{Fabulous Friday Giveaway} Win $50 to The Cookie Jar & $50 to Polka Dot Market!

UPDATE!!

We have a winner!
The winner is....
COMMENT #201 - Stacy @ She's {Kinda} Crafty
She said...."Those ladybug cookies would have been perfect for my daughter's first birthday!"
Well Stacy, I'm sure you can find something fabulous for her next birthday! 
Please email me at toni@thetomkatstudio.com to claim your prize!

photos courtesy of kathy scoffield

Happy Friday, TomKat readers!
It's Toni again bringing you our lastest Fabulous Giveaway!
Do you have a party in the works? Maybe you are planning a fantastic Halloween Party using all of the fun items from our new Halloween Collection? Well, you are in luck! Our giveaway this week will help make your party even more fabulous!

This week, we have TWO items to give to a lucky reader! First up, is a $50 shop credit to The Cookie Jar! We have worked with The Cookie Jar on two recent parties - Isabelle's Bubble Gum Party & my twins' Surf Party! Lisa at The Cookie Jar is very talented and even creates her own cookie cutters! You dream it, she can make it! Head on over to her shop and take a look at all of her wonderful creations!

photo courtesy of kate bogot photography

Next up is a $50 credit to Polka Dot Market! Polka Dot Market is a name you have a few times here on The TomKat Studio! Sally is the sweet mom behind the company and we love working with her! We used her gorgeous Organza Polka Dot Lanterns at our recent Surf party and you may remember them from our Alice in Wonderland photo shoot with Laura Winslow! Polka Dot Market was also a big contributor to Kate McRae's Birthday last December.

photo courtesy of laura winslow

Who wants to WIN? Here is how to enter:

1) Head over to The Cookie Jar and tell us your favorite cookie she has on display OR tell us what fun cookie you would like for your event!

2) Check out Polka Dot Market and tell us what item would make your party perfect!

3) Become fans of BOTH The Cookie Jar and Polka Dot Market on Facebook. Leave them some TomKat love!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. And, remember, if you are commenting as anonymous, please leave your contact info!

Winner will be chosen on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 11:00pm (MST). Any entries received after this time will not be considered. Open to US residents only. Winner will be chosen using random.org

Good luck!
Have a wonderful weekend!

{HomeGoods} Decorating Our Bedroom!

It sure has been awhile since I've talked about our new house and how it's coming along! Our master bedroom has been done for a couple of months, but I finally took some photos to share in my latest post for HomeGoods! Nearly everything in this room was purchased at HomeGoods!

Check out my full post HERE for more details and photos of our bedrooms in our prior homes that I also decorated with green!

{Fabulous Friday Giveaway} Tissue Paper Poms from PomLove - Set of 12 Poms!

UPDATE!!

The winner of the set of 12 Poms from PomLove  is......
Comment #136: Regan
She said: My two daughters and I all have birthdays within the same week in August - and this year I'm turning 30!! We definitely need some poms!

Congratulations Regan! And Happy Early Birthday to you! 30 is the new 20, you know!

Please email me at toni@thetomkatstudio.com to claim your prize!



{fairy garden party}

Today's Fabulous Friday Giveaway is brought to you by PomLove! Happy Floating Paper. That's what Poms are! They add that special little something to your party decor! We have been recommending and using PomLove for all of our parties for over a year! Kristen is fabulous to work with and offers a wide range of sizes and colors...perfect for any party!

{vintage circus party}

PomLove has generously offered one our readers the chance to win a 12 Pom Kit! This kit includes 3 small Poms (9" diameter), 5 medium Poms (14" diameter) and 4 large Poms (16" diameter) tied with green cloth wire sections. Also included is a guide for easy unfurling and 10 yards of monofilament for hanging. All papers are folded and edge cut by hand in various patterns for a textured look. Fabulous!

{tomkat parties: vintage surf, kate's room, cupcakes in the city, wagon baby shower}

Here's how to enter:Visit PomLove then come back and leave us a comment telling us what occasion you would use your Poms for! Simple!

Winner will be chosen on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 11:00pm (MST).
Any entries received after this time will not be considered. Open to US residents only. Winner will be chosen using random.org.

PomLove
Blog

Facebook
Etsy

Good Luck!

{Fabulous Friday Giveaway} Win a $75 Shopping Spree to Le Papier Studio!

