Epically Epic Soap Giveaway {CLOSED}

The other week I bought some lip balms and lip tints from Epically Epic Soap. Let me tell you, they are amazing! Allison has some wonderful flavors for sale in her etsy shop. Wondering what flavors I bought? Well, I bought the Vanilla Coke lip balm {so yummy!}, Passion Fruit Rose lip tint {this one I didn't care for. But Gabrielle loves passion fruit so I gave it to her.}, Red Velvet Cake lip tint {tastes just like red velvet cake. The color is a nice red.}, and the Red Clove lip tint {amazing flavor! The color is like a woodsy red. Very pretty}.

I'm already planning what I want to try next. Like the ROSA Rose lip tint, Chai Tea lip tint, Mint Chocolate Espresso lip balm, Marshmallow Epic lip balm, Shamrock Shake lip balm, and the Pumpkin Pie lip balm. They all sound so good!

I was thrilled when Allison agreed to sponsor a giveaway! I know you will all love her shop. I mean it. The best part, you can pick what lip balm or tint you want! AND this giveaway is open to International readers. =)

How to enter the giveaway -

• Visit Epically Epic Soap and tell me which is your favorite lip balm or tint. {Include in your comment some way for me to contact you. Etsy username, email, or blog will work. If you don't want your email published, leave a separate comment with just your email and a note.}

More ways you can enter {Please leave a separate comment for EACH thing you do, thank you!}:  

• "Heart" Epically Epic Soap
• Add Epically Epic Soap to your circle
• Follow Epically Epic Soap's blog
• Follow Epically Epic Soap on Twitter
• Follow Bramblewood Fashion. 
• "Like" Bramblewood Fashion on Facebook
• Blog, Facebook, or Tweet about the giveaway. {Leave a link in the comment. You can do all three just leave a separate comment for each one.}

This giveaway is open to everyone. The giveaway will end on March 15th at 10PM {EST}. The winner will then be chosen at random {using random.org} and will be announced the next day.

~Ashley

Thoughts of Spring {Blog Party}

This blog party sounded fun so I decided to join in the fun! =)

How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right? I've been told creative, stylish, sweet, kind, fun, vintage. My sisters say, creative. I would have to agree. :)

What is your comfort food/drink? Definitely milk, doughnuts, fried chicken, pizza, and chocolate.

Be brave – tell us something very random and weird about yourself. Let me see....Oh I know of a weird food combination I love!!! It's toasted Panarea Bread's cinnamon crunch bagel with butter dipped in Amy's mac-and-cheese. Sooo good.

Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres? I enjoy watching Action, Drama, Period Dramas, Romantic Comedy, Comedy, Musicals, Westerns, and Mystery movies. 

Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material? Biographies, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Poetry, Sewing, and Cookbooks are some of my favorites.

Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative, Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types? Classical, Country, Film Score, Oldies {40s mostly}.

If you inherited a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do with your money? First I would give some of the money to my dad. Then I would use the rest to take my family on a trip to Europe.

If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go? Either somewhere in England or Scotland. Or Charleston, South Carolina on Battery Row in one of those old homes. Then again, maybe downtown Boston, Massachusetts. Wait, I forgot how beautiful Virginia and Texas are!!! I really don't know one place, as I enjoy moving around.

What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of? a soft salty breeze, gently blowing across a white sand beach.

When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less? Definitely talk more.

If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in? Anthropologie, J. Crew, Kate Spade, Saltwater, Cath Kidston, Modcloth, Vintage clothing stores....A girl can wish though....

What is your greatest fear or strange phobia? SNAKES!!!! I'm so scared of snakes. I can't even read, or hold for that matter, a book about snakes.

What are your favorite animals? Orca Whales, Dolphins, Horses, Dogs, Sea Otters, California Seal Lions, Dear, Rabbits, and Blue-Footed Booby.

Are you a hopeless romantic? I would have to say that I am.

What movie or book character can you most relate to? At times I'm like Emma Woodhouse {minus the matchmaking}, Mr. Darcy, Jo March, or Felicity King {Road to Avonlea}. My what a mix!! =)

~Ashley

Announcing: Nancy Drew Fashion Week!

What I Wear, What I Do And Why I Did It & Bramblewood Fashion are proud to announce our first ever co-hosted fashion week! Our inspiration is the lovely, high spirited fiction character-Miss Nancy Drew! You'll know Miss Nancy from her books written by Carolyn Keene, or perhaps from one of her movies- the most recent starring Miss Emma Roberts.

When Will The Event Be? April 1-7 2011

How Can I Enter? There are three ways you can enter:

1. Here at my blog, by entering your blog link in a linky that will be posted on the 1st of April
2. At Natasha's blog by entering your blog link in a linky that will be posted on the 1st of April
3. By emailing me the photos at bramblewoodfashion(at)hotmail(dot)com with "Nancy Drew Fashion" in the subject line.

What Are The Categories? There are three categories:

1. Nancy-Vintage
2. Nancy-Modern
3. Nancy-Costume

Nancy-Vintage is where you should enter all your 1940-1970's fashion sitting in your closet!
Nancy-Modern Try to ask yourself what Nancy would be wearing if she lived in 2011.
Nancy-Costume is the perfect place to enter your Nancy costumes! There's plenty of time to sew one, so hurry up!

