and the WINNER is....

Thanks to all who entered my Blogiversary Giveaway. I wish you could all win, but alas, random. org can only choose one winner. According to random.org, the winner of Crooked Shmooked's first ever giveaway is....

and the 44th comment happens to belong to.......drumroll please....

Lindsay of Shrimp Salad Circus!

Congratulations, Lindsay! We are all very jealous.

Thanks again to everyone who donated and everyone who entered the giveaway. Hugs to you all!

& i'm LOVING &

I am love-love-loving this photo by Jill Thomas (seen on 100 Layer Cake).

whimsical WEDNESDAY: $20 and under

1.) $10 Scallop Coinpurse Orange : I think I currently have 3 coin purses in my massive "Mary Poppins-esque, can fit my whole life in it" purse... strangely enough- none of them are filled with coins... I think I should introduce this cutesy coin purse to my collection and maybe, I don't know, fill it with COINS.

2.) $16 Paper Circus with Dancing Hares : I love this little carousel. It's paper and comes to you all cut out and then you put it together. Sure, it's probably not going to last forever, but don't we all need something so sweet to sit on a shelf somewhere in our lives?

3.) $20 Mobile Rain of Colors : I can't stop myself from looking at all the cloud mobiles in this shop. I just love them. Don't you wish rain was as colorful as on these mobiles?

4.) $19.99 Telephones Knit Pillow : I don't even know why, but I love this quirky little pillow. Ummm- everyone needs a pillow with phones on it.... right?...

Hey! Don't forget to enter my massive blogiversary giveaway. You only have 2 days left!

life is FRAGILE

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Yesterday a beautiful 14-year old girl that used to be in our youth group at church died of an allergic reaction to iodine during a minor routine surgery. It has hit her family and young friends especially hard, and for good reason. For many of her friends this will be their first time dealing with death. For her family, how can one ever prepare to lose a child so young if given time to prepare... and with no warning? For hubby and I, it forced us to reflect on life. In the case of what seems like such a ridiculous and unexpected loss, it made me immediately fear that something like that could happen to someone I love dearly. Hubby reminded me that we can't focus on the possible pain and hurt of life. It would make us want to dig a hole, jump in, and "protect" ourselves from heartache for the remainder of life. The pain and hurt are inevitable, and we can't live life fearfully peeking around each corner to see if it they are coming. A tragic thing such as this should cause us to reflect on our own lives. We are not promised a single day in this life. Even today- we don't own the hours ahead. All we can do is live a life of purpose and think on how we want to be remembered and how we want to impact others while we have the chance, then live towards those thoughts. I am blessed that there is purpose to this life and I can hope in seeing this sweet girl's face again. I am blessed that life is not only pain, but is also full of happiness and joy and love- such things that this girl brought to many lives.

Something to think about today: What is your purpose? Are you living purposefully?

give me a REASON

I need a reason to wear this dress. Unfortunately, hubby and I have no reason to be invited to black tie events... and this is obviously not wedding guest appropriate. It's probably better I have no reason to wear it... because that leaves me with no reason to buy it. 

Head over to Net-a-Porter for the Win Your Wishlist Contest. I have to admit that this dress may end up on my wishlist, and if I happen to win, I will FIND a reason to wear it.

FALL: a season to love

Fall is coming! I simply can't wait! Fall is my favorite season... and these are only a few reasons why...

Anthropologie's Fall Line.

I love Anthropologie all year long, but my love for Anthropologie grows in the cold seasons. Anthropologie just does fall and winter right.

(1.)  (2.)  (3.)

Butternut squash.

I was only introduced to the amazing butternut squash this last winter. Now I can't seem to get it off my mind and am looking forward to soups, muffins, and oven-roasted versions all fall long.

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Layers.

A good fall outfit consists of at least 3 top layers, 2 bottom layers, and 2 or 3 feet layers... and about 5 accessory layers of course... oh, and we can't forget the 2 or more knit accessory layers. Yeah... I have no cold tolerance.

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Wrapping up in grandma-made afghans.

