments! Congratulations to her, and thank you to SwitchFlops for agreeing to let me host the giveaway. And to all of you – try, try again! I’ll have another giveaway coming up soon, so stay tuned.

And the winner of the Timid Monster is...

Cheryl!

Congratulations! Be sure and take good care of Joel! :-)

SwitchFlops Review and Giveaway

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING. 

Back when I first started this blog in January, I’d mentioned a cool new concept in footwear I’d recently stumbled across called SwitchFlops. As the name applies, SwitchFlops have the style and build of a typical pair of flip-flops, but features a piece of Velcro along the strap. When you’re ready to change your style, whether its from polka dots to skulls or a solid color to preppy stripes, just peel off the current fabric strips you’re sporting and replace them with a totally different design!

The 411
Shoe Styles and Colors:
LuLu Flat ($32): available in black, tan, brown, navy, pink, and white
Taylor Wedge ($36): available in black, brown, white
Lilly Kitten Heel ($48): cork and black

SwitchFlops straps are undeniably stylish and affordably priced! At only $12 per strap set, you can create an endless shoe wardrobe with over 70 strap choices from six different collections!

My Review
I was fortunate enough to be able to try these lovelies out for myself! I have a pair of the LuLu flats in brown and 3 sets of straps. My take on these:

Pros
Comfort – I was worried that the Velcro would rub against my feet and blister, but they did not! Also, I was afraid that the sole itself wouldn’t be as cushy as the Reef flipflops I consider my staple, but they were just as comfortable – if not more!

Ease – The straps are very easy to change – it took me a total of about 2 minutes (probably less) to change both of the straps out, and only that long because I couldn’t decide which design I wanted to try out next!

Price – For $12, you can get a new set of straps to add to your collection and it really does look like a totally different shoe!

Variety – With over 70 straps to choose from, I bet you can’t find some that you love! My next purchase will be the Kitten heels, which I think will be perfect with pants or capris for work!

Cons
Seriously, I can’t think of any at this point. Maybe availability? Currently most of the straps and shoe styles are available through the SwitchFlops website and a few select boutiques across the United States. For their store locator, click here.

The Giveaway
SwitchFlops has generously offered to give away one pair of their flops to a lucky reader! To enter: Visit the SwitchFlops website and pick our your favorite style of straps. Return to The Bean and leave a comment on this entry telling me which strap is your favorite. If you do not do this, your entries will not count!

For more entries:
1 EXTRA ENTRY: Begin following this blog. Let me know if you already do so!

2 EXTRA ENTRIES: Mention this giveaway on your own blog and link baack to this post. Please let me know if you do so!

3 EXTRA ENTRIES: Make a purchase from SwitchFlops during this giveaway and let me know about it. I’ll ask you to forward me your order confirmation!

This giveaway ends Monday, April 6, 2009, at 9pm PST. All eligible entries will be thrown into a bowl and a winner will be drawn. The winner will be announced here and contacted following the close of the contest. Be sure to check out info on The Bean’s upcoming giveaways - look over to the right hand column near the top of the page and you'll see links to them. Good luck everyone!

GIVEAWAY: Timid Monster

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

In a recent post I highlighted the very talented Trish over at Trupinys, an Etsy shop that sells jewelry and monsters made of clay that are absolutely adorable! I’d had Trish commission a “British Lawyer” monster in honor of my hubby being an almost law school graduate, and her work is fabulous. Trish has agree to give away the following Timid Monster to one lucky reader of The Sweet Jelly Bean!


Here is his story: Joel enjoys fashioning sandals out of corn husks and sleeping bags out of candy wrappers. He loves to keep pet balloon animals, but they scare easily and run away when they hear loud pops, leaving behind their rubbery droppings. Left alone, Joel tends to be afraid of sandcastles, labyrinths and kittens. Each Monster comes initialed and dated on the bottom and with a little card with their mini-biography written on it.

For this contest you can get up to eight entries! To enter: Visit Trupinys over at Etsy and pick out your favorite monster. Return to The Bean and leave a comment telling me your favorite. If you do not do this, your entries will not count!

For more entries:
1 EXTRA ENTRY: Begin following this blog. Let me know if you already do so!

1 MORE ENTRY: Begin following Trish's blog – please mention in a comment to this post if you are already doing so or if you begin to do so.

2 BONUS ENTRIES: Mention this giveaway on your own blog and link back to this post or Trish's blog. Please comment on this post to let me know you've done so!

