Henry and Belle Giveaway!

Have you heard of Henry and Belle jeans?

I hadn't, but after one pair of perfectly fitting skinnies (I have these), learning more about the business model, and meeting some of the awesome people who work there, I am sold.

The Henry and Belle story starts with a real life Chicago couple in the early 1930s - Henry, the designer and Belle, his model and muse. It's a story founded on love, and if that weren't charming enough, Belle gave up modeling to focus on philanthropy, which remains a core focus for the company today (click here for more).

I was able to tour the Henry and Belle warehouse and meet Megan, the Director or Sales and Merchandising, in person. I loved seeing the Fall style boards (below) and the fabric samples, and Megan was a delight to work with.

Since receiving my pair of Lila Skinny in Royal (here), I have been wearing them nonstop. They are the softest, most comfortable, and most flattering pair of jeans I own - no joke.

James Roy Photograpy

And now for the really exciting part: Henry and Belle is giving away a pair of jeans to a lucky ANC reader! 

Just follow the Rafflecopter steps below to enter. The giveaway will run until Monday, January 27 at 12:00AM. A winner will be notified on Tuesday, January 28. Henry and Belle will manage fulfillment and shipping of the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Lila Skinny jeans were provided by Henry and Belle. All opinions expressed herein are my own. 

father's day giveaway: $50 UncommonGoods gift certificate

hi, friends! hope you had a great weekend.

i'm very excited to be hosting a $50 giveaway to UncommonGoods today! father's day is coming up on june 16th and UncommonGoods has lots of great gifts for dad! one lucky winner will have $50 to spend toward a father's day gift or maybe a gift for him/herself (don't worry, we won't tell).

i'm particular jazzed to be offering ANC readers a gift certificate to UG because of their huge collection of unique household and gift items and because they're a socially- and environmentally-minded company. you can read their mission statement here. pretty cool.

i've rounded up some of my favorite gifts for dads, but be sure to check out the rest of their father's day gifts here and don't forget to enter the giveaway below! 

the giveaway ends this friday, june 7 at 12pm central time. good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

giveaway: sophia forero

i am so excited to introduce you to sophia forero via an exclusive interview and share her beautiful jewelry. sophia is graciously giving away a ring to an ANC reader, so make scroll to the bottom to enter! and be sure to visit her shop and check out the unique, hand-crafted mosaic pieces she creates.

When did you start designing jewelry and how did you start your business?

I started designing jewelry when I was in grad school studying international relations. While working on my master’s thesis on South Africa (they were just coming out of Apartheid) I came across hundreds of pictures of indigenous people in their traditional dress and adornment. I had seen many pictures of regional dress when I was very young- my family is from Greece and I was always fascinated by the costumes from different regions there… a particular book, Africa Adorned, became one I thumbed through just about every day. I had no idea that the Maasai wore their beaded collars in certain color combinations for reasons, or that the Mandinka’s beaded corsets were also packed with symbolism, or that the Tuareg had been making silver jewelry for hundreds of years. In SO many societies jewelry is a symbol of marriage, or wealth, or social status- even in ancient cultures this is true. So I started to buy elements to make jewelry and try to create pieces myself. After grad school, I was in the US Peace Corps in Hungary- I travelled all over Eastern Europe and bought more materials to create- vintage Czech glass beads, beads from a Gypsy caravan in Vienna ( in some old art market I had stumbled upon), amber from Russia… my interest progressed and grew from there.

I started by business 10 years ago when I won a design contest with then Chicago department store Marshall Fields… I entered a design contest and got the chance to show the collection there. Within one year we were in 9 MF all over the Midwest.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I am constantly looking at books of art from a myriad of cultures. My heaviest inspiration comes from Byzantine Icons- in fact I got my idea for my mosaics while staring at one… I also love looking at jewels from ancient Egypt-Rome, the Renaissance… my latest inspiration are jewels from the Middle Ages.

Your designs are beautiful and so unique. Can you tell us a bit about the materials you work with?

Thank you! The castings are all hand carved by my husband and me- they are all cast right here in Chicago… we use faceted precious stones and sew them one by one onto fabric to create each one of our mosaics. My favorite right now is raw diamond- I just love the look of raw rock, and the diamonds shimmer.