Everyone in my family has a collection of grandma's afghans. There are big afghans, medium afghans, and my favorites- the lap afghans. They were always made of the most random color combinations and never quite matched my room, but I cherish every one and can't wait for a cold fall night that allows me to bundle up in 3 or 4 of them.

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Boots, boots, and more boots.

Nearly all my feet wear during fall and winter are boots- boots with dresses, boots with jeans, boots with pjs (my Uggs... it gets cold in our house!)... I like to get a new pair of boots a year and my birthday is coming up, so it's time to go boot shopping!

(1.) (2.) (3.)

5 more days....

happy BLOGIVERSARY GIVEAWAY to you!

One year ago today Crooked Shmooked was born out of my desire to share a home remodel with family and friends and as our remodel dragged on (and continues to drag on...) my dream homes, decor, fashion, and fun came out to play. I have been so blessed by this outlet and all of the amazing and talented artists and bloggers I have met. Thank you for your support, inspiration, and readership. I have never done a giveaway before, but to commemorate Crooked Shmooked's first anniversary, I wanted to gather some of my favorite Etsy artists to offer one great big, amazing prize package to a lucky reader. I am so excited to be able to offer this prize package to you. Thanks to everyone who has donated their talent and art to make this possible!

Katie Daisy: Katie Daisy is the country soul behind her self-named shop. Her shop is full of her whimsical paintings and illustrations. If there was ever an illustrator that channels my Crooked Shmooked style, Katie is it. The colors, sentiments, animals, florals, and designs are all pieces after my own heart. Take a look at her wonderful work and welcome some of her cheerful illustrations into your home. Check out Katie's blog to learn more about her work and also check out her man's wonderful folk music! Katie wanted to bless you by donating not just one print, but THREE! Enter for your change to win her 8.5" x 11" You Are My Sunshine Print, 8.5" x 11" Anywhere Print, and 8.5" x 11" Have A Nice Day Print.

The Brilliant Magpie: Amy Abshier-Reyes is the artist behind the gorgeous ladies of The Brilliant Magpie. Amy was one of the first artists to catch my eye on Etsy and thanks to hubby, I own 4 of her beautiful women although really, I would love to adorn an entire wall with them. Amy's vintage-inspired portraits all have stories hidden behind their eyes and expressions that are hinted at in the names descriptions. To learn even more about Amy's art and life, check out the interview I did with her back in February. Also take a look at Amy's blog and online gallery to see and lust after her larger original pieces. Amy has donated her lovely She was Like a Queen in Her Palace ACEO.

Serendipity By Erin: Erin's shop was born out of her serendipitous introduction to beads and wire. She has long worked with various creative mediums such as clay and various bath items, but we are most lucky that she directed her creativity towards jewelry. Her shop is filled with beautiful colors found in glass beads, stones, metals, crystals, and more. Her filigree rings andstone bracelets are some of my personal favorites, but there is something to be found for everyone within her shop. Not only is Erin's Etsy shop beautiful, but she also happens to be local to me and her jewelry can be found in shops across the Bay Area. Erin has graciously donated her vibrant Pink and Yellow Boro and Gemstone Wire Wrapped Bracelet.

shelby evans jewelry: Shelby Evans is the talent behind her self-named shop. As a senior in highschool, Shelby's talent betrays her age. Shelby's shop is full of beautiful stones and precious metals. Her unique jewelry designs are perfect to complement any outfit, or should I say any outfit would complement her stand-out jewelry... : ) Check out Shelby's flickr for photos of even more of her work. Shelby has donated a gorgeous Silver Purple-Stone Ring.

Zoetropa: Pam is the talent behind the charming illustrations of Zoetropa. Her shop is full of paper goods, magnets, and more in colors and designs that make you smile. Inspired by nature, animals, Nordic design, and Japanese Zakka- there is a design for everyone. Check out Pam's site for more smiles. Also check out her blog for a chance to win even more Zoetropa goodies. Pam has donated a Small Dala Horse Journal and 6 Magnets (dala, hello, pencil, plaid, happy cat, and love bird).