3 BONUS ENTRIES: Make a purchase from Trupinys during this giveaway (her items start under $5). Post a link to the sale page once you've purchased!

This giveaway ends Monday, March 30, 2009 at 9pm PST. All eligible entries will be thrown into a bowl and Mr. Bean will draw a winner. The winner will be announced here and contacted following the close of the contest. Be sure to check out info on The Bean’s upcoming giveaways - look over to the right hand column near the top of the page and you'll see links to them. Good luck everyone!

IsABelt Giveaway: We have a winner!

Congratulations to Heather for winning the IsABelt giveaway! Thanks to everyone who entered. A new giveaway is coming up next week, so stick around...

And the winner is...

Tonight Mr. Bean helped me to draw a winner for the "$10 to the Charity of Your Choice" giveaway that's been going on here this week as part of the SITS Spring Fling. There so many of you who entered with such worth causes - I only wish that I could support them all! Here is a picture of the action from my camera phone:

Isn't my Mr. Bean talented? And the winner is...

shortmama (her blog is Family of Shorts) said:
I love this idea!!! I would donate to our local Humane Society because so many pets are being left behind due to the current economic and foreclosure crisis. www.azhumane.org
12:04 PM, March 10, 2009

As requested by her entry, I have donated $10 to shortmama's charity of choice, the Arizona Humane Society.

Congratulations, shortmama, and thank you so much to everyone who entered. If you get a chance, stop by the comments to this contest and check out all of the amazing charities that people highlighted.

GIVEAWAY: IsABelt

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

As I mentioned in a previous post, there is an amazing new product known as IsABelt that is specifically designed to help eliminate the creeping, crawling, sagging, butt crackag-ing, and other wardrobe malfunctions associated with today's jeans styles. To use it:

• Hold belt in front of you so logo is facing you.
• Go to one side of the belt and separate into two straps.
• Hold belt above rough textured area close to adjuster with thumb & forefinger. • With other hand, gently pull top strap at a downward angle to lengthen or shorten the belt.
• Adjust both sides until desired support is reached.
• Put through belt loops, clasp belt together & push belt down to base of waistband.
• If possible, notch belt strap under button to secure placement.

The IsABelt is available in multiple colors and sizes suitable for children, misses, plus sizes, and even styles for men. Although it retails at many stores (both brick-and-mortar and online), you can order an IsABelt directly from the company for $16.95+$5.95 shipping. Better yet, enter The Bean's giveaway to win an IsABelt of your choice (the company has agreed to give a belt to one lucky winner)!

1. FOR ONE ENTRY: Simply make a comment on this post. If you're not logged in, be sure to leave your email address instead of commenting anonymously so I can contact you if you win.

2. FOR A BONUS ENTRY: Begin following this blog – please mention in a comment if you are already doing so or if you begin to do so.

3. FOR 2 BONUS ENTRIES: Mention this giveaway on your own blog and link back to The Sweet Jelly Bean. Please comment on this post to let me know you've done so!

This giveaway ends Monday, March 17, 2009 at 7PM PST. All eligible entries will be thrown into a hat (well, probably a water glass around our apartment), and a winner will be drawn by Mr. Bean. The winner will be announced here and contacted following the close of the contest. Good luck everyone, and be sure to enter my other giveaways - look over to the right hand column near the top of the page and you'll see links to them.

SITS Spring Fling: $10 Charity Giveaway

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING!

I've been itching to join the Spring Fling led by The Secret is in the Sauce (SITS), and the day to begin is finally here! In case you haven't heard, Spring Fling includes a number of sponsored giveaways over at SITS, but it also includes giveaways all across the blogosphere. So once you're done entering this giveaway, please visit Spring Fling to enter some of the others!

Okay, let's get down to business: the Bean's giveaway. I've been thinking long and hard about what to give away for this event, and the thing that kept on popping into my head was that I need to give more. I know, you're thinking, "Damn girl, you're hosting a giveaway. What more can you do?" My thoughts exactly. In economic times like these, I can't give much, but I can give a little. So here's the giveaway prize:

$10 donation by me to a charity chosen by the winner

Whether you're an animal right crusader, a soldier in the fight against breast cancer, or an environment advocate, I want to hear about it! To enter:

1. FOR ONE ENTRY: Comment on this post telling me which charity you would want the contribution to go to if you win. If you're not logged in, be sure to leave your email address instead of commenting anonymously so I can contact you if you win.