For us local gals, where can we find your jewelry in Chicago?

Gethsemane Garden 

Urban Style Emporium 

Voila

Woodland Grove Gallery 

Macy’s on State Street

What advice do you have for women looking to start their own businesses?

Feel the fear, and do it anyway (a quote I read somewhere)… Have patience (especially with yourself), create something that feeds your soul, and don’t EVER give up.

images courtesy of sophia forero

a Rafflecopter giveaway

giveaway: robert mondavi private selection

happy monday, friends! what better way to start off the week than a giveaway?? you may know that wine maker robert mondavi has a private selection of wines.

throughout the summer, robert mondavi private selection will take wine lovers of all ages, digital-savvy millennials, and fans of the wine on a virtual tour of california’s central coast – the region where RMPS sources 100% of their grapes. taking a cue from the popular tv show diners, drive-ins and dives, the "RMPS Discover the Central Coast" tour puts the central coast on the map by using social media to showcase locals-only hidden gems. the tour starts now, in the santa cruz county area and will travel south through santa barbara county.

image courtesy of robert mondavi

and to help celebrate the digital tour, the lovely folks at robert mondavi are offering ANC readers a travel essentials prize pack which includes:

• $25 gas card
• $25 target gift card 
• $10 starbucks gift card 
• $15 itunes gift card
• neck pillow
• a disposable camera to capture memories with
• RMPS branded wine opener
• RMPS branded tote (reusable for groceries, travel, etc.)

the giveaway will run until midnight on 8/26 and a winner will be announced 8/27. 

giveaway for shopbop fans!

i am thrilled to announce i am partnering with shopbop and giving away a $100 giftcard to one lucky ANC reader! and if that wasn't enough, jillian is also hosting a giveaway, so scoot on over and enter there too. my spring picks are also up on cornflake dreams, so don't miss them!

shopbop is pretty phenomenal online retailer with thousands of products and tons of brands to choose from! with this gorgeous spring weather and my honeymoon on the way, i'm thinking a new pair of sandals is in order.

these vera wang lavender label sandals would be perfect!

or perhaps these gorgeous swarovski crystal pedro garcia sandals?

or better yet, these strappy rebecca minkoff sandals with a hint of heel.

                                                  

but you don't have to get sandals if you win! what would you buy with a $100 gift certificate to shopbop?

to enter (leave a comment):
1. must be a follower of ANC (click "join this site" in the sidebar under friends) and fan shopbop on facebook

for additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):
2. follow ANC on bloglovin
3. follow ANC on twitter
4. follow ANC on pinterest
5. tweet about the giveaway including both @ashleynicolecat and @shopbop

giveaway ends on march 30, 2012. open to all readers internationally!

GIVEAWAY: emma graham designs!

i am beyond excited to introduce emma graham designs to you today! i stumbled upon their website the other day and these fun and feminine dresses and skirts totally caught my eye. 

borrowing from their fact sheet, emma graham is a new york city-based women’s clothing company that offers a contemporary, stylish and effortlessly distinctive one-of-a-kind pieces. emma graham brings to life classic cuts with vibrant color pairings and bold embellishments. from sweetheart necklines to colorful exposed zippers, emma graham designs puts an unexpected twist on timeless styles.

they also have a "design your own" option, where you can design your own hat, skirt, or dress! 

and now, the GIVEAWAY! from "our favorites" section, the berkeley skirt is perfect for spring (and a $98 value!). the berkely is mint julep green with flamingo pink piping in a signature custom-dyed cotton sateen fabric, with a hint of stretch. 

could it be any cuter??

to enter:
1. leave a comment below with how you would style the berkeley

for extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
2. visit emma graham designs and let me know which style is your favorite
3. tweet about the giveaway and be sure to include @ashleynicolecat and @EmmaGrahamDesig
3. follow ANC on twitter
4. follow emma graham on twitter
5. become a new follower of ANC

KATE SPADE GIVEAWAY!!

as a thank you to all my readers, i am giving away a fabulous accessory from one of my favorite brands, kate spade!

the holidays might be over, but sparkle is always in season! one lucky reader will win this gorgeous and oh-so-sparkly coin purse. see below for entry rules and good luck!

to enter: 
1. must be a follower of ANC via gfc or bloglovin and leave a comment below!

for extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
2. follow ANC on facebook
3. follow ANC on twitter
4. tweet about the giveaway, tagging @ashleynicolecat
5. stalk me on currently obsessed. if you don't have access to the site, you can use code: ashley_nicole_catherineObsessed

the giveaway will run for TWO weeks. entries must be submitted by 1/18/12 at 11:58PM CT. winner announced 1/19/12. open to residents of the continental u.s. sorry, my international friends!

good luck, mon amies, and thank you for reading! xo

design love: glamorous chandeliers + giveaway!

i am very excited to introduce a special guest post today from the folks over at arcadian lighting! if you don't know arcadian lighting, they are the best source for lighting fixtures and accessories at discount prices and they have gorgeous home decor too! some of my favorite pieces include: venetian mirror, art deco wall plaque, mirrored screen, bamboo side table, crystal chandelier... i could go on an on!

**make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom for an exclusive promotion code and a gift certificate giveaway!


Hi all! I’m Jennifer and I write for Arcadian Lighting, a site that chronicles top interior designers and lighting trends around the world. I've been writing about home decor since graduating university and have loved it ever since. I'm addicted to patterned fabrics, Jonathan Adler, chaise lounges, old doors, milk glass jars, and antiques. I'm also a sucker for chandeliers. Fashion and style prevail at Ashley Nicole Catherine, and all of her fab posts get my creative inner-fashionista juices flowing -- so you can imagine my delight when I found out that I would be providing a guest post for this luxe blog on glamorous chandeliers.

There's one type of light fixture that can be both traditional and modern, has existed for centuries as the height of elegance and today comes in a dazzling array of styles and looks: it's the chandelier. Dripping in crystals and fashioned out of cut glass, this ceiling light is the epitome of sophistication. Here are eight glamorous chandeliers.

A contemporary twist

Style at Home via

This streamlined minimalist kitchen calls for a simple yet avant-garde light fixture, and this cylinder-shaped chandelier does the trick.

Suspended branches

Decorpad via

A glamorous chandelier that strays from the conventional is always a hit - this model looks like hanging white branches suspended over a mod beige and black dining room set.

Sweet simplicity

Arhzine via

This ceiling fixture, with pretty mini shades, gives the bedroom a beautiful centerpiece. The tufted fabric headboard is also gorgeous.

Oversized and opulent

Cococozy via

The floating kitchen countertop is even more visually appealing when topped with two matching chandeliers that have oversized round drum shades.

Bathing beauty

Luxury Home Interior Design Ideas via

Chandeliers always look posh in a bathroom - who wouldn't want to take a nice, long bath and soak in this freestanding tub with sprawling views?

A little lavishness

Stella & Henry via

A crib and vintage kid-centric wall hangings look too cute when paired with antique chairs as well as a bejewelled ceiling light.

Dark light

eclectic revisited by Maureen Bower via

A chandelier fashioned out of brown metal and cut crystals looks spectacular in this formal dining room - the light fixture really brings out the colours in the velvet chairs and textured wallpaper.

Bird's eye view

Fayim.com via

A bedroom with personality, such as the one pictured, features a table lamp and chandelier that mimics the colours and fab feathers in this interesting ostrich wall hanging.

Content provided by Arcadian Lighting, a site that specializes in top quality lighting fixtures at extremely affordable prices. If you like this post, be sure to stop by the Arcadian Lighting blog and let us know you saw us here!

thanks, jennifer - that is some gorgeous inspiration!
the lovely folks at arcadian lighting are giving away a $50 gift certificate to one lucky winner and offering one-week promotion code for all ANC readers at both the lighting and home decor sites!! simply enter "ANCBLOG" in the promo code field for 12% off the purchase price.

** the promo code will run through 9/2 and the giveaway winner will be announced 9/1. giveaway entries must be in by midnight 8/31.

to enter the giveaway (leave one comment for both):
1. follow ANC and let me know how you follow.
2. visit arcadian lighting and/or arcadian home decor and leave a comment with your favorite piece!

for extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
1. tweet about the giveaway and ANCBLOG promo, tagging @ashleynicolecat and @arcadianhome
2. follow the ANC blog on facebook or twitter.

thank you, jennifer and arcadian lighting!