It's Friday! Time for our next Fabulous Friday Giveaway!
This week, I am bringing you the opportunity to win a $75 shop credit to Le Papier Studio!
If you haven't read about my love for Vana and her darling silhouettes, read HERE and HERE. I also had the opportunity to guest post on Vana's blog recently, where I shared my living room/studio which showcases one of her prints! Check it out HERE.

In the fall, Vana's book Silhouette Art will be available through Chronicle Books! You can pre-order her book HERE! I can't wait to get my copy!

So, let's get on with the fun....
ENTER TO WIN NOW!
Enter up to 2 times by doing each of the following things. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each action that you complete!

1. Hop over to the Le Papier Studio SHOP, come back & leave a comment with your favorite item.
2. Become a fan of Le Papier Studio on Facebook for an extra entry! Come back here and leave a comment that are a fan!

Winner will be chosen on Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 11:00pm (MST).Any entries received after this time will not be considered. Open to US residents only.Winner will be chosen using random.org

LE PAPIER STUDIO
Twitter
Blog
Website

Ready to shop now?
Vana is offering my readers a 10% discount until 6/13/10.
Enter code TOMKAT10 at checkout!

{WINNER OF OUR LAST FABULOUS GIVEWAY}
MomAgenda Day Planner

Comment #75: Tara at Just Divine Style

She said: In love with the zebra! What a fab giveaway!

Congrats Tara!

{Project Nursery} Modern Owl Baby Room!

Hop over to check out my latest post for Project Nursery HERE!

ADORABLE Modern Owl Baby Room via Laura Winslow Photography!

{HomeGoods} Adding Color with Outdoor Pillows!

Check out my latest post for HomeGoods HERE!

{photo sources: pottery barn, homegoods, restoration hardware, crate & barrel}

{Guest Post} My Feature at Le Papier Studio!

Good morning, my lovelies! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and enjoyed Mother's Day! Vana from Le Papier Studio recently asked me to be a guest contributor to her fabulous blog, and I am thrilled to report that my first post is up!

Vana has been such an inspiration to me, and I would love for you to jump over and check out my story! I am also finally revealing my new living room/studio, which I've been ready to share with all of you! So...pop over and say hello!
I'll be sharing more photos and all of the DIY details on my studio soon!

VISIT MY POST HERE!

{New House Update} Family Room & Fireplace!

Our new house is coming along quite well! I've been anxious to show you more photos of the remodeling and decorating that has been happening the last couple of months! This is our new cozy family room. When we bought the house in December, I knew I wanted to make the fireplace the focal point of this room. We had our contractors widen the surround and popout above, and enlarge the mantel and bottom step. We used the same travertine tile that we chose for the floors on the upper popout and step. I am obsessed with glass tile, so I was thrilled when we found this 1" neutral tile for the inner surround of the fireplace. We also used the glass tile for our kitchen backsplash, which ties the two rooms together wonderfully! I love the clean, modern look of hanging the plasma tv over the fireplace. If you check out my inspiration photos for this fireplace makeover, I would say it turned out quite close to what I was dreaming about! Just in case you missed the story about our previous home, read here. We sold it fully furnished so I have been decorating our new home from scratch, on a budget! The day before we moved in, I found a fabulous microfiber chocolate sectional, along with a leather storage ottoman at Potato Barn, that were the perfect size for the room. Delivered the next day, we moved in and actually had somewhere to sit! Since then, my mother-in-law has made the fabulous chocolate brown drapes, as well as matching cornices for the kitchen! You may remember these zebra lamps from HomeGoods. I am pleased to report that they have found a happy home in our family room! The little touch of zebra adds some interest, and also ties in with my lovely zebra print barstools from Pier One! More decorating posts coming very soon.....
can't wait to share my living room/studio space!

{HomeGoods} Going Global: A Touch of Zebra Print

This week's Happy Spring Challenge theme is Going Global. If you have a room that exemplifies this theme, enter this fabulous HomeGoods contest now! In the spirit of theme, my post today is about zebra print. I'm sharing photos of my kitchen barstools and fabulous zebra print lamps!
Check it out HERE!

Next week's theme......CITY CHIC!

{Project Nursery} Andrea's Sweet & Serene Nursery!

Today over at Project Nursery, I am sharing my assistant, Andrea's adorable nursery! Andrea created a sweet and sentimental space for her little sweetheart, Linnea. Can you guess what my favorite element of the room is? The pink fabric flag bunting, of course!