2. FOR A BONUS ENTRY: Begin following this blog – please mention in a comment if you are already doing so or if you begin to do so.

3. FOR 2 BONUS ENTRIES: Mention this giveaway on your own blog and link back to The Sweet Jelly Bean. Please comment on this post to let me know you've done so!

RULES: The winner must be a US resident, and the charity of their choice must be a US 501(c)(3) organization (if you're not sure if yours is, ask me and I can look it up for you. I work for a nonprofit).

This giveaway ends Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 7pm PST. All eligible entries will be thrown into a hat (well, probably a water glass around our apartment), and a winner will be drawn by Mr. Bean. The winner will be announced here and contacted following the close of the contest - they can then let me know for sure what charity they'd like the donation to go to, and in whose name (if applicable). Good luck everyone, and be sure to enter my other giveaways - look over to the right hand column near the top of the page and you'll see links to them.

And the winners are...

And the winners of the Colorado Catnip Toys Giveaway are...

Dixie

and

Roxanne!

Congratulations to you both! Thanks to everyone for playing, and a special thank you to Jana at Colorado Catnip Toys for sponsoring such a fun giveaway!

Giveaway: Colorado Catnip Toys

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING! PLEASE VISIT THE SPONSOR, Colorado Catnip Toys.

An addict lives with us. His name is Bungee and his drug of choice is catnip. We've tried everything: therapy, long talks, even cutting off his kitty treats. Nothing works, so we've ultimately decided to reward his addiction by getting him even more catnip toys. Seems to be a healthy response, right?

Since I am a fan of Etsy (you don't say?), I recently purchased the Pets Jubilee sample box there and inside was Bungee's new true love: a flat toy shaped like a little car stuffed with organic catnip by Colorado Catnip Toys. Bungee loves this thing! He sleeps with it (konked out about 5 minutes after this picture was taken with the thing still in his arms), takes it with him when he moves from room to room, and even hides it from us when he's not using it. The catnip is strong enough to where even I can smell it through the fabric, and I like that the owner, Jana, takes great care to stitch up each toy carefully so it remains safe for kitties. You can get these toys in fun shapes like fish and butterflies as well as in catnip mats and quilts for both cats and dogs at Colorado Catnip Toys.

When I contacted Jana to let her know how much Bungee enjoys her toys, she offered to let me host a giveaway for two of her toys. Two lucky winners will receive one of the toys pictured here to share with their feline friend! To enter:

1. FOR ONE ENTRY: Visit Colorado Catnip Toys to check out all of Jana's products and pick your favorite. Return to The Sweet Jelly Bean blog and post a comment to this post identifying your favorite (please don’t just steal an answer from someone else’s comment). Be sure to leave your email address instead of commenting anonymously (if you’re not logged in) so I can notify winners!

2. FOR A BONUS ENTRY: Begin following this blog – please post a separate comment here if you are already doing so or if you begin to do so.

3. FOR 2 BONUS ENTRIES: Mention this giveaway on your own blog and link back to The Sweet Jelly Bean. Please comment on this post to let me know you've done so!

4. FOR 5 BONUS ENTRIES: Make a purchase at Colorado Catnip Toys March 2-9. Post a comment with a link to the sold item page.

This giveaway ends Monday, March 9, 2009 at 9PM PST. The winner will be chosen using random.org, and will be contacted following the close of the contest. Good luck everyone, and please send a special thanks to Jana for her generosity!

I'm a winner!

I've never really won much of anything. Once when I was 10 years old my mom let me pick Lotto numbers for her. We won $3.00. Then I once won a CD at a Best Buy grand opening when I was in middle school. I was feeling pretty good about it until I walked by the promo section and saw they were $4.99. That's...about...it.

And then I started blogging and reading everyone's blogs obsessively and entered several of your giveaways. This year I have won three (3!) contests! As an additional way of saying thank you to both the blog owners and the shops that sponsored the giveaways, here is a lineup of the treats I've won:

Truffle Button Magnets from Etsy seller Romantic Treasures, giveaway hosted by Simple Finds - these are adorable (they help keep me from caving into real chocolate ALL THE TIME and I like that they help me organize my scatterbrained fridge)!



Sweetheart Orange Apron from Carolyn's Kitchen, giveaway hosted by Cookie Girl Creations - somehow this apron manages to look sweet and sexy! I like to wear it when I'm making sweet treats for my Etsy shop.