Kiki & Polly: Lisa Golightly is the artist behind Kiki & Polly. Her painting is nothing less than magic. She captures perfect childhood days in a sea of pastels and is somehow able to convey all sorts of emotion in her portraits without her paintbrush having to create a single facial expression. The shop name Kiki & Polly was imagined out of the name of her daughter's beloved bird and imaginary friend. How can such a start create anything less than childlike magic? Check out her website for even more beautiful art and the opportunity to have her paint you a custom family portrait. Lisa has donated a 8.5" x 11" print of her sweet Pink Day.

la fille facetieuse: Dana recently returned to the states from France and is bringing herself and the Etsy world happiness through her beautiful ruffled and feathered headbands. She makes her head adornments with upcycled, recycled, and vintage materials as much as possible. Her headbands are the perfect accessory for any outfit and any sweet head. Check out Dana's blog to stay updated on her shop and life's adventures. Dana has donated her perfect Ruffle Headband in White.

tree & kimball: I was first introduced to Lisa's work when she contacted me back during my break from blogging. I remember wishing that I wasn't taking a break just so I could post about her lovely lace jewelry. Lisa works as an apparel designer at Anthropologie full-time... you gotta trust an Anthropologie girl. Her pieces are all beautiful, original and affordable, accentuated with quaint beads. If you love vintage, lace, and feminine beauty, you must check out her shop. Lisa has donated one of her new designs, the gorgeous Rhodanthe Necklace.

The Rules:

• You may visit each shop twice weekly and return here to tell me your favorite item. Make sure that each shop visit is entered as an individual comment. If you visit each shop and write about them all in one combined comment, you will not get the maximum amount of entries possible. (32 possible entries)
• You can tweet about this giveaway on Twitter and tell me about it in a comment below. (1 entry)
• You can write a blog entry and tell me about it in a comment below, including the link to your post. (1 entry)
• Please make sure that you leave either your e-mail address or a link to your blog in each comment, so I am able to contact you if you win.

The deadline for entries is Friday, September 25th at 8:00pm PST, and I will post a winner by Monday, September 28th.

smitten with WALL SILHOUETTES

via decor8

via Living Etc.

via babble

via Apartment Therapy

via 2Modern

I love a silhouette in a box. I love a silhouette with a fox. I love a silhouette in a house. I love a silhouette with a mouse. I love a silhouette here and there. I love a silhouette ANYWHERE!

happy BELATED monday

Hi all! I know I have been disappearing for days at a time and the posting has been light lately, but it's just one of those times in life right now. I can't make any promises to return to daily posting at the moment, but I will definitely do what I can. And no matter what- this Friday I will be hosting my first Crooked Shmooked giveaway as it will be my first blogiversary! I'm very excited to offer some fun items in the giveaway from some of my favorite Etsians, so stay tuned!!

In other news- fall is coming! Design*Sponge recently did a post on these Leigh Radford's recycled glass covers. I just love the look of them for fall, but I am lacking in the knitting skills. So here is my own idea to copy the look with much less skill--- old sweater sleeves! 

1.) take an old sweater and a can or mason jar

2.) cut the sleeve a few inches longer than the jar, making sure that the wrist opening will be at the top of the jar

3.) sew (or staple or glue) the bottom of the sleeve together to make a pocket for the jar

4.) stick the jar in the sleeve pocket and there you go!

Now, I haven't tried this yet, so it may not be foolproof, but if you are in the mood for an experiment and have an old sweater on hand, give it a try and let me know how it goes. I plan to try it when I pull all of my fall sweaters out of storage and decide what can be disposed of. I will be sure to share with you then whether it works or needs a bit of revision.

Happy last two weeks of summer!!

smitten with LIVING ETC.

Oh, how I wish Living Etc. was a U.S. based mag so it didn't cost as much as a book every month. Jess, one of my Lovely Package Exchange partners, lives in London and sent me the September issue of Living Etc. (Yay!) I am in love with that particular issue, but just in love with the mag in general. As I was flipping through it I felt at home with the styles and colors. I haven't connected to a mag like that since Domino. *tear* At least we can enjoy the Living Etc. site... until we all move on over to the other side of the pond.