Turns out Andrea is quite a seamstress and made the bunting herself.
She also made my Kate an adorable cupcake apron for her birthday...I'll be sharing soon!

View more photos and all of the details HERE on Project Nursery!
While you're there, be sure to check out the adorable photos from her baby shower, too!

Photos courtesy of Session Nine Photography ~ Phoenix, Arizona

{HomeGoods} Gorgeous Pink Room by Jonathan Adler!

Check out my latest post for the HomeGoods OpenHouse blog! The trend of the week for the Happy Spring Contest is Romantic Notions. I think this room is quite romantic....
since I am completely in LOVE with it...read more HERE.
{photo via jonathan adler, spotted on modern chic home}

{HomeGoods} Fabulous Contest! You Could WIN a $5,000 Shopping Spree!

Okay, TomKat Studio readers....I am challenging you to enter the fun and fabulous HAPPY SPRING CHALLENGE hosted by HomeGoods! Six weeks of fun, each week a different theme!
This week's trend is COLOR ME HAPPY!
I'll be posting some COLOR ME HAPPY ideas tomorrow over at the HG OpenHouse blog, but in the meantime, snap some photos of your favorite room full of color or get your colorful party photos ready and enter to win! You only have until Friday for this trend, and a new one will start on Monday! Go! Go! Go!Weekly winners will receive $100 gift card, along with a Flip Mino Camcorder. After the 6 finalists are selected, they will be asked to submit a video to enter the contest for the grand prize! ($5,000 shopping spree!) I would love for one of you, my lovely readers to WIN!

CLICK HERE to find out the details
and how YOU can enter!
Leave me a comment below with a link if you enter!

{Project Nursery} My Latest Post is All About Poms!

{via ohdeedoh}

Today on Project Nursery, I'm talking about POM POMS! Tissue paper poms are a must for your parties, but how about using them for home decorating? I'm loving this trend! Hop over to Project Nursery to see a nice collection of pretty photos of poms in rooms & some from my favorite customer parties!

VISIT MY POST!

PS...I'm hosting a giveaway next week for a set of POMS....stay tuned!

{Big News} Meet the Newest Blogger for HomeGoods!

I am very excited to announce that I am going to be blogging weekly for the HomeGoods Open House blog! If you follow my blog, you know that I am an avid HomeGoods shopper. My HomeGoods obsession has increased even more lately, as I work on furnishing our new home from scratch! Just in case, you haven't heard, we sold our last home fully furnished so it's been a journey! I have plenty of fabulous finds to start sharing with you, along with the many HomeGoods fans & readers! I'm honored to be a part of the HomeGoods team and look forward to bringing both fabulous home decorating ideas, along with tips and products for being the perfect hostess!

Join the fun!
Become a fan of HomeGoods on Facebook
Follow the Open House Blog
(you can subscribe via email or RSS at top right corner)

{Project Nursery} Kate's Pretty in Pink Baby Room!

Today on Project Nursery, I shared my daughter's nursery (two houses ago!), along with some of the inspiration photos I still have saved! Hop over to read the full post & sources!

Click HERE to view my post!

{Decorating} My New Kitchen in Progress!

Have you all been wondering what's going at on at our new house?! If you don't know about our house story, read it here. As you probably know, we did our remodeling and moved in right before Christmas! With an amazing team of contractors, this was the quickest project we've ever done (14 days!). I can't tell you how happy we are in this house. Not only is the house beautiful and functional for our family, but the neighborhood is incredible! We have already become fast friends with several of the families on the block and it is a true community feel here. (rare for Phoenix) Our next door neighbors & our neighbors across the street have kids the same ages as ours (perfect!). We live at the end of a cul-de-sac where all of the neighbor kids play outside everyday!

It's been quite a project for me to furnish this house from scratch, but I've loved every minute of it. It's still a work in progress, but I wanted to share a few photos of how things are coming along. I mentioned on my Facebook page that I found a pair of zebra barstools at Pier 1, and promised to share a photo of them in my new kitchen (see above)! Here's the kitchen before new flooring, granite, glass tile backsplash, sink, faucet, lighting!

One of my favorite things that we did to this house is the glass tile backsplash in the kitchen, along with a matching fireplace surround (photos coming soon!). Here a detail photo of the tile! I LOVE it!

I'm having so much finding fabulous things for our new house!
I have a lot more work to do, but little by little....it will get done!