Where Can I Find Out What Nancy Would Wear? Since not all of us are experts on what Nancy Drew would wear, this website is a great resource. It has images of all the Nancy Drew covers, by decades. You can also check out this post I wrote last year on Nancy Drew's style.

What If I Don't Know Anything About Nancy Drew, Can I Still Enter? Of course! Everyone is welcome as usual, and encourage all of you ladies to join in the fun!

Please remember that the outfits still need to be modest (of course Nancy would approve!), and I reserve the right to refuse any photos I feel are inappropriate.

Here are some buttons for all of you.

<center> <a href="http://bramblewoodfashion.blogspot.com/2011/03/announcing-nancy-drew-fashion-week.html"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5137/5499179903_c1152923d7.jpg" /></a></center>

<center> <a href="http://bramblewoodfashion.blogspot.com/2011/03/announcing-nancy-drew-fashion-week.html"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5215/5499775294_435fac500e.jpg" /></a></center>

<center> <a href="http://bramblewoodfashion.blogspot.com/2011/03/announcing-nancy-drew-fashion-week.html"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5056/5499775326_c00b3d288c.jpg" /></a></center>

The Finalists of Keeping it Classy {modest fashion week}

Hear ye, hear ye! We have compiled a list of the finalists from the modest fashion week! We are sorry it has taken us awhile. =)

First we must start off with the fine print. You vote for your two favorites on the poll found on the sidebar. This side. -----> After one weeks time, we will post the top two winners and they will receive a prize. :) OK, start voting, girls!

In no order, our top five -

- Melanie -

{Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

- Marie -

{Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

- Olivia -

{Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}

- Tina & her daughter, Atira -

{Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7} 

- KatySue -

{Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

~Ashley, Gabrielle, and Hanne-col

What I'm Wearing + Book Sale Treasures

Well, guess what? Tomorrow the finalist for the Keeping it Classy {modest fashion week} will be announced!! I, also, have a little surprise for y'all on Saturday. I know you will like it. Trust me. You will. =)

First off, what I wore today. If you were to see what I've been wearing this week, you would think it was Spring around here. But it's not. I'm just protesting against winter. 

Not really, I just want warm weather to come real soon.  

What I wore today: Large Floral Skirt {made by me} (Amy Butler Pattern); White Ruffle T-shirt {Ann Taylor}; Navy Blue Cardigan {Old Navy}; Tan Boots {Target}; Cameo Necklace {Portobello Road Market, London, UK}; "Kate Spade" inspired earrings (to me at least) {Etsy}; and a Yellow Flower Ring {c/o Stella & Dot (won in a giveaway)}.

This is the ring I was wearing today. Well, actually since the mail came. It arrived this afternoon! How cute is this ring!?! I love the little ladybird detail in the center.

I found so many good things at the last book sale and then on half-price day. That I decided I HAD to share pictures with all of you. You don't mind do you? I know I always enjoy seeing what treasures everyone else finds. =) We will start off the books in the above picture. The bottom book is a German bible from 1872. The owners were originally from German but immigrated to America in 1855, I believe, to Ohio. Very interesting. The middle book is, Mother's Truth's Melodies: A Kindergarden for Little Folks by: Mrs. E. P. Miller {1879}. While the top book I think is a Psalter put together by Martin Luther from 1834. If any of you read German, here is the title page.

The bottom book is Swiss Family Robinson from 1888. The girl who owned this book was a school teacher. She received the book as a gift from her first teaching job, she was only sixteen. The other two books are Little Men & Little Women {1910}.

 Where Women Create magazine. The Williamsburg Art of Cookery by: Mrs. Helen Bullock. Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook {1954, first edition}.

The Big Book of Knitting by: Isabella Stevenson {1948}; American Costume Dolls: How to Make and Dress Them by: Nina Jordan {1941}; Irish Linen: The Fabric of Elegance {1945}.

Knitting pamphlets/books.

Four LOOK magazines, One LIFE magazine, and one POST magazine {this is a British magazine}. All of these magazines are from the 1940s.

 A ton of little cookbooks from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.

Here are the movies I found. Victoria & Albert BBC, Christmas in Connecticut, The Philadelphia Story, Life with Father, Holiday Inn, White Christmas, and two Christmas special episodes of Ozzie & Harriet.  

There is a modest fashion week coming up in April that will be hosted by Miss Grace @ Grace Place. Visit her blog for more details.

Before I forget. How do all like the new layout? 

~Ashley

My Love Affaire with Kate Spade :)

I adore Kate Spade. The colors. The Polka dots. The Uniqueness. It all equals up to love. :) It seams that most of my favorite brands & designers are more on the expensive side. Hmm. I wonder why?

Some bags I like. How about the Emma book clutch? How unique is that? They also have Great Expectations, Romeo & Juliet, and The Importance of Being Ernest as book clutches.

How about these fun & colorful shoes? I'm loving the wellies {rainboots}. I really want to buy a pair of polka-doted wellies. And these heels. So cute! Loving the color and the flower. Another thing on my wish list, red shoes.

If I had iPhone I would love to have this Kate Spade iPhone cover. It's cute and so me! Now, the statement ring is pretty awesome too. 

Now the clothes. Pinks? Florals? Polka-dots? Yes, yes, yes! Oh. What joys! =) I love the classic, yet fun touches Kate Spade adds to her clothing. Like fun colors, polka-dots, stripes, large florals, and the like. 

Do you like Kate Spade? What are your favorites?

~Ashley