Amethyst and Sterling Earrings from Etsy seller Oh2122, giveaway hosted on Oh2122's blog - I just found out that I won these earlier this week. I love purple and cannot wait to show them off to the other ladies at work - hopefully I can send them to Oh's shop.

Please visit these fantastic shops and blogs, and many thanks to you all for your generosity!

Satchel Studio Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to HairDizzer for winning the butterflies messenger bag from Satchel Studio. Please note that one of her two entries earned for blogging about this giveaway won her this great prize! Keep an eye out for The Bean's next giveaway coming up soon!

Giveaway: Messenger Bag from Satchel Studio

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING! As a recent post described, I am in love with all of the products from Satchel Studio, a San Francisco-based company that specializes in truly unique messenger bags. Satchel Studio combines found images, original photography from around the globe, and familiar iconography to make the unique collages that give these messenger bags true attitude! The company features two signature messenger bag sizes and a limited-edition hip pack – each of these pieces is available in up to four colors with your choice of design. I contacted the owner and artist, Kelty, and asked her a couple of questions about her work:

Tell us a little about Satchel Studio and how you got started.
Satchel Studio began almost two years ago in the same manner as most of my business adventures have- as a gift for someone. I grabbed an old army surplus messenger bag for my boyfriend and decided it would be that much cooler if I added some transferred collages to the front... it looked so cool that I haven't stopped making them! I graduated from Stanford in 2005 and Satchel Studio has been my main endeavor since then.

Where do you get your inspirations from?
Most of my designs begin with one element that I just KNOW I want to use in the collage and I sort of just go from there. I'm inspired by bright color, textures, nature, city, and vintage prints. I've also begun to incorporate a lot of my photography into the designs (see the limited editions), and love doing custom collage work for people! My greatest inspiration is the world and the people around me, and seeing how all of those parts interact together with the above list of elements is more fun than any girl could hope for.

What are your plans for 2009?
2009 has been an exciting year for me already! Soon, I will be launching Steep Street, a website representing my various non bag-related adventures in the art world. My photography, mini websites, print work, jewelry, custom collages, personal books, invitations, announcements, and other knick knacks... you can see the beginnings of this on my blog and more updates are coming soon! I'm also planning on debuting a new line of bags, and will continue making custom designs on bags for people. In this tough economy, I've decided to stick with the things people want and need most... useful gifts that are meaningful to both the giver and receiver- which also happens to be the most rewarding to me, as well. Thank you!

After tirelessly answering all of my questions, I asked Kelty if she’d be interested in participating in a giveaway on The Bean and she said yes! One lucky winner will receive the fantastic butterfly messenger bag shown here, a $55 value! Some simple steps to enter:

1. FOR ONE ENTRY: Visit Satchel Studio and check out all of the designs and pick your favorite. Return to The Sweet Jelly Bean blog and post a comment to this post identifying your favorite (please don’t just steal an answer from someone else’s comment). Be sure to leave your email address instead of commenting anonymously (if you’re not logged in) so I can notify winners!

2. FOR A BONUS ENTRY: Begin following this blog – please post a separate comment here if you are already doing so or if you begin to do so.

3. FOR 2 BONUS ENTRIES: Mention this giveaway on your own blog and link back to The Sweet Jelly Bean. Please comment on this post to let me know you've done so!

This giveaway ends Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at Noon PST. The winner will be chosen using random.org, and will be contacted following the close of the contest. Good luck everyone, and please send a special thanks to Kelty for her generosity! She’s very talented and we wish her the very best!

Giveaway winners

Congratulations to the winners of The Sweet Jelly Bean's first two giveaways! Five lucky ladies will receive a "diamond" ring from AMT Studio, including:
Julie D.
Tutu's Bliss
Elizabeth
MOMFOREVERANDEVER
K

And congratulations to Gina who will receive a custom made box of chocolate covered Oreo cookies from my Etsy shop.

Thanks to everyone who participated! Please visit again soon (another giveaway will be coming up shortly)!

Giveaway: Chocolate covered oreos (Bloggy Carnival)

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING!