Moving: Going to Miss Our Backyard...

Well, we're moved! Our previous home closed today!
Moving is so not fun, but we did it and it's time to start unpacking and get settled in...at least for a little while!
Many of you have asked that I share additional before/after photos of the our previous home, so I will start posting more for all of you who love to see good makeover!

Today, I'm sharing our (their) backyard!

I will miss it. Tremendously.

{PHOTO: AFTER THE REMODEL}

{BEFORE THE REMODEL}
Doesn't even look like the same backyard, right?

Stay tuned....next up....Master Bathroom....a major transformation!

Fabulous Giveaway from PaPaYa Art! Enter Now!

Remember my pretty new wall hanging?
Want one?

How about winning one along with a beautiful selection of other items made by PaPaYa Art, handpicked by moi? I was just contacted by Sarah (below) with PaPaYa Art, the creative paper, gift & home decor company and asked to host a giveaway for my readers! So fun! I LOVE their products and would love for one of you to win this amazing selection I picked out!

I was like a kid in a candy store picking out my favorite items for you! The giveaway includes a selction of cards and gift cards, including these designs.....

.....along with these fabulous file folders, notepads & journal from the Lotus Garden Collection! And of course, the glowing flower wall hanging!

Here's 5 ways to enter! (Enter up to 5 times by doing the following):
1. Hop over to the PAPAYA WEBSITE, come back & leave a comment with your favorite item!
2. Visit PaPaYa's NEW BLOG and leave them a comment on a post that grabs your attention. Comment here to let me know that you did!
3. Post about this giveaway on Facebook, comment with the link!
4. Tweet about this giveaway, comment with the link!
5. Post about this giveaway on your own Blog, and comment with the link!

Winner will be chosen on Wednesday, September 30th at 11:00pm (MST). Any entries received after this time, will not be considered. Open to US residents. Retail Value of prize: $75.00.
Winner will be chosen using random.org

More Papaya Art Designs for your viewing pleasure:

GOOD LUCK!

Move Update: Two Weeks...We're Out.

{my fireplace, see it here at christmas time}

This is real. The panic has set in. Inspections are done and repairs are agreed upon. This is happening. We are moving in approximately two weeks, and I am freaking out.

I won't get into all the details, but we do have a place to go. We are renting temporarily until we find out about the offer we made on the short sale that we hope to call home. Short sales are typically taking weeks, if not months to get negotiated with the bank, so we could be in limbo for awhile. I don't like limbo. I like a nice, fully decorated HOME. Ask my friends...whenever I move, within a week the entire house is unpacked and fully decorated. It's my OCD, type-A, decorating-loving self...it's how I roll. This is different, very different from any other move we've made. For several reasons, but most importantly because we sold the house fully furnished! I keep picturing the new big, empty house with our mattresses on the floor...and it's not a comfortable feeling. What will my kids be thinking? But...as I explained...this is for the best. And, I really am getting excited about redecorating! My OCD self will have the new house fully furnished within.......hmmm....I would guess, six months? maybe three?

It will be okay! I'm on the deal.

Have any of these I can borrow?

{image via thefindblog}

It must be those thoughts of mattresses on the floor, that prompted me to do some searching online. I bought a master bedroom bed & night stands today from Craigs List! It's used, but in great condition and it's from one of my favorite local furniture stores (or barns, I should say), Potato Barn. Potato Barn is in Gilbert and is literally housed in an old potato barn. The furniture is well-made, heavy wood....often that great distressed look, very Pottery Barn-ish, and very affordable. We actually stopped in there last weekend to start looking, but I couldn't focus because I was sick to my stomach after seeing that they are selling my frames, made by someone else (copykat?). Ugh, more on that later.

{Potato Barn ~ Gilbert, AZ photo via flickr}

Anyway, the next day I was over it and moved on. Nothing makes me feel better than a quick trip to HomeGoods, so Tommy & I stopped in and found two pictures that I think will be great inspiration for his room. I love that he was with me to approve. And he really approved. He's actually quite excited about yellow? He's more of a red fan (not me), so I was surprised he liked them so much. I'm thinking modern, hip miami style.....white, and these yellow & turquoise colors.
Cool, huh? Send me your finds! :)No more complaining for me...this going to be fun! Come along for the ride and help me decorate the big, empty house! And keep your fingers crossed that one day soon, it will be ours!