Happy { Crafty Giveaway } Weekend

Remember when I posted this, I said to come back and there might be something in it for you? Well here it is!

As a "thank you" to all of my amazing readers, I'm giving away a set of In-vita Paper Studio note cards.

I'm going to keep this little giveaway really simple. Just leave a comment stating which set you'd like, and your email, so I can let you know if you win.  (1 entry per person) 

Please choose:

 Bubble pattern

or

Floral pattern

I will announce the winner on Wed., August 4th, so you have until Aug. 3rd at 11:59pm PT to enter.

Good Luck, and Happy Weekend!

***Entries Closed***

Renegade Craft Fair: Part 2

I adore stationery, and have been known to doddle for hours while in some of my favorite paper stores. I knew that stationery would have a strong pressence at Renegade, and I was not disappointed. There was so much variety, that even I was overwhelmed by choice. I'm great at buying cards, but not always great at sending them. Oops. ;) So, I was a good girl, and only bought what I would actually use. 

One of my first stationery stops was at the In-Vita Paper Studio booth. In-Vita has a wide range of darling greeting cards, thank you notes, and invitations! They also do personalized stationery, and even wedding invites.

I had to refrain from buying one of everything!

I'm obsessed with the pattern of these blank note cards! And the colors are right up my alley! I bought these two.

The next stop on my stationery tour was to the Jen Hewett booth.

Jen is based in San Francisco, and likes working with different media. She not only illustrates, but also silkscreens some of her sewn items. I'm already wishing that I would've bought more from her, but she does have an Etsy shop. Already bookmarked and saved in my favorites. :)

What girl doesn't love shoes? These cards and prints stole my heart. The little floral notebooks were pretty sweet too!

The shoes showed up again on natural linen zippered bags. Perfect for storing makeup! :)

I'm kicking myself for not getting this one, now that I'm looking at it again. This bag looks just like that paper from elementary school, that we used to learn how write in "cursive." Wouldn't this be  the cutest back-to-school present?

I just can't get enough of this "wellies" print! As much as I adored everything in Jen's shop, I used restraint and picked up these cards:

There were so many amazing artists at RCF! I could've had a whole week of posts to showcase them all! Instead, I encourage you to go next year, and support these talented, indie creators! I'm sure that the 2011 RCF will be even better!

How Do You Blog?

My schedule for today got rearranged, so I haven't had time to put together the Renegade- Part 2 post. Look for that one tomorrow. Instead, I want your feedback.

The other day, Stephanie of Maybe Someday We'll Be Smarter, tweeted that she had spent 4 hours writing her blog post for the day. I could totally relate, as it often times takes me 2-4 hrs creating some of mine. When I add it up, I spend roughly 15-20 hrs. per week on Chasing Beauty. So, I started wondering...are Stephanie and I the only ones who spend this much time blogging? I'm curious about how you all blog, so I'd like to conduct a little questionaire. Nothing scientific here, I'm just being nosey. :)

• How long does it take you to put together a typical post? 
• How much time per week would you say that you blog?
• How many days a week do you post?
• Do you write your posts ahead of time? If so, how many do you like to have drafted, ready to go?

Also, are you on Twitter?

I have so much fun chatting it up with all of my bloggy friends, and would love to see more of you in my "time line." Please add your Twitter addy in the comments, so I can "follow" you. And if you're not Tweeting yet...what are you waiting for?

xoxo,

Bren

Renegade Craft Fair: Part 1

Even though I spent most of last weekend working, I did manage to squeeze in a little crafty excursion. Renegade Craft Fair had been on my radar for awhile, so I was excited to finally check it out, now that LA is one of the cities the fair travels to.

It was a fun day out, with hands-on craft workshops, and even a photo booth!

Overall,  I was pretty impressed with the indie-craft talents of the artists who came to show their wares. There was a lot to see, but I quickly found my favorites. One of the first stops I made was at the QNZ - Queens Metal booth. 

QNZ is known for using of a variety of metals, and fusing the industrial with the organic. I immediately spotted this "Beach Pebble" Necklace from their Sprout line.