Please join the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival by entering to win a a box of 8 chocolate covered Oreo cookies made to order from my Etsy shop per the winner's specifications. This includes your choice of chocolate, flavor, and toppings! To find out more about my Oreo cookie boxes, please visit my Etsy shop. PLEASE NOTE DUE TO THE ITEM BEING PERISHABLE THAT THIS CONTEST IS ONLY OPEN TO PEOPLE IN THE US. Here's how to play:

FOR ONE ENTRY: Visit my Etsy shop and check out all of the sweet treats I offer and pick your favorite. Return here and post a comment to this post identifying your favorite item. Be sure to leave your email address instead of commenting anonymously (if you're not logged in) so I can notify the winner!

FOR A BONUS ENTRY: Begin "following" The Sweet Jelly Bean blog - please comment on this post to let me know you've done so!

FOR 2 BONUS ENTRIES: Mention this giveaway on your own blog and link back to The Sweet Jelly Bean. Please comment on this post to let me know you've done so!

The contest begins January 26 and ends January 30 at 10PM PST. The winner will be chosen using random.org. I will contact the winner following the close of the contest to find out what toppings and chocolate flavor you would like and ship shortly thereafter. Good luck to everyone, and remember to tell your friends to enter!

P.S. Yet another giveaway will be starting within a week, so please remember to visit often!

Giveaway: Win a "diamond" ring

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING!

In a recent post I mentioned a lovely “diamond” ring designed by an artist in NYC named Alissia Melka-Teichroew. After mentioning the post to Alissia in an email, she was kind enough to send me 5 of her "diamond" rings to give away to a few lucky readers of The Sweet Jelly Bean! Each ring is a size 7 and will glam up any outfit or occasion!

Some simple steps to win one of these lovely rings:

1. FOR ONE ENTRY: Visit Alissia's online shop to look at all of her gorgeous products for sale. Pick your favorite. Return to The Sweet Jelly Bean blog (that's here) and post a comment to this post identifying your favorite piece. Be sure to leave your email address instead of commenting anonymously (if you're not logged in) so I can notify winners!

2. FOR A BONUS ENTRY: Begin "following" The Sweet Jelly Bean blog - please comment on this post to let me know you've done so!

3. FOR 2 BONUS ENTRIES: Mention this giveaway on your own blog and link back to The Sweet Jelly Bean. Please comment on this post to let me know you've done so!

The contest ends Friday, January 30 at Noon PST. Winners will be chosen using random.org. I will contact winners following the close of the contest and mail out your rings shortly after (sorry, rings must be shipped within the US). Good luck everyone!

As I mentioned before, I was really taken with this ring and asked Alissia a couple of questions about the piece and her continuing work:

Where did you get the idea for the "diamond" ring?

When thinking about a diamond ring, I always wondered if one, I would want one myself and two, if the diamond itself really meant anything to me. I also liked the thought of creating accessories that are not really made out of the material they were first intended in (diamond ring, pearl ring, pearl necklace, watch, medals of honor, prize ribbons, lockets, etc). When working on the Diamond Ring and Pearl Ring in Silver, I really wanted to create the different widths to make the idea of a diamond ring even more questioned, is a 2mm silver diamond ring just as valuable as a 9mm silver diamond ring? Or do we need the 25mm silver diamond ring to prove that we're in love and will stay with someone forever? From this the plexi coloured rings came and seemed like a logical way to grow the line of Diamond Rings and create even more variety on how to create your "perfect" diamond ring, by stacking the colours and different materials.

What are you working on these days?

The USB Key featured on Coolhunting mid-December (getting that manufactured). We're working on more glasses for the InsideOut Glass Collection, that is being manufactured and distributed by Charles & Marie. Next week Kikkerland will launch the Soft TreeTrunk Stool as well as products coming out for a new brand hopefully by March. Also working on more table top, jewellery and small furniture designs.

Special thanks to Alissia for her generosity - she is a talented artist, and we wish her well!

Bonus Post: 4 free giveaways you should enter

Enter to win a lovely necklace from the Etsy seller HomeStudio. The winner gets to choose from over 200 designs! To enter, visit Happy Daisy by clicking here.

Enter to win this adorable apron from Carolyn's Kitchen by visiting Cookie Girl Creations.

Enter to win this sweet little bag of goodies by visiting Indefinately definite!

Enter to win this lovely set of "yarnball earrings" by visiting the Mommatudes blog!

COMING SOON! The Sweet Jelly Bean hosts its own first giveaway ever! Stay tuned for more details!

Upcoming Giveaways

If you're interested in giving away your product through The Sweet Jelly Bean, please contact me at the sweet jelly bean at g mail dot com. Thanks!

For information on past contests, please visit our giveaway blog history.