Here's a quick photo I took using my computer, just so you could see it on. (Sorry, I'm not showing my face because Photo Booth makes me look disgusting!)

I wouldn't normally wear it with this outfit, but you get the idea. It looks perfect with something simple like a solid black dress. I love that this piece is so different than any of my other jewelry, which is exactly what I was looking to find. Something unique.

The next booth I stopped at, drew me in by this pair of cuties.

and this one

These adorable cats, are by Ryan Berkley Illustrations. He happens to create lots of other animals, but I didn't take pictures of them. I'm sure you've noticed by now that I'm more of a cat person. As soon as I saw the pair of kitties in their t-shirts,  I envisioned my "two" in the picture. I decided to take a chance and ask the artist if he does "pet portraits." He said, that normally he doesn't, but he was getting ready to do a pet portrait event! Ryan is planning on doing a limited number for this event, so not everyone interested will get a sitting. I described my cats to him, even showed him a couple of pics on my iphone, and he said that they would be a fun portrait for him. He seemed excited about it. Needless to say, I'm #1 on his list of people interested, so I'll keep you posted if it happens. Keep your fingers crossed!

Considering that this was only the 2nd year of Renegade-LA, I thought the turn out was great! Apparently, the artists were happy that so many people came out too. Hopefully next year is even better! 

Be sure to come back tomorrow for RCF: part 2, and I'll show you my favorite stationery finds. There might even be a little something in there for you!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: The Damage

Don't you want to know what's in the bag???  Well, I'm pretty sure you can guess that there's a Rebecca Minkoff bag in there, but which one? It was a tough decision, because in a perfect world, I would've walked out with all four! But yeah...back to reality. It really came down to the fuchsia or the grey. I loved both, but decided to go with this little pretty:

Yay for grey! 

The deciding factor was my cherry red wallet. I didn't like that it clashed with the fuchsia bag.  Is that crazy? Not that anyone is looking in my bag, but it bugged me. I'm not really a matchy kind of girl, but I at least like things to coordinate.  Anyway, here's some more pics of my new bag.

Here it is with the long chain strap (21 inch drop), and while I was in the store, figured out that I could double the strap to create a whole new look!

Definitely more ladylike this way. But then, of course, I can remove the strap entirely to carry it as a clutch. 

Three bags in one! Maybe I should've bought all four! Doesn't the gold look pretty against this dark grey?

Here's a shot of the inside. 

So, I couldn't just stop at one...

My friend talked me into this Christopher Kon hobo bag.

It's a nice, buttery leather, and more casual than my black LV. The braided shoulder strap is sturdy and very comfortable.

I love that the inside is chambray!

The only problem, is now I'm having second thoughts! I like this bag a lot, but I'm DYING for this one:

Alexander Wang Rocco Mini Duffel $875

I paid roughly $200 for the Christopher Kon bag. If I return it, I can put that money towards the A. Wang. Or, should I keep it and get the Wang bag as well? Do I really need both? They're totally different bags, but I have a feeling if I buy the Wang, I'm going to want to carry it all the time. I think I just answered my own question. :) The hardware on the CK is silver and on the AW it's brass. Oh, I don't know what to do. Help!

Happy { Crafty } Weekend

I hope everyone is off to a fabulous weekend! I have to work later, but I'm hoping to make it to the Renegade Craft Fair before. If you've never heard about Renegade, it's basically a large scale DIY event featuring hundreds of independent artists and their unique handmade items. RCF is held in cities across the US every year- including Brooklyn, Chicago, San Francisco, Austin, and now Los Angeles! The fair is known for being one of the first events of its kind, and for featuring top-notch indie craft artists and designers who travel from all over the map to participate.  They also have live music, and I've heard that the gormet food trucks will be out in force. Could be trouble! 

Be sure to check back on Monday, for a full report on my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale purchases. Yes, plural.

Hope you all have an amazing weekend!

xoxo,

Bren

I Had Good Intentions

I really did.

I was all set up at my favorite little cafe, with free WiFi, and the yummiest vanilla latte ever. I was ready to start blogging away, when all of a sudden, I accidentally clicked on Nordstrom's website! (ok, maybe not such an accident) ;)  I was quickly reminded of this:

Sorry people.  A sale is a sale, and it's calling my name! What would you do??

I've already been once, and didn't buy anything.  (The horror!) However, this Rebecca Minkoff clutch caught my eye, and it's haunting me. I think I just might purchase if they have any left. The question is...which color?

Rebecca Minkoff 'Mac' Croc Embossed Clutch $219

I like them all, but not sure what I'll use the most.  I love the gold hardware against the black, but this is the safe choice, and maybe a little boring? The dark grey is a nice alternative, and the brown looks so rich! The fuchsia is just a fun pop of color, which I might need. I have black bags, and lots of brown, but zero gray, and almost no color.  

Which one should I get?

Pour Some Sugar On Me

Lately, I've been getting some "sugar" in the blogosphere, and I couldn't wait to share it with you all! The other day I happened to click on Nesting Newbies press page, and lo and behold, who was listed in their link list??? Umm...that would be ME!!! I couldn't be more excited to be included in their impressive list of blogs! If you have yet to experience the amazingness, Nesting Newbies is a cross platform experience featuring a quarterly digital shelter magazine, online cooking segments, and informational blogs aimed at showing those who are new to nesting how to cook, entertain, and decorate. Everything in the magazine is linked and clickable, making shopping for the items you're lusting over, a breeze! Pay them a visit and see what I'm talking about. You'll wish that every magazine was in this format!

 Aside from the Nesting Newbies feature, I've also been given some fun blog awards. 

Katie of Fashion's Maven gave me the I Heart Your Blog award.

Thank you so much Katie! You know how much I heart your blog right back!

I'm passing this award along to some very talented bloggers:

Stephanie of Maybe Someday We'll Be Smarter..

Amanda of A.Co. est. 1984

Vivian of Diamonds and Tulle

Marcie of Lemons and Laundry

Shawna of Poppies and Sunshine

Jammer of Jammer at 10am

And, Shawna of Poppies and Sunshine gave me the Sugar Doll award.

I think this award perfectly describes you Shawna! Thank you so much!

With this award, the rules are to share 10 things about yourself, so let's get to it:

1. I'm a total night owl. It's not unusual for me to be up til 3am, which can be a problem if you need to wake up at 4am. 

2. I love the Fall! I love the cooler weather, dressing in layers, and the return of the PSL. (Pumkin Spice Latte)

3. I'm obsessed with my cat's heart shaped nose. (please excuse her messy face)

4. I don't mind going to a restaurant, a movie, or even traveling, solo. I'd much rather do things by myself, than miss out because I don't have someone to go with. I also find that I'm open to meeting new people when I'm alone.

5. I think the Bachelor/Bachelorette is SO beyond ridiculous, and yet I watch every episode. I don't know how I get sucked into the madness, but they've got me...hook, line, and sinker, everytime!

6. I can't wait for Bachelor Pad to start! (August 9th)

7. I love Jelly Belly's, but I don't like buying the assorted pack. I only buy them from a candy store where I can pick out the flavors I like. (green apple, very cherry, peach, pear, pineapple, red apple, grapefruit, and tangerine) I don't buy them often, because once I start, I can't stop. I literally make myself sick, like a 5 year old.

8. I'm obsessed with bed linens. Duvet covers, pillow shams, and sheets galore! I like keeping my  bedroom pretty neutral, so I can change the look with different bedding. I've got a collection of duvet covers in all sorts of colors to keep things fresh. Oddly enough, I'm not using any of them at the moment. My down comforter is naked.

9. I'm dying for a pair of sparrow Miu Miu's, but sadly they're nowhere to be found.

10. Which is fine, because I live my life in Havaiana's.

I'm passing the Sugar Doll award on to some amazing girls:

Katie of Fashion's Maven

Jamie of Glam Latte

Valerie of Red Vines for Breakfast

Josie of With a Wink and a Smile

Alicia of Cheetah is the New Black

Carrie of This Free Bird